Eternal Freedom's Ascension-Chapter 152: Spar with a monster

"You?"

Everyone turned to a skinny boy who had overheard their conversation and walked up to them. He had messy black hair and dull grey eyes, though a light smile played at his lips.

"Yes. I was there when the Class-A students took ambiguous pictures of that guy in the Item Store."

Austin nodded. "That’s right. Mike reported it to me just in case it might come in handy."

"This is great! Finally, we can prevent our class from facing a stupid penalty." Kiera sighed in relief, her shoulders dropping.

Liam also smiled. "Thank you so much, Mike."

The boy nodded perfunctorily, then turned to Kaiser.

"I would like to join the spar as well. A two against one."

His words surprised them all, and even Austin was astonished.

"Mike. That’s a no. It would be unfair."

Ava replied sternly, her tone leaving no room for objection.

To their surprise, Kaiser waved indifferently. "Mehh, whatever. Makes no difference. Let’s get it over with."

Instead of just sparring in the open, the three climbed up a stage while the other students surrounded them. The AI’s voice came immediately.

["Since there is no supervision, the limiters’ restrictions remain active. You may proceed."]

Austin removed his top, exposing his bulky physique packed with muscles. Beside him, Logan’s muscular frame could only bow.

"Are you sure you don’t want Liam to join you? This is purely physical combat."

He said coolly, expressing his concern for Kaiser. Although he had heard of Kaiser’s fearsome strength, no one had directly witnessed it. Therefore, he believed Kaiser’s ability must be the true backbone of his power.

"No, it’s fine."

Kaiser shrugged, hands still in his pocket. Mike stared at his body for some time, then whispered to himself.

"This guy..."

"Start!"

Ava’s voice was sharp, breaking any thoughts he had. Immediately, Austin and Mike moved. Austin charged straight at him, driving a swift punch straight to his solar plexus.

Kaiser removed a hand from his pocket, pressing it onto the back of Austin’s outstretched fist. He lifted himself from the ground, effortlessly dodging a sweeping kick Mike had prepared for him.

He flipped over Austin, landing right behind the big guy.

They both slammed their backs against each other, remaining in a deliberate stalemate created by Kaiser.

Mike came in at that moment, throwing a sharp combination of kicks and punches at Kaiser.

The blue-haired boy easily blocked and parried every attack, even while keeping Austin’s monstrous push at bay.

"You’re strong. But..."

Austin said calmly, suddenly turning to deliver a jab to Kaiser’s head. The boy ducked under the blow, allowing Mike’s kick to slam into Austin’s back.

They both stumbled, surprised. Mike’s expression darkened, and they attacked him together again.

This time, Kaiser didn’t block. He merely dodged their attacks by an inch, making it seem like he might be unable to dodge the next one.

Austin’s punch came close to his face, but he caught the boy’s wrist, stopping it dead in its tracks. Mike seized that moment to throw in a series of sharp kicks, all at angles that would force Kaiser to release Austin and pay more attention to him.

"Nuh-uh."

Kaiser shook his head, pulling Austin closer. He drove a clean chop into the boy’s stomach while his sturdy back was used to block all of Mike’s kicks.

"Mike, right? You’re good with martial arts, but that’s not enough. Learn to synchronize with your partner."

He gave some short advice, then released Austin. The big guy stumbled backwards, holding his stomach in pain. The chop had really injured him, and he could almost taste blood in his mouth.

Mike helped him steady himself, then turned to Kaiser.

"Synchronize, you say? Alright then."

After confirming that Austin was ready, they attacked together again. Mike was a step ahead, throwing a high kick at Kaiser’s head. He blocked the attack with his arm, just in time to see Austin appearing behind him.

’Fast!’

Kaiser reacted instantly, whirling around to cross his arms.

Bang!

The punch landed on his arms, but he wasn’t sent flying. Mike had appeared behind him, pressing his palms to his back and making him receive the full brunt of the attack.

Kaiser’s brows twitched slightly, and he shrugged off the force of the attack. Twisting his arms backwards, he caught Mike’s wrists, then gave him an instant smackdown.

"That was a bit less boring. You can do better."

