BLOOD & SIGILS

Chapter 70: The Alpha's Last Stand

The battlefield was drenched in blood, claw marks tearing through the earth, the scent of burned flesh and mana thick in the air. The Alpha Mana Beast loomed over them, its golden veins pulsing, its monstrous form wounded but unbroken.

It should have been dead.

They had struck it with everything they had—Kael's crimson sigils, Lucian's draconic swordplay, Mira's relentless strikes, Selene's precise counters, Evelyne's earth-shattering blows, Cassian's finesse, Darius's storm-wielding might, Rael's void-step precision.

But the Alpha had been waiting.

Studying them.

Adapting.

The moment they thought they had won, it began to evolve.

The golden glow in its veins flared brighter, and the air thickened with a suffocating presence. The ground beneath them trembled. The beasts on the island—feral, lesser, and even greater mana beasts—fled in every direction.

And for the first time…

The Alpha unleashed its true abilities.

The battlefield darkened, as if the light itself was swallowed. Afterimages flickered, making every strike uncertain. Its wounds healed before their eyes, blood reversing, flesh knitting back together at unnatural speeds. A pulse of mana spread across the battlefield, and suddenly, the Alpha knew their weaknesses. Their injuries, their exhaustion, their frayed nerves—it could feel everything.

The golden eyes of the Alpha locked onto Kael first.

And then—it moved.

It was fast.

Faster than anything Kael had ever faced.

A black blur tore through the battlefield, closing the gap between them in a heartbeat.

Kael barely raised his blade before a claw the size of a broadsword slammed into him.

He was sent flying, crashing through trees, tumbling across the dirt, blood trailing behind him.

Lucian's golden eyes flared, his draconic aura erupting in full force. His sword ignited with golden fire, the royal blade of Eldoria humming with power. "You're not touching him again."

He met the Alpha head-on.

Their clash shook the jungle.

Lucian's sword clashed against obsidian claws. Sparks flew, the air rippled from the sheer force of impact, but the Alpha was relentless. It twisted, dodging, attacking from angles no ordinary beast should be capable of.

Mira rushed in, her blade a blur—three rapid slashes aimed at the beast's exposed flank.

Her strikes connected.

But the Alpha didn't even flinch.

Instead, it retaliated.

A single swipe—Mira barely dodged, but the wind pressure alone sent her staggering back.

Darius, gritting his teeth, raised both hands to the sky. The air roared with power, lightning converging into a single, devastating bolt.

He hurled it down—

The explosion rocked the battlefield.

Dust. Debris. The scent of ozone filled the air.

The students gasped.

And then—

From within the smoke, golden eyes gleamed.

The Alpha stepped out, untouched.

"It's getting stronger," Selene muttered, eyes flickering silver as she tracked its movements. "It was already evolving when we arrived—we forced it to accelerate."

Evelyne cracked her knuckles. "Then we just have to hit it harder."

She launched herself forward.

Cassian, flipping his rapier in his grip, smirked. "Guess I can't let her have all the fun."

The battle raged on.

Kael groaned, pushing himself up from where he had crashed. Blood dripped down his forehead, but his grip on his sword was firm. His body ached, but his mana still burned inside him.

He took a breath.

"Focus. Adapt."

His Crimson Sigils flared.

Berserker's Ascent activated. His muscles tensed, strength doubling in an instant.

He dashed forward.

Lucian met him halfway.

"You're alive."

"Not for long if we don't end this," Kael replied.

Lucian smirked. "Then let's end it."

The two lunged—

But before their blades connected with the Alpha—

The sky split apart.

A sonic boom ripped through the battlefield.

And then—

Two figures arrived.

Selwyn Draeven landed like a meteor, his mechanical arm pulsing with golden energy. His presence alone sent shockwaves across the battlefield.

Seraphine Eldoria descended in a blur of silver and black, a long katana gleaming in her grip. The blade pulsed with mana, its razor-thin edge radiating a pressure unlike anything the students had felt before. She barely spared them a glance.

The Alpha stopped moving.

For the first time—it hesitated.

Selwyn cracked his neck. "Kids. You did well holding out."

Seraphine's piercing gaze locked onto the Alpha. "But this is where you step aside."

Kael, breathless, met her eyes. "We almost had it."

Seraphine smirked. "No. You almost died."

The Alpha snarled, mana flaring around its body. It knew it couldn't escape.

It had been the hunter.

Now, it was the hunted.

Selwyn raised his mechanical arm, and runes flared to life along its surface. He slammed his palm to the ground—binding chains erupted, wrapping around the Alpha's body.

The beast thrashed, howled, fought.

But then—

Seraphine moved.

She was faster than thought.

One step—she vanished.

By the time the Alpha realized what had happened—

It was already dead.

Seraphine reappeared behind it, standing still, her katana resting at her side.

A single black line ran through the Alpha's body.

For a brief moment, the students thought nothing had happened.

Then—

The beast split in two.

From head to tail, a perfect severance.

Its two halves fell to the ground with a heavy, sickening thud.

Silence.

The Alpha Mana Beast—

The strongest enemy they had ever faced—

Was gone.

Kael collapsed to his knees, exhaling sharply.

Lucian rolled his shoulders, looking only mildly annoyed. "Took them long enough."

Mira wiped the blood from her lips, still breathing hard. "We survived."

Evelyne scoffed. "Yeah. Barely."

Cassian, ever the smug bastard, grinned. "At least we looked good doing it."

Rael, standing at the edges of the battlefield, flicked the blood off his dagger. "I think I hate this place."

Darius dropped onto a rock, utterly spent. "You and me both."

Selene, quiet as always, simply watched.

Seraphine turned to them. "You all did better than expected. But don't be arrogant."

Selwyn, already moving through the wounded, sighed. "Yeah, yeah. They survived—good for them. But let's not forget…"

His gaze darkened.

"Not all of them did."

The trial was over.

But the consequences?

Were just beginning.