Drifter leaned ba the farthest chair on the Jaxon's ship and bridge, his gaze sweeping over the chaos unfolding around him. The skies above Verm Pin bzed with streaks of blue energy beams, their sharp arcs slig through the clouds and casting fleeting fshes of light across the battlefield.

  Alina's Cvusia Cruiser, dark gray triangur vessel, held steady, its ons firing precision beams at the target. In trast, Jaxon’s cruiser shot forward, dodging and weaving through fire. Despite taking several hits, he executed a barrel roll, narrowly avoiding more bsts before closing in on her. With a swift terattack, Jaxon’s cruiser nded a direct hit on Alina’s.

  He’s definitely used to this. Drifter thought.

  The sharp grind of meical gears filled the air as massive doors on the Cvusia Cruiser slid open. Rows of Skystriker Astrix unched into the sky in perfeation. Drifter observed their gray slender bodies, delta-shaped wings, and dual tail fins snting outward. Beams collided between the Skystrikers, but ru followed. Blue energy shields fred, abs the impacts without a scratch.

  Suddenly, A sharp beep pierced the and bridge. Drifter’s eyes so a shadow f in the haze. His grip tightened on the armrest, unease creeping in.

  “Wait… something’s off,” Jaxon Virelli muttered, his gaze fixed on the dispy.

  The holographic s flickered, revealing a massive, jet-bck vessel, its symmetrical drical form tapering into an arrowhead-like front. Red lights pulsed rhythmically along its hull.

  “That’s not one of ours,” Luna Sabriel said, her voice steady as she sat beside Drifter.

  The chatter among the students on the and bridge ceased instantly, repced by a suffog silence. Drifter swallowed hard, his eyes darting back to Jaxon.

  “This is Jaxon of Cvusia Cruiser. Unknown skyship, identify your affiliation immediately, or we will engage,” Jaxon’s voice rang out, firm and authoritative.

  “Still no response?” Drifter said.

  Before anyone could react, the side hatch of the unknown ship opened, unleashing a swarm of bck Skystrikers. They shot out with terrifying speed, their aggressive, delta-winged silhouettes cutting through the air like predatory shadows.

  The sky erupted in a cascade of red energy beams, streaking with deadly precision. One of the Astrix Skystrikers took a direct hit, its blue shield fring brightly in a final, desperate effort to absorb the damage before shattering. The resulting explosion rocked the and bridge, the booming sound like a hammer pounding into their chests.

  “All crew, switbat mode!” Jaxon ordered.

  The dispys across the and bridge shifted instantly. Training interfaces vanished, repced by a real-time threat map.

  Drifter sed his surroundings, feeling his heartbeat qui.

  What? An enemy attabsp;His thoughts raced.

  He heard the students shout, their expressions turning to fear. One by one, he watched as nearby Astrix Skystrikers were destroyed. The ship rocked violently as the barrage of red beams tinued.

  He loo help, yet as his eyes sed the alien interface of the and nexus, doubt g him. What if he failed? What if he was nothing more than a burden, tributing nothing but a waste of resources? His fist ched, muscles tightening with frustration as the weight of helplessness pressed down on him. The painful memories flooded back, haunting reminders of how powerless he had once been. Before he could materialize his sword, all he had were his healing and barrier magic—abilities that had never once saved a life.

  Then, Drifter’s gaze returned forward, catg sight of their cruiser desding toward the Lavia a ruin, a field scattered with vium—a mysterious material iric shapes, some cubes, others spheres, spread across the ground and floating mid-air. Its surface glimmered with a mix of deep purple aric blue, radiating an otherworldly danger.

  Drifter’s chest tightened. As far as he knew, no one had ever mao extract vium—a material so unfiving that it obliterated anything that dared to make tact.

  But the ship tio draw closer, ing toward the vium-filled ruin.

  Is he really going there? Drifter’s pulse quied.

  “Alina, follow me,” Jaxon anded.

  “That’s... Thats... The Dead Zone? Are you insane?” Alina’s over the holographis.

  The ship surged forward, seamless yet unyielding in its relentless drive.

  Drifter’s gaze shifted to the upper right, where Alina’s Cvusia Cruiser unleashed a barrage of glowing blue beams that tore through the tight formation of bck Skystrikers surrounding her. Her squad of Skystrikers moved swiftly to defend, their arcs of crimson and blue energy beams crisscrossing the skies. Yet, despite the chaos, the number of bck Skystrikers only seemed to grow, pressing in on Alina’s cruiser.

  After a moment, Alina’s Cvusia Cruiser veered sharply, diving into the twisting pathways of the Lavia A Ruins behind them. Her team of Skystrikers stayed above, maneuvering only to avoid the skirmishes below.

  Are they retreating, or is there some secret strategy at py? Drifter woo himself.

  He shifted his gaze ahead, and Drifter’s chest tightened as the Lavia A Ruin came fully into view. The eructure seemed alive, glowing with deep purple aric blue hues. Narrow, winding strips of vium, suspended mid-air, pulsed with an otherworldly energy. The byrinth’s twists and sharp turns gleamed ominously.

