Chapter 36: A Tide of Terror and an Unexpected Apology

In mere minutes, a surging tide of demon lizards had completely encircled the students. This sudden, overwhelming scene instantly sent a ripple of tension through Yuna.

‘What in the world is happening? What kind of luck is this today? To encounter such a massive horde of demon lizards… these… these children, can they possibly cope?’

‘Evidently, not really…’

Most students weren’t even contemplating a defense.

Simply refraining from turning tail and fleeing in a blind panic, trampling their classmates in the process, was already a testament to their dwindling rationality.

As everyone found themselves trapped in the suffocating encirclement, a tremor began in their legs.

Even Allyrose, despite being held aloft by Luo Jia and possessing a Level 100 Holy Light ranking along with her Holy Light Psionic Sword, felt a prickle of fear.

Her lack of extensive combat experience left her feeling vulnerable in this dire moment.

Immediately, she tugged at Luo Jia’s arm, her voice urgent and hushed.

“Quickly, put me down! Otherwise, we won’t even have a chance to run later!”

“Uh…”

Hearing the girl’s words, the silver-haired youth tilted his head in bewilderment.

He didn’t appear to be panicked in the slightest, a fact that struck Allyrose as peculiar. ‘Was he truly this confident?’

A moment later, however, Luo Jia gently set the girl down.

The black-haired girl exhaled a sigh of relief, then instinctively pulled Luo Jia two steps back, away from the main group.

She then twisted her head, casting a wary glance at the swarming mass of demon lizards that had enveloped the crowd from behind.

At the very rear of the formation, Yuna was clearly caught in a desperate bind.

To prevent any surprise attacks from the demon lizards’ rear, she and the principal were forced to focus their attention solely on that direction.

Meanwhile, the students directly in front of them were perpetually exposed to frontal assaults.

At the vanguard, Arius and his contingent of guards, alongside Tok and Jason, had formed a protective circle around Vivian.

‘Good heavens…’

‘If the demon lizards truly launched an assault from all directions, then… it would likely fall to us alone.’

With that thought, the black-haired girl drew a deep breath.

She then turned to Luo Jia, her gaze fixed on him as she spoke.

“Hey, White-Hair, I’ve never actually asked you about this: how good are you in a fight?”

“Hmm… if you’re decent, then when the battle starts, you can stand in front and protect me, *ahem*…”

“But if you’re not so great, then when the fight begins, you’ll *still* stand in front of me, and *I’ll* protect you!”

…

Observing the girl’s utterly serious expression, the Demon Lord fell silent for a full two seconds.

‘Oh…’

‘While I’m tempted to be touched—after all, this wretched woman actually wants to protect *me*…’

‘But…’

‘Are you *sure* having me stand in front of you is about protecting me? Are you *certain* you’re not just trying to use me as a human shield, huh?!’

‘And… is it really necessary to act as if we’re facing a great enemy? They’re merely a few of the lowest-level demon lizards…’

The Demon Lord, however, paid it no mind, merely nodding with an air of nonchalance.

Allyrose, watching from the side, blinked rapidly in utter bewilderment. ‘No… no, it’s a situation like this, why is he still trying to act so cool in front of me?’

‘This…’

“Ah—!”

Before Allyrose could even voice her exasperated thoughts, a sudden shriek pierced the air.

It seemed that, due to overwhelming tension, a girl within the student ranks had been startled by an accidental touch, her tightly strung nerves giving way to a sudden cry.

That single cry seemed to sound the charge for the demon lizards.

In an instant, hundreds of them surged forward, one after another, launching a sudden, coordinated assault on the students!

In a flash, these low-slung beasts swarmed before the students.

Their speed was astonishing, leaving Allyrose herself momentarily stunned and unable to react.

Yet, what proved even more lethal was not merely their agility.

Their most perilous advantage lay in their incredibly low stature, barely half the height of a human’s calf.

This forced the students to awkwardly stoop to launch their attacks.

Meanwhile, the relentless tide of demon lizards could effortlessly lunge and snap at an ankle, instantly sending a jolt of searing pain through their victims.

Should anyone accidentally fall to the ground, they would face far more than just attacks from below.

The demon lizards would swarm from all directions, clambering onto the prone body, then ferociously tear and shred at their face, their features, indeed, every inch of their skin.

At that point, a genuine threat to life would emerge!

Even salvaging a complete corpse would become an arduous task!

Thus, the moment the battle erupted, Yuna’s tense voice boomed out.

“Whatever you do, don’t fall to the ground! Maintain your combat distance, and if anyone near you falls, you *must* pull them back up! Utilize your protective magic effectively!”

“Vivian—!”

Before Yuna could even finish her instructions to the students, a sudden, urgent cry from Arius seized the attention of every student still relatively safe.

Allyrose, having just casually cleaved a demon lizard with her sword, immediately turned her head to assess the situation.

What she witnessed was Vivian, who had initially been thoroughly protected by the guards and the Otome Game trio.

At this critical moment, however, a single guard, preoccupied with pursuing a wounded demon lizard, had inadvertently created an opening in their defense.

The demon lizards, it seemed, had also deduced that this encircled blonde loli held considerable importance.

‘Was her flesh somehow tastier?!’

In a flash, over a dozen demon lizards surged through that gap, swiftly pouncing towards Vivian—!

Vivian, who had previously been observing the chaos from within her secure protection, now displayed a momentary flicker of panic in her eyes.

Yet, only a breath later, she suddenly thrust out her hand.

Immediately, a pulsating, golden light erupted from her palm—!

“Holy Light Magic—Ex-Starfall Cannon—!”

Immediately, several deafening ‘bang, bang, bang—!’ explosions ripped through the air.

Multiple pillars of Holy Light then crashed down from the sky, utterly obliterating the dozen charging demon lizards into scattered fragments.

The shockwaves from the blast also sent several nearby guards reeling to the ground, where they lay unconscious.

As the dust and smoke began to dissipate, an eerie silence fell over the scene.

The remaining demon lizard horde, seemingly terrified by the bombardment, temporarily scattered in disarray.

The students, still reeling from the shock, stared blankly for several seconds.

A short while later, their gazes collectively turned towards Vivian, who stood amidst the crowd, staff held high, a faint smile gracing her lips.

A thunderous cheer erupted instantaneously.

“Oh—! We’re safe, we’re safe!”

“Vivian is truly incredible, isn’t she? She scared off the demon lizards with just one spell?!”

“Long live the Saintess, long live the Saintess!”

“Long live, long live—!”

…

Watching Vivian bask in the waves of adulation, Allyrose couldn’t help but wonder why these demon lizards had proven so utterly pathetic.

Just as the girl was grumbling internally about not yet having used Luo Jia as a shield once, a familiar figure quietly approached her.

Allyrose, catching the sound of footsteps, glanced over and immediately froze. ‘Jason?’

Witnessing her fiancé not by Vivian’s side, the black-haired girl appeared utterly taken aback.

She even entertained the fleeting illusion: ‘Could this guy actually be here to check if I’m hurt?’

However, her illusion was swiftly shattered the moment Jason opened his mouth.

Because…

“Wife! This is a perfect opportunity! I’ll take you to apologize to Vivian in front of everyone!”