Anomaly of Fate
Chapter 55: Crossfire Elegance

Chapter 55: Crossfire Elegance

The jungle trembled with the force of clashing steel and surging magic. Away from the chaos unfolding between Velren, Mikhail, and Solenne, another battle erupted in the thick foliage—a deadly three-way clash between Eterna and the two opposing students.

Mikhail’s ally, a towering boy wielding a massive battle axe, surged forward first. His sheer strength was evident in the way he swung his weapon. The blade of the axe glowed with crackling lightning, each movement generating arcs of electricity that sizzled against the humid air.

With a thunderous roar, he brought the axe down, aiming to cleave Eterna in half.

But she was already gone.

Eterna sidestepped in a blur, the edge of the axe missing her by mere inches as it slammed into the earth, splitting the ground beneath it. A shockwave rippled outward, kicking up dirt and leaves. Sparks of lightning leapt from the embedded blade, forcing Eterna to reposition before they could reach her.

Then, the girl struck.

Solenne’s ally, a spear-wielding fighter, used the opening. She lunged, shimmering her spear with wind magic, compressing the air into a deadly spiral at its tip.

Eterna twisted, flashing her light-infused rapier as it met the spear’s wind-coated edge. A sharp clang rang through the jungle as the opposing forces clashed, sparks and stray gusts scattering leaves and dirt into the air.

The girl pushed forward, twisting her spear into a rapid whirlwind of strikes. She was relentless, and her agility was matching Eterna’s as she maneuvered with precision, trying to overwhelm her with sheer technique.

But Eterna was an expert in finesse.

She ducked under a sweeping strike, letting the wind whip past her, and immediately retaliated with a counterthrust—only for the spear-wielder to pivot just in time, twisting her weapon to knock Eterna’s blade aside.

Before either could press their advantage, the axe-wielder re-entered the fight.

Lightning exploded from his weapon as he tore it free from the ground. With terrifying speed for someone his size, he swung the axe in a wide arc, aiming to cleave both girls at once.

Eterna reacted in an instant.

A burst of light magic erupted from her form, forcing both her opponents to flinch away. In that split second, she twisted around the axe swing, her body moving with inhuman grace, barely avoiding the deadly edge.

The spear-wielder wasn’t as lucky.

She leaped back, but the sheer force of the swing sent a shockwave barreling into her. The compressed air knocked her off-balance, forcing her to roll back into position.

’Now...’

Eterna wasted no time.

Her rapier glowed brighter as she unleashed a quick series of piercing thrusts, forcing the girl to retreat while deflecting the precise, deadly attacks.

Meanwhile, the axe-wielder roared, charging again with terrifying momentum, swinging his electrified weapon like a storm incarnate.

All three fighters moved in a fluid, intricate dance, each adapting, countering, and striking with deadly intent.

And yet—Eterna remained calm.

She wasn’t just fighting. She was analyzing.

Finding weaknesses.

Waiting for the perfect moment to end this fight.

***

Mikhail’s annoyance was palpable. His eyes flickered with irritation as if he had pieced together the princess’s true intention.

"Damn you, Princess!"

Without a moment’s hesitation, he shifted his focus entirely toward her. His gun gleamed under the light as magic surged into the barrel, and with a sharp pull of the trigger—

A barrage of glowing projectiles tore through the air, screaming toward Solenne in a relentless assault.

But the princess barely moved.

A flick of her wrist—nothing more—and suddenly, the bullets stopped mid-flight, suspended in place as if caught by an unseen force. They hovered in the air, motionless, shimmering with residual energy.

Then, with a casual wave of her scepter, the bullets turned. Redirected.

Straight toward Velren.

His eyes widened.

’Why me?!’

Instinct roared through him. In a desperate motion, Velren thrust his free hand forward, activating his Ka. His Gravemaw manifested in an instant—a dark, gaping rift of distorted space unfurling in front of him like a monstrous mouth. The incoming bullets surged into its depths, vanishing into the void.

For a fleeting moment, there was silence.

Then—

Clink... Clink... Clink...

One by one, the bullets reappeared before him with their momentum gone. They fell harmlessly to the ground, nothing more than lifeless metal.

But there was no time to breathe.

Solenne had already shifted her stance. With a graceful movement, she swept her scepter through the air, and instantly, a searing arc of white-hot flames erupted toward him.

’Why is it white?!’

Velren barely managed to sidestep, his feet sliding across the metallic platform as the flames licked the edges of his uniform, the heat biting at his skin. Before he could recover, Mikhail had already reloaded, his gun now glowing with another burst of energy.

’Fucking—!’

Velren ducked just as three rapid-fire shots tore through the space he had occupied a mere second ago. He rolled to the side, kicking up dust as he landed in a crouch. The moment his boots hit the ground, he pushed forward—dashing straight for Mikhail.

His katana gleamed under the flickering light of the beacons. He closed the distance in a blink, slashing his blade in a vicious arc—

"Slow!"

Only for Mikhail to twist at the last second, narrowly dodging as his gun barrel swung upward in retaliation. A point-blank blast erupted from the muzzle.

Velren jerked his head to the side, barely avoiding the searing projectile that streaked past his ear. The shockwave alone sent vibrations through his skull.

Before he could counter, a gust of wind howled through the battlefield.

Solenne raised her scepter high above her head. The air itself seemed to tremble. Then, in a single, fluid motion, she slammed it down.

A crackling surge of lightning tore through the ground.

’Shit, shit, shit!’

Velren barely had time to react before the jagged arcs of energy shot toward him. With a burst of movement, he activated his Ka again—his form blurring, an afterimage splitting from his body at the last second.

The lightning struck—obliterating the illusion instead.

But he was too slow.

A lingering tendril of electricity snaked through the air and slammed into his shoulder. Agony erupted through his nerves, and a sharp, burning pain was racing down his arm as his muscles seized.

Velren staggered, biting back a growl.

A bitter chuckle left his lips.

’You better hurry up, boss...’

His grip tightened, and he steadied his stance, forcing himself to prepare for the next exchange.

’Come on, then—’

Suddenly, a sharp, static-laced crackle blasted through the island.

[—All students... exa—...postponed. I repeat, the Dominion Clash... has been postponed.]

The voice crackled, cutting in and out with an unsettling distortion.

[All remaining participa—... are to—... immedia—... retreat to the nearest—safe zone]

The transmission cut off, and the battlefield immediately fell into an unnatural silence.

The three combatants—Velren, Mikhail, and Solenne—stood frozen, as the abruptness of the announcement was breaking their focus. Confusion flickered in their gazes.

Then, before Velren could even process what was happening—

A familiar faint chime echoed in his ears.

His Codex activated. The translucent screen flared to life before his eyes, filling his vision with glowing, shifting text. And then—

’Wh— what?’

[Warn1ng: Data Br3ach Det3cted. Acc3ss t0 User informat1on—Unauth0rized Vi3wing 1n Pr0gress!!//]

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