"NOOO!
YOU CAN'T…
YOU CAN'T DIE!
YOU CAN'T BE DEAD!" Jabari roared, his voice cracking under the weight of panic and heartbreak as tears streamed freely down his face.
His legs trembled with every step, but he forced his unsteady body to carry on, stumbling forward one agonising step at a time. He could barely breathe, barely think – his world narrowing to the crater ahead.
August and the others watched in silence, their hearts heavy. They could hear the pain – they could practically feel it – in Jabari's voice. But what could they say? What could they do? None of them believed Aziz had survived that kind of attack.
Even if, somehow, he was alive, there was no way he'd still be able to fight.
From the sidelines, Silver remained still. His usual easy smile had faded, replaced with a curious, unreadable expression as he watched Jabari unravel. Whatever was going through his mind, only he knew.
"HAHAHAHA! Serves you right, you arrogant son of a bitch!" Vladimir cackled from above, exultant. "From now on, I, Vladimir Varishkov, shall be remembered as the man who defeated the so-called Invincible Mortal!"
But then-
A dry cough echoed from within the settling dust cloud.
Everyone froze.
"What…?" The voice coughed whilst waving his hands to disperse the smoke around him. "So much damn dust…
Were you trying to choke me to death or something?!"
As the smoke cleared, all eyes widened.
Standing amidst the devastation, almost entirely unscathed, was Aziz.
His robes were in tatters – his upper body bare – but his posture was relaxed as ever, as if he'd just returned from a stroll. Despite his lean frame, his physique was cut like sculpted marble. Not bulky, but defined, every muscle precise, chiselled to perfection.
A mortal form that looked anything but.
"No…
That's…
That's impossible," Vladimir whispered in disbelief, eyes glued to the faint, shallow cut just over Aziz's heart.
A flesh wound barely a millimetre deep.
His ultimate spell…
It had barely scratched him.
"What the fuck are you made of?!"
Aziz ignored him completely.
Instead, he turned to Jabari, whose tear-streaked face was contorted with emotion.
"Why are you snivelling, brat?" he asked, flashing a grin as he jabbed a thumb toward the flustered mercenary above. "Didn't I tell you already? The number of people in this country who can threaten me can be counted on one hand – and this clown's not even close to making the cut."
He cracked his neck with a satisfying pop.
"Now, where was I…? Ah! That's right. We were talking about the second boundary of Weapon-Wielding before we were so rudely interrupted."
He raised his sabre again, letting the white force surrounding his body shimmer under the moonlight as if nothing had happened.
"As I was saying," he continued casually, "Weapon-Force can also be used to coat your body, not just your weapon. When applied this way, it strengthens the body to absurd levels – tougher than steel and rock."
The others were dumbfounded.
"With a monster like that as his Master…" Danso muttered, voice tinged with disbelief and a hint of envy. "No wonder Jabari's improved so much!"
"…Those who reach this stage," Aziz continued without missing a beat, "are referred to as 'Masters' of their weapon. So, in my case, a Master Sabreman."
He stood tall, the sabre at his side humming softly with power.
A single drop of blood ran from the shallow cut across his chest and fell to the grass. But it was that drop that changed everything.
August, Azurian, and Danso stiffened in unison, their expressions hardening.
"That feeling…" Azurian muttered, eyes fixed on the crimson dot staining the grass. He squinted, trying to process what he was sensing.
"He…
He can't be," Danso stammered, barely able to get the words out. "There's only ever been one foreigner to become a Beast-Warrior...
Right?"
It made no sense.
They hadn't sensed it before – his aura had felt completely mortal. But now, exposed by his blood…
There was no doubt. He had the essence of a Beast-Warrior.
August remained silent. His gaze lingered on the blood, but he said nothing. He already knew the truth. And unlike the others, it didn't surprise him one bit.
It was hard to tell if Aziz didn't realise that his secret had been exposed – or if he simply didn't care. Either way, he continued his lesson without missing a beat.
"…And then there's the third and final boundary. Those of us who've reached this level are known as Grandmaster Weapon-Wielders," he said with unmistakable pride.
"The unique ability we Grandmasters possess is the ability to attack at range – to strike down enemies far beyond our reach using nothing but the force of our weapon.
Last time I showed this, I had to hold back quite a bit, but this time…"
A fiendish grin curled across Aziz's face, and in that moment, Vladimir understood. Things had taken a sharp turn for the worse.
Without a second's hesitation, the silver, energy-forged wings on Vladimir's back flared. He rocketed skyward with such force that all the teens below were thrown to the ground once more, buffeted by the sheer pressure of his escape.
In less than a second, he cleared over a hundred meters, a silver streak shooting through the night sky like a comet.
Aziz calmly raised his sabre.
"[Demonic Slaying Sabre Art – Hell's Wrath]."
The white [Weapon Force] surrounding his blade twisted violently, turning into a flickering flame of deep purple and black. The very air around it seemed to bend, and the aura it gave off was chilling – an abyssal pull that made Jabari and the others feel as though their souls were being dragged into a bottomless pit.
Aziz performed the simplest of motions – a single, calm slash. But the result was anything but calm.
A crescent wave of black energy surged forward from the blade. It stretched several hundred meters wide, tearing faint scars in the fabric of space itself as it screamed through the sky.
Across the Institute, everything stopped. Man and beast alike turned to the sky.
Even the wild creatures mid-attack froze in place, eyes wide, as the heavens were split open by a single sword slash.
Vladimir looked back mid-flight.
What he saw drained every ounce of colour from his face.
"NOOOOO!"
He pushed his wings harder, desperate to evade the inevitable. But he never made it beyond three hundred meters.
The slash caught him mid-flight.
