The forest trembled.
Flames cracked across the shattered clearing, slicing wind tore through branches, and purple energy spiraled like a vortex around Leo and Sandra stood shoulder to shoulder, breaths ragered but unyielding, against the towering Nobel beast whose glowing eyes reflected the fury of two warriors who refused to bow and it's two fallen comerads
The beast roared—a deep, bone-rattling sound that sent nearby wildlife scattering.
"Let's end this," Leo said, launching skyward with a burst of spatial force.
Sandra rushed in from the left, her daggers glowing with cold aura. "Keep the flank open!"
Leo descended, fists spinning with explosive wind-fire mix, punching straight into the beast's ribs. With a snarling snort, the creature swiped—but Sandra intercepted, blade clashing against claw in a flurry of sparks.
Above, Leo summoned his flames again .The purple fire coiled around his right arm, forming a dragon-shaped burst of energy. "Let's see you handle this."
He dove down.
But the beast twisted—too fast—and leapt back, escaping the collapse of Leo's flaming strike. The attack hit the ground, creating a crater of crackling purple fire.
Smoke clouded the air.
Then—a howl.
It was wounded now. Limbs scorched, one eye shut, breathing heavy. But it wasn't done.
And neither were they.
---
Elsewhere – Seth and Veronica arrive next to Arthur and Alec who are in a heated battle with 5 Nobel beasts
Veronica dashed through a curtain of trees, her long nails coated in green light flickering around her like moonlight butterflies. Behind her,Seth stormed forward, gravity bending along his forearms, muscles glowing faintly with berserker energy.
" Hey Arthur need some help"shouted Seth.
Alec looked up, eyes narrowing as he spotted the purple light ahead. "Is that… Leo's power?"
A massive shadow loomed in front of them—the Nobel beasts in full view, surrounded by chaos.
Seth and Veronica joined the battle instantly.
"You took your time, didn't you" Arthur said flatly while cutting the arm off one of the Nobel beasts
" Better late than never" Seth says smiling back
******************************
On the other side of the forest Alex, Mathew, Lucia, Summer and the twins were locked in their own battle with a group of aggressive wolfbeasts.
Alex crushed one with a burst of power " Guys Leo just surged again!"
May narrowed her eyes, crystal shards hovering at her back. "That must mean he's in real danger."
Lucia finished off her opponent, the beast's body collapsing with a bang "We're going. Now."
With a flash of light and , they launch themselves toward the Leo's position
******************************
At another position Kevin sits on a pile of burnt beast bodies , cyan sparks dancing round him.
" Humm ... So you guys started the party without me aye " a small smirk crosses his lips " Don't die before I get there Leo "
In a flash of crimson he disappeares
---
Towards the edge of the allocated test zone,
Another group of three boys and two girls standing on a cliff look over at the fight between Sandra, Leo and the high Nobel beasts.
" Their pretty good actually" said Erina , Sandra's sister
" Tsk nothing special" the other girl next to her replies , the green flame like tattoos on her arms glowing softly
The others behind them say nothing but Anthony glares daggers at Leo ." Be seeing you cousin"
******************************
The Nobel beast backed away, growling now—hesitating. Its body trembled, one leg bent, and its hide torn in several places. Yet it lifted its head and let out a deep, distorted shriek.
The ground shook.
A second later, another roar echoed in the distance.
"What the hell was that?" Leo asked, narrowing his eyes.
Leo's blood chilled. "It called for backup."
Sandra spat. "Of course it did."
Then—a crash to the left.
A second high Nobel-class beast, this one reptilian with obsidian scales and glowing blue eyes, stepped into the battlefield. Smaller than the first—but faster.
Leo tensed.
"Two high Nobels … and 15 low Nobels" Sandra whispered.
Leo's flames flared to life again, faster and hotter. "No choice now."
"I say we end the first one fast," Seth growled, already vibrating with berserker energy as him and the others arrive save for Kevin
Leo nodded. "Then we hit the second with everything."
Together, the group launched a synchronized assault—Sandra's illusions multiplying, Seth igniting a cyclone of pressure and gravity, Alex slammed the reptilian one to slow its approach, while Arthur and Leo bombarded the original beast with sword strikes and dimensional blows. The others clashing with the other beasts .
It was chaos—glorious and terrifying.
******************************
After several minutes of fighting
Leo leapt above the first beast again, flame spiraling through his arms.
"Come on… just a bit more…" he whispered.
His hand lit up—space aura shimmering around the flame. A purple sigil burned behind him.
And then—
He punched straight through the beast's skull.
The purple flame exploded in silence.
The high Nobel dropped with a final groan.
Everyone froze for a heartbeat.
Even the second beast paused.
Leo landed with a heavy thud, panting, covered in cuts—but standing tall.
The others joined him, and for the first time, they looked… legendary.
The second beast backed away, snarling—but now wary.
Arthur twirled his odachi. "Run if you want."
Alex cracked his neck. "Or stay and die."
The beast turned—and fled into the trees it's comerades following it .
Cheers erupted. Even Arthur smiled softly.
Leo fell to one knee.
"Leo!" Sandra rushed to him.
"I'm okay," he panted. "Just… tired."
Seth grinned and pulled him up. "You insane bastard. That was epic."
And all around them, the weaker students watching from afar stared in silence—horrified and awed.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
"That Leo… isn't normal."
"Did you see that flame?"
"That wasn't human."
Leo looked up, face cut, eyes glowing faintly with purple light.
And deep inside him, the demon stirred again—watching, silent, hungry.
******************************
The battle was over, but the forest still echoed with the ghosts of combat.
Leo sat on a boulder near the wreckage of the battlefield, legs sprawled, breathing slowly. His shirt was torn across the back, revealing claw marks that had stopped bleeding already . Sandra was beside him, wrapping a clean strip of cloth around his arm.
"You shouldn't have taken that hit," she said softly, her brows furrowed.
"I couldn't let it reach you," Leo replied, his voice raspy but sincere.
Sandra paused, meeting his gaze. Her hand tightened slightly around the bandage. "You idiot."
Leo chuckled. "Yeah… I know."
Across the clearing, the rest of the team gathered—Arthur sharpening his blade in thought, Seth sprawled on the ground with his arms folded behind his head while Veronica tending to a burn across his chest . The others just stood around watching.
The group was bloodied, bruised, and exhausted—but victorious.
More importantly, they had faced death together.
************************************
Just as they were about to stand up and leave suddenly an ominous presence stired freezing them in their tracks
" What the hell is that?"
The Nobel beasts that just left all return but another presence is felt, one dwarfing all the others in power .
The beast was towering but not huge , it was about 2.5m in height , lean and muscular, standing on two legs with dark skin that swallows light and a humanoid figure and two curved horns on his head and a small black crystal in the center of its head emitting a strange black aura surrounding it.
" A primordial beast " Leo stammers