CHAPTER 270: CHAPTER 269- NEARLY DEFEATED

Elana knew this battle wouldn’t be easy. The weight of his presence pressed against her like a storm—this man wasn’t just strong, he was a true Acolyte.

But she couldn’t afford to hesitate. Brendon was out there, and he was in danger. Protecting her team came first.

"Altia, Allen," she commanded firmly, "find Brendon."

Altia stiffened, her voice cracking, "But if you defeat him—"

Elana cut her off, her voice sharp. "You’d trust the words of a reptile who shifts colors based on the situation?"

Altia’s gaze flicked toward Vincent. He was watching them, lips curled into a cruel grin that made her shiver.

Allen stepped forward, his voice steady. "Please... stay safe, Captain." With that, he grabbed Altia’s arm and pulled her along.

Before heading out, Allen made for the camp—he needed supplies, and most importantly, his sword.

"You’re a praiseworthy leader, keeping calm even in a situation this disadvantageous," Vincent said, his saber resting lazily on his shoulder.

Elana’s lips curved into a mocking smile. "You really believe you can create a disadvantage for me?"

Vincent’s eyes narrowed, turning cold. "You reek of arrogance. Let me wipe that smirk off your face."

His figure blurred—

Ting!

His eyes widened. The saber had been stopped cleanly, caught just inches from her throat by her baton. She hadn’t even glanced his way.

’She doesn’t budge!’ he thought, teeth grinding as he forced himself back.

He inhaled sharply, crouched low, and launched forward again.

Elana spun her left baton, then flicked it into the air. Vincent’s gaze instinctively followed it—only for her other baton to strike the falling weapon mid-air.

TING

SCREECH

A freezing gale erupted.

"Shit!" Vincent cursed, skidding to a halt as a blizzard roared toward him. He reinforced his body with mana and leapt back again and again, dodging the sweeping wave of white death.

Everything the frost touched was claimed—trees, stones, even the ground itself turned into lifeless yet dazzling ice sculptures.

His retreat ended abruptly as his back slammed against a tree. The blizzard didn’t relent.

"DON’T SCREW WITH ME!" he roared, slamming his hand into the ground. Heat surged outward in violent waves, clashing against the advancing frost.

The two forces collided—fire against ice—until at last, the blizzard faltered and dissolved under his burning aura.

Independent magic...! This was the true strength of an Acolyte’s independent magic.

"Haa... haa..." Vincent gasped in relief, sweat steaming from his skin. At last, he had forced the spell back.

"You look quite satisfied."

His head snapped up. Elana crouched on a high branch, cold blue eyes fixed on him like a predator eyeing prey.

Snarling, he thrust his arm toward her. "Die, you bitch!"

From his wrist, several purple chains erupted, writhing forward like starving serpents, racing to devour her.

Elana flipped backward just as the branch she had perched on was shredded into splinters by the writhing chains.

She landed lightly on the ground, knees bending to absorb the impact—but Vincent’s voice rang out like a curse.

"You’re not running from me!"

The chains shot forward, tearing through the earth like burrowing serpents. Elana leapt aside, the ground exploding where she had stood. Shards of stone and dirt sprayed into the air.

Another lash came whipping toward her. She twisted mid-air, her baton grazing against one chain to redirect it just enough to miss. The redirected strike smashed into a nearby boulder, splitting it into frozen dust under the lingering chill of her earlier magic.

Every dodge left a trail of destruction—trees splintered, soil ripped open, the battlefield turning into a scarred wasteland.

Elana’s breath came sharp and steady, eyes never leaving Vincent. Each step, each leap, each flick of her wrist was measured, buying her time, while his chains ravaged everything else.

Frustration flashed across Elana’s face. "ARIES!" she roared, leaping skyward—so high she soared past the treetops. The instant her feet left the ground, the spot she had stood on was scorched, chains slamming down and leaving a scorched crater in their wake.

"HAAA!" Vincent’s ears caught a cry—but from behind. His eyes widened as he spun, saber ready—

RUMBLE!

The earth groaned violently beneath him. Before he could react, the ground erupted, a jagged platform shooting upward and hurling him sky-high like prey on a catapult.

"Wha—?!"

He barely had time to register the shift when the sun itself dimmed. A shadow loomed over him—a figure descending with terrifying speed.

Elana.

Her fist came down like a hammer from the heavens.

CRACK!

Agony shot through Vincent’s skull as her knuckles smashed into his face. He felt bone give way, his cheek splitting, blood spraying as his vision blurred white. His body twisted grotesquely from the force before being hurled back down.

He hit the ground with a thunderous THUD, carving a crater into the earth. Dust and shards of rock erupted outward as his body bounced once, then crashed flat, blood painting the dirt beneath him.

Elana landed lightly, her chest rising and falling with heavier breaths. To rebound mid-air, she had formed an ice platform beneath her feet—a desperate act of what she called accidental magic.

But... could it still be called accidental if she had done it on will?

Her eyes flicked toward Aries, dread coiling in her chest. Had she noticed? Had she seen through it? Yet Aries’s gaze was locked on the Acolyte, firm and unwavering.

Elana allowed herself the faintest sigh of relief. Still, she resolved—I’ll have to speak with Professor Adrian about this.

"E-Elana..." Aries’s voice quivered, pulling her attention back.

Elana turned to ask her—but froze. A sudden burn scorched her palms.

"Agh!" she hissed, dropping both batons. Before they even touched the ground, the weapons dissolved into molten streaks, vanishing into nothingness.

Her blood ran cold. Aries gasped as the same fate consumed her own armament, the weapon collapsing in a hiss of molten sparks.

"Kukuku~" A low, rasping chuckle echoed from the crater. "You bitches really thought you had me?"

Vincent’s voice carried like venom. His head hung low, shadowed by loose strands of hair. Black smoke oozed from his wounds, searing the air, and before their eyes, his injuries stitched themselves shut. Bone snapped back into place with grotesque cracks, torn flesh sealing as if devoured by the smoke itself.

Then, with a sickening groan, his body lifted from the crater, levitating above the broken earth.

"Shit..." Elana’s throat tightened. The pressure bearing down on them was suffocating—his mana flared higher and higher, the very air trembling, as if the world itself recoiled from his existence.

Elana clenched her fists, forcing herself to stand firm. She braced to shove Aries away, to face him alone.

But she knew how difficult it would be. Without her armament, her magic had no direction. She was trapped.

And accidental magic? She couldn’t rely on something she didn’t fully control. Not against this monster.

Vincent grinned, "Are you feeling it now? The difference between us, Miss Strongest?"

He rose higher, looking down at Elana as he said, "Now, if you kneel before me-*crack*!"

Elana and Aries’s eyes widened as they saw Vincent’s head burst upon being hit by what seemed like a huge spiky metal ball.

*Thud*

Not so long after, the magic dissipated and the lifeless body fell to the ground.

"Well, that was smooth." A familiar voice came from above before a certain female dropped before them.

"Headmistress!"

°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.