Chapter 237: Desperate Flight
[Sword Academy’s Team.]
"Uh... Isn’t that a weapon? I thought we can’t use weapons!" Ophelia exclaimed, her eyes widened in horror as she looked at the shattered remains of the Kraken. From her perspective as an Earth-born, the rules seemed absolute, and the sight of Nirvana’s bangles looked like a blatant violation.
"Don’t worry about that," Ethan said, casually dusting a layer of fine grit off his shoulder. His voice was calm, the level-headedness of a veteran warrior shining through.
"Those Bangles aren’t Nirvana’s weapons; they are constructs created with her runic skills. In this system, if you manifest it with energy, it’s an ability, not an item. No one has even seen her true weapon—the one she keeps in her soul-bound inventory," Ethan explained. He looked at Ophelia over his shoulder, his gaze sharp. "What about the traps?"
"Oh! Right, I’m almost done!!"
Ophelia quickly snapped back to attention, her fingers dancing over a complex, glowing magic circle hovering inches above the sand. She focused, infusing her residual energies into the runes. The next moment, the Circle shattered into a thousand brilliant light particles, spreading out across the dunes like a pulse of moonlight.
"Phew... All traps in our immediate path have been destroyed," she said, wiping the sweat off her face with her sleeve.
"Seems the Captain didn’t make a mistake choosing you," Andrew said, walking toward them. The fire-wielder’s praise was rare, but her utility in clearing the hazards was undeniable.
"Let’s get going; we are far behind the other academies," Nirvana interrupted. Her voice was cold, her patience for talk already exhausted. She stretched forth her hand, chanting a low, guttural incantation. In a swirl of dark energy, five magnificent black horses appeared before them, their eyes glowing with a faint, ghostly light.
’This is a legendary class summoning spell,’ Ophelia thought in shock, staring at Nirvana’s effortless display of power. ’Nirvana, the second in the Sword Academy’s student ranking board, and also an All-bloodlines... even without the Captain, I know we will win.’
"Let’s go!!" Nirvana commanded, vaulting onto her horse and staring at her group with a slight, impatient frown.
"Right!"
They nodded and quickly mounted their steeds. As the horses began to gallop, Ethan hung back slightly, watching the horses’ hooves struggle momentarily with the loose dunes.
’Why didn’t she summon any other thing? Horses in a desert? What a joke,’ Ethan thought, his mount shifting behind the group. ’Well, at least it will help us close some distance before the heat drains their stamina.’
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[Eagle Academy’s Team.]
WHOOSH!!
Eve stood precariously on the head of a massive white eagle, her cloak whipping in the high-altitude winds. She stared at the horizon where the desert heat finally gave way to a dense, emerald forest.
"Captain, I hate to admit it, but some of us aren’t in any condition to fight," Blade said, struggling to his feet on the eagle’s broad back. His sword was still sheathed, but his movements were stiff from the injuries sustained in the first round.
Eve looked over her shoulder at her battered team and sighed. The first round had been a meat-grinder for them; not only were they all injured, but they had also lost their primary Alchemist to a stray boss attack. She raised her hand, staring at a jagged blade injury on her palm that refused to close.
’Why? At least you should have given us one Healer... the mages here don’t even know how to use healing spells,’ she thought bitterly. She exhaled, refocusing on the green canopy ahead:
"Calm down everyone, the fruits in that forest can restore our spirit energies, and they also have healing properties. We will win this round."
BOOOOM!!
The sudden sound of shifting tectonic plates echoed through the air. The three academies’ students were all momentarily dumbfounded, staring as a gargantuan sandstorm—a wall of grit and spirit energy—rose up and began moving toward them with predatory speed.
"Captain!" Blade called out in shock, seeing that the giant eagle wasn’t slowing down its collision course with the storm.
"Shut up!! We have one task, and that’s to reach that forest!! Mages! This is the time to show your strength... Protection shield!!"
The two mages on the team looked at one another, their faces pale but determined. They stood up, bracing themselves against the eagle’s back, and raised both their hands into the sky.
"Heaven Light Protection!!"
The two yelled in unison. A brilliant white light erupted from their palms, expanding into a translucent dome that enveloped the eagle and everyone on its back, shielding them from the abrasive winds.
"Rune master! Assist them with spirit energy... at least hold on until we are out of this sudden storm," Eve ordered.
"Alright, Captain." Stellar nodded, her fingers tracing a glowing rune in the air. The rune acted as a bridge, transferring her own spirit energy directly into the two mages to bolster the shield.
Eve nodded in satisfaction and turned back to the storm. ’This storm simply appeared out of thin air; there wasn’t even a single sign.’ She lightly shook her head:
’Forget it, we should pass through, then land in the forest... with what Master Keegan told me back at the academy, the finish line is hidden in that forest. We must reach it fast.’
She lowered her gaze, her eyes narrowing. Through the haze of the sand, she saw several figures moving across the dunes with impossible speed, each surrounded by a shimmering golden energy shield.
"Dragon Academy’s Team? How did they... what about the traps?" she asked, turning to Blade.
"I... I also don’t know. Maybe they detected the traps and dodged them, or they killed the two Krakens," Blade suggested, his voice filled with doubt.
"Listen to yourself! Those two Krakens are Lv200 Bosses! They won’t easily go down. Without Mirabella, how are they still this strong?" Eve yelled, the stress of leadership finally fraying her nerves.
"I... I don’t know, Captain."
"Forget it, just keep moving." Eve facepalmed, taking a deep breath to steady herself.
’I thought without Mirabella and Jessica taking part, I could use this opportunity to gain some good points. I didn’t know the rest of the Dragon Academy were monsters too.’ She stared into the heart of the approaching storm and then looked back at her exhausted team.
’Forget it, I should take care of my team rather than clashing with those guys.’ She nodded to herself, her expression softening.
"Keep up the good work. We are entering the storm now... and I’m sorry for yelling at you all."
"....?"
The four team members were momentarily stunned by her apology—Eve was rarely one to show vulnerability. They looked at each other and then smiled warmly, their morale visibly lifting.
"Yes, Captain!!" they shouted in unison as the eagle dived into the wall of sand.