Anomaly of Fate
Chapter 51: Inferno Descends

Chapter 51: Inferno Descends

Great. Just great.

Of all the possible matchups, this had to be the worst.

The battlefield? Water.

His opponent? Water manipulation.

And for Velren himself? Water equals a hard pass for him.

He let out a dry chuckle, running a hand through his damp hair as he eyed the two students in front of him. His clothes stuck to his skin, heavy with seawater, and every step he took felt sluggish from the wet sand beneath his boots. He was already at a disadvantage just standing here.

Velren exhaled sharply before flashing them a wry grin.

"How about a quick time-out, huh?" he quipped, shaking his arms out.

"You know, catch our breath, take a little break?"

Water—because that’s what Velren was calling him now—laughed, shaking his head.

"I’ve got a better idea."

His smirk widened as he tilted his head toward the beacon Velren had just claimed.

"How about you give up instead?"

Velren clicked his tongue, rolling his shoulders.

"Figures."

His fingers twitched near the hilt of his katana.

’Anytime now... Eterna.’

And as if on cue—

A loud, piercing caw split through the sky.

All three of them instinctively snapped their heads upward.

And what Velren saw nearly blew his mind.

A phoenix.

A creature straight out of legend, its wings were stretched wide as it soared overhead, leaving a brilliant trail of embers in its wake. The air itself shimmered from the sheer heat radiating off its massive form.

Velren had only ever read about phoenixes before—a mythical bird of fire, eternal and reborn.

A phoenix wasn’t just a symbol of life and destruction—it was a force of nature.

Said to be born from the sun’s flames, its feathers could burn hotter than any forge, yet they also possessed healing properties capable of restoring life itself. Each time a phoenix died, it would burst into flames, only to be reborn from its own ashes—stronger than before.

They were said to be immortal in a way no other creature was. Even amongst legendary beasts, the phoenix stood apart—not just for its rarity, but for its sheer majesty.

And now—one had just descended onto the beach.

Velren barely had time to process that before he noticed—someone was riding it.

The phoenix landed in a burst of flames, sinking its talons into the sand, scattering embers across the beach. And perched atop its back, a student swung down with effortless grace.

Her fiery-red hair was short, framing a sharp yet refined face, and her piercing golden eyes were practically glowing from the reflection of the phoenix’s flames. Her uniform was slightly modified, tailored to better suit movement—clearly, she wasn’t just some ordinary student.

Velren wasn’t the only one who was stunned.

The bow user—who had remained composed throughout their fight—clenched his teeth in frustration, narrowing his eyes.

"You’ve got to be kidding me..." he muttered, scowling.

Then, with clear irritation, he uttered the girl’s name.

"Raine Ashford."

’Who?’

’Was she someone famous at the academy?’

Raine Ashford stood at the center of the battlefield, crossing her arms as she assessed the three students before her. Her golden eyes gleamed with excitement, practically drinking in the tension in the air.

Then—she grinned.

"Well, well, well! This is a pretty fun setup, huh? One drenched swordsman, a sneaky archer, and a fish who thinks he’s got the home-field advantage!"

Her voice was irritatingly loud, booming with an energy that felt completely out of place given the situation.

’Annoying...’

"Alright then!" Raine declared, hopping back onto her phoenix in one smooth motion.

"Let’s see what you guys got!"

"Tch."

Bow user was the first to react. He wasted no time nocking an arrow. A series of floating magic circles manifested around him, each one glowing with a menacing light before they fired a barrage of magic bolts straight at Raine.

At the same time, Water surged forward, weaving a complex sigils in the air. From the ocean behind him, a massive wave twisted into a serpentine form, lunging toward Raine like a living beast.

Velren had barely moved when—

WHOOSH!

A wave of heat exploded across the battlefield as the phoenix took off.

Blazing wings cut through the sky, sending a spiraling gust of hot air downward, turning the sand beneath it into smoldering glass. The sheer heat from its presence caused Water’s summoned attack to evaporate mid-air, causing steam to risen in violent bursts.

Bow user clicked his tongue and loosed another arrow, this time coated in dark energy. It tore through the air like a bolt of lightning—only to be effortlessly deflected by Raine’s spear, sending the projectile veering off-course.

Velren barely had time to process the speed of it before Water turned on him, eyes gleaming.

The ground beneath him suddenly sank.

"Shit—!"

Velren jumped just as a pool of water surged up from below, trying to drag him down. He landed on solid ground, skidding backward, only for another arrow to come flying his way. He twisted, barely managing to phase through it.

The moment his afterimage flickered out, a blast of water came rushing toward him again.

Velren dove aside, avoiding the worst of it, but he still felt the cold spray against his skin.

Meanwhile, above them, Raine and her phoenix were absolute monsters.

The phoenix dove like a meteor, with Raine leaping off mid-flight to come crashing down on Bow User with terrifying force. He barely had time to roll aside before her spear slammed into the sand, sending out a scorching shockwave.

Velren caught a glimpse of pure frustration flashing across Bow User’s face before he jumped back, repositioning near Water.

The two tried to regroup—only for the phoenix to swoop down once more.

’Good... keep at it.’

It blasted forward with its glowing wings, and slammed its talons toward Water. The boy barely managed to throw up a watery shield, but it shattered upon impact, sending him crashing into the sand.

Bow User, seeing his partner falter, growled and shot another arrow—this one aimed straight at Raine.

The girl just simply grinned.

With a single step, she twisted her body, knocking the arrow away with her spear. And then, before Bow User could move—

She was right in front of him.

"Too slow," she whispered—before delivering a brutal kick to his gut.

He choked, the force of the blow sending him flying backward before he landed, unmoving.

Velren flicked his eyes toward Water, who was groaning on the ground.

’Yeah... he wasn’t getting back up either.’

And just like that—they were the only two left standing.

Raine stretched her arms, rolling her shoulders as she let out an exhilarated breath.

"Whew! That was fun!"

She then turned her golden gaze toward Velren, twinkling her eyes with amusement.

"Gotta say, you played that pretty well, huh? Hanging back, letting me and those two knock each other around while you just jumped in when absolutely necessary. Smart move!"

Velren smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, well... that was the plan..."

His voice carried a bitter edge—because, honestly? He really had hoped they would just wear each other out enough for him to not have to fight at all.

Raine smirked.

"Well then! Since that round ended way too quickly, how about I let Ignis have a few rounds with you, huh?"

She patted the phoenix’s side.

"He’s still all fired up!"

Velren tensed slightly. If this thing came at him, it was going to be a problem.

But then...

Nothing happened.

The majestic creature remained where it was, casually ruffling its brilliant feathers, lazily gazing its sharp eyes across the battlefield as if completely unaware of Velren’s existence.

Raine blinked.

"Huh?"

She frowned and turned toward the phoenix.

"Oi, Ignis! What’s up? You’re just gonna ignore him?"

Still, the phoenix did nothing. It simply preened its wings, minding its own business.

Velren, upon seeing Raine’s confused expression, couldn’t help but grin.

Yeah. There was a reason for that.

Just for the sake of it, he summoned his Codex:

[V1tal Ech0: Eidolon Veil.]

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