Chapter 13

In the heart of the battlefield, where the air was heavy with charged tension and danger lurked around every corner, Jan stood beside Baysal, both staring in shock at the barrier that had suddenly surrounded the arena.

Baysal spoke in disbelief as she glanced around:

"Another barrier?!"

Jan replied, his eyes narrowing slightly:

"I was going to say that the master and Sbyam have returned, but... this is a completely different barrier!"

Baysal felt a growing sense of worry inside her, whispering in a low voice as if discovering something dangerous:

"So... there's an intruder!"

Suddenly, without warning, Alia's body shot through the air like an arrow, crashing violently into a nearby tree trunk. The sound was deafening, causing both Jan and Baysal to turn in alarm.

There, beside the tree, was Alia, her body weighed down by blood, sprawled out like a lifeless doll.

Jan's eyes widened, stunned for a moment as though he had lost the ability to think. Everything around him seemed to slow down. His heart raced violently, and then, without a second thought, he sprinted towards her, as though trying to chase her soul before it departed.

Baysal, silently watching the scene, felt a sharp shock pierce her body. She whispered inwardly, her gaze fixed on Alia's sprawled form:

"What happened to her?! Who could have done this?!"

She ran after Jan, her feet moving quickly, but her mind drowning in a thousand questions.

When Jan reached the tree, he froze for a moment before the small body lying there. Alia's face was pale, covered in blood, and her eyes were closed, as though she had given up. He knelt desperately, lifting her head into his hands, trying to feel any sign of life.

He whispered with clear concern as he shook her gently:

"Alia... wake up... please!"

Baysal had caught up with Jan, staring at Alia, unable to understand. She asked hesitantly:

"Is she okay?! What happened?!"

After a few heavy moments, Alia’s eyelids fluttered slowly. She opened her eyes with difficulty, unable to focus fully.

Jan spoke quickly and anxiously:

"Alia! What happened? Are you okay?!"

Alia tried to speak, but her voice was broken and fragmented. She struggled to form words that seemed as heavy as stones on her chest.

Baysal moved closer, trying to hear her words, and said:

"Alia, tell us, what happened?!"

In a hoarse and weak voice, Alia stammered:

"V... Veb..."

Baysal looked at Jan in confusion, then turned back to Alia and asked cautiously:

"Veb? What about him?"

Alia closed her eyes for a moment, as though trying to gather what remained of her strength. Then, she whispered faintly, but the words pierced the silence like a dagger:

"Veb... he's... he's dead!"

The words exploded like thunder in Jan and Baysal’s ears. Both of them felt as if they had been struck by lightning. Baysal stared at Alia in shock, unable to comprehend the words that had just left her lips.

Alia closed her eyes again, and a hot tear slid down her cheek. She whispered weakly, her voice broken:

"I'm sorry... he was trying to protect me!"

Jan froze, as those words stabbed slowly into his heart. Baysal, on the other hand, stood in utter disbelief, her eyes widening as she repeated inwardly:

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"It can't be true..."

Alia could barely breathe; her exhaustion was evident, and her weakened body was drowning in the blood that refused to stop flowing.

---

Flashback (Moments ago)

As Darwin tried to stand again, wiping blood from his mouth with his hand, his eyes glowed with a mix of anger and caution. He glared at Veb, who stood firm and calm, and thought with disdain:

"To hell with these students... they're all like monsters. Sbyam's students are not human!"

Veb began to approach him with steady, confident steps, an aura of deadly calm, like the silence of ice. He stood before Darwin and looked at him with cold eyes before asking in a calm tone:

"Who are you? And what do you want?"

Darwin smiled sarcastically, revealing his bloodstained teeth, and stared directly into Veb’s eyes:

"What if I don't tell you? What will you do?"

Veb remained silent, his only response being the piercing gaze that seemed to penetrate Darwin’s depths. The coldness in his demeanor provoked Darwin’s anger, and he suddenly lunged forward with lightning speed, trying to punch Veb in the face.

But Veb, without showing the slightest disturbance, tilted his head slightly, effortlessly dodging the blow. Darwin’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at his opponent, but his shock didn't last long. Veb suddenly struck him hard in the stomach.

The impact of the punch was devastating; the air pressure from the blow ripped branches from the trees, scattering leaves and grass into the air. Darwin bent over in pain, blood pouring from his mouth. Before he could regain his balance, Veb delivered a powerful kick to his side, sending him rolling on the ground like a broken doll.

As Darwin rolled helplessly, Alia approached Veb and asked, her eyes filled with curiosity:

"Who is this?"

Veb answered coldly, without taking his eyes off the motionless Darwin:

"I don’t know."

Alia looked down at her feet, feeling an unnatural heat, and asked:

"Why did the ice melt beneath my feet?"

Veb replied calmly, as if explaining something obvious:

"Because he couldn't control his technique."

Alia looked at Darwin, who lay on the ground, groaning under the weight of the blow. As she watched him closely, Veb extended his hand in front of her, pushing her back with a firm command:

"Stay here."

