Revy's pistols and Andreana's crossbow bolt fired at almost the exact same moment.
Although crossbow bolts didn't pack the same punch as gunpowder-driven Originium bullets, Andreana had a hunch—if she didn't shoot now, she might not get another chance at all.
They had numbers. They had teammates.
"Don't look down on me!"
Cutter raised her riot shield just in time. The bullet clanged off the metal with a sharp sound, and she grunted from the force.
She'd stopped it—but just barely. And that was worrying.
Cutter had blocked full-speed Originium rounds on the battlefield before… but today, even a rubber training bullet had nearly pushed her back.
"Great reflexes from the Defender... but the angle was all wrong."
Revy spoke calmly as he sidestepped Andreana's next two bolts with minimal effort.
"If it were me, I wouldn't block it head-on. You want to angle the shield at about 60 degrees, let the bullet glance off. As for the sniper—hmm?"
Suddenly, a disturbance in the ambient arts energy caught his attention. Revy immediately halted his commentary and dashed aside.
A split second later, a small magical explosion went off where he'd just stood.
"Not a bad sneak attack. Almost missed that one. That was your Arts, wasn't it?"
"?!"
Steward, the caster, knew the moment his attack failed that he was done for. But before he could react, a cold voice whispered right behind him, and something hard pressed into his back.
"Your timing was good—but this wouldn't work in a real fight. You're not a professional sniper. Your casting time is too long. No matter how well you hide, the moment you trigger the Arts, you'll be exposed."
Before Steward could even turn his head, Revy chopped the back of his neck, knocking him out instantly.
"Steward!"
Ansel, the team's medic, instinctively shouted. But Dobermann calmly placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry. Revy didn't use excessive force—he's just unconscious. He'll be up again in no time."
"But still…"
"Whether you accept it or not, the difference in strength between your team and Revy makes this a completely one-sided battle. Even with superior numbers, Steward still got taken down easily."
Dobermann's gaze turned sharper.
"If you go into this expecting to win, you'll learn nothing. But if you treat it as a chance to gain experience by facing a powerful opponent… then this lesson will be invaluable."
By this point, only two members of Team A4 were still standing.
When Steward was knocked out, Cutter had broken formation to try and help—leaving herself wide open. Revy took the chance to knock her out with a swift move.
Now, Melantha stood in front of a visibly nervous Andreana, shielding her last teammate.
Despite having lower defense than Cutter, Melantha was tougher than Andreana. So when Cutter fell, Melantha took it upon herself to be the last wall of defense.
Schlick—
She drew her weapon.
It looked like a katana, but straighter, almost like a saber with a single edge. Unique, refined.
"Interesting…"
Revy stepped from the shadows, intrigued by the blade.
Whizz—bang!
Andreana, in a panic, fired her last bolt.
"Lost your cool, sniper. That's bad."
Revy sighed.
"You only had 20 bolts, and that was your last. Nothing left in your quiver. You're out. I'll let you withdraw on your own—I won't chase you."
Andreana reached for her back, only to find it empty. Her heart sank.
"Melantha… I'm sorry!"
"It's okay, Andreana. I won't embarrass Team A4!"
Melantha's answer was her sword.
The shy, blushing girl from lunch was gone—replaced by a confident swordswoman. The fire in her eyes surprised even Revy.
"Not many people use a proper tachi-style blade… This kind of weapon was already rare by the late Tang dynasty in Yan."
"My teacher was from Yan. I just learned a bit from him."
"I see…"
Revy nodded with genuine respect. Modest, but not timid. Proud, but not arrogant. She had the calm dignity of a Yan warrior.
"Then—come!"
The moment she shouted, her blade sliced through the air in a silver arc aimed at Revy.
She wasn't holding back—because she couldn't. She knew she'd last no longer than the others if she did.
"—That's enough!"
Before her blade could land, a deep, booming voice echoed across the training field. Her sword halted less than 10 centimeters from Revy's neck.
Revy's eyes flicked past her to the tall figure in sunglasses now standing at the entrance.
"Still love messing around, huh, Revy? You didn't even raise your guard—you knew I was here the whole time?"
"Meh… Even if you hadn't called it off, I had a way to dodge. You know I'm always careful with my hits."
"Careful? You? You're reckless as hell—you damn edge."
The two men locked eyes—and then burst into hearty laughter, leaving Team A4 utterly confused.