Volu 2, Chapter 2 – Felicia’s Madness
The internal class battles were designed to ensure that students didn’t neglect practical combat while imrsed in theoretical studies. These matches were held once a month. Victorious teams received point rewards, while the losing teams had an equivalent number of points deducted—essentially handing their hard-earned credits over to others.
Who would willingly give away the credits they’d toiled for?
To even make it into Class A, every student was a top perforr in both theory and practicals. Pride was a given. Even when facing invincible opponents, none of us planned to back down.
The match for Class A, Section 3 began. Everyone arrived at the training grounds fully geared.
After reuniting with ‘Dylin’ from the Divine Child class, our team of five lined up together.
I couldn’t help but glance at Felicia. Normally, in mock battles, she carried her enormous greatsword strapped to her back. But today, she was gripping the massive sword—taller than she was—with one hand, eyes cast slightly downward, focused dead ahead. I couldn’t feel her usual presence at all.
Soon, the other two teams entered the arena. All eyes turned cautiously toward Clarity of Sun and Moon. Even the Divine Children from the other sides exchanged glances.
Everyone understood: soloing us was hopeless. There was only one option—working together—if they wanted even a sliver of hope against our top-tier offensive lineup.
In truth, free-for-alls favored them over one-on-one. As long as they had a brain, they would know what to do.
I could see right through their little sche. Then again, any competent Divine Child would make the sa judgnt.
The instructor ca down to distribute Power-Bearing Belts—an enchanted item similar to Impact Tokens. Compared to the one-use tokens, the belts were cheaper and reusable, though less secure and had lower durability caps.
Once we’d all strapped them on, the observing instructor emphasized again: friendship first, competition second. Once your belt shattered, you were out. Prioritize safety over victory.
Random assignnt designated the Commander—and for our squad, Clarity of Sun and Moon, that role fell to Wenfu.
With a gunshot crack, the match began.
As expected, the other two teams launched their assault together as if they'd rehearsed it in advance.
One team, flanking us, even exposed their backs to the other group—clearly trusting they wouldn’t be betrayed.
Neither of their Divine Children activated Divine Appraisal. And for good reason—having fought us before, they knew it was useless on . I couldn’t be scanned.
Felicia and Astrid were the sa. Though not as extre, their data also couldn’t be viewed. Only Wenfu could be scanned—and by now, they’d already seen everything about her. No point in checking again.
Another use of Divine Appraisal was reading the spiritual force and Divine Authority activation within living beings—but that required a high skill level. And even then, it probably wouldn’t work on us.
Suddenly, the other teams’ Mages, Ranger Divine Princesses, and Heavy Cannon Divine Princesses bombarded us with Divine Authority and spells all at once.
A sanctioned two-on-one.
In response, the four of us activated our Divine Authority Domains. The light of gold and silver intertwined overhead, amber radiance cutting through the barrage.
Wenfu and ‘Dylin’ instinctively retreated to the rear.
I drew my wooden bow; Astrid unsheathed her Elf scimitar.
Multiple light arrows and arcs of silver fire clashed against their attacks, creating shockwaves that rippled outward in every direction.
We fought to a standstill.
Sothing felt off—I realized I hadn’t seen Felicia make a move. I turned, but she’d vanished from my side.
Felicia??
Astrid noticed it too. As the explosion’s smoke cleared, the rest of us—and the opposing teams—were stunned to discover that Felicia had charged right through the side team, using the smoke as cover to break their line.
She’s completely out of line...
The Divine Children hadn’t even given the signal.
“Cover Felicia!” I had planned to activate Divine Appraisal to scan the two teams, share intel, and strategize—but Felicia’s abrupt offensive had shattered that plan.
By the ti I finished scanning, she’d already be knee-deep in chaos.
The front line was too stretched to support her. Left with no choice, the rest of us pushed forward alongside her.
Once your teammate starts a teamfight, you either follow or abandon them—and we weren’t about to throw her under the bus. Even if this wasn’t the most strategic play.
Holding my longbow horizontal, I launched five arrows of light in a sweeping arc.
A tall, armored youth from the opposing team stepped forward, planting his sword and shield into the ground. A green-transparent barrier blood outward, deflecting my arrows.
The attack didn’t land, but I’d succeeded in giving Felicia cover.
As Felicia closed in, swinging her massive sword with terrifying force, the enemy Mage panicked and began launching spells:
Fireball, Lightning Chain, Ice Spike—one after another flew at Felicia from enchanted scrolls.
They all knew her physical resistance was absurd. No one wanted to face her up close.
But those dazzling spells barely fazed her. She barreled through the smoke untouched. The usually flirtatious glint in her eyes was gone, replaced by sothing... obsessive. There was a predatory gleam beneath that gaze—focused solely on her prey. Every step she took shook the training ground beneath her armored boots.
Crystals ford a thick trail behind her as she advanced.
What... was that?
I had never seen Felicia use a move like this. Was it a new derived technique from her Divine Authority?
“Felicia...” Astrid frowned.
Anyone could tell sothing was wrong. Even we, her teammates, were alard—let alone the enemy. Watching her charge like a rampaging beast, they were frozen with fear.
