Princess Ravenna walked with confidence as she reflected on her plan. "We hid our team's crystal, There wasn't any rule that you can't hide your crystal, Also I hired a few students to protect my team's crystal while we go fight others," she thought, feeling a surge of pride. "That gives us a huge advantage. While other teams will be forced to divide their focus between defending and attacking, we're free to attack with all four members." She smiled to herself, realizing how much of an upper hand this gave her. "Most teams would need to keep two people on defense and only send two to attack, but we can all focus on winning."
However, her face shifted into a more serious expression, her heart weighed down by a hint of guilt. "I know it's cheating... but as the future queen of this kingdom, I have to be strong. I need to be able to protect my people. I was just lucky to be born into the royal family, with all the resources and opportunities." She sighed quietly, her steps slowing. "I just have to wait until Father finds an Essence Stone to boost my ESR talent."
As she and her team approached the cave, a voice suddenly broke the silence, startling them.
"Alright, fellas, you can stop right there!" came a tough voice, full of confidence.
Ravenna's team turned to see a girl stepping out from behind the trees. It was Maruti from Class B.
The boy with the scar snorted in disbelief, his voice dripping with arrogance. "A Class B student? Alone? She dares to stop us?"
But while her teammates scoffed, Ravenna's mind worked quickly, calculating the situation. "She's alone? That means she knows where the orange crystal is, but she's planning to wait and collect it at the last minute. The crystal must be close by. But what if she has a trick up her sleeve? What if she's got backup, hiding in the shadows?"
Ravenna's eyes narrowed in suspicion as she stood her ground, ready for whatever Maruti had planned.
Maruti stood with a bright smile, the bec-de-corbin resting confidently on her shoulders, This was the weapon that sh chose in weapon selection. The weapon was a fearsome polearm, its long wooden pole contrasting with the menacing sharp hook at the front, resembling a bird's beak, ready to pierce through armor. On the back was a flat hammerhead, perfect for smashing through defenses. It was an elegant yet brutal weapon, and the sight of it made Ravenna feel a twinge of unease.
With a dramatic flair, Maruti adjusted her glasses and said, "You know what? Now that I'm looking closely, you're very cute! Lemme have a taste!" Her tone was playful, but there was an undercurrent of mischief in her eyes.
"Taste?" Ravenna thought, puzzled, her mind racing to understand the bizarre comment. Before she could process what was happening, Maruti swiftly closed the distance between them. In one bold move, she kissed Ravenna, her tongue slipping inside. The shock of the kiss left Ravenna frozen in place, her eyes wide as she registered the unexpected intimacy. Even the others nearby were taken aback, their expressions a mix of disbelief and outrage.
As Maruti pulled back, licking her lips with a satisfied grin, she exclaimed, "Yummy! Eight out of ten!" Her cheerful tone contrasted sharply with the heated glares of Ravenna and her companions. Maruti stepped back, suddenly aware of the anger swirling around her. Ravenna's face burned red—not only from embarrassment but also from the sheer audacity of having her first kiss stolen by someone she considered a nobody, even if that someone was a girl.
"Hahaha... You all look very angry! I guess I'll pass," Maruti joked, turning to leave. But then, with a playful glint in her eyes, she spun around again. "Kidding!" she shouted, raising her bec-de-corbin as if it were an extension of her whims and attacked on ravenna.
But before the weapon could make contact, Ravenna nonchalantly raised her right hand and caught it mid-air, not even bothering to look.
She tilted her head upward, her eyes flashing dangerously as she glared fiercely at Maruti. "You'll pay for this!" she growled.
BAM!
With one swift punch, Ravenna's fist collided with Maruti's abdomen, the sheer force causing Maruti's body to lift off the ground ever so slightly, suspended in the air for a moment. Ravenna's lips curled into a smile as she proudly declared, "I have the Crocodile Strength Essence Stone. It gives me the strength of a crocodile. Since it's a permanent effect and consumes no mana, it's not cheating. It's part of my body now."
She turned to the others, her eyes sharp as she signaled them to join in the attack. "Now!"
Without a second thought, the girl with azure hair—Sonia—launched herself at Maruti, knees bent as she smashed her knee into Maruti's head, the impact brutal enough to send Maruti flying backward.
Maruti's voice cut through the air, still playful despite the punishment she was taking. "Hey! Hey! Time out! Time out! That's cheating!" she laughed, but the others weren't holding back. Kicks and punches rained down on her from all sides.
"I said I was just kidding! How about we grab some coffee instead?" Maruti offered cheekily, only to be met with another fierce punch from Ravenna.
"I don't need it!" Ravenna snarled, delivering a solid punch aimed directly at Maruti's face. Maruti managed to swiftly take off her glasses just before the blow could land.
"Okay, okay! How about a date then?" Maruti teased again, her voice strained as Ravenna's punch slammed into her abdomen, this time causing blood to spurt from Maruti's mouth. The teasing had officially worn thin.
Maruti staggered to her knees, but the group showed no mercy. Ravenna's eyes flashed once more as she shouted, "Sonia, finish her!"
At the command, Sonia leaped into the air, her fists merging together as she prepared to land the final, crushing blow. Her figure cast a shadow over the trembling Maruti, and for a split second, the world seemed to hold its breath.
