Izumi's gaze drifted toward the "Mahō Shōjo Production Manual," and an unmistakably gentlemanly smile bloomed on his face.
This… this is good stuff.
Absolutely premium-quality material for cultivating subordinates. Izumi couldn't help letting out a low, suspicious chuckle.
"Guhihihi… mahō shōjo are the romance of all men…"
He skimmed through the memories that had poured into his mind. If he wanted to craft a magical-girl transformation device, he would still need a variety of rare materials—materials he currently did not possess.
For now, it had to be placed on hold until he gathered everything he needed.
Having verified the new items, Izumi stopped thinking too deeply about them and instead quietly waited for his party members to regain consciousness.
But before anyone woke up, the protective charms hanging from their necks suddenly glowed with pure white light. A large magic circle bloomed beneath the feet of each of the unconscious girls.
Izumi let out a small sigh.
"Looks like the teachers finally figured out something went wrong. Well… guess we're heading back."
As his voice fell, the blinding light swallowed them whole.
The next time Izumi opened his eyes, he was already standing in the middle of the school's transfer hall.
Meanwhile, Megumi, Eriri, Asia, and Koneko were sprawled on the floor—still unconscious.
All around them lay countless other students, injured or collapsed.
Izumi noticed immediately: the number of returnees was far too few.
Roughly one quarter… is gone forever.
He exhaled silently.
Teachers who confirmed the mass return of the students let out a breath of relief—brief relief that froze the moment they looked at the casualty count.
The principal hurried forward.
"Is everyone alright? Anyone who can speak—tell me what happened inside!"
Every teacher wore the same tension on their face.
Especially when they realized so many students hadn't come back—their expressions darkened.
But none of the survivors knew anything.
They described only fragments:
—The sudden quaking.
—Explosions erupting from nowhere.
—Geysers of magma bursting from the ground.
—The protective charms failing completely.
Students near the central zone—near Izumi's battlefield—were almost entirely annihilated.
When no one could answer, the principal sighed in despair. His gaze finally landed on the only student who was completely unharmed, standing tall without a single scratch.
Izumi.
Receiving the principal's gaze, Izumi didn't bother to hide anything. He answered plainly:
"An invader from the EXE World appeared."
"And someone killed it."
The principal froze.
"Ex–EXE World…? Are you certain? You aren't joking?"
Izumi nodded.
"I saw it myself. A mechanical-type lifeform. Who else could it belong to?
But that guy was unlucky—barely crawled out before someone sniped it, and then a massive dragon blasted a finishing move straight through the rift. Their side is probably on the verge of collapse now."
He wasn't lying.
…He simply omitted the fact that he was the "dragon."
The moment Izumi used the Aži Dahāka Experience Card, an overwhelming draconic aura had spilled across the entire realm. Anyone sensitive to ki or magic would have noticed.
So shifting the blame to an "unknown dragon" was the cleanest option.
Even with SSS-level strength, showing off would only create trouble.
Staying low-profile was better.
The principal listened carefully, then bowed deeply.
"…Thank you. That information is invaluable."
"Izumi-kun, you've done us a great service."
He turned sharply toward the staff.
"The trial is hereby suspended! Teachers, begin recounting all students immediately—we must confirm the number of casualties."
"I will be reporting this incident to the higher council!"
With that, he rushed off.
Teachers began treating injured students and tallying the missing.
Many were missing limbs; many were unconscious—but modern healing magic could handle most of it.
A few minutes later, Koneko, Eriri, Megumi, and Asia slowly woke up.
Seeing they were safely back at school, they rushed toward Izumi.
Koneko opened her mouth to ask something—but Izumi quietly raised a hand, signaling her to stay silent.
"Later."
She understood instantly.
Megumi and Eriri didn't ask either. They only remembered Izumi saving them before they fell unconscious.
Asia, once awake, immediately joined the healing team. With her sacred techniques—and the blessed staff Izumi had once crafted for her—she saved dozens of students who would otherwise have died.
Izumi himself wasn't stingy.
He projected dozens of "Ambrosius – All Wounds Shall Be Healed" and handed them to teachers and upperclassmen assisting in the treatment.
The effect was so incredible that several teachers almost dropped the weapon in disbelief.
It was absurdly powerful.
The only flaw: after a certain amount of usage, the staff would crumble into dust and vanish.
But even then, its value in saving lives was immeasurable.
Once healing efforts concluded, the final count came in:
Nearly one hundred students had died.
One entire class had only a few survivors returning… leaving their homeroom teacher devastated.
Izumi's own class, by contrast, had been lucky. Only a few unfortunate students had perished.
A heavy silence swallowed the arena.
No one had expected the trial to turn into a massacre.
Izumi and his four companions quietly followed their homeroom teacher back to their classroom.
The school had already contacted all parents of the deceased students; many were rushing over in panic.
No one blamed the academy.
No one could've predicted the EXE World would invade a sealed training field.
Bad luck—nothing more.
The classroom was drowned in silence.
The homeroom teacher entered with a heavy expression.
"For the next three days, classes are suspended. Go home and rest. We will resume afterward."
"...Yes…"
The response was weak—like air leaking from punctured lungs.
They were just kids.
And yet, forced to witness death head-on.
The teacher sighed deeply. He hoped they would grow stronger from this experience… though his eyes lingered on Izumi.
Izumi stood there utterly unaffected, like nothing had happened at all.
A monstrously reliable student… and starting in three days, he would no longer be part of this class.
The teacher himself was being promoted; a new homeroom teacher would be assigned.
Too many classes had been destroyed.
Reorganization was necessary.