[3rd PoV]
That night on the northern beach, Piers sat in front of a campfire, looking bored out of his mind. He had done nothing all day, following Raul's orders to take Scarlett and scout the northern region—an area now abandoned by the Dragon Clan.
"Ughh..."
Piers heard a soft groan. Scarlett, who had been asleep this whole time, was finally waking up.
"You're awake, huh?"
Scarlett clutched her head; it seemed she hadn't fully recovered from the effects of Mana Exhaustion.
"What happened? Ughhh... where are we?" Scarlett asked, confused to find herself in a completely different location from where she had passed out.
"After your fight with the Captain, you were out for a full day," Piers answered. "The Captain said you won't be able to use mana for a few days."
Scarlett fell silent, processing the information. She thought back to their fight and Raul's cryptic words about her not knowing her true power.
"I see. Now, where is that man?" Scarlett asked. She wanted an explanation for what he had said to her.
"I don't know," Piers replied. Raul hadn't given him the specifics of his plan to face the Griffon Clan alone. "He only told me the location of the crystals he's going to hide for us to retrieve on the final day of the exam."
"Huh? Why would he do that?" Scarlett was still out of the loop regarding the day's events.
"The Dragon and Lion Clans merged, and their main goal is to hunt the Captain for the remainder of the exam," Piers explained. "That's why he sent me north to look after you while you were unconscious."
Scarlett looked stunned. The two Clans were clearly dead set on getting their revenge.
"It's only natural, isn't it? His actions were truly unforgivable," Scarlett remarked.
Piers offered her some grilled fish he had just cooked. "Eat. Your body needs to recover quickly so we can help the Captain."
***
[Raul PoV]
After the failed negotiation with Elena, I dug a hole to bury the crystals we had gathered over the past four days.
"Done. I think Piers and Scarlett can find this uniquely shaped tree if I give them the right landmarks."
Having finished cached the crystals, I sat down for a moment to refine my next move.
First, there is no way I can defeat nearly a hundred academy students in a direct head-on fight. If they set up a perimeter to box me in, I doubt I'd last a day. I need something to split them up so I can pick them off one by one. I believe I have a solution for that.
Second, can I defeat Brian, Geralt, Elena, Ariel, and Valeria all at once? If the battlefield suits my current abilities, I don't think my chances of winning are zero. I was beaten black and blue by the President before because we fought in the open. I also haven't used my Nature Mana or my Blessing yet. By utilizing my Shadow Nature Mana, I could easily defeat all five of them if we fight in a place with sufficient light.
But should I use it just for academy students? I don't want to become too dependent on a single skill; I see this as the perfect training to sharpen my existing repertoire. In close quarters, I'm confident I can handle Brian and Geralt simultaneously. However, Elena's speed is a major problem. I have to take her out first.
I need to lure them to a battlefield of my choosing.
"Looks like I'll have to kidnap someone's child tomorrow."
[3rd PoV]
The next day, inside the Eagle Clan basecamp, all members were geared up for the hunt.
"This time, we are assisting the Griffon Clan in hunting Raul de Garcia," Elena explained. "I've already sent 20 people to scout for him. Once we have his location, we will corner him and wait for the Griffon Clan to arrive."
The Eagle Clan now totaled nearly 50 members, making them the largest alliance on the island. However, their average combat quality was significantly lower than that of the Griffon Clan, which boasted about 30 elite members.
"President! I have good news!" a scout shouted, running toward the group from the forest. "The scouting team spotted that rotten noble heading toward a valley to the south."
Hearing the report, Elena felt that familiar bad omen again. However, she couldn't back out now after making a deal with the Griffon Clan.
"Alright, let's follow him," Elena ordered. "Leave six people to guard the basecamp!"
Elena approached the scout and asked, "Has anyone gone to inform the Griffon Clan yet?"
"Of course, President."
"Good. Prepare yourselves for the chase."
.
.
.
[3rd PoV]
On the eastern side of the island, at the Griffon Clan basecamp, Brian and Geralt stood before their members. Their faces showed they were ready to crush and humiliate Raul for everything he had done to them.
"My friends, we are gathered here not to compete or bring each other down," Brian began his speech, his voice booming with passion. "We are here together to deliver justice to a man who has defiled the honor of a Knight's duel!"
"Aye!"
"Aye!"
Geralt stepped forward next.
"We will make that rotten noble pay for everything he has done to our Clans! I, Geralt de Jimena, swear to avenge our fallen comrades!" Geralt's voice was so thick with hatred that faint wisps of smoke began to rise from his body.
Finally, Valeria stepped forward.
"We just received word that the Eagle Clan scouts spotted the pervert heading toward the valley in the southwest," she revealed. "They will corner him there and wait for us."
The Clan members cheered.
"You heard that, everyone? Let's hunt him down!" Brian commanded.
"Ouhh!"
With that, the Griffon Clan began their mobilization toward the southwest valley.
***
[Raul PoV]
Ughhh... climbing this cliff is surprisingly exhausting.
I was currently on one of the highest hills in the valley. My goal was simple: find a Nazarith bird nest. These birds are the largest extant species in the world, boasting a 12-meter wingspan and an average weight of 400 kg. Generally, they aren't aggressive toward humans, but they become apex predators the moment their territory is breached.
