Mainly, it was Phillip and George who were taking care of things, with Phillip leading the charge and George providing ranged support. All the creatures they killed were broken down and harvested for materials, sent into Celestina's space pocket.
"Greater Apprentice Exalts are powerful." Oscar watched in admiration at their strength and yearned to advance.
"It's boring. I'm itching to fight, but there's no room for me." Emily was irritated. She wanted to test herself against these beasts.
"We have to conserve our strength. Phillip and George can slay these beasts with minimal effort and maintain their power. We have to be wary of any ambushes." Celestina was relaxing as if she was taking a stroll through a garden.
While Phillip and George were easily cleaning up the Middle Apprentice Exalt Beasts coming their way, Oscar looked around for any traces of Frederick. But there was nothing.
"Let's take a break." Phillip put away his sword anima and sat down to recover his Ein in meditation. George followed suit.
"From what is written, the second island is a vast and dense forest. It's odd, but the islands vary in their environments. The third island is a rocky terrain of crags and ravines." Oscar said.
"The environments are not the only unique parts of the islands." Celestina added. "Every island has a ruler."
"A ruler?" Emily asked.
"The islands are a pure representation of the survival of the fittest. The strongest Exalt Beast rules the island and is often challenged by other beasts that wish to take control. These rulers are quite strong in their respective realms." Celestina took out another elixir and drank it to keep up her disguise.
"Hoh. That sounds like fun." Emily smiled with a fight in her eyes.
"It's interesting. Some beasts try to ride the winds to the next island and succeed. Is it instinct?" Oscar was bewildered by the unique behaviors of the Exalt Beasts of Edin.
"Who knows? I never heard the captain's belief that someone created these islands, but it is very plausible." Celestina was always attracted to mysteries and new information. "Maybe I will return when I'm stronger and try to get to the center. In all the years, no one has gone that far in."
"Finished." George got up with his hedgehog and stretched. "Let's continue."
"We are still far from the other edge, but we should be there by nightfall at this pace." Phillip noted the position of the two suns and where they were on the island.
They continued their trek through the dense forest while beating down the Middle Apprentice Exalt Beasts along the way with ease. However, Celestina's face was full of suspicion.
"Weird. Something is off. This forest and the Exalt Beasts are acting strange." She voiced her concern.
Her concern was not unwarranted. They should have run into a Greater Apprentice Exalt Beast by now. The other concern was that the Middle Apprentice Exalt Beasts looked agitated, as if something was making them nervous.
Oscar understood Celestina's concern, and his wariness increased. Everyone else noticed the oddity and was on high alert.
They slowed their pace and scrutinized their surroundings while maneuvering. The forest was eerily calm. They didn't notice it earlier but now that they've raised their awareness, it was blatant.
It made no sense for a monster-infested island to have very few sounds of Exalt Beasts roaring or moving about. There were only the weak ones that they easily cleared, but after a closer look, those beasts seemed to be hiding.
What could make these Exalt Beasts want to hide?
Oscar tried to find any clues about the cause and Frederick. If Frederick was in these woods and unaware of the potential danger, he might be in trouble.
Then Celestina suddenly stopped.
Phillip quickly brandished his sword anima and surged his Ein outward like an explosion. The air around them shook, and the trees swayed uncontrollably, with their leaves falling all over.
"Since you're here. Why don't you reveal yourself? Let's talk face to face." Celestina stomped her foot, silencing the wind. She stared into the dense forest; her emerald eyes flashed with dangerous intent.
There was silence until the trees began to rustle, and a voice responded.
"These kids see well. I thought we had hidden well and held in our Ein."
Four shadows jumped out of the trees. Their Eins rose in intimidation.
The one who spoke looked to the leader of the four, a tall man with broad shoulders and spiky hair. The most prominent feature was the brutal scar looking like a half-smile from the edge of his mouth.
"Be careful; all of them are Greater Apprentice Exalts." Celestina warned the others. "You must be the ones responsible for the oddity of this island."
