"I’ll make you regret that."

A sharp hum pierced the silence. Crimson veins streaked from the sanguine’s eyes like twisted branches, racing across his body.

His muscles swelled, straining against his clothes, his height increased, and the ground beneath him cracked under the sheer weight. An ethereal bloody aura curled around him, chilling the air. His fingers lengthened into gleaming claws as his crimson eyes burned with a savage light.

The sanguine seemed more demon than man.

Zephyrion watched it all with an impassive look, idly counting in his head.

’10... 11... 12...’

"What? Cat got your tongue? Scared, aren’t you?" The sanguine’s voice came out as a growl. "Doesn’t matter. Nothing you do is going to save you, or those spoiled little brats running away right now."

Zephyrion felt a gaze lingering just outside the cave. He inwardly sighed.

Lumi, of course.

Then he subtly gestured for her to leave. He could feel her defiance even without looking. Still, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief when her gaze finally disappeared.

Good.

He needed to be the only one they were waiting for, for his plan to work.

’20... 21...’

"...I’m going to make every last one of you wish you were dead. For every brother you butchered today, you’re going to pay."

Blood churned around the sanguine like violent waves. It pooled before his outstretched hand, coiling into an orb that twisted and trembled. The entire cave shook beneath its power.

’25... 26...’

"Nothing you say or do will change what happens next." The sanguine’s eyes blazed. "I want you to wallow in that. I want you to know exactly what’s coming. I want you to feel every bit of the terror I’m about to unleash on all of you."

’29... 30.’

Zephyrion exhaled, finally reaching his estimated timeline.

Time to end this.

"It’s over." The blood before the sanguine pulsed.

"Blood Convergence."

It blasted forward in a beam of crimson that parted the air.

"Slip State."

A streak flashed through the cave, dimming behind the sanguine.

The beam of blood split cleanly into two halves.

The sanguine’s face went dark.

"What... what is this..."

Zephyrion stood exactly where he had been, his arms still lowered. The only sign he had moved was the ground slowly splitting in two toward the sanguine.

The sanguine’s face filled with disbelief.

"You... you were this strong...?"

The splitting ground reached him, continuing in a thin line that cleaved his body in two. His trembling, fading voice was all that remained in the cavern as his body slowly split apart.

"...A mere cadet...?" Blood and gore splatted on the ground.

The cave now silent, Zephyrion inhaled, relishing the peace it brought. When he opened his eyes, calculation was all that remained.

He approached the severed corpse of the sanguine with a trace of hope.

Rummaging through it, then the other corpse, that hope quickly faded. He had expected to find at least a blood element rune scroll, if he was being entirely hopeful, one of the second rank, but he came away empty-handed.

He shook his head a moment later, a hint of regret surfacing. His multiple elements had been invaluable during this test, and he suddenly found himself wanting to acquire more scrolls and deepen both his understanding and mastery of them.

’I’ll have to wait until after the academy.’

Then he should have more freedom to move and act without too many eyes on him. Purchasing scrolls from the black market shouldn’t be impossible. It would require an astronomical amount of funds, but Zephyrion was confident that wouldn’t be a problem, considering the future he had planned.

Zephyrion pretended to inspect the sanguines for several more moments, but he was merely stalling for time.

Satisfied that enough had passed, he left the cave and headed outside.

...

The atmosphere before the cliff face, however, was tense.

Every cadet who had escaped the cavern had lingered behind, worried about their Prime. Yet many minutes had passed, and he still hadn’t emerged.

"...It’s been a while. Do you think something happened?" Horus’ hesitant voice broke the silence.

"Tch, he’s fine. The day something actually happens to that guy is the day the world ends..." Kaiden said with a dismissive huff.

"Kaiden’s right. We have to trust Zephyrion. He’ll come out. He always does," Fiona said, clasping her hands before her chest as she stared at the cavern entrance with an expectant gaze. Beside her, Tobias wore the same expression, waiting quietly for his lord.

"But... that sanguine looked really strong. A Mark Six..." Horus swallowed. "Do you think he’s really okay? Maybe we should go check. Just in case."

"I think so too..."

"We can’t just leave the Prime in there."

"That sanguine was strong, and experienced. There’s no way he could beat him alone."

"Yeah, let’s go help him."

"Look, even his... companion wants to go."

Amid the rising voices, many eyes turned toward the silent Lumi, standing alone against a tree, apart from the others. Her eyes, filled with deep emotion, had never left the cavern entrance.

"See? She looks really worried."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!"

"Yes!"

Lumi barely reacted. What none of the cadets knew, however, was that it wasn’t worry in her eyes.

It was longing.

Soon the cadets were riled up, preparing to head back into the cavern to support their Prime, when Zephyrion emerged from the cliff face.

"Prime!"

"He’s out!"

"He’s out! Everyone, he’s out!"

The cadets’ eyes widened in shock. They had expected to see their Prime battered and covered in blood, or at the very least drenched in sweat. Instead, all they saw was a calm, expressionless Zephyrion.

"Prime! What happened to the sanguine?"

Zephyrion answered without turning toward them.

"He’s dead."

"Dead!?"

"He... he actually killed him?"

"That’s insane! He was at least a Mark Six, and an experienced one!"

Zephyrion didn’t turn to face the cadets, his eyes remaining on the cliff face instead.

It was uncertain whether it was his silence or the intense pressure radiating from him, but every cadet fell quiet, watching him in complete silence.

Slowly, Zephyrion lowered himself into a stance, drawing back his fist. For a moment, he remained perfectly still, like a statue carved from steel.

Then his fist shot forward like lightning and slammed into the cliff.

Boooom!

A powerful shockwave crashed into the cadets, nearly knocking them off their feet. Then every eye watched as cracks raced across the cliff face, splitting it into massive chunks that collapsed into one another, clouds of dust billowing in their wake.

Zephyrion emerged from the dust. Now every cadet stared at him, wide-eyed and utterly silent.

"Just in case anyone survived. They won’t be following us now."

The cadets nodded absentmindedly, speechless.

"Is everyone okay?"

The cadets nodded.

"Good. Then let’s go."