Roran was bleeding as his lower jaw was missing.
Lily, bleeding, her abdomen pried open, was most likely seconds away from dying.
Zaroth, with his left hand missing and bleeding from every hole in his face, laughed maniacally as he clutched the severed head of his opponent.
And Zack, who was seemingly unscathed, currently looked the worst, as his face was so white and his eyes so unfocused, like he was already dead.
Everyone was moments away from dying, and usually, there would be no way to save them…
But Elysia was here. Without wasting any time, she flicked her finger, and the four students were lifted into the air, seemingly frozen and unable to move.
The blood that was falling from them froze as well.
Elysia flicked her fingers again, and the inferno that was quickly destroying the forest ceased in an instant.
A deadly stillness fell upon the burned forest as the ash rose into the sky and dissolved, making the air breathable again.
Elysia was supposed to go to the medical team as soon as possible to get her students treated, but since they were now frozen in time, there was no point in rushing.
Instead, she took a step forward, admiring the two defeated beasts.
The three-headed beast was a large creature.
It could surely destroy a city, even a country, should there not be people capable of matching its strength…
And yet it lay on the ground, dead, bleeding a ridiculous amount of blood.
It had two kinds of wounds—ones that were small but deep, like the kind of wound arrows leave, but the injuries were too wide for the arrow to be the reason.
"So it's left by a sword?" Elysia muttered, observing the wounds.
If it was indeed made by a sword, it would mean someone had thrust their sword thousands of times into the creature's body.
"…Or someone is capable of controlling dozens of swords at a time," she spoke, her eyes darkening slightly as her interest peaked.
The second type of wounds were left by a slashing weapon, most likely also a sword.
"But for the wounds to be this wide, it would mean the sword used would be at least 3 meters long, if not more…"
Elysia walked toward the dead bird-beast.
Its metal feathers had been melted, most likely by an incredibly deadly inferno, and about a third of the bird's body was missing, almost as if something had bitten it off.
This, coupled with the fact that the forest was on fire, led her to wonder.
"It's almost like the bird fought against another beast…"
The question was, what kind?
"It can't be a phoenix, as it wouldn't be able to take such a big bite out of the bird creature…"
Suddenly, Elysia's lips curved into a smile, her voice excited as she spoke.
"…Was it a dragon? But the only way a dragon could have appeared here and disappeared so quickly without anyone noticing would mean that someone summoned it…"
But being able to summon a mythical beast? That would be ridiculous—there isn't even anyone capable of summoning beasts, he—
Elysia's gaze shifted to Zaroth, who stood proudly, clutching the beheaded head of a man with a smile on his face.
Walking slowly, she stopped before him, her eyes darkening with dangerous intensity.
"So it wasn't Epic, but Mythic after all…" she spoke, placing her finger on Zaroth's bloodied lip.
"Ah… it seems I have gained a priceless ally… my gut was correct," Elysia spoke, her lips curving into a deadly smile as she looked at Zaroth.
Moving her face close to his ear, she whispered, though Zaroth, frozen in time, wasn't able to hear her.
"Alright, let's get you patched up."
*****
"Princess, step back!" Roderic spoke as he gazed into the girl's eyes.
After Sofia had come with the dire news that an Epic beast master had arrived, the teachers had immediately stopped the hunting competition and teleported the students away for safety reasons.
The only one they didn't manage to transport was Sofia, as according to her words, she wanted to stay and fight with the intention of avenging her squad.
"There is no need for that. Elysia has gone there herself, so she would surely handle it," Roderic tried to convince her.
"Then why are you armed and ready for combat?" she asked, pointing to the teachers.
True, while Elysia was strong, there were two Epic beasts running wild, so no one wanted to take any chances.
As a result, all the teachers at the academy who were present at the hunting competition—87 exactly—had now armed themselves, looking at the woods.
Waiting to see if their boss would return alive or if they would have to venture into the wild to try to put down the beasts.
"It's just for safety precautions," Roderic answered.
"Then I am going to stay here for safety precautions too. I am royalty, and a four-year student, I can be useful too!" Sofia said, unwilling to back down.
"This kid…" Roderic sighed as he shifted his gaze back to the woods.
'It's been a few hours since Elysia entered the forest. Is she fine? I doubt that she would lose… but she may need reinforcements.'
Roderic's thoughts were cut short as the nearby bushes suddenly rustled.
Everyone got on their guard as they tightened their grip on their weapons, preparing for battle.
Would an enemy show itself, or would it be their boss?
Everyone sighed in relief as they saw Elysia exit the bushes, looking spotless.
'She's gotten rid of them without even looking exhausted?' Roderic's eyes widened in disbelief. He knew his boss was strong, but to that extent…
"Boss, you've returned. I presume you've defeated the Epic beasts?" Roderic was the first one to dare ask Elysia as he took a step forward.
"No, I haven't done a thing," Elysia replied instantly.
"Huh? But are the Epic beasts dead?" Roderic asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, they are," Elysia said, beginning to walk forward, and behind her, four frozen bodies floating in the air came into view.
One had his lower jaw torn off and was crying blood as he looked at the girl's body in his embrace.
One was as white as a ghost, seemingly dead, but seeing that Elysia had used her powers on him, he was most likely still alive, even if just barely.
And finally…
A white-haired young man, his left hand missing, clutched a severed head in his right hand. His arms were outstretched to the side as he gazed at the sky with a maniacal smile.
"These four did all the work, not me," Elysia spoke coldly, shifting her gaze to Sylvia, one of the healers who had gone on the expedition.
"What are you waiting for? Heal them!"