His body was split clean in two, and both halves tumbled lifelessly through the air before hitting the ground.
Dead. Instantly.
August, Azurian, and Danso stared up at the sky with awe and reverence. The image of that slash – the sheer power, precision, and finality – was etched into their memories forever.
Jabari, however, wasn't looking skyward.
He was still struggling to calm his breath, trembling as the aftershocks of fear slowly faded. The image of his master's death – his near-death – still weighed heavily on his heart. He hadn't realised until that moment just how deeply he cared.
Yet, while most were dumbstruck by Aziz's unfathomable strength, Silver remained unmoved.
His gaze never left Jabari. A fascinated smile played on his lips, as if the young warrior in training was far more interesting than Aziz's incredible display of power.
Across the Institute, in the midst of the battlefield, even the Elders were struck into stunned silence.
They had been locked in life-or-death battles with Magical Beasts – until that thing tore the sky in half.
"What was that?!" Idir gasped, his blade raised defensively as he stood opposite a twin-headed orange serpent.
"I don't know…" came the reply. "But I hope whoever did it is on our side."
While the others murmured in shock, Zaire's expression grew thoughtful.
"That energy…" he said softly. "It felt similar to his…"
He narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
'Surely not…'
Back on the battlefield, Aziz lowered his sabre and turned to the silver-haired youth who had sparked this entire mess.
"One down," he muttered. "One to go."
But Silver raised both hands in mock surrender, his voice calm and sincere. "No need. You don't have to worry about me. I've learned my lesson."
Aziz narrowed his eyes.
"As much as I'd love to let you go," he said with a sigh, "my hands are tied. The Institute would throw a fit if I let the mastermind of today's attack walk free."
Silver didn't flinch. Instead, he smiled. A calm, confident smile.
"Are you sure?" he asked. "If you let me go, I could help keep Devil's Paradise off your back. Feed them false information. Misdirect them."
Even as he spoke, his eyes never left Jabari – not once.
He looked completely unbothered by Aziz's presence. As if none of this mattered to him anymore. As if the only thing he truly cared about… was Jabari.
Despite being completely ignored, Aziz didn't seem the least bit troubled.
"As much as I appreciate your concern," he said, resting his sabre on his shoulder, "you don't have to worry. I've already killed two of their Black-Grade mercenaries. One more won't tip the scales."
A gentle sigh slipped from Silver's lips. "I'd expect nothing less from a man of your stature."
Finally, Silver turned fully to face him. There were no signs of panic – only that same composed charm.
"Well, on that note, it's time for me to-"
Too late.
Aziz vanished with a [Burst Step] that made Jabari's look like a casual stroll. A thunderclap split the air as he reappeared behind Silver in a blur, sabre in hand.
And then-
*Thud!*
Silver's head rolled cleanly from his shoulders, hitting the ground just before his lifeless body crumpled beside it. Aziz stood behind the corpse, frowning slightly as he examined the blade of his sabre.
But before anyone could react, Silver's voice echoed from above.
"Until next time, my friend!"
Heads whipped toward the sky.
There, soaring high on the back of a six-winged, violet-feathered eagle, was another Silver – smiling, untouched, waving cheerfully down at Jabari.
"Ooh no you don't," Aziz muttered, narrowing his eyes.
He raised his hand and made a simple chopping motion through the air. In an instant, a bolt of violet lightning descended from the heavens, striking the eagle from above like divine judgment.
*CRACK!*
The eagle let out a pained screech before plummeting toward the forest floor in a smoking heap of feathers and magic.
Aziz didn't celebrate. He simply stared in silence, still frowning.
Something was wrong.
Far in the distance – in the opposite direction – another identical six-winged eagle was soaring away at incredible speed.
And there, riding calmly atop it, was Silver. Smiling. Waving. Staring down at the only person seemingly able to see through his illusions.
"He's gone," Jabari said softly.
On the back of the fleeing eagle, Silver kept his eyes on Jabari for as long as he could, that same relaxed expression never leaving his face.
Then-
A voice.
Cool. Calm. Feminine. Beautiful. Yet utterly devoid of emotion.
"Did you find who you were looking for?"
Sitting behind him, arms crossed and eyes distant, was a woman who looked as though she had stepped out of a dream – or a nightmare sculpted by desire. Her skin was a flawless caramel, glowing faintly in the moonlight. Her ice-blue hair shimmered with silver-frosted tips that cascaded over her shoulders like frozen silk.
She wore only a plain white lab coat, completely unbuttoned, exposing the thinnest strip of black underwear beneath. Her figure was unnervingly perfect – soft curves, sculpted waist, thick thighs, and a sense of poise that made her feel untouchable despite her revealing attire.
"I did indeed," Silver answered, still gazing at the shrinking silhouette of Jabari in the distance. "He was everything I was hoping for and more."
He smiled to himself.
"If I had to choose one word to describe him, it would be…
Prideful."
As he reflected, Silver replayed their battle – his "game" – in his mind.
When Jabari had muttered that it felt more like a test than a game, Silver had heard something more.
Loathing.
It had been subtle, so faint that even Jabari likely hadn't noticed it himself. But Silver had.
And it fascinated him.
From that moment on, Silver understood something vital – Jabari didn't enjoy being tested. It explained why, instead of simply defeating Azurian and Danso as ordered, he had taken the far more difficult path: killing Gichinga and punching him to try and snap the others out of his control.
It had been a gamble. A wild, reckless move. But it worked.
Silver's smile widened as the wind rushed past him.
"I look forward to playing more games with my new friend in the future," he said softly.
The woman behind him didn't turn.
Her ice-blue eyes remained fixed ahead, as cold and unreadable as ever.
"I see."
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