From the moment Professor Scarlett was suddenly appointed as our group's temporary homeroom teacher, nothing made sense. Barely an hour after the news broke, she dragged our entire group out to the Academy's outdoor training grounds. And the reason was as simple as it was terrifying—she wanted to fight me.
"Connor! Are you ready?" she called out, dual training axes in her hands, her expression bright with anticipation.
The axes were made of wood, but no one was foolish enough to feel reassured by that. Not when Scarlett Dreadx—rank 72, monster among monsters—was the one wielding them.
Even the group members watching from afar were confused. Lug and Anastasia exchanged bewildered looks, Lanius's expression was unreadable beneath his helmet, Myael watched with suspicious interest, and Whipney… was asleep.
I sighed and drew my training sword. My forehead tingled—a familiar warning from the Gift.
Scarlett licked her lips like a predator who'd finally cornered the prey she'd been craving.
I had only one thought.
How did this lunatic become my temporary professor?
A Few Days Earlier — The Principal's Office
Scarlett slumped into her seat across from Parcaso, the principal and one of the greatest wizards alive.
"Principal. I came here under one condition: you don't bother me if I don't cause trouble. And I haven't caused any trouble lately."
Merog, the loyal stone golem, trembled at her blunt tone. Parcaso didn't.
"You're right," he said calmly. "Which is why I'm here with a proposal."
Scarlett narrowed her eyes. She knew better than anyone—proposals from this man were never simple.
"Professor Master Muscle is bedridden from an injury during overseas training," Parcaso explained. "His group needs a temporary homeroom teacher. Someone who can immediately take over and guide them."
"Oh, that's rough. But not my problem," she said, already half-standing. "Get Philo to do it."
Parcaso didn't bother arguing. He simply said one line.
"You may decide the class content however you wish."
Scarlett froze.
Turned slowly.
Stared at him, eyes gleaming with barely contained excitement.
"Say that again."
"You may," he repeated, "conduct the classes however you want."
She laughed, low and delighted.
"Don't regret it."
Back to the Training Grounds
And now her "class" was trying to kill me.
"Connor! Charge with the intent to kill!" she shouted, her voice infused with magic.
Before I could even respond, the first axe spun through the air. The Gift screamed a warning.
I dodged by a hair. The impact shook the earth behind me.
"How does a wooden axe hit that hard…?"
Kyle—the regressor in my head—answered instantly.
Scarlett is rank 72. She could butcher Meteors barehanded. A wooden axe is nothing.
The second axe whistled toward my head.
I swung, meeting it with my sword—but the moment steel touched wood, my blade snapped cleanly in two.
The scene overlapped with memories of another broken sword.
A broken weapon meant death.
Scarlett lunged, pulling out her third axe. Her free hand reached toward me.
The Gift screamed again—
But something else did too.
A feeling deeper than instinct. A sense of danger not tied to the axe in front of me… but something behind me.
I closed my eyes.
Filtered out Kyle's shouting.
Listened—
The thud of Scarlett kicking off the ground.
The hum of magic in her breath.
The distant chatter of group members.
And…
The faint, unnatural movement behind my back.
The Gift's warning reached its peak.
I rolled aside—just in time to watch the axe I had deflected earlier rise from behind me, brushing past my ear, flying straight into Scarlett's waiting hand.
She grinned like a warrior finding a rare treasure.
"How did you notice?" she said. "Most wouldn't detect an attack from both the front and the rear."
I lifted my broken sword. "Professor Master Muscle's training helped."
"And how did you do that?" I asked.
Scarlett pointed at the axe she had just caught. It had been stuck in the ground far behind me—far too distant for her to reach without sprinting.
The axe quivered.
Then, without magic, without mana, without any visible force—
It flew back into her hand.
"My Gift," she said proudly. "A stuck axe always returns to me. Simple, right?"
I swallowed.
There was nothing simple about this woman.
Meanwhile — In the Principal's Office
Merog watched Parcaso smoke calmly.
"Are you truly setting Professor Scarlett and Connor against each other?"
Parcaso nodded.
"Scarlett shows no mercy. If anyone can push Connor to reveal what he's hiding, it's her."
He exhaled softly, smoke trailing like ink in water.
"And Connor will have no choice but to show his true strength… whatever it may be."
Back on the Field
Scarlett twirled her axe, eyes burning with excitement.
"Connor! The next one won't be a warning!"
My forehead tingled again.
This class… was going to kill me.
And somehow, that wasn't even the worst part.