No matter how intense the fights were in each area, no one could sense another person from afar.
It was due to interference magic emulated within the school. Yet even so, yells and battlecries lingered throughout every inch, as relentless attacks from the summoned monsters continued to drain everyone.
"Eat this you curly toed weirdos!" A young lady in one of the battle-ridden areas shouted.
She emitted the strongest aura, all the while fiercely striking three hobgoblins with her metal shield.
That young martial artist was the same upperclassman that defeated Rizaul Kekoy just the day before.
To her back was Lesjon, skillfully combatting a group of mindless tethered mimics. Their fluid bodies morphed together, trying to turn into gruesome creatures yet that still was not enough.
"Senpai, this next one's the last of them." He called out upon unleashing his mana on the mimics and then pointing elsewhere.
As the shapeshifting creatures began falling to the ground lifelessly, Lesjon braced himself and watched the new large figure, snarling and approaching their direction.
"Awakened orc, huh..." The female martial artist brimming with vitality said.
Upon blowing away strands of the long blonde hair that covered half of her face, she smiled and allowed her aura to flow to her chains.
It was then when the orc charged at her with blood red eyes, yet at the same time her weapon's final form presented itself.
'...It really is like a mace.' Lesjon thought in marvel. He could only step back and recognize the massive weapon, afterall, its full potential was often used to the fullest by its wielder.
Barely any time had passed when they moved on to a new location, as the young lady's prowess was leagues above the orc's.
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.
.
"Princess! Six to your left!" Septh's armor shined as he fought against the horde of tamed slarky.
Although those mobs were known as erratic and often treacherous, the razor barbed creatures were synchronized in their movements, even collectively changing direction to disembowel all in their path.
Most of the students and civilians who were unable to fight had flocked to the campus' center, as it was where they were instructed to go in the event of an emergency.
Yet what greeted them were fearsome slarky, moving in a way that far exceeded their usual behaviors.
Had it not been for the princess, Septh, and the others, they would have been eaten by those carnivorous mobs.
Nonetheless, it was still the safest place to be in at that moment.
Utua, who possessed the blood of the esteemed Taglagas, knew the gravity of the situation and made no mistake of underestimating it.
Her usual graceful appearance was now left with sweat forming on her nape. The usual elegance of the princess was now paired with tattered clothes from the battles she fought.
'This level of taming...it's horrifying.' She thought before swiftfully incapacitating the beasts around her.
Her weapon of choice, a whip coated with her aura made from elven leaves and trunks that boasted its flexibility and range.
"Septh! Eight are running at the freshmen!" Utua yelled out in frustration.
In response, Septh then turned and forced his attention on the eight slarky.
His quarterstaff began emitting his chaotic aura that with a right handed swing, managed to to get all eight at once.
They were all doing good but were surprised to suddenly see their success threatened in one instance.
"NO!" One of the students who was managing the right side cried out as an awakened monster broke through their line of defense; endangering the young students who were part of the scholarly department who had no means of fending for themselves.
As a result they could only hold onto one another and scream at the merciless Slarkar, an awakened slarky.
"Ahhh!!!"
Septh tried to leap with his quarterstaff but judging by the distance he knew he still wouldn't make it.
Yet it was like all their roars were answered, as out of nowhere, a long chain coated in aura wrapped the beasts, all before viciously tugging the Slarkar and other screeching slarkins away.
"The audacity to come after the freshmen!" Said the young lady whose long bright hair flew as she gritted her teeth in anger.
She had thrown the Slarkar by the force of her shield at the wall next to her. In response, the awakened monster writhed in pain all the whilst trying to break the chains loose.
Yet it was of no use as in one loud rush of movement, the young martial artist lifted her spiked shield, just before dropping it onto the beasts.
Lesjon smirked, slightly fearing the prospect of making an enemy of his senior.
'I better do my job then.' Upon his words, the rest of the monsters suddenly slowed in movement and began to twitch from paralysis.
