"HEY GUYS?" I shouted amist all the chaos.
"YEAH?" all three of them answered together.
"WE CAN'T RELY ON THE TEACHERS!"
"SERIOUSLY!?"
"SERIOUSLY!" I answered back while observing the many demons falling from the small portals opening up. I hope the believed me, but even I wouldn't believe myself right about now.
"Well, it's been fun knowing you guys," Bareth stated as he regrouped with me, the noise lesser, other than students scampering trying to run away from the demons.
"Nah, bro. We still have a chance, right Max?" Blade asked, him too not too far from from us, looking at me hopefully.
"Maybe. But the best chance we've got is destroying that orb the demon girl is holding. As of right now, it's restricting the teachers from helping," I replied while pointing to the girl who attacked us first.
"How do you know that?" Blade asked. Honestly, if no one asked, then that would have been a lot weird, them just believing everything I'm saying.
"I've had my own experiences with demon hordes," I lied. He looked at me suspiciously, but what else could be more possible other than that?...other than a system, but he doesn't know that.
"What about the other students?" Arnold asked as we watched a muscular demon chase a small first year girl around the tables.
The president of the school appeared out of nowhere to answer his question, "We'll try holding the demons back, away from the immobile teachers and panicking students. But about the demon holding the orb...I hate to have to dumb this all on you first years, but since you are one of the very few who caught wind of the situation, and you are a lot more composed than any other normal students around, telling me you've got some experience in these things, I'll have to leave her to the four of you boys."
"I was listening in on your conversation, and I think that's a good idea as any, destroying the orb. We'll try as second years to evacuate as many students as we can away from-"
"Wait a second, were you just conviniently placed right behind me before the attack and waited for the right time just to intervene, or did you just appear right now? Also, why the hell should we fight her?! You guys are the second years! Shouldn't you take care of the big bosses and leave the evacuation to us chumps?!" I questioned the president, raising my voice high through the sudden increase in pitch.
She nodded her head like she understood, and asked, " Then should we leave all the students and teachers in your hands and face the demon that looks to be well equipped? The answer is no! Believe me, even I don't want you guys to fight her head on. She looks too dangerous. Yet, I'm sure that if we left her to her own devices, a lot more monsters would die in her hands,"
I raised an eyebrow at her, "So like what? We're the sacrificial pawns or something? Shouldn't you like, actually face them so that you can save us that way, or I'm I missing something here?"
"Unfortunately, I have to prioritize the lives of critical opponents for this war, the teachers. Might seem harsh I'm sure, but this is the first an attack like this has ever happened. And if their targets happen to be the older monsters, then this will serve as a brutal blow to our side, since most teachers here are qualified soldiers. And I feel like I should say this, but did you think you came in this school to be protected or something? There was a high chance you would die here, it just came a bit earlier than predicted."
Right after she said that, she whistled, and a capable group of second years who were slightly handling the situation better than the first years joined her side. Just as fast as she had appeared, she disappeared the same way with all the second years, leaving a very angry Furrha whom crises began to form on his forehead due to the amount of pressure left for him and his friends to deal with.
"Hey! Not cool, not cool at all!" Blade complained once they left us all alone after taking the little panicked students they could.
"Some fine president she is," Arnold muttered.
"Compaining about our situation ain't going to help in anything. As much as I'd hate to admit it, the president is right, we can't just leave the demon by herself. I'll leave her to the three of you. Give it your all, and try to destroy that orb. Leave me with the first years who have yet to find a good place for cover. I'll deal with the demons around here," I said while gritting my teeth in anger at the audacity of the second years.
I didn't have a choice but to protect the remaining students, it was what I could do for now. At the moment, sure I may have been a lot stronger than when I was in highschool, but other that the dangerous power that was handed to me that I can't use, and my limited lightning attributes, I'm sure my contribution to the fight would have been next to nothing. I would have actually held them back.
"Why leave you alone and we are around four? Why don't we just split into-"
"No." I stopped Arnold before he could continue, "Right now, I don't have a complete grasp of my ability like you three do. I'd be a liability. And, I'm good at rescuing people by myself. And I'll tell you now, you three will need all the help you can get,"
"You're making no sense, Max. You can't just-"Bareth began.
"Please trust me just this once." I pleaded. The three looked like they wanted to oppose, but no one said a thing.
"We're wasting time guys, let's just do this. And you owe us BIG time, Max. Got that?" Blade said.
"Yeah ok,"
We nodded at each other and dispersed, the three going for the leader of the horde, who vanished into the forest around the school looking for escaped monsters, and me going up against an unknown number of demons.
Don't worry about me, I've survived thousands of hordes, you know, so I know how to deal with them.
And I did grow stonger. Let's put that into practice.
"Damn president! Leaving me with all this work! And where are the so called elites of this school in first year?" I shouted to no one in particular as I punched a lower demon to smithereens and pointed the scared student to the school assembly.
"Not here, that's where, " a voice from behind me said.
I turned to the person who just spoke and saw one of my classmates helping me with the large mass of demons.
