Chapter 966: Quick Work 3.

Afolayan, Sefu, Adeola, Nuri, and Makeda—those were the last five members of the Ashmaw Academy team that were still standing and fighting.

Whenever an Ashmaw member was knocked out and unable to continue fighting, the judge would slip onto the stage and remove them without disrupting the fight.

It was almost like he had a speedster's ability, he was that fast at clearing them out while avoiding interfering with the battle, and aside from that one blunder of stopping a blunt arrow for Moro that he made, he had only appeared when necessary.

Seeing half his team disqualified, Afolayan swept his spear sideways, unleashing a wild spear-qi that lunged at Lucas, mirroring the arc of his swing.

Lucas twisted his glaive in a repelling motion, as his own qi surged forward to form a whirling vortex that spat little lightning currents, even so, when the spear's energy hit, it drove him backward.

Afolayan snapped his left hand and a massive demonic lion with ash-grey fur materialized, immediately it was summoned it charged straight for Pale, who was still panting from the strain of using a taxing spell.

Afolayan didn't care how he was feeling, his orders to his Ash lion was eliminated as much as it can, he just wanted to level the field and give his team back the advantage.

"Roooaarrr!" the lion bellowed as it reached Pale.

"Pale!" Endrick shouted from several meters away, trying to snap him out of his fatigue as the beast's huge paw scythed down.

Swish.

The descending paw dragged the wind with it, as thin wind blades were curling along its edge, but just before impact, a purple-black portal blossomed in front of it and swallowed the strike.

The lion's eyes flicked, with curiosity and irritation, as it turned its gaze toward Sophia who is nearby, its cold gaze made her tremble, but she held her ground.

【> Mid-Tier Spell — Spell Reversal Mid-Tier Spell – Blood-Sucking Thorns <]

The moment the spell took hold, the Ash Lion froze, as its hide bulged and dimpled as if something inside were trying to burst out. It wailed, eyes turning bloodshot.

Realizing it might not survive, it used its remaining strength to kick Endrick, smashing him off the stage, then turned toward Sophia, only for Arthur and Brandon to step in front of her.

"Look elsewhere, ugly," Arthur said, dropping into a stance, mocking the lion's warped form as whatever was inside it was pushing to break free.

It lunged forward but only took two steps before its body erupted, as an Ash Lion soul ripped free and streaked into the air toward Afolayan, who was battling in the distance against Lucas.

Alec watched and realized that if he wanted he could devour it, but then he judged it not worth devouring as he didn't even want it; and to him the trouble outweighed the gain.

Blood splattered where the Lion's body burst with the blood sprayed towards Brandon and Arthur who were closer, Brandon swiftly stepped forward, rotating his sword to swat the blood spray away from them.

When the mist cleared, a bloody, short thorned tree stood where the lion had once been, its many needle tips already withering.

Arthur and Brandon glanced toward Endrick and understood: despite bleeding out, he'd held the spell until it finished its work, and now that it had, he was slipping into unconsciousness, hence the blood-tree's rapid decay.