The Observation room.

  Heh the brats are doing well despite losing one of them. Jane thought.

  Josh meanwhile decided to comment about it.

  Your group made a decent strategy.

  but they're still gonna lose.

  Even though they caused a rockslide.

  Your group is still outnumbered

  Josh smirked.

  They should have made the human take the place of that Ogre to stall; they would have had a better chance of winning.

  Jane glanced at him.

  Believe what you want but it will be like how I kicked your ass when you were a Rank above me all those years ago

  Josh's eyes twitched at the comment.

  I only lost cause you hid your real strength!!

  Ahaha excuses we both know that's also a valid strategy, of course I urge you not to underestimate any of my brats while their numbers are lower they aren't easy to take care off.

  Josh scoffed.

  We will see but I doubt your group will survive till the end.

  My elites have 2 mid grade rank 6 while you only have 1 rank 6 unless the others have a way to stall one of them this is a sure win hah.

  Jane grinned.

  Then how about a bet, if my team wins you owe me a rank 16 mid grade beast sword

  Josh decidedly stayed silent unwilling to take the bet while the others around him whispered amongst themselves.

  Heh coward.

  Back in the tournament.

  Aiko and the others are deep in the forest.

  They soon found a cave to hide out in.

  After recovering some mana, Kaeris used his mana to cover the cave entrance with a boulder then crumbled it to blend with the surroundings.

  There that should keep us somewhat safe but we must conceal our mana.

  Afterward kaeris sat down by the wall.

  Kivolak as usual is munching on meat that he somehow took out of nowhere.

  As for Aiko, she is leaning on the wall waiting for Bennett and ayaka to get their bearings, especially Bennett since he has the lowest stamina of the group.

  A few minutes passed by

  Ayaka was deep in thought and decided to share.

  The plan to collapse the cliff has succeeded but the question is by how much have we lowered their numbers since tomorrow will be the final confrontation

  Bennett cut in

  I'm sure you saw they activated their barrier a second too late so it was able to shatter it at its weakest and fall into the camp but you're right, depending on their numbers we might even lose.

  Aiko booped them both on the head

  Why are you two worried even if they weren't eliminated?

  If the opponents' people are injured enough they might as well be eliminated.

  What the main target now should be is the Cheetah and the harpy.

  That is true but can you handle them both aiko? Ayaka asked while Bennett is still thinking.

  Of course I can beat them both at the same time but it will be a lot easier and faster if someone can distract one of them.

  The best one for that would be you ayaka since she's a harpy she will definitely have a huge ego.

  Specifically towards her eagle eye and if we send someone who's abilities is to hide which she counters it would cause her to feel insulted and ignore me in an attempt to kill you from that you can stall as long as you can just make a few pot shots so she doesn't regain her rationale.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Ayaka rubbed her head

  I can try but I do not know how long I can hold her back and we lack any information on our opponents.

  Bennett with a sigh took their attention.

  Well I can help give you some information on the Cheetah while it was information when we both were similar in strength it might help you in battle.

  Aiko took a seat across Bennett curiously.

  Oh so you know the Cheetah then what can you say about him?

  Well first things first his name is Jason when I fought him he would use 2 specific skills against me lightning whips and lightning Nova.

  Lightning Whips is pretty obvious it's whips made of lightning with the range dependent on the amount of mana the user is applying when creating it but it’s harder to control the longer the whip is but it gives more range.

  Lightning Nova on the other hand was a skill he was still mastering back then all I knew about it was it Compresses lightning energy into multiple orbs and then sent to the opponent.

  It is able to track the target and relentlessly attack.

  The only way to counter it is to drain all its mana or to counter it with a similarly powerful attack.

  Ayaka grimaced

  Lightning and speed, what an annoying combination it will be easier to stall the Harpy than the Cheetah aiko is right.

  Aiko rolled her eyes

  Of course I'm right I know how you take double the damage from lightning attacks but I can add something.

  During the counter ambush they did, he used a different skill.

  While i do not know the name.

  He had condensed an extreme amount of lightning into his palms and I may be wrong but I think I saw a sigil before my counter attack blocked and incinerated any lightning trying to reach me.

  So the first attack is possibly a fake and instead the true hit is when the sigil merges with the opponent's body but remember this is just a theory.

  Anyways that's enough just remember the most important thing is to stall at least 1 of the Rank 6 then I'll be able to swiftly take out the other one and aid everyone else in their battle.

