Science/Magic

"Hurry up! We need to protect them!" Alex cried out to the rest of the B-Ranks.

The B-Ranks realized the gravity of the situation. If the last three members of team blue were eliminated, Bloed and the girls would win!

However, Bloed already knew the location of the three remaining members. With a thought, he ordered Oculus to aim at another one of them.

But all of sudden, an arrow was shot from a B-Rank elf.

"Don't let it shoot! It needs several seconds to reform every time it's destroyed! We need to destroy it again before then!"

The words of the elf made Bloed frown. Even so, the situation did not change.

"It doesn't matter."

Without hesitating, he and Liu Ying rushed towards a target each. Moreover, Aya was already going for the third target!

"Stop them!" Alex shouted anxiously. He and another two B-Ranks intercepted Bloed as three different B-Ranks went to intercept Liu Ying.

As for the last three, they tried to find Aya.

However, different from Bloed's group, the B-Ranks did not know the location of the three remaining members of team blue nor Aya's location.

Thus, less than twenty seconds later, a yell came from the crowd.

"She is here! She eliminated someone!"

The faces of the B-Ranks changed. They looked in the direction of the yell and saw a collapsed student.

'Dammit! Are we going to lose!?'

Alex cursed in his mind as he tried to stop Bloed.

"What are you doing, idiots!? Students from team blue, run towards us! As for the others, try to protect them!"

"You should not be distracted while fighting me."

Seeing Bloed's smile, Alex's face fell. All of sudden, he felt a thick killing intent attacking him.

It was several times stronger than the killing intent he felt before! So strong that he was forced to stop his movements for a brief instant!

[King's Aura]!

Bloed had focused it completely on the strongest of the B-Ranks fighting him, Alex!

Even though it only managed to stop him for an instant, it was more than enough for Bloed.

Taking a step forward, Bloed twisted his body to avoid the attacks coming from the other two B-Ranks as he brandished his saber horizontally.

Alex could only watch as the saber approached his neck unimpeded!

But suddenly, a weapon appeared in front of it!

It was one of the other two B-Ranks! He jumped in front of Alex and used his weapon to stop Bloed's saber.

Unfortunately–

"That is not enough to stop my saber."

*Swish!*

With a soft cutting sound, the barrier of the student was cut apart, triggering a mental blow that rendered him unconscious.

'Dammit!' Alex cursed in his mind. A bit of fear started to appear inside him.

Alex was a genius. In fact, he was one of the strongest B-Ranks in Academy City. Very few B-Ranks in the entire city could match him.

Today, however, he saw how the young man in front of him and the demon girl beside him fought against more than ten B-Ranks, he included, by themselves!

And even more astonishing was that Bloed and Liu Ying had managed to defeat more than half of them without being defeated!

Only a word could describe this kind of talent.

'Monsters…'

Just like these students at the top of Academy City. Monsters whose strength went beyond their mana rank.

Facing that kind of monster, Alex felt a sense of despondence that filled him.

'Is the difference between us so big?'

At that moment, he saw Bloed lift a metallic artifact with his right hand.

Alex had seen him using the same artifact several times. He knew it had the ability to release a kind of energy attack in the shape of a projectile.

Instinctively, he and the remaining B-Rank jumped aside to avoid the attack.

But to their surprise, Bloed just smiled.

Then, he pulled the trigger.

Aiming towards the crowd of C-Ranks and D-Ranks behind them.

Alex's face changed. He realized Bloed's target instantly.

But it was too late.

The bullet of energy left Bloed's weapon, flying unhampered until it hit the chest of a girl.

Wide-eyed, the girl slowly collapsed on the ground, and the blue glow in her invitation card faded out.

'It can't be…!'

Alex's face was filled with despair. With that girl eliminated, it meant Bloed's group only needed to eliminate one more student to win.

Instinctively, his gaze moved towards that last student. A fat young man rushing towards the three B-Ranks trying to find Aya.

The three B-Ranks also knew the urgency of the situation. They rushed towards the young man and surrounded him protectively.

But in the next second, a figure appeared in the shadow of the young man.

Completely expressionless, the cat girl swung her daggers down.

*Swish!*

And the barrier shattered.

"Impo… sible…"

Alex and the other B-Ranks watched in disbelief as the fat young man collapsed on the ground.

For one second, nobody on the entire battlefield moved.

They had been defeated.

One second later, the face of a woman was projected in the skies of Academy City.

"It looks like we have a winning team."

With the words of the headmistress, the game drew to a close.