Chapter 59 - - 59: A Beast II

Chapter 59: Chapter - 59: A Beast II

"ah, so here you were all along....my prey."

The man said with a smile, but his smile was nowhere near human nor was his face. He has a widened, menacing face with mustache shaped whiskers, and two prominent lower teeth protruding upwards.

On his body, he was only wearing a black slack and has no clothes on his chest but what Kai saw is not bare skin, but skin covered in black fur, and not only his chest but all of his body is covered in a black fur, like he is not a human but some kind of beast.

But what caught Kai’s attention the most were his hands or rather where supposed to be his hands but instead there are razor sharp claws that can easily tore through human or even animal skin.

Seeing the man Kai didn’t even bother to ask anything from Riza, he could feel the dangerous aura radiating from the man standing there.

Without wasting even a second, he swiftly turned to Elena’s group, kicked the ground and darted forward while activating sky steps.

"Boss! Look what he did to brother!" Jamil suddenly shouted towards the man, clearly indicating that they are in the same group.

The man heard Jamil’s voice, as his eyes finally landed on Kamil’s body lying on the floor unconscious like a dead man, "lose to a kid? Pathetic."

During this exchange, Kai didn’t stopped his movement even for a second.

"Everyone Run! Quick!" Even while saying that, Kai’s actions has not stopped as he instantly conjured a storm spear and shot it at Jamil who was already dealing with Elena’s shadow spikes and Lucian’s attacks.

Jamil obviously saw the attack heading towards him, and deeming it dangerous, he used all his power to create a defensive barrier, the barrier flicker with red shine like being made of heat.

The barrier was able to block other attacks but the moment, the storm spear collided with it, a cracking sound rang and then it broke.

Elena seized the opportunity and cast ’Black Advent’ forcing Jamil’s big body beyond the gate and slamming on a floor inside the hall.

The other students seeing the gap created by Elena’s attack, quickly run towards the hall. Seeing how beaten their teacher looks and even Kai who has just defeated another enemy, was also not willing to fight him, they realized how dangerous the enemy behind them must be.

Meanwhile Riza cast several magic spells in order to stop the man from attacking the students but none of them seems to be working effectively as he even caught one of the attacks by his claw like no big deal.

"Stupid woman, dark magic will not work on me! ROAR!"

The man roared like a beast and a wave of dark energy was released from his body, stopping the attacks even before they hit him and the next instance, he pounced towards Riza who again hastily created a dark magic barrier.

The man with one of his claws raised, slammed it on Riza’s barrier, toring it just like before and his other claw landed directly on Riza’s body which she has clagged in dark magic, already expecting the attack.

BOOM!

The impact blasted her backwards. She slid several meters across the corridor before barely managing to stabilize herself, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth.

The difference in strength was obvious. She was not being overwhelmed because of a lack of skill, but because the opponent’s raw power was simply on another level.

The man barely glanced at her trying to stand up again "Hm... still alive." His rough voice echoed through the corridor as if he had merely swatted away an insect.

Riza gritted her teeth and forced herself back onto her feet despite the pain coursing through her body. Dark mana gathered around her once more as she prepared another spell, but before she could even complete the incantation, the beast-like man had already disappeared from where he stood.

The next instant, the man appeared directly in front of Riza.

His claw descended once again.

**BOOOM!**

Riza hastily raised another dark barrier, but it shattered almost instantly. The remaining force of the claw struck her shoulder and sent her crashing through the academy wall before she rolled across the corridor floor.

"Cough...!"

Blood spilled from her mouth as she struggled to stand. She had bought only a few seconds.

The beast-like man didn’t even spare her another glance. His eyes had already shifted toward Kai.

"My prey should not be looking elsewhere."

The words had barely left his mouth when his figure blurred once again.

"Kai!" Elena shouted.

Kai reacted immediately "Storm Curtain!"

The familiar dome of violently rotating wind and water enveloped him just before the claw struck.

**BOOOOOOM!!**

The entire Storm Curtain trembled violently. Unlike Kamil’s attacks, this blow didn’t merely push Kai back.

The whole dome was blasted across the corridor, smashing through several stone pillars supporting the side walls before finally stopping.

Kai’s feet dug deep grooves into the floor as he desperately stabilized himself.

The currents of Storm Curtain were still spinning, but noticeably slower than before.

*One attack...*

*It almost broke through.*

Without giving Kai even a single moment to recover, the beast-like man attacked again.

His claws rained down relentlessly.

**BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!**

Every strike shook the corridor.

