Jax and Drevin moved like two storms colliding—shadow-arrows bursting in volleys, ricocheting bullets rebounding off shattered stone, the air flashing with blue, purple, and white streaks of mana. Every second, Drevin's bowstring snapped back, releasing another wave of splitting shadow arrows, each one chasing Jax like predator teeth. Jax ducked, rolled, fired back with ricocheting blasts that split against the collapsing pillars around them.

"Selene!!" Jax shouted, sliding across the ground to avoid a shadow arrow that drilled into the arena floor.

"On it…!!!"

Selene broke from her clash with Iselde just long enough to whip her wand in Jax's direction. Orange runes spun into existence—fast, clean strokes of magic flowing from her hands like ink across invisible parchment.

Rune Magic – 1st Circle: Vigor Rune.

A small burst of orange light flew into Jax's back, sinking into his aura like a warm pulse.

Rune Magic – 2nd Circle: Fleet Rune.

Another glyph shot forward, wrapping around his limbs with shimmering lines, sharpening his reflexes instantly.

Rune Magic – 3rd Circle: Resolute Emblem.

A cascade of shield-like runes assembled around him, layering over his clothes and forming a glowing runic armor. More runes embedded themselves into the metal of his twin pistols, making their barrels pulse with new force.

Jax blinked—then grinned.

He felt the changes immediately.

His stamina surged, fatigue vanishing.

His movement sharpened into razor-quick speed.

And the runes on his guns—those hummed with potential, strengthening the power of every shot.

"Thanks, Selene! You're the best—!!!"

Selene allowed herself the smallest smile…then refocused on Iselde.

Drevin saw the boost instantly.

"Iselde!!" he called sharply.

Iselde was already acting.

She took a trembling breath, and the glass shards orbiting her tightened like a halo of blades.

Mirrorweaving Magic – 2nd Circle: Splinter Vortex.

The shards exploded forward, swirling into a whirling cyclone of razor-sharp mirrors aimed directly at Jax.

Jax lifted his guns—

but he didn't need to.

Selene's wand was already glowing.

Rune Magic – 2nd Circle: Explosive Runes!

Dozens of volatile runes shot into the air, streaking straight toward the incoming storm of shards—

—then everything went wrong.

Just before the runes collided, the shards froze mid-air…

and fused into a wide, gleaming mirror.

Selene's eyes widened.

"No—! It's—"

Mirrorweaving Magic – 4th Circle: Shifter Mirror!

The runes slammed into the mirror.

They should've exploded.

Instead—

The mirror shimmered.

The explosive glyphs lost their volatility.

And what reflected back was soft, smooth, glowing—

"Healing runes…?" Selene whispered, stunned. "She changed my explosive runes into healing magic…?!"

But Iselde wasn't done.

Sweat dripped down her forehead as she raised both hands to the mirror.

Mirrorweaving Magic – 3rd Circle: Convergent Focus!

The scattered shards curved inward, forming a massive convex lens behind the mirror. The reflected healing runes passed through it…and sharpened into a concentrated beam of warm orange light.

Iselde pointed.

The beam fired straight into Drevin.

He gasped as wounds closed instantly—cuts sealing, bruises fading, mana stabilizing.

Iselde stammered, voice small but steady,

"Y-you'll be healed continuously… for two minutes…!"

Drevin exhaled, eyes sharpening again as he pulled another arrow from his quiver.

"Thanks," he murmured—

and the bowstring tightened with renewed strength.

Drevin moved like a phantom archer born from moonlight and shadow.

Shadowy figures twisted behind him, matching every pull of his bowstring. The warm glow of Iselde's healing beam hovered at his back, shimmering across his skin like liquid starlight. Each pulse of the mirror-converted rune magic mended the cuts on his arms, soothed the bruises forming beneath his armor, and kept his breath steady—sharp, controlled, lethal.

He drew another arrow, its tip swirling with dense shadow energy.

Across the battlefield, Jax grinned.

The runes Selene had cast earlier pulsed through his limbs—

Vigor Rune keeping his stamina from dipping,

Fleet Rune sharpening his instincts and footwork,

Resolute Emblem layering protective glyphs across his clothes and guns.

His twin pistols hummed, barrels glowing faint white as condensed mana surged within.

He fired.

Mana bullets cut through the arena like snapping lightning, each shot sharp and precise, ricocheting off walls and stone debris to chase Drevin from every angle. The ground split where they landed, cracking the stone floor into jagged lines.

Drevin danced through gunfire with razor focus.

His return arrows sliced through the air like whispers from the void—thin, deadly, unpredictable. Jax's enhanced reflexes let him slip between them, skidding across the ground, rolling, sliding, firing back with rapid bursts that turned the battlefield into a storm of clashing projectiles.

One bullet grazed Drevin's cheek.

A thin line of red appeared—

—only for the healing beam behind him to immediately wash over the wound, sealing it shut before the blood could fall.

Jax clicked his tongue.

"Tch. That healer of yours is annoying."

Drevin didn't respond.

He didn't need to.

A heartbeat later, three shadow arrows split mid-flight, turning into a spiral of pursuing projectiles that chased Jax's outline relentlessly. Jax blasted them apart with a rotating volley of ricocheting bullets, sparks and mana shards raining around him.

The two fought like mirrored storms—

Jax, a flashing cyclone of white mana and gunfire,

Drevin, a relentless shadow archer bolstered by constant healing.

Every movement came with intention.

Every attack carried experience.

Every dodge relied on trust—Jax trusting Selene's runes, Drevin relying on Iselde's healing and precision support.

