Chapter 160 – Taking Out The Competition.

“Someone dares? Could it be someone from Lord Lampert’s faction?”

One of the four summoners battling the lightning tiger shouted as he spotted a halberd flying through the air. A large metallic gauntlet clung to its hilt, pulling the weapon back with magical force that suggested it had an origin. Katherine’s expression shifted from boredom to surprise. Her teacup, which had been balanced on the edge of her flowery throne, slipped and shattered on the ground.

The red orc archer stepped forward, bow half-drawn, eyes scanning the treeline. It focused on the direction to which the halberd had returned, then notched an arrow into its large wooden bow. The second orc, a warrior with a heavy sword, moved into position to shield his master. The air grew tense, and more rustling followed. Something was approaching, and it was moving fast.

From the dense underbrush emerged a blur of metal. It was Rusty. He burst out of the foliage at full speed, shield raised high just in time to intercept the arrow loosed by the orc archer. The projectile struck with a dull clang, deflecting off the reinforced surface in a burst of mana sparks. Rusty did not slow. Instead, he accelerated, an aura of wind gathering around him and enhancing his agility.

He charged forward, gripping his halberd firmly, the weapon lowered like a jousting lance. His speed increased with each stride, and his footsteps grew heavier. The ground tore beneath him as if he were forged entirely of metal, as weighty as a golem. Katherine turned at the sound of crashing branches and the ripple of shrieks from her subordinates. Her composed expression faltered as her eyes locked onto Rusty barreling toward her.

“W-what?”

She toppled from her throne, catching herself clumsily on one knee as her dress snagged on a thorned vine. Trying to rise, she stumbled again, and a sudden jolt sent her tumbling forward onto her face. Her robe fluttered in the wind, exposing her backside to anyone who dared to look.

“What are you all looking at? Get that thing!”

Her voice rose into a shriek of frustration as she shouted, her face smeared with dirt and streaked makeup. The elegance she had so carefully maintained was now in ruins. The other students hesitated, unable to respond to her command. They could not turn their backs on the lightning tiger, which was still tearing into one of their summons. If even one of their creatures shifted focus, it would mean certain defeat.

However, the student who had been holding the teapot moved. They also had a summon, one capable of manipulating plant matter. It was the same entity that had created the rose-covered throne for Katherine, or more precisely, it had been the throne itself.

Once Katherine fell, the throne began to shift. Its elegant form of vines and roses twisted violently as it revealed its true nature. Spikes pushed outward while the vines and wood reshaped into a humanoid figure made entirely of plant matter. Though similar in height to a rock golem, it had a leaner frame. Red roses bloomed from its back, while the rest of its body bristled with sharp thorns. Its eyes glowed green, formed from what looked like woven strands of poison ivy.

The creature fully emerged and stepped forward to defend Katherine. However, this act proved to be a mistake. Rusty, the charging suit of armor, did not aim for the girl who had fallen. Instead, he shifted direction and now barreled straight toward the summoner who had awakened the lesser Rose Treant.

“Huh? W-what?”

The student summoner’s eyes widened as Rusty closed the distance, the heavy thudding of armored feet shaking the ground like a war drum. The two red orcs made no attempt to help him. Their focus remained solely on protecting Katherine, and they quickly gathered around her. While they helped her back to her feet, the young student who had held the teapot was left unguarded and defenseless before Rusty’s charge.

CRACK!

A sharp crack split the air. Rusty slammed into the student with the full force of his momentum. His halberd struck their chest with a crushing blow, sending the summoner flying into the trunk of a nearby tree. A protective barrier flashed at the last moment, shielding them from serious injury. The teleportation enchantment activated immediately afterward, whisking them away and eliminating one of the opponents in an instant.

The Rose Treant let out a low, unnatural screech as it lunged to protect its fallen master. Vines snapped forward like lashes, but before they could make contact, they dissolved into particles of light. With the summoner gone, the creature lost its connection to this world and vanished before everyone’s eyes.

‘Good. That one would have been a problem.’

Rusty thought this to himself. His true target had never been Katherine. From the start, he had aimed for the summoner who controlled the throne-shaped monster. Plant creatures were notoriously resistant to physical damage and could regenerate over time. Without his poleaxe, which carried a flame enchantment and was currently out of reach, he had no reliable way to deal with the creature directly. So he had targeted its master instead.

The noise he made, the apparent charge at Katherine, it had all been a distraction. He knew the students would rush to defend her. It was part of his plan, and now only five enemies remained.

“You… that form… a living armor? Gwendolin Rainstar, you dare oppose me? Where are you hiding?”

Katherine had managed to get back on her feet. The two orcs stood beside her in formation, the warrior in front, shielding her with his large frame, and the archer positioned behind, arrow already drawn. It flew toward Rusty but clattered harmlessly off his raised shield. This time, however, he did not charge. He advanced slowly, carefully analyzing their stances and movements.

‘I think you should answer her and show yourself.’

Rusty sent the thought through their bond, his tone calm. Gwen, however, was not thrilled by the suggestion.

‘Can’t I just stay here behind this tree instead? I think you have everything under control…’

Although she had moved closer to the battlefield, Gwen had quickly ducked out of sight the moment Katherine glanced in her direction. Even now, with the decision to confront her oppressor made, facing Katherine directly still felt overwhelming.

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‘It would help me out greatly if you could show yourself.’

Rusty could feel the emotions rising in Gwen, her fear intensifying. But he remained detached, viewing the confrontation through a more strategic lens. Katherine, in contrast, was clearly letting emotion guide her. If Gwen revealed herself, there was a good chance Katherine would lose some composure, or better, give misguided commands to her summons.

Rusty understood that humanoids often became ruled by their feelings, and he had no hesitation about using that to his advantage. If Gwen’s appearance could destabilize Katherine, then it was a tactical opportunity worth exploiting.

Gwen inhaled sharply. Her fingers curled tightly around the bark of the tree she hid behind, her nails digging into the wood. Katherine’s voice still echoed across the battlefield. Ever since Gwen had started at the academy, she had known that voice—impertinent, mocking, and insidious. Every word Katherine spoke dripped with venom, and Gwen had endured it for far too long. There was no room left for fear as it was replaced with rage.

“Why shouldn’t I dare to oppose you, Katherine Grandwell? I’ve already beaten you once. I will do it again!”