Blaze silently approached the location where the hyenas were located.
When he came to their vision, Blaze didn't hide anymore. The hyenas first looked at him, confused for a moment before they all breathed fire from their mouths.
Blaze swiftly veered towards the left, sprinting at full speed, with the relentless hyenas hot on his heels. The chase intensified as the hyenas matched his pace, refusing to give up.
Suddenly, a deafening explosion erupted from the very spot where the hyenas had been chasing Blaze, accompanied by the dying roars of the creatures. The pursuing hyenas came to an abrupt halt. Without hesitation, they turned tail and swiftly retreated to their previous location.
Blaze came to a sudden stop, his gaze fixated on the billowing smoke spiraling chaotically into the sky. The air was filled with the echoes of loud explosions reverberating in the distance.
"I guess the battle has begun," Blaze muttered under his breath.
Aphrodite turned to him and inquired, "Should we leave now?"
"No," Blaze replied firmly. "I need to ensure their safety. If all of them were to perish while I remain unscathed, it would raise suspicions. Besides, many of them possess noble backgrounds." As he spoke, Blaze swiftly sprinted towards the battlefield.
As Blaze reached the battlefield, a scene of devastation unfolded before his eyes. Flames of various sizes engulfed patches of the ground, casting an eerie glow. Scattered across the scorched earth were wounded hyenas, whimpering in pain.
The terrain bore the marks of fierce clashes, with smashed earth and deep pits serving as evidence of intense combat. Rugged walls had been erected, providing cover for the fighters amidst the chaos. Amidst the chaos, tree trunks blazed with fire, casting menacing shadows, while ice shards littered the battleground, a stark contrast to the surrounding heat and destruction.
Instead of diving directly into the battle, Blaze opted to observe from a vantage point atop a tall tree. From his elevated position, he had a clear view of the unfolding chaos.
Aurora took charge, leading the team according to their well-devised plan. With Priscilla and Victoria at the forefront, they skillfully maneuvered, strategically blocking the relentless assault of the hyenas' fiery attacks. Together, they carved a slow and steady path forward, steadily pushing through the chaos and creating an escape route for themselves.
Robin was too flashy to ignore as he brandished his trident, adorned with menacing purple lightning bolts that writhed angrily. Positioned at the edge of the battlefield, Robin unleashed a dazzling display of his power, whipping his trident aggressively. His swift and aggressive movements prevented any hyena from closing in, effectively neutralizing their advances. Blaze's sharp eyes caught a mesmerizing sight as Robin struck a single hyena, instantly rendering it unconscious with a single blow.
Suddenly, Blaze saw the hyenas regrouping by the side. He knew what was coming.
"It is time," Blaze muttered under his breath, bracing himself for what lay ahead. With a resolute determination, he allowed himself to descend freely. As his foot made contact with the ground, he seamlessly rolled to absorb the impact, wasting no time in springing into action.
Without hesitation, Blaze darted into the midst of the hyenas, who were still in a state of disarray. With a deadly combination of precision and lethality, he executed two swift slashes, severing the head of a hyena in a single stroke.
Being surrounded by their kind, the hyenas were unable to release uncontrollable fire, limiting their attacks to their claws alone. Seizing this advantage, Blaze entered into a focused state. Like a remorseless grim reaper, he swiftly decapitated ten hyenas within three minutes, utilizing his agile footwork to maneuver around them and prevent them from regrouping.
Although Robin was flashy, Blaze's clean, swift, and ruthless killing garnered the attention of the other hyenas.
Meanwhile, Liam felt a chill run down his spine. He vowed not to trouble Blaze until he reached the Grand Mage level and unsealed the first seal of his bloodline.
Suddenly, one hyena let out a thunderous roar, rallying the rest of the pack into a frenzy. Without hesitation, the hyenas launched themselves recklessly at Blaze, driven by their primal instincts and a desperate desire to overpower him.
As the hyena's signaling roar echoed through the chaos, Blaze swiftly transitioned into the second phase of his meticulously calculated plan.
With a quick scan of the battlefield, he identified the direction with the fewest hyenas. Without hesitation, Blaze sprinted towards that path, slashing his way through two hyenas blocking his escape route and managing to break free from the encircling pack before it could fully form.