This was Lesjon's doing as he had quickly directed his thunder across the monsters and allowed Septh to slay all who had become immobile. Thus clearing the campus' center once and for all.
Grateful cries from the helpless filled the air, and amid it, the joyous shout of a princess stood out among the rest of them.
"Thank Aurora, you're both okay!!!" Utua with no hint of apprehension ran up to them and gave them a hug.
"Please--- tell me the rest of the classes are fine. And where's Wendy, Casper and Aive?!"
Immense worry was on her face as she turned to the long-haired girl and Lesjon for answers.
To ease her worry Lesjon gave a nod and proceeded to say,
"They're both okay. Right now I believe they're keeping two of Naell's friends safe while Aive went with the teacher."
Affirming his statement, the other young lady also responded,
"Yes... I may not be sure about the other classes Pres' but I won't let anything happen to them."
This earned the two of them a smile from the smaller princess.
"Hahhh...Thank goodness..." She said in a meek voice filled with relief. Her cheeks were flushed from fatigue and past frustration, yet she was genuinely happy to hear they were okay.
Both Lesjon and his senior watched the princess in surprise, as that was the first time she seemed to have dropped her facade in front of them.
'Princess is a good person.' They both unanimously thought.
From behind Utua, Septh walked up to them with envy. He was covered in dirt and sweat, yet he in no way seemed tired as he playfully pleaded,
"What about my thanks..."
Lesjon didn't let that chance go by as he teased his friend immediately.
"So tired that you need one?"
"Maybe, you could've gotten here sooner Les." Septh said before chuckling,
"Seriously though, they really need help in the other dormitory. Utua felt the headmaster's mana blaring with another monster for a split second."
"I also sense where the interference magic's coming from." Utua added on before whispering,
"...Four perpetrators, the wind's showing me that it leads to four powerful people."
"..."
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"Arts get ready!!" Shouted out Suna as he clung to one of U'los' hectically flailing heads.
With great force, he was being flung in the air, yet his long sword continued to glow down to the hilt, unleashing aura wherever he stabbed.
Assisting them was Aive Noeadia; her fortified fans were gracefully redirecting and parrying the heads that charged at those around her.
Opposite to her was the adventurer Cleave, who shot aura at U'los everytime the monster would redirect his gaze unto the mages.
Some distance away was Mony and several other mages, muttering while holding their wands, staffs, and canes.
By the time they all looked up from finishing their chants, Mony glanced onto Earlteria for approval before shouting onto the rest of them,
"Spells ready!"
Each erratic head was then faced against several adventurers.
"A new head is sprouting!"
U'los then roared and laughed as the new head stretched and revealed itself,
"You're all lucky as it's not my mission to kill you all." Pridefully he snarled at the adventurers who were trying to restrain his movement.
Then one of its many heads rose above the rest. It then began blowing a circle of flames which momentarily forced the adventurers away.
Luckily, the quick response of the mages countered those flames using both water and wind, causing that one head to seemingly die and preventing the fire from getting bigger.
Yet no one noticed U'los' unusual smirk. As the battle scene only grew foggier, the desperation in each who fought grew all the same.
[ ...Keep using your magic to restrain the heads' movement. ]
By the time Ulos' legs and necks were restrained by countless spells, the martial artists gathered around one head each and waited for Suna's voice,
"Now!"
In one fell swoop, all the aura wielders sliced each head off in a manner similar to that of a public execution. Suna did the same before landing on the ground with the kraken head in hand.
Yet among them, one had lagged behind and slayed the head a second later than the others. As a result, a fog of kraken blood began to lift from every severed part, and a large mist of new heads slowly began to form.
Eight sliced heads was about to result in many more, all because of one mistake.
"I'm sorry!" Cried out the one who made the mistake.
Yet far from being troubled, the remaining martial artists made a chain out of their aura, while the mages continued blaring their mana.
Standing in front of them all emitting the strongest mana was Earlteria Gem.
