He wanted to confront her about it but decided against it.
If she didn't want to reveal anything about herself he wasn't going to pester her to find out.
But at least this explains the sheer amount of astras she has in her arsenal.
As well as the swordsmanship.
The ice groaned, the blizzards whipped at the group as they stood there not knowing what to do.
Then a shadow moved, just beneath the ice, it's collosal figure hovered just below Zach and Eli.
'Oh no..'
Zach was dreading this.
It might seem that their little skirmish had attracted unwanted attention.
Zach gritted his teeth.
The worst possible outcome.
The ice gave way, veins of cracks spread across the surface reaching distances that they couldn't possibly traverse in the amount of time.
"BRACE YOURSELFS!!!" Zach shouted as a massive towering tentacle shot out of the snow, bathing the world in shadows.
It's terrifyingly robust tentacle whipped at the ice, thrashing against the water sending fragments of ice flying in all directions.
The scene was deafening, like a screech that shoot the atmosphere.
Zach look above at its hulking frame.
"Holy..."
The tentacles wiggled for a bit and returned to the depths in a violent torrent of waves.
Zach blinked.
"W-What.... was that". Lester by the other end looked terrified at the phenomenon.
"That..?" Zach smiled bitterly.
"That's what eat the very monsters we're scared of"
He stood up.
"Finally!!!"
Zach and the opposing group turned in the distance.
A group of cadets, dressed in a green robe with a star emblem walked through the blizzard looking down at the cohort.
They were numerous, Zach couldn't count how many but judging by the sheer size he could tell they were at least 30 in number.
"Finally!, I haven't seen someone in days..." a bald man stepped forward brandishing his greatsword as he glanced at Zachs group.
Isaw glanced at them with contempt.
Zach and the team steadied themselves.
"Who are those guys...?" Carl, who just woke up, spoke.
Eli held a worried expression as the group of green robes inched closer.
"They are from the jade lotus enterprise" Maya spoke up.
"What where they doing here..?"
All cadets should've been heading towards the fissure anchor by now.
If they come out last they won't get the desired rewards.
And Zach was sure even a 10 year old would know the direction of the wind well enough to know that this wasn't the path.
Something was off.
"Isaw- or whatever ever your name is..."
Zach turned to the leader of the group of sky hall cadets.
"I think it's about time you make your way to the anchor".
Zach pointed out.
"Unless you wanna get caught up in this... Your choice" he shrugged.
Isaw nodded.
Zach walked up to the group summoning his blade in his hand.
Eli looked at Zach's back.
Zach had an aura of calm around him, his steps were measured with precision and an unwavering confidence was present in his demeanor.
Something he never had.
She wondered.
What truly happened to him while he was alone that night.
The cadets of sky hall had all regrouped and made their way towards the wind.
Zach stood in front of the cadets.
"The fissure anchor isn't this way..." Zach pointed in the direction of the wind.
"I didn't come for the fissure anchor..."
A bald man, seemingly in his twenties walked up to Zach, stopping inches from Zach.
Was was taller than Zach by a few centimetres but Zach stood calm at his hulking frame.
"Killing you would surely be a good way to increase my points" the man licked his lips, placing the sword over his shoulder.
Zach chucked his head to side.
"So you want to kill me..?, for what?, money..?". He scoffed.
"The most priceless things aren't money bucko, it's better to stop chasing it.."
Zach turned around.
"Tch, ha ha, can you believe the mouth on this guy..?" The man laughed.
"I say we gut him right here..., on of the cadets stepped forward.."
"Sigh..." Zach shook his head.
"Why are the weaker ones the most annoying" he looked away lazily.
"Since you're so desperately looking for death, I will grant it to you" he pointed his blade just inches away from the leaders face.
"You want to kill me for points...?, then don't mind me If I do the same.."
Veins bulged on the leaders head.
" I WILL KILL YOU..!!!" The baldy gritted.
"Then what are you waiting for..?" Zach shrugged.
INATE abili-"
The brute hadn't even fully activated his inate ability, his head flew several meters, and his headless body slumped on the snow, blood spewing everywhere.
The group of cadet backed away.
"Wait... who is that..?"
"One slash... that's gotta be impossible"
Silence loomed in the group.
"Rank 51..?... H-He's rank 51!!!!!!"
The group panicked.
"I heard all candidates in the top 10 had all aquired gods fragments"
"Is that really true..?"
"I'm not sure but judging from this guy's aura..."
Zach eyes glutes with a slight blue light as he walked forward slowly, making the group of cadets step back.
*Boom*
A deafening boom echoed behind Zach and a hulking frame loomed over Zach.
"M-Monster..!!!!"
The group of cadets panicked but Zach didn't flinch.
He looked back coldy, with a sharp gaze.
The monster was a combination of an orc and a snake, muscular arms, and two white eyes popped out of its head, similar to that of a snail.
The monster opened it's maw, filled with rows of jagged teeth, letting out a deafening scream.
"Zach!!!" Eli called out, worried.
The entire jade lutous cadet all stood frozen as the hulking frame swung its gigantic claws at Zach.
With a single gracefully moment, Zach evaded the blow.
"Crimson overdrive - Cresesnt slash"
Zach waved the tachi and a bright red and blue aura exploded from his sword.
It was too fast for the cadets to process.
The monsters figure was split in two diagonally, falling limp on the floor like a lifeless doll, black blood spewing everywhere.
The group stared in horror as Zach stood over the dead monster with a calm gaze.
"Your leader is dead, I suppose-"
*Boom*
Zach sentence was cut off as the icy sea rattled.
From the ocean depths, hundreds of crabs burst forward like a waved heading towards Zach and the groups.
They must've felt the rattle and now thought food had arrived.
Well they weren't wrong.
Isaw had already reached a considerable distance, but they weren't safe from the wave either.
"Run!!!"
Zach didn't need to tell them twice, they instantly bolted away, Eli looked at the approaching horde of monsters and summoned her silver blade once more.
"One more time..." she muttered.
Zach walked besides her.
"We could run you know.." Eli glanced at him.
"But I'm sure you have other plans in mind"
Zach nodded in response.
"If you want to run.. I won't stop you", he teased.
"And let you have all the fun..?, Hell nah"
The duo stood firm as the multiple horde of monster popped out of the giant puddle created by the giant tentacle a few meters away.
Zach walked towards the approaching horde, he eyes began bleeding as he grinned.
[Crimson overdrive(second stage)]
The blade burst with bright red.
"Try to keep up"
"Is that some kind of joke"