However, the relentless hyenas refused to give up. Driven by their primal instincts, they pursued Blaze with unwavering determination, their snarls echoing behind him.
Blaze continued to race forward, veering towards a random direction in search of safety. In doing so, he alleviated the burden on Aurora and the rest of the team, diverting the attention and pursuit of the hyenas away from them.
Seventy percent of the hyenas chased after Blaze like unrelenting evil spirits.
"If they are wise, they should break out quickly," Blaze mumbled as he ran with about 85 hyenas hot on his heels.
However, Blaze remained calm as ever. After running for a while, the hyenas finally stopped their chase. Their eyes gleamed with malevolence and animosity, reflecting their deep-rooted hatred. However, despite their intense hostility, they dared not move closer to Blaze.
"Maybe it is animal territorial stuff. I need to leave," Blaze spoke to himself and started running silently towards the hole to leave the academy.
At that very moment, a chilling sensation coursed through Blaze's entire being, causing the hairs on the back of his neck to stand erect. A palpable aura of imminent danger surrounded him, sending a surge of adrenaline through his veins. Reacting purely on instinct, Blaze swiftly twisted his body to the side, narrowly evading the deadly strike that came hurtling towards him.
A resounding boom echoed through the air as an invisible blade grazed past his face, shearing the overgrown hairs that had shielded his visage. Time seemed to slow as Blaze watched the severed hairs gracefully descend, carried by the wind. Blaze felt a cold sweat trickle down his back. He had narrowly escaped being cleaved in two by a hair's breadth.
Without dwelling on the harrowing encounter, Blaze directed his attention to the ground beside him. Etched into the earth was a deep and wide scar, stretching approximately four meters in length. Recognition dawned upon him as he muttered the name he gave the attack, "A high-class wind blade," recalling a technique he had witnessed Olivia practice.
Despite scanning his surroundings, Blaze failed to catch sight of the elusive attacker.
Sensing another deadly threat, Blaze instinctively dove to the side, no longer willing to take even the slightest risk. This time, a more powerful and turbulent wind blade crashed into his previous position, leaving a wider but shorter scar on the ground—a testament to the lethal force behind the attack.
With agility and precision, Blaze nimbly rolled back onto his feet, his sword poised and ready for battle.
—
Meanwhile, Aurora and the rest finally broke out of the deadly encirclement.
They sprinted towards the academy, the relentless hyenas continued their pursuit from behind. Suddenly, a searing, fiery projectile akin to a missile descended from above with incredible speed. The impact was akin to a catastrophic explosion, engulfing the hyenas in a fiery domain of destruction.
In an instant, the once-mighty hyenas, known for their flame-breathing abilities, became mere whimpering and crying creatures. The flames consumed them, inflicting unbearable agony and reducing them to charred remains. The fire expanded like a domain of hell, spreading over a hundred meters behind Aurora and the rest of the group.
Overwhelmed by the mesmerizing yet deadly display of the fire element, Aurora and the others came to a halt, their eyes transfixed on the captivating scene unfolding before them.
With an air of grace and poise, Princess Evelyn emerged from the flames unscathed, a radiant smile adorning her face. The princess, once perceived as weak, now stood bathed in the fiery orange glow, her flame transforming the landscape into a chilling depiction of a mini-hell on Earth.
If Blaze had witnessed Princess Evelyn's power, he would have been happy that Ice Reaper did something to her. At the same time, he will never trust Robin again.
"How are you guys?" Evelyn asked with a smile.
"We're fine," Cherry walked out with a smile.
"Blaze is still in the forest. You should go and find him. He willingly put himself in danger to lure the majority of the hyenas away, allowing us to escape," Aurora stated calmly.
"That annoying brat?" Evelyn raised her eyebrows and gritted her teeth.
Liam finally spoke after he saw that Evelyn didn't like Blaze. "He should be dead by now. No need to bother yourself, Princess Evelyn."
"I can understand your resentment towards him, but refusing to make an effort to save him after he risked his life to ensure our escape irritates me," Aurora admonished icily. She then turned and walked towards the academy, indifferent to the opinions of others.
Everybody gave Liam a strange stare, making him blush in shame.
Unbeknownst to them, Blaze was fighting for his life.