In battles involving 10 to 50 people, every single individual matters.
However, this principle applies only when the combatants have roughly equivalent levels of power.
The [Order of Light]'s deep core forces are highly esteemed across the continent.
Among them, the title 'Guardian Knight' is an honor bestowed upon only a select few from the core.
To become a 'Guardian Knight', not only strength but also political acumen and loyalty are essential prerequisites.
The stand-off between Rok's group and the armed group underwent a rapid shift following the arrival of Claire, the Guardian Knight of the First Saintess Isabella.
──Boom!
Claire swung her oversized greatsword with ferocity.
"Disappear······!"
"Argh, Ahh!"
With each slash, screams echoed from the armed group, their severed limbs scattering in the air.
Claire, her face expressionless, mechanically cut down the armed forces before her.
She spoke to Rok, who was also fighting fiercely beside her.
"Professor, is it alright to kill these people? It's difficult to fight while trying not to kill them."
"Do so. We only need a few for questioning."
"Understood."
Claire, who had meticulously controlled her sword to avoid lethal blows, now relaxed her grip.
She had been carefully aiming to disarm rather than kill.
After dispatching a few more, Claire surveyed the battlefield.
'The easy targets are down.'
Twenty opponents remained.
Seemingly intimidated by Claire's prowess, they now hesitated to advance, watching the situation from a distance.
Including Rok and herself, their side had seven combatants.
Although Claire and Rok were unharmed, the instructors bore various minor injuries.
Moreover, among the remaining 20, there were no easy targets.
If the situation continued like this, there would be casualties.
Claire spoke to Rok.
"This looks grim. Continuing like this might cost us dearly. Shall I call upon Renimid's voice?"
"Please do."
"Then protect me for a moment. I need about 20 seconds to concentrate."
As Rok nodded, Claire began chanting a wide-area holy buff.
The leader of the armed group shouted.
"We have to kill her! Don't give her time, everyone attack!"
All 20 members of the armed group simultaneously lunged at Claire.
Rok quickly positioned himself in front of Claire, slamming his palms on the ground.
─────!
With a thunderous crash, a thick mud wall, standing 3 meters high and 10 meters wide, materialized in front of him.
This was Rok's bloodline ability, which, unlike magic, required no casting.
The leader of the armed group, who had hurled himself against the mud wall, yelled.
"It's just mud! Break through it!"
On his command, the entire armed group rushed into the mud wall.
The instructors behind them quickly moved to intercept, but within seconds, the mud wall was destroyed.
They reached right up to Claire.
However, Claire eye's were still closed, continuing her buff chant.
Rok let out a long, pained groan.
"Huff······."
Then he slammed his palms onto the ground once more.
With a louder crash than the mud wall, this time a stone wall, approximately 3 meters high and 10 meters wide, erupted from the ground.
The startled leader of the armed group shouted.
"We can't break this! Go around the side of the stone wall! Hurry!"
Following his order, the armed group swiftly maneuvered to the side of the stone wall.
But Rok continuously created stone walls along their path.
"You've worked hard, Professor."
In the meantime, Claire had completed casting her wide-area holy buff.
A blazing baptism of light descended on Rok and the instructors.
Rok, looking at Claire, gave a bitter smile and coughed up blood.
It was the cost of repeatedly using his ability.
But simultaneously, a surge of strength welled up in him.
It was the effect of the wide-area holy buff.
Likewise, the instructors felt a surging power within them, accompanied by a strong urge to destroy.
Suppressing the inner impulse for destruction, Rok softly said,
"Good work, everyone. Let's finish this now."
"Yes!"
With Rok and Claire leading the charge against the armed group, the instructors followed suit.
While Rok and Claire's group clashed with the armed group, Piel and Oswald engaged in a fierce duel.
It was a confrontation between Piel, in gambler mode, and Oswald, who had lost one arm.
Initially, Oswald was taken aback by Piel's unexpected ferocity, but he knew that the difference in their experience wasn't something that could be easily overcome.
After exchanging about ten strikes, Oswald became confident of his victory.
He was certain he would behead the cute red-haired girl in front of him within the next ten moves.
'Today's really my lucky day.'
To be able to claim the lives of young geniuses with monstrous talent was exhilarating.
The very thought excited him.
'The winner is still me!'
Throughout his life, he had faced life-and-death duels at least a hundred times, but he had always been the last one standing.
The pain of not being able to kill only made him stronger.
So losing an arm in this duel didn't faze him much.
He saw it as an experience that would fuel his growth.
Struggling to block his axe, Piel listened as Oswald spoke.
"Kya~ You did well to survive this long. I've been so bored lately, I almost wanted to off myself."
Piel didn't reply.
Just blocking Oswald's axe was challenging enough.
'...So this is real combat. I don't see any chance of winning.'
Despite her bloodline ability [Gambler] being activated, the gap in their strength was clear.
His axe swings were crude but forceful and fast.
Tracking the axe with her eyes was difficult, forcing her to rely mostly on instinct to block.
A single mistake would mean certain death.
That fear rapidly drained her stamina.
She had already reached her limit.
Oswald, laughing sinisterly, said,
"Well, this works out even better for me. I always like to kill the strong ones first. Ah, don't be too sad. After I kill you, I'll send that Theo guy to join you. Or run away! Then I'll let you live."
"Shut the hell up! You've been so damn noisy!"
Piel shouted back irritably.
She was struggling just to block, and Oswald's constant babbling was grating on her nerves.
Biting her lip, she made a resolve.
'I can't kill him. But I can at least hold out.'
The axe murderer in front of her was determined to kill Theo.
Her legs were trembling uncontrollably.
Her arms, used to block the axe, were numb.
Nausea kept surging up within her.
Truth be told, even in such a state, she could still escape on her own.
For a first-year student to have lasted this long, she had more than proved her worth.
But the option to run away never existed.
Because then, Theo would certainly die.
Oswald cackled.
"Kya~ Nice posture, I like it. It's fun to kill someone like you. But are you two dating? You both charged in together, and both of you have such rough speech. Yoo-hoo~
How far have you guys gone?"
"Shut up, you northern bastard!"
Piel cursed while blocking the axe.
'...Huh?'
Suddenly, she felt her strength returning.
Her trembling legs began to stabilize.
Sensation returned to her paralyzed arms.
The nausea that kept surging up stopped.
She felt engulfed in searing light.
...No, she was actually engulfed in it.
Unbeknownst to her, Alphs had approached and cast a holy buff on Piel.
"Thanks, Alphs,"
Piel murmured.
Her stamina was restored, but her stats remained unchanged.
Nevertheless, it was enough for her to enter a second round of enduring.
Sensing something wrong, Oswald shifted his target to Alphs.
"How dare you interfere in a sacred one-on-one battle! Ah, you're really spoiling the mood!"
Oswald, in a frenzy, charged at Alphs.
"Argh, aaaaaaaah──!"
Mid-charge, he suddenly clutched his head.
Confusion, fear, erosion, migraine, blindness.
He was afflicted with the same debuff magic that had hit him during his duel with Theo.
Piel didn't miss this chance.
She immediately raised her sword and aimed for Oswald's head.
But instead of hitting his head, the sword only managed to sever his remaining left arm at the shoulder.
Oswald's bloodline ability [Danger Perception] had automatically activated.
Simultaneously, a group of about ten people walked to the center of the stage.
The man leading the group said,
"Ah, am I late? It seems many here need healing."
It was Taylor, the branch chief of the healer's guild [The Hilté].
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