While standing side by side, Archie and Red tries to catch their breath after they held their ground against countless enemies.
But despite standing on one place, the other team doesn't seem to be attacking and is also trying to catch their breath behind their shield wall formation.
"How's your body holding up, Archie? Isn't
"I can still go for another round. As long as I catch my breath, my body can maintain some stamina."
"Don't go overboard."
Because of Force Arte: Juggernaut, Archie's muscles have been infused with the little magic he has and grew explosively. His heart rate also increased drastically that it made his veins look like they explode on his arms and neck. His body temperature is so high that his body is steaming.
"This is quite problematic."
"You noticed as well?"
Red and Archie had their backs against each other. That is because despite their onslaught earlier, aside from decommissioning several enemies already, there were still a lot and they have been surrounded.
Not only that, someone from the enemy's side had sniped their archers. They noticed it earlier when they stopped receiving ranged support.
Their initial plan was to make Class A's alliance members be weakened and overwhelmed at the start to lure out their leaders and take them down in one swoop with their surprise attack, but so far only half of that plan had been followed.
Class A's alliance was much more organized than they expected and was able to adapt to their erratic skirmish.
They have used their numbers quite effectively and efficiently against them.
so despite losing 6 members, they didn't falter.
Not only that, they are running out of time.
Charles is freezing inside the ball of Ice, Archie's Juggernaut is exhausted, and Red is running out of Magic. The other members are also exhausted as well and their numbers are dwindling.
"Red, are your wounds okay?"
"They're manageable but really annoying. If we could retreat and regroup with Rhie, we might be able to recover slightly with her healing."
"Can't she come here instead?
"Letting her fight would get me disqualified, remember?"
"Oh yeah, I forgot."
Though in such dire situation, both of them didn't fail to make each other laugh.
The fighter with a spear from the enemy's side walks into the encirclement. This guy was the one who subdued Prat earlier.
"We'll give you two a chance to yield out of mercy. If you would not, we will be forced to decommission you two."
He declared towards the two. There was no hint of lies towards each choice he gave either.
It was truly an act of mercy befitting a knight. However, Archie and Red were also knights. They have their pride.
"That's admirable of you, but we're not the type who'd go down without a fight."
The spear user was a bit dumbfounded, but then he remembered that they were the same as they are; Prideful Knights. He couldn't help but smile.
"Then with all due respect, let us answer your resolve with our own."
By tapping his spear on the ground, every one of his members cast their own magic. With their numbers, it was obvious that they had no way out anymore.
Red taps Archie with the but of his sword to get his attention.
"Do you think you can do it?"
"The ball?"
"Yeah."
"If I disable Juggernaut, I can. But I don't think my magic sword has enough magic power to produce electricity anymore. I don't think I can fight anymore if I use all my magic."
"Do you still want to though?"
"Not really."
"Then go out with a bang!"
After steeling himself, Archie deactivates his Juggernaut form and shrunk back to his normal size. But by doing so, fatigue caught up and exhausted him.
However, he didn't fail to start chanting his magic under his breath.
On the other hand, Red is preparing himself to attack on his own. Using his Fire and Dark magic, he creates a long sword made of ice as a secondary weapon.
Not only that, he also activates his own Force Arte. A technique that will make him push his demonic nature to the limit. His only trump card he managed to learn when he awakened his demon blood.
"Force Arte: Chimera"
Seeing the two of them prepare for a seemingly last struggle, the leader points his spear to signal the attack.
"Fire!"
When all the the magic attacks flew towards Red and Archie, Red immediately drops on all four and Archie lifts one hand and holds it up.
"
Using his remaining magic, Archie creates a ball of wind just above his palm.
Unlike the one he made the first time, he has learned how to efficiently use it and increase its power. And because it has so much power than before, all the flying attacks that was supposed to fly towards them were caught by a strong cyclone-like wind and orbited the orb.
"What comes around-"
Before continuing his words, he snaps his fingers and sends the attacks caught by his orb flying in random directions.
After that, he passes out of exhaustion and his pendant activates its protection magic on him as he is now decommissioned from battle.
Although it was a magic that deflected all of the attacks earlier, the enemies were skilled and guarded themselves from the counter attack.
But it gave Red an opening to do a counter attack.
With just a kick to accelerate, Red leaves a crater from where he stood and zoomed in to the spear user's position in an instant.
Despite expecting a counter attack, the spear user didn't foresee his sudden increase in speed. Although barely, he was able to lift his spear's handle to guard himself from the barely visible sword slash.
