The Extra's Transcension-Chapter 108: Elf [6]

***

Ren sprinted across the academy grounds, his breath sharp and uneven.

The evening air stung his lungs, and the faint taste of smoke lingered on his tongue.

The once serene campus was now blanketed in dust and crackling embers.

Broken mana lights flickered weakly along the pathways, struggling to stay alive as faint wisps of arcane energy danced around the shattered tiles.

He could still hear the echo of the explosion,

a haunting, rolling sound that refused to fade.

Every step he took closer made his chest tighten.

As he turned a corner, the full sight of the devastation came into view.

The courtyard was ruined, a wide crater tore through the center, its edges still glowing with traces of blue mana.

The air shimmered faintly from heat, and the scent of burned stone filled his nose.

Debris was scattered everywhere, from shattered bricks to fragments of barrier runes that still sparked faintly before dying out.

Ren slowed his pace, eyes darting around.

"Rihana…"

He muttered, his voice barely audible against the low hum of residual mana.

He could sense it, her aura, faint but distinct, tangled with something else… something far stronger.

Then, amid the haze, he saw movement.

A dark silhouette, standing motionless in the heart of the ruined yard.

Ren froze, his throat going dry.

"…No way…"

"...."

He then charged up his mana, his fire element igniting like a furnace from within.

The ground beneath his feet shimmered from the heat as crimson flames coiled up his arms, flickering wildly in the dark smoke-filled air.

His eyes sharpened, every muscle tense.

"Who are you…"

He muttered, his voice low, cautious, eyes narrowing at the approaching silhouette.

The shadow didn't reply.

It just kept walking closer, slow, deliberate steps echoing through the debris-strewn courtyard.

Ren clenched his fist tighter as sparks of flame danced around him.

"I said, who are you! Don't come closer!"

Still, no response.

Only the faint sound of the wind brushing against the ruins and the lingering crackle of mana.

"Tch…"

Ren clicked his tongue, his heartbeat quickening.

"I've got no choice, huh?"

With that, he launched himself forward, a trail of fire bursting behind him as he swung his fist.

The heat distorted the air itself…!

"Hey, dumbass!"

"....!"

Ren froze midair, his eyes widening.

That voice, he knew it instantly.

He landed roughly, stumbling a bit as the fire around his arm dimmed.

"…Sis Rihana?"

He said, disbelief coloring his tone.

As the smoke thinned, Rihana stepped out from the haze.

Her hair was slightly disheveled, her uniform singed at the sleeves, but her composure, sharp, cold, unmistakably her, remained untouched.

A faint burn mark ran along her right arm, but her eyes still carried that piercing calm that Ren always found intimidating.

"What the hell are you doing, Ren?"

She asked flatly, brushing off a layer of ash from her shoulder.

Her tone wasn't angry, just… exhausted, like someone who didn't have the energy left to scold.

Ren froze awkwardly, scratching his cheek.

"Uh… I thought you were, you know, one of those things. A Mana sage Beast or something that came out of the explosion."

Her brow twitched.

"A Mana Beast?"

She repeated.

"Does this mana beast happen to look like me, walk like me, and shout at you in perfect Common Tongue?"

Ren opened his mouth, then shut it again.

"…I mean, the smoke was thick, and your mana felt weird, so…"

"So your first instinct,"

She interrupted, stepping closer,

"Was to throw a flaming punch at an unknown entity in the middle of an unstable mana field?"

Ren grinned nervously, backing up half a step.

"Heh… well, when you say it like that, it sounds bad."

"It is bad."

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Honestly, do you ever stop to think before you burn something down?"

Ren crossed his arms defensively.

"Hey, I was just trying to help! You could've at least shouted before sneaking up on me like that!"

Rihana gave him a sideways glare.

"Sneaking up? I was walking straight toward you. You were too busy charging up like a lunatic to notice."

Ren exhaled and muttered under his breath,

"Still could've said something…"

"What was that?"

"Nothing! I said it's… good to see you're fine,"

He quickly covered, his tone softening

For a second, Rihana's eyes softened too…barely noticeable, but it was there.

"...I'm fine,"

She said, her voice quieter now.

"But this isn't over yet. You shouldn't have come here."

Ren's expression hardened slightly, his earlier panic replaced with determination.

"Like hell I'd sit back while you're out here alone, Sis."

Rihana looked at him for a long moment, her expression unreadable.

Then she sighed.

"You're impossible."

Ren smirked faintly.

"Yeah, but you like me that way."

