My Borderline Supervillain-Slash-Hero System

The battle between the Corrupted Black Tiger and the three noble teams had reached a fever pitch.

At the start, the beast had managed to graze several students, leaving deep claw marks on their bodies. The teams knew they were far weaker in raw strength, but they adapted quickly—coordinating their formations and relying on their strongest support members to intercept the tiger's savage blows.

A mage from the Emberwick Household stepped forward, chanting as a shimmering watery shield manifested in midair. The barrier rippled each time it absorbed a sudden, bone-crushing swipe from the tiger's claws.

The black tiger snarled, halting its charge only to unleash a stream of crimson flames toward the nearest attackers. Then it would dart forward in blurs of black, disrupting their formation with sudden lunges, savage bites, and tail sweeps.

Each time it threatened to break through, the support casters and defensive fighters from all three teams worked together to block the strike—barely holding the line.

From Zane's perspective, one thing was clear: the tiger's magical fire was even deadlier than its physical attacks.

"At this rate, they'll burn through their mana before the tiger does," Har muttered, eyes fixed on the battle.

Dar raised her hand to smack the back of his head, but Zane cut in from behind him, calm and certain.

"Nah. They're building up for a counterattack."

As if on cue, the front-liners shifted. The offensive casters and warriors stepped forward, their movements crisp with preparation.

The Glimmerveil fighters unleashed blazing fire magic, their spells streaking across the air toward the beast. The most dazzling among them was Gordon Glimmerveil—his crimson flames condensing into the form of a massive phoenix. The fiery bird circled above, diving in at intervals to slam into the tiger with explosive bursts.

The Silvermane warriors refused to be overshadowed. Salima Silver, wielding a long spear, inscribed five glowing sigils along its length before flooding it with mana. Each thrust, sweep, or slash unleashed a razor-sharp burst of metallic energy that tore through the air with lethal precision. She was, without question, the one dealing the most damage to the tiger.

"Her control over spear and magic is deadly," Zane remarked.

The rest of his team nodded in agreement—except Asphalt, who scoffed.

"You call that good spear work? I've seen much better."

Zane glanced at him, making a mental note. Asphalt's mastery with a blade was no secret. If he thought her technique was mediocre, then seeing his swordsmanship would be worth the wait.

From the Emberwick side, a young fighter named Zeon Ember wielded twin blades wreathed in ice magic. His frozen edge could lash out in long-range arcs or strike in close quarters with bone-chilling precision.

These three—Gordon, Salima, and Zeon—had now taken the lead as the main damage dealers for their teams.

Fifteen minutes later, the black tiger was still fighting with unrelenting fury. Its movements had grown wilder, but its body bore the toll—black fur matted with blood, deep and shallow cuts crisscrossing its frame, crimson streaking down its sides.

"What a sight… should we step in?" Har asked, eyes wide.

"Nah. They've got this," Zane replied calmly, watching the beast's health bar drop to 357 HP. "It's just a matter of time. For a two-star corrupted beast, those three teams have done an impressive job."

From Har's perspective, it didn't look so certain—several fighters were badly injured, and the tiger's growls had turned more guttural, its eyes blazing with a feral will to kill.

But Zane recognized the pattern.

The last flare of a lamp before the oil runs dry.

And then it happened.

A concentrated burst of magic slammed into the tiger's back, staggering it for a fraction of a second. That was all the opening they needed.

Zeon Emberwick darted forward in a blur, his blade slicing in a clean arc. The tiger's head flew free, tumbling across the grass before coming to rest.

Gordon Glimmerveil appeared beside the corpse an instant later, while Salima Silver's spear thrust fell just short of piercing its belly.

"As agreed," Zeon said with a cordial smile, "I struck the final blow, so the core is mine. Don't sulk—your turns will come."

He knelt beside the severed head, dug his fingers into the skull, and pried free a gleaming crystal. His green card pulsed, absorbing the core's energy. A number flickered before settling—Rank #3.

That also meant two other fighters somewhere on the battlefield already held a two-star core.

The tiger's corpse shimmered as a sigil flared, its body dissolving into nothing. Murals along the city wall lit up, and a translucent energy pathway unfurled across its surface.

Without hesitation, the three noble teams strode forward, passing through the shimmering wall into the city.

Other students, seeing their chance, sprinted toward the opening—but the moment they touched the barrier, they were thrown back violently.

"What's going on? Why can't they get in?" Har asked.

"The tiger was the key," Zane explained. "Only those who helped kill it can enter."

Before they could say more, a deep, resonant hooping sound echoed from within the wall.

A massive horde of beasts burst forth from the transparent gate. The ground shook under their charge—red-eyed deer, hulking bulls, spotted leopards, and other monstrous forms. Each was giant-sized, their rage for the humans before them clear in every movement.

And then came the true threat.

Six towering figures emerged from the back of the horde—larger, more intelligent, their eyes gleaming with cunning. All of them radiated the oppressive presence of two-star corrupted beasts.

The wall solidified into metal once more, sealing the city.

The remaining participants now understood—before they could dream of entry, they'd have to carve their way through this living storm and take down the two-stars leading it.

Around them, hurried voices rose as temporary alliances formed, groups planning to cut through the one-star beasts and strike at the monsters in the rear.

The group of students began dealing with the horde of beasts running toward them.

Zane and his team also joined the hunt.