Then he stepped into the knight’s guard.
A short burst of lightning erupted from his free hand.
CRACK!
The current struck the knight’s armor, disrupting his movements and forcing him to drop to one knee.
Nero’s sword stopped beside the knight’s shoulder.
He could have continued.
He didn’t need to.
A burst of fire erupted beneath the knight and launched him backward, away from the center of the battle. The cadet struck the ground and rolled several times before coming to a stop.
His bracelet flashed.
**Eliminated.**
One down.
Nero immediately turned toward the Earth knights.
The first had already recovered from the earlier lightning strike. He drove his weapon into the ground, creating a series of stone pillars that rose around Nero.
The second attacked from behind.
His blade was coated in dense layers of earth, giving it enough weight to shatter ordinary defenses.
Their coordination was impressive.
One restricted movement.
The other delivered the finishing blow.
Nero waited until the second knight committed to his attack.
Then he moved.
A flash of golden lightning carried him sideways.
The earth-coated blade crashed into the pillar where he had been standing.
CRASH!
Stone fragments filled the air.
The first knight immediately raised a wall to block Nero’s escape, while the second pulled his weapon free and prepared another strike.
They were attempting to trap him between their attacks.
Nero’s sword ignited.
He swept it upward.
A column of fire erupted beneath the first knight, forcing him to abandon his technique and leap away. Before he landed, Nero had already turned toward the second.
Their weapons collided.
CLANG!
The Earth knight’s expression changed.
His weapon was heavy, reinforced by his Law, and designed to overpower opponents through direct confrontation.
Yet Nero’s sword barely shifted.
Lightning crackled along the blade, while a thin layer of fire wrapped around its edge.
The knight tried to withdraw.
However, it was already oo late.
Nero twisted his wrist and redirected the weapon, opening the knight’s guard. He followed with a short, controlled strike to the chest armor.
A concentrated discharge of lightning burst outward.
The knight flew backward and crashed through the remnants of an earth pillar.
His bracelet flashed.
**Eliminated.**
The remaining Earth knight stared at his fallen companion.
For the first time, uncertainty appeared in his eyes.
They had expected Nero to be exhausted.
Instead, he was dismantling them one by one.
The knight clenched his teeth and raised both hands.
The ground trembled.
A massive stone construct emerged behind him, its body formed from layers of compressed earth. It swung a heavy arm toward Nero, forcing him to retreat as the blow smashed through the clearing.
The Water mage seized the opening.
A torrent struck from the side.
The Wind mage followed with a barrage of compressed air blades.
The three attacks converged.
Nero’s figure vanished beneath the explosion.
BOOM!
The shockwave scattered loose branches and sent dust billowing through the clearing.
The cadets watched anxiously.
Had they finally caught him?
The dust began to settle.
A golden light flickered inside the haze.
Then Nero walked out.
His clothes were dusty, but his expression hadn’t changed.
The stone construct swung again.
Nero raised his sword.
Fire gathered around the blade, growing brighter until the surrounding darkness was washed in orange light.
He stepped forward and struck.
A crescent of flame surged through the clearing.
The construct split apart under the impact, its massive body breaking into chunks of stone that tumbled to the ground.
Before the Earth knight could summon another defense, lightning flashed beneath his feet.
CRACK!
The current raced through the ground and struck his legs, interrupting his technique.
Nero appeared before him.
A single strike sent him flying backward.
His bracelet flashed.
**Eliminated.**
Three down.
Two remained.
***
The Water mage’s face had gone pale.
The Wind mage beside him was breathing heavily, his eyes fixed on Nero as though he were trying to solve an impossible puzzle.
Their opponents had been Black-level knights.
They had fought together countless times.
Yet Nero had defeated all three without showing any obvious signs of strain.
The Water mage swallowed.
"We need to retreat."
The Wind mage shook his head.
"We can’t. If we turn our backs on him, he’ll pick us off."
"Then what do you suggest?"
The Wind mage didn’t answer immediately.
His gaze moved toward the monsters gathering around the clearing.
They had drawn the creatures here to exhaust Nero.
But the monsters were still present.
And they were still dangerous.
An idea came to him.
"We use the monsters."
The Water mage looked at him.
"What?"
"He’s been relying on direct attacks. We’ll force him to divide his attention between us and the horde."
The Water mage hesitated.
Then he nodded.
They spread apart.
The Water mage raised both arms, drawing moisture from the surrounding forest. Water gathered overhead, forming a dark cloud that grew heavier with every passing second.
The Wind mage lifted his hands.
Air currents spiraled around the cloud, accelerating its rotation and spreading it across the clearing.
A violent storm formed above the trees.
Rain poured down.
Wind howled through the branches.
The remaining monsters became agitated, their roars rising above the storm as they charged toward the nearest source of disturbance.
Toward Nero.
The two mages launched their attacks simultaneously.
The Water mage sent torrents crashing down from above, while the Wind mage compressed the storm into a series of powerful cutting currents.
At the same time, the monsters rushed in from the sides.
Their plan was desperate.
But it was also the moment Nero had been waiting for.
He stood in the center of the clearing, surrounded by enemies.
Water fell from the sky.
Wind screamed through the trees.
Monsters charged from every direction.
And yet, beneath the rain, a faint smile appeared on Nero’s face.
They had brought everything together for him.
The monsters.
The storm.
Their own attacks.
All of it.
Nero raised his sword.
Golden lightning erupted around his body.
The rain became a web of brilliant sparks as electricity spread through the droplets and flashed across the clearing. The leading monsters faltered, their advance disrupted by the sudden discharge.