Power of Runes

-BOOM!!

Both Elysia and Melissia crashed to the ground, their bodies tangled as they wrestled at close quarters.

Melissia's fists came down again and again, each strike carrying crushing force, while Elysia blocked as best as she could and retaliated with her own blows. Yet there was a clear difference in rank, stats, and even race.

Melissia's superior bloodline and heightened stats overwhelmed Elysia completely. Every wound she sustained was instantly healed by the eternal flames coursing through her body, knitting flesh and restoring strength almost as if she had never been hurt at all. The same could not be said for Elysia. The injuries she received piled up one after another, slowing her movements and gradually breaking down her body.

Even when Elysia launched soul attacks, Melissia endured them. Her soul, once vulnerable, had become resilient after becoming a half-phoenix. The damage was not enough to break her, but each attack still shook her from the inside, leaving faint cracks of pain that lingered.

That was not all. When her bloodline awakened, Melissia had skipped an entire rank, leaping directly past Adept and into the realm of Expert. The gap this created was like an unscalable wall in front of Elysia, each exchange making it clearer how impossible the fight truly was.

In short, Elysia was destined to lose. The only question left was how long she could endure, and how much power Melissia was truly willing to use.

With a sudden burst of strength, Elysia kicked Melissia away, forcing a small distance between them. Coincidentally, her blade lay on the ground beside her. Without hesitation, she bent down and gripped it tightly, her hands trembling but unwilling to let go.

Her body was battered and broken, blood trickling from her lips and staining her torn clothes. She raised her head and looked at Melissia, who stood tall in front of her. Aside from a few smears of dirt and blood, Melissia looked perfectly fine, her expression calm, almost bored, as if the battle was merely an inconvenience.

Elysia's eyes darkened with grim resolve, yet just as despair began to settle in, a faint warmth spread through her body. Her wounds, though not fully healed, began to mend little by little, enough to dull the pain and restore some strength to her limbs.

Startled, she glanced to the side and noticed Alina hiding within the tall grass, her hands glowing faintly as she poured light energy into her. Elysia's relief was short-lived, for she immediately saw how pale Alina's face had become. Her breaths were shallow, her body trembling as she tried to sustain the spell.

Elysia instantly understood… Alina was already near her limit. Her healing was not strong enough to restore everything, but it was enough to stabilize the bruises and patch the internal injuries Elysia had sustained.

Melissia's sharp senses immediately caught on. Following Elysia's gaze, she turned her attention toward Alina.

So that's it… another one. Instead of running with the other two, she chose to stay here.

Her mana perception had sharpened drastically after her bloodline awakening, and her control over mana had become even smoother, making it effortless to adapt to her newfound power. Her eyes glowed faintly, and her aura flared as she decided to stop holding back a little.

Up until now she had restrained herself, prolonging the fight deliberately. She wanted to savor every moment, to humiliate Elysia slowly rather than ending it in a single blow.

After all, because of her, I had to go through all that embarrassing breakdown…

Her thoughts were crystal clear, her emotions sharp and unwavering. This was no moment of hesitation. She simply wanted to crush Elysia, and so she would.

She waved her hand and a large magic circle materialized in front of her. Flames burst to life and twisted into a spiraling storm, a raging inferno that roared as it hurtled toward both Elysia and Alina.

Elysia saw the blazing vortex racing toward them. Her lips curved into a faint smile, yet it was a smile of helplessness. She could evade it herself, but Alina was too slow to escape. And if she tried to carry her along, her own movements would be hindered, leaving them both caught in the flames.

Sigh… Sorry.

"Retreat!!!"

Her voice cut through the air as she darted back with everything she had. Alina, already weakened, tried to retreat as well, but her movements were sluggish. The fiery tornado consumed her completely, and in the next moment, her body vanished in a shimmer of light—eliminated from the Exam.

Elysia's eyes flickered as she watched, but she forced herself to remain calm.

She isn't dead… only eliminated. And her mana was nearly exhausted anyway. She had already become more of a burden than a help.

