I walked into Class 2-A, a place that felt both familiar and strangely distant after my five-week absence. The ten seats, arranged in their usual 2x5 format, were all occupied by the academy's most exceptional students. As I stepped in, I felt a few gazes turn my way. The air was charged with a mixture of curiosity and surprise - my return clearly hadn't gone unnoticed.
The classroom itself was unchanged - the sa reinforced walls designed to withstand errant bursts of mana, the sa advanced holo-displays at the front, the sa faint scent of energy-infused cleaning agents used to remove the occasional scorch marks or frost patterns. It was comforting in its predictability.
"Arthur," Lucifer greeted first, his verdant eyes glinting with curiosity. His silver-white hair was slightly longer than when I'd last seen him, falling just above his shoulders now. "I heard you were in a coma. What happened?"
I took my seat beside him—the Rank 1 seat, still mine after all this ti. It was strange how important such a small thing could feel. "Had a run-in with a Bishop," I said, leaning back casually. "He was injured, so I managed to survive."
Lucifer blinked. "Wait, actually? You fought a Bishop?"
I nodded, watching his reaction carefully.
His usual calm deanor cracked for a mont as his eyes widened slightly. Even he, the "Hero," was surprised. The flicker of genuine shock on his face was almost worth the near-death experience.
I smirked a little. In the original story, Lucifer's first real battle against a Bishop ca when he was a high Integration-ranker, a mont that solidified his legend. And yet, here I was, having done it without even reaching Integration-rank. Of course, he ended up defeating the Bishop alone with the Bishop at full power, while I had barely survived a wounded one.
"As expected, you're incredible," Lucifer muttered, shaking his head slightly before resting his chin on his hand. There was genuine respect in his voice, tinged with sothing that might have been concern.
'Says the guy who's already Integration-rank.'
I could feel the shift in his mana. He had fully stepped into that level, while I was still lagging a step behind. The difference was subtle but unmistakable - like comparing a burning candle to a small bonfire. It was only a matter of ti before he left in the dust if I didn't push myself harder.
Before I could say anything, a loud voice interrupted us.
"Arthur! Long ti no see, man!"
Ian Viserion strode up with a wide grin, clapping on the shoulder with enough force to make wince slightly. The dragon-blooded prince radiated warmth—both taphorically and literally. His mana always carried a heat to it, like standing too close to a furnace. His crimson hair seed to glow under the classroom lights, catching fire with every movent.
"Glad to see you're still alive," he added, shaking my hand with a strong grip that would have crushed the fingers of anyone with lesser physical enhancent.
"Of course," I said with a chuckle. "It'll take more than a Bishop to get rid of ."
"That's the spirit!" Ian laughed, his voice filling the classroom. "Next ti, let in on the fight, yeah? My flas could've helped. Would've roasted that Bishop nice and crispy."
I smiled but didn't say anything. If Ian had been there, it would've turned into a full-blown battlefield. The last thing I needed was another future Radiant-ranker getting dragged into my ss. Besides, Ian's idea of "help" usually involved reducing everything within a half-mile radius to smoldering ash.
"Seriously though," he added, his tone dropping slightly as he leaned in. "You good? Heard you were pretty ssed up."
"I'm fine now," I assured him. "Just needed so ti to recover."
He nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer. "Well, don't go hogging all the glory next ti. So of us want a crack at those Cult bastards too."
As Ian and Lucifer continued talking, I glanced around the classroom, taking stock of my other classmates.
Ren Kagu was watching . Not in an obvious way, but his violet eyes lingered on longer than necessary before he turned his attention back to his notebook. He never said much, and right now was no exception. His white hair fell across his face, partially obscuring his expression, but I caught the calculating gleam in his eyes.
He was analyzing .
Ren wasn't like the others. He didn't waste ti on small talk or pleasantries—he watched, calculated, and waited.
And then there was Clana.
As usual, she was sleeping. Head down, arms crossed, her slow, steady breathing making it clear she had absolutely no intention of participating in whatever chaos the rest of us were stirring up. Her long navy blue hair spilled across her desk like a curtain.
No one questioned it anymore. We just accepted that Clana operated on a different plane of existence than the rest of us.
And well, I didn't have to ntion Jin who was pointedly ignoring .
Then there were the four girls - Rachel, Cecilia, Seraphina, and Rose. They kept stealing glances at when they thought I wasn't looking. Cecilia was the most obvious, turning fully in her seat to flash a brilliant smile. Rachel was more subtle, watching from the corner of her eye with that familiar smirk playing on her lips. Seraphina maintained her usual composure, but her ice-blue gaze lingered a mont longer than necessary. And Rose seed to be trying very hard not to look at at all, which only made her furtive glances more noticeable.
I sighed. So things never changed.
It was good to be back, despite everything. The familiarity of these rivalries, friendships, and whatever complicated thing I had with the four girls was oddly comforting after weeks of recovery.
Finally, the door slid open as Professor Nero stepped inside. Conversation imdiately died down, everyone straightening in their seats - except Clana, who continued to sleep peacefully.
Ian moved back to his seat as the professor reached the center of the front of the class. Nero looked exactly as I rembered him - immaculately dressed in the Academy's official instructor uniform, his grey hair neatly trimd, his posture rigid with military precision. The only sign of the passing weeks was perhaps a few more lines around his eyes.
"Welco back everyone," he said, his eyes turning to , lingering for a mont with an unreadable expression. "And especially you, Arthur. I hope your fall break was fulfilling."
There was a hint of dry humor in his tone that wasn't lost on . My "fall break" had involved a coma and extensive healing. Hardly fulfilling in the traditional sense.
"Now, as you know, we have two main events this half of the sester," Nero continued, activating the holo-display with a gesture. A calendar materialized in the air, key dates highlighted in glowing red. "We have your second practical evaluation which will technically be your third mission that you will undertake. And we have the Inter-Academy Festival."
The ntion of the festival caused a ripple of excitent through the class. The annual competition between the world's top academies was a prestigious event, one that attracted attention from the highest levels of governnt and military.
"Your second practical evaluation will be in two weeks, so you don't have much ti till that," Nero warned, his expression growing more serious. "This ti, you will be taking more dangerous missions near the borders."
"Near the borders?" Rachel repeated as Nero nodded.
Everyone's expressions darkened. The atmosphere in the room shifted, the earlier excitent replaced by tension so thick you could almost taste it.
After all, the borders being ntioned by Nero were the borders between the continents and the lands ruled by miasmic beasts and the cults. These weren't just geographical boundaries - they were frontlines in humanity's ongoing war against extinction.
"Yes, the borders," Nero confird, his voice taking on a harder edge. "The Academy believes that after your two mission experiences, you're ready for more challenging assignnts. You will be operating in teams of two to three, with support from regular military units, but your objectives will be independent."
"Will we choose our own partners?" Lucifer asked, glancing around the room.
Nero shook his head. "Partners will be assigned based on complentary abilities and your individual performance trics from previous missions. We're looking to balance strengths and compensate for weaknesses."
Reviews
All reviews (0)