The atmosphere outside the throne room was grimr than one would expect.
Despite over seventy strong reinforcents having appeared, no one thought of this as a good thing. They all knew their instructors too well to think of this as a "miracle".
The first- and second-years who had arrived had serious expressions plastered on their faces. The previous night, they had all simultaneously received a ssage requesting them to be prepared for a final event. This event was to be exclusive to students who hadn’t been eliminated during the exam and required them to be on standby while the third-years conducted their exam.
Originally, they didn’t know what the event entailed, but at this point, it no longer mattered.
Looking around, Kate observed the structure of the Demon King’s castle. She never thought she would have to return to this accursed field.
With a sigh, she started organizing the other first-year students. She knew that the coming battle would not be easy and that they would need a plan if they were to stand a chance.
Gwen and her team also stared at their reinforcents, a mix of emotions swelling within them. They also knew that the academy doesn’t give out free aid, having been under its care for so long.
As far as they saw it, the academy might’ve just told them that they needed this much if they wanted to stand a chance.
"Just how strong is the Demon King?" Landur sighed as he leaned back against the railing.
"Who knows?" Jayce added as he folded his arms, observing the other students gathering in organized formations under Kate’s orders. "Damn, she’s good."
"Mhm," Gwen nodded in agreent. She had seen Kate’s performance from the broadcast, but hadn’t had the chance to interact with her personally. Seeing her in person really put into perspective how much command she had over the other students.
"What else is there to say? As expected of the Blackheart Guild’s heir," Landur shrugged.
"Still doesn’t quite match up to our Junior though~" Hana added with a smirk.
"Heh, you can’t compare anyone to Junior. That’s like trying to compare a dragon and a human. They’re completely different."
"Pff! Speaking of which, where is Junior? I haven’t seen him at all for the exam," Hana pointed out as she scanned through the crowd of students. "Did he not participate this year?"
"Probably not," Landur shook his head. "I doubt the academy could co up with an exam that could challenge him while still being fair to the other students."
"Mhm, I guess that makes sense."
While the group was talking among themselves, they noticed a figure flying towards them. All of them were slightly dazed when they saw the elegant fairy land before them.
Unlike the first- and second-years, they weren’t often at the academy and barely had any ti to interact with their otherworldly transfer students. This could be considered the first ti they were seeing them up close.
"You’re...Sylph, right?" Gwen called out, rembering her na from the recent exam.
"Mhm! That’s !" Sylph nodded as she moved over without another word, approaching the wounded Hana. She stretched out her hands, and to the amazent of the others, the wound left behind from their battle with the Gatekeeper miraculously began to heal.
"Holy..."
"This is...amazing."
Everyone stared wide-eyed as Hana’s wound closed up completely, leaving no trace behind except the blood that had already bled out.
"All done! Next!" Sylph finished the treatnt as she turned to the other injured mbers of the team. In what was almost an instant, the group of third-years began to feel slightly more optimistic about their chances of winning the battle.
While Sylph moved among the wounded, healing them, the live broadcast’s comnt section exploded. With everyone gathered before the throne room, all eyes were fixed on the bridge—and Sylph’s actions did not go unnoticed.
[Wow, that’s completely broken...]
[She brought them back from the brink of death!]
[She really is the best!]
[Man, I wish I had a healer like her in my party. So many could’ve been saved...]
People praised Sylph, marveling at her healing power. Even though it wasn’t the first ti they had seen it, the sight never beca less astonishing.
[But seriously, what is the academy thinking? Throwing the entire student body against one enemy seems like overkill.]
[For real—are they trying to make the finale easy?]
[Maybe it’s a reward for those who made it this far?]
[Doubt it... The instructors aren’t that kind.]
[Speaking from experience?]
Various opinions swirled across the livestream, with most viewers questioning how challenging the fight could possibly be to warrant gathering every student.
They all distinctly rembered the Demon King’s challenge from two days before and the deep impression he had left. Many speculated he would be around Martial Master level, though so doubted even that, wondering whether students at their current level could defeat such an opponent.
In the end, most decided to simply wait and see, their attention fixed on the livestream.
***
Back on the bridge, a holographic ssage had been sent to everyone’s wristwatch. On it, was a clock counting down and a line of text.
{Ti until Demon King’s Seal is broken: 4 minutes and 5 seconds.}
Kate stepped forward as the countdown continued to tick down in everyone’s vision. The bridge gradually fell silent as attention converged on her.
She took a deep breath as pressure built but stayed composed as she began.
"We don’t know how strong the Demon King is," she said evenly. "Only that he’s humanoid, intelligent, and no longer fully empowered."
Her gaze swept across the gathered students.
"So we assu the worst."
She raised a hand, and the holographic projection shifted into a simple layered diagram she had hastily prepared just monts before.
"If we are to win—no, if we are to stand a chance—we’ll have to work together." Her words flowed naturally, drawing all eyes to her with a hard-to-replicate charisma.