As the school required, she too was in a white shirt, sorry...former white shirt, now caked with blood, and army trousers, but she pulled off the look much more easily than anyone I've seen in school. Just like most girls in this school, she had a cute face that although a shade lighter than mine, looked more refined. Her arms were covered with scratches, probably from fighting wiht the demons and her golden brown air was tied in a bud to maximize efficiency. She was handling herself suprisingly well....like she was born for battle, the amount of blood on her once white shirt showing us just how many demons she killed.
"You're name was Kira, right? A Furrha I presume?" I asked her when I noticed her ears. How did I not know one of my race was in my class? I'm guessing she hid it.
"Oh, so you do have a good head on your shoulders. Hello Max, wish we'd have met at better circumstances," she answered, giving me a smile as she waved her hand and immediately ten of the nearby demon's heads were decapacitated.
***
[The WHAT!?]
[ You think?!]
***
"So where are these elite first years again? Your answer didn't shed a lot of light," I told her, which earned me an irritated look that almost made me back away instinctively.
"If you must know, they are cowering in fear under a table somewhere, even the great nobles, since they think their life is worth more than a fight to the death," she finally answered, after dealing with some more demons with her strange power.
Isn't it their choice though? But I couldn't say that out loud, less I incur her wrath.
"Ah, I see. So basically, they have no battle experience. I guess that's the new generation of monsters we have. Some years in camp will do them some good," I said, finishing off another monster with an uppercut that sent is spiraling to the ground.
***
<*100 EXP gained!*>
<*Level upgrade!*>
<*New skill unlocked!*>
<*Magic fingers [LVL 1] (no mana usage)*>
<*User can fire mini lightning bolds from his fingers. They pose little to no damage to most monsters and beasts, but can be really annoying. Skill can be upgraded*>
---
[Oh this is gonna be good! Can you knock Kira out just for a few seconds?]
***
"Hey Kira,"
"What?"
"Nighty night,"
" Huh?" she looked at me while raising an eyebrow in question but soon after fell down, knocked out cold as the butt end of a dart could be seen protruding from her backside.
***
[...]
[Not cool, my guy. She's still a girl! You couldn't just come up with another method? And where did that dart come from?]
[...Ok, I think?]
***
I lifted my head towards the sky as dark clouds began to form since I was the one summoning them. Lightning then began snaking around my arms, as my eyes shone in a bright blue color. With a smile, I shouted,
"THOR'S HAMMER!"
***
<*skill 'Thor's hammer[LVL 1]' has been activated!*>
***
Immediately, with large simultaneous blasts, all demons within a fifty mile radius were struck down with multiple powerful bolts of lightning that turned them immediately to ash, which was a ridiculously beautiful show. The second I was done, a series of notifications flooded my screen as I stared in amazement at the amount of EXP I had just gained.
***
[How much did I progress, Bradley?]
***
<*3000 EXP points have been attained!*>
<*You have climbed a level!*>
<*You have climbed a level!*>
<*You have climbed a level!*>
<*You have climbed a level!*>
***
<*Mandrax Randoff [LVL 6] *>
<*Title: (pseudo) Dark prince*>
<*Race: Furrha*>
<*Grade: C (low)*>
<*Ability: Main: Lightning castor [LVL 5]*>
<*Health {100/100}*>
<*Mana {340/500}*>
<*Stregnth 40*>
<*Agility 80*>
<*Defense 40*>
<*Speed 85*>
<*Mind 20*>
<*Dark Mana absorption 20% (disabled)*>
***
<*skill 'Thor's hammer [LVL 1]' has climbed a level!*>
***
<*New skill has been achieved due to reaching level five in the ability 'Lightning castor'!*>
<*Emperors Judgement [LVL 1]!*>
<*Mana usage 200*>
<*The power to summon a gigantic thunder bolt to pulverize your enemy. The larger the clouds, the more powerful the skill gets. Skill can be upgraded*>
–––
[OW HELL YEAH! That's what I'm talking about!]
[Oh, right]
***
"Mmm.... what just happened? And why does my butt feel sore," Kira asked as she woke up groggily rubbing her backside.
"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me," I answered, looking down in guilt and trying to hold in my laughter when I saw the dart had already disappeared.
"I don't know why, but I have the sudden urge to punch you," she said as she surveyed the area. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw the many scorch marks that were present on the ground.
"Did you do this?" she asked, staring at me.
"No I did not! Some powerful deity must have seen how handsome I was and chose to save me from a mighty thrashing. You should feel honored just to talk to m-hey, what are you doing?" I asked in disbelieve as she raised her hand and her eyes began to glow yellow.
"NOOO!" I screamed in shock as she aimed her hand at me and fired a yellow musical melody. When it was only a centimeter away, it curved away from me and killed a demon off in the back trying to sneak up on me.
"Oh, thanks," I said.
"Wasn't aiming for the demon. You just got lucky. I'm still not good with my aim," she replied, and I don't know why, but I don't think she was joking.
There were still some demons left, so we made quick work of them as Kira did most of the work while I just sat there, firing lighting at them, watching the demons scream in pain, trying to run away as I helped the remaining students evacuate.
Seeing that the portals were disappearing, I would say the demons didn't expect there would be this much resistance from monsters, hence were ill-prepared.
As she was finishing off the last demon, a notification came up to my status page that made my smirk vanish from my face.
***
<*Arnold White (Prince)*>
<*Health {10/100}*>