**BOOM!**
The impact echoed like a small explosion, shaking the surrounding area as leaves were blasted from the nearby trees, fluttering to the ground. The handsome boy with glasses smirked triumphantly, adjusting his frames. "This is what happens when you mess with Class A," he scoffed, pride dripping from his voice.
But as the dust settled, Sonia's face told a different story. Her once confident expression had melted into one of sheer terror. She stood shakily, her face pale, and suddenly began to scream in agony.
"My hand… my hand!" she wailed.
Blood poured from her palms, dripping onto the ground, as everyone's eyes widened in horror. Both of her hands—completely severed at the wrists—were gone.
Meanwhile, Maruti lay flat on the ground, staring up at the sky with a face full of utter boredom. Her earlier playful energy seemed completely drained. She sighed dramatically, turning her head slightly. "You know what? I just realized something... you're not cute at all,"
-------
As they wandered through the dense forest, Violet couldn't help but chatter excitedly, her eyes sparkling as she praised Ethan non-stop. "Wow, you were so cool back there! You moved swishhh.....and then whooshhh....! It was amazing!"
Ethan chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just did what I could, really," he said, trying to downplay her enthusiasm.
Their team was made up entirely of girls—Violet, Sylvania, and Emma, who was Corin's girlfriend from Class B. Right now, Sylvania was stationed back at the camp, keeping a close eye on their crystal. If anything happened, Sylvania was strong enough to hold off enemies long enough for the others to return. The strategy had already worked once, and Ethan's team had successfully broken another team's crystal earlier.
As they pushed forward, Emma, who had been walking a little too close to Ethan, sidled even closer. Her eyes sparkled with admiration, and she leaned in until her chest was practically pressing against Ethan's side.
"Seriously, where did you learn to fight like that?" Emma asked, her voice dripping with interest. Then, in a more seductive tone, she added, "I wonder if you're that good in bed too?"
Ethan's face immediately flushed, and he laughed nervously, scratching his head. "Haha... I just practiced every day, that's all!" he stammered, trying to play it off, though his embarrassment was obvious.
Before Emma could push any further, Violet stepped in, frowning in annoyance as she tugged Emma away from Ethan. "Hey, give him some space, alright?" she said, her voice laced with jealousy.
Emma had developed a crush on Ethan after witnessing his duel skills that day, even though she was still Corin's girlfriend. Now, it was becoming increasingly clear that Emma was trying to get closer to Ethan, flirting in a way that even Violet couldn't ignore.
But while the others chatted and walked, Ethan's mind was somewhere else, calculating every move with a specific plan in mind. His expression remained calm, but underneath it, he was focused on a different goal entirely.
"Even though we've already qualified for the second round, there's something more I want. That orange crystal," he thought to himself, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I avoided going there at the start because that's where everyone would be fighting. The best strategy is to wait until they've all tired themselves out, and when they're too exhausted to defend it, we'll swoop in and take it easily."
He smirked at his own cleverness. "According to my memories from my previous life, there are two paths that lead to the orange crystal," he thought. The memory of Corin's arrogant face popped into his mind, making him clench his fists. "The first path goes straight through Corin's team. As much as I want to punish him for what he did to Esdeath... I'm still not sure if Esdeath is on the right side. I can't act rashly, not yet."
Ethan let out a small sigh, shaking his head slightly. "There's another reason to avoid that path," he added in his thoughts. "Kaelith. She'll likely be heading that way soon too, and with my current strength, there's no way I could defeat her." The thought of facing Kaelith's overwhelming power made him shudder for a second.
"This path," he thought, glancing at the trail ahead of them, "is much safer. Once we arrive, we can hide in the bushes, wait until the moment is right, and strike."
A small, satisfied smile played on his lips as he mentally ran through his plan again. But before he could dwell on it much longer, Emma, who was a few steps ahead, suddenly called out.
"Hey, look! There's a team up ahead!" she yelled, pointing forward.
"A team?" Ethan's eyes widened in surprise. "But according to my memories, there shouldn't be any teams here!" Confused, he quickly picked up his pace, moving forward to see just who this unexpected team was.
As they arrived at the scene, a horrifying sight awaited them. In front of them lay a pile of students, all unconscious and beaten so badly they could barely move. Every single one of them was covered in bruises and cuts, groaning softly from their injuries. Most were from Class C, but a few were from Class B as well. It looked like they had been caught in an intense fight, and they clearly hadn't come out on top.
But what really caught everyone's attention wasn't the beaten students—it was the girl sitting on top of them, almost as if they were nothing more than a throne for her.
She had long, jet-black hair cascading down her back, and she wasn't wearing much, just a tight sports bra and thigh-high leggings that showed off her well-toned body. Her skin was covered in intricate tattoos that seemed to tell a story of danger. In one hand, she held a cigarette, and in the other, a matchbox. With a practiced, almost careless motion, she took out a match, struck it against the box, and lit the cigarette. She placed it between her lips and took a drag, her posture screaming confidence and defiance.
Then, she slowly opened her eyes—bright red and menacing, glowing with a creepy intensity that sent chills down Ethan's spine. Those eyes didn't just look at them; they seemed to pierce through their very souls. It was like she was silently daring them to step forward, to challenge her.
Ethan clenched his fists, his jaw tightening as a wave of realization hit him. He knew exactly who she was.
"Esdeath Crimson!"