The sound of something tearing through the sky approached from afar, and more than ten figures streaked across the heavens like meteors, landing precisely around the herd of Magic Beasts.
The moment they landed, a surge of magical energy exploded outward, blasting away dozens of the nearest Magic Beasts.
The newcomers all wore various styles of combat attire, but all bore a common symbol on their chests: the Double-Headed Eagle of the Bardia Family, the Golden Lion of the Vivalana Empire, the Blood Moon of the Lyles Clan… all emblems of imperial nobles and even the royal family.
They were the bodyguards of the major noble students, who, after repelling the modified beasts that blocked their path, had rushed over without delay to protect their respective masters.
“My Lady!”
“Your Highness!”
Five among them broke away from the group, swiftly approaching Lillian, Elina, and Shalina, and knelt on one knee.
“We are late. Please punish us!”
Lillian’s guards, “Frost” and “Thunder,” Elina’s Middle-Aged Female Sorceress, and Shalina’s Vampire Retainer, who had a pale face and wore a classic formal gown.
A flash of relief flickered in Lillian’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by grave concern.
“Get up. The situation is urgent. Assist with the breakout immediately!”
“Yes!”
The five rose to their feet and joined the battle without hesitation.
Frost and Thunder coordinated seamlessly—one using Ice Magic to freeze large areas and restrict the Magic Beasts’ movements, while the other, wielding twin blades, darted among the frozen beasts, each slash precisely decapitating an enemy.
Elina’s guard, a stern-looking Middle-Aged Female Sorceress, swept her Staff with a flourish, and several thick chains of Lightning Magic wrapped around over ten Magic Beasts, tightening suddenly and shredding them to pieces.
Shalina’s Vampire Retainer displayed even more astonishing strength, moving so fast she left only afterimages. Her crimson Blood Energy Claw Blades easily tore through the beasts’ carapaces; wherever she passed, the Magic Beasts fell like wheat before the scythe.
The remaining guards spread out to assist other students breaking through the siege elsewhere.
With these elite fighters—at least at the sixth or seventh rank—joining the fray, the situation was instantly reversed.
The once precarious defensive line stabilized, the Magic Beasts’ assault was temporarily halted, and the team’s advance speed increased significantly.
“Head south! Keep your formation!”
Professor Morin commanded loudly, she and several professors holding up Defensive Barriers at the rear, blocking the Magic Beasts surging in from the flanks and behind.
Camilla breathed a slight sigh of relief, but the unease in her heart did not diminish.
Sure enough, when she looked up at the sky, the Dark Chimera still hovered there, its six pairs of compound eyes coldly surveying the scene below as if enjoying a fascinating spectacle.
It had not personally intervened.
Why?
With its ninth-tier power, even if the number of guards doubled, they would not be able to withstand it if it joined the fray itself.
Was it recovering its strength? Or… did it have another purpose?
“Camilla! What are you spacing out for? Keep up!”
Elina’s shout yanked her back to reality.
The group had already advanced to the edge of a relatively open woodland. Not far ahead, a rushing river could be seen, with a steep gorge on the other side—just the delaying terrain Camilla had planned to use.
Victory seemed within reach.
But just as the group was about to burst out of the woods and reach the riverbank—
The Dark Chimera moved.
Its massive body slowly descended, eight jointed limbs stabbing into the ground like javelins, shaking the whole area.
Then, it opened its gigantic mouth, stretching almost to the base of its ears.
There was no sound.
But everyone felt the surrounding magical energy being drawn wildly toward that gaping maw.
“Not good! It’s preparing a large-scale attack!”
Professor Morin’s face changed drastically.
“All guards! Focus on defense! Prepare—”
Before she finished speaking—
The magical energy in the Chimera’s mouth had already condensed to the limit, transforming into a dark-purple beam of light more than ten meters in diameter, which thundered down upon the breakout team!
Wherever the beam passed, the air twisted, trees vaporized instantly, and the ground was plowed into a deep, scorched trench.
“Defend together!”
Frost shouted sharply, and all the guards acted at once.
Ice Walls, Lightning Shields, Blood Screens, Golden Barriers… layers upon layers of defenses unfolded along the path of the beam.
The beam crashed into the first Ice Wall.
The Ice Wall lasted less than a second before exploding into icy mist.
Then the Lightning Shield, Blood Screen, Barrier… layer after layer was torn apart like paper, and yet, the power of the beam barely diminished, continuing to blast toward the center of the group!
“Dodge!”
Ophelia suddenly shoved Camilla aside and, at the same time, swung her longsword with all her strength, her ice-blue Sword Qi colliding with the beam.
Boom——!!!
