Emerging from the forest were over a hundred students, some equipped with weapons that were broken or shabby and others simply just using their fists.
Dressed in their academy uniform and running under the setting sky, the students seemed to be an actual army.
And theirmander?
None.
The group of students seemed to be without any order or direction as loud, contradicting screams could be heard, and there was no leader at the front.
Rather, all the students were...rushing to the back instead of the front.
"Hey dude... let''s go to the back."
"Yeah, let them weaken the top-ranked students, then we can sweep in and get the kill."
"FREE ELO!"
Thus, the speed at which the students rapidly decreased as the students at the front kept running backward while the students at the back refused to run faster.
Finally... the group of students came to a halt.
As loud screams echoed throughout the magic space and things started spiraling out of control as students began to argue about who should be in the front, a loud voice emerged.
Silencing every other voice, a student, wearing what seemed to be an artifact that resembled a crow on his head, spoke in a tone filled with determination and courage.
"We''re here...forget about yourselves. Remember, what we''re here for is not to win... but to make sure that the top-ranked students win."
"TO BE RECOGNIZED, EVEN THOUGH WE MAY BE WEAKER, WE ARE STRONGER AS A TEAM!"
"TO SHOW WE ARE IMPORTANT TOO!"
"WE ARE NOT PAWNS TO BE DISCARED JUST BECAUSE OF OUR LOWER STRENGTH...WE ARE PEOPLE TOO!"
Seeming not to recognize the irony of the prince of the empire saying such things, the students erupted into cheers.
"WE CAN DO THIS!"
"ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS BEAT THE TOP RANKERS!"
"I LOVE YOU ALL!"
"I''D SACRIFICE MYSELF FOR THIS CAUSE!"
Bertus, climbing up onto a tree on the outskirts of the forest, stared forward at the vast group of students on the in just in front of him.
Illuminating by the orange color of the sky, Bertus seemed almost... divine, and adding onto that, he also purposely made every move he made dramatic, showing his confidence.
Slowly removing a map from his pocket, Bertus nced at it before pointing a medieval-looking tower in the distance.
Looking down at the group of hundred students below him, Bertus yelled out.
"THEY WILL ARRIVE SOON. IT''S NOW OR NEVER."
ncing at the other sides of the forest, Bertus ensured that the other students in the alliance had arrived.
Around the outskirts of the forest that surrounded the in where the tower was, countless students could be seen hiding in bushes, out of sight from almost everybody.
Of course, Bertus was standing on the tree, so he was in an elevated position and could easily see them due to therge number of them hiding.
Seeing some students begin to tremble as time slowly passes, Bertus doesn''t show any signs of losing confidence and instead exims.
"WHO WILL WIN!?"
As Bertus''s voice echoed throughout the ins, the students slowly shifted their gazes upward once again.
"WHO WILL WIN!?"
Hearing his voice the second time, the students didn''t hesitate to follow their selected leader.
"WE WILL WIN!"
"WHO WILL WIN!?"
"WE WILL WIN!"
Ending the chant, Bertus sped his hands together before gracefully jumping off the tree and entering the crowd of students gathered on the in.
Making his way through the crowd, Bertus eventually arrived at the front, the ce where nobody dared to go out of fear that they would be eliminated first and used as bait.
Showing his full confidence, Bertus showed no hesitation as he walked forward, leaving the crowd of students behind him.
Following after him like a pack of wolves followed their leader, the group of students carefully advanced, getting closer and closer to the tower with every second.
Discarding the map, Bertus snapped his fingers once.
The next second, a small sword, resembling a rapier but with a longer de and hilt, appeared in his hand.
A soul-bound weapon.
Even thews and rules of the magic space couldn''t stop soul-bound weapons from reaching their master.
A weapon that could only be used by one person and was bound to their soul and only theirs.
And upon death?
The weapon wouldn''t find a new master.
It would self-destruct.
If its master died, the weapon would die along with it.
There were no transfers of ownership.
It was a soul-bound weapon till the end.
They were impossible to craft and make... only avable from loot from monsters that were nearly impossible to kill.
Weighing the exquisite sword in his hand, Bertus recalled the day when his father had gifted both him and his sister their own soul-bound weapons.
From the moment he touched the sword for the first time, Bertus felt an overwhelming sense of pride.
Unlike other weapons, soul-bound weapons increased their strength over time.
Depending on your type of soul-bond weapon, you will receive a milestone, such as killing demonic beasts with the sword, and once youplete that milestone, your sword will be automatically upgraded.
What is the reason why soul-bound weapons are so valued and desired?
There is no limit to their milestones.
Soul-bound weapons have no power ceiling.
They can be upgraded an infinite amount of times as long as you keep reaching the sword''s milestones.
Stopping a couple of meters away from the tower, Bertus smiled before raising his sword, allowing the blue tassel attached to its hilt to sway in the wind.
Win or lose this battle... Bertus had already aplished his goal.
The entire student body was on his side.
Even now, they were looking at him from behind with gazes of admiration and reverence.
Seeing the purple color of the closing boundaries slowly approaching them from a distance, Bertus gestured to the students behind him.
"It''s time."
Within a couple of seconds, seven figures could be seen, each walking toward the crowd of students with no fear.