Chapter 55: They weren’t holding back The next match was called.
A loud tone echoed across the arena, and a deep voice cut through the crowd.
"Class Zero. Sector Twelve. Prepare for deployment."
The arena lights dimmed. The glass booth slid open.
Lucian stepped forward first.
Behind him, Evelyn rolled her shoulders. Reia tied her hair. Silas cracked his knuckles. Vyn... just walked, quiet and calm like always, but her eyes were already shifting, pupils dilating like a predator syncing with the field.
The crowd noticed.
People leaned forward.
Even the other academies stopped what they were doing.
Class Zero—the freak squad.
But this time, they weren’t facing some C-rank nobodies.
Sector Twelve came in hard. Four of them dropped into the sandstorm terrain with the weight of soldiers. The striker hit the ground with a dull boom, boots digging in. She was tall, broad-shouldered, eyes cold.
Lucian knew her file—Brisa. Rank C+, but she’d killed people in underground fights. Her mana was dense. She wasn’t just built for tournaments. She was built to end lives.
Next to her, the duelist twins adjusted their gloves. Pale skin, mirrored scars, cores synced in opposite flow patterns. Kinetic amplification. One focused on mass; the other on velocity.
The fourth wore a mask.
Lucian had no data on him.
That was the threat.
The sand terrain crackled as the arena completed shaping. Heat waves shimmered. Mana distortion kicked in. No long-range accuracy. No vision beyond thirty meters.
"Engage."
The siren sounded.
Lucian moved instantly.
Not to attack.
To anchor.
[Spatial Anchor — Zone Lock]
The air shimmered around his team, stabilizing the distortion around them.
"Vyn. You’re free."
Vyn’s eyes flashed violet as her fingers slid apart gently.
[Magic Flow Control — Domain Threading]
The sand stopped moving around her feet. Mana obeyed. She walked forward, steps never sinking, as if the terrain bent for her.
Brisa came in a blur—no warning.
She didn’t run. She lunged, arm cocked back.
Lucian caught it.
His left palm grabbed her wrist, and the impact cracked the air.
A shockwave kicked up sand.
Brisa’s expression didn’t change. Neither did Lucian’s.
She twisted mid-air and brought her knee up.
[Temporal Slow — Sector Lock]
Lucian flickered—barely a blur—and her knee met empty space.
Silas appeared above her in mid-drop, boots slamming down on her back.
He was faster than most, strong too, but Brisa caught him mid-crush.
Her spine arched. Her mana exploded outward like a bomb.
Silas was thrown across the battlefield, blood spraying from his mouth.
Reia flinched.
But she didn’t panic.
She reached out mentally, brushing everyone’s surface thoughts in the chaos.
[Telepathic Sync — Battle Stream]
"Left side—twins flanking, aiming for Evelyn. Lucian—she’s breaking your field."
Lucian replied only with a thought.
"Let her."
Vyn stepped to the center and raised her hand.