Chapter 331: Returning Practically 5



-FOOOOSHHH!!!

The moment the four of them had begun to regroup, adjusting their tactics, Riley’s demeanor changed.

For the first time in this battle-he moved.

A slow, deliberate step forward.

A chill ran down Magnus’s spine as he instinctively tensed. “Hey, I thought you’d just let us come to you, senior.” His voice wavered slightly.

From the very beginning, Riley had been nothing but stationary.

He had stood there, completely still, letting his juniors throw every ounce of their skill and tactics at him.

He had parried, blocked, and countered-but never once had he taken a step.

Up until now, they had foolishly believed that as long as they kept trying, they would eventually find a way to win.

That maybe, just maybe, they could outlast him.

But as Riley took another step forward, his voice cut through the air.

“You guys were taking too long… and it’s about time we wrap this up, right?”

-FWOOSH!

He vanished.

The instant Riley disappeared from his position, a streak of bluish lightning ripped through the battlefield.

“He’s coming!!”

Stacia, already anticipating his approach, reacted on instinct.

Her mana surged violently, igniting the air around her in an intense, fiery blaze.

[Mid-Grade Flame Magic]

[Infernal Wall]

A massive wave of fire roared to life, encircling the group in a protective barrier of sheer heat.

The raging inferno should have halted any normal opponent, forcing them to either break through or be consumed by the flames.

And yet-

Riley’s blurred image passed right through it.

Untouched and Unstoppable.

“Everyone, get back!!” Stacia screamed.

The others instinctively leapt away, but she didn’t retreat.

Instead, she gritted her teeth, raising her sword high-ready to take the brunt of his attack. Because she knew.

She knew Riley would strike first at whoever stood in front.

And she was right.

-FLASH!!!-

-CLAAAANNNGGGG!!!!

The moment their weapons clashed; a deafening shockwave exploded across the battlefield. Stacia had taken enough of Riley’s strikes to understand something crucial-

She could survive them.

It wasn’t easy.

The sheer force of his blows rattled her bones and threatened to tear through her defenses each time, but she was still standing.

And now, she instinctively knew which parts of her body needed reinforcement.

Her back, her legs-every fiber of her being needed to brace itself for the sheer impact. She wasn’t just fighting; she was enduring.

If she was to be the tank of the group, she had to hold her ground.

Her flames weren’t ordinary. They didn’t just burn-they melted mana itself.

No matter how blindingly fast Riley’s swordsmanship was, no matter how refined his technique-if his attacks were enhanced by mana, then her fire should have been enough to reduce the brunt of its impact.

And she was right.

But even with that advantage, it wasn’t enough.

The moment his blade connected-BOOM!!!

She was sent flying.

Once again, her body was hurled backward from sheer force alone.

And Riley didn’t stop assaulting her first ignoring everybody else at the moment.

Again.

And again.

The same situation kept repeating.

Stacia gritted her teeth, frustration boiling in her chest-not just from exertion, but from the

sheer annoyance of it all.

They had tried everything. Nothing was working.

But that didn’t mean she was going to give up.

A slow, confident smirk tugged at her lips. If direct attacks weren’t enough… then they just

had to change the approach.

“You’re not getting away this time, Senior-“

Her body erupted into flames.

And then-

-Fwoosh!

Riley’s sharp eyes narrowed slightly as his sword sliced through nothing.

For the first time in the entire battle, his gaze flickered with mild surprise. His blade had passed straight through her-like she wasn’t even there.

No…

Like she had turned into fire itself.

A small, almost amused exhale left his lips.

“Flame Curtain?”

He muttered, instantly recognizing the spell.

But before he could fully process it-

Something bloomed in front of him.

A delicate, fiery petal unfurled at his feet, glowing with a dangerous intensity.

[High-Grade Flame Magic]

[Lotus Explosion]

For the first time, if only for a fraction of a second, Riley’s eyes shot wide open.

His instincts kicked in instantly.

Golden lightning burst from his body, igniting his aura.

He knew this spell-[Lotus Explosion] needed roughly five seconds before it detonated.

He had more than enough time to evade it.

Or so he thought.

Because just as he prepared to move-

Something shifted.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Heavy steel chains erupted from the ground, their metallic links snapping tightly around his

limbs.

Like a serpent constricting its prey.

[Mid-Grade Earth Magic]

[Steel Chain] The once stable battlefield had suddenly become a prison.

And for the first time, Riley found himself immobilized.

