Chapter 346
FLAGS
Separate from everyone else, where an extremely disappointing and anticlimactic fight had taken place, a massive battle was still raging as the three began to race back.
Creatures continued to bump into one another, their movements clashing and interfering due to the tight, constrained space. This forced them to subconsciously leave gaps, small pockets of space that allowed individuals to slip through toward the students, resulting in smaller, more manageable encounters rather than a full overwhelming surge.
They would meet a solid wall of students, met head-on while being pressured by long-range weapons from behind. Each time a creature was brought down, the students would shift seamlessly within their formation, swapping positions to ensure that the next wave was met without breaking their structure.
With this tactic, they had been steadily grinding the creatures down.
But its effectiveness was beginning to fade.
As the number of creatures lessened, the density at the front dropped, allowing more of them to approach simultaneously in a single push. What had once been a bottleneck was slowly turning into a steady flow.
Imagine there was a store with a new game being released, and a massive crowd was trying to get through the door to buy it—but the entrance could only allow two people through at a time. With everyone pushing and forcing their way forward, only a few could squeeze through at once.
But as the crowd thinned, the pressure eased.
Now, while only two could still pass at the exact same moment, there was no longer resistance slowing them down. They could move through in a steady, continuous stream.
That was what was happening now.
The battle was becoming more draining.
It hadn't reached a critical point yet, but the increase in pressure was undeniable.
IAM continued spreading his instructions from his elevated position, his vantage point allowing him to observe the flow of the battlefield clearly. His voice—or rather, his orders—moved through the ranks efficiently, adapting to the situation and keeping everything under control.
When he noticed the three returning, with Natsuki's sword taking the lead and closing the distance quickly, he immediately shifted his focus.
He relayed new instructions to the archer who had attempted to snub him earlier.
The message passed along, one to another, until it spread through the formation.
The new directive was simple.
Go compact on the defensive.
Delay.
And so, the formation changed.
The male twin stepped forward first, planting himself at the very front with his shield raised. Others with shields followed immediately, tightening the line as they moved up beside him, closing any unnecessary gaps to reinforce one another without restricting movement.
Behind them, those wielding medium to long-range weapons adjusted accordingly. They leaned forward into the narrow openings between shields, timing their strikes carefully. Spears, blades, and other weapons shot through the gaps in quick, controlled thrusts, withdrawing just as fast to avoid being caught or dragged forward.
They struck only when the creatures pressed too close, using the tight formation to control distance and minimise risk. The rhythm became steady—defend, strike, pull back—repeating again and again as they focused entirely on holding the line rather than pushing forward.
Many behind the shields, those without a clear view of the battlefield ahead, began to question the sudden shift. The change had been too abrupt, too drastic. The battle had barely begun—at least, that was how it felt. Not even ten minutes could have passed.
So why now?
Weren't they only supposed to change formation when those three freaks had taken down the devilborn?
There was no way enough time had passed for that.
So what was happening?
The answer came sooner than expected.
From the direction of the creatures,sounds of death began to rise...
Heads began to lift and eyes widened!
What are YOU doing here!?
Weren't you supposed to be dealing with the devilborn?
No way…
There was no way they had taken it down that quickly.
Right?
What the actual hell—were devilborns that easy to kill?
The disbelief spread through the ranks, but there was no time to dwell on it.
Natsuki's sword had already moved ahead, no longer focused on a single target but cutting through the low to mid spawnlings with ruthless efficiency. It darted and struck with precision and deadly intent.
At the same time, Yohan and Reuel split without needing to speak, both directing their attention toward the mid to high spawnlings, each of them taking on the more dangerous threats without hesitation.
A new directive came from IAM.
Pincer movement.
It spread quickly, passed through the formation without delay.
And just like that, the structure shifted again.
The students adjusted their positions, tightening from both sides as they began to curve inward. What had once been a straight defensive line started to bend, slowly closing in around the creatures. The pressure increased from multiple directions, limiting movement, restricting escape.
The creatures were being cornered.
Their space shrank.
Their options disappeared.
The battle continued to rage, but the difference was clear. With the three of them now actively involved, the pace shifted completely. What had been a controlled grind became a decisive push.
It didn't take long.
Soon enough—
It was over.
IAM gave a small, calm nod as the tension finally broke.
Cheers erupted almost instantly.
Voices rose, overlapping—jeers, laughter, shouts of victory. The energy shifted from strain to release as the reality settled in.
They had won!
A group of almost twenty students—ascenders—had taken down over a hundred spawnlings!
And even a devilborn in the process.
It was an incredible achievement!
The entire battle hadn't even lasted thirty minutes!
The celebration continued, loud and unrestrained.
But in contrast—
The three biggest contributors stood apart.
Natsuki, with a kill count of over fifty, though none were high spawnlings. Reuel, with sixteen, most of them mid and high spawnlings. Yohan, with ten—all of them high spawnlings.
None of them smiled.
Their expressions remained grim as they watched the others celebrate, their silence cutting against the noise around them.
There had been a few heavy injuries, but no deaths.
Because of that, the mood remained high.
People began to relax, to unwind, letting the weight of the battle slip off their shoulders—Unaware.
IAM dropped down, receiving a far better reception than before the battle had started—glances of respect, and relief—but he ignored all of it. Without slowing, he went straight to the three of them.
"What happened?"
Yohan and Reuel began to explain from their side. Their words came as they pieced everything together aloud—the lack of resistance, the ease of cutting through it, the complete absence of reaction.
Natsuki remained silent.
There was a brief stretch of quiet as IAM took it in, his gaze lowering slightly as he processed every detail.
Reuel broke it first. "There's definitely something wrong with that creature. There's no way it's that easy. Come on, IAM—do you have any bright ideas?"
IAM narrowed his eyes slightly as he spoke. "It's most likely an ability that takes place after its death… even the most passive of creatures reacts to threats. For it not to just means that it doesn't need to fight to achieve its goal…"
Reuel lifted a hand to his chin, absentmindedly rubbing at a beard that was nonexistent. "Yeah… I agree, but I have no idea what the nature of it could be."
"Me neither," IAM said calmly. "But we have to keep our guards up… you never truly know with deadline creatures."
He then turned to the other two.
"What do you guys think?"
Yohan simply nodded. "I agree with you."
Natsuki had already begun walking away.
She didn't stop or look back, but she left them with a few words.
"We go again in three hours."
"… "
"… "
"… "
Reuel erupted, his voice breaking through the brief silence. "You crazy fucking—"