Edward fired his arrows unrelentingly but worry still crept up onto his face as he saw how the Orcs has dispersed into a large circle to avoid the explosions. After avoiding the initial blast, the Orc continued chasing Jim and the Dracula team unrelentingly.

Despite the beasts’ larger frame, they moved quickly. Their clawed feet raised dust as they ran after the fleeing group. The wounded and worn out could not outrun the Orcs and the distance between the two groups quickly shortened.

“Keep your body low and raise your shields!” Jim called out suddenly. The wounded Alucard’s group strained themselves to follow his instructions.

*Shuck Shuuuck Shuuckk Shuck*

They were barely in time as around a dozen arrows shot out from Kairos’ group, indiscriminately hitting both the fleeing group and the Orcs.

Without pause, Kairos shouted, "Fire again!"

"Fire!.."

"Fire!..."

"Fire!!...."

To maintain a steady covering fire, the students had split into two groups while still standing in their formation array and with each shout from Kairos, they switched roles between firing and reloading.

A steady stream of arrows swept forward quickly traversing across the short distance and hitting Alucard's team, Jim and the Orcs squarely from the front.

Fortunately, with Jim's head's up, the group of six managed to block the bulk of the projectiles, but a series of grunts and yelps could still be heard when they were struck by the powerful impacts.

As shields are thick and bulky, it is not well liked by covert teams and usually not brought along but fortunately shields, just like bows, are standard issue for monster suppression missions and it proved to be a lifesaver this time.

The Orcs, in contrast, suffered greatly. When the arrows hit them, their flesh was ripped away by the gel tipped arrows. By nature, monsters have stronger power physically, be they magical, demonic or spirit beasts, and, many of them are born with tremendous magical prowess or unique abilities unthinkable for mankind. The only reasons humans could survive in such a harsh world are solely dependent on their powerful reproductive abilities, cultivation techniques and the things like this gel coated weapons that created from the wisdom accumulated by countless generations of their forefathers.

This is not to say that all monsters do not equip themselves against human inventions. These Orcs for one uses sloppily made clubs and shields, though their weapons are made to be exceptionally dense and durable to endure being swung around with their powerful muscles.

Copying what Alucard and guys did, the Orcs quickly used brought up their shields to defend against the arrows, and they succeeded to a great extent; reducing injuries and death to a minimum.

But by now, Kairos and guys have already achieved what they want.

Some of the guys kept their bow and quickly ran forth to help support the worn and tattered Dracula team as they reached.

Taking advantage of the rain of arrows Edward picked off high-value targets while hidden at his vantage point, his arrows camouflaged within the others.

The archer’s shots were heavy and precise, and they flew in-between raised weapons striking the Orcs' weak points or exposed sides. And by the time he was done, more than a dozen Orcs had fallen by his hand.

Unfortunately, all the ten of the D rank Orcs is unscathed from this skirmish, because like D rank humans, they can also project a protective energy around themselves. Although, instead of Ki, they use a light purple aura of magic as their barrier. Without coming close up, it's hard to see this nearly transparent magic coating, yet Kairos surprised his team when he could precisely tell the number of D ranked Orcs from a distance.

He could imagine the questions he might have to face in the future, and the worst possible outcome is the exposure of their Soul Perception ability. But, this is a risk he is willing to take, for the sake of saving others. Perhaps it is naive to think this way, but he knowing chose to walk such a path because the alternative is to become those he disdains.

As the leader of men, every choice Kairos makes will shape the group, and he vehemently refuses to be party to something like what Calculus had made.

The Orcs portrayed far greater intelligence than they expected. When facing the rain of arrows, they regathered into a compact group, shoulder to shoulder, then, those in the front swung their weapons and raised their shields to defend the rest. Their speed hardly dropped in the process.

With Alucard’s team rescued, the guys prepared to retreat, but the distance between their group and their pursuers have already shortened to fifty meters.

With everyone wounded in varying degrees, they could not move fast and at most only have a few seconds of head start.

“Looks like we have no choice but to use it,” Kairos sighed, he did not want to use their backup plan if possible. After all, the formation they are in, the Starfire Array, is still untested. But, the Orcs have been far more resilient than expected, and they are really left with little choice.

Though these creatures are huge, magical beings nearly three meters in height, but the gel-coated arrows would have covered their escape from the common Orcs. Unfortunately, the ones chasing are not the usual Orckin, proving to be far more intelligent, and easily thwarted their escape plans.

