Without a second of hesitation, Javiera stepped back and raised both hands towards the sky.

Divine Retribution! - Unlike the miracles she asked of her Goddess. This power was inherent to the priest, allowing her to invoke a beam of light over a specific area.

Kaller stood still as the light descended upon him, his body quickly heating up and unable to open his eyes due to the intense brightness; he was being burned in real-time.

Young Kaller began to move to escape the beam of light, but it followed him everywhere, hindering his escape. Additionally, due to the unique properties of the sacred ether type, or so-called "holy" that mesmerized his senses, his ability to replicate emotions was affected, confusing his sense of direction.

Lina glanced sideways at the situation. Kaller was running aimlessly, crashing into branches and trees, like a mouse being hunted.

Camila, the fire mage, constantly bombarded Lina with fireballs and explosions, while Emilia attacked during the intervals, seeking to exploit her defenses.

Lina was injured and coughing blood; the surprise attack had caused internal damage, making it difficult for her to maneuver well. She opted for a defensive approach, shielding herself with wind barriers and neutralizing others with wind blades or wind explosions.

Over there, idiot! - a thunderous shout, enhanced by the ability to control the wind, echoed in the area. Everyone covered their ears due to the rumbling, including Kaller. But thanks to that moment of commotion, he managed to escape the state of confusion and quickly charged towards Javiera, who was getting up.

Stop! - a golden light shot from Javiera's staff and collided with Kaller, who was charging at full speed. It was a debuff of exhaustion, but as a fighter, his speed was only slightly reduced.

BAM.

Kaller extended his right hand and slapped Javiera's chest. Smoke rose from the dark-haired youth's clothes, and his hair began to curl due to the heat, or rather, purification.

AAAAAHHHGGGGG - Javiera let out an anguished scream and was thrown backward, crashing into a tree. Her flow of sacred power was cut off instantly, and she fell unconscious. Kaller had struck her sternum with all the force he had accumulated during the short run. It wasn't a lethal blow, but it did incapacitate the frail wizard.

From the other side, Emilia watched as Kaller emerged from his state of confusion and aimed at Javiera. But when she tried to go to her aid, a fireball hit her from behind. Startled by the sudden attack, she turned to see Camila, her ears bleeding and vision blurry.

Slash.

A wind blade struck Emilia's legs, sending her rolling on the ground. Her face was covered in dirt, and she spat out a clump of mud mixed with blood.

"This is for Tania," Lina said coldly as she watched Emilia with anger.

BOOM.

A wind explosion erupted on Emilia's injured legs, sending her flying in another direction.

Overwhelmed by the pain, she passed out instantly, and no scream of pain escaped her lips. Both her legs were broken. In contrast, Camila lay unconscious, with bleeding ears. In the chaos, when everyone covered their ears, she had silently attacked Camila with a sonic ability, rupturing her eardrums, causing her to lose all sense of balance and equilibrium.

Lina, already powerful before the training, had reached new heights during the camp. Even the higher-ups were surprised by her abilities.

Well done - said Kaller without even glancing at the situation.

Were you expecting any less? - Lina responded, dusting off her uniform, a smug smile appearing on her face.

Let's finish this quickly -

Kaller headed toward Mathias, while Lina moved to support Luis with Bruno.

Whew! It took you long enough! - Mathias, sweaty and panting for air, had small cuts on his arms. He had held up quite well against the three guys; they hadn't landed any solid blows on him.

Leave the hammer guy to me; go for the curly-haired bastard - Mathias nodded in response, and the aura around his body began to intensify at his feet.

BOOM.

A small explosion occurred, leaving a hole in the ground where Mathias had stood. The curly-haired guy dodged to the side, but the target wasn't him.

Hey! - the shady-looking young man exclaimed in surprise as Mathias was engulfed in flames.

BAM BAM BAM.

With just three rapid successive strikes, the young wizard succumbed and fell unconscious. The curly-haired guy frowned and began jumping between the trees, shooting arrows recklessly.

Swoooooooosh...

The arrows whistled through the air but couldn't pierce Mathias's fiery aura and were incinerated as they approached, unable to even touch him. Without the pressure of the hammer-wielding student, Mathias could focus his aura properly on defense instead of agility.

AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGG - the giant hammer-wielding young man went into a frenzy, striking with tremendous force.

Kaller began to dodge the barrage of attacks swiftly, while chunks of earth and logs rained down all around them. The power behind the hammer could knock him out of the fight in an instant if it landed.

THUNDEEER CLAAP - the hammer-wielding young man stomped heavily on the ground with all his weight, swinging the hammer with all his might against the earth.

BAAAAM.

A loud rumble echoed, and huge chunks of earth flew towards Kaller, who tried to dodge them unsuccessfully.

I GOT YOUUUU - the enraged young man shouted as he swung his hammer horizontally in a semi-circle.

