73 - I’m Surrounded by My Own Pets!

"Swish, swish, swish, swish —!!!!" With hands clasped together, the high-level earth elemental species, known as Earth Shield, conjured a dense array of massive spikes that erupted from the ground, forming a mountain-like barrier in front of them. Simultaneously, a shrouded grey venomous serpent exhaled a poisonous breath that began to spread and split in the air. In an inexplicable transformation, it formed numerous grey crystalline cubes, almost like raindrops, hanging in the air without any discernible shape. "This is the final and only chance. Once those two solar blades are thrown, the core of Moon Rabbit will be exposed within range." "In that moment... that's my opportunity...!!!" The sub-leader swallowed nervously, speaking to herself with bated breath. The intangible form of the virus species differs from the fully-elementalized form of the elemental species. Elemental species enter full elementalization typically to evade attacks, whereas the virus species' intangible form allows their attacks to penetrate enemy defenses seamlessly—as if designed purely for destruction and invasion like a computer virus, hence the moniker virus species. High attack, low defense incarnate!! Yet... Does the opportunity truly exist!? In the moment when the crescent blades on the Droopy-Eared Hammer's ears reached their pinnacle, spinning in place... The battle had already concluded... "Boom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" The deafening explosion was earth-shattering. Scorching waves burst forth from the hollow contours of the Droopy-Eared Hammer's ears, blasting all teammates behind it, save for Lan Xing who was safely shielded within its embrace. Simultaneously, a searing crimson light instantaneously bisected the map from start to finish. The spiked shield of Earth Shield, the ephemeral cube rain of the Grey Ash intangible form, the opposing five team members, and all their battle beasts—the red line passed through them all in an instant. They stood frozen, faces blank with shock. "Bang!!!" In a blink, the Droopy-Eared Hammer retrieved the Crimson Prison Lord once more. If it were her former self, the explosive recoil of the Crimson Prison Lord’s return would have surely sent her flying. However, this time, Droopy-Eared Hammer stood firm without a single quiver, the snow-white cloak on her back merely fluttering gently. [Flexibility Amplification, Sandstorm (Purple), Combo x0, Combo x1, Fierce Throw, Frenzied Dance] [Extreme Heavy Metal, Crimson Amber, Vermilion Barrage] Is the intangible form useful...? The Vermilion Barrage, the perfect remedy for all elemental and virus species defiance!! "Swish——————" In the next second, an awe-inspiring rift appeared. The entire map of the Iron Cage Arena was cleaved in two by a red glow, as if space itself had been brutally torn apart. Except for Lan Xing and her battle beast ensemble, all life forms present were deemed defeated. The livestream fell into dead silence. Even the official commentators were left speechless, unable to utter a single syllable. The sub-leader of the Bai Feng Academy stood in utter disbelief, a stunned expression lingering long after the battle had ended. Opportunity... What opportunity? She never even caught sight of the trajectory of the two solar blades, and yet the opponent had already reclaimed them!! Faced with such an irrational shooting speed, how could human eyes possibly keep up!!!? —— —— [Match Over] [Team Orchid, Match One Victors, Advancing to Second Round of Qualifiers] [Team Bai Feng, Match Two Defeated, Disqualified] Upon exiting the battle equipment, the Bai Feng Academy’s training room was engulfed in an oppressive silence. The journey of this year's Bai Feng Academy's second team in the league ended here... As a second team from one of the top ten academies, being ousted in the first round was a shocking turn of events, stunning countless fans. And the adversary was the Orchid Academy they had crushed last year... Now, shrouded in a heavy and tense atmosphere, the girl with her chestnut braids, a key member of the top ten, stared intensely at the screen. In the final moment, the shot focused on the joyous starry-eyed, golden-haired girl, showcasing her exceptional beauty. "Captain, Vice-Captain, Little Aoi, we're counting on you to avenge us..." As the second team captain's eyes reddened, Aoi nodded earnestly in agreement. Yet, Aurora remained silent. She pondered deeply. As one of the top ten, can I really win against that...? —— —— "Dear viewers, follow the strongest Moon Rabbit, won't you?? A follow gets you exclusive white stockings!!" "Orchid Academy won by sneak attack, despicable! Total blacklist material ????" "Bai Feng Academy supporters, leave and watch your village-level top ten members, or admire the Moon Rabbit's slender legs ????" "Bai Feng Academy followers are now Lan Xing's fans??" "Don't look, don't look! You're not allowed to see Lan Xing’s stockings, only I can!!!!" "Gonna look, gonna look, gonna lick, gonna lick ??????" The first round of qualifiers might be over, but discussions in the livestream remained heated. Lan Xing's new fans were frantic with excitement, a chaotic frenzy. After all, as long as Lan Xing kept winning, they could continue to ogle, even have a chance to see in person. Through this predictable battle, Lan Xing's charm and prowess snatched countless Bai Feng Academy fans. Meanwhile, in Orchid Academy's modest training room. Watching the blonde girl slowly rise from the equipment, the substitutes and support staff were struck speechless in shock. That was the renowned Bai Feng Academy... Winning the first round of qualifiers..?!? The opponent didn’t even seem to make a move...!!! Amidst the shocked euphoria, Taomaki lamented with a teasing glare from her seat. "Lan Xing, though having teammates' pets accidentally hurt each other can impact coordination, don’t you worry love will vanish by tossing us aside every time...?" "It’s a map issue, don't take it personally~~~" Lan Xing blushed and clutched her buns, sticking out her tongue mischievously. She didn’t mean to blow away her teammates; the map was just too small for the Droopy-Eared Hammer’s full display without collateral damage. "Don’t worry, gals, it won’t happen next time!!!" Lan Xing promised confidently. While Taomaki showed traces of resentment, the other teammates wore various expressions. Chi Yan admired with awe despite being inadvertently slain. Another girl, donning VR gear, remained silent throughout. She initially feared Lan Xing enlisted her to indulge twisted revenge fantasies, but it turned out she was just filling a spot... Simultaneously, Yu Bo, with twin fish-tail tresses, lay sprawled on the equipment, her fluids flooding its vicinity. She couldn’t move until the support crew cleaned up. In her gaze, hidden beneath her quiet exterior, was a trace of obsessive, azure love. "What's up, old coot? Something the matter?" Chi Yan furrowed her brow at the sight. Familiar with her mother’s ways, Chi Yan knew this would’ve had her ecstatic at beating Bai Feng's second team in the first bout. So a gloomy demeanor suggested a scheduling issue... "Sigh, the second-round matchups were drawn." "As the drawn team, our adversary is..." "Sakura Academy, last year’s 11th place..." "......" "......" "Sakura Academy!!!" Hearing that, the room sucked in a collective breath, comprehending the director's mournful expression. Everyone knew the top ten wasn’t limited to only ten academies. Although only the top ten qualify as top ten in tournaments, it doesn’t mean other academies lack commander-class pets. Ranked 11th last year, Sakura Academy was a hair’s breadth from the top ten, wielding commander-class beasts naturally!!! Facing that with a 1% chance in qualifiers—what luck is this? With Lan Xing’s addition this year, Orchid Academy boasted its strongest lineup yet.