When the arrows finally ended, they heard a loud snort by the most massive Orc warrior among them, and immediately the other Orcs stood back up from their crouched positions. Their imposing and massive stature gave off a sense of foreboding to the guys.

With another grunt from it, the Orcs started picking up small rocks and pebbles.

"This isn’t good… DEFEND YOURSELF!" Alan yelled hurriedly his voice strained with worry.

His warning wasn’t a moment too soon, as the Orcs threw what they are holding brutally towards Kairos and the guys. The rocks flew at a fearsome speed, tearing through their ranks even as they hastily block it with their shields.

Gahh!!

Oaffhh!

AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!

Many that were squarely hit screamed in their midst and immediately collapsed or sent flying back. The raw strength of an Orc is not something to be taken lightly. Fortunately, none passed out.

At the sight of the humans falling, the Orcs lumbered forward in a disorderly manner. Their massive and powerful bodies disregarding the undergrowth around them as the branches break against their body.

"Activate the Starfire array!" Kairos shouted a command, his voice hoarse and said with effort.

"Quick... help me up..."

"My... My leg is broken... Somebody, carry me over!"

They helped each other reform the array, even those that have been blown away by the rocks struggled to return. In a moment, the array glowed brightly as the guys quickly channelled their Ki once in position.

The Starfire formation (玄火星辰陣) is the same star array Kairos once saw during his selfless cultivation state that looked similar to the inscription of fire in the fire palm's manual. This formation they are in is extremely similar to the fire inscriptions on the weapons of Snowdrifts team.

While giving Kairos a concerned side glance, Alan said to the team, "Starfire array at 20%."

He feared if they might be too late.

The array glows ever brighter while the Orcs runs dangerously closer. In these creatures' eyes, they only see a group of prey before them, and their blood cries out for a battle. Whatever formation Kairos' teams are in, they do not understand, but in the safety of their numbers, the Orcs do not feel even an ounce of fear from it.

Alucard's team looked nervously at the approaching Orcs, but when they saw Kairos' teams did not run away, they gritted their teeth and stood still, waiting silently. Perhaps, for the five who had finally escaped confronting the Orcs once again, is the greatest statement of their noble spirit.

These commoners had come over to assist the Dracula team. If Alucard retreated now, he would never be able to face anyone in the future. Like Calculus, Alucard is a high noble, but their similarity ends there. The Dracula team are formed with five people who are all from high ranking noble families, with Alucard as the sole inheritor of the Angelheart family and the highest ranking house of their group.

They are the kind of aristocrats that believe that being in a family of esteem means they are expected to act like one. They are born to be leaders of men, trained to guide people and have a duty to serve others.

That is why, even though Alucard and his team do not believe they will be able to escape unscathed from the Orcs, they decided they will not die after the low-born.

They clutched their weapons tightly in their hands and readied themselves for combat. Should whatever Kairos' teams are planning are to fail, they will throw themselves against the Orcs to enable Kairos' retreat. Perhaps the rescue will end in vain, but for all of them, it is the act, and not the result, that mattered.

"Starfire array at 35%!" Alan reports in a voice that is steady and strong.

The Orcs' distance has reached merely ten meters from them, and their powerful charge has rooted even the nearby trees. Unable to wait anymore, Kairos yelled, "Unleash it now!”

A bright glow expanded from their bodies as the array activates, a formidable force surges outward, and everything that it touches ignites violently, burning the surrounding grassland to a black crisp and revealing a soot-black area.

Alucard and team who stood nearby are spared this fate because of the place that they are standing at is specially prepared to counter the Starfire Array.

Right after Jim had brought them back, they are advised to escape first. Those that are not within the formation would all be terribly burned, but Alucard, of course, rejected to let his benefactors fight alone.

Fortunately, the Angelheart family specialises in creating talismans and runic circles. As the commoners pooled their power together to activate the full-offence fire formation, Alucard inscribed a simple safety runic circle made specifically to counter the fire element. Fortunately, his hastily erected protection held fast because the array is activated prematurely.

A powerful shockwave from the Starfire array smashes against the nearby Orcs and relentlessly pushes them back while trying to consume them.

Their bestial faces twisted with horrific pain from this domineering power that set their blood to ignite like oil touching flame.