In the very instant when the mist of blood began to take shape, mages shot their mana allowing their magic to be inserted into the forming heads.
By the time U'los' flesh regenerated and formed around the particles of blood, it had also covered and coated the elemental pools of magic.
In response to this, Earlteria's serene mana brightened. Pointing her hands towards U'los, the collective mana inside him bursted and pierced through its scales.
[ Blood Diamond... ]
Most knew what the spell was called, as after obtaining mana, a velvet diamond like stone would form around her before dispersing.
Finally, the Kraken fell and the tired adventurers heaved and huffed in relief.
"Pheeew...Glad that's over with." Said Suna upon wiping the sweat off his forehead. Mony looked at the corpse before laughing slightly,
"I'm surprised it didn't give us final words, given he ran his mouth when he first got here---"
Yet before her smile could last any longer, Earlteria interjected,
"That's merely because it's a decoy."
"..."
"Principal...What makes you say that?" Suna asked hesitantly as he approached the alleged decoy and examined it up close.
Earlteria remained quiet as she began to grow deep in thought. In truth, she felt a subtle decrease in U'los strength during his sudden fire breathing.
Yet as the interference magic made her detection seem muddled, his escape was left unnoticed.
Upon squatting near the corpse, Suna grasped his sword and turned one of the severed necks towards his direction.
"Its organs are missing..." He finally said upon seeing the emptiness.
As a soldier heard him, he planted his armored foot on the Kraken's stomach, revealing how it deflated with little to no resistance.
Gasps of concern spread among those who just witnessed U'los' defeat, yet the people they had saved didn't see this and continued to celebrate their victory far behind them.
'How did it move earlier with its usual ferocity?'
"It had so much strength with just a fraction of his mana and blood."
'The rook of Lucile...Just how much stronger is the real deal?'
All of them had similar thoughts which made the atmosphere heavier around its fake corpse. Yet every adventurer within the vicinity tried their best to mask their worry as they turned to reassure those they had just saved.
Fortunately, it was then when youthful voices drew Earlteria and the others' attention away from the beast that had escaped.
"Headmistress Gem, it's Rumi and Lesjon!" Aive yelled out happily as she ran to them in relief.
Upon a wholesome reunion (and an unwavering one from Lesjon), all three approached Earlteria.
"Greetings Headmaster."
"Afternoon Ma'am!"
If her years of being an educator taught her anything, it was that the synergy between two different people was often greater than the synergy of the similar; and there lo' and behold was the former.
A beaming young lady carrying a blunt immoble weapon, and a young man with a blank expression that deals energetic yet fierce attacks.
"I'm so pleased you're both well." Smiled Earlteria genuinely before lightly patting both of their heads.
Rumi's gaze softened as she replied how she very much thought likewise. Yet almost no time passed when her gaze drifted onto the slain kraken. As her eyes widened, she gave a stifled laugh,
"To think they said you might need assistance! Seems we're the only ones that need help Ma'am."
"Indeed."
Deeply hating small talk, Lesjon then telepathically conveyed (to those who knew the family secret) where Utua sensed the location of the perpetrators and how they needed reinforcements to fight them.
"Praises to the bloodline of Taglagas~"
Said Earlteria, happily earning some sighs and nods. She then added on,
"Then Miss Noeadia, this young man, and I, will accompany you both." Earlteria said while pointing at Cleave behind her when she said "young man".
Cleave, who was busy staring at the sky, fortunately managed to hear her. He then turned to them in confusion as he pointed to himself in a questioning manner.
With that they all left Suna and Mony to lead and protect those within the vicinity from any harm.
*******
Volume 1's Drawn Cast: https://www.patreon.com/posts/65136761 ; v ;)
The post is titled "Character Portraits WiP" Under the "Arts" tag at patreon.com/nezothecat . It's free for public viewing and is a work in progress that will soon have every character we've introduced in TNBS thus far!
We hope you guys check it out and may you all have a nice day ' v ')