Kaller, who had been injured by the debris, lost his balance for a moment, which his opponent quickly took advantage of. The incoming attack was impossible to dodge.

Darkness invaded Kaller's vision, and thousands of vivid colors became clear as water. A constantly moving red, like a volcano erupting, approached dangerously. The emotions of the battlefield were present everywhere and danced rhythmically in conjunction with the battles happening. Kaller was the only spectator of this magnificent performance unfolding before him.

Clank.

A refined and beautifully toned sound traveled along the jungle. The surroundings fell silent for a moment as if they were appreciating this piece of art. The ambient noise had been suppressed and replaced by a melodious sound coming from the clash of blows.

The giant hammer had been diverted upwards by Kaller's right arm at the last second, just before it crashed into his ribs. The young man, who had been in a state of uncontrolled fury, widened his eyes in disbelief at the situation unfolding before him. An attack where he had put all his strength was neutralized as if it were nothing; amazement could be seen in every fiber of his being.

Due to the attack's inertia, his arms followed the trajectory upwards, and his chest was exposed for a moment.

Kaller leaned on the ground with his left arm and kicked the young man's chin, leaving him rigid for a second. Taking advantage of this state of rigidity, he delivered multiple blows to the young man's neck and finished him off with a spinning kick to the chest.

The young man dropped his giant hammer and collapsed backward on the ground. Due to his phase 2 warrior constitution, the injuries on his body reduced to mere bruises and abrasions.

On the other hand, Kaller's right arm was hanging, bleeding profusely; it had been torn apart in that exchange. While he managed to execute the parry, it was at the cost of his arm.

Are you okay? - Mathias asked indifferently, having already dealt with the curly-haired guy; they were just a couple of phase 1 students with no notable abilities, so defeating them was easy.

Yeah... don't worry about me - blood flowed from Kaller's arm as he held it with his other arm while walking towards Lina. His expression was his usual expressionlessness.

As they approached, they found the Rodriguez siblings unconscious, having put up a good fight, but with Lina joining, they were easily overcome, so they were subdued in a matter of seconds.

What now? - Lina asked with a battered body and some damaged organs.

I don't know - Luis replied, sitting on a rock, covered in wounds and torn uniform.

Among the group, only Mathias was in good condition, chatting cheerfully with his companions.

You owe me one - he said with an arrogant demeanor.

Tch... - Lina clicked her tongue, looking in another direction.

I'll remember that, Mathias, and thank you - Luis said politely as he nodded in gratitude.

We'll repay you - Kaller replied. Young Mathias held them in high esteem, seeing them as equals due to their closeness to the reaper; he felt they shared a background and a unique connection, thus a genuine feeling of sincerity emanated from him.

Bruno was silent with Tania unconscious at his feet; the girl was breathing normally, but she still hadn't woken up.

A few minutes passed, and soldiers in military uniforms appeared in the area, carrying the students from both teams and quickly taking them away. They were going to be treated and withdrawn from the exam; both the Deadly Squad and the Shadow Mage Squad, led by Tomas, had been defeated.

Before leaving, one of the soldiers glanced at Lina, who was watching the scene with a bored expression, wandering around. Their eyes met, and the soldier gave her a creepy smile before leaving.

A chill ran down Lina's spine, and her skin prickled; the man, unlike the other soldiers, looked strange, and the smile he showed only intensified the feeling.

The rest of the students were distracted by their own conversations and thoughts, so Lina was the only one who noticed the situation.

"I'll report it when I can," the blonde-haired girl thought to herself. She always trusted her instincts, and that man didn't give her a good vibe.

The night continued silently, and Mathias's group arrived after a while, when the light appeared above the treetops. Mathias sensed that something big was unfolding and decided to join the fray; he was addicted to fighting and loved facing challenges. His group, unable to stop him, let him go; they were sure that if the situation overwhelmed the young Flamegood, he could escape without any problems.

Mathias's companions greeted Kaller and company warmly, showing expressions of utmost respect, especially towards Lina. This young woman was a genius among geniuses, and her popularity only continued to rise rapidly.

Tania, who woke up after a while, was treated by the healer of Mathias's group and managed to get up. However, the pain remained rooted inside her, and for the first time in a long time, she wore a dull smile and empty eyes; her cheerful attitude was nowhere to be found.

The rest of the squad decided not to pry into her affairs and left her alone. The girl needed time to process what had happened and reflect on herself.

Morning came, and Lina had recovered from her internal injuries, as had the rest of the squad. Kaller, on the other hand, was left with sequels, and healing magic wasn't enough; the impact of the blow and his phase 1 physique couldn't handle the power of the giant hammer. So Kaller had his right arm bandaged, and the bandage used had been imbued with healing magic to slowly repair the bones in his arm.