The wall was breaking apart as the fight continued.

  Kelix was giving everything he had, pushing his body beyond its limits.

  Meanwhile, Lucy began evacuating the people, guiding them toward a safer place along with Kelix’s family.

  I have to hurry… she thought.

  I need to back up Kelix. He doesn’t look fine.

  It reminded her of the academy fight.

  If this keeps going, he’s not going to survive.

  Lucy remembered what she had heard before. After the academy test fight, before Kelix even started his training, he had collapsed from using too much power and remained unconscious.

  He had been taken to the academy infirmary.

  That was when she overheard Eden and Arian talking.

  They said Kelix possessed terrifying power—power greater than most hunters.

  But there was one problem.

  He couldn’t control it.

  If he ever learned to control that power, he could defeat anyone… even hunters as legendary as the ones spoken of in old stories.

  But if he continued to overuse it without control, his body would eventually give up.

  His body simply wasn’t ready to handle such power yet.

  When Kelix’s power first awakened that night—the night he discovered the truth about his parents—I was there.

  I followed him after his fight with Ray at the hotel.

  I had seen something strange during that fight, something that made me curious. I wanted answers.

  But what happened after that… was completely unexpected.

  I saw his power.

  That terrifying, overwhelming power.

  That was the moment I decided to approach him. I offered him my help… but the truth is, I only did it because he was powerful.

  I was selfish.

  Back then, I was just using him.

  But now… everything is different.

  I don’t want to lose him.

  Kelix is too kind… too good. He deserves the truth.

  I want to tell him everything.

  I want to apologise for using him.

  And… I want to tell him that I like him.

  But if he uses his power just a little more—

  No…

  No!

  Lucy, stop thinking like that. Don’t say something so stupid.

  Just hurry!

  Lucy finally led all the people outside.

  She turned to her subordinates, her voice firm but urgent.

  “Make sure everyone reaches their homes safely,” she ordered.

  “And inform Arian about everything. He’ll erase their memories… and deal with the remaining RS who are hiding among them.”

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  Her subordinates nodded.

  “Understood.”

  “Ok.”

  Without wasting another second, they began escorting the civilians away.

  Meanwhile…

  Kelix stood in the middle of the battlefield.

  Dust and broken stones surrounded him as the soldiers slowly closed in.

  He took a deep breath.

  I only have two choices…

  The first is to take my family and run away.

  The second… is to make sure everyone survives.

  He closed his eyes for a moment.

  I don’t have any regrets.

  I’m just happy… that I found them.

  Suddenly, Kelix raised his hand.

  The ground trembled.

  Sand and dust began to swirl violently around him.

  Within seconds, a massive sand tornado rose into the sky, spinning faster and faster.

  Kelix forced all the air pressure toward a single point inside the storm.

  The soldiers were pulled into the raging vortex with him.

  The tornado roared like a beast.

  It would buy time.

  Time for Lucy to finish her job.

  And inside that violent storm…

  The battle continued.

  Lucy finally returned to the battlefield.

  Dust filled the air.

  The sand tornado was slowly weakening, and the storm of sand began to settle.

  “I can’t see anything…” Lucy whispered, covering her mouth as she stepped forward through the thick dust.

  Suddenly—

  A hand shot out from the haze.

  Before she could react, a man grabbed her from behind.

  His arm locked around her body, and his other hand gripped her neck tightly. He forced her head back so she couldn’t move.

  Lucy gasped.

  The man leaned closer to her ear and said something in a cold, mocking voice.

  Inside the fading tornado…

  Kelix saw it.

  Through the slowly settling dust, his eyes caught the scene.

  Lucy… in the enemy’s grip.

  His body suddenly felt heavier than before.

  Every muscle screamed from the power he had already used.

  But his eyes didn’t leave her.

  For a moment, Lucy looked toward him.

  Kelix met her gaze.

  Even while exhausted, even while barely able to stand—

  He looked at her as if telling her one thing.

  Don’t worry.

  I will protect you.

  As the sand slowly settled, Lucy finally saw him.

  Kelix.

  He was standing in the middle of the battlefield, his body trembling from exhaustion.

  For a moment, their eyes met.

  Neither of them said anything.

  But they both understood.

  Lucy’s eyes widened when she saw him moving.

  Suddenly—

  The battlefield was silent for a moment.

  Kelix slowly raised his head.

  Lightning began to gather around his body, crackling violently in the air.

  The ground beneath his feet started to tremble.

  Electric sparks spread across the battlefield like living snakes.

  The soldiers looked at him .

  Kelix’s eyes glowed as the lightning grew stronger.

  “Thunder Collapse.”

  In the next instant, a massive bolt of lightning exploded outward from him.

  BOOOOM!

  The ground shattered as electricity spread in every direction.