Riley’s eyes flicked toward Magnus-the red-haired young man, panting heavily, his right

arm still broken, yet his hands were clasped together, trembling as he forced the spell

forward.

Blood dripped from Magnus’s nose as he pushed his mana to its absolute limit.

Magnus clenched his fists, his breathing ragged.

This wasn’t part of the plan.

Then again, they never had a plan to begin with.

The fact that Magnus could use Earth Magic had always been his hidden trump card,

something he had deliberately kept under wraps for the upcoming Grand Festival. But now-

There was no point in holding back.

Not when the situation demanded everything they had.

Not when this was their only chance.

And everyone saw it. For the first time in this entire battle… All because Riley moved they finally saw it a chance to

climb over that wall….

It wasn’t because of some intricate plan. It wasn’t because they had discovered some key

weakness of their monstrous senior.

No.

It was simply because they had survived this long.

And for some strange reason-despite never fighting together before-

Their instincts were in perfect sync.

They didn’t need words. They just moved.

Uriel tightened her grip on her spear, steadying her breath.

From the very beginning, she had kept her distance, waiting.

Not out of hesitation, but out of instinct.

Something in her gut had told her that Stacia was up to something, that the blazing warrior

had a trap prepared in the depths of her flames.

And Uriel had been right. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling gnawing at the back of her mind-a strange reluctance, a

whisper of hesitation.

A part of her didn’t want to harm Riley.

She didn’t know why.

But right now, that didn’t matter.

She pushed the thought away, burying it beneath the weight of the battle.

The tip of her spear gleamed with golden radiance, crackling with raw divine power.

[Paradise Spear Technique]

[Second Form – Piercing Judgment]

At the same time, Reina moved.

Unlike the others, she hadn’t faced Riley head-on. as she silently managed to get behind his

back.

Unnoticed.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she adjusted her stance, but not from fear.

The sheer force of mana surging within her sword threatened to spill over.

The only Mana Wave Sword Skill she knew-taught to her by the Heavenly Duke himself, the

strongest swordsman in the world.

[Heavenly Sword Technique]

[Third Form – Balance]

A sharp hum resonated from her blade as pure white energy rippled along its length, forming

a perfect arc of concentrated power.

This was it.

Their one opportunity.

They knew—defeating Riley wasn’t the true goal of this re-evaluation exam.

Afterall just managing to try and attack him and taking on some of his attacks, should’ve been

more than enough of an evaluation both for him and the professors.

But the sheer, gratifying satisfaction of landing a hit on their monstrous senior?

That was worth everything.

Riley watched everything unfold in real-time, his expression as unreadable as ever.

Even as the battlefield raged around him.

Even as the lotus of flames bloomed.

-BOOOOM!!!

A fiery explosion erupted-but that wasn’t all.

-SWOOSH!!!

From the distance, Uriel’s golden spear shot forward, piercing through the inferno.

The moment it touched the fire, a second explosion ignited, golden heat surging outward in a

violent burst of destruction.

And then-

-SLAAASHHH!!!

Reina’s Mana Wave Sword Strike carved through the air, arriving at the perfect moment-

sealing the deal.

The collision of their attacks triggered another explosion, then a third, then a fourth.

Their mana signatures clashed and fused, amplifying each other into an even deadlier force.

The stage trembled.

The air distorted.

The world seemed to shake beneath their feet.

And then-the final eruption came.

A massive, swallowing void of fire, light, and raw mana tore through the battlefield, its sheer

force creating a blinding shockwave.

-BOOOOOOOM!!!!!

The explosion engulfed everything.

The impact sent all four first-years flying backward, their bodies barely resisting the

overwhelming force.

Even outside the battlefield, professors and students-those who had already finished their

exams-watched the carnage unfold in stunned silence. Their eyes widened in disbelief.

The battle, contained within the reinforced stage barrier, had reached a level that no one

expected.

“Are they insane…?” someone muttered.

“That kind of power-“

“I-isn’t this a bit too dangerous that kind of power is enough to take down an A-rank boss

monster you know!?”

“Maybe even an S-rank dungeon guardian?” somebody else added in sheer disbelief.

It was an overwhelming, devastating chain of attacks.

It was a beautiful attack of sheer determination and power….

But as the smoke and flames continued to rise, everyone began to wonder the same thing.

Didn’t they go too far…?

They had thrown everything they had.

Every lethal attack they could muster.

At this rate-

-Won’t Riley die? “Principal, I think we should-“

A worried professor standing next to the principal started to speak, his voice tinged with

concern.

