"Oh no...it's an ambush!"

As soon as they saw eight people suddenly leap out from behind the two sand dunes, Clair's face immediately turned pale and she let out a cry of alarm.

However, the drastic change in her attitude before and after completely confused the people around her. Only Li Wei sighed helplessly, all alone.

"...One of the hundred lines that I must say in this lifetime, right? At a time like this, why are you fooling around?" Clair's shocked expression turned into a smile as she stuck out her tongue.

"..."

Alright, even if the eight guys and girls who jumped out didn't understand the atmosphere, they should have realized that Clair, who could joke like this, obviously didn't consider them a threat.

Vera, on the other hand, looked exasperated. "At a time like this, are you in the mood to make jokes?"

"Uh..." However, Clair innocently blinked her eyes. "...What do you mean 'a time like this'? By the way, just now, while we were having a conversation, were you guys hiding behind the sand dunes and acting as atmosphere props?"

"Cough cough."

After hearing this, the captains of the two teams responsible for the ambush couldn't help but cough uncontrollably.

Indeed, although the scene seemed to make sense, it didn't hold up to scrutiny.

Upon closer reflection, Clair and the tall boy across from her had been negotiating while the eight people were divided into two teams, hiding behind the sand dunes, trying not to be discovered, and acting as innocent bystanders.

With this realization, the tense atmosphere instantly became much more relaxed.

"So..." Li Wei couldn't help himself either. Among the eight people, he occasionally ate with some of the boys in the cafeteria. He asked, "Are you guys willing to do something this foolish?"

"We have no choice!" The few boys looked aggrieved as they pointed to the tall boy. "We were attacked and unable to fight back. That guy said he wouldn't take our energy certificates if we were willing to cooperate and help him ambush other teams that passed by."

"Oh, I see..."

Everyone's gaze shifted to the tall boy, who coughed awkwardly. "What's the big deal? The teacher said any means are allowed, just a little intimidation, nothing serious... Oh wait..."

He seemed to realize that if he continued like this, the atmosphere wouldn't come back. He quickly composed himself, then made a grand gesture with his hand.

"Clair, Vera, I know you guys are powerful, but now we have twelve people. Do you think you can win against the twelve of us?"

Everyone admired the guy who was trying so hard to bring the atmosphere back. Seeing him trying so hard, the people around naturally felt embarrassed to slack off.

At that moment, the eight students who had been coerced into helping with the ambush also assumed their battle stances.

"Okay then..." However, Clair clearly didn't want to give face. She smiled and drew the silver knight sword, assuming a stance. "Bring it on, all of you~"

Damn, are they really planning to take on twelve people by themselves?

Seeing this, the twelve opponents who were clearly underestimated couldn't help but feel somewhat angry. The next second, they all charged forward.

"..." Li Wei calmly patted Eris on the shoulder, gesturing for her to retreat with him.

"Hey, Li Wei, aren't we going to help? There are twelve of them! Even Clair and Vera will have a hard time dealing with them, right?"

"...No need, it's best if we don't get in the way. Don't worry, I don't know about Vera, but Clair is... super amazing~"

"?"

Eris seemed to have no idea why Li Wei had so much confidence in Clair. And then, the next second, all she saw was a gust of wind sweeping in front of her eyes.

Clair, with her sword in hand, formed a line that blurred into seventeen or eighteen fragmented images. Her movements were so fast that it was dizzying to watch.And Vera tiptoed, one step...two steps...

...With each step she took, a burning footprint was left on the ground. When she took the third step, her speed suddenly increased, and her tiptoes left behind a deep red trail as she kicked out.

Clair and Vera both had the same goal: that tall boy. He was clearly the leader of the fragile temporary alliance on the other side, and once he was out, the entire alliance would surely dissolve.

And coincidentally, both Clair and Vera seemed to be on a high-speed burst route.

Even though they had never fought together before today, Clair's swift sword and Vera's lightning-fast kicks were perfectly coordinated in their movements.

"Ah damn!"

The tall boy realized that he had become the target of everyone's attacks and quickly raised his hands to shield himself. A glow appeared on his forearms, revealing a pair of giant gauntlets.

The gauntlets wrapped around his hands, interlocking to form a sturdy shield. But before he could fully assume his defensive stance, two muffled thuds were heard simultaneously.

The guy felt as if he had been hit head-on by a high-speed train, losing control of his body as his legs flew backward, propelled by the impact. Finally, he managed to stabilize himself by the weight of his body, but cracks had already appeared on his gauntlets.

"..."

If it had been someone less resilient, the outcome would have likely been decided in an instant.

But Clair and Vera had no intention of giving him a chance to catch his breath. They immediately chased after him without hesitation.

Fortunately, the others also caught up with their actions this time. Four or five intersecting sword energies formed a net around them, forcefully stopping both of them.

Seeing this, the tall boy quickly seized the opportunity. With fists clenched and a foot stomping on the ground, there was a loud explosion from the back of his gauntlets...

Accompanied by a burst of fire, his whole body exaggeratedly spun in a large circle, swinging out with a punch.

However, Vera, not flinching or retreating, kicked straight into the punch. The moment their fists and feet collided, a crisp sound of metal clashing filled the air.

Meanwhile, Clair took advantage of this opportunity and swept in with a sword strike.

Originally, this guy wouldn't have stood a chance in a one-on-one fight against the two of them, and now it was essentially a two-on-one situation. He couldn't withstand it at all.

Immediately, his gauntlets shattered into pieces, and he was sent flying by a great force.

"...Damn, are you guys ganging up on me?"

He looked at his teammates in frustration. We had agreed to fight together, so why am I the only one getting beaten up? What about you guys?

However, his teammates had innocent expressions on their faces. "It's just that... they were too fast, we couldn't catch up!"

"Uh..."

At this moment, Clair smiled and spoke up, "That's why I said having more people doesn't matter. If our movements can't keep up, then more people would be a waste. Li Wei from our team is smart, knowing that not causing trouble is actually a big help."

After finishing her words, she waved to Li Wei, who was standing outside the circle. Li Wei smiled and gave her a thumbs-up.

"..."

Though they had only fought for two rounds, it seemed that the outcome was already decided.

"Alright, should we concede then?"

Just as Clair was about to claim her victory, her face suddenly changed.

"Oh no, what is that?"

As she spoke, everyone present felt a strong sense of unease. The sandy ground beneath their feet suddenly seemed to ripple like water, forming ripples one after another.

"There's something underground? Uh-oh, it's coming!"

Before Vera could finish her sentence, a pillar of sand shot up from the ground...