The lecture hall buzzed with tired chatter as students filed in after their grueling morning training session. Levi's muscles ached from the intense physical exertion, but his mind remained sharp and alert, eager for the academic challenge ahead.
In the Favored Ones Academy, classes were typically assigned based on students' interests and their ranks within the rigorous hierarchy. However, as freshn yet to be sorted into specific tracks, they had been directed to gather in the small auditorium for their first theoretical lesson.
Levi arrived to find the room already bustling with activity. Many of his peers had claid the pri seating locations, but he breathed a sigh of relief when he spotted familiar faces. Toby and Ryn had saved him a spot between them, while Alex occupied the row directly behind.
"General Strategic Theory and Defense," Ryn read aloud from the holographic display on his wrist, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Taught by Professor Vale."
As soon as the words left Ryn's mouth than the classroom doors slid open with a pneumatic hiss. A tall, imposing figure strode purposefully onto the raised platform at the front of the room. The man's salt-and-pepper hair and sharp, calculating gaze commanded instant respect.
"Today's session will be practical," Professor Vale announced without preamble, his voice cutting through the remaining murmurs of conversation. "Form groups of six. Imdiately."
The abrupt command caught many off guard, but the students quickly began to shuffle into formations. Levi found himself automatically clustering with Toby, Ryn, and Alex, grateful for the familiar faces in this sea of uncertainty.
As Levi scanned the room, seeking two more mbers to complete their group, his gaze locked onto a sight that made his heart skip a beat.
There, moving with practiced grace through the crowd, was a girl with striking silver-white hair that fell to her shoulders in precise layers. Her uniform remained impeccable despite the morning's intense training regin.
And her face, it was familiar!
Levi's mind raced, trying to reconcile the image before him with a mory that had been etched into his consciousness.
'Wasn't her hair blue?' he wondered, unable to tear his eyes away.
He was certain this was the sa girl he had encountered upon first entering Paradise – the prodigy who had been among the first to form a contract with a god, she had left quite a strong impression for him to forget. Yet the vibrant blue locks he rembered had been replaced by this ethereal silver.
"We need two more," Toby's voice cut through Levi's thoughts, snapping him back to the present mont.
Before Levi could respond, the silver-haired girl approached their cluster, another student trailing in her wake. For a fleeting mont, Levi's pulse quickened, hoping she might recognize him from their brief encounter in Paradise.
"You'll do," she stated coolly, her tone leaving no room for argunt. "I'm Lysandra."
Without waiting for introductions or consent, Lysandra smoothly positioned herself at the head of their table. Her piercing silver eyes swept over each mber of the group, lingering on Levi with a hint of suspicion that made him shift uncomfortably.
The rest of the team seed too stunned by Lysandra's commanding presence to voice any objections. Before anyone could gather their wits to speak, Professor Vale's authoritative voice filled the auditorium once more.
"Follow ," he instructed, already striding towards the exit. As the class fell into step behind him, Vale continued his briefing.
"This exercise is designed to develop your skills in formulating defense strategies against portal breaches. We will simulate a scenario where monsters from Paradise have crossed into Earth. Your team's objective is to protect a civilian settlent."
The professor paused, allowing the gravity of the situation to sink in before elaborating further. "You must strategize as if your team is in close proximity to the breach. I want to hear your imdiate response plans."
A tense silence fell over the group as they processed the challenge before them. It was Lysandra who broke the quiet, her voice cutting through the air with laser-like precision.
"First and foremost," she began, not bothering to consult with her teammates, "we must gather intelligence on our enemy. Monsters, while formidable, are ultimately predictable – they follow base instincts. Our initial step would be to identify the type of monster we're dealing with and ascertain any potential weaknesses."
Professor Vale's sharp gaze fixed on Lysandra, and he gave a curt nod, silently urging her to continue.
"There are two primary scenarios we must consider," Lysandra pressed on, her analytical mind clearly in its elent. "The first possibility is that an overwhelmingly powerful monster has appeared – one that the stronghold's defenses simply couldn't withstand. In such a case, our options would be severely limited."
Her words sent a ripple of unease through the gathered students, but Lysandra remained unphased. "The second, and potentially more serious scenario, is that soone has deliberately manipulated the portal to cause this breach. In this instance, the monsters themselves might not pose the greatest threat.
Instead, we'd need to be on high alert for demonic followers who could be orchestrating the attack from the shadows."
Lysandra's voice hardened, taking on an edge that made Levi's skin prickle.
"Demonic followers are humanity's most dangerous enemy. They corrupt everything they touch, perverting powers ant for protection into weapons of unimaginable destruction." Her silver eyes flashed with an intensity that bordered on zealotry. "The only viable solution when facing demonic followers is complete and utter elimination."
"Isn't that... a bit extre?" Toby's whispered question gave voice to the unease that had settled over the group. "Not all demonic followers chose their path willingly. We've seen cases where–"
Lysandra cut him off before he could finish, her tone brooking no argunt. "Choice is irrelevant in this matter," she stated flatly. "They are all threats to humanity's survival. The only solution is swift and total eradication."
Before the tension could escalate further, Professor Vale's commanding presence drew their attention once more. "We're moving to the practical portion of today's lesson," he announced. "Follow to the training grounds."
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