It was at that exact moment that they heard a rapid succession of gunshots from their left. The sound jolted their spirits, and as they turned their heads toward the source, looks of sheer joy and surprise washed over their faces.
Beneath the crimson moonlight, they saw over a dozen blurred figures appearing where the shots had originated, and those figures were sprinting toward them at incredible speed. Seeing this, hope flared in Charlene’s eyes. She immediately swerved, leading the way toward the approaching reinforcements. Her classmates needed no reminder; they followed suit without a second’s hesitation.
Eros watched the eight people racing toward his group. With a single glance, he identified the swarm of spirits hot on their heels. He didn't waver, instantly casting two buffs on everyone present.
The first was "Life’s Blessing," which accelerated the physical healing of everyone in the vicinity. The second was "Life’s Inspiration," a spell designed to bolster physical strength and enhance endurance.
Feeling the sudden surge of power within their bodies, several students drew their alchemy blades, bracing themselves for close-quarters combat. Exorcism and purification bullets were precious resources; they had to save them whenever possible, given that they had no idea what the next ten days would bring.
Swiftly, the crowd surged past the eight survivors and slammed into the spirit swarm. Watching Undine weave through the spirits with clean, practiced efficiency, Eros—who was a few steps behind due to his spellcasting—let out a soft chuckle.
"This little sister of mine is now considered a top-tier expert at the academy." Then his expression sharpened. "But it's time for me to step in. I can't let those spirits get a scratch on her."
With a single stride, he lunged toward a mutated spirit that seemed to be targeting Undine. As he closed the distance, he kicked the abdomen of an ordinary spirit, sending it crashing into several others. Using that momentum, he leaped into the air, aiming straight for the mutated spirit’s massive head.
The mutated spirit extended a claw as large as a bathtub, swiping at the airborne Eros. Calmly, Eros planted his right foot on the creature’s chest, using it as a springboard to dodge the swipe. Through those two mid-air maneuvers, he was now six meters above the ground, right in front of the creature's face.
The mutated spirit unhinged its horrific maw to bite him, but Eros simply tossed a small, pitch-black sphere into its throat. A second later, a brilliant light erupted from within the creature's mouth. In an instant, the spirit’s brain was pulverized into shimmering dust.
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Simultaneously, an orange-yellow radiance, much like the sun, spilled out from the creature's neck. Every spirit within a ten-meter radius let out a pained shriek as the light touched them, their auras instantly weakening by more than half.
The students engaged in combat didn't miss the opportunity. They struck swiftly, decapitating the weakened spirits.
Eros reached out and caught an object that had been blown out of the mutated spirit's head. It was an ancient-looking bronze ring, engraved with seven distinct patterns. He recognized it immediately—it was an Original Sin Bronze Ring.
Why is this here? Did a student bring it in?
Standing on the ground, Eros looked at the mutated spirit, which was now engulfed in white flames. This meant that the creature before him was likely a student who had mutated due to extreme contamination. It made sense; even his own Soul Ring had been greedily absorbing Original Sin since entering this realm, let alone these ritual items designed specifically for that purpose. The more they absorbed, the greater the pollution. Since the students didn't have his immunity, mutation was an inevitable conclusion.
Eros snorted and casually dropped the ring by his feet. In a place where no one was looking, a slender, jade-white hand reached out from Eros’s shadow and snatched the ring away.
Eros then turned his attention to the remaining mutated spirits. He kicked the headless but still standing corpse of the first spirit. With a heavy thud, the body collapsed, scattering white flames, and a miniature orange-yellow sun—The Brilliant Sun—rolled out from the neck stump.
Eros punched through two spirits trying to approach him, walked over, and picked up the artifact. Without pausing, he charged the next mutated spirit.
He cut it down with clinical efficiency. On the sidelines, the eight survivors watched with vacant expressions, murmuring in disbelief.
"So strong..."
"Is that Prince Eros? I heard he’s a Sequence 7 Warlock now. Is this the power of Sequence 7? It's terrifying!"
One of the girls shook her head, her tone complex. "Ordinary Sequence 7s don't have this kind of power. The Prince is likely among the elite even within that rank."
As Charlene watched the scene, her mind involuntarily drifted back to those frantic two days and three nights they had shared. Her pale face couldn't help but flush a delicate pink. Two other girls beside her shared the same expression. The girl who had just spoken noticed their strange behavior and asked, puzzled, "What’s wrong with you three?"
Charlene replied awkwardly, "Nothing! My wound just throbbed for a second." The other girl nodded, not thinking much of it.
With Eros slaying the final mutated spirit, the rescue operation was effectively over. He left the remaining dozens of minor spirits to the others, knowing they could handle it. He walked toward the eight survivors and noted Charlene’s injuries. Seeing the green tint in her blood, he cleared his throat and said softly:
"I have a Sun-domain sealed artifact that purifies contamination. Follow me; I’ll help you cleanse the pollution."
Charlene and the two other girls looked deeply embarrassed, but they obediently followed him. The remaining girl from their group watched her three classmates with a strange look. She felt like something was... "off" about the way they faced Prince Eros, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.