As Bosco slammed his staff into Romino's head, a thunderous crack echoed through the arena. The walls shook violently, dust raining down from the cracks.

"You can't mess with my class!" Bosco roared, his anger radiating like molten steel.

Blood splattered from Romino's forehead and nose, painting the floor crimson. Every child in the arena froze for a heartbeat, a mix of awe and shock written across their faces. The air itself seemed to tremble.

Yet, through the pain, Romino smirked, whispering, "Aston Mara…"

At his words, the ground rumbled. From the arena floor, a colossal golem erupted — molten lava flowing along its jagged body like rivers of fire. Its form resembled Kagunir of Aster, massive, unyielding, and terrifyingly alive.

Without hesitation, the lava golem's eyes locked on Dax. A stream of molten projectiles shot forth like guided missiles, each one targeting him with deadly precision.

Dax barely had time to react, but before the attack could strike, Maira intervened.

"Giant Venus Flytrap!" she shouted, and a massive crimson flower erupted from the ground, its petals wide and pulsating. In an instant, the plant swallowed the streams of molten lava, hissing as the fiery attacks were consumed and neutralized.

The arena fell silent for a split second, the glow of lava reflecting off shocked faces. Then, chaos erupted again — Romino's smirk widened, and the fight escalated to a new, terrifying level.

Nyra summoned Zarkis once again, the massive wolf of shadows, its scales glinting with molten veins of gold. With a feral roar, Zarkis lunged and slammed Aston Mara against the arena walls with bone-jarring force.

But Aston Mara was no ordinary summon. The lava golem's fists and feet struck back with terrifying strength, each kick and punch landing like a sledgehammer. Zarkis howled as blows rained down, and in an instant, the wolf vanished into nothingness, disintegrated by the sheer force of the assault.

Auren's eyes sharpened as he watched the chaos unfold. With a burst of blinding speed, he surged forward, his leg whipping through the air like a blade, striking the molten golem's head. Aston Mara was sent flying across the arena, crashing into the distant wall.

The crowd of kids froze, jaws dropping in disbelief. "How… how can he kick lava?!" someone whispered.

When Auren landed gracefully on the arena floor, he was calm, still, and patient, as if nothing had happened. The air around him crackled faintly with his aura, the glow of his blue sword dimming to a steady pulse.

For a moment, silence reigned. Then, breaking the calm, he muttered, almost sheepishly, "Ouchhh… ouchhh… it's hot… It's hot."

A ripple of chuckles and awe ran through the arena, but no one dared move — everyone had just witnessed the impossible made real.

Romino's lips curved into a cruel smile. "Not bad," he murmured, eyes gleaming with blood-red light.

In a blur, he leapt above Bosco, his entire form glowing like molten fire. From him, a rain of destruction poured down, each crimson drop radiating lethal energy. Above the arena, the sky itself seemed to bend — red clouds twisted and thrashed, crackling with thunder that shook the entire Hollow Mountain.

"Find somewhere to hide, kids!" Bosco shouted, his staff sweeping through the chaos.

The red rain fell like a barrage of giant, fiery droplets. Screams echoed as children scattered across the arena, desperately seeking cover.

But amidst the chaos, one boy stood his ground. Calm. Unshaken. His loose clothing fluttered in the wind, and a blue headband rested across his forehead. His eyes were serene, almost vacant, yet carried a quiet intensity.

"No one will die here," he said, his voice carrying over the screams. "Not on my watch. They're all my friends."

It was Levi.

He lifted his hand, palm wide, and whispered, "Shadow Portal."

A sharp, resonating fingggggg cut through the roar of the storm. Beneath the red rain, a massive shadow portal tore open, a void of pure darkness swallowing the falling crimson drops. The children scattered into it, safety emerging from the impossible.

Every jaw in the arena dropped, eyes wide in shock and awe at the enormous portal. Levis smirked, calm as ever. "Impressive, isn't it?"

Romino hovered within the red clouds, disbelief etched across his face. His voice trembled with both anger and fear. "How… how strong are these Hollow Mountain kids? What kind of power is this? Where… where does this ability even come from?"

Turning to his allies, his warning was sharp and urgent: "We are in danger… Baku is in danger!"

