Part Twenty-Five

Orion, with determination etched on his face, attempts to slash at Mira. But she, with a nimble grace, easily dodges his attack. "You're slow," she taunts in a mocking tone, swiftly kicking his ankles and causing him to lose his balance.

The ground shifts violently again, creating chaos among the fighters. Cassia, seizing an opportunity amidst the disorder, unleashes a ferocious storm of fire straight at Mira. "Take this, bitch! Hahahaha!" she exclaims, her laughter echoing with a blend of excitement and malice.

Mira, caught in the onslaught, grits her teeth in frustration. But before the flames can reach her, Elara intervenes. She conjures a massive orb of water, blasting it at the fiery tempest, extinguishing the flames in a display of elemental mastery.

In the midst of the chaos, Quinn materializes beside Elara, her dagger ready to deliver a critical strike. But her attack is thwarted at the last moment as a flurry of arrows fly dangerously close. Calder, reacting quickly, pulls her back by the leg, narrowly avoiding the airborne assault.

Sylvie, witnessing the escalating conflict, yells out in exasperation, "Everyone, can we stop fighting for a minute!?" Her voice is firm, laced with irritation and urgency. She concentrates, her fingers moving with purpose. In response to her will, the tumultuous earth calms, the constant movement halting under her command.

With a gesture of her fingers, Sylvie summons earth pillars to shoot out from the ground, creating barriers in front of each of the combatants. The sudden appearance of the pillars forces everyone to halt, their attacks interrupted by the unexpected obstruction.

Sylvie, in an attempt to reason with the chaotic assembly, starts, "Why did we suddenly start fighting? Aren't we all trying—" But her words are abruptly cut off as Luna's arrow finds its mark, striking Sylvie sharply in the shoulder. She grits her teeth, the pain evident, as she falls to her knees.

Before she can recover, another assault follows. Ariadne, seizing the opportunity, crafts an icicle and sends it flying towards Sylvie. The icicle pierces her, compounding the pain from Luna's arrow. Amidst the chaos, her allies find themselves too scattered to come to her aid. The bracelet on her wrist activates, and with a flash of light, Sylvie is teleported out of the area for safety.

Knox, observing the scene with a mixture of frustration and resignation, mutters to himself, "This is why I told you to stay back..." His concern for Sylvie's well-being is evident, despite the turmoil around them.

Rami, with a defiant spit on the ground, brandishes her axe, pointing it menacingly at the remaining fighters. "One down, a shit more to go," she declares, her tone one of challenge and bravado.

Calder, surveying the situation, leans towards Quinn and quietly asks, "Lyra took Zephyr out of the area since she's out of mana. It will take her a while before she refills. But where are Azura and Eliot?"

In the midst of the tension, Remy elbows Rami, whispering urgently, "What are you doing!? Didn't mom say not to be disrespectful?" Her concern is for their image and the repercussions of their actions.

Rami, clearly unbothered by her sister's caution, clicks her tongue dismissively. "I've been staying out of trouble, and I'm practically a ghost. No one in the academy knows who we are; this is annoying." Her nonchalant attitude reflects her frustration with their situation. She then points at Biana, a hint of anger in her tone, "Plus, I got beef with that bitch!"

Biana, lounging comfortably on top of Isadora, grins mischievously and sticks her tongue out in a blatantly disrespectful gesture towards Rami. Her demeanor is one of provocation and amusement.

Rami, visibly irritated, recalls a past incident. "Back when we were dueling with class A, I was hoping to have some fun, but that bitch straight up didn't even try and forfeited." Her annoyance with Biana's previous actions is clear.

Seizing an opening, Quinn unleashes a barrage of enchanted daggers at Rami. The daggers fly through the air with deadly precision, but Rami, quick to react, uses the flat end of her axe to deflect them skillfully. She mocks Remy's cautious approach, "Mom this~ Mom that~ Fuck that!"

In a sudden move, Rami grabs Remy's shoulder, her grip firm. "Fuck Mom, where did listening to her lead us? To a boring damn life!" Her words convey a deep-seated frustration with the constraints placed on them by their mother's expectations.

In the midst of the escalating chaos, Remy hurriedly whispers to her sister, "Okay okay! Let's talk about it later! Don't act like this right now! The queen is watching." Her plea is a mix of concern and a desire to avoid further complications.

Rami, however, dismisses her sister's caution with an eye roll. "Whatever, I'm not going to listen to mom, and I'm going to fight all out today." Her rebellious stance is clear, unshaken by the potential consequences of her actions.

Mira, overhearing their exchange, grins mischievously and chimes in, "Hey, if you want to have fun, why don't you play with this annoying short boy?" She points mockingly at Orion, stirring the pot further.

Orion, clearly exasperated, sighs deeply and retorts, "You're one to talk, you short goblin." His reply is sharp, matching Mira's taunts with his own.

Mira's glare intensifies. "Huh!?" She clenches her fist, her irritation palpable. "What did you say? I couldn't hear you. Can you speak up, fairy-like bastard?" Her words are laced with a blend of anger and mockery.

Orion, unfazed by her provocations, smiles and leans on his sword. "Sure, I'm sure it must be difficult hearing with all those tin cans you're wearing." His comment is a jab at the accessories on her hair, further escalating their verbal spar.

Mira reacts swiftly, launching a kick towards Orion. He blocks it skillfully, resulting in a shockwave that reverberates through the area. "It's called fashion, you bastard!" she snaps back, pulling her leg back before instantly aiming a kick from the other side. "Not that you would understand, you broke boy!" Her words are a mix of contempt and pride.