"Third-years will form the vanguard. High and mid-rank Martial Warriors will take the front. Your job isn’t to kill the Demon King—it’s to hold your ground, test his output, and force him to reveal patterns."
Gwen and the other third-years nodded, quickly understanding her intent.
"Second-years," Kate continued, eyes shifting to Zeke and his peers, "you’re the pressure core. You reinforce weak points, rotate in when the front line is forced back, and punish openings. Zeke—you anchor this layer."
Zeke t her gaze with a smirk and nodded.
"Roger that!"
Kate acknowledged him before turning to the first-years, her tone blunt.
"You do not charge."
So stiffened at that, but she didn’t pause.
"You form strike and control units in the third layer. High-rank apprentices will act as mobile harassers. Disrupt, blind, and slow the enemy before retreating. The Demon King is speculated to be a Martial Master—engaging at your level would only weaken our forces."
Her words struck a chord, but they all nodded. They knew all too well how monstrous the gap could be when soone vastly outclassed them.
Next, Kate faced the fairies and one additional first-year.
"Iris, Bramble, and Bradford—you three stay near the edges of the second layer. When an opening appears, hit hard and pull back imdiately. Do not overstay your position."
They each nodded in response, Iris quietly clenching her fist as she thought about the Demon King who had imprisoned her. She’ll definitely get her revenge this ti.
"Finally, Sylph." Kate’s tone turned serious. "You are to stay between the second and third layers, constantly moving. The Demon King must not get near you—and those nearby must prioritize your protection."
Kate’s sharp tone made the reason clear without further explanation.
"Additionally, prioritize your buffs on those engaging the Demon King directly."
Sylph nodded in acknowledgnt.
Kate exhaled, steadying herself as she checked the remaining ti.
{Ti until Demon King’s Seal is broken: 1 minute and 55 seconds.}
Her eyes returned to the crowd for a final reminder. "This isn’t about overpowering him or claiming victory outright. It’s about surviving longer than he expects, bleeding him dry, and striking only when we’re sure. We don’t know exactly what awaits us, but this way... we might survive."
With the order given,
all that remained was to ntally prepare for the coming battle. No matter what the Demonic Instructors threw at them, they would survive and prevail!
"Move out!"
At her final command, everyone organized into ranks, positioning themselves according to the strategy. With less than ten seconds left, all had fallen into place.
Kate stood at the front, slightly behind the third-years leading the charge.
BOOOM!
As the tir hit zero, a massive shockwave rippled through the castle, with the throne room as its epicenter.
The purple runes covering the gate faded into tiny specks before vanishing entirely.
Whoosh!
The gates parted with a loud creak, white mist seeping through the cracks.
Creak...
They swung inward, revealing an almost pitch-black interior that seed to invite them in.
Cautiously, the vanguard advanced, everyone else following behind.
Eyes scanned the darkness, struggling to adjust.
Once the last student crossed the threshold—
Bang!
The gates slamd shut, plunging the room into total darkness.
Swoosh!
Green fire lit the braziers along the wide pathway, casting a dim glow over their surroundings.
In the faint light, they could just make out a large carpet leading forward. To either side, pillars supported the ceiling, stretching toward the far end of the throne room where the faint outline of a throne was visible.
The corridor’s end lay too far from the light to see clearly, but the shape of a person seated there was unmistakable.
"So, you’ve arrived."
A deep voice echoed through the chamber, sending shivers down every spine. Another row of braziers lit, extending the path further. Nerves tensed as the lights advanced, row by row.
"I see you killed the Horsen. Were you trying to weaken ?"
The voice held a hint of anger.
"Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter." The voice suddenly stated, its tone shifting to a calr one, "Even weakened, you still won’t be able to defeat . HAHAHA!"
Laughter filled the hall, growing louder as the lights crept closer to the throne.
When the final brazier ignited, the Demon King’s true form was revealed to all. A pair of horns crowned his head, above which floated a violet crown of flas. He was clad in black armor—
Shocked expressions swept through the party.
The Demon King’s laughter slowly faded. His purple eyes flickered blue for the briefest mont before a wide, predatory smile spread across his pale face.
"Well? What shall it be? Do you make the first move... or shall I?"
As the Demon King taunted, morale began to plumt.
"There’s no way..."
"Damn those instructors..."
"This is hopeless. We were never ant to win."
"What happened to ’Martial Master’? This is far worse..."
Staring at the Demon King’s smirking face, even Kate felt her confidence waver. The plan she had so carefully crafted had completely fallen apart in the face of their enemy.
She didn’t need to see it in action to know it would fail.
And it was all because of the figure on the throne—the Demon King.
Gritting her teeth, she suddenly recalled all the signs: his disappearance before the exams, his refusal to say where he’d been, the hints he’d left behind...
Rembering it all made her burn with fury.
Just then, soone from the back lines voiced the thought now screaming in everyone’s mind:
"W-Why the hell is it Lake?!"
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