“Kagi! Hold her back!” one Divine Child ordered. A stout, muscular dwarf in leather armor stepped forward, planting his shield into the ground. Even with his bulk, he broke into a sweat just watching her rush in.
BANG BANG BANG!! Her greatsword collided with his shield, sending him skidding backward and carving cracks into the ground.
“Well done! Mage, Cannon, counterattack now!” the Divine Child shouted, turning to the other team watching from afar. “You too! Unless you want to be next!”
Hearing that, the second team raised their weapons as well, unleashing spells and blasts toward Felicia.
Locked in a strength duel with Kagi, Felicia had no ti to dodge the rain of magic. Judging by her crazed expression, she didn’t even intend to dodge.
Just then, a pink aura flared around her.
Wenfu had activated her Divine Authority—granting Felicia increased resistance and buffing her attack.
“O-Oh?” Kagi, on the verge of collapse, noticed tiny amber crystals forming all over his body. Goosebumps rose across his skin.
Using crystallization techniques, Felicia rooted Kagi in place. She switched tactics, hamring his shield repeatedly with her greatsword. With each strike, crystals shattered from his body and his Power-Bearing Belt emitted frantic warnings.
Of course, the enemy wasn’t just standing there. Unable to get close, their Mages and Heavy Cannons kept pelting Felicia’s back. Her belt lights turned yellow—she was taking considerable damage.
At this rate, she’d be eliminated before Kagi was.
“Kagi, please! Hang in there! Everything depends on you!” their Divine Child urged him.
Then, a streak of light shot down from a forty-five-degree angle in the sky, piercing Kagi’s neck.
“What?!” the Divine Child turned just in ti to see a golden-haired girl landing gracefully—.
Just earlier, seeing Felicia surrounded, I had exchanged a look with Astrid. We’d had almost no prior coordination, but sohow she understood instinctively—as if born to work with .
Astrid lowered her scimitar, crouched, and laced her hands together.
I dashed over, stepped on her palms, and she launched skyward with a burst of strength.
In midair, I twisted my waist and inverted, firing a fatal arrow straight at Kagi’s neck—rescuing Felicia at the last mont.
Already heavily damaged, Kagi’s belt lit red. Felicia smashed into him with her shoulder, sending him flying.
“What?!” The Fortress Divine Princess had been broken—leaving the enemy Divine Child stunned. But there was no ti to gawk. With their shield gone, all that awaited them was the rampage of a berserking knight.
The Mage was imdiately sent flying by Felicia’s greatsword. The remaining Divine Child and Heavy Cannon tried to flee, but Felicia stabbed her sword into the ground, raising a crystal wall that cut off their escape.
Brandishing her massive blade, Felicia smiled—a twisted, cruelly radiant smile.
The other team hadn’t been idle. They’d planned to backstab us while we were fighting.
When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman profits.
Of course, they didn’t aim to defeat or Astrid. They just needed to eliminate Wenfu—for an instant team KO.
But I’d already seen through their plot using Divine Appraisal.
I fired a light arrow, disrupting their Ranger Divine Princess’s movent. At the sa ti, a silver fla arc exploded from Astrid’s blade, sending the Ranger flying.
The Ranger hit the ground still afla, rolling and screaming.
Wenfu remained silent. She’d empowered Astrid’s strike mid-swing, doubling the silver fla’s damage. That fragile assassin-type Ranger had nearly burned to death in one hit.
As I walked toward them with Astrid—gold and silver side by side—they realized it was over. There was no chance of victory.
Just as expected, Clarity of Sun and Moon secured a clean, decisive win.
But before the instructor could even announce it—
“Help! She’s trying to kill us!” a voice scread in terror.
We turned and saw the defeated Divine Child and Heavy Cannon running for their lives in panic.
“We surrendered! Stop! We give up!”
“You can’t run~” Felicia was still chasing them, swinging her greatsword wildly, licking her lips like savoring nonexistent blood.
I caught a glimpse of her eyes—tainted red, glinting with bloodlust. A sickly flush had blood across her lovely face.
“Felicia! The match is over! Cease your attacks imdiately, or your team will be disqualified!” the observing instructor shouted.
But Felicia didn’t hear. She kept hacking at the two retreating fighters like a woman possessed. If she weren’t slower, they’d already be chopped to bits.
“Felicia, stop.”
“Felicia-sis, please! We already won!” Wenfu and Astrid shouted. But she heard none of it, continuing her frenzied pursuit, clearly unwilling to stop until she’d taken their heads.
“Ahhh!” Out of stamina, the Divine Child tripped and fell, crashing into his teammate.
They looked up—just in ti to see that massive sword descending.
A golden silhouette dropped in between them. I caught her blade with my bow, gripping the limbs tightly.
Felicia growled in rage. Her strike hadn’t drawn blood. Her strength increased, her laughter grew more frenzied—and her greatsword began to split the wood.
A fracture widened along the bow’s surface...
Finally, the crystallized wooden bow snapped in half.
The two collapsed students trembled at the sight.
The broken bow dissolved into a pure wood elent. In my hands, it reford.
My erald eyes narrowed.
Third Divine Authority: Sovereignty of All Forests.
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