A deafening explosion.
Ophelia gave a muffled grunt as the shockwave sent her flying, her sword slipping from her hand and spinning through the air to impale itself in a distant tree trunk.
Although the Sword Qi managed to deflect the beam, its aftershock still swept through the group.
Agonized screams rang out one after another.
At least ten students were hit directly by the aftershock and died instantly, leaving no remains, and more were thrown into the air by the shockwave, the formation in total disarray.
“Big sister!”
Camilla scrambled up from the ground, ignoring her own scrapes as she rushed to Ophelia’s side.
Ophelia lay on the ground more than ten meters away, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, her right arm twisted unnaturally—obviously broken.
But she was still conscious, her ice-blue eyes fixed fiercely on the Dark Chimera hovering in the sky.
“I’m fine… Quickly, organize the retreat…”
Before she finished speaking, the second wave of attacks arrived.
The Dark Chimera did not use that energy-draining beam again, but instead manipulated dozens of tentacles, stabbing at the chaotic group like long spears.
At the same time, the herd of Magic Beasts on the ground, as if receiving an order, launched a frenzied assault.
“Protect the Lady/Your Highness!”
The guards fought desperately, but facing a ninth-tier Magic Beast’s direct attack, their defenses were like candles in a gale.
Frost was pierced through the shoulder by a tentacle, blood spraying, but she gritted her teeth and cut off the tentacle, fighting on.
Thunder was beset by several high-tier Magic Beasts, twin blades whirling like a storm, but his body was already covered in deep, bone-revealing wounds.
Elina’s guard barely managed to raise a Lightning Shield, blocking a tentacle thrust, but the shield instantly filled with cracks, and she herself coughed up blood from the shock.
Shalina’s Vampire Retainer fared a little better, relying on her clan’s unique combat skills to nimbly dodge the tentacles while slaying approaching Magic Beasts, but she clearly could not hold out much longer.
The group was completely divided and scattered.
Camilla helped Ophelia up and looked around.
Lillian, under the protection of Thunder and Frost, was struggling toward the riverbank; Emma was at her side, pale but still casting defensive magic with all her might.
Elina and her guard were entangled by several seventh-tier Magic Beasts and could not break free for the moment.
Shalina and her two guards stood back-to-back, fending off Magic Beasts attacking from three directions.
Lyudmila, Shana, Tom Squad… the others were scattered everywhere, each fighting their own battle.
“Camilla! Take Miss Ophelia and go first!”
Lillian’s shout came from afar.
“We’ll try to hold them off! Cross the river! Get to the other side!”
Camilla clenched her teeth, lifted Ophelia, and charged for the riverbank.
Rimuru leapt to the ground, its body expanding into a blue shield, blocking several ranged attacks from behind.
But there were too many Magic Beasts.
After only a few steps, three wolf-type Magic Beasts blocked their way.
Ophelia raised her left hand, barely able to form an ice spike, which shot through one of the wolves, but the other two lunged at them.
“Get lost!”
Camilla cursed, golden light flashing in her eyes as she beheaded both wolves with a single stroke.
But the enemy horde seemed endless. A bear-type Magic Beast with two heads charged like a jeep, with a one-eyed giant eagle standing on its back.
With no choice, Camilla supported Ophelia and jumped into the rushing river without hesitation.
The ice-cold water instantly submerged them.
Rimuru followed close behind, using the transformation ability gained after Awakening to turn into a translucent bubble that enveloped the two.
The current was strong, and the bubble was swept rapidly downstream.
Through the bubble, Camilla saw the battlefield on the bank recede into the distance.
Lillian, protected by Thunder and Frost, finally reached the riverbank and leapt into the water; Elina and her guard, having broken free, followed close behind, while Shalina, under the protection of her retainers, broke out in another direction.
As for Lyudmila, Shana, Tom Squad… there was no telling what had become of them.
But what made Camilla’s heart tremble the most was—the Dark Chimera’s six pairs of eyes seemed… to glance in her direction.
The bubble tumbled and drifted downstream in the river.
No one knew how long had passed before the current slowed, and the bubble was carried onto a shallow bank.
Camilla struggled out, then pulled Ophelia ashore.
Both of them were soaked and bedraggled.
Ophelia’s right arm was broken, her face pale, but she was still barely conscious.
Camilla checked her own condition as well—aside from some scrapes and bruises, she was fine. She took out healing potions from her bag and treated both her sister’s and her own wounds.
Rimuru returned to its original form, lying exhausted at her feet, its luster much dimmed.
She looked around.
They were on a desolate riverbank, with steep cliffs on either side and a dense primeval forest ahead.
They were completely separated from the main group.