Her thoughts were cold, stripped of hesitation. Her body blurred, moving at high speed as she launched herself back toward Melissia.

Let's do this…..

She knew she was going to lose. No matter how hard she tried, there was no path she could see that could lead to victory, yet she still resolved to give everything she had. She was going to fight with all she had learned, all she had endured, and every ounce of strength she could muster.

---

"It's here."

Veyric's voice was steady, his tone carrying a heaviness that made Corin tense as he halted behind him. Both of them stood among the dense trees, their eyes searching through the shadows with unease.

"Are you sure she's here?" Corin asked cautiously, his voice low, though the question itself felt like a plea.

Veyric only nodded, his expression unreadable.

"But where—"

Before Corin could even finish, the air split with a sharp whistle. Something cut through with blinding speed. Corin reacted too late, his reflexes dulled by his reliance on magic, but before the attack could reach him, Veyric moved. His arms hardened, stone wrapping around his skin, and he stood like a wall.

The attack struck with a shriek, grinding against the stone before dispersing into nothing. A blade of wind, condensed from pure mana, dissolved the instant its work was done.

Then came more.

From every direction, blades of air sliced toward them. Corin steadied himself this time. With a sweep of his hand, a translucent shield of water materialized, shimmering faintly as countless droplets spun outward, shooting like bullets to intercept the blades.

–Swish.

–Swish.

Yet just as quickly, more wind blades cut through, mirroring his counter as if mocking him. Veyric remained firm, intercepting where the shield faltered, while Corin shifted to offense, summoning ice that lanced forward in sharp bursts. Each spell consumed more of his mana, but he pressed on without hesitation.

The clash of elements continued, water against wind, stone against cutting gales. The forest rang with the ceaseless storm of battle, but after a while, the air stilled.

Silence fell.

The echo of another fight—Elysia and Melissia's clash—reached them faintly through the trees, carrying the sound of distant destruction.

"Show yourself. Stop hiding like a coward," Corin called out, his voice breaking the silence.

A voice answered, drifting back to them as if the air itself whispered from every side. It was impossible to find its source, for it came from everywhere at once.

"Why should I? How could you expect such a delicate young lady like me to simply appear before two boys in the middle of a lonely forest?"

The playful cruelty in her tone was enough for Veyric and Corin to understand the kind of person they were dealing with. Twisted. Mocking. Dangerous. They exchanged no words and simply acted.

Both exploded into motion, rushing in opposite directions, forcing their unseen foe to react. The sudden move caught Gwen off guard, making her hesitate for the first time. She tried to attack, but her speed was not what it had been earlier.

Before, with her wind, she had been fast enough to circle them in an instant, striking from every angle, but now she could not match that pace as the distance between them increased. If she attacked one, other one will be left all alone and free. So she turned her focus toward the weaker one in her eyes.

Corin.

Her form blurred, her body moving like a rushing gust, circling to strike. Yet the moment she closed in, jagged earth spikes burst from the ground, forming a barrier around him. Corin seized the opening, unleashing a storm of water bullets that pelted her relentlessly. Several struck her arms, and though the wounds were shallow, her skin reddened from the force.

Was that weak? No… I need to hit harder. I need to make it count…..

And so he did. His attacks grew heavier, sharper, carrying more weight. Gwen darted and twisted, her speed allowing her to evade most strikes, but not all. Veyric held the line as a wall of stone, unshakable, while Corin flowed with adaptability, his water shaping itself to each new turn of battle.

It was like watching three forces locked in balance—unyielding stone, flowing water, and fleeting wind. None of them able to completely overpower the other, the struggle held them in a fragile equilibrium.

That balance stretched on for minutes, each second pulling tighter, until the very air shuddered. Suddenly, Corin's spells evaporated mid-flight, water hissing into steam. The air itself burned, and stone began to melt into glowing cracks.

Their heads snapped toward the source, and the sight that greeted them froze their hearts.

A storm of fire surged forward, devouring everything in its path.

***