Kai continuously retreated while reinforcing Storm Curtain with fresh mana, but each collision consumed an enormous amount of it.

*He’s too strong...*

*I can’t keep this up.*

Seeing Kai being completely suppressed, Elena immediately raised her staff.

"Black Advent!" A torrent of darkness surged toward the beast-like man’s side.

Lucian also joined in.

"Pillars of Light!" Several beams of light descended simultaneously.

The attacks arrived from different directions. Yet the beast-like man merely turned his head. Dark energy exploded from his body and the wave swept through the corridor. Both attacks shattered before reaching him.

The remaining shockwave struck Elena and Lucian directly.

"Ugh!"

Both of them were thrown backwards.

A yellow magic barrier appeared around Lucian right before the attack would hit him, apparently some kind of magic tool. But he was still slammed into the corridor wall from the impact.

While Elena rolled several times across the floor before stopping.

Even the remaining students who had not managed to retreat far enough were knocked off their feet.

Only Kai remained standing because Storm Curtain had absorbed most of the impact.

But immediately afterward, the beast-like man appeared in front of him once more. A claw coated in dense dark mana tore straight through the weakened Storm Curtain.

The rotating dome finally collapsed. Kai’s pupils shrank. He instinctively raised multiple layers of Water Barrier.

**CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!**

Every barrier shattered one after another and the claw continued forward. Unable to completely evade it, Kai twisted his body at the last moment.

Three deep claw marks appeared across his left shoulder and chest as the tremendous impact hurled him through the corridor before he crashed heavily onto the stone floor.

"Cough...!"

Blood splashed onto the ground. His magic staff slipped from his hand before stopping several meters away.

"KAI!" Elena ignored the pain throughout her own body and tried to stand.

But before she could even take two steps, the beast-like man swung his arm. A wave of dark mana struck her directly. She was blasted into the entrance of the training hall, her staff slipping from her grasp.

Lucian attempted to intervene but the moment he launched a magic, the man easily countered it with another swing of his claw.

On the other hand after almost exhausting his mana, Kai remained barely conscious. But even his vision had already become blurry. His body refused to obey him. His eyes landed on Elena’s figure.

*I need to do something*

The beast-like man slowly walked toward him "You have exceeded my expectations."

He stopped before Kai’s injured body "But that’s all."

Dark mana gathered around his raised claw. This attack was clearly meant to finish him.

Kai tried to move but he barely had any strength to dodge.

*So this is... the difference...*

Just as the claw was about to descend—

A faint silver light suddenly blossomed in the corridor not far away. Space itself distorted. A circular magic formation spread across the floor before two figures emerged from within it.

The beast-like man’s attack halted instinctively.

One of the newcomers was a young man with red hair, his hairs are longer and tied into a ponytail, Ralf Walker.

Beside him stood a very normal looking middle aged man wearing the academy’s instructor uniform, Albert Carson.

The exorcism teacher.

The moment his feet touched the ground, Albert did not waste a single second. His magic staff struck the floor and a grey magic circle expanded beneath him.

"Go."

A deep growl echoed through the corridor and a grey mana condensed into the illusionary figure of a gigantic hyena with crimson eyes.

The spirit let out a ferocious howl before pouncing directly toward the beast-like man.

Its speed was astonishing. The beast-like man raised both claws to block on instincts.

**BOOOM!!**

The collision forced him several meters backward for the first time since the battle had begun. The stone beneath his feet cracked as he slid across the corridor.

"Hm?"

His beast like eyes narrowed slightly.

Meanwhile, Ralf had already appeared beside Kai through another short-range teleport.

He crouched beside him and let out a helpless smile.

"...Sorry. Looks like I was a little late."

Kai let out a bitter laugh despite the pain.

"At least you came....." He looked at a broken silver gem laying on the floor.

Yesterday, Kai had secretly spoken with Ralf. In exchange for supporting him in the upcoming student council election, Kai had requested a single favor.

A distress signal gem belonging to the Walker family.

Once shattered, it would transmit the user’s location directly to another holder, allowing a space mage to teleport there immediately unless an advanced spatial barrier prevented it.

Originally, Kai had only wanted insurance for tomorrow’s date with Elena.

Something inside him had continued warning him that the academy attack might not unfold exactly as he remembered.

And his instincts were on point. Everything has changed from the timing to even the opponent.

And that is why the moment Kamil appeared, Kai already broke the gem to avoid any risk.

Even so...

Kai’s gaze slowly shifted toward Albert Carson.

*Why him...?*