  Afterward everyone started preparing, relaxing, or just in deep thought.

  The opponents camp.

  Jason and Mei are settled in a new tent along with the remaining members that aren't too injured from the collapse of the cliff

  Jason began first.

  So there are only 8 total remaining members and the others have either died and got eliminated or are too heavily injured to continue fighting so also eliminated.

  We still have the advantage in numbers.

  As Jason looked at them all he made a decision.

  You Rick I heard you know that tengu in the opponent team?

  He growled and replied with a raspy voice.

  Yes she is my niece like me were both from the same clan let me handle her I know all her tricks.

  Heh good I'll let you handle her next you two.

  Jason looked at the twins but before he could say anything they interrupted him.

  We are from the Gemini race so we fight together let us handle that elf he seems to be an elemental elf we can counter him with our gravity magic

  They said at the same time which is creepy in Jason's opinion.

  Fine I'll let you two handle him but remember he is a Rank 5 Apprentice while your both Rank 4

  Now the only ones left is a Rank 3 human or Bennett as he's called

  Rank 4 wendigo and a Rank 6 kitsune

  Me and Mei will take on the kitsune together she is highly dangerous she was able to incinerate the lightning Judgment sigil with just pure fire which isint normal as lightning is usually stronger than flames

  That leaves the wendigo and the human

  Since the human is Rank 3 he will be easy to hold back so we can send our weakest member to hold him as we need the other two to hold back the wendigo he hasn't shown his cards yet and he might have a trump card like that Ogre so be carefull.

  Now before I end this meeting Nicole even tho your Rank 4 like the other two you must go all out and beat Bennett as fast as possible cause if you don't then he can adapt to you and reverse the situation don't underestimate him just cause he's a rank lower.

  Nicole looked at Jason shocked since she never heard him tell someone to literally go all out against someone weaker.

  B-but he's a Rank 3 human and he shouldn't be able to beat me?? RIGHT??

  Jason shook his head

  When I first joined the academy the rank I was given is Rank 2 Apprentice and according to my sources Bennett got Rank 1 Apprentice and yet back then my win rate against Bennett was 50/50 that is all you need to know.

  The meeting is adjourned.

  He then left swiftly with a few hours till the next and final day of the tournament starts they have to prepare as well.

  Back in the cave

  Aiko crushed the camp fire.

  Guys it's time to move out we cannot delay any longer.

  hopefully all of you made sufficient preparations. kaeris your up.

  Kaeris reformed the crushed Boulder and moved it away from the entrance.

  Afterward they all dashed into the trees and lowering there presence as much as possible.

  Meanwhile Jason and the others are similarly moving out incidentally the exact same location that aiko and the others are moving.

  Just as both group arrived at their desired location the trackers of both team imminently detected each other and without giving there enemy any time Rick was able to attack ayaka with demonic wind pushing her away while the after effects rips the trees in the surroundings.

  As kaeris was about to aid ayaka he was hit with a huge amount of force pushing him out the group as he's surrounded by twins giving him no chance to help ayaka while he can see his surrounding distorting like there being crushed giving him an idea what he's up against.

  Meanwhile kivolak was also attacked at the same time as kaeris.

  Punched away from there group then hit with a Gale as he's pinned down somewhere else but without delay he activates Parasitic cold covering his hands in cold aura as he faces his opponents.

  As for Bennett he was able to detect the sand circulating around him causing him to jump away just in time as the sand crushed the tree he was on and then he used Cinderfall to increase his mobility getting him even further away from the sand landing at a diffrent location.

  Just as he regained he's foot he had to start running as the sand is chasing him causing him to separate further and further from the team.

  Finally Jason then attacked Aiko.

  He used lightning Nova as an opening and Aiko used Inari's protection blocking the attack and sending it back.

  Without any warning not looking to see if the reflected attack caused damage she covered her hand with foxfire activating overload and punching the ground besides her causing a wall of fox fire to rise at the same time as Mei appears inches away from the flames.

  She then made distance from Aiko flames seeing it Scorching and melting the spot she almost went through.

  Aiko then said.

  Ohh a two for one how exiting~

  She then for the first time during the tournament took out her whip and it crackles with fox fire melting the stones and setting trees on fire.

  This will be fun so don't lose too fast~

  Chapter End