"Alicia!" Luis shouted amidst the chaos.
"I know!" Alicia answered sharply.
She launched herself skyward in a single bound, her blade flashing as she spun through the writhing vines. With precision and speed, she sliced through each binding tendril, catching the freed students and pushing them toward safer ground before darting back to cut the next.
Before the vines could regroup, Luis directed. "Seraphina, the vines!"
"Leave it to !" Seraphina didn’t need further explanation and imdiately knew what she had to do.
She raised her hands in the air and made so motions to manipulate the remaining plants and weeds in the area. Before Morthys’ vines could sneak up on more students, her plant wipes erged from the ground and countered them.
Alicia and Seraphina worked in symtry to release the students caught by Morthys and to prevent any from getting caught again.
*ROAR! *
Upon seeing this, Morthys was enraged, and his attacks beca even more deadly.
---
A nervous student facing Morthys’ tail was shocked.
"W-what the...?!" His voice cracked as he stumbled backwards from the impact, shield rattling in his grip. His stomach twisted violently, every instinct screaming at him to run. The sandstorm cut against his skin; the air itself tasted sour due to the poison.
Even with Rura backing them up, he wanted nothing more but to escape.
How can we win this...? That thought devastated him.
When the serpent tail lashed out again, striking the ground where his friend had stood before, he froze.
For a heartbeat, he thought the boy had been swallowed whole.
But no—the brooch flared, and the protective barrier appeared. Keeping the eliminated students from further harm.
Still, his friend collapsed with blood on his lips. Seeing his condition, he was terrified, and his knees buckled. As he lost his will to fight, he was eliminated, and the rescue staff dragged him back.
This wasn’t the only case; many other students lost their will to fight under the disparity of strength between them and their enemy. Hence, were eliminated and taken away by the rescue staff at work.
The professors watching the fight weren’t surprised, as this had been the case every year, but the disappointnt was evident on their faces.
Every professor wants their students to beco elites. But they know it’s impossible. To beco stronger, not only do resources and talent matter. One also needs to have a strong will. Without a conviction to support them, they can never beco truly strong.
To curb their disappointnt, they could only turn their faces and look at the abilities of the true elites among these students. Hoping to see the real future pillars of Alnaur bloom.
Just then, their attention fell on the young prince of the Aiverson Empire.
---
White flas wrapped around his spear as Thomas lunged forward. Vines erupted, aiming for the ankles of nearby warriors.
"Seraphina! Where’s your damn cover?!"
He roared and stabbed down, spear blazing. Fire and root collided, exploding into charred splinters. The recoil numbed his arms, but he snarled and spun, cutting away another.
Seraphina, who already had her hands full covering one area, rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I’m busy. Just deal with them yourself."
"Fuck!"
A vine lashed at his chest—he sidestepped and countered, searing it through. The heat of his fla was keeping the suffocating mist at bay.
Even then, the poison stung his nose, but he pressed forward. "Fine, I’ll deal with it myself."
Though he said so, he was very annoyed at the mont. He wanted nothing more than to launch a wide-area attack, roast these annoying vines and stab his spear at the monster’s eyes.
Unfortunately, he can’t let himself go. If he does that, forget the monster, but the students near him would surely be roasted under the friendly fire.
"Let us help!"
Thomas looked over to see a tigress branch beast kin girl slide over the Morthys’ vines and dodge their attacks with super-fast reflexes, getting close to the monster.
Morthys was already annoyed by the constant attacks harassing it. Noticing the beastkin girl getting closer. It beca angrier and prepared to launch a powerful attack.
Light started accumulating in its mouth as Morthys prepared for a powerful mouth cannon beam.
Luis noticed the situation and shot a Mana Bullet at Morthys’ mouth, disrupting the energy accumulation.
Diana didn’t waste the opportunity presented to her. Her arms bulged, and her huge fist, more than the size of a human head, landed a heavy punch at the Morthys’ tallic face.
"Take this!"
"Jungle Karate! Gorilla Style: Iron Fist!"
*Boom*
With a loud boom, Diana smashed Morthys’ face, as his huge body was pushed back a few ters. Almost halting all his attacks for a mont.
Followed by a buzz-cut boy carrying a huge hamr, emitting steam, who smashed at the monster’s face before it could get back on its feet.
The high-pressure attack threw the monster high in the air before it fell a ter away with a heavy thud.
His powerful attack shocked the students so much that so mages forgot their spell chants.
’Aweso Ben!’ Luis gave his buddy a thumbs-up in his mind.
’Diana, is it...? And that bulky guy...’
Thomas was surprised, but his movents didn’t stop as he rushed at the fallen monster and stabbed with his spear covered in white flas before it could get up.
*Graaww! *
Being stabbed in the eye, the monster growled in pain. When it started bleeding, the powerful heat dried up the blood.
At that mont, Morthys didn’t care about revenge or the harassing attacks. It wanted nothing more than to cool down the burning pain.
And our kind-hearted Alicia fulfilled the monster’s wish.
"Ice Bird!"
Crystal birds streaked down in a storm of glittering shards, striking the Chimaera’s lion face. Frost spread across its tallic cheek, cooling down the burns.
Unfortunately, Morthys wasn’t relieved but fell into an even more agonising pain.
Alicia’s offence didn’t stop at that. Her grip tightened on her sword.
"Not enough." She whispered. Then, she vanished for an instant—Neoxysis Sword Style: Invisible Blade!—and reappeared with a slash across the Chimaera’s shoulder joint. Sparks and frost exploded together, forcing the monster to reel.
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