Elina, seizing the opportunity amidst the distraction, steps forward. Her illusions multiply, creating a disorienting effect as she moves closer to Mira. She attempts a stealthy stab, but her attack is foiled at the last moment by Gareth.

"Trust me, you don't want to do that. Mira looks just like an ogre if you stab her back," Gareth warns Elina, his tone both serious and slightly amused. He effortlessly restrains her with his arm and throws her across the field. The impact is met with a tree, but as she collides, her form puffs into smoke, revealing her true position elsewhere—an illusion skillfully crafted.

Gareth, rubbing his head in annoyance, gazes at the multitude of illusions Elina has conjured. "Ugh... I hate these types of people," he grumbles, his frustration evident. "Like, can't you just fight me directly? This is worse than fighting Mira."

Ariadne, standing next to Rami, attempts to reason with her. "Ugh... I don't want to get in your family business, but what if your mom disowns you?" she asks, concern lacing her words.

Rami, unfazed by the prospect, grins confidently. "I have been saving my allowance, so even if she does that, I have enough money to stay at the academy." Her rebellious streak shines through her words, reflecting her determination to live life on her terms.

Turning around, Rami's attention is drawn to Tara, who stands closest to Biana. Pointing her axe at Tara, she demands, "Get out of the way." Her tone is firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

Tara, however, responds with a smile and a calm demeanor. "I'm sorry, but I can't let that happen. If anyone is going to beat Isadora, it will be our class." 

The battlefield becomes a whirlwind of action as Quinn, Orion, Mira, and Knox engage each other. Quinn, her daggers glowing with enchantment, announces confidently, "I'll take her." Knox, accepting the arrangement, responds simply, "Fine."

Quinn's attack is swift and precise, her dagger making contact with Mira's arm. Mira winces as blood flows from the slash, her irritation boiling over. "You fucking bitch, do you know how hard it's going to be to clean the blood off this?" she exclaims, her voice filled with frustration. Coating her body completely in mana, Mira makes a lightning-fast move, appearing right behind Quinn in the blink of an eye.

Quinn, caught off guard, barely has time to react. When she opens her eyes, she finds herself unexpectedly behind Mira. "You're fast," she acknowledges, her surprise evident.

Mira, seizing the upper hand, replies with a mix of pride and amusement. "Yeah, obviously. I'm faster than you."

Quinn, undeterred by Mira's quick reflexes, licks her lips and challenges, "Let's test that theory." She lunges at Mira, aiming a precise slash, but Mira, displaying her incredible reflexes, kicks the dagger out of Quinn's hand. "That shit won't work again," Mira declares confidently, her eyes sharp with focus.

In a swift motion, Mira lands a solid punch directly into Quinn's gut, sending her staggering backward. But Quinn is relentless; she immediately regains her footing and starts sprinting, intent on regaining the upper hand. Mira, matching her pace, easily catches up with her.

As they run side by side, Mira glances at Quinn, yawning mockingly. "Is this all you got?" she taunts, her tone dripping with condescension. Quinn, however, does not respond verbally but instead accelerates, pushing their speed to a new level.

The chase leads them through the forest, with both combatants darting in and out of sight. In a strategic move, Quinn tries to ambush Mira from within a tree. However, Mira quickly detects her presence and strikes the tree with such force that it breaks off, hitting Quinn squarely.

Mira, standing over Quinn, asserts her advantage. "I'm a bad match for you. Your stupid daggers won't work on me, idiot," she says, her body bending in preparation for a direct attack.

-

Tara turns to Biana and casually remarks, "I wonder how much longer this barrier will last." She knocks on the barrier, testing its durability.

Biana, lounging atop Isadora and using her as a makeshift bed, yawns nonchalantly. "Why, so you can get your ass beaten?" she retorts with a smirk. Patting Isadora's head, she adds confidently, "By the time this barrier is down, this one here will have enough energy to beat everyone." She stretches languidly, exuding an air of nonchalance.

Meanwhile, Isadora, seemingly oblivious to the tension around her, is preoccupied with watching two tiny bugs fight each other in the grass. Her focus on such a trivial matter amidst the chaos is oddly serene.

Tara, examining the barrier closely, responds to Biana's comment. "Even if she regains her stamina, her aura has been nearly depleted. As far as I'm concerned, it takes a while for someone to recharge their aura supply." Her observation is astute, pointing out a crucial factor in Isadora's potential combat readiness.

Biana, however, remains unbothered by Tara's analysis. She groans, laying more comfortably on Isadora, and yawns deeply. "Yeah yeah, whatever. As long as I'm around to tell this bird brain what to do, you all will lose like a bunch of bitches." Her words are filled with disdain and confidence, displaying her belief in her strategic prowess.

Tara, not one to back down easily, strikes the barrier with force, causing a small crack to form. "As if," she retorts, her tone dismissive. She then turns to address Rami and Ariadne. "See, even if you want to fight her, it will be impossible until this barrier breaks." Her statement lays bare the tactical limitation imposed by the barrier.

Rami, clearly frustrated by the situation, clicks her tongue in annoyance. "Dammit, she's such a pain," she mutters, her gaze fixed on Biana.

Biana, hearing Rami's grumble, grins triumphantly and responds, "Thanks for the compliment." Her tone is teasing, further provoking her adversaries while she remains secure within the confines of the barrier.