Particularly of late, there had been no further incidents of Gastrea harming people. The children within the city had all been gathered and sent to Ren Isana's original world.
Now, those arriving were children who lived in the wild or were brought from other cities. The policy issued by the Seitenshi was being noticed by more and more people, especially following that previous live broadcast.
The children in other cities were now moved by the news and were constantly making their way toward the Tokyo Area. When Ren Isana and the others left the city, they encountered several groups of children who had formed their own teams to travel there.
Upon entering the city, these children keenly discovered that the people in this region didn't dare show them looks of disdain. Some even spoke kindly to them and provided plenty of food.
This unprecedented treatment finally put the anxious hearts of many children at ease. It seemed this city really was just as the news had claimed — it was willing to accept children like them.
Ren Isana glanced at the children, a smile tugging at his lips, and he increased his pace toward the outside. It seemed the previous broadcast had achieved quite an impressive effect.
After leaving the city, the group marched rapidly in a single direction. With the enhancement of [Lightness Technique], the party moved at a terrifying speed.
The wild was currently devoid of many Gastrea. They had to travel over a hundred miles before they began to slowly encounter those creatures. Faced with Gastrea, there was no need for Ren Isana to act; the others swarmed forward and cut them down immediately.
Even Bell and Haruhime rushed into the fray. After all, in everyone's eyes, these were simply moving bars of Excelia. Every kill counted, and no one would refuse such a benefit.
Before nightfall, the group arrived near the location of Scorpio. From where Ren Isana and the others stood, they could clearly see a mountain-like figure crouching on the surface of the sea.
Although the light was fading, everyone noticed the creature's condition: its body was covered in eyes that glowed like red lightbulbs, and tentacles occasionally swayed from its mass.
"It has... a bit of a Lovecraftian vibe." Standing in the distance, someone couldn't help but remark on the massive creature. The sight was truly a blow to one's SAN points.
In the anime, this thing was one-shotted by a railgun. To be honest, it didn't pose much of a threat as long as your attack range was longer than its own. Accomplishing a one-shot should be relatively simple.
"Class Rep, how do we do this? Should we rest for the night and move out tomorrow morning?" Sora's gaze turned to Ren Isana. That thing was truly eyesore, possessing too many grotesque attributes and a bizarre shape.
Ren Isana nodded upon hearing this. He stared down at Scorpio and said, "Tomorrow morning, we'll lure it to the shore before acting. It'll be difficult to handle if it's in the sea since the creature could flee at any time."
The ocean in this world was no beautiful place. Where were the most Gastrea located? Likely within the depths of the sea. Gastrea on land were probably like raw recruits compared to those in the ocean.
The group agreed, feeling his reasoning was sound. It was indeed necessary to bring it onto land before killing it. If this Gastrea really dove into the sea, it truly might escape.
If that happened, finding it again would be difficult. The oceans of a world were vast, and they couldn't exactly drain the sea. As for diving into the ocean to give chase, that was never an option on the table.
Having made the decision, they began preparing to set up camp. Ren Isana chose a good spot and placed his hand on the ground. In the next moment, Magic Power surged, instantly leveling the area and clearing a wide space.
Ren Isana took out his tent and began to pitch it. Seeing this, the others also brought out their belongings to set up their own tents. Those who finished early scattered to clear out any nearby Gastrea.
Everyone possessed the [Life Perception] ability. By activating their perception, finding Gastrea was as easy as turning on a light. They were incredibly accurate, and by the time everyone returned, the surrounding Gastrea had been thoroughly purged.
Having finished these tasks, the group performed a simple wash-up before resting to build up their strength. During the night, Ren Isana subtly released some pheromones to drive away any Gastrea that attempted to approach.
After completing his preparations, Ren Isana entered a state of [Meditation]. Time passed in the blink of an eye, and the second morning arrived. As the first ray of sunlight shone down, everyone emerged from their tents to wash up and pack their gear.
"What is the plan?" Asuna walked to Ren Isana's side, gazing once more at the massive silhouette in the distance. The creature was still deep in slumber, and how to lure it to the shore remained a question.
Hearing Asuna's question, Ren Isana spoke directly. "You all get ready to attack. I'll fly over and give it a heavy blow to draw it toward us."
Any living creature has a morning temper, and Scorpio was likely no exception. Luring it up would be incredibly simple — it only required a few spells to wake it up.
After speaking, Ren Isana took flight and headed straight for Scorpio. Seeing this, the others drew their weapons. Against such a massive creature, engaging in close combat was useless.
Therefore, everyone prepared to cast magic this time. Of course, the main force would be the few most skilled in magic; the others were just there to leech a bit of Excelia. Perhaps in the end, the only one truly attacking would be Ren Isana.
