Aethelos: The Bastard of Light

The explosion was still echoing when the fight between Eli and Layonel truly intensified. · Layonel was no longer smiling the same way. Half of his face was wrapped in controlled flames, his skin glowing with intense heat. His fire aura expanded aggressively, making the air around them tremble. · Eli took a step back, surprised by the sudden change. He had actually forced him to get serious. · From outside the improvised circle, Yana felt a chill. The sight of the flames on Layonel’s face immediately brought back the memory of Wayne. The same kind of overwhelming, oppressive power. · “Eli, be careful!” she shouted. “He’s on another level of power!” · That was when Joseph and Lygar arrived at the scene. · Lygar clenched his teeth the moment he saw the situation. His body was already leaning forward, ready to interfere, when Joseph’s hand settled firmly on his shoulder. · “No,” the director said in a low voice. “Remember what I told you. Don’t be impulsive.” · Lygar stopped cold, jaw locked. · In the center, Eli switched almost entirely to defense. Every attack from Layonel came faster and heavier. Flames licked the ground whenever he advanced. · “Why aren’t you doing anything, Director?!” Lygar growled, without taking his eyes off the fight. · Joseph kept his calm gaze on the two students. · “I’m trying to see their potential.” · Lygar clenched his teeth again… and then, slowly, a small, bitter smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. · Now I understand why he thinks I’m similar to him. · Eli raised both hands and created a Light Shield. The golden barrier shone with effort. Layonel didn’t hesitate. He charged and threw a punch wrapped in black and red flames. · “Charred Punch!” · The shield shattered with a loud crack. Eli was pushed backward, arms trembling. He no longer had the energy to form another one. · On the ground, breathing hard, the memory of Professor Kael’s class flashed through his mind. · He closed his eyes for a second, focused what little aura he had left, and shouted: · “Repulse!” · The wave of energy expanded suddenly and cleanly. Layonel, caught off guard, was launched several meters backward, sliding across the ground until he stopped on his knees. · The audience fell into absolute silence. · Layonel slowly got back up. The smile returned to his flame-marked face. · “Interesting…” · Before he could advance again, an overwhelming presence exploded in the middle of the crowd. · A dense, heavy aura descended over the courtyard like physical pressure. The ground trembled. Several students instinctively stepped back; some even fell. The fight stopped instantly. · Eli, still on the ground, and Layonel, standing, both turned their heads in the same direction. · Joseph Ville Light stood in the center of the crowd, releasing power without any apparent effort. His mere presence was enough to disperse the tension of the battle. · “That’s enough,” he said, his voice low but heard by everyone. · No one dared to protest. · The director’s aura continued to hang in the air for a few more seconds, until the students began to move away in silence, still shaken. · Eli and Layonel remained where they were, breathing hard, while Joseph watched the two of them with the same calm expression as always. · The fight was over. · But the weight of what had been shown… remained.