CHAPTER 45: KELLAN

I barely had time to push myself to my feet before Kellan moved again.

No more feints. No more playful smirks.

This time, he wasn’t holding back.

Wind surged around him, his injured leg no longer slowing him down. He wasn’t suppressing the pain—he was ignoring it completely.

I clicked my tongue. This bastard.

"Felix, Leo—move!" I barked.

Felix yelped, diving to the side as Kellan’s palm struck the ground where he’d been standing. A gust of compressed air exploded outward, scattering leaves and dust into the air.

Leo cursed, scrambling behind Garrick. "This isn’t a battle—this is murder!"

Kellan’s students closed in, capitalizing on the chaos. The elites of Class B weren’t just skilled—they were coordinated. They split into pairs, aiming to separate us.

Mira’s voice cut through the confusion. "Julien, now!"

A streak of movement from the treetops—then Julien dropped down like a phantom, daggers flashing.

His blade sliced toward Kellan’s exposed side.

Kellan turned—just in time for Mira’s spell to go off.

A shadowy tether wrapped around his injured leg, anchoring him for the briefest moment. Just enough for Julien’s attack to—

Miss.

Kellan twisted at the last possible second, deflecting Julien’s strike with the flat of his palm. Too fast.

But—

He didn’t see me.

I thrust my hand forward, mana surging.

"Flame Lance."

The spell launched point-blank, aimed directly at his chest.

Kellan grinned.

A gust of wind swallowed my spell whole.

Then his fist slammed into my gut.

—Shit.

The impact sent me flying backward. Air ripped from my lungs as I crashed into the dirt.

"Damn it!" Julien cursed, barely dodging as Kellan retaliated with a sweeping kick.

"Wallace, now!" I gasped, pushing myself up.

Wallace, who had been keeping a tight grip on the flag, finally moved.

He wasn’t attacking.

He take out something.

A bunch of runes, that I gave to him earlier.

Kellan’s sharp gaze flicked toward him. "Runic traps?"

The moment of distraction was all Mira needed.

Her fingers snapped.

A thick veil of smoke exploded outward, swallowing the battlefield in smoke.

"Now, run!" she yelled.

My students moved.

I forced my aching body to follow, sprinting into the cover of the trees. The sounds of confusion from Class B’s elites echoed behind us, but I didn’t stop to look back.

The runes weren’t meant to win.

They were meant to stall.

This was no longer a battle.

This was a hunt.

And if Kellan wanted to catch us—

He was going to have to bleed for it.

We didn’t stop running.

The moment we hit the treeline, Mira veered left, leading us into the denser part of the forest. The flag was still in Wallace’s hands, his grip tight.

Behind us, shouting. Footsteps. Kellan’s group wasn’t far.

"Keep moving," I snapped.

Leo wheezed. "I hate this!"

"Shut up and run."

Branches slapped against my face as we pushed forward. The forest floor was uneven, making every step a risk. But stopping meant getting caught, and I wasn’t about to let that happen.

Julien stayed on the outer edge of our group, keeping watch. Mira ran ahead, marking a path. Felix stumbled but kept going. Garrick, as expected, didn’t seem tired at all.

Then—

A gust of wind tore through the trees.

Kellan.

"Down!" Mira yelled.

We dropped just as a powerful blast of air ripped past, snapping branches and kicking up dirt. The pressure alone nearly sent me rolling.

"How the hell is he still this strong?!" Felix coughed, eyes wide.

"What do you expect from an instructor from the prestigious Noctis Ardentis Academy?" I asked back to him.

Felix gasped between breaths. "Then why are you so weak, Professor?"

I nearly tripped.

Julien choked on a laugh. Mira outright cackled.

I turned my head just enough to glare at Felix. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me!" Felix huffed, somehow still keeping pace. "Shouldn’t you be stronger than him? Y’know, since you’re our instructor and all?"

"You try fighting a wind-obsessed lunatic after getting punched in the gut!" I snapped. "And while keeping you brats alive, no less!"

"Sounds like excuses," Julien added, grinning.

"Do I need to increase your daily training once we return to the academy?"

Felix paled. "N-No need, Professor! Just making an observation!"

"Good," I muttered. "Now shut up and run."

Mira snickered but kept her eyes ahead. "Careful, Felix. Keep talking, and he might make you his personal training dummy."

Felix groaned. "Like I’m not already!"

Another gust of wind howled through the trees, forcing us to duck. Leaves and dirt whipped past as the pressure threatened to knock us off our feet.

Kellan was getting closer.

I clenched my jaw. This bastard wasn’t just playing with us—he was toying with his prey.

Fine.

If he thought we’d just roll over and let him win, then I’ll give him an amazing show.

"Wallace give me the Flag."

Wallace hesitated but tossed it over without question. I caught it, fingers tightening around the fabric.

Kellan wanted to hunt us down? Then let’s make him work for it.

"Mira, keep leading them forward," I ordered. "Julien, cover their tracks. Wallace, prep another set of runes—make them nasty."

Julien whistled. "And what about you, Professor?"

I smirked. "I’ll be the bait."

Felix nearly tripped. "What?! Are you insane?"

"Yes. Now go."

I didn’t wait for an argument.

Turning sharply, I bolted in the opposite direction, flag in hand. A direct challenge.

Kellan wouldn’t ignore it.

I counted the seconds. One... two... three—

Then a sudden burst of wind came from my back.

I ducked and ran towards the trees,

weaving between them as fast as my body allowed. A rush of air cut past where I’d just been, sharp enough to slice through bark.

Damn. He really wasn’t holding back.

"Running already, Drelmont?" Kellan’s voice called out, closer than I’d like. "I expected more from an instructor."

I didn’t stop.

I couldn’t outrun him—not for long—but that wasn’t the plan.

I weaved through the trees, forcing him to maneuver instead of chasing in a straight line. The flag whipped in my grip as I ducked low, using the terrain to my advantage.

Footsteps behind me. Fast. Too fast.

Then—

A blast of wind erupted from my left.

I twisted, barely avoiding it, but the force still knocked me off balance. I stumbled, rolling across the dirt before pushing myself back up.

Kellan was already there.

He moved like a ghost, barely making a sound. His usual smug grin was gone, replaced by something colder. Sharper.

Shit.

I could hear my students in the distance, their footsteps fading as they followed Mira’s lead. They were getting away.

Good.

I exhaled sharply, adjusting my grip on the flag.

"Cornered?" Kellan asked, tilting his head. "You should’ve kept running."

I scoffed. "You should’ve hit harder."

Kellan’s eyes gleamed. "Oh?"

His foot shifted. A warning.

I moved first.

Mana surged through my body as I kicked off the ground, flames sparking at my fingertips. I threw out a quick spell—not to hit him, but to force him back.

He didn’t flinch.

Wind coiled around him like armor, swallowing the fire before it could reach him.

Figures.

Then he countered.

I barely registered the movement before a fist crashed into my ribs, sending me flying. The world blurred as I hit the ground hard, tumbling across the dirt.

I groaned. That one hurt.

I forced myself up, coughing. "You really don’t hold back, huh?"

Kellan smirked. "Would you prefer if I did?"

I spat blood to the side. "Not really."

He sighed, shaking his head. "You’re stubborn. I’ll give you that."

His foot came down, pressing against my shoulder before I could fully rise. Not enough pressure to break anything, but enough to keep me in place.

I clicked my tongue. "Tch."

"Game’s over, Drelmont," Kellan said. "Hand over the flag."

I stared at him.

Then, slowly—deliberately—I smirked.

"You sure about that?" I raised my hand and put it on kellan’s face. He knew something was up but before he could do anything I uttered a word.