"Protect the children!" Major Pain roared but there was no one to listen to his orders, because just like him and the Principal, all the instructors were preoccupied with fighting for their own lives.
The Demon planned for months before this attack. They didn’t succeed in killing Major Pain like expected, but this was also part of their plan.
They had a contingency plan in place.
The plan was to deal a devastating blow to the heart of the Human domain. Trusting that Kravos Bone-Tyrant, Zahrim, and Vaelith were doing their jobs in their designated targets, they focused on their own job.
Killing Major Pain, an S-Ranked Hero of humanity was dealing a major blow, but if they could not, killing dozens of instructors ranging from D Rank to B Rank was also dealing a major blow.
And most importantly, killing the younger generation who were the future of the human race was dealing a major blow to the human’s foundations.
They planned it perfectly.
They didn’t like Principal Aelthar’s swift interference, but knowing that he was always in the Academy premises was exactly why they mobilized 3 Demon Lords to the Academy.
The 3 of them came not just to try killing Major Pain as swiftly as possible, but to also stop the legendary White Flame of Humanity from ruining their plans.
And for now, they succeeded.
The Principal and Major Pain were so focused in fighting their own battles that they didn’t even have the luxury to focus on their students, the nobles, their instructors, not to talk of the surviving applicants.
Till they had a breakthrough, every person was on their own, including the applicants who were exhausted after 6 grueling rounds of the combat phase.
Round 6 was supposed to be the final crucible of the scholarship tournament, and the survivors were finally supposed to get their just reward.
Originally, losers after each battle were teleported out of the coliseum out of the Academy premises, but not for the last round. Due to Major Pain’s decision to choose the last 2 scholarship candidates himself, the losers were left to wait for their fate after the end of the final battle of Round 6.
This was why 16 applicants were still inside the combat arenas as all hell broke loose and the Demons hit the heart of the human domain.
Mana shards rained down like glass as the protective dome collapsed.
The surviving 16 applicants stood frozen, staring at the surging tide of Demon foot soldiers.
Behind them, S-Rank shockwaves tore the coliseum apart. They watched in terror as powers beyond their comprehension tore walls apart. They watched as the skies burned, and the void cracked open.
But all of that was still in their periphery and was not urgent. What was urgent and before them, making up their world was the horde now in front of them.
It was hard to forget, but they were still just 16 year olds.
Against each other, they could fight and act strong and invincible, but in the face of a Demonic horde, bravery grew wings and left the room, replaced by a deep-rooted fear that bloomed out of the deepest depths of their minds.
With the protective dome gone, the sounds that were muffled before also finally penetrated in full, entering through their ears as they shuddered.
Behind the Demon horde charging them down, they saw the fate of the tens of thousands that once sat in the coliseum stands, cheering them on.
They saw a river of blood flow.
Those lucky that were still alive already broke completely. Some sobbed, some screamed, and some tried to flee only to be torn down instantly.
Kairo staggered as he felt his body failing. His muscles were shriveled, his stomach gnawing at him, yet his fists shook with stubborn defiance as he stared death in the face charging towards him.
The only thought in his head was one name. ’Leora... Leora... Leora...’
Mira steadied herself, eyes blazing with her new conviction. "If I die here, it won’t be as prey, I’ll take Demons down with me!"
Hearing that, Kairo finally snapped out of it as his eyes widened, blazing with determination. "I can’t die, no oh, I can’t die here!"
He looked around, seeing the terror in the faces of the other applicants with whom he just fought. He knew that if the horde caught them , they would all be dead in seconds, and so he did the only thing that he could think of.
"Formation!" His voice echoed deep with authority, drowning every outside noise and the bellows of the Demons.
For a heartbeat, it felt like his voice would drown in the tide, but then...
[Congratulations! You have unlocked Skill: Monarch’s Roar]
>By consciously manipulating the muscles in your throat, your voice has gained properties to bypass mental blocks and stimulate your ally’s brain waves, triggering a dopamine surge that’ll stabilize them, calm them, and make them susceptible to listening to your orders.
>Allies under the influence of your strong are approximately 30% stronger.
But his voice was already echoing away.
What started as a desperate roar from him became a wave that directly penetrated into the head of all 15 of his allies, forcing them into a state of calm and battle clarity as panic faded from their minds as a mirage.
Instinctively, their grips on their weapons tightened as they converged on Kairo’s position, not questioning anything, with eyes only set on the Demon horde that was now in front of them.
Their faces were grim but determined.
It was eerie. It was almost as if the 16 year olds suddenly experienced a personality switch, becoming cold-blooded veteran warriors who would not flinch in the face of a Demon horde.
Kairo was surprised but he dared not hesitate as taking a step back due to how shriveled his body was, he growled. "Hold!"
Draven took a step forward, activating both of his abilities, Titan Arm and Seismic Stomp at the same time. Not just Draven, all the other applicants with physically defensive and highly offensive abilities like Barros and Alric also stepped forward to face the horde head-on.
And then, the flood of Lesser Demons crashed into the applicants.
Unlike what the Demons expected though, they didn’t tear through the human applicants though. Rather, they were stalled.
Draven, Barros, and Alric barely held the ground with their abilities.
Kairo’s eyes gleamed. "Attack!" He roared.
All hell broke loose!