I had intentionally let the Eagle Clan scouts see me and confirmed they knew where I was going. I was luring them here to neutralize Elena, who could potentially ruin my plans.
After a long climb, I reached the summit. There sat a massive nest made of straw. One large Nazarith bird was sleeping, while a smaller chick played nearby. Male Nazariths stay at the nest to protect the young while the females hunt for fish.
I pulled out some rabbit meat I had wrapped in leaves. I slowly tossed the meat right in front of the chick. The little bird noticed and hopped closer. I kept tossing pieces to lure it toward me.
Come on, little bird. You need to eat a lot so you can grow up big like your papa.
Once it was close enough, I threw my uniform jacket over it and scooped it up. As the bird was about to screech, I muffled it quickly so it wouldn't wake its father too soon.
"Yosh... now let's go meet the Eagle Clan down below."
Descending while holding a struggling chick was difficult.
— Cyak!
Damn! It let out a small sound! I muffled its beak tight with my jacket. But then, I heard something from above. I looked up and saw a massive bird head peering down at me from the peak.
"Easy boy... I'm not kidnapping your kid."
I continued my descent slowly to avoid further attention, but the chick began to struggle uncontrollably.
— Cyak!
Shiet!
"Grooaarrrr!"
The father's roar echoed from above. No mistake—he heard his child! I started descending as fast as possible, making daring leaps down the rock face.
— Swoshh!
I felt a rush of wind over my head. Ten meters away, the massive bird was glaring at me. It was incredibly fast!
— Cyak!
"Can you shut up for a second, kid!? I'm running a plan here!" I cursed at the annoying chick.
"Groohhhh!"
Oh no, Papa knows for sure now.
The giant bird pulled back slightly and then dived straight at me.
— Crack!
I dodged just in time as the bird slammed into the rock wall. It didn't seem hurt at all, just shaking its head before locking eyes with me again.
"Krooohhhh!"
Damn! Damn! Damn! Run, run, run!
I leaped down the rocks in a zigzag pattern to avoid the giant's talons. I didn't look back; my only goal was to reach the Eagle Clan.
— Crackk!
Again, the bird tried to impale me with its razor-sharp claws. Fortunately, I managed to evade it. After a frantic chase, I finally spotted the Eagle Clan waiting below. They looked bewildered by the chaos unfolding.
"Here, take it! I'm not cut out for babysitting...!" I threw the chick at one of the Eagle Clan members.
"Huh? What do you mean?" The man looked confused, suddenly finding a bird chick in his arms.
— Groooooh!
"Crap! What is that thing!?"
"R-run!"
The massive bird began tearing into the Eagle Clan members. One man was snatched by the bird's talons, carried high into the air, and dropped.
"What is going on here?"
I heard a familiar voice from behind. I turned to see Elena running toward the scene with dozens of Eagle Clan students.
"Raul, we've found you!" Elena shouted, her mana beginning to flare.
But suddenly, her focus was diverted by the giant bird diving toward her.
"Krookkkk!" The bird went berserk, attacking the newly arrived members.
"Raul! Is this your doing?" Elena yelled while dodging a wing-swipe.
"How should I know? The bird is mad because your member took its kid!" I lied through my teeth.
"You rotten noble! How dare you frame us!" one of the members screamed in outrage.
"Kroaakkkkk!"
The bird went wild again; four students had already been eliminated by the creature. It snatched another member into the air.
"H-help me, President...!" The man was terrified, and the seat of his pants was visibly wet.
Elena activated her magic, her body wreathed in yellow lightning.
"Blitzkrieg!"
She surged into the air and punched the bird's beak, forcing it to release the student. The blonde president was now locked in an aerial struggle with the Nazarith. They drifted further and further away until they left the valley entirely.
"Well... it looks like your Guardian Angel is busy," I said, looking at the remaining Eagle Clan members with a predatory smile.
A dozen members prepared to fight, but without Elena, their leader and protector, they were lost.
"Raul! I finally found you!"
"Time to pay for your dirty tricks!"
From the east, the Griffon Clan arrived. Brian, Geralt, and Valeria were at the forefront.
"Well, the main cast is all here."
They began to surround me from all sides.
"Give up, Raul! Resistance is futile. We far outnumber you!" Brian said confidently.
"Time to make some toasted human!" Geralt added, eager to start the torture.
"A pervert like you was destined to lose!" Valeria said, though she remained cautious despite the advantage.
She should be here by now, right? What's taking Mama so long? She isn't playing around while Papa is busy with the kid, is she?
— Krooaakkk!
The Griffon Clan members heard a screech from the sky.
"Well... looks like Mama's home from work," I said with a grin. "And she looks pissed that her kid is struggling while Papa is away."
— Kroaakkk! Kroaakkk!
The female Nazarith dove, attacking the Griffon Clan and shattering their encirclement. Seizing the opening, I activated Acceleration and bolted from the area.
"Damn! The rotten noble is getting away! After him!"
"We can't! This bird won't stop attacking us!"
I could clearly hear the Griffon Clan struggling against the Mother Nazarith. I glanced back and saw four students still tailing me: Brian, Geralt, Valeria, and Ariel.
Fine. We'll settle this in the forest where no one can interfere.
"We won't let you escape, Raul!"