In the end, he was pushed out of the encirclement by Red with just sheer force alone leaving his own allies in confusion. Now it has become one versus one.
"Is this even Force Arte?"
"It's my race advantage."
The spear user was using his own Force Arte to speed up his own movement, but even with that, he could barely predict where the next swing would come from.
"Thunder Lord's footstep!
By taking a quick step back, he avoided another slash. But this time, he decides to counter with his magic.
Upon calling his magic, the ground beneath him suddenly glows and tendril-like things made of electricity sprout out. With this, anyone who steps on even one of those tendrils will at least get stunned if not shocked and knocked out.
It's an ideal magic for a spear user like him because he can still attack without being countered if it's a melee combat.
Though he did that to create a safe area for himself. Red still continues to charge at him.
The moment Red stepped on the tendrils, for some reason, nothing happened. The spear user expected Red to be at least be stunned by a shock of electricity.
"What the-!"
"You're skilled, I'll give you that."
When the spear user looked at Red's foot, he was surprised. Rather, he was quite flabbergasted upon realizing one little detail.
"But you ought to be more observant of what your enemy is wearing."
Unlike the rich nobles participating in the battle royal, Red and most of the commoners in the game couldn't afford buying armours. The nobles wore armours, some even decided to wear greaves. The commoners on the other hand, most of them just wore regular everyday items, like rubber shoes.
And that same rubber shoes prevented Red from getting electrocuted.
Putting most of his strength on his left arm that held the ice sword, Red swings it with all his might and shattered it at the cost of making the spear user fling away his weapon.
With that opening now available, Red then does a single roundhouse kick and lands his foot on his face with so much force that it made the protection function of the spear user activate to put him out of commission.
But just when he defeated his enemy, Red forgot about the electrical tendrils and accidentally put the tip of the sword on the ground and got electrocuted.
That carelessness was seen by everyone and immediately charged at him.
He wanted to move, but the pain coursing through his body is way too immense and would refuse what he wants.
Watching everyone behind him ready to take him down, he grits his teeth in anger at his carelessness and frustration of being unable to do anything.
But just when he was about to give up, all of a sudden, the ground shakes and lifts itself behind him like a wall.
"Don't forget you have back up, dumbass!"
It was Muller from the distance with his hammer on the ground indicating he used his Earth Magic. Not only him, Rhie is running along behind him and Vivian flying with her magic sword towards Delcie.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"I made a slip-up. I'm trying to recover. Also, why is Rhie here?"
"Undo the charm, we got a change of plans."
Red looks at Rhie. Though under his Charm, it looked like Rhie had decided on something and showed no signs of resistance.
As Red activated his eye, the Charm on Rhie disappears and immediately, she lets out a cough as if she was released of shackles around her neck.
"Are you sure about this, Muller?"
"She's decided to side with us. It didn't look like her decision was influenced by your charm."
While they were talking, Muller hits the stone wall with his hammer and immediately, spikes of stone launches out from the other side towards their enemies. But it only slowed them down because of the shields they were carrying.
"Miss Rhie, why the change of heart?"
Before answering, Rhie pulls out her sword and stands up straight.
"I joined the event to gain battle experience even as a support, but in my team I was put into the Healer Role. So I thought it might be better to join your team instead if I really want to experience fighting."
"Are you sure about this?"
Rhie didn't answer with words. Instead, she taps Red's shoulder with her sword's blade and closed her eyes.
Immediately, water gathers around her and flows unto the sword and unto Red's body. After that, the wounds all over Red's body disappears as the water washes off dirt and blood from his body.
Red was surprised by her sudden change of heart. But more after seeing her real personality without the Charm's effect on her.
"This is my form of gratitude for giving me the opportunity."
Red gives an enthusiastic grunt, in which made Rhie smile as well.
Red then turns to Muller while creating another sword made of ice.
"So, what's the new plan?"
"Only both of you, her, Vivian, Delcie, Ace, me, and Charles are left. The others got taken out by their Second-in-Command. We have no choice but to take out Harvey Solvan now using Charles."
"Just eight of us are left? How in the hell are we supposed to beat Class A's Leader without our only trump card? Not only that, they still have quite a lot of number on their side as well."
Though sweating nervously, Muller looks at Red with a forced smile on his face.
"I really don't want to do this but, I'll sacrifice myself to Rose."
"You'll what now!?"
-End of Chapter-