0815H

Indie Annie Jones.

As the only known D ranker among all the first year students before the appearance of Calculus, George's team was expecting him.

The sixty elites immediately surrounded him, though he appeared as composed as before. They attacked viciously without delay. His teammates barricaded themselves in the hill base gave no indications to help, despite seeing him outnumbered.

But what George saw next was beyond his wildest imaginations. Within just five minutes, the boy destroyed all semblances of rationality.

His strong and buffed body stood tall over all the unconscious bodies of his challengers.

Regardless of the number of swords he faced, he simply stood there, as unmovable as a boulder. His beautiful shimmering blade shards were hovering listlessly about him and ensured he remains untouchable.

His body build looks similar to Tommy, tough and strong, but it is his bone structure and meridian systems that had set him apart.

The prior grants an advantage in physical training and external martial arts, while the latter determines the potential in cultivating internal martial arts and the development of the Ki Centre.

With the expensive bone softening solution, it is possible to reform the body. If, one could endure the pain that accompanies it, and withstands the side-effects from overdosing the drugs. Whereas, the meridian systems are considered to be determined from birth.

It is rare to be gifted in both areas, but for Jones, he is so far superior to anyone else measured before, that all the instructors had tried to snatch him up as their disciple.

With every prestigious noble family and great clans opening up their arms to him, Jones picked one that could make him the quintessence of both internal and external schools of art. It is no doubt the hardest path to take, but the result shows that he has no problems raiding an entire base by himself.

.....

At the north ramparts, Tommy had just returned to Kairos’ side after barely escaping. He had known that Jones is a genius and expected such an individual to be a powerful foe, but never did he think their difference in power would be this great.

With the bulk of Luciette's team rendered immobile, the situation on the north side has been controlled. The explosive-stuffed logs had blasted them into incoherence. Jim had timed his traps perfectly, his angles perfectly calculated and the strength and distance the bomb needs to travel are all perfect with his estimations.

In such a delicate situation, Jim knows he cannot afford even the tiniest mistake. Even if society abandons them, or exactly because there is death at every turn, they must make full use of their God-given talents and push through.

“Alright, Jim had succeeded. All forces charge!” Taking advantage of the momentum, Kairos launched an attack on their incapacitated foes. A small group of their most powerful fighters, jumped off the ramparts and attack, while the rest of his team continued raining down suppressive fire.

But at this moment, a resounding yell caused all parties to freeze like statues.

"George has been taken!!!" a voice cried out loudly.

All the defenders fell into astonished silence, and their faces paled.

The raiders, on the other hand, cheered loudly, erupting into shouts and declarations of victory.

“We won! Without George they are nothing!”

“This is the fastest victory. Ever!”

“HOOOORAHH!”

Even those that were bombed by explosives, smeared with detergent, addled with poisonous smoke, and then struck by arrows were grinning with a silly look. Incoherent as they are.

These nobles have been reduced to look like madman blown up by some nameless experiments, but nevertheless, they danced where they stood, and not even Luciette can be excused from merriment.

To be able to capture George was the greatest achievement she had. Of the three hundred students participating, she had only considered George absolutely necessary to take down. Kairos, only a close second.

Likewise, George had met his defeat because he had considered Luciette his only true opponent.

She knows how ridiculously difficult it is to capture an excellent defensive tactician, but she still succeeded. All the efforts she had invested, including these nine days of tolerating Kairos running her defensive perimeters amok, was all for the sake to lure George out.

"Fall back!" Luciette yelled. With her objective met, she decided that it is unwise to continue facing the defenders. She had not let triumph get to her head. Their group are not as robust as they show, and if they continued fighting, they might lose the advantage they just gained.

With George out of the picture, the red team will no doubt show some openings in their defences somewhere down the line, and she was in no hurry to rush and claim victory.

And secretly, she wants to check if Jones has properly done his job in ensuring George’s extraction.

It usually takes five to ten minutes for a staff of the Academy to come and extract students that were tied up, and between their capture to their expulsion from the testing grounds there is still a chance to free them, and this is a chance that Luciette did not want to allow.

0818H

While the Blue Team were falling back, and Kairos leading a charge in pursuit, Jones suddenly appeared on the ramparts like mist materialising from thin air. He looked at both Kairos and Luciette, while a limp figure rested on his shoulders.

His appearance did not escape Luciette’s eyes, and she cried out, almost sounding desperate, "Jones!!! What are you doing here! Why have you not yet retreated?"

"Hi Luciette."

"Don't ‘HI’ Me! What happened?! Why are you still here?"

"Our guys in the East hill were starving, so I set them free," he reported the status of those E rankers that were trapped by George, and then he turned to Kairos with a glare and declared, "I'm here to see him."

His companion since young now stood opposite him as his rival. A mixed feeling washed over him. In some forgotten corner inside of him, he felt joyous to see that Kairos has moved up the ladder, and escaped the clutches of being a despised, untrained, commoner. But, this happiness had somewhat confused him.

Ignoring his agitated commander, he set down the unconscious George on the side of the platform behind himself and spoke to Kairos, "I’ll take on your whole team. If you can defeat me, I'll return your team's commander."

Luciette immediately protested loudly, but her prize is in Jones’ hands, and there is little she could do. Her previously calm demeanour that was unaffected even in the midst of battle had been completely thrown into disarray by Jones' appearance.

Kairos nodded, their commander must be rescued no matter what. The morale of their entire group is on the line.

Jones waved his hand slightly causing a light slicing sound could be heard distinctly above the noise. Then all of a sudden, the blockade between them, the entire north ramparts, fell in a great crash.

Jones' figure flickered and reappeared on the ground safely, however, he had forgotten George whom he set on top of the fortifications. The unconscious commander bounced off the fallen debris, and unglamorously sent him face first into a puddle of mud near the moat.

The position he fell to was right between Kairos and Jones, but neither moved an inch to help, even though his face is submerged.

*Gasp!*

In a desperate attempt to survive, George woke up from near suffocation to free himself from the mud. He hardly recognised his bearings when he heard another loud sound.

*Twack*

The commander fell back into his puddle, unconscious once again because some heartless fellow had smacked him over the head with a piece of timber. Fortunately this time he fell facing upwards and is in no danger of drowning. It even felt rather good on his face for the rapidly cooling mud.

Luciette, the heartless fellow, began dragging his body away. After coming so far, there is no way she is going to let the other team take George back!

And although Kairos was anxious to get his commander back, with Jones barring the way, there was no one to stop her. Even pointing at Luciette to indicate that the object of their bet is getting dragged away did not stir Jones. All that matters to him right now is a battle.

In no time, Kairos' teammates gathered around him to form the Bagua formation. To fully utilise the stratagem requires sixty-four members to assume the different points, and it can be strengthened by having multiplying the number of members.

If they had the optimal number, how much their strength would climb as a group is unimaginable. But even with barely half the number, they are already extremely formidable.

However, while they got into position, Jones made no indication to stop them. His confidence oozed out of him as he calmly gestured for them to attack when ready.

"Come.”

Every moment of tarrying means that George will be an inch closer to another stony bump for the back of his head, and more importantly, closer to expulsion from the match.

Without hesitation, Kairos led the group to charge forward as one.

As the boys rush to him, Jones stood motionlessly with a smile on his face.