The Villain Professor's Second Chance

As they battled, they became so focused on their individual fights that they didn't notice the subtle maneuvering of their enemies. The muscular man, despite his wounds, kept pushing Sophie back, his sheer strength making it hard for her to counterattack effectively. Sophie's blade bit into his flesh again and again, but he seemed almost immune to pain, his rage fueling his every move.

Sharon, on the other hand, was locked in a deadly dance with the small man. He was quick and agile, his dagger flashing in the dim light. Sharon's wind mana allowed her to move with incredible speed, but the small man's relentless attacks forced her to keep her distance, unable to land a decisive blow.

"Keep your focus, Sharon!" Sophie called out, her voice strained from the effort of parrying the muscular man's powerful strikes.

"I'm trying, my Lady!" Sharon replied, her voice equally strained. She deflected another strike from the small man, then countered with a gust of wind that sent him sprawling. But he quickly regained his footing, a wicked grin on his face.

The two knights found themselves slowly being pushed apart, the muscular man driving Sophie towards one side of the chamber, while the small man forced Sharon towards the opposite side. The realization dawned on Sophie too late; they were being separated deliberately.

"Stay close!" Sophie shouted, but the distance between them was growing. She parried a heavy blow from the muscular man, the force of the impact sending her stumbling back. He pressed his advantage, swinging his fists in a brutal barrage that left her little room to counterattack.

Sharon, meanwhile, was being harried by the small man, his dagger strikes coming faster and faster. She conjured a powerful gust of wind to push him back, but he dodged and closed the distance again, his eyes gleaming with malice.

"Gotcha now!" the small man hissed, lunging at Sharon with his dagger. She barely managed to deflect the blow, but the force of his attack drove her further away from Sophie.

Sophie's eyes flicked towards Sharon, worry creeping into her thoughts. She couldn't afford to lose focus, though. The muscular man was relentless, his attacks powerful and unyielding. She parried another strike, then countered with a swift slash to his leg, hoping to slow him down.

But he barely flinched, his brute strength overcoming the pain. He swung again, a massive fist aimed at Sophie's head. She ducked just in time, the force of the blow whistling past her ear. She retaliated with a powerful ice attack, frost forming on his skin and slowing his movements slightly.

Across the chamber, Sharon was locked in a desperate struggle with the small man. His dagger flashed towards her again, and she deflected it with a gust of wind, then kicked him hard in the chest, sending him flying back. But he was back on his feet in an instant, his agility making him a difficult opponent to pin down.

"Sharon, fall back to me!" Sophie shouted, trying to regroup.

But it was too late. The muscular man saw his chance and lunged at Sophie with all his might. She blocked his attack, but the sheer force drove her back, separating her further from Sharon. The small man took advantage of Sharon's momentary distraction, slashing at her side with his dagger. Sharon gasped in pain, her wind mana faltering for a moment.

"Stay back!" Sharon yelled, summoning a powerful gust that sent the small man sprawling once more. But the distance between her and Sophie was now too great. They were effectively separated, each of them facing their foes alone.

Sophie's heart pounded as she realized the danger of their situation. She needed to finish this quickly and get back to Sharon. She focused all her energy on the muscular man, her ice mana surging around her. With a fierce cry, she launched a powerful ice attack, shards of frost striking the brute and slowing him down.

But before she could press her advantage, Revenant and Selene appeared, their dark magic filling the chamber with a malevolent energy. Revenant's eyes locked onto Sophie, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

"You're all alone now, Lady Icevern," he taunted, his voice dripping with contempt. "And you will die here."

Sophie raised her sword, her eyes blazing with determination. "I'm not afraid of you," she retorted, her voice steady.

Revenant lunged at her, their swords clashing in a shower of sparks. Selene stood back, her hands weaving dark patterns in the air, ready to strike with her sinister magic.

Across the chamber, Sharon was fighting desperately against the small man and the muscular brute, her wind mana swirling around her in a protective barrier. She saw Sophie engaged with Revenant and Selene, and a surge of worry gripped her heart.

"Sophie, be careful!" she shouted, but her voice was drowned out by the sounds of battle.

Sophie and Revenant's duel intensified, their swords clashing with deadly precision. Selene's dark tendrils snaked towards Sophie, but she deflected them with her ice mana, the two opposing forces clashing in a spectacular display of power.

