'I better move out the way.' Having heard the other squad casting their spells, Adonis descended with grace behind a gorilla-like creature.

Without hesitation, he swiftly dashed forward.

With his mana channelled into both his arms, with aid from the magic circle on his chest, Tarzy steeled his will.

He commanded multiple quills to shoot forth from both his arms at remarkable speed, targeting the beast to penetrate the Koko's thick hide.

SWISH

Extracting a substantial reserve of mana from the deepest depths of her mana core, Luna followed suit.

After amassing this potent energy, she channeled it through the platinum magic circle hovering above her, forming a luminous sphere akin to a dazzling star in space.

This radiant orb moved with astonishing velocity, surging forward at a speed that even exceeded the attack of the First Rising Star.

WHOOSH

Using the pink magic crystal nestled at the tip of her staff, Amber harnessed her mana and conjured a substantial orb. Its size grew rapidly till it resembled that of a large sports ball.

Once it reached its desired dimensions, the ball surged forward so fast that it practically vanished from sight.

TSHU

Thrusting his arm forward, Lutz infused his mana into the cyan magic circle. The outcome of the spell was a majestic wind missile that whizzed through the air, propelling itself swiftly toward the Koko.

WHIZZ

The initial strike came from Amber, her luminous sphere striking the beast's right thigh with devastating force as it tumbled backward.

Following that, Luna's spell assailed the creature, obliterating its abdomen.

Next in line was Lutz, who managed to successfully land a blow, his Gale magic missile annihilating the beast's head in a spectacular fashion.

Finally, Tarzy's attack found its mark, albeit slightly trailing behind the group's spells for a few seconds. It impaled the remains of the creature, firmly pinning it to the ground.

"Grape!" Failing to waste a moment after the beast's demise, Luna swiftly empoyed her ignited blade to deliver a slashing attack toward the magic knight positioned just a few meters away.

"That's no way to thank someone..." Adonis let out a sigh as he gracefully swayed to the side, effortlessly evading the oncoming blade. With swift and calculated movement, he delivered a light kick to Luna's abdomen, forcing her to stumble backwards.

'She's injured, there's no point in fighting her.'

"Thanking you?! You stole our kill! Now we have to share points with someone who isn't even in our group!" Pushing the stumbling Luna out of the way, Tarzy charged forward. His arms gradually returning to their regular state as he advanced.

{Does he realize they would've died without you?}

'He must still be upset.'

Upon reaching his target, Tarzy acted swiftly. He seized Adonis by the collar, hoisting him off the ground. His deep green eyes vibrating with intense emotion.

"Let go of me." Adonis responded sternly, his expression conveying a genuine sense of disinterest and a hint of annoyance.

"You think you helped?! All you did wa-"

"I said let go of me..." Adonis grabbed Tarzy's thick arm, which still bore the sharp quills, although they were now smaller than before.

SPLURT

As Adonis gripped Tarzy's quill-laden arm, his own hand was pierced, leading to a rapid flow of blood. Curiously, Adonis appeared unfazed by the injury.

However, it was Tarzy who seemed to be in agony. The giant man's legs buckled under the intense pressure of Adonis' superior grip, and he lost all sensation in his arm, his eyes widening in astonishment.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Ah!"

"Your princess is okay, I made sure she was safe... but as I said before, let me go."

Upon hearing the words of the magic knight within his grasp, Tarzy gradually relaxed.

His expression shifted from one of angered concern to a mix of relief and... a hint of gratitude?

"You two wanna attack me too?" After landing gracefully on the ground, Adonis turned his gaze toward both Amber and Lutz.

"I'd rather not..."

"Hmph." Unperturbed by Adonis' cocky remarks, Lutz proceeded toward the corpse of the beast.

He skillfully used his rapier to extract and secure the pink magic crystal embedded within the Koko's body.

***

12 hours later.

"I still don't understand why we had to team up with THEM." Tarzy, clutching a steel kebab conjured by Maxwell, emitted a menacing snarl, his eyes narrowing as they shifted toward Adonis.

"Because we made a deal." Sitting on Tarzy's right, clutching her chest tightly Amber sighed. The PTC's patience wearing thin with Tarzy's persistent childish behavior.

'I should've chosen one of them.'

