Rage of the Soul Destroyer

Morgan and Layla laid on the ground, their bodies covered in scars and blood. Sweat dripped from their foreheads, mingling with the dirt and dust. Their clothes were ripped and torn, exposing their wounds. They gasped for air, their chests heaving with exhaustion.

"So you... you were actually capable of using two cores at once," Morgan groaned, her voice hoarse and weak. She writhed in pain, feeling every cut and bruise on her skin.

"You sly bitch..." She coughed out blood and wiped it off with her palm. Her eyes glared at Layla with hatred and resentment.

"Your aim was to make me drop my guard," Morgan said, struggling to form the words.

Layla got up, her posture straight and confident. The wounds on her body had fully healed, leaving no trace of the fierce battle. "The difference between you and me is stamina," she said, looking down at Morgan with pity and contempt.

"You might be capable of healing your injuries, but you can't recover your stamina."

"And that stamina of yours also determines how fast your body regenerates."

"I, on the other hand, can easily heal my injuries and recover my stamina."

"The perks of being an eternal..."

"All I had to do was slowly drain your stamina."

"Now tell me, what is your aim?" Layla asked, her tone becoming more serious and stern.

Morgan laughed, a maniacal and twisted sound that filled the air. Her laughter echoed in Layla's ears, sending shivers down her spine.

"You know... Your students are really talented," Morgan said, a devilish smile creeping onto her face. She licked her lips, savoring the words.

"They succeeded in killing most of our pawns."

"Before I answer your question, Purple, I'd like you to answer mine..."

"Do you remember what happened to the first Homunculus you killed?"

Layla's eyes widened with panic, as her mind flashed back to the events that occurred in her office before they were transported to the island. She remembered the blood, the screams, the explosion. She remembered the device that Morgan had planted on the Homunculus, a device that could trigger a chain reaction of bombs hidden on the island. Morgan noticed the change in Layla's demeanor, and began to laugh again, like a sadist deriving extreme thrill from seeing her victim suffer.

"Now guess who has the trigger—"

"Don't you dare..." Layla charged at Morgan with full speed, aiming a punch at her with all her strength. She clenched her fist, feeling the power coursing through her veins.

"Too late..." Morgan whispered, a smirk on her lips. She pressed a button on her wrist, activating the device. She closed her eyes, ready to embrace death.

Layla's attack connected, knocking Morgan out with a loud thud. She felt a surge of satisfaction, followed by a wave of horror. She heard a series of explosions coming from different directions. She smelled smoke and fire. She heard children screaming as she felt the ground shaking.

"Crap! Crap!! Crap!!!" She yelled in frustration, her voice cracking. She cursed herself for being too late, for being too careless, for being too naive.

The frustration in her voice immediately faded, as a sense of relief ran through her bones.

"Wait... What is this feeling?" She turned her gaze to the sky, her eyes widening with disbelief. She immediately began to run, as fast as she could, towards the island's coast.

****

Armstrong and Darius turned their heads, as they saw a small figure emerge from the bushes. It was a male student, a boy with black hair and pale skin. His clothes were tattered and stained, and his body was covered in blood, scars, and burns. He limped, dragging his feet on the ground. He coughed, spitting out blood and dust. He looked like he had been through hell and back.

The look on Armstrong's face slowly changed, as he set his sights on the injured child. The aura around him switched from being warm and friendly, to being cold and hostile. He shifted his gaze back to his opponent, the smile on his face gone. His eyes narrowed, his lips tightened, his muscles tensed. Darius felt a chill run through his veins. He knew something was wrong. This wasn't just mere anger he was looking at. It was death.

****

Reinhart dodged a blast of ice that came from Cain, the blonde man who was hiding behind a tree. He felt the cold air brush against his skin and the snow crunch under his feet. He retaliated with a stream of fire that set the tree ablaze.

The flames roared and crackled, sending sparks and smoke into the air. Cain cursed and ran out of his cover, only to be met by Riley, who swung her sword at him. Cain blocked with his ice shield, but felt the cold metal bite into his arm. He winced and staggered back, blood dripping from his wound.