The starry sky above illuminated their clash, turning their duel into a spectacle of light and darkness.

This battle was no longer just about strength.

It was endurance.

It was will.

It was the sharpest strategies both had ever been forced to use.

And neither looked ready to back down.

Drevin sprinted across the arena floor, shadow trailing behind him. His breath steadied, bowstring pulled to its limit as a dense, swirling mass of black mana gathered at the arrowhead.

His eyes narrowed.

Nightstalk Arrow: Shadow Pierce — Full Charge.

The arrow crackled.

He released.

The shadowy projectile cut through the air like a silent reaper—

—only for Drevin to immediately nock another arrow, this one glowing with a deep violet haze.

He fired again.

Across the arena, Jax raised both guns, Selene's runes glowing fiercely across their silver frames. He fired a twin burst, mana bullets meeting the first arrow head-on.

But—

The bullets passed through the arrow as if hitting smoke.

Jax's pupils shrank.

"What—?!"

Nightstalk Arrow: Shadow Assist.

A ghost-walk arrow.

Intangible until it wanted to kill.

And it was flying straight at Selene.

"SELENE—DODGE!!!"

Jax launched himself toward her, firing two explosive bullets into the ground. The shockwave blasted him forward like a rocket, boots skidding across stone.

Selene, still locked in battle with Iselde, tried to summon runes—

But Iselde was already faster.

"Mirrorweaving Magic, Third Circle—Shatterpulse!"

Dozens of razor mirrors burst toward Selene in a violent spiral.

Selene grit her teeth, forced to raise her wand—

"Rune Magic — Third Circle: Runic Shield!"

The orange barrier flared to life, catching the shattering storm—

But left her open.

The shadow arrow was centimeters away.

Jax appeared out of nowhere, arm sweeping up—

He caught the arrow between his fingers.

"Whew—got it—"

"JAX!!" Selene screamed.

He barely turned—

—and the second arrow slammed into his torso.

THUD

Dark energy burst across his runic armor, instantly corroding the glyphs Selene had placed earlier.

Drevin smirked from afar.

Nightstalk Arrow: Shadow Pierce.

Dark element weakens all other elements.

Even runes couldn't fully resist it.

Jax staggered back—

—and then grinned.

Drevin froze.

Why are bullets… behind me?

He turned just in time to feel the impact—

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Bullets struck his back from impossible angles.

The bullets he had deflected earlier… had curved mid-air.

Jax flicked his fingers, a smirk stretching across his face.

Thanks to Selene's enchantments, the bullets shimmered faintly with lingering runes.

Drevin's eyes widened.

"Those bullets… changed direction… again…?!"

Jax raised one gun casually.

"Thanks Selene," he said, smirking, "due to your runes I can control bullet trajectory to some extent?"

Selene exhaled, even while blocking mirror shards.

"Yeah,no problem…"

Jax grinned and says " I even thought of a name..."

Spellshooter's Arsenal: Runic Ricochet Barrage.

The ricochet bullets obeyed Jax's slightest gesture—

dancing in the air like guided missiles—

and slammed into Drevin's defenses again and again.

This was Jax and Selene's combined technique.

Precision from him—

Mana control from her—

Deadly synergy born from trust.

--

Inside Zane's room — outwardly ordinary, inwardly wrapped in a shimmering blue mana barrier — three figures hovered around the massive holographic screens: Zane seated calmly, Eira floating beside him with her tiny holographic mic, and William, the newly born artifact spirit, perched on the edge of the desk with his silver cane.

Multiple screens displayed eight students clashing across the arena.

Zane watched quietly, eyes half-lidded but sharp.

"Hm… Ron's strength is climbing steadily," he murmured. "Iron Pulse is stabilizing him well. He can push more… a lot more."

His gaze slid to Maera next.

"She's no longer bound by Iron Pulse's calmness. She truly made it hers—wild resonance. Not bad… but still not perfect."

Another screen flickered — Lia darting around Col in pink wind blur.

"Lia's building momentum to cover her lower raw power. Her Iron Pulse is also advancing… but she's still wasting unnecessary movement."

He shifted to midnight blue haired half elf girl Selene.

"Good offense, good defense, good support. Balanced. Her cast speed is rising mid-battle. She is also continously using traquil veil and she is advancing in it.."

Col flashed across another monitor, almost vanishing then reappearing behind Lia.

"Col's speed increased a lot thanks to Iron Pulse. His instincts are sharp."

Drevin appeared next — nocking arrows, calm aura steady.

"Drevin's nature suits Iron Pulse… but he overthinks strategy. Costs him precious seconds."

Then the timid green-haired girl, Iselde, conjuring mirrors with trembling hands.

"Iselde… timid, but Mirrorweaving is surprisingly effective against Selene and Jax. Still lacking solidity in Tranquil Veil."

Finally, Zane looked at the wildest screen — Jax flipping mid-air, firing bullets, flicking his fingers to redirect shots while tanking Drevin's shadow arrows.

"And Jax…" Zane smirked faintly. "His Convergent Stillpoint is improving very fast. He is using it right before firing to save stamina. Good."

Eira leaned closer to the screen. "They've all grown quite fast, haven't they?"

Zane didn't answer.

Instead, he glanced toward the small chibi figure sitting on the table.

"William," he asked casually, "how do you feel watching all this? This is your system in action."

William, eyes round and sparkling like a child watching fireworks, gripped his silver-tipped cane and nodded so fast his hat almost fell off.

Eira chuckled. "Looks like he's enjoying it a little too much."

Zane smirked.

"Good. Let's see who wins. This match won't last much longer."

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