"Could you be any dumber? You were there when we made it." Luna let out a scoff as she recalled the conversation they had just a couple of hours ago.

"Watch your mouth!" Tarzy scowled.

The agreement, as it stood between Amber and Adonis' respective groups stated that Adonis would renounce any claim to participating in the battle against Koko.

This act meant that he would forfeit all the points that were rightfully his. In exchange, Amber would utilize Holy Aura to heal Veda's injuries.

"Hehe, is it always like this?" Continuing his habit of overeating the group's resources, Maxwell devoured a magic beast kebab.

"Unfortunately..." Lutz let out a sigh, the gentle flicker of the small bonfire complementing his golden hair perfectly.

"The fuck?" Redirecting his hostility away from Luna and towards the van Alexia noble, Tarzy's expression turned to a frown, his sense of betrayal evident in his eyes.

"Get over it."

"How's Marie?" Adonis, one of the only two members from the respective groups who remained entirely unscathed voiced his concern, his silver eyes fixing on Amber Shine.

'He's concerned about another girl?' Vera concealed her scowl as she gazed at the purple-haired teenager who served as their leader.

'How dare he call the princess by her first name? I don't even do that!'

"Be respectful!" Tarzy growled.

Disregarding the complaints of the First Rising Star and oblivious to the thoughts of the crimson-haired noble, Amber redirected her attention to Adonis. Her eyes flickered with an unusual curiosity that resembled suspicion.

"She's okay, she managed to heal herself using Holy Aura..."

"Seems useful. Being Blessed..." Adonis shrugged.

"I mean, it's okay... Especially when compared to being Cursed." Amber spoke, her pupils located in her golden irises dilating as she closely observed Adonis' behavior.

'She's fishing.' Adonis internally chuckled.

{It means she suspects you.}

"Well, I guess so..."

'Amber, you haven't changed one bit... Sharp as ever. Don't worry, I'll give you a fish soon... Although you WILL have to work harder than that to reel it in.'

"And what about Veda?" Adonis inquired, his eyes trailing toward the sizable wooden shelter they had constructed.

"She's better, like Marie she's asleep. But Cecil is keeping guard."

"I thought that was your job, you mutt!" Playfully smacking the back of the First Rising Star, Luna let out a giggle before she indulged in another kebab, savoring the bland flavors.

"Hit me again, I dare you!" Glaring at Luna, Tarzy emitted another growl, his mouth foaming from both his insatiable hunger and his mounting anger directed at the Second Rising Star.

"I mean... I always do my dares!" Slapping the beastly man once more, this time on the back of his head, Luna's grin widened further. It was clear that she took delight in tormenting Tarzy.

"That's i-" His anger reaching its tipping point, and Tarzy exploded in a surge of rage.

"You two, stop it." With her voice infused with a threatening hint of Holy Aura, Amber Shine issued a command for the members of her group, specifically targetting the two Rising Stars who continued to behave like cats and dogs. This directive immediately halting Tarzy in his tracks.

DIMMM

"What a disloyal dog, sitting even when it isn't your master commanding you."

Unintimidated by Amber's burst of authority, Luna giggled even more and continued with her taunts, undeterred.

"I could watch this all day!" His voice muffled by the meat in his mouth, Maxwell chuckled.

'It has been all day.'

{It used to be funny, but now it's just annoying.}

'Agreed, even when we fought those White Rank Vipers, all they were interested in was tearing each other apart and competing.'

{Their childishness can be used against them soon.}

'True, it's becoming troublesome now.'

"Grape!" Having grown temporarily disinterested in tormenting Tarzy, Luna redirected her attention towards the Seventh Rising Star.

'She has a nickname for Vindicta? How close are they?!' Vera panicked.

"What's up?" Confronting Luna Tricksta, Adonis arched an eyebrow, his expression reflecting confusion as he attempted to analyze what the girl might ask.

He drew upon their previous interactions and the knowledge he had gathered about her.

"What Tier are you?" Luna posed her question, her eyes brimming with excitement as she eagerly awaited the boy's response.

Assessing Adonis's strength had proven difficult for her, as he had never appeared to go all out, and she had observed him using neither magic nor weapons.

In her eyes, he remained an enigmatic anomaly, a potential plaything yet to be explored.