Absolute Cheater - Chapter 480

Chapter 480: Averin Academy IV

The collision between Maxwell’s golden sword and Amanda’s black-lightning whip split the mist apart in a blinding burst of crimson fire and thunder. Shockwaves rippled outward, shaking the marble tiles beneath their feet. But the courtyard itself—surrounded by an invisible seal of Asher’s making—remained untouched. Every tremor, every flare of blood and lightning was contained within his carefully woven barrier. The air shimmered faintly around the edges, the distortion revealing the immense magic field Asher had formed to allow them full freedom to fight without restraint.

He stood at the center, calm and motionless, hands clasped behind his back. Not a speck of dust reached him. Even as the air howled with power, the grass at his feet didn’t move. The space around him had become a null-zone—a silent eye within a storm of blood and fury.

“Don’t hold back,” Asher said simply. His voice cut through the roar of combat like a blade of stillness. “If you do, you’ll never feel your true pulse.”

And they didn’t.

Maxwell pushed forward, his blade flaring in arcs of golden light. Every swing left trails of burning energy that curved and spiraled like molten veins in the air. His movements were fast, reckless, beautiful—a pure manifestation of the Sword Saint’s aggressive flow. Each strike drove Amanda back, but she refused to yield. Her whip cracked again and again, its strikes weaving complex patterns of lightning and blood. The weapon became an extension of her will—every flick a thunderclap, every recoil a coiling serpent waiting to strike again.

Sylens moved at Maxwell’s flank, his expression cool and analytical. His three summoned beasts circled wide—one lunging low, another leaping high, and the last weaving between their attacks to strike from blind angles. Their roars harmonized with his aura, forming a deadly rhythm of instinct and precision. The dragon exhaled a blast of crimson flame that carved across the courtyard, forcing Lia and Sophia to break formation.

But the twins adapted instantly.

Sophia stepped forward, her shield flashing with necrotic light as she absorbed the impact. Cracks of gray light spread across its surface, feeding into Lia’s bow. Lia didn’t miss the opening—her eyes narrowed, and her next arrow blazed with the infused energy, a streak of death and vitality combined. When she loosed it, the shot tore through the air like a spear of twilight, striking the dragon dead center. The creature exploded into red mist, but Sylens merely smiled faintly—another took its place, reborn from the blood essence in his veins.

Amanda seized the moment, whipping her lightning forward in a blinding spiral. The bolt struck Maxwell’s sword mid-swing, twisting around it. The sound cracked like a world splitting open. The current surged up Maxwell’s arm, forcing him to pivot. But instead of retreating, he let the energy flow through him—his Golden Blood neutralizing the discharge, his aura flaring brighter in response.

He grinned. “You’re getting better.”

Amanda’s eyes narrowed. “So are you.”

They met again with a crash that sent both sliding backward, boots gouging marks in the marble. Sophia stepped between them, deflecting a slash from Sylens that came out of nowhere. Her shield rang like a bell, vibrating with bloodlight. Lia fired again, her arrow splitting midair into five shards, each homing toward Sylens’ beasts. He countered by merging his aura with theirs—the spectral forms fused into one colossal creature: a wolf-dragon hybrid wreathed in burning crimson flame. It lunged forward with a roar that shook the courtyard.

Lia leapt backward, her feet skimming over the ground. “Sophia!”

“Got it!”

Her twin slammed her shield into the ground. A circular rune burst open beneath them, flooding the field with gray-red light. The hybrid beast struck the barrier head-on—and the explosion that followed was a thunderous bloom of force and ash.

When the smoke cleared, Sophia was still standing, shield half-cracked, eyes blazing with focus. Lia knelt behind her, drawing another arrow—this one brighter, sharper, its tip glowing with both their combined essence.

Across from them, Maxwell and Sylens regrouped, their auras pulsing in perfect sync now. They didn’t need words. Maxwell shot forward, golden energy bursting from his soles, while Sylens’ beast lunged to flank. Their combined strike was fast enough to tear the air apart.

Amanda met Maxwell mid-swing again, her whip spiraling around his blade as they locked in a contest of force. Sparks of gold and black lightning flew between them, scorching the air. Lia loosed her shot in that exact instant—timed perfectly.

But Sylens was ready. He raised his hand, summoning a crimson barrier that deflected the arrow—but the moment it hit, Lia’s shot detonated, splitting into a dozen micro-arrows that curved back toward him from every angle.

“Good,” Asher said softly, eyes glinting. “She’s learning predictive redirection. Excellent control.”

Sylens twisted his body, beasts moving in sync with him, intercepting most of the arrows—but one slipped through, grazing his cheek. A thin line of blood appeared, glowing faintly in the red light.

He smiled. “Finally drew blood.”

Lia smirked from across the courtyard. “You’re welcome.”

Amanda broke away from Maxwell in that moment, using the recoil to launch herself upward. Her whip coiled midair and cracked downward, summoning a surge of storm energy that spread across the ground. Arcs of black lightning webbed out in all directions, forcing Sylens and Maxwell to separate. The pulse caught Lia off guard, the shock running through her aura—Sophia immediately moved to cover her, taking the hit on her shield. The impact blew her backward several meters.

Maxwell didn’t waste the opening. He channeled his blood energy into his blade—Crimson Dawn Slash! The strike descended like a pillar of sunlight, crimson-edged and blazing with soul resonance.

Amanda’s eyes widened—but before she could fully dodge, Lia loosed her last arrow, hitting the attack mid-descent. The two forces collided and folded around each other, creating a shockwave that rippled across the courtyard like a living pulse. The barrier flared, absorbing the force, and then went still again.

When the dust cleared, everyone was breathing hard. The ground was scorched, air thick with blood essence and ozone. Yet despite the exhaustion, every pair of eyes burned brighter than before.

Asher finally moved.

With one step, he appeared at the center, the faint glow of his control barrier fading from around them. His gaze swept across the group—calculating, approving, proud.

“You’re learning what I wanted you to,” he said, voice even. “You’re starting to feel each other’s rhythm—not just see it.”