How To Survive A Calamity

'I acted too rashly on my emotions. It would be troublesome for all of us if i attracted the attention of the Desert Komg right now.' Deandra sighed under her breath.

Although things may not have been going as planned, she and her group were there to steal the other group's water, not to engage in a long drawn out or full-scale confrontation with them.

And who knows, they might even be lucky enough to wipe them out for points — after they had secured water first.

Water.

Indeed, that was the priority.

Deandra reminded herself.

On another hand, speaking of teammates...

Deandra turned and spread her awareness outward into the crater that had now widened yet again.

She caught sight of Trise, Chelsea and Don; they were all outnumbered, but at least they were holding on. For now.

Deandra felt the increased need to hurry up on her side and help her members.

Especially Number 1499 — Victor.

The brown haired youth with striking gold eyes was the only one who was going against just a single opponent amongst them, but Barns also seemed like the strongest within their attackers ranks.

It was inevitable that Deandra held certain justifiable reason for worry against Victor, who looked like he was barely struggling to evade and dodge Barns wide swings and powerful attacks.

She didn't like Victor, but as the weakest member of her group, Deandra felt the unspoken responsibility to watch out for him when in need.

Plus, there was this unidentifiable feeling she had at the hack of her mind like an itch, that something bad would happen of Victor was eliminated.

Something irreversible...

Regardless—

"You bitch! Don't look away just after one attack...!"

Deandra still had her own fight.

Like a phoenix from the ashes, the brown haired female cadet emerged from within the dispersing black smoke and lunged an immediate direct attack at Deandra.

As an Aura user primarily focused on body refinement and power, Deandra could barely react to the aggressive lunge of the female cadet and pulled up her sword at the last minute of impact.

The female cadet fiercely pushed forward, wielding her dual short swords with ferocious, and bloodlustful intensity.

Deandra groaned under her onslaught. She had been complacent enough to be worrying about her teammates when she was in the middle of a fight that she had lost a front leg to the female cadet and was now getting pushed back a little.

And that wasn't all.

The two other cloaked cadets appeared from different directions, now with new found wariness, and unleashed flurries of attacks in a terrifyingly coordinated fashion.

In the end, though she used a sword, Deandra was still a mage.

The goal was to prevent her breathing room and space to use a spell, or a similar skill like Ignition from just before.

Deandra was almost being overwhelmed, yet still her mind wandered even despite being cornered by her three opponents.

In the end, Deandra found the chance to leap backwards and put enough distance between the three and her and looked to her side.

At the same time, Don met her urgent gaze from across, laying unconscious at his feet were two of the cadets who had been his opponent.

As expected, Deandra gritted her teeth, Don had been the first to finish off his opponents.

Deandra gazed at him deeply, then back at her three attackers that werr already swiftly approach to continue their pressure.

Deandra barked out a few words before rushing back in as well.

"Help Victor. Now!"

"Eh? Huhhh??" Don was baffled in between his panting breaths.

It sure as hell wasn't easy to take out multiple opponents, subdue them without killing or eliminating them, at all. But Deandra's sudden words had even left him more confused.

"Why do i have to, and for tha—"

"I said, now!" Don tried to complain, but Deandra growled ferociously, her three Stars glowed brightly and ominously.

Don swallowed down his discontent for the meantime, and willed the wind to lighten his injured body to move.

Although with plenty reservations, Don understood this wasn't the time for the usual banter. He didn't like Victor either, but if the weak bastard was eliminated, then it would be a blow regardless to the group as whole.

Plus, Don had spoken highly and haughtily to Victor a lot before now, what would it mean for him if he couldn't even help or save his sorry ass once.

Wouldn't he like to see it, the kind of face Victor, the irritable bastard, would make once he swooped in and saved him out of danger?

Having that thought, saving Victor no longer seemed as bad as he thought it did. At least he would get to use it to humble the arrogant commoner in the future!

And so Don swiftly moved.

He understood Deandra's decision of having Victor be the first to assist as he was also the weakest member. Trise and Chelsea were also at a disadvantage, but they would certainly hold on long enough for reinforcement.

But it was uncertain how much longer Victor could continue to survive before Barns.

Even now, he was only twisting and moving around, to barely dodge the attacks by a hair's breath.

"Then let me show you..."

Don swiftly moved across the small battlefield

'Why isn't that low-life pulling out a weapon yet?'

"The overwhelming difference between you and i...!"

Victor, for whatever reason, hadn't even gotten the chance to summon a weapon from his bracelet at all.

Barns was already upon him, ready to pounce.

Don judged he wouldn't make it in-between the two in time and decided to strike from the distance instead.

"Tsk, fucking imbecile, you owe me for this one...!" He clicked his tongue, and his handsome face squeezed with frustration, irritation, and annoyance at the whole situation.

Then Don raised his gloved hand through the air and channeled his Mana.

There was a very massive distinction between Magic and Psychic abilities. Unlike Mages, Psychics like Don didn't have things like Magic Stars or Pockets.

Mages forcefully enforced their wills and intents upon the world, but only by following universal rules, laws and principalities, or circuits called Magic. In simpler words, to cast a simple fire spell to light a candle, a Mage must first of all understand and follow a set of rules and comprehension.

Things like, why does fire burn? How does fire burn?

They understand the basic implants and laws behind each of these actions to enforce them via magic circuits and rules to cast a simple fire spell.

Whereas, Psychics or Supernatural ability users discard absolute sense of the world, and disregard such questions or rules to enforce their powers.

They possess outright dominion over aspects of reality.

If they wanted fire to burn, fire would burn. No questions asked.

They simply willed it, and it was.

The mysterious symbols etched onto the white gloves of his hands glowed in radiance as his hands fell through the air. Don swiped forward and unleashed almost invisible slashes of wind, like jet pressure.

He simply thought it and the wind bent to his dominion and bacame near invisible blades to strike down his enemy.

They needed the water from the groups, but Barns looked like a troublesome individual. If they couldn't get the water, Don rationally thought it was better to eliminate the dangerous competition anyway

That was why he struck with the intent to kill.
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After all, the bracelet would react and forcefully withdraw Barns out of the exercise as soon as it detected his life was in danger.

But the wind blades struck Barn's neck instead, and his head fell off with a thud.