More than six hours had passed on Jeju Island since the Scorpion Organization announced its attack on the students of the Verselkin Academy, who were resting.
After several attempts to escape the dangers posed by the attack on the island, many Verselkin Academy students and professors were killed while protecting their peers.
The attacking side consisted of followers of the Scorpion Organization, with the number of Scorpion Organization followers killed reaching 104.
As for the Verselkin Academy side, the number of killed was 145 students and 45 professors as of that hour.
Ultimately, the battle was like a war, and death was inevitable for everyone, young or old, talented or worthless, rich or poor. In death, all are equal.
Jeju Island was filled with the blood of Scorpion Organization followers, students, professors, and the monsters that attacked both sides, forming small rivers filled with blood of various colors, including crimson red. Some of the green ones were sick, some were normal, and some weren't blood at all, but rather burning acid disguised as blood.
It was a battle without a winner or side with a clear advantage, as both sides were subjected to endless waves of monster attacks.
The harshness of Jeju Island and the frequent dungeon explosions made no distinction between anyone; everyone was equal in the island's evil.
If they didn't die by swords and abilities, they would die from monsters, the changing terrain, and areas devoid of some kind of energy.
Meanwhile, Gray, Ruichi, Lucy, and Beatrice arrived at their designated location in the center of Jeju Island, specifically on the western side.
Each of them looked on with anticipation for any surprise attack, even if it wasn't from the Scorpion Organization's followers watching them.
Jeju Island itself was a formidable enemy. After every step one took, dozens of monsters would pounce.
It wasn't a place to relax and spend a vacation with family. Where expert warriors hone their skills and abilities to the very last detail.
While they patrolled a 5-kilometer radius, they attempted to establish a safe zone from which to decide their next move.
Thirty minutes later, they all returned to the safe zone center, but they didn't lower their guard at all. The situation didn't allow for a moment's relaxation of defenses.
"Our current mission is survival and waiting for reinforcements. We've split into three teams, each responsible for a specific area, so that if reinforcements arrive, they'll be at the center."
"Or, to put it more accurately, if reinforcements arrive, one of the four teams will be positioned at each of the four corners of Jeju Island's center to guide them and assist the other students and professors, thus maximizing our chances of survival," Roichi spoke calmly, looking at them with a serene gaze.
He then moved his sword in the air, forming an arc that cut through the air, his calm expression unchanged. A giant Minotaur's upper section,
12 meters long, crashed to the ground, and warm crimson blood gushed out like a fountain, covering the clothes and faces of Lucy, Beatrice, Grie, and Roichi from head to toe.
It was an attack The Minator's sudden attack is the biggest, most irrefutable proof that complacency in this place means certain death, no matter how strong or skilled you are.
That's why no one was bothered by getting their clothes dirty; they considered it a powerful slap in the face, a stark reminder that the world isn't on anyone's side, and that they aren't the heroes of fairy tales where the world stands with them against villains.
It takes them to places where treasures lie, but in reality, the world takes you to certain death, not to fame and glory.
It makes you food for other entities that will then crush you under the guise of the cycle of life.
"Well, for now, we have two things to do: fight when we have the chance and run when things are against us. I repeat, no complacency and pride are ridiculous. I know that each of us has a high standing on a global scale."
"But when our heads are severed from our bodies, or worse, as happened to the members of the organization a little while ago, then life and glory should be our last priority. For now, when we die, the glory of the living won't bring us back," Beatrice said, her gaze sharp as she did so. A cleansing spell removed the blood from their faces and clothes.
Beatrice's tone was filled with conviction. Anyone who strived for glory or pride was destined to fail and die. The reason for the death of Emperor Zhao Yong, the Rising Sun, was his pride and arrogance—a primary cause of his demise.
Everyone knew this, even millions of years after his death. Zhao Li and his sons were known as the Ten Emperors, and Alessandra and her daughter were the subject of many stories and legends. The Academy of Versleken was one of the witnesses to their existence.
As Lucy listened to Beatrice's words, she heard a voice inside her head that startled her for several seconds.
Then, with a mixture of confusion and slight anxiety, she spoke to herself, "What is it, Yuta? Is there something?"
[Yes, something is coming. It's very dangerous.]
The confusion and anxiety vanished from her face upon hearing Yuta's serious words, and her expression became serious.
"What is it, then?" Lucy's voice was calm. As much as possible
[On Sunday, the leaders of the Scorpion Shadow and Light Supreme Council, Scorpion 5, who holds the rank of Master of Rulers, arrived with 700 fighters as reinforcements to support the organization's current followers. Therefore, you and your comrades must gather if you want to survive.]
Yuta broke the connection immediately afterward, which annoyed Lucy, as she wanted to know his location, but he cut off the connection before she could ask him anything.
