Celestina took a few steps back from the dark liquid pooling at her feet and scanned the battlefield.
Lumine was locked in a fierce struggle with one of the clones.
Each time it regenerated, it did so faster, leaving him no moment to breathe.
It was clear that the Dark King was channeling most of its energy into targeting Lumine.
Vergil, on the other hand, was engaged in a more passive combat. He moved with a disinterested air, barely breaking a sweat as he dodged the clone's strikes, each miss coming dangerously close.
Celestina's gaze shifted to the far side of the circular platform where Yelena and another cadet were working in tandem against the final clone.
They kept their distance, skillfully using their bows to harass the clone from afar.
While two other cadets were fighting the clone up close.
Celestina's attention returned to the Dark King, seated imperiously on its throne.
It remained motionless, its head never turning, its red eyes fixed ahead in an unblinking stare.
Celestina furrowed her brows in confusion.
The Dark King seemed to be using most of its mana to obstruct Lumine, yet it made no other moves.
Her gaze followed the Dark King's unyielding stare, searching for a clue.
To her growing bewilderment, she noticed that while most of the cadets avoided its path of gaze out of fear, one individual stood out.
The Dark King's gaze was fixed on Azriel, who returned the stare with an intensity that bordered on defiant.
Jasmine stood beside him, her eyes and that of the instructors darting nervously between the Dark King and Azriel.
'Is it afraid of him?'
It didn't make sense.
Azriel was undoubtedly the strongest first-year, but the instructors, including Jasmine, were more powerful.
Celestina struggled to read Azriel's expression, deepening her frustration.
'The Dark King isn't reacting because of Azriel. But why?'
Determined to act, she prepared to sprint toward the Dark King, but her resolve was interrupted.
The clone she had defeated reappeared right before her, forcing her to jump back and raise her sword in defense.
'We can't keep this up forever,' Celestina thought grimly.
'We'll exhaust ourselves before it does.'
The clones didn't tire like humans, and the Dark King had the mana to keep summoning them.
But surely it had a limit—why else would it only produce four clones?
She hoped at least it did.
With renewed resolve, Celestina's back began to glow white, catching the attention of the others.
They stared in surprise as two luminous, feathered wings unfurled from her back.
With a powerful flap, she ascended into the air.
From above, she surveyed the entire platform.
The clone below watched her intently.
'I can't maintain this for long or my mana will drain.'
The effort to keep her wings aloft was consuming her mana at a rapid rate.
She flew swiftly toward the Dark King, knowing that reaching it was the only way to end this battle.
Just as she neared her target, a black sword materialized in her line of sight, slicing through the air with deadly intent.
Instinctively, she veered to the left, feeling the sword's edge graze her hair.
Her heart raced as she looked toward the source of the attack.
Her face darkened in realization.
The clone she thought she had left behind was now airborne, sporting bat-like wings and floating menacingly in front of her.
Though its face was hidden, the mocking crimson eyes were unmistakable.
It was clear now—the clone was as adept in the air as she was.
Lumine gritted his teeth as he faced the clone in front of him.
Celestina was locked in an aerial battle, while Yelena and three other cadets were struggling in a stalemate with their clone.
Yelena was trying to manage the chaos, splitting her attention to support everyone she could.
Vergil was engaged in a relentless dance with his own opponent.
Despite Lumine' skill, he couldn't gain the upper hand; every time he defeated a clone, another appeared almost instantly.
What frustrated him most was that the Dark King remained indifferent, its gaze fixed elsewhere.
'Why is it acting like that? Azriel is not even helping...!'
Lumine's frustration boiled over.
He had been frustrated over the past two days for various reasons, but the main one was undoubtedly the quest.
It had taken a toll on his mental health.
He couldn't pinpoint exactly what was wrong, and the sudden floor shift with the boss didn't offer much hope.
With a powerful kick, Lumine decapitated the clone's head, turning it into dark liquid.
But before he could catch his breath, another black hole opened in front of him, spitting out another clone.
Lumine's eyes narrowed.
This new clone was different—much taller and wielding a greatsword.
'A greatsword, huh...'
Lumine noted, realizing the clones were adapting to their opponents.
He bent his knees as the floor cracked beneath him, then lunged at the new clone.
