Rose folded her arms, her eyes narrowing slightly. "So, did you train Jerry? Or did you just skip training altogether?"
Jerry leaned back with a carefree smile. "Well, I did train with Alastor for a bit, but honestly… I was in Hawaii having fun most of the time." His voice carried a nonchalant edge, as if the matter barely concerned him.
Michael, standing nearby, frowned. "Hawaii? That's an expensive place to spend your days. Most people there are ridiculously wealthy."
Jerry burst into laughter and patted Michael on the shoulder. "Hahaha. Rose, why don't you tell him?" He shot her a playful wink.
Rose sighed, clearly unimpressed. "You really love to show off, don't you?" She turned to Michael.
"What's going on?" Michael asked, narrowing his eyes. "What exactly did he do?"
"He technically bought Hawaii," Rose said, exhaling deeply. "So that place isn't expensive to him anymore."
Michael's jaw dropped. "Wait… really? You must be incredibly rich, bro. How did you even manage that?"
Jerry shrugged casually. "I just did it. I have the resources, so why not?"
Before Michael could reply, a cheerful voice broke in. "Hey guys, it's been a while." Angela approached, waving, a basket of sweets in her arms.
"Angela… it's so good to see you again." Rose's eyes lit up as she flew toward her.
"Same here," Angela smiled warmly. "I didn't know you liked blue and white. Your outfit looks so different now."
"How are you all doing? Where's Johnny?" Angela asked, her tone shifting slightly with concern.
"He should be here soon," Rose answered. "We're supposed to gather for the announcement."
"Can't you look for him? Isn't he your brother?" Angela tilted her head, studying Rose. "Also… did you dye your hair?"
"My hair changed during training," Rose replied softly. Then she smiled and pointed at Angela's longer strands. "I could say the same thing about you."
Angela chuckled. "Training was tough, I guess. But you look cool too."
Suddenly, the air rippled with energy as Johnson and Joyce teleported into the room. Johnson stepped forward, facing his sister and friends.
"Hey guys. Sorry I'm late." He raised a hand in greeting.
"Johnny!" Angela exclaimed. She rushed into his arms, hugging him tightly.
Johnson's expression softened, though his voice carried a colder, more mature tone than before. "Angela… it's so good to see you again." He gently patted her back.
"Hey, don't you dare forget about me," Rose cut in sharply, blasting Johnson with a sudden burst of energy.
Johnson absorbed the attack with his right hand, unshaken. "Stop throwing blasts, Rose. That's not nice." His gaze swept over the room.
"It seems a lot of people participated in training. How was yours, dear?" Johnson asked, patting Angela lightly on the shoulder.
"Mine was hectic," Angela pouted, twirling her hair. "I had to train with Miss Dawne. She's way too strict and playful tho."
"Why don't we all talk about this after the announcement?" Joyce suggested as she floated closer.
"You can fly? What the hell! Why can you fly like me?" Rose hovered beside Joyce, glaring at her.
"Of course I can. Do you have a problem with that?" Joyce crossed her arms.
"Yes I do. How can you do most of the things I can do? It's not fair." Rose pouted, twirling her blue hair.
"It seems everyone changed after training," Johnson remarked, pointing at Jerry.
"Hey, don't point at me. I didn't change anybody." Jerry frowned.
"But you definitely didn't train, did you?" Johnson accused. "You're the only one who still looks the same."
"What? Do you think I'm some kind of alien who changes form after simple training?" Jerry snapped back.
"If you did train, what kind of training was it?" Michael began, but his words were cut short when George stepped forward.
"Good morning, students. I believe you are all ready for your final training."
"Final training?" The crowd murmured, restless and curious.
"Silence!" The vice principal's voice thundered across the hall. "This training will be a written test. It will cover everything you've been taught and real life situations you may encounter...whether it's facing a threat or aiding someone in need."
"When is the test starting?" one student asked.
"In a few hours," George replied. "It will be held in the upper floors."
"This is meaningless," Tony sighed, scratching his head.
"Why do you say that?" Joyce asked, her eyes narrowing.
"What's the point of a written test when we already know what to do?" Tony muttered.
Joyce turned back to him suddenly. "That reminds me… Tony, I hope you didn't go too hard on her."
Tony looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"That sky-blue-haired girl in the white multicolored suit. The one I told you is Johnson's sister," Joyce clarified.
"Oh… her. She definitely has potential. She's strong, and I'm proud of her for that." Tony's expression softened.
"You all should start resting and revising everything you've learned," George declared before leaving. "The test begins soon."
"Thank you, Vice Principal!" the students chorused in unison.
Joyce sighed in relief. "You sound very pleased by her. I thought you would have blasted her away immediately."
"Oh, I did," Tony admitted. "But I didn't expect her to come back with even more stamina. She's strong, though she still doesn't know how to use her abilities perfectly."
"How was your training, Michael?" Angela asked with concern.
Michael winced. "Well… Rose and I trained with Tony."
"You sound scared. Was it really that bad?" Angela asked.
"Yes it was," Michael admitted quickly.
Rose laughed softly. "But it was fun too, in a way."
"Why don't you tell us how it went down?" Jerry urged, walking closer to Johnson and the group.
"Only those who actually trained get to share," Johnson teased, pouting. "You didn't train, so you don't deserve to know."
"The real question is..who's going to be able to train you?" Angela asked slyly.
"Kufufufu." A strange laugh echoed as Alastor materialized nearby.
"What the hell? Where did he come from?" Michael exclaimed.
"I've been here the whole time, listening to your chatter. I couldn't help but laugh," Alastor said, covering his mouth as he chuckled.
"So creepy," Rose and Angela muttered in unison.
"Hey, that's not fair!" Alastor protested.
"Shouldn't you all go revise or something? The test questions are hard. You won't be allowed to cheat," Joyce reminded them.
"Wait, there's a test?" Johnson and Jerry shouted together.
"Yes, there's a test. Didn't the vice principal just announce it? Where were you two?" Joyce asked, glaring at them.
Jerry only smirked. "Then I have nothing to fear. I believe I've already passed."
"That's cheating!" Johnson cried.
"Hahaha. I didn't cheat. I simply believe I'll pass. Is that really so wrong?" Jerry grinned at him.
"Well then… I'll pass because I want to pass," Johnson said stubbornly, pouting.
"Am I the only one seeing the tall red-haired guy standing near Jerry?" Michael asked suddenly.
"Oh, that's Alastor, Jerry's butler," Rose whispered. "I heard they're very close."
"I see…" Michael muttered, wide-eyed.
"So, Angela, what was your training like?" Jerry asked again.
"My training wasn't too hard. I trained with an elf."
"Who was that?" Johnson asked curiously.
"Her name was Dawne. She was very kind. She taught me how to heal for longer periods."
Michael's eyes widened in realization. "Dawne… I heard she's the fourth strongest mage of the Elite Gold Class. She can heal any wound, no matter how severe. And she's an elf?"
"Yes. She was strict but also playful and kind," Angela replied. "She also taught me how to transfer pain into another source while healing, since I take on damage myself each time I heal. She even showed me how to use nature magic and create weapons. Like this."
Angela conjured a gleaming sword into her hand. "Scion," she whispered as the blade shimmered in the air.
"That looks amazing," Johnson said, admiring the weapon.
Jerry turned to Rose with a grin. "What about you, Rose? How did your training go?"
Rose scratched her hair nervously as light flashed in her eyes. "Well… it went down like this."