Under their leaders, the second-years were highly organized. They surged forward like a tide, forcing Erich, Yser, and Balin back in three different directions.
The battlefield was violently torn into three sections.
Yser conjured a green barrier, deflecting several incoming fire arrows. However, the second-years immediately adjusted their formation and cast spells continuously from all directions. Just as Yser was about to counterattack, a figure leaped out from the crowd.
Dominic.
The top second-year from the Sparkfire Association struck with a lightning spear the moment he landed, sending a thick arc of electricity straight at Yser's face. Yser dodged to the side, but before he could regain his footing, several wind blades and ice spikes flew at him from both sides.
Yser's expression finally changed.
His magical prowess was indeed a cut above most of the second-years present, but there were simply too many opponents. They pressured him in turns like a pack of wolves. Every time Dominic struck, he precisely interrupted Yser's attempts to counter. Yser could only retreat continuously, enveloping himself in a wall of wind to barely keep himself from being defeated.
The elf was utterly pinned down.
And the dwarf's situation was even worse.
Balin at first swung his warhammer in an attempt to break through, scurrying around the legs of the crowd by taking advantage of his height. However, several dwarves were mixed in among the second-years surrounding him. They were of similar height but possessed far greater strength, and he was quickly pinned down by his own kin.
“You're quite the runner, aren't you, kid?” said the dwarf pinning him. “A first-year, yet you dare to be so arrogant?”
Balin couldn't move at all, leaving him with no choice but to continuously spew dwarven curses to vent his frustration.
Erich was in even greater danger.
Cecily, who had targeted him, was one of the strongest among the second-years. Standing behind her were students dressed in white-and-gold robes, which were embroidered with the holy emblem of the Lord of Dawn.
Looking at those white-and-gold robes, Erich suddenly remembered something. The Holy Maiden who had held a massive grudge against him seemed to be a believer of the Lord of Dawn.
But Cecily gave him no time to think.
An ice spear pierced through the air. Erich dodged to the side, and the spearhead grazed his shoulder. It didn't touch his skin, but the fabric of his clothes at his shoulder instantly caught fire.
Erich ripped off the fabric from his shoulder and threw it to the ground.
Cecily's attacks did not pause. After the ice spear came ice spikes, followed by an ice mist, each spell carrying that strange white flame. Erich wanted to close the distance, but after taking only a few steps forward, seven or eight spells blasted toward him simultaneously. The shockwave of the explosions pushed him back to his original spot, immediately followed by Cecily's ice magic.
He threw out several fireballs, but they were intercepted by various spells mid-air and exploded. The believers behind Cecily coordinated seamlessly.
His clothes were torn, and he looked incredibly disheveled.
But that was all. Erich had allocated all four of his remaining free attribute points into Constitution. Coupled with the effect of 【Shell】, he was recovering even as he took damage. Though he looked battered on the surface, his actual injuries were extremely minor.
Cecily also noticed this.
She had attacked for over a dozen rounds. Erich indeed looked tattered, but he showed no signs of weakness. On the contrary, the believers behind her were starting to pant heavily.
What kind of monster was this?!
She grew slightly anxious.
After forcing Erich back with another ice spear, Cecily suddenly shouted, “Scum like you should just leave the stage quietly!”
Erich ignored her.
Cecily took a step forward, her voice growing even louder. “Do you really think you can make a comeback in the academy, Erich?! A guy like you who tried to offend the Holy Maiden deserves to be hanged!”
As soon as she said this, the believers behind her agreed in unison. They began to shout in response, hurling curses at Erich.
“You beast who tried to murder your own kin!”
“You've completely disgraced the Edmond family!”
“Who do you think you are?!”
The voices grew in number and volume. Not only the group surrounding Erich, but even the second-years besieging Yser began to turn their heads. Dominic sensed something was off and wanted to stop them, but several members of the Sparkfire Association beside him had already joined in the cursing.
Unknowingly, the crowd surrounding Yser began to disperse, and the dwarves pinning Balin down also looked up. Yser and Balin were temporarily spared from further attacks; the second-years' attention was no longer on them at all.
Everyone joined in on this frenzy.
The curses spread from Cecily's mouth to dozens of others, the content becoming increasingly ridiculous. Normally, these second-years were respectable noble children, devout believers, or polite young men and women.
But at this moment, everyone's faces were flushed red, as if something they had bottled up for a long time had finally found an outlet.
Another group of people surged over from the crowd. They were second-years who had been searching for others in different areas and had rushed over to help after hearing the commotion. Without even asking what had happened, they saw everyone pointing their fingers in the same direction and joined in without hesitation. Some were from the Silver Circle Society, others from the Sparkfire Association, but at this moment, their identities no longer mattered, nor did their factions.
They simply needed a target.
A target they could attack without restraint, a universally acknowledged "sinner," a punching bag they could strike without any psychological burden.
Erich was that perfect target.
Erich's figure was completely drowned out by the dense light of spells.
Erich's figure was completely drowned out by human malice.
The cursing grew louder and louder.
Rate on N.U.
