The Martial Unity

Had Rui been there, he would have made deeper insights into the second round of the entrance exam. He would have immediately mentally plotted distribution graphs with classes of badge number, with a certain range, and the proportion of badges that fell within each of those classes, based on his observations, allowing him to figure out exactly how many applicants would need to be disqualified for the winners to win.

And he would have more or less correctly come to the conclusion that only twenty percent of the applicants could possibly pass the second round of the entrance exam. That was why the number 1500 was chosen when the average was 1026.

Max and Mana immediately had each other's back as the applicants around them increasingly began getting broiled in more intense conflict.

They were cognizant of the fact that their badge numbers were decisively below the required net number to pass the second round.

"What should we do?" Max asked urgently.

"We should target one applicant together," Mana responded.

Max nodded. "You're right! Big brother said that we should work together, just like we do in training!"

The two of them scoured their surroundings as they looked for a suitable target. They did not have any foolish thoughts of chivalry or honor, they knew that they were the underdogs and that were disadvantaged individually against pretty much all the applicants. Rui had drilled teamwork into their heads.

"There." Max pointed at a girl. "She looks about our age and although her badge number 538 isn't enough by itself, it's our best shot."

Mana followed his gaze, before nodding. "Good thinking."

The two of them watched their target, Crea.

She had been laying low as she herself had been looking for a target, yet suddenly she felt something approaching her. She turned, just barely in time to react to Max and Mana rushing towards her.

POW POW POW!

quick flurry of jabs. Crea gritted her teeth as she just barely managed to square a guard up in time to defend against the siblings'

She cursed. Max and Mana had surrounded her as they began circling her, throwing attacks in

Max's and Mana's surprise, she was able to cope quite well. She managed to partially evade or block almost all of their attacks despite them leveraging their numeric advantage against

POW!

thigh, retreating his leg that she almost

THWACK

her shin, causing

towards Mana swiftly, yet Mana had seen the attack coming from a mile

POW!

BAM!

THWACK!

light of determination never once faded from her eyes. A faint memory resurfaced even as she withstood all the attacks that her opponents bombarded her

can't avoid getting

sheer numbers, not to mention your disadvantages, it is impossible

defend against

I'm afraid," Rui replied, shaking his head. "At most,

then what can I do?" She scratched

you can do... is

count?" She tilted her head in

to evade or defend every attack, instead, take it and use the opportunity created by you not wasting your physical resources into futile defense and the opening created by an attack to launch a counterattack. If

nodded as she understood what Rui was trying to convey. "I see. I just have to make it count. I feel like I

POW!

blow flew towards her shoulder, yet Crea hadn't bothered with trying to guard. Her arms lashed out toward his elbow and shoulder even as a painful impact assailed her right shoulder with pain. Yet she ignored it as she clasped him, before swiftly sweeping him off his feet and

BAM!