Lucifer's feet made contact with the roof of the -rank dungeon's boss room. His verdant eyes gleamed with a cold intensity as they swept over the succubus's form. The prickling sensation of danger emanating from her sent shivers down his spine, giving him goosebumps and a clear indication that she surpassed Shurkan in strength.

Shurkan, the formidable Rank 6 Shadow Seeker they recently faced, had already pushed Class 1-A to their limits. Now, they were tasked with defeating an even stronger opponent, and without Ren to boot.

'Is there some kind of allure here attracting these monsters?' Lucifer wondered but quickly dismissed those thoughts. Such contemplation could wait until after defeating the succubus.

His -rank mana core hummed to life as he enveloped himself in lightning aura for speed. Simultaneously, his sword became cloaked in an ice aura, the two contrasting mana elements harmonizing perfectly under the control of his Gift.

The laws governing magic differed significantly from the laws of physics. This discrepancy made sense upon reflection. Applying the laws of physics to magic would render feats like fire or ice manipulation impractical due to the immense energy scale required.

Magic, however, operated under a distinct set of principles.

Ice magic involved two primary components: creating frozen liquids, typically freezing water, and cooling objects by reducing their overall kinetic energy. Yet, these processes were executed in a far more efficient manner, one impossible to replicate through science.

Recalling the image of his father's movements, the very ones that froze and decimated an army of a million, Lucifer's brain reconstructed the sequence. It was the second movement of the Grade 6 art, Myth of the Northern Peak: Cocytus's Descent.

All his focus narrowed down to a single objective: slash away the succubus.

That's where all his concentration lay.

Naturally, expecting Lucifer to dispatch the succubus in a single attack was akin to expecting an untrained novice to master a complex spell in one go. The succubus, a demon viscountess, stood far beyond the threshold of succumbing to a lone strike.

Yet, doubt, the notorious adversary of success, loomed large, particularly in the realm of magic. Magic thrived on the intent of its wielders, a force fueled by their emotions. Achieving the pinnacle of power demanded unwavering belief.

Easy? Far from it. The human mind, especially in the tumultuous throes of youth, was fickle, prone to emotional ebbs and flows—a challenge Lucifer found himself grappling with.

However, he bore the mantle of the protagonist. The intoxicating elation of being the world's preeminent prodigy, of gazing beyond his current boundaries and foretelling the moment he'd ascend to greater heights—that was the formidable genius named Lucifer Windward.

In the recesses of his mind, he meticulously expelled all emotional interference, zeroing in solely on the unwavering conviction of vanquishing the demon viscountess with a singular, legendary strike. For this was his ego, his staunch belief—a legend in the making.

He crouched low on the rooftop, coiling his legs to unleash maximum power. The fusion of physical techniques could elevate mana to unprecedented heights, underscoring the enduring significance of martial arts.

BOOM!

Lucifer catapulted off the roof, his ice-blue blade homing in on Vespera's head.

Sensing Lucifer's approach, Vespera turned her head, eyes widening in shock as she beheld the impending onslaught. Swiftly, she activated her defensive spell, constrained by time to opt for a 5-circle incantation instead of a more potent 6-circle one.

But against the unrestrained might of Lucifer's attack, how could a 5-circle black magic spell hope to endure?

Dark flames erupted from Vespera's deployed magic circle, engaging in a fierce clash against the encroaching ice from Lucifer's blade. Eventually, the overpowering force of Lucifer's sword shattered the defensive spell.

Another explosion ensued, with Vespera and Lucifer at its epicenter. The other Class 1-A students stood frozen in shock, immobilized by the unfolding spectacle.

"Attack, you fools!" Arthur bellowed, readying God Flash. He grasped that the battle was far from over.

As he forewarned, Vespera survived Lucifer's assault, albeit with her 5-circle defensive spell cleaved through. Lucifer's icy aura sword embedded itself in her abdomen, leaving Vespera with shaky breaths and her attire more revealing after being frozen and torn during the onslaught.

Yet, Lucifer wasn't unscathed. Vespera's claws had gouged into the side of his stomach, severing through muscle layers and inflicting a deep wound.

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Rachel's eyes welled up, tears glistening as droplets trickled down. The others wore pallid expressions, a natural response. While some had encountered monsters in their youth, their parents had shielded them from extensive exposure to bloodshed. Even during the VR mock war, the unspoken understanding lingered that it wasn't real.

But this... this was real.

"LUCIFER!" Rachel's voice cracked with shock, her light magic trembling as she struggled to preserve the integrity of the three light arrows. Emotions surged, threatening to disrupt the intent she had forged for the spell.

Jin's expression darkened, Ian swallowed nervously, and even Cecilia found her spell's potency diminished. Seraphina's stoic countenance melted into a mix of concern and guilt.

Only Arthur maintained a stoic mask, concealing any signs of emotional impact. Lucifer's well-being held little concern for him. Even on the brink of death, Lucifer could be healed. Vespera lacked the strength to inflict existential injuries—ones that transcended physical harm and defied healing, leaving a being permanently crippled.

There was no cause for immediate worry.