But the principal merely raised her hand, stopping him mid-sentence.

A smirk curled at her lips.

Her violet eyes gleamed with amusement as she gazed at the battlefield.

-FOOOOSHHH!!!

The residual flames still burned fiercely, licking at the air as waves of mana crackled and

flickered.

The entire battlefield had been torn apart.

At the very center of it all, a massive crater had been left in the wake of their combined assault

a testament to their sheer destructive power.

Stacia, Uriel, Magnus, and Reina stood at the edge, breathing heavily, their bodies exhausted

yet their eyes locked onto the smoldering ruins below.

Slowly, their racing hearts began to calm.

The battlefield was silent.

The only sound was the crackling embers and the faint howling of dissipating energy.

And then-

“Hah… Haha… We finally got him!”

Magnus let out a breathless laugh, his lips pulling into a wide grin.

They had done it.

They had actually landed a hit on Riley.

It had taken everything they had, every ounce of magic, every ounce of skill-

But they had done it.

The idea that Riley might have actually been killed in the process?

That thought didn’t even cross Magnus’s mind.

Nor did it cross Stacia’s.

Nor Uriel’s.

Nor Reina’s.

Their minds were singularly focused on one thing-

Defeating Riley.

And for the first time since the battle began-

It felt like they had actually succeeded.

Their bodies were battered, bruised, and barely holding together. Blood trickled from open

cuts, their breaths came in ragged gasps, and their limbs felt like lead.

They had pushed themselves beyond their limits, pouring everything they had into that one

final attack.

And now-

They had nothing left.

Magnus, feeling the faintest trace of energy returning to his body, tried to steady his

breathing.

Tried to relax, if only for a moment.

He slowly got up.

But then-

“That was a good effort, but not enough.”

A voice too familiar.

A voice that shouldn’t be there.

Magnus froze.

A chill ran down his spine, his muscles locking in place as his instincts screamed at him.

Slowly, hesitantly-he turned around.

His eyes widened in horror. ‘S-Senior…?’

There, standing right behind him, was Riley.

Unscathed.

Unburned.

Not even a single scratch on him.

Magnus’s mind reeled. “W-Wha-?”

His lips trembled, his thoughts a chaotic mess.

What had happened?

Hadn’t they-?

But he never got the chance to understand.

Because the last thing he saw- Was the golden glow of an aura-coated shoe. -PHUACK!!!

“GAAAHHHH!!!”

Pain-unlike anything he had ever felt-exploded through his face.

His head snapped back violently. Teeth shattered.

Blood sprayed from his mouth.

His entire body was launched through the air-

Before it slammed into the barrier.

-BANG!!!

The impact was so intense-

The barrier itself cracked.

His skull collided first, sending shockwaves through his entire body.

His eyes rolled back, turning both his eyes pure white. And just like that-

Magnus was out cold.

Riley’s gaze shifted-this time locking onto Stacia.

Her wide, disbelieving eyes met his.

Her body was trembling.

Not from fear-but from exhaustion.

She had spent nearly all her mana.

She had poured everything into that final attack.

And yet-

Riley stood there.

Unharmed.

Not even a single scratch.

It didn’t make sense.

“What… happened?”

The words left her lips before she could stop them.

Her mind raced, desperate to understand-

They had planned everything perfectly.

They had struck him at point-blank range.

Riley had been bound.

Their attacks had connected.

She was sure of it.

Even if Riley was powerful-impossibly strong-

There was no way.

No way he could have taken all of that-

Without taking a single hit at that.

That was physically impossible.

And yet-here he was.

Calm.

Unshaken.

Looking down at her like she was nothing.

But just like Magnus-

She never got her answer.

-VWOOSHHH!!!

A blur of motion.

Before she could react-

Riley moved.

He didn’t even unsheathe his sword.

With one simple swing-

Like a knight lazily striking down a weak monster-

The blunt edge of the scabbard slammed into her side.

-CRACK!!!

Her vision blurred.

Pain exploded through her body.

Her elegant posture snapped.

Her breath was stolen from her lungs.

Her body twisted in the air-

Spinning violently-

Before-

-SPLAT!!!

Blood gushed from her mouth and nose.

Her once graceful face distorted in agony.

Her mind barely registered what had happened- Before her body came crashing down the

hard

floor…

Uriel watched everything unfold, her mind screaming at her to move-

To defend herself.

Her breathing was ragged, her muscles burned, but she forced herself into a defensive stance.

She still had some mana left.