  The soldiers were struck by the lightning and thrown violently across the battlefield.

  They collapsed instantly, their bodies unable to withstand the overwhelming power.

  The storm of electricity raged like a divine punishment.

  For a moment, it felt as if a god of lightning had descended onto the battlefield.

  And in the centre of that storm…

  Kelix stood alone.

  The lightning was so powerful that it could kill them on the spot.

  Before anyone could react, Kelix moved.

  He dashed forward with terrifying speed, the ground cracking beneath his feet.

  In a single moment he reached Lucy.

  The man holding her barely had time to react before Kelix grabbed him and ripped him away from her grip.

  The enemy’s body slammed into the ground.

  Kelix didn’t stop.

  Punch.

  Another punch.

  And another.

  Each strike filled with rage.

  “How dare you…” Kelix growled, his voice shaking with fury.

  Another brutal hit landed.

  “How dare you hurt her!”

  His fists kept falling like a storm.

  Kelix’s fists kept crashing down.

  Punch after punch slammed into the man’s face as rage burned in his eyes.

  The enemy laughed even while being beaten.

  Blood dripped from his lips, but his smile only grew wider.

  “Is she your girlfriend?” he mocked, his voice filled with amusement.

  He glanced toward Lucy.

  “I don’t think she is… she looks too dumb.”

  “Shut up!” Kelix roared.

  Another brutal punch smashed into the man’s face.

  Kelix grabbed his collar and lifted him from the ground, fury taking over his mind.

  But then—

  Something felt wrong.

  A strange pressure spread through Kelix’s chest.

  For a brief moment, time seemed to freeze.

  Kelix slowly looked down.

  A sword.

  The cold steel blade had pierced straight through his chest.

  Blood began pouring from the wound.

  Kelix’s body trembled.

  “W-what…?”

  The sword slid deeper.

  A violent cough escaped his mouth as blood spilled from his lips.

  The strength left his arms.

  The enemy dropped from his grip.

  Kelix collapsed onto his knees.

  Blood soaked the ground beneath him, dripping from both his chest and his mouth.

  The battlefield fell silent.

  The enemy slowly stood up behind him.

  Kelix knelt there… barely breathing… as the blade remained buried in his chest.

  Kelix groaned in agony as the blade remained buried in his chest.

  Blood continued to spill from his mouth.

  His breathing grew heavier.

  Slowly… painfully… he turned his head to see who had stabbed him.

  And then—

  His eyes widened in pure shock.

  “Lucy…?”

  She was standing behind him.

  Her hand still held the sword that had pierced through his chest.

  Kelix’s mind refused to believe what he was seeing.

  “W-what… did you do…?” he whispered, his voice shaking with pain.

  He slowly looked toward the enemy and shouted weakly,

  “You… you put her under a spell… didn’t you?!”

  The man laughed.

  “No,” he said calmly. “It doesn’t work that easily.”

  Kelix’s breathing became more unstable.

  “Mind control takes days to complete. You can’t force someone to betray like that in a single moment.”

  The man stepped closer, his smile dark and cruel.

  “Whatever happened here… you simply deserved it.”

  Kelix shook his head weakly.

  “No… that’s not true… Lucy told me—”

  Suddenly pain exploded through his chest again.

  “Ahhh—!”

  He groaned, blood spilling from his lips.

  The man shrugged casually.

  “You can ask Arian if what I’m saying is true.”

  He leaned down slightly toward Kelix.

  “But I doubt you’ll get the chance.”

  His smile widened.

  “After all… you’re not going to live long enough to ask him.”

  “I will not leave you.”

  Lucy’s cold voice echoed in the silent battlefield.

  Before Kelix could react, she stepped forward and pressed her foot onto his back, forcing him down against the ground.

  “Ahhhh—!”

  Kelix screamed as the sword twisted deeper inside his chest.

  “Ahhh… ahhhhh!”

  Without showing even the slightest emotion, Lucy slowly pulled the sword out of his body.

  Blood spilled across the ground.

  Kelix collapsed forward, his body trembling as his vision began to blur.

  His breathing became weaker.

  Through his fading sight, he saw the man standing beside Lucy.

  The enemy soldiers gathered around them.

  Then—

  A portal opened behind them.

  The man stepped inside.

  Lucy followed without looking back.

  One by one, the soldiers disappeared into the portal.

  And then…

  They were gone.

  Kelix’s body finally gave up.

  Darkness swallowed everything.

  Silence.

  Complete darkness.

  Kelix slowly opened his eyes.

  “Where… am I?”

  There was nothing.

  No ground.

  No sky.

  Just endless darkness.

  “I can’t see anything…”

  It felt like he was floating inside a void.

  Then suddenly—

  A voice echoed through the darkness.

  “Hello… Kelix.”

  “This is far from over. From this moment on… the hunt begins.”