444 Courtyard Battle (1/2)

Sherlock floated in the sky above the Central Courtyard of Specter College, a parrot perched on his shoulder.

Below him was a courtyard filled by Liches whose eye sockets were glimmering with gray light. The Mana Formation shimmered while drawing Mana into the large ugly box.

”Kill him!”

Professor Cabbage pointed to Sherlock and ordered her students, who lifted up their heads as Mana started to gather on their hands. Dark clouds with thunder and lightning appeared above Sherlock's head.

”Hold tight!” Sherlock shouted and flapped his wings. He rose up and disappeared in the dark clouds.

Numerous Mana rays shot into the dark clouds, and various colored clouds exploded, making the dark clouds look like multi-colored cotton candy.

The Mana attacks continued for a few minutes before Professor Cabbage gave the order to stop.

She squinted her eye sockets and observed the dark clouds. After all of the Mana attacks were terminated, the dark clouds were still there. They must have been created by Sherlock.

The dark clouds didn't dissipate. Professor Cabbage watched them intently. Soon, a flaming color pervaded the dark clouds.

With a sharp and crisp shriek, the flames pried open the dark clouds, and a phoenix with extended wings dashed out.

The huge wings were about ten meters wide. The large flaming phoenix dove down at the Liches and engulfed them in an inferno.

Shrill screams were heard wherever the phoenix went, the flames scorching the controlled Lich students. Large fireballs trailed Phoenix as he flew past, and flames bathed the entire courtyard.

Compared to the large number of Lich students, the flames could only inflict limited damage.

Phoenix's flames didn't spread. Immediately after the flames started, gray mist surrounded Phoenix, and his flames were unable to penetrate it. From far, it looked as though there was a constricted ball of fire that was surrounded by gray mist flying around in the sky.

Sherlock surveyed the group of Liches below to locate the Lich who had released the gray mist. Soon he found that Lich.

It wasn't Professor Cabbage, it was Brainiac!

Brainiac was like the other Lich students, his eye sockets filled with gray light. He lifted both of his hands and controlled the gray mist that shrouded and restrained Phoenix's flames.

Sherlock flapped his wings to gain altitude, then dove down towards Brainiac.

At that moment, a group of white Gargoyles flew out from the Education Block of Specter College. The Gargoyles extended their sharp claws and bared their fangs at Sherlock.

However, the Gargoyles were unable to harm him and were shattered by Sherlock's punches.

Not only did the Gargoyles slow down Sherlock's advance towards Brainiac, but the shattered Gargoyles weren't completely destroyed. They slowly reassembled their broken fragments to form a tall humanoid with a pair of wings.

It looked like a rock statue with wings.

The shattered Gargoyles continued to be added to the body of the Giant Statue.

The Giant Statue punched at Sherlock, who didn't dodge. He lifted up his fist and punched the Giant Statue's fist, which was much larger. The two fists collided and created a loud bang, and the Giant Statue's fist started showing dense web-like cracks. Large cracks spread from the Giant Statue's arm. Within three seconds, the Giant Statue's fist broke into pieces, the large rock fragments falling to the ground and smashing several Skeletons.

The Giant Statue didn't stop its attack, lifting its remaining fist, which was surrounded by gray Mana.

Sherlock inhaled deeply and punched at the rock fist that was approaching him. When the two fists collided, the arm of the Giant Statue disintegrated. The Giant Statue backed up two steps after losing both of its hands. It fell heavily against a building behind it with a loud ”Pom”. The dislodged fragments of the building dropped to the ground and landed on the heads of the Lich students. The small fragments didn't cause any harm, but the large fragments flattened several Lich students.

The Mana Formation on the ground spread to the Giant Statue's body, and Mana infused into his body, which then shimmered with energy.

”Lord Sherlock, this Giant Statue looks different from the common Magical Puppet. Let's find the puppet manipulator,” Bru said to Sherlock.

Sherlock had found the possible puppet manipulator among the Lich students.

It was Professor Bacon.

Professor Bacon was like the other Liches, his eye sockets glimmering with gray light. Professor Bacon was also controlled by Professor Cabbage.

Sherlock guessed that the control method was via the huge Mana Formation underneath Specter College.

”Lord Sherlock, what shall we do? Do we kill Brainiac and Professor Bacon? For the sake of the Underworld, it might be necessary,” Bru said to Sherlock.

”Though your suggestion is good, it's not easy for me to find free labor. I'll not destroy my precious employee.”

Sherlock rejected Bru's suggestion without thinking.

He looked at the entrance of Specter College and heard strange sounds.

Professor Cabbage also discovered strange sounds. She turned her head to observe the crystal ball and couldn't believe the images she saw.

The Specter army, which was deployed to stop the gamers, was being decimated by a huge Gundam.

The gamers followed behind the Gundam and cleared the remaining Skeleton Soldiers.

Yoda dismantled the Gundam parts and reassembled the Gundam at the Stronghold. As the parts were designed by Hemp Rope Technology, he implemented an easy way of dismantling and assembling the Gundam. The assembly of the Gundam was completed within a short time due to the fact that the gamers were familiar with the Gundam parts.

The Liches had never seen such a weapon. They were already unable to break the lines held by the reviving gamers, and now, there was an invincible Gundam. The Liches were unable to hold their own lines, and they couldn't fight directly with Gundam.

Arthur was in the cockpit of the Gundam. Before him, there was a crude observation window. His mission was to break the defenses at the main entrance so that the gamers could enter Specter College.

”What is that thing?” Professor Cabbage muttered to herself as she looked on in disbelief.

Nobody answered her question. Sherlock flapped his wings as he clasped his hands together. White Mana gathered in his hands while Sherlock gazed at the Giant Statue, which was covered with Mana Runes.

When the white Mana had gathered into the size of a light ball, Sherlock pitched the light ball towards the Giant Statue. The light ball left a trail of white afterimages as it smacked into the Giant Statue's body. The sudden explosion of white light and the loud bang shook Specter College.

The huge impact was like a meteorite smashing into the ground, and the heatwave and powerful force pinned the Giant Statue to a building.

It occurred within seconds. The Giant Statue was melted by the huge light ball, and the Giant Statue and the building behind it were vaporized.

The explosion expanded out with the light ball as the origin, and the rising flames appeared in the Central Courtyard. The powerful Mana energy knocked the surrounding Lich students to the ground.

Professor Cabbage gaped in shock and disbelief. Since she was far from the explosion, she wasn't harmed.

It was the first time Professor Cabbage witnessed a superior Devil with such powerful Mana.

It wasn't easy for Sherlock. After his devastating attack, he looked exhausted. Moreover, the gamers were reviving and firing the Magic Cannons continuously. Sherlock flapped his wings and rested on a building by the side, having no intention to continue fighting.

Professor Cabbage didn't allow Sherlock any rest. She ordered Brainiac and Professor Bacon, ”Continue to attack while the superior Devil hasn't fully rested!”