Zayden took a firm step forward, his gaze locked onto the Lillit approaching opponents.
"Don't think numbers alone will win you this fight."
"Fufufu… Big words for a peasant. Let's see how long you last."
Just as Eriska stepped forward, her movement swift and firm, she noticed something—Kajin was no longer beside them.
"Huh…??" Her voice broke the moment. The others turned, eyes scanning.
"Woof!"
They froze.
There, under Lilith's feet, Kajin was crouched on all fours like a loyal dog—tail wagging in spirit, tongue out, eyes sparkling with devotion.
"W-What the hell is he doing…?" Zayden muttered in disbelief.
Lilith didn't even glance down. With one heel resting lightly on his back, she smirked.
"Good dog."
Eriska snapped, her voice sharp and furious.
"Y-You absolute moron!"
Just as Eriska finished her words, one of the six muscular guys lunged forward, throwing a punch straight at her.
She barely managed to dodge it, the blow slicing through the air beside her face.
The rest of them didn't wait—within seconds, the remaining five were charging in, surrounding and attacking the four from all sides!
One of the attackers charged straight at Zayden, fist cocked back for a brutal punch.
But, without making any sound from his feet, he vanished.
The guy blinked, scanning left and right in confusion.
"Where are you looking?!"
Zayden's voice cut from behind.
Before the guy could even turn, a sharp knifehand strike slammed into his shoulder, forcing him down on one knee.
Then, with a swift kick to the neck, Zayden knocked him out cold.
Another guy crept up behind Sara, muscles tensing, eyes locked on the back of her head.
With a sharp grunt, he threw a punch straight for her face—fast, but not fast enough.
Sara moved. Calm and precise.
Her head tilted slightly to the right, and the punch sliced through empty air, brushing past her cheek without even ruffling her hair.
"Tch—!" The guy clicked his tongue and launched into a flurry of attacks.
His fists flew wild. Punches. Kicks. Elbows.
Each strike came faster, more desperate than the last, his heavy footwork thudding across the forest floor.
But Sara didn't flinch.
She weaved through his attacks like water—fluid, unreadable.
Her steps light, silent. Her gaze focused, like she could see each move before it even happened.
The boy's breathing grew heavier.His strikes sloppier. Sweat clung to his forehead.
"You're wide open."
In a flash, Sara twisted her hips, lifting her leg high—then snapped a clean roundhouse kick straight into his ribs.
WHAM!
The impact echoed.
His body jerked to the side, air bursting from his lungs as he was sent flying a few feet before crashing into the grass with a dull thud.
He didn't get back up.
While chaos erupted around her—fists flying, kicks landing—Shion stood perfectly still, arms folded neatly behind her back, her expression calm and unbothered.
Her posture was like that of a noblewoman enjoying an afternoon tea party in the middle of a battlefield.
One of those boys spotted her, his lips curling into a smug grin.
"You're just standing there? Ha! Big mistake, sweetheart."
He charged at her like a rhino, fists cocked and confidence soaring.
His every step thundered toward her with brute force, shaking the leaves around them.
Shion tilted her head.
"Ah… boys who underestimate women. How refreshing."
Just as the student lunged forward to land a heavy punch—
SNAP!
His foot suddenly yanked backward mid-stride.
A hidden vine trap whipped up, wrapping around his ankle like a loyal snake.
He flailed for a split second before falling forward with all his might—his face crashing flat into the dirt.
THUD!
He groaned in the mud, one leg still caught and twitching like a fish out of water.
Shion crouched down just enough to peek at his dazed face, her voice as light as a breeze.
"Oh dear, I told you not to run indoors."
The poor guy tried to lift his head, only to flop back down with a muffled moan.
Zayden, now beside her, blinked.
"You planted traps?"
Shion gave a small, innocent shrug. "What? I'm delicate. I fight with strategy, not sweaty muscles."
He gave her a flat look. "You rigged half the forest, didn't you?"
"Only the parts they'd walk through," she replied with a smile that was far too pure for someone who just flattened a guy without lifting a finger.
The next guy lumbered forward, cracking his knuckles with a cocky grin.
He didn't expect much resistance from the short girl glaring at him, holding a snapped tree branch like a sword.
Eriska stood still, unimpressed.
"Ugh… another meathead.You guys all have the same dumb face."
The guy scoffed. "What's that twig gonna do?"
Too late—he looked up.
"Idiot."
Eriska dropped from above like a falling comet.
Both her feet landed square on his face with a sharp THUD, slamming his head backward into the dirt.
The guy crumpled to the ground, twitching.
Eriska landed lightly beside him, brushing her hair aside with a dramatic pout.
"Don't underestimate me, Moron."
But before she could even catch her breath—another bulky guy came from behind, fist raised for a sneak attack.
Just then, a quiet step. A firm snap in the air.
Sara was there.
Without a word, she intercepted the punch with one hand, catching the attacker's wrist mid-swing.
"Eh—!?" he stuttered, frozen in place.
"You okay?" Sara asked Eriska calmly, not even glancing her way.
"I-I was fine, obviously!" Eriska folded her arms, cheeks puffed. "…But thanks."
The guy struggled to pull back, but Sara's grip only tightened.
Her eyes, sharp and distant, focused on his arm like it was just machinery.
With a single twist—
CRACK!!
His elbow bent the wrong way. His scream tore through the forest.
Sara let go like she was releasing trash.
"Who is next?!"
The guy fell, groaning in the dirt, clutching his broken arm.
Sara adjusted her sleeves and stepped past him, expression unreadable.
The ones who had just been defeated were sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain, their eyes wide with fear and disbelief.
"W-What the hell are these guys…?" one of them muttered, clutching his broken arm.
Another trembled, voice shaking, "Monsters… They're monsters…"
Amid the chaos—the dust, the grunts, the collapsed bodies—Lilith remained still, unbothered.
She twirled her parasol slowly, her long brown hair swaying behind her as she stood tall in her heels.
Her gaze swept over the scene, unimpressed.
"Hmph… what a bunch of useless trash."
She let out a slow sigh, her tone calm and laced with disdain—like a queen watching her pawns crumble before her.
Just then, a figure stepped forward from behind the line of fallen bodies—the last of the six fighters still standing.
"Don't worry, ma'am Lilith," he said, puffing out his chest with pride.
"As your biggest fan, I won't disappoint you."
He took a step forward, and in that moment, a brilliant white aura surged across his body like lightning veins cracking through his skin.
The ground beneath him cracked slightly under the pressure.
Everyone tensed up, feeling the sheer force of his Zone power rippling in the air.
Zayden, Eriska, Sara, and Shion braced themselves, ready for another intense clash.
But before Lilith could notice, one person was no longer sitting at her feet.
"Eh?" She glanced down.
Empty.
Kajin was already walking forward, eyes locked on the white-aura fighter.
A cocky grin tugged at the edge of his lips."Now that's something…" he said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's see what you've got."
Meanwhile—
In the quiet forest clearing, the air was thick with tension.
The bespectacled student stood tall, clutching Ito's flag high.
His long black hair swayed faintly in the breeze, and his expression remained serious.
But his wrist was caught—held tightly in Gakurei's unyielding grip.
Neither of them moved. Their eyes locked.
Hearing the distant sounds of battle echoing through the trees, the bespectacled student finally spoke, his voice low and composed.
"…Let's end this cleanly. I'll drop the flag. You release my wrist."
Gakurei's grip remained firm for a moment before he gave a slight nod.
"Alright. On three."
Not far behind them, Ito overheard their exchange.
His eyes widened, body instinctively tensing.
They're about to drop it!
"Three…"
"Two…"
"One—"