The location where the Pope had been attacked was about three hours from the academy—at full speed.
They were all elite warriors, trained and disciplined, so no one lagged behind. Determination filled most of their faces as they raced across the desert.
Most of them.
Not everyone cared deeply about the mission. So were simply following orders. Among them was Rinne.
She once respected the Pope—deeply. He had been her teacher for a year, and more importantly, he had stood up for her when the church wanted to force her into service instead of letting her join the Academy. Back then, he had been her shield.
But that image had shattered.
After what he did to Hades... taking the side of the royal family and throwing Hades aside, all of Rinne’s respect for him disappeared.
The only reason she was even out here was because of the pledge she took—to respond to any ergency declared by the Academy’s managent. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have lifted a finger to help him.
"Hold!" Taylor suddenly called out.
One after another, the group ca to a stop in the middle of the vast, sun-baked desert.
In the distance, they saw it.
A battle.
Or rather, a desperate defense.
More than ten massive sand drakes were clawing and ramming against a glowing barrier that surrounded a convoy. The sight was horrifying—bodies lay scattered, blood soaked the sand, and chunks of armor and limbs hinted at what had happened before they arrived.
"Why are we stopping? Shouldn’t we go help him?!" one of the Charlie team mbers shouted, clearly shaken.
Taylor clicked his tongue and pointed westward. "Open your eyes. Look over there."
A long, dark trail of blood stretched across the sand, leading straight toward a nearby town. They could see the city walls not too far away.
"You an to say... the drakes followed soldiers into the town?" Adam asked, eyes narrowing.
"There’s no doubt," Cedric said grimly. "If the town was safe, they would’ve sent reinforcents. They’re under attack too."
He stepped forward, his tone firm. "We split up and handle both threats."
"We can’t do that!" a Beta mber protested, clearly a devout follower. "We have to focus on saving Father Christopher!"
Cedric’s frown deepened. "Rushing in blindly will only make things worse. We need a plan."
Taylor nodded. "He’s right. If we all charge that do, we might trigger more chaos. We’ll move in small groups—hit them from different sides and check on the town too."
Most students nodded in agreent—Cedric’s royal blood carried weight.
Adam sighed, clearly annoyed. "I’ll take Team Delta. We’ll handle the town. Make sure you don’t ss up your part, or I’ll hold you two responsible."
With that, he took off, his team following close behind.
"May," Cedric called out.
The leader of Charlie team stepped forward. "Yes?"
"Healers and tanks go for the do. The rest—take down the drakes."
"Understood." She turned to her team. "Carl. Luke. You’re with Rinne."
The two nodded and stood beside her.
Cedric looked at Rinne. "I’ll make a safe path for you."
Even in this mont, with death circling around them, he was concerned about her...it made her skin crawl.
Still, she said nothing and moved closer to her team.
"Let’s give them a distraction first!" shouted the mage from Alpha team.
He slamd his staff into the sand, summoning a towering wall of flas.
The heat surged through the air, and sure enough, the drakes turned their heads, eyes narrowing at the flickering blaze.
The mage grinned and launched a fireball.
Then—
"They were born in volcanoes, you idiot," Rinne snapped.
But it was too late.
Mana had been spent. The spell was released. The mont the heat hit the drakes, they didn’t weaken... they thrived.
Their bodies glead, scales glowing faintly. They looked stronger. Hungrier.
And worse... faster.
"Tch." Taylor clicked his tongue and drew his twin daggers, dashing toward the drakes with sharp speed.
At the sa ti, Cedric moved from the left, his body radiating intense mana. Above him, several ice lances took shape in the air, spinning for a mont before launching toward one of the beasts.
CRACK!
As expected, the lances shattered the mont they struck the drake’s scales.
Too hard. Too thick.
His magic wasn’t enough.
On the other side, Taylor darted around the heavy slam of a drake’s tail, barely slipping past it before leaping into the air.
Mana clung to his daggers like a second skin, making the blades glow faintly. Twisting mid-air, he slashed down in an X-shaped arc, the glowing cuts streaking toward the creature’s back.
CLANG—!
The twin strikes hit, but left only faint scratches.
Taylor landed lightly on the sand, breathing hard, eyes narrowing as the drake turned its huge head toward him.
A crooked smile tugged at his lips.
"This is going to be a long fight..."
anwhile, Rinne was closing in on the barrier, leading a small group behind her. The glowing do in the distance flickered faintly—signs of stress from the constant assault.
Several drakes still circled the convoy, and the mont they sensed her approach, two of them broke away and charged forward.
Sand crunched with every step they took.
Rinne stood ready.
But before the first drake could reach her, Carl rushed in from the side.
With a fierce shout, he spun and slamd his sledgehamr into the flank of the seven-ter beast.
BOOM!
The hit connected solidly, sending the creature skidding across the sand, kicking up dust.
But it wasn’t enough.
The drake roared, body bruised but far from downed.
Carl cursed under his breath as another drake lunged toward him, giving him no ti to recover or even take his stance.
"Shit!" he spat, raising his hamr in panic.
But before the beast could reach him, a shimring barrier snapped into place between them.
The drake slamd into it with full force, sparks and sand bursting into the air.
Everyone’s eyes turned toward the Saintess.
Rinne.
She stood tall with her glowing staff held forward, calm but focused—her eyes locked on the beast.
The drake growled, confused and frustrated. Then, snarling, it took several steps back before charging again.
But this ti, just as it was about to strike—
The barrier vanished.
The drake rushed through, expecting resistance—only to stumble forward with its balance thrown off.
That single mont of confusion was all Rinne needed.
She stepped in—fast, cold, rciless.
With both hands gripping her staff, she slamd it against the side of the beast’s head.
CRACK!
Its thick skull jerked sideways from the impact, blood flying from its jaw as bone snapped inside. The sheer force of the blow sent it crashing into the sand, limbs twitching.
The beast tried to lift its head.
Rinne walked over and jumped over its snout, grinding it deeper into the dirt. Her staff rose once more.
And she brought it down—again, this ti on its eye.
A sharp, wet sound followed. The drake’s breathing stopped.
The battlefield fell silent for a second.
No glowing magic. No light show. Just raw, brutal control.
She turned toward the others, a smile returning to her face, "Make yourselves useful and protect from now on, okay?"
They silently nodded.
°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading.
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