Return of the Legendary Runesmith

[A few minutes earlier]

Something felt off.

Elana muttered under her breath as she crossed the eastern stretch—wide open, empty, and completely devoid of obstacles.

Her gut told her she'd made the wrong move. But her plan was airtight, covering every region where the Professor could be hiding.

Pushing the unease aside, she sprinted toward the northern tip, thinking Aries and Brendon might have been attacked.

But when she arrived—

"…What the hell are you two doing here?" she demanded, eyes narrowing at the sight of Aries and Brendon moving toward her.

"I… uh… wait—fuck!" Aries blurted, realizing the truth at the same moment Elana did.

Brendon spoke it aloud. "Our backup is under attack!"

No more words were exchanged. The three of them bolted toward the southern tip—their starting point.

Elana's mind reeled. The Professor had done the one thing she didn't expect—not hunting anyone down, but lying in wait to strike at the group that least expected him.

Just hold on… just a little longer, you two… she thought, her legs burning as she cut past startled students, pushing herself to full speed toward the fight.

However, her silent prayers went unanswered.

The moment her eyes found the Professor, her mind froze.

Before him—bound in a cage of thick, twisting vines—were the two students she had entrusted as backup.

"You arrived sooner than I expected," Adrian said calmly, turning to face her.

Aries and Brendon skidded to a stop behind Elana, their breaths heavy.

Their eyes widened at the sight—Allen and Altia trapped so easily, unable to even move.

Adrian, of course, had cheated. Not only had he used his armament, but he'd also used mana to disrupt Altia's footing earlier.

Then again… these were gifted students, and in the real world they might face Acolytes—foes who would never play fair.

Elana, despite the frustration burning inside her, didn't charge in blindly. Instead, her voice was steady as she commanded, "Aries—block the other side. Don't engage unless you're certain of victory… or one of us calls for help."

"Understood." Normally loud and chatty, Aries became all business the moment battle loomed.

"Brendon—cover my back. He's not aiming for a straight fight, so you'll need to watch for his tricks."

Brendon stooped to pick up the staff Altia had kicked away earlier, his grip firm. "Understood."

Elana drew in a slow breath, centering herself before speaking again—this time directly to the man before her. "I've already failed my team once, Sir… but I don't plan on failing this challenge."

Adrian, as relaxed as if they were having tea instead of standing on a battlefield, smiled faintly. "I wouldn't expect anything less from my best student."

Elana took out wooden batons, and heaved a long sigh.

Then—she blurred forward, twin batons in hand, each swing sharp and economical.

Adrian didn't flinch. He simply shifted his weight, letting the first strike whistle past his ribs by a breath.

She pivoted, the second baton sweeping for his temple—he ducked, spine bending at an unnatural angle, the tip of her weapon brushing a strand of his hair.

THWIP!

A bullet left his pistol mid-dodge, cloaked in crackling lightning.

Elana jerked her head aside, feeling the snap of static as it scorched the air next to her ear.

She slid low, batons crossing to strike his knees, but Adrian's body rolled away like a loosened spring.

He came up in a crouch, gun steady, coat fluttering.

"Closer than last time," he said almost lazily, eyes reading her posture before she even moved.

She didn't reply. Instead, she darted in with a tight flurry—batons hammering from alternating sides in rapid, precise arcs.

Adrian swayed between them, his torso twisting just far enough for the batons to miss by an inch each time. The sound of wood cutting through air filled the space between them.

She feinted high. He bent low.

She spun, low strike sweeping in from the side.

THWIP!

A bullet of compressed wind hit the ground between her feet, scattering frost and dust upward.

Her footing slipped for half a heartbeat—just long enough for Adrian to snap a frontal kick toward her.

*Dhak*

Elana crossed a forearm in time, absorbing the blow, but the force still shoved her back across the dirt.

From behind her, Brendon charged, staff drawn over his shoulder for a crushing swing.

Adrian ducked under it, eyes narrowing, and thrust a palm toward Brendon's exposed torso—

*DHAK!*

A sudden blow to his heel cut his attack short.

His head snapped down just enough to catch Aries in his periphery, a grin tugging at her lips.

He began to fall backward—but his eyes caught Brendon already flipping the staff, its butt driving straight for his stomach.

No time for elegance.

*THWACK!*

The gun fired, a resonating crack in the air. His figure blurred—

"Ah—dammit!" Aries gasped as the staff's end smacked into her chest instead, knocking the wind from her lungs.

Brendon barely managed to twist his legs apart to avoid toppling onto her.

He yanked the staff back with an awkward cough. "…Sorry."

Aries staggered upright, brushing dirt from her uniform, and moved to stand beside Elana, who had already squared herself toward Adrian.

The Professor lifted a hand.

"By rules, I've lost. Aries landed a hit. So, it's your victory."

Brendon and Aries exchanged startled glances.

They had almost forgotten the stipulation—one clean hit was all it took. And however small, Aries's push to his heel had been just that.

"…We… won?" Brendon muttered, the words tasting strange, like they didn't belong in his mouth.

But before Aries could grin or celebrate, Elana's voice cut through the moment.

"No, sir… we failed."

All eyes turned to her.

Her head was bowed, fists trembling at her sides. "I completely missed the purpose of the exercise. I split the team… and because of that, we lost two students. On a battlefield, that's two comrades gone."

She shook her head, her tone hard. "I don't call this a victory."

The silence that followed was heavy. Aries lowered her gaze, the weight of Elana's words pulling the spark from her chest.

Because she was right.

Against someone like Adrian—fluid, adaptive, impossible to corner—landing a single blow was nothing more than a momentary success. Sooner or later, he would have dismantled them all.

Elana's head remained lowered, regret burning behind her eyes.

She hadn't impressed him.

She had disappointed him.

Suddenly, she felt some weight on her head.

Slowly, she looked up and found Adrian's warm eyes looking at her.

"You didn't fail, Elana. You made a mistake but you timely appeared to tackle the situation. And how brilliantly your team fought, I am quite impressed."

Elana felt a little better upon hearing his words.

Adrian turned towards the students and said, "For your impressive performance, I will treat you all to a grand meal."

Aries finally cheered and a smile formed on others' lips.

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.