There were quite a few students who had completely mastered [Flight Magic] during this period. While they might not be as agile as Ren Isana, they could manage ordinary flight in the sky.
The students took to the air one after another. Those who still couldn't fly began looking for high ground, preparing themselves for battle at any moment.
Ren Isana flew directly beside Scorpio. Looking at the thing before him, he raised his hand and condensed a sphere of Magic Power. Scorpio seemed to sense something, as the red lightbulb-like eyes on its body began to glow.
It opened several massive mouths, and its eyes all turned toward Ren Isana. Its massive body began to shift, kicking up thousand-layered waves as a cry like that of a whale echoed across the sea.
"Woo!" A long cry erupted from Scorpio, and a surge of killing intent locked onto Ren Isana. It clearly viewed this human as a breakfast dessert.
Specifically, the energy radiating from Ren Isana made Scorpio instinctively want to devour him. Thus, Scorpio began to move, its tentacles lashing out in an instant, shooting toward Ren Isana.
Seeing this, Ren Isana raised an eyebrow. Was it treating him as prey? He fired a [Magic Bullet], which instantly streaked toward the target he had locked onto, scoring a direct hit.
Boom! A massive explosion rang out as one of the red eyes on Scorpio's body shattered. This was followed by Scorpio's angry roar, and its speed increased instantly.
Furthermore, energy began to condense within its tentacles, firing directly at Ren Isana. Observing this, a flash of surprise crossed Ren Isana's eyes. Scorpio actually possessed such power?
This was truly interesting. The anime hadn't really showcased Scorpio's full strength. If some Tier 4 creatures had such power, how could the Tier 5 Scorpio not have it?
Thinking of this, Ren Isana raised his hand to manifest a [Protection Barrier] that directly blocked the beam attack. He took the opportunity to retreat rapidly, leading the creature toward the shore.
Scorpio continued its pursuit. Although its massive size made it appear slow, it was actually moving quite fast. The others were momentarily stunned as they watched the two engage in immediate combat.
At that moment, Ren Isana's voice rang in everyone's ears. "Pay attention! This guy's long-range methods are quite good. Don't get hit! Lefiya, buff everyone!"
"And Haruhime, cast [Kokonoe] on Asuna, Yukino, Megumi Kato, Ais, Lefiya, Kumo, Sora, Tione, and Tiona. Megumi, your task is support. If necessary, pull everyone into the shadows."
Following Ren Isana's orders, the named individuals quickly gathered around Haruhime. Seeing this, Haruhime hastily took out her [Kagura Suzu].
"I am currently Tier 3, and my magic can only last for half an hour, so everyone must keep a close eye on the time!" she warned the group.
The others nodded in response. Only the new students were currently bewildered, but they soon witnessed a logic-defying scene.
Haruhime raised the [Kagura Suzu] in her hand and began her chant: "Flow, song of gold. Summoning verse of the jewel-like fox. White-faced, golden-furred king of nine tails. Consume all, grant all. Tail of the auspicious beast, dance!"
As Haruhime's chant concluded, nine beams of light erupted from her body and landed on the nine people. Once the lights entered their bodies...
Their auras surged instantly. Their strength was pulled from Tier 4 up to Tier 5, while the Tier 6 Ais broke directly into Tier 7.
Shikimori and the others watched this scene in utter confusion. What on earth? Magic that forcibly raises one's Tier? Was this a joke?
"Hiss, so strong! Go, go, go! Move out!" Sora felt the condition of her body, her face flushing with excitement.
This was her first time experiencing Haruhime's magic as well, as she hadn't had the chance before. Now it was finally her turn. Both her stamina and Magic Power had multiplied several times over in this instant.
Sora did not hesitate, transforming into a flash of lightning and flying into the sky. After the level-up, her control over [Flight Magic] had also grown stronger.
Next, she would let that Scorpio witness what a true [Lightning Strike] looked like. Reaching the sky, Sora began to brew her power. The Magic Power within her surged as she prepared her most powerful attack!
The others acted as well. Megumi Kato completely hid her presence and vanished into the shadows, while Ais, Asuna, and Yukino Yukinoshita rushed out.
"Whew!" After using the magic, Haruhime felt her legs go weak. Using this spell all at once had drained her mental power. If she hadn't learned the magic of this world and were still using her original method, she would likely have fainted on the spot.
Seeing Haruhime collapse onto the ground, Mahiru Shiina immediately stepped forward and injected some Magic Power into her to help her recover slightly.
Lefiya also cast her magic at this time, placing several layers of buffs on everyone present before preparing to join the fight.
Ren Isana had returned by now, with Scorpio lured directly behind him. The monster also noticed the group of people, and its killing intent instantly locked onto them.
Feeling that primitive aura washing over them, everyone's expressions changed. Without needing a command, everyone scattered instantly and launched their offensive.