"This pretty lady is curious about us, lads. Doesn't that make you feel better, lads? Knowing such a beautiful girl has us in her mind?" The leader laughed mockingly with the others; his hideous scar twisted further with his smile. "I can let you all leave if you give up everything you own."
"We're students of the Blue Ocean Pavilion. Do you not fear retribution?" Phillip spoke angrily. As a dutiful noble of the empire, he could not allow this disrespect toward the princess.
"And? Do you think your Pavilion is all-powerful? If we cover our traces enough, they won't know a thing. Even if they come to investigate, we'll be long gone. Besides, students like you are a treasure chest to us." The leader's playful eyes suddenly chilled with hostility.
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Oscar and the others released their Ein, except for Celestina. Oscar took out his buckler, and Emily took out her staff armament. They were ready for a battle.
The other three Greater Apprentice Exalt wanderers charged out in response. They split in three to go after their targets.
George retreated with one of them on his tail. Phillip drew another to him, and they jumped away. Oscar and Emily stared at their incoming foe.
"A Greater Apprentice Exalt is a tough opponent. Are you going to be alright, Oscar?" Emily took up her stance, extending her staff outward.
"No problem. Let's keep on for as long as possible until Celestina finishes her battle." Oscar held his buckler in a defensive position, ready to weather any blows.
The leader wielded a pair of axes and unleashed his Ein to the fullest. He was certainly at the peak of a Greater Apprentice Exalt's power.
"Don't hate me too much, young lady. I very much hate high and mighty students like you. This will be enjoyable." His face was like a cackling devil, ready to score its kill.
Celestina was interested in the leader's words and said, "So you have a grudge against the Pavilion? No, it doesn't seem like you are particularly against the Pavilion. Is it the existence of students? Jealously?"
Her mouth probed as her eyes scrutinized the leader's every reaction. Her discerning eye for people was uncanny.
This was why she was confident in approaching Oscar, knowing he had no ulterior motives, Emily, feeling her straightforwardness, and avoiding Gilbert, who gave off a bad feeling.
"It matters not. You're going to lose, so why bother?" She tied her hair back, preparing to fight.
…….
George had gained a distance away from the others with his pursuer still honed in on him. It was the perfect chance.
'Wind Steps'
His speed increased two-fold as he became a blur in the eyes of the wanderer. With this, George would gain the distance for his arrows to be at their most effective.
But, the wanderer merely smirked in response. "A movement spell. That's not too shabby, but don't think we, wanderers, don't waste our money on just anything. Heavy Rain!"
The wanderer's Ein moved fast up into the air and transformed into a light shower of rain, falling down on everything within a large area around him.
Within the spell's range, George could not avoid the rain that was everywhere, and he surged his Ein to protect his body. The rain splattered on his hair, face, skin, and clothes.
"Huh? That did nothing?" George muttered as he examined his wet clothes and body. There was no visible damage and no pain. But soon after, he felt his knees buckle a bit. He felt like something was choking, constraining, and weighing him down.
"As opposed to spells like yours that improve movement speed, there are spells that can impede movement. Heavy Rain uses the Ein in each drop to impart the property of heaviness." The wanderer walked leisurely toward his now slovenly target. "No more scurrying around for you."
The wanderer was proud of his handiwork, staring at George with a hint of mockery. He was responsible for ensuring the Greater Apprentice Exalt Beasts they hunted were slowed down.
This student may have flashy moves, but that is nothing compared to the brutality of an Exalt Beast.
"I wonder what kind of treasures a student like you has? I can't wait." He manifested his Anima, a spiked club. "I'll pummel that skeleton face of yours."
KYUN!
The Sapphire Hedgehog's shrill voice came out and hopped right onto George's shoulders. But its movements were shaky from the effects of 'Heavy Rain'.
In a swift motion, George shot several arrows from his bow anima.
'Damn, the effects of his rain make it harder to shoot out my usual barrage.'
His hedgehog was in a similar situation as it could not shoot out its quills at a fast rate.
His arrows and quills flew out toward the wanderer. Some arrows were under the effect of the 'Shifting Vector', which allowed the arrows to change direction midway.
However, the wanderer scoffed and raised his club; the falling rain around him gathered around his armament.
