Run.

  This was the first word Levi's instincts sent running through his mind. But as he looked at the man standing in front of him, he wondered, "would we even stand a chance if we ran?"

  "That dude looks ordinary, but what is this energy..." Levi muttered to himself. He looked to his side to see Violet and Kyle shivering.

  Kyle raised his hand up slowly. "Yeah, guys... I don't think there's any getting out of this one in one piece."

  "Making stupid jokes in this situation," Violet chuckled with a nervous smile. "All that bloodlust must be making your brain shiver."

  Levi shook his head and turned back to the man in front of them. He was worried about his friends but after seeing them, he knew he didn't have to worry much.

  But the problem still remained, how exactly were they going to handle this monster standing in front of them.

  He began to rack his brain, analyzing the situation and only one answer came.

  Earlier, Violet had said Garrion still had stamina left and Levi had witnessed enough to know the man was hiding a terrifying ability. Garrion was strong, no doubt. But if he had to fight and protect the rest of them at the same time, the odds would collapse fast.

  He couldn't gauge the new arrival's strength, he wasn't that good with sensing energy yet. After all, he was simply just using a skill he gained from a floating screen that was nowhere to be found now.

  But against this man whose presence was enough to make their throats feel tight and their bodies shiver uncontrollably, the only person who was standing unfazed was Garrion. So Levi knew their best bet for survival at the moment was him and he couldn't afford to doubt it.

  "That guy... His eyes are currently fixed on Mr Garrion," Levi spoke louder this time, eyes fixed on the standoff happening in front of him. "He doesn't care about us..."

  "Yeah, that much is obvious," Kyle responded. "So if we stay still—"

  "Those two are currently heavily injured and exhausted. We need to get them out of here."

  Levi's eyes shifted to Lian and Riley. He had scanned through their injuries and knew they couldn't escape in their current situation. The only solution was to carry them which would be easy if he enhanced his physical capabilities.

  "Wait, what?" Violet was caught off guard by Levi's words.

  "Keep up."

  Before they could say anything else, Levi planted his feet in the ground, dashing forward. Towards Lian and Riley.

  "What the hell?!" Violet exclaimed. "What's that idiot thinking!"

  "And then he complains when we do it..." Kyle clenched his teeth, preparing to dash after Levi.

  The fastest way to get to Levi's targets was to move in a straight line, which would involve dashing right past the middle of Garrion and the new arrival. A sure death zone. It was an action even 'risky' couldn't begin to describe.

  But Levi didn’t hesitate.

  On the surface, he always looked like the cautious one of the trio—the analyst, the skeptic. But that was a lie. Levi wasn’t cautious. He was worse.

  Where Violet and Kyle dived into danger on instinct, Levi did it with full awareness. He calculated every risk, weighed every chance of death, and still chose the path that promised the slimmest chance of victory.

  He didn’t run from danger. He saw it. He measured it.

  And then, he sprinted straight into its jaws.

  "If I measure the distance correctly, they should be about 1.6 - 1.8 kilometers away from me," Levi's mind raced as he moved. "At my current speed, it should take about 4 or 5 seconds for me to cover that."

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  He arrived in the death zone he had sighted earlier and it felt like time slowed down for him. He glanced at the man facing Garrion and saw his eyes tilt towards his direction and smile.

  At that moment, his heart surged with panic, but he didn't stop moving. He simply hoped his deduction would be right and continued towards his goal.

  Then he saw the man's lips move. "So you're the second target he spoke of... How interesting..."

  He skidded to a stop where Lian and Riley were laying and immediately lifted Lian, gasping for air from the frantic surge he just experienced.

  "Second target? What did he mean by that?"

  "Act fast dumbass..." Kyle's voice came from behind.

  Levi turned to see Kyle lifting Riley and Violet right beside him, both covered in sweat and breathing heavily. He was too focused earlier to notice them following him.

  “Kyle—! You—”

  “Save it,” Kyle snapped, his voice strained but firm. “Move. Right now, less talky, more runny.”

  Violet gripped Levi’s sleeve with trembling fingers. Her eyes were clouded with exhaustion.

  “Don’t… waste time. Head… that way.” She lifted a shaky arm, to her left. “I can… sense them. The others. Principal Layla’s there too. I think that's the Island's coast.”