Lucy turned her gaze to the others, speaking in a slightly nervous voice, "Well, since we've reached an agreement, there's good news and two pieces of bad news at the same time."
Grey broke the silence, puzzled, "What's the good news and what are the two pieces of bad news?"
Lucy swallowed hard as she looked at them, making them realize the danger they were about to face. After a few seconds, she spoke, "The good news is that Armin is about to be cut down, and his power will be terrifying because his Kono has become sacred and denser than ordinary humans, making him as powerful as a dragon." "And there are phoenixes within the Dragon World."
"Bad news! There's a squad of 26 warriors, led by an expert ruler, heading our way. And worst of all, I received a message from Uta saying..."
"One of the leaders of the Scorpion Supreme Council, Shadow and Light, known as Scorpion 5, a Master of Gods, is arriving with 700 fighters as reinforcements to support the organization's current followers."
Their faces turned dark as they listened to Lucy's words. A Master of Gods would be the end of anyone on the island.
The strongest person on the island, in their opinion, was still a Master of Gods, a position held by Gia, who was using the Pavilion of the Pool. Even with Yuta and the organization's soldiers, whose numbers would reach 1037 fighters of various ranks, controlling a Master of Gods was possible.
Victory seemed impossible, yet none of them lost hope. The news of Reinhardt de Molière's arrival, Roichi's father and Gray's uncle, eased the pressure on them slightly.
"Well, if Yuta's words are true, we'll be in serious trouble. However, we must fight the enemy before us and face all the dangers that come with it," Gray said. He spoke as he drew his bloodied sword from its scabbard.
"Fight or die. There is no other option." Gray's words were decisive as a green aura shot from his body like a blazing fire.
Lucy, Beatrice, and Roichi's gazes were filled with determination as they unleashed their auras. The war they thought was nearing its end was, in reality, still in its early stages.
Furthermore, among the 560 students, not a single one specialized in healing or any other field like alchemy, spells, magic, or spells. While some students could utilize such skills, like Lucy, Kathalie, and Beatrice, they focused on melee combat. Beatrice, for instance, was skilled with weapons but not a pure magician. Therefore, it would be difficult to find a balance between them in actual combat.
This resulted in a high number of casualties, as there were no healers to treat the students' injuries. The actual number of first-year students was 2 million, divided into three sections: regular and ordinary. The elite of legends were divided into several regiments in each class according to their specialization.
They were tested in different and widely separated locations suited to their specializations. Therefore, students specializing in combat faced many difficulties due to their lack of expertise in other disciplines. Furthermore, most Gu Masters were suffering from poisoning due to the absence of Qi in certain areas.
Only the Vrselkin Academy produced elites in all disciplines, and its separation of specializations allowed students to showcase their full potential.
Immediately after he finished speaking, the followers of the Scorpion Organization, who had been following them for several minutes, appeared.
Both sides looked at each other without saying a word.
The Scorpion's squad leader and deputy had a cold, crimson gaze behind a mask, meticulously inspecting and analyzing Gray, Ruichi, Lucy, and Beatrice.
"They expected us. There's something else. There are traces of energy from the other students on their clothing, indicating they've encountered the other students," he said. The squad leader watched them intently.
Before the squad leader could survey the area around them, he found remnants of teleportation magic still lingering in the air, its marks on the ground forming a circle large enough for four people.
The squad leader, Yao Zi, strained to decipher what had happened before their arrival.
He spoke calmly, looking around, "Hmm, it seems they dispersed within the Jeju Island center, forming a circle with a diameter of at least four students in each group."
"As for the footprints, it indicates they wanted to survey the area before making any move. They deserve to be considered sons of great families."
Grey, Ruichi, Lucy, and Beatrice drew their swords from their sheaths, watching the squad leader intently, their attention fixed on every step they took.
"What's your name, you idiot? It's ridiculous to call you a follower. Am I right?" Grey's voice held a hint of sarcasm as he looked at Yao Zi.
Yao Zi remained Gray stared at him for several seconds before saying anything. "My name is Yao Zi, the deputy of the Crimson Scorpion, and I've come to eliminate you. Is there any objection to that?"
K
A tyrannical aura emanated from Yao Zi as he drew his sword, and the same applied to his 25 followers of varying ranks.
Both sides held sharp gazes; there was not a trace of surrender or intention to retreat visible on their faces or in their hearts.
The battle was still in its early stages, and the winner remained unknown, even though the Scorpion Order's followers were highly skilled, ranging from Master to Expert Ruler, with hundreds of years of experience.
Gray's team, though still at the Saint rank, was only 10 followers, while the rest were Novice Rulers led by an Expert Ruler.
However, they had an advantage over them in some aspects, most importantly their alliance with rulers. Lucy's contract with the Time Goddess and Gray, the Beast God of Beatrice, grants her the power of two Void Gods under her control, along with Roichi's abilities, a small part of which was revealed in the Tournament of Power.
