Boss Chamber,

Aurelian's roar cut through the chaos as he swung his massive sword in a wide, blazing arc. The steel hummed, flaring with smooth orange mana that scattered sparks through the smoky air. Maera, balanced atop the flat of his blade, used the sword's momentum like a launch pad—her eyes gleaming wild and determined.

She shot forward, body straight, fists ahead as her red aura spiraled violently around her.

Savage Spiral Rend: Reaving Spiral Crash!

Her rotating descent tore through the air like a scarlet drill, the wind screaming around her form.

The black-skinned hobgoblin's glowing blue eyes snapped toward her. With a guttural snarl—

"Keeeeeeeehhh!!!"

—it swung its enormous fist upward to meet her strike.

The collision thundered. Shockwaves rippled through the chamber as red and blue auras clashed, raw power splitting the air. Maera's claws tore into the hobgoblin's flesh, inch by inch, her teeth gritted in fury.

"Raaaaaaargh!!!" she roared, every muscle screaming in defiance, the beast within her answering the challenge.

But the hobgoblin's other arm surged up, its massive fist slamming into her mid-spin. The impact sent her body hurtling across the ground like a broken projectile—she smashed into the rocky floor, sliding to a stop in a trail of blood and dust.

She forced herself up, trembling, blood trickling down her temple.

"Haa... haa..."

Her breaths came ragged, her claws twitching, still glowing faintly red.

Before the monster could turn on her again, Aurelian charged—his greatsword blazing with vibrating orange light.

"Over here, you bastard!" he shouted, slashing upward.

At the same time, Ron appeared beside him, spear wreathed in flame, eyes burning bright.

Both lunged forward in sync, their auras flaring against the blue blaze of the mutated hobgoblin.

Aurelian and Ron charged in side by side, their auras flaring against the oppressive blue glow of the transformed hobgoblin. The monster's veins pulsed with violent energy, muscles bulging as it reared back its massive fist.

With a deafening roar—

"Keeeeeehhhhh!!!"

—it swung downward at Ron with enough force to crack stone.

Ron's eyes hardened. He couldn't use his full strength—not yet. But backing down wasn't an option. Gritting his teeth, he spun his black spear in a rapid whirl, flames igniting and dancing around it like molten ribbons.

"Inferno Spear: Ember Guard!"

The spear's rotation generated a dome of scorching heat, the air rippling with fiery distortion.

Just as the hobgoblin's massive fist came crashing down, a sharp voice echoed from behind—

"Light Magic: Second Circle — Radiant Flare!"

Lirael's chant was quick and precise. A burst of blinding white light exploded in front of the hobgoblin's face, its azure eyes flashing wildly as it roared in confusion, its punch veering slightly off-course.

Even so, the impact struck Ron's fiery shield head-on.

BOOM!

The ground quaked as flames scattered like shrapnel. Ron's Ember Guard held—but barely. His arms trembled, heat searing through his palms as he was thrown backward, sliding across the cracked floor.

"Tch… too strong…" he muttered, coughing, forcing himself to stand.

The hobgoblin, still dazed from the flash, staggered a step—only for Aurelian to surge forward, his greatsword blazing in orange fury.

"Haaaaaah!"

He swung in a sweeping arc, the impact ringing like thunder. The glowing blade tore through both of the hobgoblin's legs in a single, brutal strike.

The creature howled, collapsing to its knees, slamming a clawed hand into the floor to stay upright.

"Now, Jax!" Aurelian roared.

From afar, Jax stood perfectly still, both guns raised. The air around him distorted—one barrel glowing molten red, the other freezing blue, heat and frost spiraling in balance.

He nodded sharply.

But as his finger tightened on the trigger—

—the fallen hobgoblin's lips curled into a grin.

Jax steadied his breath, every muscle trembling from the mana buildup.

The two guns in his hands pulsed with power—one radiating blistering heat, the other freezing cold mist.

He took a step forward, the air warping around him as his voice rang clear—

"150% power—Spellshooter Arsenal: Duality Crash!"

Both triggers pulled at once.

From the barrels burst a fiery red sphere and an icy blue bead, each twisting through the air in perfect counter-rotation. The twin projectiles spiraled together, a vortex of flame and frost leaving streaks of steam and light in their wake as they hurtled toward the kneeling hobgoblin.

The monster looked broken, motionless—its severed legs sprawled across the stone floor.

The students watching felt hope spark in their chests. This is it.

But in that moment—

KRRRRAAAAHHH!!!

The hobgoblin's aura flared violently. The blue crystal on its chest blazed like a miniature sun, flooding the chamber with energy.