Enough to hold on and enough to at least fight back.

Or so she thought.

-BOOM!

Lightning erupted in a golden trail as Riley blitzed toward her. His cold blue eyes locked onto hers- making her shiver in place… the complications she felt

when he looked at her like that made her heart beat, in ways too complicated for her to even

understand…

Emotionless. Apathetic. Unrelenting.

Uriel’s grip tightened around her spear.

She struck.

A precise thrust-aimed straight at his chest.

Miss.

She spun the spear, sweeping low to catch his legs-

Miss.

She reversed her grip and slashed upward-

Still nothing.

Riley dodged everything.

His movements were so smooth, so effortless-

As if he wasn’t even trying.

And then-

-PUCK!

A fist slammed into her left cheek.

-KHACCK!

Another into her right.

-PHOOOCK!

Her body rocked with every blow.

Her head snapped back-again and again.

She struck out in desperation, but her spear might as well have been a twig in a storm.

Only one person was dealing damage.

And it wasn’t her.

Her mind blurred.

Her body swayed.

-PHOOSH!

A crushing blow to her stomach-the final strike.

Her body froze on the spot as the breath in her lungs vanished.

Slowly..

Her vision dimmed, yet a small smile was visible, on her slightly blushing face…

Her eye lids closed.

And just like the others–she collapsed.

And silence once again bore through the stage.

“B-Big B-Bro…”

A trembling voice broke through the silence.

Reina.

She had watched everything, and couldn’t understand what was going on…

‘Big bro is this really you???’

Her heart pounded.

Her throat dried up.

Her legs refused to stop shaking.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

But she forced herself to stand.

Even as her vision swam.

Even as her limbs screamed in exhaustion.

She had to face him.

Even if her body wanted to run.

She had to.

-Clink!

Her sword trembled in her grip as she raised it between them.

“G-Get b-back…!” she stammered.

Her voice shook.

“D-Don’t come near me!”

She swung-

A desperate, weak, limp slash. Riley didn’t even acknowledge it.

He just kept walking.

One step.

Then another.

His cold blue eyes bored into her.

Draining what little strength she had left.

Reina’s breath hitched.

Her hands went numb.

Her legs buckled.

And then-

She fell.

Butt-first onto the ground.

Frozen.

Unable to move.

Watching- As her big brother loomed over her.

As the first warm tears trickled down her cheeks, Reina clenched her fists.

She had braced herself for pain.

For another ruthless strike.

For the same fate as the others.

But instead-

-Puck!

A small, gentle flick only came on her forehead.

“H-Hick…?”

Reina’s teary eyes snapped open.

And there he was.

Her big brother.

Smiling.

Not the cold, merciless fighter who had just torn through their team-

But the brother she remembered.

The one who used to pat her head when she did well.

The one who always looked out for her.

The Riley she missed, ever since coming to the academy.

“B-Big Bro…???” she choked out, her voice trembling.

Riley’s hand landed softly on her head.

A gentle pat.

“You did well, Reina.” His voice was calm, warm-proud. “That last attack you just did… it

was really strong. Did you learn that from Father?”

Reina blinked.

Did she?

Her thoughts were mess.

She couldn’t even remember what she had done.

All she knew was-

That one sentence… was enough.

All of the fear.

All of the tension.

All of the doubt broke inside of her-

As she burst into tears.

“Uwahhh…!!!”

She cried, loudly and uncontrollably. Like the little sister she used to be.

Riley froze.

“W-Wait, why are you crying?!” he panicked. “I said you did well, right?!”

He waved his hands frantically, completely unprepared for this kind of situation.

Reina-his ever-stubborn, strong-willed little sister-

Crying.

Because of him.

As he awkwardly tried to calm her down, completely unaware of the scene they had just

caused…

Outside the stage-

Whispers already began.

One student murmured.

Another gasped.

Then, like a wildfire, the rumors spread-

“Did you see how brutal he was?!”

“Punching down Uriel like that wasn’t necessary.”

“We need to kill him!!!”

“He took down Magnus, Stacia, and Uriel like they were nothing!”

“He’s BIAS I tell you!!!”

“Justice for the princess!!!”

“He made a mess out of them…”

“How dare he touch our princess’s face!!!”

“Will they be fine?”

“That Senior even made his own little sister cry!”

It wasn’t long before a new absurd title for Riley was born.

Multiple names and titles that would haunt Riley for generations.

It was at this moment in time that Riley would be well known as a merciless tyrant among his

juniors.

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