Revenant pressed his attack, his strikes powerful and relentless. Sophie parried each blow, her movements fluid and precise. She struck back whenever she saw an opening, her blade drawing blood from several shallow cuts on Revenant's arms and torso.

But the battle was far from over. Selene's dark magic continued to assault Sophie, forcing her to divide her attention between Revenant's sword and Selene's spells. She could feel the fatigue setting in, her energy draining with each passing moment.

"Sharon, I need you!" Sophie called out, her voice strained.

But Sharon was still engaged in her own fierce battle, unable to break away. The small man and the muscular brute were relentless, their attacks coming faster and harder. Sharon fought back with everything she had, her wind mana giving her the edge she needed to hold her ground.

Sophie realized she was truly on her own. She channeled all her remaining energy, her ice mana surging around her in a final, desperate effort. With a powerful gesture, she unleashed a wave of ice, the freezing air blasting toward Revenant and Selene.

Revenant blocked the attack with his sword, but the force of the blow sent him staggering back. Selene wasn't so lucky. The ice wave struck her with full force, freezing her in place. Her eyes widened in shock and fury as the ice crept up her body, encasing her in a frozen prison.

"No!" Revenant shouted, his voice filled with rage. He lunged at Sophie, his sword swinging in a wide arc. Sophie parried the blow, her blade striking with a force that sent sparks flying.

With Selene incapacitated, Sophie focused all her energy on Revenant. She pressed the attack, her strikes relentless. Revenant fought back with desperation, but he was no match for Sophie's skill and determination.

"Impossible! You're not this strong!" Revenant uttered in desperation.

"Heh! It's just a matter of will," Sophie chuckled. With a beautiful spin, as she crouched down, she gracefully slashed Revenant at his rear, forcing him to shout in pain.

"This is the end of you!" Sophie prepared for a finishing blow, but a sudden shout from Sharon from behind startled her.

"My Lady! Careful! Your back!!"

Sophie ducked to the side, and a dark energy wave went right through where she was standing, hitting Revenant in the face. But he doesn't seem to be hurt by it.

Sophie clicked her tongue.

"I guess you're not so easy to kill. That was... An attack for me but an enchantment for him, huh..." Sophie realizes the bad situation as the dark cloud of mana seems to be healing Revenant's wounds.

"This is not going to be good," Sophie uttered with a wry smile as she saw that a dark wall had appeared, completely separating the place of battle between her and Sharon.

"Revenant. Don't you think if we use her soul and mana, it would strengthen us a lot?" Selene licked her lips with her question.

Revenant nods as an evil smirk appears on his face. "You're right. That makes me want her even more," Revenant's eyes gleamed with a predatory hunger as he stepped closer, while Selene's dark magic swirled around her, preparing for another assault.

Sophie tightened her grip on her sword, her mind racing to find a way out of this predicament. She deflected another of Revenant's strikes, her movements fluid and precise. Her eyes darted towards Selene, calculating the best moment to counter and strike. However, Sophie knew that Selene was already prepared, her magic a constant threat that could overwhelm her at any second.

As Sophie parried a powerful blow from Revenant, she saw her opening. With a fierce determination, she aimed a swift kick at Selene. To her surprise, Selene's dark magic faltered, and she was thrown back by the force of Sophie's attack, slamming into the ground with a grunt of pain.

"What...?" Sophie whispered in disbelief, quickly turning her attention back to Revenant. She barely dodged his retaliatory strike, ducking low and swinging her blade in a powerful arc. The sharp edge sliced through Revenant's arm, severing it cleanly. He screamed in agony, staggering back as blood poured from the wound.

Sophie didn't waste a moment. She moved to press her advantage, but a sudden movement caught her eye. She shifted her gaze and saw a familiar figure standing at the edge of the dark barrier—Maris.

"Maris?" Sophie breathed, her voice filled with shock and confusion. Maris was one of the victims of the Deadly Hollows, her family massacred by the very enemies they were now fighting.

Maris stood there, her eyes burning with a fierce determination. It was clear that she had somehow disrupted Selene's magic, giving Sophie the crucial opening she needed.

"Why are you here...?"