Before the attack could land, flesh tore and twisted—its legs regrew in a burst of unnatural regeneration. The monster rolled aside at the last instant.

The spiraling blast tore through the ground, detonating in a blinding explosion of frost and fire.

The red bullet still grazed its neck as it moved—searing flesh and leaving a deep, smoking gash along its side—but it wasn't enough.

"No way…" Jax whispered, eyes wide.

The hobgoblin's head turned slowly toward Jax, blue flames flickering in its hollow eyes.

And then—

it moved.

A massive hand lunged forward faster than Jax could react.

CRUNCH.

The world tilted as he found himself hoisted off the ground, the creature's clawed fingers wrapped around his torso. His guns slipped from his weakening grip, clattering uselessly to the floor.

Sweat dripped from his jaw, his black hair sticking to his forehead. His chestnut eyes, dim with exhaustion, stared up at the monster's snarling face.

"…Damn it…" he muttered, barely able to breathe, his mana completely spent.

The hobgoblin's grin widened, blue light flickering from its hollow eyes as it lifted Jax higher, its massive fingers tightening around him.

From the distance, Selene weakly pushed herself up, blood dripping from her nose, mana nearly depleted. Her vision blurred—but when she saw Jax in the monster's grip—something inside her snapped.

"Leave him, you bastard!!!" she screamed, her voice trembling with fury and tears.

Her hand traced runes through the air—each stroke glowing dimly.

Rune Magic: 2nd Circle — Burst Runes!

Three orange runes shot forward and exploded against the hobgoblin's chest—

Tiny bursts of flame flickered and died. The monster grinned mockingly, barely scratched, and began tightening his grip around Jax.

"Gaaahhh—!!" Jax's scream echoed across the battlefield.

Then—

A crimson flash tore through the smoke behind the hobgoblin.

Savage Spiral Rend: Feral Cross Impact!

Maera appeared in midair, her eyes feral and olive golden. Her claws slashed outward as her gauntlets drove inward—a brutal X-shaped strike that tore through the hobgoblin's skull with devastating force.

Blood and black ichor sprayed as her attack ripped and crushed in a single heartbeat.

The creature's grip faltered—Jax fell to the ground with a heavy thump, gasping for air.

The glowing blue crystal embedded in the monster's chest pulsed violently.

But before it could react—

A pink flash swept through.

Lia appeared, aura blazing with sharp, radiant energy. Dozens of ethereal butterflies formed behind her, wings shimmering with deadly elegance.

"Wind Butterfly: Bladewing Flurry!"

The air screamed as Lia vanished into motion—a storm of pink light and silver blades. Countless slashes cut through flesh and bone faster than sight could follow.

In mere seconds, the hobgoblin's body was torn apart into hundreds of clean, precise cuts, its monstrous form collapsing into shredded pieces.

The blue crystal rolled out from the remains, landing with a faint clink beside Jax's feet—glowing faintly in the silence that followed.

The battlefield finally fell silent—only the faint hum of the blue crystal and the ragged sound of breathing filled the air.

Jax lay on the scorched ground, chest heaving, his pistols lying beside him. Every muscle screamed, every breath burned.

Selene, her legs trembling, blood trickling from her nose, stumbled forward through the smoke. Her eyes were glassy with tears as she ran toward him.

"Jax!" she cried, her voice cracking.

She tripped on the uneven ground, kicking the blue crystal aside without even noticing, and dropped to her knees beside him. Pulling his head into her lap, she shook him desperately.

"Hey, wake up, dummy!" Her words broke between sobs. "Why didn't you save enough mana in case you failed…!"

Jax's eyes flickered open weakly. Despite the pain twisting his face, he managed a faint smile.

"...Sorry."

Selene clenched her jaw, tears streaking her cheeks. "Let me heal you…" She started tracing glowing symbols into the air, but Jax gently caught her hand mid-motion.

"You're also out of mana…" he muttered, voice hoarse. "I'm fine… just a little juiced out…"

He tried to push himself up, only to wince sharply. "Ouch…" He gave a weak laugh. "...And maybe a few broken bones… hehe…"

Maera sat nearby, panting heavily, her gauntlets cracked and blood smeared across her claws. Ron and Lia approached, equally drained, their steps heavy.

Ron exhaled deeply, shaking his head. "You can still joke in this condition… unbelievable."

Aurelian trudged closer, his massive sword planted in the dirt beside him, breathing hard but smiling faintly.

Maera looked at the remains of the shattered hobgoblin and the team around her. Her tired lips curved into a grin.

"Yeah…" she said softly. "We won. Finally."

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