  Drifter gnced over his shoulder. The battle raged on behind them, red and blue beams cutting through the air like violent streaks of lightning. Astrix skystrikers and bck Skystrikers engaged in furious pursuit. Ships darted and spiraled, their movements deadly and calcuted, eae vying to outmahe other in the swirling tempest of aerial bat.

  Some of the student Skystrikers trailing behind veered slightly off course as it approached a sharp bend. Drifter watched as a dark blue surge of energy erupted from the vium, striking the student’s glowing blue shield. For a brief moment, the shield fred brilliantly, but then the ship vanished—disied pletely, leaving behind only a faint ripple in the void where it had been.

  He turned back to the front, seeing their cruiser press forward, navigating the twisting paths of the ruin with unnerving precision. The glowing vium structures blurred past, perilously close, as the ship deftly maneuvered each sharp turn, refusing to slow.

  After feeling a few jolts, Drifter looked up. Above them, the bck Skystrikers surged ahead, attempting to loop back. Some veered too close to the glowing vium, triggering surges of dark blue energy that ed them instantly, leaving only faint, shimmering traces in the air.

  “No escape now,” Jaxon muttered, releasing a barrage of blue projectiles from turrets encirg his ship. The remaining bck Skystrikers exploded in fiery bursts, their fragments scattering through the ruins.

  “Nice shot,” Alina ended over the s.

  Suddenly, the ship lurched. Drifter gnced behind them, seeing several bck Skystrikers closing in on Jaxon’s cruiser, unleashing a relentless rain of red energy beams. Crimson streaks cut through the air, striking the cruiser’s hull with deadly precision. Explosions rippled across the ship, sending violent tremors through the and bridge. The rge holographic s blinked a warning, ses of the triangur ship structure glowing an ominous red.

  “Damn it...” Jaxon growled.

  “This is bad... We’ve got a hull breach,” he said sharply.

  Fmes licked hungrily at the ship’s interior, casting flickering shadows across the walls. The ceiling groaned uhe strain, and sparks rained down, filling the air with the acrid stench of burnial. Arms bred, their pierg cries eg through the chaos on the bridge.

  Drifter felt a flicker of panic rise in his chest, but before it could fully take hold, he saw the Ice Magie activated, its a glyphs glowing with a pale blue light. Frost spread rapidly across the interior, sm the fmes and cooling the seari. Moments ter, small, spherical repair drones whirred to life, emerging from their hidden partments. Their sensors sed the damaged ses, prioritizing areas secured by the frost. With meical precision, they darted through the smoke, welding cracks and sealing breaches, rest stability to the ship’s fragile hull.

  Drifter’s eyes sed the room and noticed a few students had been caught in an explosion from the and nexus sole. Their natural barriers had shattered, and they y sprawled on the floor, motionless. He rushed toward them.

  Blue energy radiated from his hands as he approached an iudent, eling a Healing Surge.

  “Stay with me. You’ll be fine,” he said softly.

  The student looked up at him, her eyes weak but grateful.

  “Thank you... sir,” she whispered faintly.

  Nearby, Luna remained calm amidst the turmoil. With a graceful sweep of her hand, an icy mist materialized, spiraling and sm the fmes. The suffog heat was repced by the chilling embrace of Luna’s frosty power, bringing mueeded relief to the damaged interior.

  As the students were teo, Drifter made his way closer to Jaxon, him. He noticed a holographic dispy of the Vestra system, resembling a map filled with colored dots and strange ripples. Small blue dots moved toward a rge blue triangle, while ominous clusters of red dots loomed behind them.

  “Alright... let’s stir things up a little,” Jaxon said.

  Drifter felt a slight jolt as the ship surged upward, leaving the bck Skystrikers in its wake. Dozens of ships weaved through the turbulent skies, locked in a deadly aerial dance. Yet Jaxon’s expression remained calm and posed.

  “Alina, hit them now!” Jaxon anded.

  “Now. Don’t let them regroup,” Alina responded over the s.

  Her team of Skystrikers was already in position. Streams of blue projectiles shot out, homing in oargets with deadly precision. They struck the bck Skystrikers with devastating accuracy, igniting fiery explosions that lit up the sky. The enemy ships were obliterated, their wreckage spiraling down into the ruins below.

  Abruptly, the remaining bck Skystrikers began to retreat, followed closely by a massive, uified ship with glowihrusters.

  A distant rumble echoed through the air. Drifter turned, narrowing his eyes as a formation ur gray ships—rge and small—slowly emerged on the horizon.

  It was the hia Defense Fleet.

  “Well, there’s your te heroes,” Lor said.

  “At least they won’t dare to e baow,” Reine added.

  Ihe ships, the students exhaled a collective sigh of relief. Their tense bodies sagged into their seats as exhaustion finally overtook them. The danger had passed, but the lingering tension in the air g to them like a shadow.

  “Good work, everyooo bad their Skystriker operators were just amateurs. Ha!” Jaxon said with a grin.

  “Huff... that was... intense,” Sloatered.

  “At least now... no more flying for a while,” Lor said.

  Luna Sabriel g Drifter, her gaze softening.