Therefore, the winner was practically impossible, as both sides possessed abilities and techniques that granted them what they needed.
Moreover, on Earth, the winner of a battle is unknown. The weak may triumph over the strong, and the few may prevail over the many. Willpower defeats numbers, and arrogance can bring down even the strongest fighters.
Both sides charged at each other at breakneck speed, the sound of clashing swords echoing for meters.
Slack... Slack... Slack
Slack... Slack... Slack
As Gray parried an attack from one of the Order's followers, he gritted his teeth. His opponent was stronger than him. Moreover, the Order's followers didn't fight fairly; they were divided into six groups, each fighting one of their own.
There was no mercy, even though some of the Order's followers were superior in terms of... Rank, and this caused them unprecedented pressure. Fighting someone of higher rank with hundreds of years of experience—talent alone would only postpone their demise.
"They are strong only as followers, but that's alright. I am weak. In the end, fighting someone one or two ranks above me, I will lose, regardless of who the leader is."
"And just a filthy follower," Gray muttered to himself as he dodged to activate the power he'd acquired after his contract with the Beast King.
His body began to swell to the size of a fully grown orc, his eyes transformed into those of a beast, and his hair, which had once reached his ears, now touched his waist. His hair had changed from blue to a much darker, charcoal-colored hue.
In this state, Gray was capable of defeating opponents two ranks stronger than him. However, there were some drawbacks; nothing in this world comes for free.
His strength was draining rapidly, and his emotions were unstable, making him easily manipulated and provoked, creating several vulnerabilities.
Nevertheless, Gray had no other choice. Having trained with Ruichi during the academy's holiday, he had managed to control this form by 30% and reduce energy depletion by 23%.
Yao Zi's gaze was filled with annoyance at not having stopped Gray. The transformation was incredibly rapid, and the transformation continued... For a split second, thanks to Grie's habit of enduring constant pressure, he was able to keep up with the sudden surge of energy.
"Aaaaaahhhhhhhh!" Grie roared, activating his Beast Shaker ability, which weakens the opponent's mental and psychological strength by 45%.
A savage aura, a mixture of aura and ether, gradually intensified between the two horns that began to appear on his forehead.
Shock was evident on the faces of the Scorpion Order's followers, as Grie's power had become equivalent to that of a Master Ruler, the same level as their leader, Yao Zi.
Ruichi smiled faintly as he looked at him, thinking to himself while deflecting an attack aimed at his neck with relative ease, "He successfully activated his Ferocious Mode, but I must be careful; his power is still unstable."
Lucy began to recall her reunion with her friends after returning from the vacation granted to her by the Versleken Academy. For Them
Flashback
As Yuta headed to his class, he encountered Beatrice, Gray, Ruichi, Lucy, Tom, and Armin. A palpable aura surrounded them, their bodies drastically different. They were now stronger and more steadfast than they had been three weeks prior.
"You guys seem to have become much stronger," Gray said, his voice laced with a hint of sarcasm, as he and Ruichi approached them.
Lucy's face showed annoyance, Ruichi, Tom, and Armin looked surprised, while Yuta and Beatrice remained indifferent.
"Yes, we've become much stronger. And what about Mr. de Molière, young man? What did you do after we parted ways?" Lucy's tone, while seemingly interrogative, was a direct insult. This irritated Gray, but he chose to ignore it.
"So, what did you do during the break?" Ruichi's voice was calm, attempting to soften the blow. Tension
"Nothing much. I've been studying books on Konoa theories for the past few weeks. What about you?" Beatrice's voice was calm as she looked at everyone with a cold, emotionless expression, as if she were simply explaining what she had been doing without any hint of feeling.
Grey turned his gaze toward Lucy with a hint of malice. "So what has Ms. Lucy been doing these past few weeks? Has she been in human healing shops, taking care of herself to be Miss Vrisklein Academy for the next three years?"
Lucy's expression shifted to annoyance, then a faint smile appeared on her face as she looked at Grey.
"I've been practicing something that will make my defense invincible," she said, glancing at Yorechi and Yuta, who possessed the strongest attack in the elite class, before turning back to Grey.
"And what have you been doing?"
Grey raised an eyebrow, looking at Lucy, understanding her implication.
"Yorchi and I have been training hard." "You'll find out something in the midterms, so be patient, there's not much time left." Gray's voice held a great deal of confidence that his training would prove beneficial.
"As for Tom and me, we've cleared several X-rank dungeons over the past two weeks," Armin's voice was calm, though slightly tense from their gazes.
Yorchi and Lucy Gray's faces were filled with astonishment, while Yuta and Beatrice remained unchanged, aware of Tom and Armin's formidable power, unlike Gray, Yorichi, and Lucy, who were completely unaware of it.