“Be careful. They say there are magical beasts lurking here.”
Upon entering the outskirts of the Fangril Forest, Shavier and Shana both drew their single-handed swords from their waists. Their gazes swept warily across their surroundings, alert to any movement.
“O-okay, I’ll… I’ll do my best.”
Windy clutched her magic staff, her tension palpable ever since they stepped into the forest. For this reason, she remained in the center of their formation.
“Relax, relax~ If any magical beasts appear, just leave them to me! I’ll send them all flying.”
Alisa brandished her staff like a mere stick, swinging it wildly in every direction. She bore no resemblance whatsoever to a proper mage.
“Even paltry magical beasts shall succumb to my song.”
Luoge’s weapon was neither a staff nor a wand, but a small harp, perfectly befitting her identity as a songstress.
Jeanne D’Arc gripped her magic staff in one hand, while the other rested against her chest. Ultimately, she decided against it, unwilling to rely on others. She intended to prove herself through her own strength.
After they had walked for a while, rustling sounds emanated from the nearby bushes and trees. This sudden disturbance brought the six women to an immediate halt. They scanned their surroundings warily, ready to plunge into battle the moment their adversaries revealed themselves.
“Let my harp’s melody herald our arrival~”
Lifting her small harp, Luoge’s fingers danced lightly across the strings. As the strings vibrated, magical energy formed concentric waves of air that surged outwards in every direction.
However, Luoge’s music also drew out all the magical beasts hidden nearby. Silver wolves and long-armed demon apes, numbering around thirty, emerged from the shadows.
They fixed their predatory gazes upon the six intruders. Yet, Jeanne D’Arc and her companions showed no fear despite the overwhelming numbers; instead, they grasped their weapons, ready to commence battle.
“You two, stand behind Shavier and me. Watch your surroundings. Alisa, you’re responsible for everyone else’s safety.”
Shavier and Shana positioned themselves at the very front of the group.
“Just leave it to me, I’ll send those magical beasts flying!”
The energetic Alisa playfully twirled her staff.
“Yes, I’ll do my best! Holy Light Orb!”
Jeanne D’Arc’s gaze hardened with resolve. She raised her left hand, beginning to gather magical energy.
Jeanne D’Arc initiated the attack. Her Holy Light Orb struck a long-armed demon ape perched in a tree, knocking it directly to the ground.
The ape roared in fury as it crashed, as if accusing Jeanne D’Arc of a sneak attack.
“It’s begun!”
Shavier and Shana also launched their assault. The two sisters charged towards the long-armed demon ape.
With a flash of two sword lights, the ape fell to the ground with a thud, its chest bearing two deep, bone-exposing gashes from their blades.
However, their preemptive strike and kill utterly enraged the other magical beasts. Their original mission had been to encircle any humans attempting to enter the forest, avoiding unnecessary combat if possible.
Yet, the outcome was unexpected. They hadn’t anticipated such cruelty from humans. Their own side hadn’t even attacked, but the humans had already moved to kill their comrades.
This was undoubtedly a provocation, an attempt to ignite a full-scale war between both parties.
Thus, the battle between the two sides officially commenced.
“Cross Slash, Thrust.”
Facing a charging silver wolf, Shavier executed a flawless Cross Slash, repelling it. Before the wolf could react, Shavier’s sword suddenly accelerated, piercing directly through the silver wolf’s core—its magic core.
This single strike from Shavier amounted to a waste of ten silver coins, the price of even the most common magic core.
Unlike her sister, the stern and unsmiling Shana approached combat differently. Each of her attacks aimed to sever the magical beasts’ limbs before ultimately beheading them.
While this method preserved the magic cores from shattering, the scene it created was exceedingly gory and brutal. Limbs and severed body parts of magical beasts littered the ground, blood flowing like a river.
Standing amidst it all, Shana resembled a bloodthirsty berserker.
“Holy Light Burst.”
Under Alisa’s protection, who was still idly swinging her staff like a stick, Jeanne D’Arc concentrated her power. She conjured five Holy Light Orbs, which then orbited above her head before soaring towards five silver wolves.
If a normal Holy Light Orb, when impacting and exploding, possessed the power of a standard grenade, then a compressed Holy Light Orb—a Holy Light Burst—detonated with the force of a missile.
BOOM!
Though one or two of the five silver wolves managed to evade the Holy Light Orbs, the explosion radius was incredibly vast. It wasn’t merely a matter of those five wolves; the entire area seemed to have been struck by five missiles.
The sheer destructive power was beyond imagination.
That entire section was instantly leveled, leaving a vast, empty expanse. Yet, Shavier and her companions stood there, completely unharmed.
The residual shockwaves had thoroughly rattled them. First, a blinding cloud of dust and smoke obscured their vision entirely. Once the dust settled, each of them stared around in stunned disbelief, save for Jeanne D’Arc, who already knew the outcome, and Shana, whose expression remained impassive.
“Where are the magical beasts?”
