High above the academy grounds, Franklin and Reito clashed in the sky, their powers tearing at the clouds themselves.

  Franklin: You can’t keep up with me forever, old friend. Just give up already.

  Franklin raised both hands. Multiple spheres of radiant light formed around him, spinning slowly before scattering in every direction. In an instant, they began firing hundreds of concentrated beams downward, each one screaming through the air like a falling star.

  Reito crossed his arms as the blasts slammed into him. His ice armor flared, absorbing the impacts as shockwaves rippled outward, shattering the land below into fractured ice and stone.

  Reito (smirking): Give up? I’m just getting started.

  Reito began forming platforms of ice beneath his feet with every step, leaping from one to the next as he tried to close the distance. Franklin simply flew higher, faster than Reito could pursue directly.

  Reito halted midair and raised his hand. Ice spiraled together, forming a spear — but unlike his usual constructs, this one twisted inward along its shaft, the blade etched with a corkscrew pattern that hummed with lethal cold.

  Reito (thinking): I just need to time it… wait for it… wait for it… now!

  Reito hurled the spear. It spiraled unpredictably through the air, curving just enough to catch Franklin off guard. The blade sliced through his wing, and frost erupted instantly, crawling across the golden feathers.

  Franklin lost altitude and slammed into the ground hard, debris exploding outward. His wing shattered into frozen fragments before slowly reforming in a dimmer glow.

  Franklin (visibly annoyed): You really are annoying, you know that?

  Reito landed across from him, rolling his shoulders.

  Reito: Thanks. I really try.

  The two rushed each other.

  They traded blows at close range. Reito swung a left hook — Franklin caught it. Franklin countered with a right, but Reito slammed his forehead into the strike, killing its momentum before it could fully land.

  Reito stomped his foot, freezing the ground beneath Franklin’s feet. Ice surged upward, locking him in place. Reito unloaded punch after punch into Franklin’s face, frost splintering across divine armor.

  Nothing happened.

  Franklin didn’t even flinch.

  Reito (thinking): Damn it… I’m wailing on him and he’s taking it like it’s nothing. How the hell am I supposed to damage him?

  Reito grit his teeth, mind racing.

  Reito (thinking): He has an angelic blessing and an enhanced body further boosted by holy energy reinforcing everything. Physical attacks won’t work. But White Silence Sever wounded him earlier. Why? Until I figure that out I won’t be able to do any lasting damage.

  Before he could finish the thought, Franklin caught one of his punches and looked at him — not angry, but disappointed.

  Franklin: You were doing so well earlier. You even managed to wound me. But now… this is just sad.

  Franklin’s free hand began to glow again, emitting the same deep, echoing hum as before.

  Reito immediately recognized the danger and tried to jump back, but Franklin grabbed him mid-motion.

  Reito: …Shit!

  Franklin: Divine Ripple.

  The blast detonated point-blank. Reito was sent skidding across the ground, his ice armor cracking as he tore through rubble before coming to a stop.

  Franklin began walking toward him, arm still glowing as he prepared another attack.

  Franklin: I’m sorry about this, old friend. This is the end. May your soul find peace in the holy land. And while you’re up there… say hi to Kim for me.

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  Franklin unleashed the attack.

  Suddenly, sand erupted from the ground, forming a massive shield that absorbed the blast and sent a shockwave rolling across the battlefield.

  Franklin: WHAT!?

  A towering cloud of sand loomed overhead.

  Owen: Sorry, sir, but we can’t let you kill one of Chikara Academy’s best instructors.

  Jonathan leapt down from the sand cloud and rushed to Reito’s side.

  Jonathan: Reito, sir! Are you alright?

  Reito (trying to get up): Jonathan, what are you doing here? You need to get out of here!

  Jonathan: No way! You were just getting your ass beat by this guy and you expect me to leave? You’re crazy.

  Reito: I told you before, you kids aren’t ready to face these people. He’ll kill you.

  Jonathan planted his feet, fists clenched.

  Jonathan: Yeah, and so what? It’s my life. If I want to risk it to save someone, that’s my choice. Besides, I owe you and Mrs. Zinc everything. Without you, I wouldn’t even be here. So just recover. We’ll hold him off.

  Franklin scoffed.

  Franklin: You children really should learn to stay out of the affairs of adults. Didn’t your parents teach you anything?

  Jonathan: Shut up. You adults think just because we’re young we don’t understand how the world works. Some of us learned how dark it is way too early.

  Jonathan pointed forward.

  Jonathan: I promise you I'm going to wipe that ugly look off your face. Willow, now!

  Willow (nervous): O-Okay!

