The Extra's Supremacy

Taking a deep breath, Alvin whispered to his sword.

"Hey... can you stop their movements? Even for just a second?"

The sword pulsed in response.

"Yes. But only three times. My energy is low."

Alvin nodded. "Three is enough. I'll make it work."

Across the battlefield, the three Specialists stayed alert,

Then Alvin moved—charging toward the swordsman without hesitation.

The dagger user grinned. Same tactic. Same setup.

As expected, the swordsman sidestepped cleanly, and the dagger user appeared behind Alvin, aiming for the kill.

The blade pierced his back and passed straight through.

The dagger user froze mid-motion.'What?'

In that same instant, he felt a presence behind his back.

'Shit—!'

The archer loosed another arrow, but just like before, it phased through Alvin's body.

"What the hell is going on?" the archer hissed, stepping back.

A sudden chill gripped his spine. Danger.

He moved to dodge, but his foot stuck—rooted in place.

"W-what!?"

Alvin's sword slashed cleanly toward him.

The archer twisted, but it was too late—steel bit into flesh, cleaving through his arm.

THUD.

The severed limb hit the ground.

The archer cried out in pain, stumbling backward while clutching the bleeding stump. "Y-you bastard!"

"He's using illusions! Masking his presence and confusing us!" he yelled to the others, panic rising.

Alvin gritted his teeth, steadying his breath.

'Damn it. If I'd been a second faster... I would've killed him.'

Alvin sprinted toward the archer, blade ready to finish the job—but the swordsman was already there, shielding him.

Alvin skidded to a stop, eyes narrowing.

He inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly, drawing on the ambient mana around him.

The swordsman tensed, trying to track Alvin's flow of mana—then suddenly, it vanished.

A chill swept through the air.

Behind them, a flicker of movement.

The dagger user spun around, but it wasn't just one.

One... two... ten... twenty... almost thirty Alvins surrounded them from every direction, each identical in pressure and form.

The three enemies froze, their breathing strained.

'We completely underestimated this kid...'

"Tch. We should've gone all out from the start," the archer growled.

The others nodded grimly, back-to-back now, watching the mirage of shadows in every direction.

They braced for impact—yet none came.

"Why isn't he attacking...?" the dagger user muttered, cold sweat running down his neck.

That's when it happened.

A sharp gleam cut through the fog.

Shunk.

A dagger stabbed straight into the dagger user's spine.

"Gh—!"

The swordsman moved instantly to retaliate, but the attacker dissolved into mist—vanishing with no trace of mana.

The dagger user collapsed to his knees, paralyzed.

He looked down in horror—his feet were stuck to the ground, mana anchoring him in place.

'Earth control? No—dual elements?!'

Before he could cry out, Alvin's mocking voice echoed from the haze.

"Archer loses an arm. Dagger guy gets stabbed in the back. Professionals, huh? Or are you just fancy foot-lickers?"

"Tch tch. Can't even kill one half-dead early-stage Expert."

The insult stung. The swordsman barked, "Ignore him! He's trying to rattle you!"

"Enough of this!" the dagger user roared, yanking the blade from his back. "Drop this mist and fight like a man! Face to face! Fair and square!"

Laughter rolled through the corridor, loud and cold.

"Fair and square? Ha... hahaha... HAAHAHAHA..."

Alvin's voice was filled with disbelief.

"You three are mid-tier rankers demanding a 3-on-1 'fair fight' from an early-stage kid?"

Another illusion formed—right in front of the dagger user.

"You really are feet suckers after all."

That was the last straw.

Enraged, the dagger user lunged, striking the illusion dead-on—

But the blade passed harmlessly through it.

"Damn it! Another fake!?"

Then he felt it—danger, right behind him.

He tried to move.

Couldn't.

His feet were locked again.

The real Alvin emerged from the mist, sword slicing toward the neck—but the swordsman leapt forward, shoving the dagger user aside and blocking the strike—

CLANG—no.

His sword phased through Alvin's.

"What?!"

And then—

SHUNK.

A real blade pierced the swordsman from the front.

He staggered back, clutching his side.

"You... you're targeting me?"

Alvin's voice echoed once more.

"Nice guess. But what does that matter now?"

Suddenly, Alvin felt it.

A massive surge of mana—dense and suffocating—gathered in one place.

His eyes snapped toward the archer.

'What's he doing...?'

The archer raised his remaining arm, crimson flames swirling around him like a storm.

"Wrath of the Fire Spirit: Crimson Flame Pillar."

The ground beneath them cracked—then erupted.

A blinding pillar of flame shot upward, a swirling vortex of molten fire that incinerated everything in its path.

***

Elsewhere, high above in the upper levels, Lesley fought her own battle—locked in a deadly dance of daggers with the enemy scout.

Unlike Alvin's battlefield, this one was clear—no mist, no illusions. Only brutal, fast-paced combat.

Lesley panted, blood dripping from several shallow cuts across her arms and side.

She and the scout were both dagger users—but his experience showed in every strike.

"You can't win," he said confidently, circling her. "By now, my team has already finished that white-haired brat."

Lesley said nothing.

Instead, droplets of water formed around her, swirling gently—then slid into her wounds, sealing them slowly.

Lightning flickered at her fingertips.

The scout froze, eyes widening. "You're... a dual elementalist?"

Lesley's voice was cold.

"You talk too much."

His gaze darkened, then softened with a sly smile.

"A talent like you shouldn't die here. Come with me. I'll personally recommend you to Lady Alvida"

"Sign a mana contract, and I promise no one from your organization will ever bother you again."

Lesley almost laughed.

'Eliminate the Twilight Crown? Cute. Ignorance really is bliss.'

"Sorry," she said, voice calm and razor-sharp. "I reject your offe—"

BOOM! 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

The entire castle trembled.

A pillar of crimson flame shot up from the lower floors, tearing through stone and steel—ripping a hole clean through the ceiling.

Debris rained down. The heat was unbearable.

Lesley and the scout both turned, wide-eyed, as the fire roared up into the sky.

"What the hell...?" the scout whispered.