She rolled her eyes.

"Keep talking and I'll punch you harder than you almost punched me."

Ren chuckled lightly, his flames fading completely as the air grew quiet again.

Boom—!

"...!"

A deafening roar echoed from behind them, shaking the broken glass and debris scattered across the academy courtyard.

The ground rumbled beneath their feet, and a wave of heat brushed against their backs.

Ren immediately turned around, his eyes widening.

"Yeah, it isn't over…"

He muttered, tightening his fists again, the embers of mana reigniting faintly along his arms.

Then he glanced at Rihana, confusion and worry mixed in his voice.

"But what caused this explosion though? What the hell is even happening here?"

Rihana's gaze flicked toward the source of the blast, smoke rising from the western wing of the academy, faint sparks of mana still flickering in the air.

Her tone was steady, but the tension in her voice betrayed how serious it was.

"I was already on my way to check the first explosion,"

She said, flexing her burned hand slightly, her expression tightening at the sight of it.

"But before I even reached the main hall, I was caught in the blast from another one. It hit me head-on."

Ren frowned.

"Wait, another explosion? You mean there were two?"

She nodded, her eyes still fixed on the smoke in the distance.

"Yeah. That second one came out of nowhere,

no magical core, no warning signs. Just… raw energy detonating."

She lifted her right arm, showing him the blackened sleeve and faintly glowing burn along her skin.

"If I hadn't shielded myself in time with mana, I'd have been ashes by now."

Ren's eyes widened as he looked at the burn mark, faint traces of mana still flickered around it, proof that the explosion wasn't ordinary.

"That… doesn't look like a normal blast,"

He muttered.

"That's not even elemental."

"I know,"

Rihana said sharply, lowering her arm.

"That's what makes it worse. This wasn't caused by any spell or artifact I know. It felt… chaotic, unstable, like it was bending mana itself."

Ren's expression darkened.

"Then whoever caused it… isn't human."

Rihana didn't respond immediately.

Her silence said more than words ever could.

The only sound between them was the distant crackling of fire, the echo of destruction still hanging heavy in the air.

Finally, she said quietly,

"Whatever it is, it's still out there. So stay sharp, Ren. This isn't over yet."

Ren nodded, eyes firm, the flames in his hand flickering to life again.

"Yeah,"

Then both of them ran toward the explosion, their feet pounding against the cracked marble tiles of the academy courtyard.

Smoke coiled through the air like living shadows, choking the sky in a dull gray haze.

The faint scent of burnt mana crystals stung their noses as they pushed forward, the ground beneath them still trembling from the blast.

Ren's breathing was heavy but steady, fire still faintly flickering around his hands like restless serpents.

He wasn't sure what they were running into, but the silence that followed the explosion was louder than any noise.

"Stay behind me,"

Rihana ordered, her tone sharp but calm.

The air around her shimmered faintly with condensed mana, invisible but powerful, ready to shield or strike at a moment's notice.

As they reached the outer yard, the aftermath came into view, broken walls, shattered barrier seals, and scorch marks across the ground.

The force of the explosion had left a crater several meters wide, debris scattered everywhere like bones after a massacre.

Ren clenched his fists tighter.

"What the hell happened here…"

Before Rihana could answer, movement flickered through the smoke.

A faint silhouette, humanoid, tall, and light on its feet, darted across the ruined field.

Its outline was almost graceful, its steps soundless even over the rubble.

"Wait… ! Someone's there!"

Ren shouted, igniting his flames again as he dashed forward.

"Ren! Don't rush in!"

Rihana barked, but he was already halfway across the field.

The smoke thinned for a brief second, just long enough for Ren to see it clearly.

Long silver hair that caught the dim light like strands of moonlight.

Ears sharp and pointed.

The figure turned for a split second, revealing faintly luminous eyes, not human eyes, but ones that glowed like polished gems.

An elf.

Ren froze mid-stride, his flames flickering uncertainly.

"What the, an elf?!"

But before he could take another step, the figure blurred, vanishing like mist caught in the wind.

A faint shimmer rippled where it stood, the only trace of mana left behind.

Rihana caught up beside him, her eyes scanning the lingering energy.

"That wasn't teleportation…"

She muttered, her expression tense.

"That was a distortion. Someone who can manipulate space."

"Someone who has the Space Element."

Ren gritted his teeth, frustration boiling in his voice.

"So what the hell were they doing here? No one's supposed to be able to breach the academy barriers, not unless…"

Rihana Continued…

"…They had help from inside,"