Amid the lingering cheers for Team 7, Group 8 made their way over.
Knox led the front, hands casually tucked into his pockets.
"Good job," Knox said with a relaxed grin. "That was a huge improvement each round, hehe."
Claudia nodded in agreement. "Knox is right. Especially your last attempt—your teamwork was amazing."
Cindy stepped forward, eyes sparkling. "Yo, Simon! As expected of my rival! Great job!"
She raised her hand high. Simon couldn't help but laugh. He lifted his palm to meet hers—
Smack!
A loud high-five echoed in the waiting room.
Then—
"Rival?" Knox tilted his head slightly. "Are you still dreaming? Sleepwalking?"
Cindy froze. "What did you say?!"
Knox ignored her and turned toward Merida instead.
"Merida, Merida," he called in a whispering tone, pointing at Cindy. "Did you cast a sleep curse on her?"
Merida blinked lazily. "…I didn't."
She paused.
"…Or… I haven't? Should I?"
She slowly lifted her right hand toward Cindy, her fingers curling open in a subtle casting gesture.
Cindy's face paled instantly.
"HEY—WAIT—WAIT! What kind of team is this?!"
Simon burst out laughing. Even Meilyn couldn't hide a small smile this time.
Rick crossed his arms, smirking. "Honestly, Cindy, that rival line was a bit much."
"What do you mean a bit much?!" Cindy protested. "I was being motivational!"
Knox placed a hand on his chin thoughtfully.
"Motivational… or delusional?"
"YOU—!"
Cindy lunged toward him.
Knox casually stepped aside.
"See? Sleepwalking."
Merida's hand was still half-raised.
"…I can cast it for real, you know."
"MERIDA DON'T YOU DARE!"
The tension that had weighed on Team 7 just moments ago finally dissolved into laughter.
But as the lighthearted banter continued—
A voice echoed through the hall.
—Team 8, please prepare.
The air shifted slightly.
Knox's smile softened.
Cindy lowered her arm.
Claudia adjusted her tie.
Merida let her hand fall.
Group 8 turned toward the training room.
This time—
It was their turn.
When Team 8 was called, the atmosphere inside the waiting room shifted almost instantly.
The noise that had lingered after Team 7's success slowly died down, replaced by a heavy, attentive silence.
Curiosity.
Anticipation.
A subtle trace of jealousy.
Even a faint, unspoken hope from some that they would stumble and fail.
All kinds of emotions tangled together as dozens of eyes turned toward the mana screen.
—We will now begin the simulation battle.
Jane's voice flowed evenly through the speakers, calm as always, yet somehow carrying more weight than before.
On the projection, Team 8 appeared.
Knox.
Claudia.
Cindy.
Merida.
The moment their figures became clear, the training chamber shimmered. Mana pulsed through the walls, and in the blink of an eye, the sterile room dissolved into a vast forest.
Wind rustled through thick leaves. The scent of damp earth seemed almost real.
And then—
Without a single command from Knox—
They moved.
Not hurriedly.
Not chaotically.
But smoothly.
Naturally.
Like a unit that had rehearsed this countless times.
Cindy stepped forward, claiming the front without hesitation.
Claudia shifted to a rear diagonal angle, her position calculated and precise.
Merida glided into her support spot, quiet and steady.
Knox remained centered behind them, composed, observing everything.
The assistant professors exchanged glances.
"…That was fast."
"Very clean positioning."
Jane's crimson eyes sharpened slightly.
For just a brief moment, a faint light flickered within them.
The corner of her lips curved almost imperceptibly.
"Hm. Very disciplined movement," she remarked. "As if a trained team."
The students who had already been impressed felt their breath catch.
Praise from the assistants was one thing.
But from Jane?
That was rare.
A few felt admiration swell inside them.
Others felt something closer to pressure.
And Hector—
"Tch."
He clicked his tongue quietly, arms tightening across his chest.
Just like their presentation before, their formation remained the same.
Cindy as the main combatant.
Knox, Claudia, and Merida as support.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The sound came from deep within the forest.
Heavy. Rhythmic. Approaching.
Branches cracked. Birds burst from the canopy.
Then—
The Cyclops tore through the trees and stepped into view, its massive frame dwarfing the surroundings.
It roared, and the sound reverberated through the simulated forest.
"Alright, guys," Knox said, his tone light but steady. "Just follow what we trained. Believe in yourselves. If not… at least believe me that I believe in you guys~"
He smiled as he said it.
Cindy's cheeks flushed faintly.
Claudia coughed softly, as if nothing had happened.
Merida stayed silent—but whether she was calm or momentarily stunned was hard to tell.
The reactions lasted barely a second.
Then—
All three of them smiled.
Excitement.
Confidence.
High morale rising naturally, without force.
Cindy extended her arm backward.
Darkness condensed in the air behind her like ink swirling in water.
A sleek black scythe materialized, its curved blade gleaming ominously as it dropped perfectly into her grasp.
She twirled it once, testing its weight.
"Hehe. Let's do this!"
The Cyclops roared again—
And the battle began.
Then, Knox slowly lifted his right hand.
"Ari—"
He coughed lightly, as if clearing his throat.
"Come out… Death Knights."
The air beside Knox distorted.
Two subspace portals opened cleanly at his flanks, their edges stable and unnervingly steady, without the slightest flicker of instability that usually accompanied student-level summoning.
From the first portal, a heavily armored figure stepped forward, its metal boots landing on the forest floor with a deep, resonant clang. From the second portal emerged another figure, identical in build and presence.
Fully armored in dark steel that seemed to swallow the surrounding light. Each carried an enormous tower shield, thick enough to resemble a moving wall rather than a defensive tool. Their visors were hollow, yet from within those empty slits, a faint crimson glow flickered like embers buried in ash.
The moment both figures fully materialized, a weight settled over the battlefield.
Even through the screen, the students watching felt it.
It was not merely the presence of undead.
It was compressed pressure. Refined killing intent sealed inside armor.
The Cyclops, which had been roaring arrogantly only seconds ago, slowed its advance almost imperceptibly as its single eye locked onto the two new arrivals.
Then, as if responding to some silent command, both Death Knights let out a low, metallic roar that vibrated through the simulated forest. It was not loud in volume, but it carried a density that made the trees seem to tremble.
With disciplined synchronization, the two stepped forward and brought their massive shields down in front of them, angling them firmly toward the Cyclops. They did not stab them into the ground, but they struck them down with enough force to create a grounded defensive stance, the impact cracking the soil beneath their boots.
It was not an attack.
It was a declaration.
A wall had been erected.
Back in the waiting room, the stunned silence deepened.
"…"
"That's really a Death Knight."
Hector's expression darkened slightly as he watched the scene unfold.
Meanwhile, Knox lowered his hand as casually as if he had just adjusted his sleeve.
Behind him, Claudia adjusted her stance without panic. Merida's gaze sharpened. Cindy's lips curved into a confident grin as she tightened her grip around her scythe.
The Cyclops roared again.
But this time—
It was no longer charging at a single girl.
It was facing a fortress.
And the true battle was about to begin.