  “What do you think about aerial bat, Drifter?” she asked.

  Drifter let out a long breath, rubbing his temple with slow, deliberate movements.

  “I hope I won’t have to face aerial battles again anytime soon,” he replied quietly.

  They returo the city aboard the Cvusia Cruiser-Css Skyships, which touched down at hia Airport with a heavy tremor. As the ramp desded, Drifter watched the students disembark in sileheir steps weighted with exhaustion. Jaxon was the st to leave, followed closely by Luna, with Drifter trailing behind her.

  They moved through the corridors, their footsteps eg iillness, until they arrived at a rge chamber. Above the entrance, bold letters spelled out Debrief Room. Ihe dark gray space was lined with rows of chairs and long tables. The students took their seats, murmuring amongst themselves as Luna, Jaxon, and Alina remaianding at the front.

  “Alright, everyone’s here. Let’s begin,” Luna said.

  “Today was something else, huh?” Jaxon remarked, crossing his arms.

  “I’ve never seen a ship like that before... red Evocyte beams, red thrusters—it’s something new. We o report this to the Grandmaster immediately,” Alina said, her tone firm.

  “There’s no way sky pirates could ize a ship that advahat thing has to be a neon from some nation,” Luna added.

  Jaxon scoffed. “Who knows? Seems pretty dumb to waste all that te a training ship.”

  Alina frowned. “Who’d be bold enough to attack us? And if it’s just a o, why waste the effort on us?”

  Across the room, Luna remaiill, her gaze fixed ahead. Her fingers occasionally ched into fists before rexing again.

  Alina turoward Drifter. “Drifter, do you have anything to add?”

  He hesitated. This was his first time in aerial bat. The current politidscape, the power struggles between nations—it was all unfamiliar territory to him.

  “No, nothing to add. Thank you,” he said simply.

  Alina nodded. “Alright, that cludes the debrief. Until we receive further information from the hia Defense Fleet, we’ll stay put.”

  As soon as the meeting ended, murmurs filled the room. Some students remained silent, while hed and exaggerated their stories of the battle.

  Jaxon sauntered over to Alina, a smirk on his lips. “Gotta admit, you didn’t do too bad back there. For someone who’s always nagging me, you’re pretty good at keeping up.”

  Alina sighed, her sharp gaze softening slightly. “Your uable methods actually worked to our advantage, I’ll give you that. There’s something to be said for... unventional strategies.” A brief smile flickered across her lips.

  Jaxon chuckled. “Well, well, a pliment from you? Didn’t think I’d live to see the day.”

  Drifter moved through the room, exging nods with familiar faces the trio, Alyssa, Bryan and Eriear the back, he spotted Alma Rosenthal leaning toward Nadia Fernleaf, fidgeting nervously.

  “Nadia... what do you think about that rumor?” Alma asked.

  Nadia stiffened, her face flushing. “What rumor, Alma?” she replied, her voicertain.

  Alma gnced around, l her voice further. “There’s a rumor that they’re... dating.”

  Nadia froze, her cheeks turning pink. She stammered, eyes dropping to the floor. “Maybe...” she murmured hesitantly.

  From his seat, Sloane smirked. “Careful, Alma. If Alina hears that, you’re done for.”

  Lor, always eager to stir trouble, leaned forward with a sly grin. “What if we told her?”

  Alma went pale. “Stop it, you two! Please, don’t tell her!”

  Sensing the rising tension, Reine shifted unfortably. “Uh, guys... maybe we shouldn’t—”

  Lor ughed. “Rex, Rei’s just a joke. This’ll be hirious.”

  At that moment, Alina noticed the group. She approached, her sharp gaze sweeping over them. The teasing immediately stopped. Alma, now crimson with embarrassment, straightened in her seat.

  Alina’s expression remained unreadable, but a faint smile pyed on her lips. “Good work, everyone.” Then, her eyes settled on Alma. “Alma, do you have anything to add?”

  Alma swallowed hard. “No, ma’am... just... thank you. Especially to Mr. Jaxon and Ms. Alina. We... we survived because of you.”

  Loud ughter erupted from Sloane and Lor, urained and full of amusement.

  Reine frowned slightly, his lips pressed into a tight line as he g Alma.

  Alma's cheeks burning, but a small smile tugged at the er of her lips. Nadia let out a quiet chuckle beside her, shoulders trembling with suppressed ughter.

  Alina exhaled. “Well, you’re dismissed. Get some rest. See you ime.”

  As the students began to leave, Drifter offered a few brief farewells before stepping outside.

  Ba the Blue Alcherider, on the way to the academy, he g the book Luna had given him. He turhe pages to find the schedule she had provided.

  Once, his world had been defined by battle—the csh of steel against monstrous threats, the relentless march of the Cataclysmaris. His purpose had been clear: survive, fight, seal the Abyssal Breaches. But this... this was different.

  The threats we faow aren’t just monsters. They aren’t just Cataclysmaris.

  His gaze drifted downward, chest heavy with realization.

  This… teology. I o learn how to use it—to its fullest.

  He exhaled slowly, the thought settling within him like a quiet resolve.