His sword collided with the greatsword, sending a jolt through his entire body.
Lumine thought, reacting too late as the clone's kick slammed into his abdomen.
Blood spattered from his mouth as he was hurled through the air, crashing to the ground.
Yelena's distant shout pierced his ringing ears.
A hollow laugh escaped him.
'So this is why even a lower-ranked void creature shouldn't be underestimated...'
Even with his strength, it didn't feel like enough.
His mind was scattered, unable to focus properly amidst the chaos.
As his blurred vision cleared, he saw the greatsword descending toward him.
With a desperate kick off the ground, he dodged the blade that shattered the space where he had been moments before.
He tumbled forward but managed to regain his footing.
Lumine coughed, wiping the blood from his lips.
'Just a single kick did this...'
He clenched his fists, his body enveloped in a golden glow.
This was one of his skills, enhancing his physical abilities.
Flames erupted from his hands, crawling up his sword's blade.
'I can't reveal everything just yet.'
Lumine lunged at the brute, delivering a horizontal sweep.
The clone parried his strike effortlessly, seemingly unaffected by his enhanced combination of an attack.
A glowing green arrow whizzed by, piercing the clone's left heel.
Lumine seized the opportunity, thrusting his sword into the clone's chest.
Shards of armor flew as flames engulfed the clone's body.
Yet, despite the searing heat, it didn't dissolve like the others.
Lumine thought, panic rising as he jumped back releasing his sword and summoned it back to his hand.
The clone remained standing, its body wreathed in flames but undeterred.
'It's resistant to heat!'
Lumine realized, frustration mounting.
His fire affinity wasn't enough; the flames weren't burning it as he had hoped.
'I don't want to use another skill, but...'
Unlike the elite of the great clans, he wasn't too reliant on his sword.
He had no one to teach him.
He possessed many skills and affinities, but revealing them now could have severe consequences he wasn't ready to face.
The burning clone advanced steadily, its greatsword ablaze yet unmelting.
As it approached, Lumine stepped back, knowing that while he was resistant to fire, he wasn't immune.
The moment Lumine's senses sharpened, the clone's movements froze.
His grip tightened on his sword, bracing for the imminent strike as the clone's greatsword began its ascent.
The searing helmet of the clone clattered to the ground, its head gone as it stood before Lumine.
He blinked in stunned silence as the clone collapsed to its knees, dropping the greatsword with a heavy thud before disintegrating into a pool of dark liquid.
Even the fire was gone.
"Nice job weakening it. Made it easier for me to invade its mind, though I'm not sure how I managed that—it didn't even seem to have one."
Lumine whirled around, eyes wide.
There, standing with an air of casual nonchalance, was Vergil—unscathed, his academy uniform pristine, a smirk playing on his lips as he watched the dark liquid seep away.
He made the clone kill itself?
Vergil shrugged, a dismissive gesture.
"What of it? Your fight was dragging on anyway."
Lumine could only stare in disbelief, mouth agape.
What kind of skill was that? An unique skill? A rare affinity?
He chose not to ask, instead opting for gratitude.
"Thank you... You saved me."
Vergil waved off the thanks with a lazy flick of his hand.
"It's nothing. Besides, Azriel told me I should make amends with you. I guess I was only half-hearted yesterday."
Lumine nodded, still processing the unexpected turn of events.
He glanced at Azriel, who was observing the boss with a contemplative look.
"You and Azriel are...?"
"We're friends. We made up the next morning we fought—or at least, when we almost did."
'I didn't know that...'
But there was no time for further inquiries.
Lumine scanned the platform, noting the dark liquid where the last clone had been.
There was no sign of a black hole or another clone in sight.
The cadets and Yelena, who had been engaged with the other clone, were now sprawled on the ground, panting heavily, their opponent no longer a threat.
Vergil must have finished his fight, or else he wouldn't be here.
Which meant that the last clone was the one Celestina was battling in the—
Lumine and the others flinched as something crashed down beside them, dust settling around the impact.
'What just happened...?'
When the dust cleared, Celestina was revealed, her silver hair disheveled as she stood atop a bat-winged clone.
With a glare, she drove her sword into its chest, and the clone twitched before dissolving into dark liquid.
"...Damn, remind me never to piss off the princess."