High Profile Target

Inside the blue dome protecting the awards venue, the younger students huddled together around the stage. The remaining professors and security guards built up a defensive perimeter with grim faces. The barrier wasn't going to last forever. Each second counted.

The True Order had launched a surprise attack on the outer barrier of the school. Just when security arrived there to repel them, a second attack was launched at the stage. The enemy's high-ranking combatants forced the headmaster and deputy headmasters away.

Now, the Nafriton defenders had none of their higher ranked wizards left who could maintain the barrier for a long period of time. Their enemies still had a high-ranking wizard left and were bombarding the barrier. Strange magic formations were set up behind the enemy line.

Daren frowned as he looked at the cracking barrier above their heads. At best, they had minutes left before it broke and the battle began. He tightly gripped his staff as President Bennett issued instructions to the students. They were all going to have to fight.

He quickly put on the rest of his light armor cloak. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. Other students in the crowd were putting on their own armor. A firm hand patted his shoulder. A brown-haired young man with tan skin checked Daren's armor.

"Make sure that you have everything synched down comfortably. Our defensive line probably won't last for long, so we'll need to run."

"I think so. Chris, why on Tellus do you carry armor around with all the time?"

"To keep my fragile young master safe. Now let's finish dying your hair, skin and eye colors and mix in with the crowd better. These guys go easy on students, probably to capture them alive. Try avoid using spatial magic. At our age, there's only you who can do that, and I can guarantee that you are a major target."

Daren nodded as his hair turned a mousy brown. They further mixed in with the award-winning students. The younger students were trembling with fear, but Chris seemed completely unphased. He only complained that those cowards wouldn't be much help.

Minutes later, a large crack tore apart the barrier and the battle began. With the students behind them, the security team furiously fought back against their invaders. But there was too few of the defenders. Nafriton's security had been partially drawn away to the other battle, and any reinforcements were too far away.

The invaders quickly pierced through the defense and started targeting the students. The defenders just as quickly pushed them back. Several were dragged away before a professor could save them. The captured students were tossed into the magic formations and disappeared.

Daren frowned. He felt the spatial element burst from the formations whenever they were active. Their enemies were teleporting the students somewhere. There was only one group with the skills, desire and craziness to kidnap Nafriton students outright: The True Order.

What were they planning? Whatever it was, it was a great way to get the military to destroy them.

"Chris..."

"I know. I saw that. Don't even think of playing hero. We don't know where those lead or what happens to the students after they get teleported to their destination. We don't have the strength to change the outcome. Our best option is to sneak away quietly."

His attendant's sharp eyes scanned the battlefield. They were completely surrounded. Without timely reinforcements, the defensive line would soon collapse. They had nowhere to run or hide, and they couldn't fight for long.

"If we want to get out of here, I might have to set up a formation of my own."

"Let's wait for now. I don't want to make you a target."

An explosion ripped through the defensive line. Apparently, the high-ranking wizard leading their opponents had grown impatient. The Student Council led the third- and fourth-years to maintain the shattered defenses.

"Never mind. Let's hide backstage so you can sketch out the formation."

Daren and Chris snuck through the crowd and snuck through the spells now raining onto the stage. They forced themselves inside the most isolated dressing room. Several frightened students had retreated there as well. Chris covered their mouths before they could scream.

"Keep quiet or I will make you stay quiet permanently. Got that?"

The other students fearfully nodded. Daren pushed them aside as he searched through the dressing room.

"Good. Now, can I trust you all not to make any noise or use any magic?"

They nodded again.

"Fine. I'll let you talk now, but if anyone tries to scream it will be the last thing that they ever do."

After their mouths were uncovered, a couple of students wanted to complain but were quickly shut up by their friends. Daren continued his search while Chris kept watch at the door. The opposing leader continued his rampage through the defenders.

"I can't find anything that I could use. This entire room has been cleaned out."

"We don't have time to set up a magic formation anyways. The intruders have started going crazy outside."

The other students began to panic at those words, but a sharp glare from Chris shut them up.

"What do we do?"

"We go out there and join the chaos. Hopefully, we can sneak away. Otherwise, we fight our way out."

None of the other students followed as Chris and Daren snuck back into the chaos outside. Chris led Daren through the battlefield towards campus. Several gaps had appeared in the attacker's formation as they began to go crazy.

Just as Daren thought that they would make it out undetected, a cold voice rang out behind him.

"That's some interesting disguise magic. Also, you have some excellent armor, though it is rather plain."

Daren tried to jump away but a strong hand gripped his neck.

"With that bodyguard of yours, I'm guessing that you are the young Forolan heir? You will come with me now."

**********

On the outskirts of the university. Tens of acres of forest had been destroyed along with a serious portion of Nafriton's fortifications there. The last True Order agent had been slain. The raging battle had finally come to an end.

Soldiers and security officers began to check for survivors and traps. Medical officers rushed into the battlefield after it was cleared. The commanding officer of the military guards coldly looked at the chaos unfolding off in the distance.

"How are the casualties?"

"Almost a half of our combined defensive troops are here. The regular security officers were almost completely wiped out. We've lost many of our own experts, and several more are too injured to continue. The rest are spread out all over the campus. All contact with them has stopped, sir."

The commanding officer slowly calmed the raging fury in his heart. Someone had sabotaged this part of Nafriton's defenses. Those tricky wretches would have blown through Nafriton's defenses if the military soldiers weren't present.

He admired the headmaster's foresight, but this was no time for patting each other on the back. The attack was still ongoing. Intruders were still roaming the campus.

"What's the situation on campus?"

"Sir, the awards ceremony was definitely attacked, and there were strange fluxes of mana all over the university grounds. A patrol sent word that the enemy brought high level wizards and lured away the headmaster and deputy headmasters."

The commanding officer scowled. Nafriton had a worse rat problem than expected. Someone did serious reconnaissance and snuck in True Order agents before the attack. The best of Nafriton's students and faculty went to the awards ceremony, along with extra guards. While safer than most other places, that also made the ceremony the highest profile target.

"Do we know what caused those fluxes?"

"Not exactly, but traces of spatial distortion were detected, suggesting that teleportation magic was used."

"… Two units stay here to check for survivors and help the critically wounded. The rest of us are going to the awards ceremony location to protect the high-profile targets and find the headmaster."

The military rushed onto campus. They desperately needed to find someone capable of restoring the anti-teleportation defenses. The intruders must not escape and kidnap any more students.

Somehow, the intruders knew that their little distraction had ended. Hooded wizards intercepted the military guards. They were quickly killed under a barrage of attacks, but the military lost precious time. When the military finally arrived, they found the stage in ruins.

The joint defense of the students, professors and security officers were barely holding on. The True Order agents threw captured students into the teleportation arrays as fast as they could when they noticed that the military arrived.

"DESTROY THE FORMATIONS! Target the enemy's rear!"

The True Order agents below went crazy as they tried to grab as many students possible and flee. Enraged, the military guards fiercely cut down the intruders. The commanding officer looked for the enemy leader, who flew into the sky with a student in his clutches.

"Stop right there unless you want the Forolan heir and the rest of the little kiddies here to die!"