CHAPTER 2.83
The crowd erupted into applause as Professor Keda, standing in the center of the arena, raised his hand to signal the end of the match saying, "Winner: Yui Hotaru"
Unknown to everyone who was cheering, in the shadows of the academy, an entirely different kind of battle was unfolding.
In a dimly lit underground chamber, a group of cloaked figures moved swiftly, their footsteps echoing against the cold stone walls.
These were not mere students participating in the competition. No, they were part of the Black Star organization, and they had a mission that was far more sinister than anything the academy's students could imagine.
The leader of the operation, a tall figure cloaked in black, moved with purpose, his face obscured by a hood. He gestured to the others, signaling them to spread out as they reached the underground complex of the monster cave or what the academy called for an activity, a Monster Exploration Hunt.
They killed a few goblins and they are annoying for getting on their way.
It was supposed to be an unguarded area too, a place where they could extract what they needed without interference.
But as they approached the deepest part and where a strong energy is located, they froze. Knights suddenly came out from their hideouts blocking and some surrounding them.
"What is this?" the leader growled, his voice laced with frustration.
The second in command stepped forward, cursed under their breath. "Someone's already here. They must have known we were coming."
The leader's gaze narrowed, flickering with barely restrained fury. "How could they know?" he muttered, his voice dripping with irritation. He turned to his second in command. "Do we have a way out?"
The subordinate scanned the surrounding knights, their armor glinting ominously in the torchlight. These weren't just any knights; their armor bore the crest of the royal family. Reinforcements were not part of the plan, and the Black Star members were outnumbered.
"No easy escape sir," the second-in-command replied, his grip tightening on his weapon. "They must have reinforced security around the energy source."
"Tsk" The leader can only click his tongue.
One of the royal knights step in, their voice carrying an icy authority. "This place is under protection. You are under arrest for trespassing in the academy and doing evil deeds."
The leader sneered, a mocking glint in his eyes. "Arrest? You overestimate yourselves."
his voice taking on a cold, calculating edge. "Seems we'll need to make an example of this interference."
With a swift signal, he motioned for his team to prepare for battle. They drew their weapons, eyes glowing with dark determination.
The leader raised his hand, and fire slowly came out.
The knights, however, were unfazed. They raised their shields, holding firm then someone stepped forward, a calm but steely expression on his face, the vice captain of the Callisto knights, Paladin.
"Some of your men are already in custody. Surrender now, and perhaps your lives will be spared." Paladin said coolly, his voice echoing off the stone walls.
The Black Star members exchanged glances, tension thickening in the air. But instead of surrendering, they shifted into battle stances, each of them drawing weapons.
Paladin sighed, as if he had expected nothing less. "Very well," he muttered, raising his sword. "Then we'll take you down here."
The clash began fiercely, the Black Star members charging forward, their weapons gleaming in the dim light.
The air was thick with tension, punctuated by the clanging of steel against steel. The knights held firm, their shields raised high as they met each blow with practiced discipline.
Paladin moved with a lethal grace, blocking an incoming strike from a Black Star member wielding twin daggers.
With a swift return, he knocked one of the daggers out of the attacker's hand, forcing them back. "You're outnumbered and outclassed. Surrender now, and this will end quickly."
The leader sneered from a few paces away, his hand igniting in controlled flames that danced up his fingers. "Surrender? We've only just begun," he replied coldly. With a sharp flick of his wrist, he sent a jet of fire surging toward Paladin, who narrowly sidestepped the attack, his armor gleaming in the firelight.
One of the Black Star members beside the leader stomped the ground, calling forth a wave of jagged rocks that surged up between the knights, disrupting their ranks. Another member followed suit, drawing upon water magic to create a whip.
The water whip lashed out with a crack, slicing through the air as it aimed for the knights. One of the knights managed to block it with his shield, but the impact was powerful enough to send him a staggering back.
Taking advantage of the chaos, another Black Star agent darted in, a weapon raised to strike.
Paladin intercepted, his sword flashing as he parried the attack and retaliated with a swift kick that sent the attacker sprawling.
He raised his voice, commanding the knights, "Hold the line! Don't let them break our formation."
Paladin pushed through, his vision sharp and focused as he caught sight of two members charging at him with swords drawn.
He deflected their attacks, managed to drive one of them back. But just as he pressed forward, another member behind him lashed out with an earth spell, causing the ground to split beneath Paladin's feet.
Paladin staggered but quickly regained his balance, his movements fluid as he jumped back to solid ground. With a fierce determination in his eyes, he turned and raised his shield, blocking an incoming water whip aimed at his face.
The impact sent a spray of water across his armor, but he held firm, pushing the whip away and countering with a powerful swing of his sword.
The Black Star member wielding the whip staggered back, unprepared for the strength of Paladin's blow.
Meanwhile, the other knights had regrouped and were steadily closing in, their shields forming an unbreakable wall around the Black Star agents.
Realizing that the knights were slowly but effectively tightening the circle, the leader's expression twisted into a grimace. "Enough games," he snarled, his voice laced with desperation and fury.
With a furious roar, he raised both hands, summoning a pillar of fire that flared up around him, casting a sinister glow across the chamber.
The knights paused, bracing against the heat, but Paladin didn't flinch. He raised his shield, reflecting some of the flames away from his men. Then, with a calm and unwavering gaze, he locked eyes with the leader. "You're out of options," he said steadily. "Drop the flames, or we'll put them out for you."
For a moment, the leader hesitated, the fire wavering slightly in his hands. But before he could react, a flash of movement caught his eye.
A knight had slipped through their defenses, circling around to stand just behind him.
"Now!" Paladin commanded.
The knights surged forward, closing the last gaps in their formation, shields raised high as they overwhelmed the remaining Black Star members.
