'Hmm... Everything looks to be in order now to check on the students, make sure they're all here... Looks like it...'

Mars gave a nod as the train arrived at the platform, gradually slowing down before it came to a stop

"Alright everyone gather around!"

Mars called the students that soon gathered then they boarded the train after Mars showed his papers to the personal onboard the train, they were quickly shown to a waggon which was reserved for their use and sat down and waited for the train to depart which it soon did, as the rhythmic sound of the train continued Mars had to struggle to stay awake as he had not slept (but meditated) in the last month, so instead of sitting down he stood up and walked around and chatted with the students for the entire 3 hour trip. Soon the train stopped and Mars along with the group of students got off the train as they had reached their destination, Mars stretched as soon as they stepped out of the train and stifled a yawn before he lead the group onwards out of the city (which name Mars didn't bother remembering).

As soon as they left the gates of the city, the group of students began quieting down as they knew that dangers lived outside the walls of the cities from which they had been raised, as all of them were students of the academy they were from rather well off families thus they had not left the protection of the city walls that often. Mars gave a chuckle at their nervousness, there was only one way to learn how to fare in the wilds and that was something which the academy had planned to teach them during the field trip, Mars tried to ease the tension on the way but had little success as the group of students still looked around looking rather frightened so Mars decided not to bother about it and simply followed the map he had been given towards the meeting point which they reached half an hour later

"And here we are, put down your luggage and relax for a bit"

Mars also put down his luggage and sat down on the gra.s.s as he closed his eyes and began meditating again, or at least he would have liked to as a teacher in charge of one of the other groups approached him

"Mars do you have some time now?"

Mars reluctantly opened his eyes and gave a nod before he followed the teacher a little ways away from the group of students and asked

"So what's up?"

"... Well we have found traces of the bandits already and so we are putting together a group of teachers that will be able to defend in case they attack us before we enter the forest"

Mars gave a nod

"Count me in, I always love a good fight"

"I see, well we're glad to have you, the signal is going to be 'marauders', if you hear this word it means that the bandits have been spotted"

"Okay, nice and simple... What about the students?"

"... As cruel as it sounds they will have to fend for themselves while we fight the bandits, but hopefully it won't get to that"

"It won't"

The teacher gave a wry smile at Mars' confidence before he also gave a nod

"You're right it won't get to that..."

Mars pa.s.sed some time trying to sooth the students until it came, a yell in the distance

"Marauders!"

Mars stood up at once and grabbed his broadsword and began slowly and methodically unrolling the cloth that covered the blade, the group of students fell silent seeing this until one of them asked

"What are you doing teacher Mars?"

"I'm going to take care of some problems, remain alert and be sure to run instead of fighting and for the 13th sake keep together"

"... Okay"

Looking at the hardened face that the student had Mars gave a calm smile and stomped his foot instantly burning a large magic formation in the gra.s.s below the students, then he took out a magic beast core from his backpack and put it on a designated spot

"A formation... What's it for?"

"Just a lucky charm... What's your name?"

"My name is Henrick"

Mars gave a nod as vermilion particles began appearing around him and gradually formed into a set of full vermilion armour before he gave Henrick a pat on the shoulder and spoke to the rest of the students

"Alright listen up, I'll go deal with something, until I return Henrick here is the leader so listen to what he says!"

Mars looked around and confirmed the student's expressions before he gave a nod, swung the broadsword over his shoulder and walked in the direction of the shout, after walking for a few seconds he broke into a light sprint and soon arrived where he had heard the shout and found a group of battle ready teachers. Mars looked at the teachers and saw their nervous expressions and quickly called out to them

"I take it no one here has any experience fighting in groups?... In that case I'll take the lead, just follow me and be sure to show them no mercy, they are bandits out for our students. Remember that!"

Mars looked around at each and every one of the teachers and confirmed their resolve before he gave a nod and cracked his neck, as he did horns grew out from his forehead which startled the teachers some, his eyes also turned from their original baby blue color to vermilion red like his armour just a shade darker before he gave a low growl as a bloodthirsty smile formed on his face

"... Don't mind me I am just a little excited"

Mars looked to the front and took a few steps forward, now standing at the front of the formation of less than 20 teachers. Soon 50 plus bandit like men appeared in front of them, they wore cruel expressions and laughed loudly as they talked about what they were going to do with the young students once they caught them, this made some of the teachers paled while others harden their resolve, soon a large man that seemed to be the leader of the group stepped out front and spoke

"Surrender and we might let you guys live"

Mars gave a smile and activated [Instant movement] as he swung his broadsword and sent out a sword light that flew with blinding speeds and decapitated the leader bandit and cut into the bandits around him that let out howls of pain and fear, it had simply been too fast for them to react and when they did Mars stood in front of the first bandit and swung down his broadsword cleaving the unfortunate bandit's body down the middle splitting it in half from one swing of his sword. Mars' style of sword fighting had changed over the period he had trained 78 now he had s.h.i.+fted from preferring a single edged one handed sword to preferring a broadsword like the one he was using

A howl was heard in the distance, it sounded like something a beast would make, certainly not something a person would make, this made the group of students a little nervous as they looked in the direction of the howl with slight fear but Henrick quickly spoke up

"Calm down, Mars will be back soon"

As he spoke the brushes in front of them shock slightly and a single drunk looking bandit stepped out and scratched his head before he looked over at the students and widened his eyes before he licked his dirty lips and drew out a sword before he began walking over

"Don't come any closer!"

Henrick called out to the bandit as a warning but the bandit ignored him as he kept walking with a creepy smile on his face as he imagined how he was going to carve up the first female student he caught

"Didn't you hear me, I said don't come any closer!"

Henrick kept calling out but to no avail and soon the bandit had entered 'its' range as the magic beast core lit up before it shattered and turned into dust as the energy from it was drained instantly, the energy or rather mana ran through the complex formation that had been burned into the ground with a special flame that left a burned substance that acted like a mana conductor, next the formation really came alive as it lit up with a red glow and a bunch of superheated air began forming above the students quietly like a viper waiting for its prey, then as the bandit crossed the five meter mark and the students were about to run the superheated air suddenly found a target, the bandit and was charged through the air and instantly flowed through the nose of the bandit and down the lungs of the bandit as it cooked his lungs instantly.

The only thing the students saw was that the bandit froze and fell face first smelling a little brunt