Chapter 106 - Retreat

The resulting explosion of multiple missiles exploding was so loud that almost half of the guards clenched their teeth while clutching their heads in pain. The shockwave also caused chaos on the invading party's formation, making their advance come into a halt. 

A huge grayish mushroom-like smoke can be seen after the explosion and more than twenty percent of the invader's soldiers were killed as a result. 

"He did it!"

"Good job, sir Zero!"

Some of the academy's guards cheered with joyous tones as they helped their injured comrades.

Demetrio frowned deeply while peering at a certain location. He saw a figure of a man escaping towards the academy. Demetrio's expression turned cold in an instant after seeing the sorry plight of the man.

"Kenji, Leonhart, get Zero back here!" He ordered in a solemn tone of voice.

"Understood!" Answered the two vice headmasters in unison before they vanished from where they stood.

* * *

Zero clutched at his left shoulder, only to find a wet, stinging pain where his arm should have been. His eyes were losing focus as he staggered forward. He knelt on the ground while still clutching his left shoulder. He had lost too much blood and he could no longer move his legs.

'I might have escaped the explosion, but it looks like everything is still not good for me.' Zero smiled weakly as he recalled the faces of two individuals in his head.

One was a silver-haired man wearing a wolf mask, he was wearing a smile that could make any woman's heart waver. The other one was a massive man with bulging muscles, his expression was stoic but his eyes revealed a hint of gentleness.

"Cough! Cough! Cough!"

He spat a few mouthfuls of blood before his eyes gently closed. Blood trickled down his smiling lips as he fell on the ground. 

Blood continuously leaked out of his wounds, but there were no signs of movement from him.

Leonhart and Kenji stormed through the crossfire to look for Zero. They felt his aura weakening and they knew that it was not a good sign.

"Doov!"

"Doov!"

"Doov!"

"Don't fucking die before me, Zero!" Leonhart shouted madly as he dashed with great speed. Behind him was Kenji, his expression was calm, but his eyes contained worry.

They fired their Energy Rifles towards the approaching enemies. And although they did not have Zero's slow-motion skill, they were still able to avoid getting injured. Now with the opposing party's formation compromised, it was much easier for them to find Zero.

After looking around for more than fifteen minutes, they saw a familiar figure lying in his own pool of blood. 

"Zero... His arm." Leonhart spoke in a serious voice as he glanced at the limbless left shoulder of Zero. 

Kenji hurriedly stepped forward and checked if Zero was still breathing, because he could no longer feel the man's origin essence. It either means he had consumed all of his origin essence or... he had died.

Kenji's frown became deeper after feeling no pulse from Zero, but he did not believe that a man like him would die so easily. He wrapped Zero's bleeding shoulder to prevent any more blood loss, before carrying his breathless body.

Leonhart and Kenji nodded at each other before they disappeared like a puff of smoke.

* * *

Several kilometers away from the scene, a tall figure wearing a tattered long robe glanced at the mushroom-like smoke with a bit of dread. Purple blood can be seen below where he stood.

His reddish pupils gleamed with malice as he recalled the figure of that hateful human who destroyed their missiles. He clenched his pale blue fists tightly that blood began to seep out of it.

"How can that human be that strong?! And it should not be possible for them to have multiple strong warriors, but I felt three other auras who had strengths that were only slightly weaker than that human!

Good thing the commander sent me here to lead this assault. If not, we would have never learned anything about these strong humans.

I should report this to the Saint Commander after his deep meditation. Our plans must not be compromised or Viscount Geisler who sent us to this world would kill our people to feed the lesser demons.

Humans of Earth, how unlucky you are to be chosen as food for the lesser demons. At least we were taken as vassals or our fates would be the same as yours." His blood-red eyes glinted with malevolence before he vanished from his location and only a puddle of purple blood was left behind.

* * *

The fighting between the two groups continued. But the tides of the battle have changed. The invading party lost more than a fifth of their soldiers and their missiles were also destroyed by Zero. Although their anti-ballistic missile system was still intact, their fighting prowess was significantly reduced.

The academy's guards grabbed their energy bombs and threw it towards the opposing army.

Cale thought that it would come in handy, so he provided the academy's guards with Energy Bombs.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Multiple explosions reverberated within the battlefield and the vanguard of the enemy party was engulfed by a sea of flames.

"Aahhh!!"

"Aahhh!"

Many were killed from the explosions and some caught fire. Their bodies burned intensely from the raging flames. 

They removed their smoldering armors which made them vulnerable to normal energy bullets from the guards' Energy Pistols.

Within the rear part of the enemy formation, their Deputy Leader gritted his teeth. His expression darkened after seeing his men suffering from this battle. 

The mission given to them was to infiltrate the Earth Alliance Academy and kill as much as they can. But with their current circumstances, breaching the academy's thick walls was just a pipe dream. 

He had to balance the options, but his gut feeling told him to retreat from the battle. He didn't know what it was, but his instincts were telling him that a beast was approaching their way.

He did not want to risk any more losses or Clement Marchand would surely behead him. That old man would not dare throw his anger at those demi-humans, especially now that their ancestor has still not awakened.

"Brothers! Retreat with me!"

These soldiers were trained by the Marchand Family from birth, so they were even more skilled and loyal than most soldiers. 

The Deputy Leader glared hatefully at the guards above the walls before he retreated with a bitter expression.

They were only able to kill more than a few dozen guards, but they had lost almost half of their soldiers.