Annan and the others reached the stone wall with King as the rumbling in the distance drew closer.
The people of the Lower Hive outside the town panicked, but when they realized the enemy was heading for the little town, they took their places in front of the stone wall.
"Mount Spell?"
They heard hoofbeats and saw horses beneath the Light Spell.
Cavalry... No wonder there had been no sign of survivors or resistance at the ant queen's outpost or in the slaughtered town. The people of the Lower Hive had probably never even seen horses.
Some of these warriors have mages with them... Spellcasters from a warrior academy? Or are two academies working together?
"Let's begin. Don't let them hurt anyone here."
Annan opened a Portal for the second time, and the Earth Elementals that poured through moved in front of the people of the Lower Hive.
The fierce battle Theophilus had expected never happened. They did not even need to intervene: the Greater Earth Elementals cast Ground Spikes from fifty yards ahead, injuring the horses summoned by Mount Spell and making them vanish. Sixteen figures tumbled to the ground, and the battle was over.
The Greater Earth Elementals surrounded the two academy teams, whose members bore various injuries. The students breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Annan and the others appear.
Their enemies were academy students, not people of the Lower Hive... Then despair seized them.
"Twenty Large Elementals? Damn it... Are you hiding someone at Master Level?"
Annan did not answer. He told Theophilus and the others to search them for Golden Invitation Letters.
"No need to search. I have them all."
The burly contestant spoke in a low voice. Theophilus found five Golden Invitation Letters on him.
But Alice and Theophilus could tell Annan