Chronicles of the Reborn Scholar

"Give me strength, mother."

Water began swirling around her, shimmering with light. She closed her eyes and chanted. (The moment Thomas collided with the wall) Ryūsuiyū—the revolving flowing water, taking the form of a dragon. With her at the center, she could control the dragon.

"Go, Ryū, give him a good beating!" Isolde commanded.

The dragon growled and attacked with a high-pressure water stream.

Kael dodged it.

"Tch! I thought it would be something more fun than this..." he muttered, but suddenly felt uneasy.

"What's this feeling?" he wondered, as the dragon attacked again. Kael managed to dodge, but the ground was brutally damaged.

"Oh, it's strong. This makes me excited..." Kael said with a grin.

"Ryū, use Suikodan," Isolde ordered.

The dragon quickly began collecting moisture from the atmosphere, forming a massive ball of water.

"It will take some time," she thought. Kael noticed her plan and smirked.

"What do you think, girl? I will wait for it," he taunted. Just as he moved toward the dragon's head, he paused.

"Oh, so you're alive, Thomas!" he shouted.

Thomas calmly walked out of the hole in the wall, holding a fiery orb in his hand.

Without a word, Thomas teleported instantly, appearing right in front of Kael.

"Katsu-en!" Thomas blasted the orb at close range.

Smoke filled the air.

As it cleared, Kael stood injured and shaken, his bones broken, but he remained on his feet. Meanwhile, the dragon finished preparing its Suikodan.

The dragon unleashed the massive water sphere, hurtling it toward Kael.

"You want me to be scared of this?" Kael closed his eyes, and a black barrier materialized in front of him, absorbing the Suikodan. Everyone looked on in shock as Kael opened his eyes, laughing wickedly.

"Scared, huh? You never knew the potential, Thomas. You could have used this power too... but you never asked for it."

"What was that?!" Isolde gasped.

"I... I don't want to become a monster like you," Thomas retorted.

"Oh, playing the victim card, are we? But you became a bigger monster than I did." Kael stopped mid-sentence, sensing someone behind him.

"How dare you speak like that!" Edwin growled, attacking Kael.

Kael blocked Edwin's assault, but Isolde used Ryū to throw Kael back.

Edwin regrouped with Thomas and Isolde. Kael stood up and smiled.

"Oh, Tenkai Blink. So you can use it... but it's nothing compared to my Kage Warp."

Author Note:

Tenkai Blink is a technique that allows the user to teleport within a certain range, moving faster than the blink of an eye, and staying unnoticed until the last moment.

On the other hand, Kage Warp is more advanced, utilizing the shadow realm for travel. However, the user must know the exact location or direction they wish to teleport to. It also allows teleportation of other objects or people but consumes significant energy.

"Edwin, why are you here? Where's Garrick?"

"(Hiding his face) He's fighting alone. He said he'd use his Pseudo Form, so... it's probably a death situation for him now," Edwin replied solemnly.

"What?! What is he thinking?! He's such an idiot!" Thomas exclaimed, both angry and tense.

"Hey, hey, let's see who's the idiot here—him fighting a monster alone or you three fighting me," Kael said with a wicked tone.

"Heal!" Kael chanted, completely restoring his injuries.

"How can we fight a monster like him?" Isolde asked nervously.

"We have to distract him, force him to use Kage Warp, and then launch our strongest attacks," Thomas suggested.

"Leave it to me. I don't have my sword, but I can manage. Fire Style: Hienbaludan!" Edwin extended his hand, generating an area of extreme heat.

"Just distract him for two minutes. Thomas, Isolde, dismiss Ryū Ryūsuiyū and use Karyūdan. I don't care what happens to this place anymore."

"Understood!" they both replied.

Thomas used his speed and sword to attack Kael, but Kael blocked the strike.

"Come forth!" Kael summoned his sword.

"Blood Moon Sword: Collapsing Moon!" Kael plunged the blade into the ground, creating a high-speed pressure wave that tore through the ground and air.

Thomas dropped his sword and tried to stop the attack bare-handedly, a test of raw strength and willpower.

Groaning and gritting his teeth, Thomas strained against the overwhelming force.

An explosion followed.

As the smoke cleared, Thomas stood injured and bleeding, his hands bearing the brunt of the damage.

"Now it's your turn," he said, stepping aside as Isolde and Edwin unleashed their combined attack.

Kael attempted to use Kage Warp to escape, but Thomas surprised him with a sudden attack, pinning him to the ground with all his strength. The attack neared them.

"Thomas!" Isolde screamed, her voice breaking.

[Explosion...]

A few seconds later, Kael walked out of the smoke, his body regenerating, flexing his restored limbs.

"I survived... but can he?" Kael laughed maniacally.