Extra's Descent

Raven's heart raced as he quickly scanned the wyvern's massive frame, its scales gleaming under the light of the cadets' attacks.

His mind worked fast, trying to assess the best point of attack.

A voice rang out among the chaos, one of the class leaders shouting.

"We need to distract it! Form two groups! First group, draw its attention. Second group, get behind it!"

Boom—!

Magic attacks flew through the air. Elemental spells of all sorts exploding on impact.

Fireballs, lightning bolts, and shards of ice pelted the wyvern's thick scales, but the beast barely flinched.

It moved slowly, but with terrifying precision, each swipe of its claws or tail sending cadets scrambling to avoid being crushed.

"Uwaaa!"

"Huu… Huuu…."

Once more, Raven, along with a group of duelists, attempted to leap toward the wyvern's back with their weapons drawn. They ran up and hacked at its scales, but their blades barely scratched the surface.

"Tsk. Damn it."

Raven grimaced as his dagger scraped uselessly against the thick armor-like scales. The wyvern's defense was impenetrable, its body seemingly impervious to their attacks.

"We can't break through!"

One of the cadets shouted, panic rising in his voice.

Raven clenched his teeth, trying to stay calm despite the rising tension.

"We need to find a weak spot."

He muttered to himself, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the wyvern's massive form.

The wings, its underbelly, maybe the eyes—but getting close enough to strike any of those weak points seemed almost impossible.

—Hwoooooar!

The wyvern roared again, a guttural sound that reverberated through the forest, shaking the ground beneath them. With a powerful flap of its wings, it sent another shockwave of wind across the battlefield, scattering the cadets.

"Huaaa!"

"Shiiit…!"

At that moment, just when they least expected it….

Boom—!

A myriad of magic swords came from somewhere, caneering towards the wyvern. Everyone turned towards whence it came from with widened eyes.

A stunning woman, with blonde hair and blue eyes entered the scene amidst the snow dust. Her flawless facial features shone through, taking everyone's breaths away.

Magic swords hovered around her, the edge of the blades pointing right towards the wyvern. With no time wasted, Amelia extended her hand forward. The magic swords shot out in rapid succession.

"Quickly follow through the General's atta—"

Xiu!

A crystalline of icicle arrows cut through the battlefield from somewhere. Its massive size and reflective surface casting a shimmering light over the snowy ground.

The arrow struck with a force that rattled the earth, embedding itself into the wyvern's side, splintering into shards of frost that erupted on impact.

Boom—!

The explosion sent a flurry of snow and ice across the field, coating the ground in a frozen sheen.

—Hwooooaar!

The wyvern roared, its massive form reeling from the blow, and for the first time, its movements faltered.

Amelia, her expression calm and focused, stood tall amidst the falling snow, her hand still outstretched from the relentless barrage of her magic swords.

However, this sheer act alone was rapidly draining her mana. Thankfully, she put a lot of focus on her mana capacity's growth.

——[Status]——

∟ STR: A+ —[23%]

∟ MP: S- —[4%]

∟ DEF: A- —[67%]

∟ AGI: A+ —[0%]

∟ INT: B+ —[0%]

∟ CHA: SS —[44%]

[AVG: A+]

———————————

Sooner or later, she would finally break through the S ranks.

Beside her, Rachel prepared to draw another arrow. The mana around the girl with crimson eyes intensified, much to the point where Amelia found herself swallowing her saliva.

They had just joined the battle after finishing off a horde of monsters who seemed to have escaped the first charge.

"Rachel! General Amelia!"

A man with red hair and blue eyes, sporting an exhausted expression, ran up to them.

It was Reinhard.

On the outside, Amelia wanted to be referred to as just Amelia.

But in the battlefield, honorifics were important as it signified an individual's pride.

"What's the situation?"

Amelia asked. Her voice soft amidst the ongoing chaos, elemental attributed attacks dishing out in the background.

"It's not looking good. We're quickly running out of mana. We've been managing by switching with a different squadron at intervals. But sooner or later, it's bound to catch up soon."

"I see, and the wyvern? Has anyone discovered its weakness?"

"No, but its defenses are tanky."

Another voice cut through. It was Raven, who appeared right before him.

"In my opinion, if we continue to relentlessly barrage it with heavy attacks, its defenses should falter soon."

Amelia pondered as she rubbed her chin. Clearly, there was no other strategy to go about. Their strength alone wouldn't suffice to take the wyvern down in one swift blow.

But her thoughts were broken as Raven added:

"However, General. That goes for magic. During one of our attacks, my dagger seemed to have scratched its scales albeit slightly."