Nyx, the woman wearing a tight gown slit on both sides, saw her partner in trouble and threw a knife at Riley, hoping to distract her. Riley sensed the incoming attack and ducked, but the knife grazed her cheek, drawing blood. She touched her face and felt the warm liquid on her fingers. She glared at Nyx, who smirked and winked at her. Riley felt a surge of anger and charged at her, who was ready for her.

Nyx and Riley engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand combat, exchanging punches, kicks, and slashes. Nyx had the advantage of speed and agility, while Riley had the advantage of strength and endurance. They were evenly matched, and neither could land a decisive blow.

Nyx dodged Riley's sword and landed a kick on her chest, sending her flying. Riley rolled and got up, then threw her sword like a javelin at Nyx. Nyx caught the sword in mid-air, but Riley was already on her, tackling her to the ground. They wrestled for the sword, trying to gain the upper hand.

Reinhart and Cain continued their elemental duel, unleashing fire and ice at each other.

"Your name, Reinhart, it sounds familiar," Cain said, trying to distract him.

"Your attacks pack lots of power. I'll give you that," he added, sounding impressed.

Reinhart ignored Cain's words, maintaining his calm demeanor. He had the advantage of range and power, while Cain had the advantage of precision and control. They were also evenly matched, and neither could break the other's defense.

Reinhart shot a fireball at Cain, who dodged and created an ice wall. Cain then sent a barrage of ice spikes at Reinhart, who melted them with his fire. Reinhart responded by creating a ring of fire around Cain, trapping him inside. Cain countered by using his ice to create a dome around himself, shielding him from the fire.

The fight raged on, with no sign of stopping. The forest was filled with the sounds of clashing metal, crackling fire, and shattering ice. The four fighters were determined to win, but they also knew that they were running out of time and energy.

The sound of explosions, the ground shaking, and the students screaming interrupted the fight between the four fighters. Reinhart and Riley realized that something was wrong, and that they had to end this quickly. They began to press more in their fight, hoping to overpower Nyx and Cain.

Nyx and Cain also heard the commotion, and smiled.

"I didn't expect that blood demon to pull the trigger this early," Nyx said, sounding amused.

The look on Reinhart's face became more serious. He began to push harder, trying to end the fight as quick as possible.

"What's wrong?" Cain taunted, smiling wickedly.

Suddenly, they felt a cold aura appear in between them. They turned and saw a tall, muscular man standing there, with a furious expression on his face. It was Armstrong.

"Wait... Wasn't this the A Rank Darius was supposed to fight?" Cain thought, his eyes widening with surprise and fear.

"Did he actually beat Darius?" he wondered, feeling a pang of dread.

Armstrong did not waste any time. He charged at Nyx and Cain, who barely had time to react.

"I knew this guy was going to be a big pain in the ass," Cain muttered, bracing himself for the impact.

He punched Nyx in the stomach, sending her flying into a tree. He then kicked Cain in the face, breaking his nose and jaw. He followed up with a soul blast, a devastating attack that struck their very essence. Nyx and Cain felt a sharp pain in their chests, as if their hearts were being squeezed. They screamed in agony, as they felt their souls being damaged.

Reinhart and Riley watched, as Armstrong easily defeated Nyx and Cain.

"I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that," Riley said as she stretched her body.

"We have to hurry. I can sense the energy levels of many of the students fading," Reinhart said, his voice filled with concern.

"I've never seen him in an enraged state before," Riley said, looking at Armstrong, who was staring at Cain and Nyx.

"He looks exasperated but he's still in control of himself, otherwise those two would be dead," Reinhart said, nodding in agreement.

Nyx and Cain lay on the ground, barely conscious. They had many injuries, but they were still alive.

Suddenly they felt a deadly chill spread around the island, making their bones shiver. A new entity was present. Their instincts immediately put their bodies on guard. They could barely breathe after feeling the aura emitted by this new entity.

"Riley... Run!" Reinhart shouted, grabbing her hand and pulling her away.