  Levi exchanged a glance with Kyle.

  “Fine,” Levi muttered, adjusting Lian’s weight in his arms. “Let’s go.”

  Kyle nodded, tightening his grip on Riley and Violet. “Stay sharp. If that bastard changes his mind, we are so gone..."

  They continued to run, heading in the direction Violet pointed in. Branches whipping against their arms and faces as they followed the direction but they didn't care at the moment, they were just relieved they'd left their previous location.

  Levi exhaled, almost like a sigh of relief, “Well… that was nerve-wracking.”

  “Tell me about it,” Kyle muttered, still clutching Riley’s body in his arms.

  Violet shot Levi a glare like a pointed blade. “You idiot! What if you died back there? Why the hell would you do something that reckless?”

  "Well at least it worked out in the end..." Levi replied, smiling nervously.

  “Unbelievable,” Violet hissed, shaking her head, though the relief in her eyes betrayed the harshness of her words. She knew if it wasn't for that risk, they'd still be there by now.

  They pressed on, feet slamming against the dirt path, when suddenly a voice echoed faintly from Levi’s arms.

  “You can put me down now…”

  Levi nearly stumbled.

  All three of them slid to a stop. They were shocked. Wasn't Lian just unconscious moments ago?

  Levi lowered his arms carefully, setting Lian on her feet. She took in a sharp breath and exhaled heavily, color slowly returning to her pale face.

  “You've… tried enough. Thank you,” she said, brushing a lock of damp hair from her forehead. "I'm done healing myself."

  “We don’t have time to waste running. We need to get there fast.”

  "Uhm... I get the situation but why do I feel like you're talking about something else Miss Lian?" Kyle asked.

  Lian's gaze remained fixed on the cracked part of the barrier. "We have to take advantage of that quick."

  “If I’m being honest… I don’t think Garrion can win that fight.”

  Their mouths parted slightly in surprise. Garrion was ranked 2A. One of the strongest Sentinels that could be seen. Hearing his name in a sentence that involved losing was something they never imagined.

  Even Violet’s expression faltered, the disbelief clear in her eyes.

  Lian finally turned back to them. “Hold on to me. All of you.”

  They hesitated for just a second before complying. Levi placed his hand on her shoulder. Violet grabbed her other arm. Kyle still holding Riley, shifted closer.

  Lian reached forward, gently taking Riley from Kyle's arms.

  In an instant, they found themselves in a different location. The salty wind was the first element that informed them they were now on the Island's coast. They look to the side, seeing the other students gathered within a barrier.

  This was another skill Lian had in her arsenal. Teleportation.

  Before they could settle fully, Layla ran up to them breathing heavily.

  "Layla... The situation is—"

  "I'm well aware, Lian." She cut Lian off, her voice filled with urgency.

  She turned her gaze to Violet and Levi who were staring at her in confusion. "Anyone with a phone?" she asked.

  "I... I think I do," Violet replied.

  She brought a smart phone out of her jacket's pocket and tossed it towards Layla. The screen was cracked from the different impacts she had experienced but was still functioning.

  Layla caught the phone, immediately entered a number, and dialed it.

  "You've reached the Sentinel emergency center, what's your emergency?" a female voice spoke behind the phone.

  "I don't have time for fucking formalities right now."

  "Listen to me, this is Layla. Rakuzan is being attacked by a deadly A rank threat." Layla replied, her tone filled with a sense of urgency.

  "What?" The lady replied in shock.

  "Layla?"

  "What's the current situation?"

  "I don't have time to explain, but you need to remove the seal," Layla replied.

  "Layla..." The lady replied, hesitating to speak.

  "I can't just make that decision without getting a vivid view of the current situation..."

  "Even if I do, you know the level of restrictions—"

  "I know you guys are strict with your rules," Layla interrupted, her voice rising. "But tell me, are you ready to take responsibility for the lives of every single individual here?!"

  "Everyone is going to die!"

  "Including him!"

  The lady remained silent. Layla waited for some minutes without getting a reply.

  "Arrgh!" She dropped the phone in frustration.

  Levi and his group didn't understand what was going on. They stared at her as she fell to her knees, looking down.

  Suddenly she heard the lady's voice and raised her head. She rushed to raise the phone to her ear.

  "Grade one incoming..."