The arena seemed to hold its breath. Even Romino, the feared High Elite, felt the weight of a new and unpredictable force. The battle was no longer just chaos — it had become a war of wills, a collision of powers beyond reckoning.

Now, it didn't matter how many attacks Romino unleashed from above — that shadow portal devoured everything. Fire, lightning, molten rain — all vanished the moment they touched the dark spiral below.

Romino's expression twisted. What is this? he thought, his eyes darting toward the swirling abyss beneath him. Is this portal absorbing all my magic?

He noticed it — the shadow mist moving in circles, drifting like a fog wrapped in eerie silence. Beneath that thick darkness, Levis stood calm as ever. Auren watched from below, silently amazed by his composure.

After casting such a massive spell, Levis sat on a broken stone block, one leg crossed over the other, chewing gum like it was nothing. His gaze lingered on his toes, quietly observing the chaos above.

He knew Auren was watching him. Without looking up, Levis spoke lazily, his tone calm but sharp."Don't get carried away, lunatic boy. This portal isn't permanent."

Auren blinked, still half in awe.

Levis continued, "If that man gets swallowed by the portal — he's gone. But if he doesn't… then we'll have to fight him. Either way, this won't last long."

Above them, the black vortex groaned, struggling to pull Romino inside. The air shuddered as Romino resisted, his body glowing crimson, releasing a force that clashed against the darkness.

The entire sky seemed to warp — shadow against flame, light against void.

Outside the arena, on the upper decks of Hollow Mountain, even the teachers felt the disturbance. Through the ancient runes embedded in the arena walls, they sensed Romino's struggle — his aura flickering wildly, as if he was fighting not someone, but the pull of another dimension.

So, I guess magic won't work here anymore.Romino realized it was too late — every spell, every spark, every drop of his crimson energy was being swallowed by that shadow.

He stopped wasting his power. The glow around him dimmed, and with a furious roar, he charged straight toward the portal.

But luck favored him this time — the portal vanished just as he dove in.Romino fell hard from the sky, crashing through waves of smoke and ash. His fist still burned with red energy, pulsing, hungry to strike.

In his mind, a thought lingered, cold and sharp:I can't take all of them… not yet. But I'll take down one or two before I leave.

His eyes locked on Nyra.Auren's too strong. That girl—she's the weak link.

A wicked smile crept across his face. His fist tightened, glowing with blinding crimson light."Punch of the Warrior!" he roared, hurling his attack through the air.

The world trembled.A massive shockwave and fiery tide erupted from his strike, rushing toward Nyra like a living storm.

"Finggg!"In a blur, Auren's blade cut the tide in two, splitting it before it could reach her. The blast scattered into red sparks.

"Boommmm!"Bosco slammed his staff to the ground, releasing a pulse of blue energy that collided with Romino's body, sending him flying out of the arena like a shooting star.

Romino crashed through the distant barriers, coughing blood, his body cracking under his own magic's recoil.

He knew it now — he couldn't defeat them. Not together. Not here.As the echoes of battle faded, he turned away from the ruined arena, flying toward the kingdom, his aura flickering weak and unstable.

His face carried no rage — only shame.

There were many arenas scattered across Hollow Mountain — and if he lingered any longer, the mages outside would sense the chaos and come charging in.

If that happens, Romino thought, I won't survive a second longer.

Hollow Mountain wasn't some easy place to invade. Every inch of it breathed danger. Every student here was trained to kill.

"I need to inform King Velmore," he muttered under his breath, blood still dripping from his lips. "We'll need an entire force to take them down. These kids... they're not easy to handle."

His mind flashed back to Auren — the way the boy moved, the raw power in that single kick."That kid… Auren. He's no less than an elite. How in the abyss did Lee Wang train them like this?"

He clenched his fists tighter as he flew through the dark skies, his aura flickering red behind him."They're planning something. Trying to take down Baku City... Those Hollow brats are a nuisance."

Then a grin spread across his wounded face, sharp and defiant."But Baku is the land of Mahavanga — and no traitor who dares to challenge it will survive here."

He shouted into the night, his voice echoing across the wasteland winds:"Soon, the World Organization will rise! before that powers from the underworld who pretend to be righteous must be wiped out of Baku once and for all!"

His words vanished into the clouds — but his intent burned brighter than ever.

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