  Willow slammed her hands together. Plants erupted from the ground, thick vines wrapping around Franklin’s limbs. Jonathan vanished, sprinting in tight circles as kinetic energy screamed around him before he reappeared and drove a charged punch into Franklin’s chest.

  The impact cracked the air.

  Franklin didn’t move.

  Franklin: Weak.

  Golden light exploded outward, disintegrating the vines instantly. He turned and fired beams toward Owen and Willow.

  Owen reacted instantly, catching Willow with a surge of sand and lowering them safely to the ground.

  Owen: Jonathan, you build up charge! Me and Willow will buy you some time!

  Jonathan: Got it!

  Jonathan began running again, rebounding off debris and walls, energy compounding with every movement. Owen slammed his hands together.

  Owen: Storm of the Shifting Throne!

  A massive dome of sand enclosed them, sealing off the sky. Inside, hundreds of sand-forged weapons orbited in perfect synchrony.

  Franklin glanced around.

  Franklin: Interesting. Now what?

  Owen clapped his hands again as a massive sand golem erupted from the dome wall.

  Owen: Willow, you too!

  Willow pressed her palm to the ground. A colossal tree erupted upward, bark thickening, roots ripping free as its face twisted into something monstrous.

  The two constructs charged Franklin. The tree swung — Franklin dodged — only to be punched back by the sand golem. They battered him back and forth until Franklin burst free, flying upward.

  Owen appeared behind him, binding him in sand and slamming him into the ground.

  Willow rushed forward.

  Willow: Phytomorph—activate!

  Her arms transformed into thorned vines as she landed a point-blank punch that sent Franklin skidding into the dome wall. Sand bound him again as the tree hammered him relentlessly.

  Franklin’s patience snapped.

  Franklin: Enough of this nonsense! Golden Art—Choir of Judgment!

  A chorus of unseen voices echoed across the battlefield. Beams of golden music notes pierced the tree golem, shredding it instantly.

  Willow tried to bind him again but Franklin appeared behind her, hand raised ready to kill her— but was intercepted as Owen sent sand between them then followed up by sending weapons flying toward him. Willow clasped her hands together and hundreds of thorned vines erupted from her back and rocketed towards Franklin.

  Franklin raised both hands.

  Franklin: Divine Ripple: Twin Waves.

  White light consumed everything.

  The sand dome exploded. Owen and Willow were sent flying, bodies crashing hard into the ruins as they fell unconscious with severe burns all over their bodies.

  Franklin exhaled slowly.

  Franklin: Now that that’s over… it’s time to deal with the other two.

  He looked around.

  Franklin: Where did you go?

  Reito’s voice cut through the air.

  Reito: Right here. White Silence Sever!

  A razor-thin line of cold sliced across Franklin’s chest. A heartbeat later, ice bloomed — then shattered.

  Franklin dropped to one knee, blood spilling.

  Franklin: Tch… this attack again!

  Reito: Jonathan! NOW!

  Jonathan appeared behind Franklin, fully charged, moving so fast the world seemed to slow. He cocked his fist back.

  Jonathan: All right! It’s been a while since I used this, so I hope you’re ready!

  Jonathan shouted, his voice echoing across the academy.

  Jonathan: SUPER AWESOME JONATHAN ONE SHOT—ULTIMATE STRIKE!!!

  His fist drove into Franklin’s chest exactly where the ice had fractured. Bones shattered audibly as blood sprayed from Franklin’s mouth and eyes. The ground detonated as Franklin was launched through the academy building, smashing through multiple walls before disappearing in a cloud of debris.

  Jonathan collapsed midair, body going numb, but Reito caught him.

  Jonathan (weakly): Did we get him, sir?

  Reito: Yeah. You did good, kid.

  Mrs. Zinc approached, covered in burns, dragging Sera by her hair.

  Mrs. Zinc: Looks like you handled Frank. I really didn’t want to involve the students, though.

  Reito: You handled Sera pretty well yourself.

  Mrs. Zinc: Not important right now. Jonathan and those two need medical attention.

  Before they could move, a massive purple-blue explosion erupted from the west sector. Snow began falling across the academy as an eerie presence flooded the air.

  Mrs. Zinc: What the hell was that!?

  Reito: Hiruzen… no. Iskarth. And another vessel.

  Jonathan: Hiruzen and the others went to rescue Caitlyn from Skadi. Looks like things went bad.

  Mrs. Zinc: I knew Skadi would be tough, but I didn’t think she’d unleash Nulthria just to win.

  Reito: We need to move now. Two vessels unleashed at the same time is catastrophic.

  Reito turned sharply.

  Reito: Trish, watch Sera and Franklin with Jonathan. I’m ending this.

  Mrs. Zinc: Got it. Be careful.

  Reito vanished in a storm of ice, racing toward the west sector — toward Hiruzen.

  End Chapter