The goatman charged forward on all fours, galloping toward the center of the students’ formation with terrifying montum.
"BAAAA!"
A black, shadow-like mist billowed behind it, leaving a trail of rumble and destruction in its wake. Just as it was about to plow into the front line of students, a flash of lightning split the fog, materializing directly in its path.
BANG!
Bradford, wreathed in crackling energy, t the charge head-on. The impact sent him skidding back almost a dozen ters, his boots carving deep furrows into the soil. He’d stopped the charge, but just barely.
"BAAAAHHH!"
The goatman reared onto its hind legs, unleashing a wild, piercing bleat at the sky—a sound that deepened and distorted, warping into the guttural, twisted cry of a man. The eerie noise sent shivers down the spines of everyone watching, both in the stadium and on the field.
Thick, black fog continued to spew from its body, spreading rapidly and blanketing the forest in an unnatural twilight.
"Don’t get trapped in the fog!" Kate’s voice cut through the confusion and terror, sharp and commanding.
Her warning gave the students just enough clarity to scramble backward, creating a gap of more than thirty ters around the creature. The goatman stood alone at the center, fog dripping from its form like oily rain.
"The fog induces sensory deprivation! If you get caught in it, consider yourself disqualified!" Kate shouted.
As the words left her mouth, the goatman’s rotating eyes snapped directly toward her. It had found its prey.
"Shit—!"
Whoosh!
In less than a second, it closed the distance between them. Its massive arm swung down in a devastating arc aid directly at her head.
Kate felt the wind pressure crushing down on her. Too late to dodge, she hurriedly raised her sword to parry.
BOOM!
The ground cratered under her feet. Her knees buckled from the sheer force of the blow. Gritting her teeth, she poured mana into her blade, the edge biting deep into the goatman’s palm.
But instead of recoiling, the creature tightened its grip on her sword, trapping her.
’Not good!’
The goatman raised its free hand, poised to strike her from the side.
She was pinned. If she let go of her sword, its other hand would crush her. If she held on, she’d take the full blow.
She braced herself, mana flaring defensively—when suddenly, the air crackled and the hair on her arms stood on end.
Zoom!
Bradford materialized in a streak of lightning beside the goatman, his sword already in motion.
Boom!
The mont his blade connected with the creature’s side, a deafening explosion of light and thunder erupted, throwing the beast sideways with a shower of sparks and a pained roar.
"RAA!"
Almost simultaneously, a gust of wind announced Bramble’s arrival behind Kate. In one smooth motion, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her back.
A heartbeat later, she found herself dozens of ters away, safely clear of the imdiate danger.
"You okay?" Bramble asked, his usual smirk absent, his gaze fixed on the goatman, which was already recovering, its attention now fully on Bradford.
Sylph rushed to her side, hands already glowing, but Kate raised a hand.
"I’m fine. Save your energy." Kate groaned, pushing herself upright. Her limbs trembled from the impact, but she could feel her natural physique already working to steady her.
Sylph still looked worried but didn’t insist. She was indeed nearing her limit after healing so many in rapid succession.
"Sylph, do you have enough energy for one more buff?" Kate asked.
"I-I think so."
"Give everything you can to Bradford, Allen, and . After that, conserve the rest. Only heal if it’s critical."
"U-Understood!" Sylph hardened her expression, drawing on her remaining power.
Faint specks of light drifted from her form, settling over Kate, Bradford, and Allen. Almost imdiately, Kate felt her physical attributes surge by at least twenty percent.
Clenching her fist, she felt imnse new strength flowing through her. Combined with her astral mana enhancent...
Her eyes sharpened. She turned toward the remaining students gathered near Bradford’s ongoing duel with the goatman.
The fog was still spreading. They were running out of ti.
"Prepare to disengage!" Her voice rang out, clear and authoritative. "Everyone below Martial Warrior rank—fall back and rush the castle now!"
"Connor, Fiona, Allen! The three of you will lead the charge!"
"Huh?" Allen looked over, startled to hear his na called, but caught Kate’s glance and understood imdiately.
Without another word, he began rallying the others.
"Alright, everyone! This is the final push! It’s all or nothing from here on out!"
Connor and Fiona quickly joined in.
"Heh, we can’t let our parents in the crowd down, now can we?" Fiona called out, though her own thoughts were clearly on her family watching from the stands.
"Not just our parents—the whole world is watching, you know?" Connor added, a sharp smirk on his face.
The reminder that this was being broadcast live lit a fire in the students’ eyes. Failure here wouldn’t just an elimination—it would be public. Thinking about the kind of fa they could earn from surviving this brutal exam, so grew even more excited while others focused more on the negative. If they were to fall on live tv, just imagining the humiliation...
So students gaze grew more determined to survive the exam more so than ever before.
With the group rallied, they quickly ford up and left. No one looked back at those staying behind.
"Sylph, you should go with them. You’ll be more helpful there than here," Kate said, astral mana already igniting along the edge of her blade.
"Mhm." Sylph nodded, her flashing with worry. "Be careful."
In the next mont, she spread her wings before lifting off, already flying off to join the retreating group. On her way though, she couldn’t help but look back to take one last look at Bradford’s figure trapped in the fog.
Soon, only three remained: Kate, Bramble, and Bradford, who was still locked in a fierce, lightning-lit exchange with the goatman.
Kate stared into the dark fog that had now fully enveloped them. Occasional bursts of blue electricity flared within, like thunder hidden behind storm clouds.
Bramble stood calmly beside her, wings unfurled, arms clasped behind his back.
"You prepared to provide backup?"
"Naturally, Miss Kate. I shall support you both to the best of my abilities."
Hearing his reply, Kate brought her sword into a two-handed grip and lowered her stance. Astral mana flared down the blade, extending it into a brilliant longsword of pure starlight.
Bramble lifted gracefully into the air, hovering above the fray.
Staring into the abyssal darkness, Kate’s eyes glowed violet as the mana in her blade reached a critical peak.
Without hesitation, she swung forward—a single, decisive cut that tore through the void and lit the darkened world in a cataclysmic explosion of light.
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