Flying in the sky, Ais condensed the wind element Magic Power around her and swung out a full-power Tier 7 strike, sending out a wind blade spanning a hundred meters.
Asuna was not to be outdone, likewise manipulating the wind element to launch a fierce attack. As for Yukino Yukinoshita, she activated ice magic; snowflakes began to drift from the sky, and a layer of frost slowly spread across the earth.
She intended to forcibly freeze Scorpio. The scattered group members also launched their attacks, firing all sorts of magic to clash with Scorpio.
The battle officially commenced. Although Scorpio could use long-range attacks, there seemed to be a set frequency. Under everyone's terrifying mobility, the creature's long-range strikes didn't pose a major threat.
Ais's wind blade was the first to crash into Scorpio. The teal wind blade slammed head-on into the monster, and a pained wail echoed through the heavens.
This single attack nearly one-shotted Scorpio. It was immediately followed by the magic attacks of the others; everyone was frantically squeezing out their Magic Power, hurling spells as if they cost nothing.
"[Lightning Descent]!" Just then, Sora's voice rang out from the sky. A massive golden [Magic Circle] had formed in the air at some unknown point.
A thick bolt of lightning erupted from the [Magic Circle], striking straight down at Scorpio. A thunderous boom shook the heavens.
In an instant, this attack became the most eye-catching existence on the battlefield. Upon seeing this, Ren Isana's expression cramped.
He shouted urgently, "Megumi, catch that idiot! She's out of Magic Power! That blockhead squeezed her Magic Power completely dry!"
Watching Sora fall from the sky, Ren Isana really wanted to curse. She truly didn't care about her own life just to pull off a move like that, did she?
"Leave it to me!" Megumi Kato's lips twitched slightly. In the next moment, a black light shot out from the ground, quickly forming her figure.
She flew into the air and caught Sora before landing safely on the ground. Ren Isana's words had naturally reached Sora's ears.
After recovering a tiny bit of Magic Power, she spoke very indignantly, "I'm not a blockhead! Class Rep, you're too much! How can you call a girl a blockhead!!"
It was infuriating! This was her full-power strike, and in his eyes, she was just an idiot? The Class Rep was a big meanie!!
"Don't make me laugh. Aren't you just a One-Shot Superman? You didn't leave yourself any way out? I've never seen anyone as much of a blockhead as you!!" As Ren Isana spoke, he prepared the final finishing touches.
He brought out his staff and injected Magic Power, forcibly hijacking the [Magic Circle] Sora had released in the sky.
He directly replaced the Magic Power inside with his own and cut the connection between Sora and the [Magic Circle].
After all, the magic Sora was using had been tinkered with by Ren Isana. Regarding the familiarity with this spell, Ren Isana dared to say he was number one.
With the [Magic Circle] taken over by Ren Isana, Sora noticed immediately, but in the next moment, she saw the goal she would spend her life pursuing.
The single golden [Magic Circle] in the sky began to 'nest.' Several more [Magic Circle] formations appeared consecutively beneath it.
Gold, red, gold, red, gold, red—the layered nesting formed a magnificent sight. The six layers of [Magic Circle] formations stacked together left Sora looking dazed.
"Watch closely. This move is called [Lightning-Fire Sword]!" Ren Isana's voice fell, and the six formations erupted instantly. First, a bolt of lightning fell from the top—the one Sora had created—passing through the fire-element [Magic Circle] below it.
Next, the fire-element [Magic Circle] shrouded that lightning in a layer of flames, and the process repeated through the layers. Finally, a thick bolt of flaming lightning descended like a sword from the heavens.
This was the [Lightning-Fire Sword] Ren Isana spoke of. The strike landed directly on Scorpio, and in the next moment, a massive explosion shook the sky.
A terrifying shockwave swept out. The people currently casting magic were instantly buffeted by a high-temperature gale. Asuna, Yukino, and the others were now full of questions.
Are you kidding? You're just going to one-shot Scorpio? Then why did you have us attack? You could have handled this yourself, couldn't you?
The students grumbled and began to flee toward the surrounding area. Sora, who was being held by Megumi Kato, felt her vision go dark, then discovered she was traveling rapidly through the darkness.
When she saw light again, she had been placed in a safe location, but Megumi Kato was no longer beside her.
However, Sora quickly spotted where she had gone. Megumi Kato had transformed into a shadow and was traveling rapidly, pulling the fleeing students into the darkness one by one and delivering them to her side.
As an assassin, Megumi Kato had finally unleashed her power. At the same time, this made Sora suddenly understand why Ren Isana wanted Megumi Kato to provide support.
This was clearly planned from the start. He intended to one-shot the monster himself, and having so many of them act was just to let them leech some Excelia from the creature... Just like in a game, you only need to get a hit in, and leave the rest to the carry!!