The courtyard of Shadow Academy had turned into a battlefield of destruction.
Cracked ground.
Burning buildings.
And students scattered across the area, watching in disbelief.
At the center of it all—
Two figures faced each other.
Arata.
And the **Abyss General**.
Golden energy flowed around Arata's body like flames dancing in the wind. The ground beneath his feet continued to crack from the pressure of his awakened power.
The Abyss General slowly stood up from the trench created by Arata's punch.
Its red eyes burned brighter than before.
"…So the First Gate has opened."
Arata said nothing.
He could feel the power rushing through his veins like a storm.
It felt overwhelming.
Dangerous.
But at the same time—
It felt right.
The Ancient Entity inside his mind spoke calmly.
*Control your breathing.*
*Do not let the power consume you.*
Arata inhaled slowly.
The golden aura around him stabilized slightly.
The Abyss General spread its wings again.
"Show me the strength of the Ancient God's successor."
Then it vanished.
A sonic boom exploded across the courtyard.
Arata reacted instantly.
He stepped forward—
And blocked the incoming claw with his arm.
**BOOM**
The impact created a massive shockwave that shattered nearby windows.
Ren stared from a distance.
"…They're moving faster than I can see."
Lyra nodded.
"Both of them are far beyond normal players now."
The General attacked again.
Its claws moved like lightning.
Arata dodged the first strike.
Blocked the second.
Then countered with a powerful kick.
The General was forced backward into the academy wall.
The building cracked from the impact.
But the creature immediately retaliated.
Dark energy gathered in its hand.
"**Abyss Rupture.**"
A massive blast of darkness shot toward Arata.
Arata raised his glowing hand.
"Resonance…"
Golden light gathered in his palm.
"…Pulse."
**BOOM**
The two attacks collided.
A blinding explosion filled the courtyard.
Dust and energy waves blasted across the battlefield.
Several students were forced to shield their eyes.
When the smoke cleared—
Both fighters were still standing.
The Abyss General laughed.
"Excellent."
"This is the battle I came for."
It suddenly spread its wings wider.
Dark energy poured into the sky above the academy.
The Abyss Gate reacted to the energy.
It began growing larger.
Lyra's eyes widened in horror.
"…He's using the battle energy to expand the gate."
Ren clenched his fist.
"If that gate opens fully…"
Lyra finished the sentence quietly.
"…an entire Abyss army will invade."
Meanwhile—
Arata charged forward again.
His speed had increased even further.
He appeared directly in front of the General and delivered another punch.
The creature blocked it this time.
The two locked eyes.
The General whispered.
"You are strong."
"But still inexperienced."
It suddenly grabbed Arata's arm.
Then slammed him into the ground.
**BOOM**
The courtyard cracked open.
Dust rose everywhere.
Ren shouted.
"ARATA!"
The General raised its claw again.
Dark energy gathered for a killing strike.
But before it could attack—
A blur of blue lightning appeared.
**CRASH**
Kaito's kick slammed into the General's side.
The creature was thrown across the courtyard.
Kaito landed beside Arata.
"…You're improving."
Arata slowly stood up.
Blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
"But you're still reckless."
Arata wiped the blood away.
"I can handle him."
Kaito smirked slightly.
"I know."
He looked toward the sky.
The Abyss Gate was now nearly twice its original size.
More creatures were beginning to crawl through it.
"…But we don't have time."
Arata followed his gaze.
The situation was getting worse.
The Abyss General stood up again.
Its body began releasing enormous amounts of dark energy.
"You cannot stop what is coming."
Its wings spread to their maximum size.
"The Abyss has already begun its invasion."
Arata clenched his glowing fist again.
The golden aura around him intensified.
Inside his mind—
The Ancient Entity spoke again.
*Your power is only beginning.*
*But if you push further…*
*You can open the Second Gate.*
Arata's heart skipped a beat.
"Second Gate…?"
The voice answered quietly.
*But the price will be heavy.*
Arata looked at the battlefield.
Injured students.
Destroyed buildings.
The massive Abyss Gate in the sky.
Then he looked at the Abyss General.
And whispered quietly—
"…I don't care about the price."
Golden energy surged violently around him again.
Kaito's eyes widened slightly.
"…Wait."
But it was already too late.
Arata's power began rising even higher.
The ground trembled.
The sky cracked with golden lightning.
The Abyss General smiled.
"Yes."
"Show me more."
Arata's eyes glowed brighter than ever.
The next stage of his power was about to awaken.
And the battle for Shadow Academy was about to reach its most dangerous moment.
To be continued....