Alia glared at him angrily, saying:

"What? I want to fight too!"

Veb turned his face toward her, his usual cold demeanor unchanged:

"While I'm here, if a lady is harmed, it will be a disgrace to me."

Alia stared at him in disbelief, but found no response.

Veb began walking toward Darwin with steady steps, his heart full of alertness. He stood over Darwin’s exhausted body and looked down at him, while the latter lay still as though life had left him. Veb bent slightly, and said in a low voice:

"Come on, wake up. Tell me who you are!"

But Darwin didn’t move. Veb’s eyes narrowed suspiciously as he whispered to himself:

"Is he dead?"

He moved closer and sat beside him, noticing that water was leaking from his body, which seemed to be fading slowly. Veb realized the truth and was hit with a sudden shock. He thought to himself:

"Water?! No... this is impossible!"

He turned quickly, his eyes widening in horror when he saw another version of Darwin standing behind Alia, who was unaware of what was happening.

"Shit!" Veb thought to himself, seeing Darwin's hand form into a sharp ice blade, slowly rising with deadly intent, ready to stab Alia in the back.

Veb lunged forward with all his might, but he was too late. The ice blade sank into Alia's back, but Darwin didn't seem to feel victorious. He saw the blade had not pierced her completely.

When he turned his head toward the other side, he saw something he didn’t expect: Veb had placed his body between the blade and Alia, taking the blow himself. The ice blade was embedded in his stomach, and blood poured from his mouth as he stared at Alia in silence.

Alia turned in shock, horrified as she saw Veb standing behind her with the blade buried in him. She whispered hesitantly:

"What... what did you do?!"

Veb’s body began to tremble with every breath he took. He looked at Alia, calm despite the pain, and spoke in a broken voice:

"I told you to be... more careful."

With his last words, Veb's body slowly fell to the ground, leaving the blade behind, as Alia froze in place, unable to move.

---

Now…

Alia cried bitterly as she bent down beside Veb's body, her tears falling heavily as she spoke in a trembling voice:

"He told me to be more careful... but... but I let my guard down!" Her voice shook, and her emotions tore through the air. Jan slowly approached her, his face devoid of words but drowned in shock, then knelt to place her weeping head on his chest. His body seemed to carry the weight of this pain in silence.

On the opposite side, Baysal stood firm. Her expression was calm, but her eyes told of an inner battle raging. She fixed a sharp gaze on Darwin, who met them with looks filled with hostility and determination. The air around them felt charged, as though they were preparing for an inevitable confrontation.

---

In another corner of the arena, Suero runs with great force, blue sparks swirling around his hand, reacting violently to his growing tension. Beth, on the other side, steps forward confidently, his hand covered in black sparks pulsing with anger. He grins widely before shouting: "You won’t escape this time!"

He raises his fist high, the black sparks turning into a dark glow, then hurls it toward Suero’s face with such force it seems like it will shatter the air around it. But in a flash, Suero bends low, evading the strike that shakes the earth behind him. Small pieces of rocks scatter in every direction.

Suero, with a slight smile on his face, responds to the attack with a swift counter. His fist moves toward Beth’s stomach with great force. But suddenly, he slows his motion before his fist makes contact. The blue sparks turn into glowing red flames enveloping his hand. Suero shouts in a thunderous voice: "Shrine Punch"

When his fist impacts Beth’s body, a massive explosion occurs, like a tornado striking the ground. Furious winds tear through everything around them, uprooting trees and shredding the dirt, which flies violently into the air. Beth’s body is sent flying like a bullet at an unseen speed, crashing through tree after tree before finally falling to the ground, motionless. His face is covered in blood, and his body trembles with difficulty.

Suero breathes heavily, wiping the sweat from his brow, and smiles proudly: "I did it!"

Moryo appears quietly beside him, looking at Beth lying on the ground and saying coldly: "Yes, that’s... the Shrine Fist."

Suero stares at his hand in astonishment, repeating: "It’s amazing!"

But moryo ’s next words strike him like lightning: "Yes, you mastered it, but... you won’t be able to use it again."

Suero’s expression changes suddenly. He asks, confused: "Why?"

Moryo responds seriously: "This attack relies on luck and energy. No one can use it more than twice in a day. And you... you’ve already used it twice!"

Suero goes silent, frowning, before saying with a childlike enthusiasm: "But I want to use it! It makes me feel confident in my power!"

Moryo remains as calm as ever, his tone changing to something sharper: "Don’t worry... we’ll break this rule today."

Suero turns to him in shock: "What do you mean?"

Moryo responds with a confident smile: "We’ll break the rule today, and you’ll be able to use it more than twice."

At that moment, Suero’s attention shifts to Beth, who is struggling to rise. His face is covered in wounds and blood, but despite it all, he stands firm, his eyes blazing with fury.

Suero smiles a confident smile, his eyes filled with excitement. The blue sparks return to dance around his hand again, as if announcing the start of a new round.

End of chapter.