'Tidal Surge'
The club shattered the ground, creating a small crater. With the force of the impact, a large tidal wave rushed out in front and the sides, drowning away any arrows and quills.
It did not end there as the tidal wave crashed into George with the tremendous force of several waterfalls.
"GLUG"
George choked on some water. The tidal wave had forced him back several meters, leaving behind a trail of ruined muddy dirt. He managed to regain control, but his body felt even heavier.
"Time to end this." The wanderer charged ahead.
But then, suddenly, a blur passed right through his arm.
"What?!" The wanderer looked shaken at his arm, which had a freshly created hole. This hole was clean, and the flesh inside was completely gone. "What the hell?!"
The attack would have pierced his chest if he hadn't suddenly shifted to the side from the sense of danger he had felt.
"I thought it was strange. Why would you use such a big spell to knock away the arrows and quills? A simple defensive spell would have been enough, and you wouldn't have to waste so much Ein."
George stood up. The rain and tidal waters made him heavy, but he could still move.
"This rain spell is taking up more Ein as well. Your wave spell would be stronger if it didn't go through my multiple arrows and quills first. I think it would have knocked me out."
"So it made sense. You're not a fighter. Your spells are for deterring the enemy, and then you try to get lucky with one big wave. It probably worked since you fought with your team, but now it's just you and me."
George was correct. The wanderer's spells worked against the Exalt Beasts because his teammates allowed him the opportunity to use them freely. Not to mention he was mainly a supporting role.
"You came to me thinking you would win because you are more advanced as a Greater Apprentice Exalt, but you've been wasting your Ein all over the place for naught. Where the hell did you learn to fight?" George taunted.
"Bastard!" The wanderer invoked his 'Tidal Surge' to create a larger wave to swallow this damned student and crush him.
BAM BAM BAM
The wave splattered and scattered into droplets everywhere before it could reach George.
He had shot three arrows that collided against the wave and stopped it. These arrows were shot together with his new spell, 'Airstream'. The spell locked onto a pathway, and then a fast stream of wind would travel through it.
This airstream was powerful on its own but deadlier with George's arrow riding in it. It was a spell he got to enhance his offensive power. He realized his arrows needed more penetration force, or else his opponents, like Oscar, could withstand them.
"You're just mishandling your Ein at this point. This wave was bigger, but you spread your Ein too thin. You lack control." George mocked and taunted more which made the wanderer even angrier.
The rain continued to fall, boring down on George, but the wanderer felt like he was getting heavier from the pressure George was giving him.
BOOOM!!
A large noise shook the ground beneath them. George and the wanderer were unsettled by the large fluctuations of Ein that overwhelmed them both. George regained composure, but not his enemy.
"AHHH!" In a last desperate attempt, the wanderer focused all of his Ein, forming a new wave of water that tore down toward George. The drive to escape filled his heart, born from fear of that powerful Ein.
"Buddy."
"Kyun!" The hedgehog focused, and a long sapphire quill, many times longer than its normal quills, extended from the center of its back.
George took up the quill and lined it on his bow. A massive amount of Ein poured into it, making it shine on the tip. It was almost everything George had.
'Airstream'
The quill flew and spun out with incredible force and Ein, boosted by the effects of 'Airstream'.
The empowered quill met the huge tidal wave. The waters tried to overwhelm the sharp winds surrounding the quill. However, the waters couldn't hold on, as a large hole appeared and broke apart the wave.
The wanderer's eyes bulged out as he tried to dodge, but the quill was too fast. In horror, he could not even blink as the arrow tore a hole through his chest.
A mess of blood, flesh, and bones splattered out. The wanderer fell helplessly to the floor and bled out to death. He foolishly used all of his Ein into that tidal wave and was helpless to defend against that blow.
Shock and confusion were plastered on the wanderer's dead face. Where did it go wrong?
"Thank you; I needed experience with my new powers, but you were still a little lacking." George ran past the corpse to return to his friends. His gaze was fixated on the source of the large Ein that shook the ground.
"That Ein….What the hell was that?"