Chaos reigned supreme. The students" defense disintegrated into isolated islands of resistance. Hakime, seeing the situation become desperate, understood that the only way out was a decapitating strike. His gaze desperately searched for Loïd through the fray. He saw her, surrounded by a halo of flames, pushing back a wave of goblins with raw violence.
"Loïd!" yelled Hakime, using a burst of light to make his way to him, closely followed by his team. We must aim for the king!"
Loïd turned to him, his face lit up by the flames and a contemptuous smile. "Have you finally understood that you need real power? Don't worry, orphan. My team and I are going to fix this. We don't need your help."
"It's not a question of help, it's a question of tactics!" argued Hakime, dodging a cudgel. "Together, we can break through to him. Alone, you will be overwhelmed!"
Elara, next to Loïd, gave Hakime a cold look. "Coordination with uncontrolled elements is a risk. Our combined power is sufficient."
Kaito adjusted his glasses, a cold calculation in his eyes. "Statistically, a compact elite unit is more likely to break through than a motley group."
Pride and distrust prevailed once again. Loïd laughed. "Stay here and take care of the foot soldiers. King Goblin's glory will return to the Skydreams." With these words, he turned his heels and, with a roar, led his own charge. His team turned into a fist of fire and ice, striking deep into the enemy ranks, aiming directly at the slope leading to the ridge where King Goblin stood.
Hakime clenched his fists, frustrated but not surprisingly. "They're going to get killed," grumbled Conor, crushing a foot slime.
"Or they'll succeed and get all the points," Arthur added nervously.
"In both cases, we must act," said Lyra. "Let's follow their breakthrough. Let's take advantage of the chaos they create."
That was the only viable plan. Hakime nodded. "Okay. We're moving in their wake. We clean up what they leave behind and we prepare to intervene if... when they need us."
The progression of both groups became a mad and deadly race through the tide of monsters. Loïd's team was a nightmare of brutal efficiency. Loïd's fire and Elara's ice created a corridor of destruction, charring and freezing everything in their path. Kaito used his magnetism to disarm and disorientate, while the fourth member, an heir with a B-rank blessing (Sonic Scream), stunned the monsters with shock waves.
But the horde, led by the King, was tightening around them like a vice. For every meter gained, the price in ether and effort was exorbitant. Loïd, despite his level 4, was beginning to show signs of fatigue, as his flames became less stable.
Behind them, Hakime's team moved forward with cold determination. They were the sword in the sheath, the precise blade that took advantage of the opening created by the hammer. Hakime used his light with extreme parsimony, reserving his blinding flashes to disrupt counterattacks against Loïd. Arthur, agile as a demon, protected their flanks from goblins trying to surround them. Conor, their rock, took the burdens and led the way when the passage created by Loïd tightened. Lyra, with deadly precision, slaughtered monsters that tried to attack Loid from the rear or flanks.
This fierce struggle, in the midst of the storm, was a brutal forging. The ether of fallen monsters flooded them, pushing their bodies beyond their limits.
A new wave of energy swept through Hakime's team. Arthur, with a triumphal cry, reached level 5, his speed becoming a real blur. Conor, roaring, reached level 5, his hardened skin sounding like striking steel. Lyra, her face serene, reached level 5, her control of the glass becoming so intuitive that she could now shape complex structures in an instant.
Hakime felt the long-awaited threshold being crossed. The energy accumulated in this titanic battle finally fills its immense reservoir. A feeling of expansion, much deeper than the first time, invaded him. His connection to the light intensified, becoming more immediate, more obedient.
HAKIME
Level 3 reached.
Blessing: Monarch of Light (SSS) - +5 Statistics Points.
AVAILABLE POINTS: 11 (6 not used + 1 base + 5 bonuses)
He didn't have time to distribute the points. The situation demanded it. He instinctively placed 5 points in Will for better control and 6 points in Endurance to last longer. The difference was immediate. The light answered him with a new docility, and the fatigue that was eating away at him diminished.
From the front, a roar of fury reached them. Loïd's team had also just grown. Loïd himself reached level 5, his flames taking on a bluish hue and even more intense heat. But they were now completely surrounded, about halfway to the ridge. Their resources were running out, and King Goblin, watching them from his high position, seemed amused.
Loïd's charge, however brilliant and brutal, had just bogged down. They were trapped, like lions surrounded by a pack of hyenas. The path behind them had closed.
Hakime and his team, now stronger and about thirty meters behind, found themselves facing a wall of monsters facing them, cutting off all retreat and all ties with the rest of the students.
They were caught between a hammer and an anvil. The only way forward was to rescue their proud rivals and finish together what they had started. The duel between the two leaders was over. The battle for everyone's survival had just begun.