War of Flags III

The city district loomed ahead like a forsaken labyrinth of stone and ruin. Broken buildings, twisted metal, and the occasional shimmer of forgotten magic left an eerie echo in the air as Seol-ah Moyong and Aria Gu led their group toward the heart of the district. The skies were already darkening, casting long shadows over their path, but the two leading Starcrest Academy's finest felt no fear.

They were the apex of the East, after all.

Behind them, thirty other students followed in disciplined silence. Each step echoed with quiet tension as they moved closer to the central area where the supplies were rumored to be stored. Ava Peng, ever cautious, had stayed behind to hold their base, commanding the remaining students of Starcrest Academy with precision. She wasn't one to take unnecessary risks, and leaving the base unguarded in these times would be a foolish move.

Seol-ah's golden eyes scanned the crumbling cityscape around them. Her instincts hummed with warning, not of enemy students, but of mana beasts. This district had long been forgotten by civilization, and in the absence of human control, mana beasts had made it their territory.

Aria Gu walked beside her, her fiery presence a stark contrast to Seol-ah's more quiet, calculating demeanor. Her brown hair billowed slightly in the wind, and her hands crackled with latent fire magic, ready to spring into action at any moment. Her red eyes, filled with the intensity of the Gu Clan's legacy, flickered as they assessed the surroundings. "Supplies shouldn't be far now," Aria murmured. Her voice was casual, but her eyes were keenly alert.

A low growl rumbled from an alleyway to their left, and without hesitation, Seol-ah drew her sword. Its blade gleamed under the fading light, a simple yet lethal extension of her will. A mana beast—a large, shadowy feline creature—padded into view, its emerald eyes glowing with hunger. Its body, rippling with muscle, moved like water, fluid and dangerous.

"Four-star," Seol-ah observed, her voice calm as ever.

"More of them," Aria noted, her hands glowing as her fire magic sprang to life. Several pairs of eyes appeared from the shadows, more mana beasts closing in from the alleys.

It wasn't a fight. It was a formality.

Seol-ah moved first. Her sword cut through the air with deadly grace, a flash of steel and precision. The first mana beast lunged at her, claws extended, but she met its strike head-on, her blade slicing through its flesh before it could even register what had happened. Aria followed suit, her hands releasing a torrent of flame that engulfed two beasts in a blazing inferno. Their roars were silenced in an instant, their bodies crumbling to ash.

The rest of the Starcrest students dispatched the remaining beasts with ease. They were no match for the academy's elite, especially not Seol-ah and Aria, who barely broke a sweat during the skirmish.

The path ahead cleared, and they continued their march toward the supplies.

The city district opened up into a large plaza where the remnants of an old marketplace stood, its stalls long abandoned. In the center, several crates of supplies had been left, their contents invaluable in a multi-day event like this. Food, medical supplies, and some basic mana potions were among the treasures they sought.

Seol-ah's eyes narrowed. "Too easy."

But before they could move forward, a group from Gravehold Academy appeared from the opposite side of the plaza. Aaron Meriot, a White-ranker and the leader of Gravehold, stepped forward, his massive axe resting casually on his shoulder. His group of thirty students fanned out behind him, their expressions tense but resolute.

"Looks like we found the same treasure," Aaron said, his voice booming through the plaza, though his tone carried no hostility—yet.

Aria frowned, her hands still crackling with residual fire magic. "Gravehold," she muttered. "This could get messy."

Seol-ah stepped forward, her golden eyes locked on Aaron. She wasn't one for unnecessary bloodshed, especially not when it could be avoided. They were allied against Mythos Academy, but that didn't mean they had to let Gravehold walk away with the lion's share of the supplies.

"Half the supplies should be enough for you, Aaron," Seol-ah said, her voice calm but firm. "You and I both know Starcrest Academy is stronger. We'll be taking the majority."

Aaron's grin widened, his eyes flicking between Seol-ah and Aria. "Stronger, maybe. But if we want to get through this event, we're going to need more than scraps."

Aria's red eyes narrowed. "We're not asking."

Without warning, Aaron swung his massive axe, the blade aimed directly at Seol-ah in a show of brute strength. But Seol-ah was faster. Her sword was up in an instant, deflecting the strike with a sharp clang that echoed through the plaza. The force of the blow sent a shockwave through the ground, but Seol-ah held her ground, her golden eyes never leaving Aaron's.

For a moment, the tension between them crackled like a live wire, the threat of a full-on battle looming in the air.

But Aaron chuckled, stepping back as he rested the axe on his shoulder once more. "You're quick," he admitted, a hint of respect in his tone. "But let's not turn this into something it doesn't need to be."

Aria's hands still glowed with fire magic, ready to attack at any moment, but Seol-ah remained calm. "Then let's make this simple. We take the majority, and you walk away with enough to keep your team going. No more, no less."