Kaiser released his wrists, stepping back to avoid Austin’s punch. The dark-skinned boy helped his partner up, and they prepared to face Kaiser again.

Austin’s attack was straightforward, directly throwing punches at Kaiser. The boy calmly retreated with each step while keeping an eye on Mike.

However, Austin’s large frame eventually blocked his view of the boy. The next moment, Mike appeared on his left flank.

’Slippery, huh...’

Kaiser gave him a dry stare. It was too late to block, so he could only brace himself. He hardened his muscles, just as Mike’s two fists slammed into his ribs.

A low grunt escaped his lips, but he didn’t move from the spot.

Without hesitation, he turned and drove his knee into the boy’s chest, cracking a few of his ribs.

The sound was crisp and clear, alarming Austin. His eyes darkened, and he immediately moved in to support Mike.

"No need. That’s enough already."

Kaiser appeared behind him, a tired look in his eyes. A single chop to the neck. Austin collapsed to the ground.

Ava and the remaining Class-D students went silent, shock rippling in their hearts.

’This guy is actually this fearsome?’ Ava stared blankly at the sight before her.

Austin was knocked unconscious—the first time since she had known him, and Mike was kneeling and wheezing in pain.

The skinny boy groaned, straining to stop himself from collapsing to the ground.

He raised his head to look at Kaiser who was calmly walking down the stage.

’A monster...’ He thought, ’He controlled the force behind his attack so it’s just enough to crack my ribs...’

That level of body control was what he was always training for—a complete body manipulation.

His vision eventually grew blurry, and he also fainted. A few other students immediately came up to the stage to carry them away and tend to them.

Meanwhile, Kaiser turned to Ava and said. "I hope the sparring was a bit enlightening for them both."

The girl pressed her lips together and nodded. Then, she turned to Liam and Kiera.

"Tomorrow. Mike will accompany you guys to the Instructors’ Office and prove Logan’s innocence."

Liam felt truly relieved, exhaling and thanking her. He turned around to thank Kaiser too, only to realize that he had already left the Training Facility.

"When did he...?"

Kiera blinked in surprise, a conflicted look in her eyes. She turned to Liam and said, "Well, let’s get going. You should inform Ysabella and the others."

Liam agreed with her. He bid Ava and the remaining Class-D students farewell, then left the Training Facility.

’With a witness now, I’m sure we can defend Logan. Sigh, I was really worried.’

He immediately sent a message to Hazel, then turned to his girlfriend. "Kiera. You seem off recently. Is there something bothering you?"

The girl stopped, smiling faintly. "It’s nothing I can’t handle, don’t worry."

Liam’s brows furrowed, but since he couldn’t do anything, he only squeezed her hand reassuringly.

’Hm?’

He heard his phone ping in his pocket, and he checked the message. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"Hazel asked to meet in Logan’s room. Do you want to come with me?"

Kiera pouted and shook her head. "It’s getting late already. And I want to eat early so I’ll be going to my room after getting some things from the store."

"Oh, alright." He nodded in understanding, then hugged her and walked away. After walking some distance, a thought passed through his mind.

’Wait. She didn’t ask me for credits? Perhaps she has enough for her.’

Meanwhile, Kiera herself didn’t head to the convenience store. As soon as Liam departed from her sight, she took out her phone and sent a message to a number she had never contacted before.

Holding the phone tightly, she thought. ’You better come...’

Sighing, she didn’t notice as her red eyes glowed briefly, then returned to normal.

’I should get there early.’

She immediately returned to the school building, heading straight to the rooftop. To her surprise, someone was there already. Although she was nearby, he was still faster than her.

"Were you here already?" She asked harshly, glaring at the student who stood with his back to her.

Kaiser turned his head to look at her, then looked away.

"Boring as always. Yes, I did. This is your favorite spot for feeding on your friends, no?"

"You...!" Kiera was shocked, taking a few steps back unconsciously.

Kaiser slowly turned to her. "You’re one of them, aren’t you? Red eyes are so common at the moment that people eventually forgot humanity’s biggest problem before the Age of Awakening."

Kiera’s expression darkened, and her red eyes shone ominously.

"So you know. You know what I am."