However, if time elapsed, and Vespera deepened her assault, reaching vital organs and perhaps kindling them with her black magic, that would be cause for concern.

Hence, swift action was imperative.

Lightning magic wasn't a mere manipulation of electric charge flow. Were it that simple, control over it would be erratic and impossible. Magic, as distinct from science, operated on different principles.

Incorporating both plasma and fields, lightning magic allowed for advanced effects related to magnetism, a realm unlocked at the 7-circle and beyond. In its simpler 4-circle form, lightning magic's essence lay in widespread, swift destruction. Though less potent than fire magic and slower than wind magic, it blended speed with destructiveness.

With God Flash, Arthur honed the destructive force of lightning into a singular plane, transforming it into a slashing attack reminiscent of wind magic. The technique's objective was straightforward: to strike swiftly at an opponent when their guard wavered.

Resembling assassination techniques, God Flash bore a distinctive lack of malice, a quality expected of the technique Lucifer would later employ.

Channeling the confidence drawn from real-life experiences—like severing Shurkan's arm in a single strike—Arthur focused on perfecting God Flash. His sword, enshrouded in lightning magic generated by the circle method, took shape with the aid of lightning aura.

As Arthur opened his eyes, cold determination filled his azure gaze. With the command unleashed, [4-circle spell: God Flash], the space surrounding him blurred, and he streaked towards Vespera in a blink.

Arthur's lightning-wrapped sword sliced through a frozen section of Vespera's back, courtesy of Lucifer's earlier magic. The frozen part gave way under Arthur's attack, while the unaffected areas endured considerable damage. Vespera groaned, her face contorting in agony from the surge of Arthur's lightning magic.

"You bastard!" she swore, her nails twisting inside Lucifer's body, eliciting pain-filled grinds of teeth from him.

Before further harm could be inflicted, spells from Cecilia and Rachel rained down on Vespera's arm. This momentary distraction allowed Ian to seize the opportunity and swiftly move the injured Lucifer away.

Arthur pondered why Vespera hadn't defended against that attack, and his question found an answer when he locked eyes with her. A seductive smile curled her red lips, ensnaring his heartstrings and flooding his veins with hormones.

His face reddened as an uncontrollable urge to lean in and kiss her overcame him.

Kiss those lips.

Kiss her.

Kiss her!

Just as his lust threatened to plunge him into peril, snow petals began to fall around them. The cold, delicate touch of the flowers shocked Arthur's body, wresting control of his mental faculties from the clutches of desire.

Meeting Vespera's red eyes, he saw her face contort with anger and pain. A question lingered in his mind: Why hadn't she used a 6-circle spell throughout the entire battle? Such a move could have resulted in the defeat of the Class 1-A students.

Vespera, seemingly attuned to his thoughts, chuckled, "So you've figured it out? And here I thought I could play along a bit longer."

Shivers raced down his spine, and a sense of danger enveloped him. A potent burst of mana sent him and Seraphina flying. As they crashed to the ground, Arthur struggled to his feet, only to witness Vespera casting a genuine 6-circle spell.

Suddenly, Arthur found himself surrounded by the other Class 1-A members, a stark contrast to their previous scattered positions. This was problematic; if they remained grouped, it would escalate into a battle of sheer firepower, a confrontation they were likely to lose. How did they all converge so swiftly?

Before Arthur could delve into further analysis, the orchestrator revealed himself – a man clad in Eastern robes, long black hair tied in a ponytail, and a traditional longsword in hand. Plum blossoms adorned his clothes, marking him as an Elder of Mount Hua, part of the forces dispatched by the world's greatest powers to safeguard their heirs at Mythos Academy.

"I apologize for being late," he said, turning to face them. "Please allow me to handle this matter."

Vespera's unease manifested in the mana wavelengths of her crafted spell, sensing the formidable power emanating from the Mount Hua Elder. However, there was no room for hesitation. She unleashed her most potent 6-circle spell, [Dark Flames of Purgatory], at the Elder.

"Normally, I would not suggest you all witness this," he remarked, "But considering your identities, it should be acceptable."

Arthur understood the Elder's cryptic statement well. The wind aura enveloping his blade transformed, intensifying the pink hue as the aura condensed and formed new links, creating a nebula-like energy that dripped off the sword.

This was astral energy, a manipulation of mana achieved by densifying and compressing aura to transcend the boundaries of -rank. It stood as the primary 'wall' separating the five hundred thousand -rankers from the five thousand -rankers.

The application of astral energy confined into the form of a sword was known as an astral blade, infamous for being impervious to damage by aura or 6-circle magic and below.

In <>, the rule was clear – nobody with aura could defeat a person wielding astral energy, regardless of their Gift or martial arts proficiency. This rule persisted until Lucifer Windward, in his third year, shattered an astral blade with aura, creating a storm in the world.

However, Vespera was far from Lucifer's level when he entered -rank. Her spell had no chance of cracking the Mount Hua Elder's astral blade.

The Elder swung his sword, cleanly cleaving Vespera's spell in half with the unscathed astral blade, illustrating the insurmountable barrier between and -ranks.