Aaron studied her for a moment before letting out a deep laugh. "Alright, alright. I'm not looking for a fight with you today. Take what you need."

Seol-ah nodded, satisfied. "Good. Then let's not waste any more time."

The two groups moved toward the supplies, dividing the crates. Gravehold took enough to sustain themselves, but Starcrest Academy walked away with the bulk, ensuring they had the resources needed to continue their push in the event.

As they prepared to leave, Aria shot Aaron a sidelong glance. "You made the right choice."

Aaron smirked, hefting his axe once more. "We'll see, Gu Clan girl. This event's far from over."

Seol-ah, ever watchful, scanned the plaza one last time before signaling to her unit. "Let's move."

With the supplies secured, Starcrest Academy retreated from the city district, knowing full well that the hardest battles were yet to come. But for now, they had the upper hand.

And in this game, every advantage mattered.

Meanwhile, Jack stood atop a crumbling building, the wind tousling his dark hair as he observed the scene below with a calculating gaze. Beside him, Tobias Grimfeld and Liora Arundel waited in silent anticipation, the tension palpable in the air. Tobias flexed his mana, gravity shimmering faintly around him as if responding to his growing impatience.

"Shouldn't we take the supplies, Commander?" Tobias asked, his voice edged with curiosity. His eyes flickered toward the distant figures of Seol-ah and Aaron, their teams busy securing the much-coveted resources.

Jack, still watching the exchange, barely moved. "No need," he said, his voice as cool and detached as the winds swirling around them. "Naomi and Elara are working in the valley. They'll bring us what we need soon enough."

The valley—where mana beasts roamed and supplies could be gathered through the laborious process of hunting and foraging—wasn't the easiest path. Hunting mana beasts required not only strength but the patience to process and cook the spoils, time-consuming as it was. Yet, Jack preferred it. The others could fight over the scraps here, while he pursued a different path, always two steps ahead.

"As I thought," Jack muttered under his breath, noting the absence of any sign of Mythos Academy. The other academies, it seemed, were also wary of making any bold moves, especially with Mythos Academy's unnerving silence hanging over them like a storm cloud that hadn't yet broken. They stayed on guard, unwilling to strike until they knew where the real threat lay.

Jack's lips curled into a knowing smirk. "Liora," he said, turning slightly toward the young woman at his side. "Take your unit, along with Kevin's, and head north-east. Frostspire Academy reported some Mythos scouts in that area. Time to apply some pressure."

Liora's eyes narrowed, sharp and focused. She didn't ask questions, merely nodded once in acknowledgement before she turned to leave, her white cloak fluttering behind her like a streak of ice.

Jack let his gaze linger on the plaza for a moment longer. There was an opportunity here, one too good to pass up. With the smallest flick of his wrist, he raised his hand, fingers spread as mana began to pool in the air around him, coalescing into the shape of a spell far beyond what most students could conjure. 

A six-circle spell. 

Tobias watched with quiet awe as Jack's Nirvana Flames intertwined with the gathering mana, amplifying the sheer potency of the spell.

Jack's grin widened as he whispered to himself, "Let's see how many you can protect."

With a casual flick of his wrist, he released the spell.

Six-circle Spell: Scorching Wheel of Ruin.

A blazing disk of white-hot fire roared through the air, spinning with the unstoppable momentum of destruction itself. The very air around it warped from the intensity of the heat, turning the plaza below into a battleground in an instant. The spell hurtled toward the supply center where Gravehold and Starcrest Academy were entrenched, the two teams barely registering its approach until it was almost too late.

Aaron Meriot's axe moved first, the heavy blade slicing through the air with a force that seemed to split the very ground beneath his feet. Seol-ah followed a heartbeat later, her sword a streak of silver light as it met the incoming spell. Together, the two warriors—one of brute strength, the other of unparalleled skill—clashed with the fiery disk.

For a moment, the world stood still, the clash sending shockwaves through the plaza. Dust and heat exploded outward, but when the smoke cleared, both Aaron and Seol-ah remained standing, their weapons still glowing from the heat. They had managed to deflect the spell, though the ground around them smoldered with the aftermath of Jack's power.

Jack's grin only widened. He hadn't expected to wipe them out so easily. No, this was just the beginning of the real game.

One of the faint, white embers of his Nirvana Flames drifted lazily through the air, unnoticed, until it brushed against Seol-ah's protective artifact. Jack's eyes flickered with recognition, and in that moment, he pressed his two fingers together, focusing his mana with precise control. His eyes fluttered closed for a brief moment, and he exhaled softly, the ember fading from view.

Without another word, Jack turned on his heel, Tobias and Liora falling into step behind him. His work here was done—for now. But the ember, that subtle touch of his power, would continue to burn, undetected.