Alisa swallowed hard. This was the first time in her life she had witnessed such a spectacular sight: a vast stretch of forest instantly reduced to barren land.
“What exactly happened just now?”
Shavier turned her head to look at Jeanne D’Arc, who appeared completely at ease. She couldn’t believe she had recruited such a formidable individual into her team.
“S-so scary! My… my ears are going to burst.”
Tears welled in Windy’s eyes, her adorable face a picture of fright, on the verge of tears.
“Oho~ I’m quite interested in that move of yours~”
Luoge walked up to Jeanne D’Arc, then circled behind her. With a mischievous hand, she reached out towards Jeanne D’Arc’s chest, all while playfully blowing into her ear to tease her.
“Huh!? No, Luoge, don’t! Stop it, please.”
Jeanne D’Arc, being a simple and kind country girl, could not tolerate such teasing from Luoge.
“Oho~ I’ve discovered Jeanne D’Arc’s weakness.”
Luoge was not the type to stop simply because someone asked her to. In fact, such requests only spurred her to intensify her antics.
“Luoge, stop this. Don’t forget why we’re here. We haven’t collected either of the items yet.”
Shavier, as the team leader, forcibly pulled Luoge away.
“Jeanne D’Arc, do you need to rest? That spell must have drained a significant amount of your magic power, right?”
Shavier was genuinely concerned for Jeanne D’Arc’s well-being. She didn’t believe the spell Jeanne D’Arc had just cast was low-level. Judging by its destructive power, it had to be at least a Rank Four spell.
“I’m fine. I’m sorry, I messed things up.”
Jeanne D’Arc glanced around at the devastation. She knew she had ruined things; those dozens of silver wolves had been one of their mission objectives.
Now, with no trace of their bodies, regret welled within her.
“It’s alright. We’ve only just begun.”
Shavier smiled, shaking her head as she comforted Jeanne D’Arc.
“Exactly! This mission will be over in no time, trust me.”
Alisa patted her chest confidently, making a solemn promise to Jeanne D’Arc.
“C-cheer up.”
Windy shyly lowered her head, unable to meet Jeanne D’Arc’s gaze. It was simply too embarrassing for her.
“Alisa is just a pure, single-minded airhead, you know.”
Luoge chuckled.
“I am not! That’s passion! That’s youth!”
Alisa pouted and let out a soft huff, clearly indicating her displeasure.
“Jeanne D’Arc, if you truly consider us friends, then don’t blame yourself.”
Shavier gave Jeanne D’Arc a brief hug before quickly letting her go.
“…”
Shana said nothing. She simply walked up to Jeanne D’Arc, took her hand, and placed the silver wolf tooth she had just acquired into her palm.
“Shavier, Alisa, thank you, everyone.”
Jeanne D’Arc was overjoyed. Today, she had made friends, and they hadn’t blamed her for her mistake. Instead, they had comforted her in her self-reproach.
This made Jeanne D’Arc incredibly happy—perhaps the happiest she had been since meeting Yue Wu.
“Let’s go. We should leave this place first.”
****
After Shavier and her companions had departed the barren land, a group of five individuals arrived one after another. Had they not already entered the forest, they would have found it hard to believe that this desolate area was still part of the Fangril Forest.
“Is this where that spell was cast?”
Leading this new group was a maiden draped in a white robe. Her face was largely obscured by the brim of her hood, making her features impossible to discern.
Within this party, if Yue Wu or Jeanne D’Arc had been present, they would surely have recognized one person: Sophia Intist.
“I can sense a faint trace of light-attributed magic remaining here. Judging by its power and range, this spell was likely at least Rank Four.”
This assessment came from a young elf. Elves were naturally highly sensitive to magic; even a slight contact allowed them to discern the elemental attributes intertwined within the magical energy.
“Sophia, what’s wrong?”
Another elven maiden watched as Sophia suddenly walked to the center of the barren ground, then crouched down to touch the earth. She was utterly perplexed by Sophia’s actions.
“N-nothing.”
Sophia shook her head.
“Something is approaching this location.”
The lead maiden lifted her head, scanning her surroundings as she spoke in a calm tone.
“Then I’ll set up the traps now.”
Just as the elven youth turned to prepare the traps, the silent, cool-headed young man in the group spoke up.
“No need. We’re already surrounded.”
The cool-headed young man leaned back against the blade of a greatsword, yawning lazily.
“Let them witness the might of Fiore Academy.”
The lead maiden moved to a specific spot, and the five members of her team positioned themselves in five different directions.
“Tell me, Sophia, which state are you in today? You’re not still that coward, are you? Ahahaha!”
At Fiore Academy, there was a fascinating detail that captivated many: Sophia. It was rumored that Sophia possessed at least four distinct personalities, each wielding different strengths.
Consequently, most students at Fiore Academy often speculated about which personality Sophia would exhibit on any given day. The cool-headed young man was undoubtedly among those intrigued by this enigma.
“You talk too much. Believe it or not, I could snap your neck.”
Sophia turned, flashing a very friendly smile at the cool-headed young man.