"So you're saying, its magic defense is high. But it's not the same for its physical defense?"

"Most probably, General."

"I see. So that means we should place grave importance on our duelists."

Then, Amelia looked around before her eyes fell on Raven.

"Do you know anyone with a spare sword I could borrow?"

It was one of the moments where Amelia regretted never having her own physical sword. If Raven's conjecture were correct, then her magic sword—though the impacts were immense—a physical sword might prove better.

"Thanks. Okay, listen up."

As soon as Amelia received a sword of her own, she quickly called for attention.

"I need you three to relay this information to all the Leaders. Mages will continue supporting the close combatant fighters from the rear. As soon as we find an opening, all duelists present will tackle the wyvern once more."

It was a simple strategy. However, the main difference would be its coordination.

"I can help with distraction, General."

Another voice cut through. A woman's voice. Coming from the deep undergrowth of the forest.

Her purple hair was tied to a ponytail. While her purple fur coat fluttered in the snowy breeze.

It was Claire—who had just arrived at the battlefield as well after helping injured cadets retreat.

They continued formulating their plan despite the battle happening in front of them.

"Okay."

As soon as they finished, Amelia nodded her head and the four dispersed soon after.

Amelia's hand extended forward and magic swords continued to rain down on the wyvern. If it could expose cracks on the wyvern, then Amelia didn't want to waste a single opportunity.

Time passed for a while, and at that moment, cadets brandishing swords stepped forward.

That was the signal.

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Amelia, sword in hand, rushed forward to join the group of duelists.

—Hwoooooar!

The ground trembled beneath their feet as the wyvern roared again, its powerful wings sending gusts of wind that threatened to topple the cadets.

Amelia quickly assessed the battlefield. Her sharp blue eyes took in every detail.

The mages were positioned strategically in the rear, hurling elemental attacks at the wyvern to keep it distracted. While the duelists advanced from all sides with brandished weapons.

However, there were also two others who didn't quite fit the bill.

"You ready, Amy?"

"Yes."

It was Claire and Amy. While Claire may have had a rapier of her own, she didn't quite fit the description of duelists—whose bodies are augmented physically.

"Go!"

Tzz—!

At Amelia's call, like a thundering charge, Claire blinked from her position, leaving a trail of purple sparks as she cladded her body in an aura of intense, electrifying purple lightning.

Clap—! At the same time, Amy's hands clasped together. A small part of the sky right above where the wyvern stood, somehow, darkened.

"...."

Amelia's brows raised as she took in the sight. She had never seen anything like this before.

To think the woman who introduced herself as her fan was capable of this kind of magic.

At the moment, despite the falling snow, rain began to gently pour down at the same time as barrages of all sorts of magic attacks dished out.

Boom—!

Wrapped in an intense amount of purple lightning, Claire threw herself into the wyvern, stabbing her rapier all over. The lightning's sparks flowed through the rain currents, electrifying the wyvern.

However, in retaliation, the wyvern's tail sweeped the ground. But quick on her feet, Claire leaped out on time, narrowly dodging its attack.

The ground shook intensely as it split and cracked, cadets tumbling from the sheer impact.

At that moment, the rain gradually froze and Rachel's hair fluttered, its hue slowly changing from black to snowy white.

The sky filled with an icy substance, slowly contorting into lances. Tension sunk in as everyone waited for Rachel's attack.

And shortly after….

Swoosh—! Swoosh—! Swoosh—!

A myriad of ice lances, assisted by Amy's water magic, rained down on the wyvern. Followed by an onslaught of magic attacks from the other cadets, the duelists stood with bated breaths, staring at the magical scene they had never seen before.

Mists of snow obscured their vision, and as soon as it faded, they all scanned the wyvern with narrowed eyes and visible tension.

There, cracks started to appear all over the wyvern's scale. For that reason, without wasting a single shred of the moment, duelists leapt up and poured out, swords brandished as they hacked away at the scales.

But to their horror.

—Hwoooooar!

The scales were nothing but a layer. The wyvern's true form unveiling itself as it shed its scales and let out a deep guttural roar.

Its wings flapped, sending the duelists hurling away as audible gasps rang out from all sides.

Amelia too was sent hurling away, but quickly supporting herself as her sword impaled the ground.

"...."

She scanned the scene.

As if they were being ridiculed, all their efforts going for naught, the cracks had disappeared. Its scales unshed, revealing the wyvern's glossy pale scales.

Scales beneath the scales.

"Damn it."

It wasn't the end of it.