Samuel raised his spear.
And then—
It came.
Not just crashing through the forest—
The forest gave way to it.
Trees didn't simply break; they were uprooted, torn from the earth as if something divine and absolute had forced its way into the world. The ground trembled under its presence, cracks spreading outward with each step it took.
A lion.
No—
Something far beyond that.
Its body was vast, easily towering over the surrounding trees, every movement carrying a weight that felt ancient. Its fur wasn't just white—it shimmered, almost radiant, like polished ivory under sunlight that didn't exist in this dark forest.
A mane flowed around its three heads, not like hair, but like drifting strands of light, each thread glowing faintly as if it carried a will of its own.
Three heads.
Each one distinct.
One burned with a calm, regal gaze—eyes like molten gold, watching everything with quiet authority.
One snarled, its fangs bared, breath heavy, carrying a violent, destructive aura that made the air tremble.
And the last—
Silent.
Still.
Its eyes were closed.
Yet somehow—
It felt like that was the most dangerous one of all.
With every breath it took, the air distorted.
With every step, the ground yielded.
This wasn't just a creature.
It felt like a king.
Samuel tightened his grip on his spear, his stance lowering slightly as he faced it head-on.
"Selena—bind its legs!"
His voice cut through the chaos, sharp and immediate.
From the trees—
A series of arrows shot out.
Fast.
Precise.
Selena Thorne.
Each arrow struck the ground around the beast, and in an instant, dark bindings erupted upward—coiling, twisting around the lion's legs like living chains.
For a brief moment—
It worked.
The creature halted.
Its massive frame restrained.
Then—
It roared.
All three heads at once.
The sound alone shattered the bindings partially, the ground beneath it cracking further as it struggled, muscles tensing, power building within its body.
Reinheart let out a low breath as he stepped back.
"…Haah… what a creature."
Even Yelena retreated a step, lightning flickering uncertainly around her blade.
It was too big.
Too much.
Samuel didn't move.
Didn't step back.
He only tightened his grip on the spear, eyes locked onto the beast—completely focused.
Then—he spoke.
Samuel's grip tightened around his spear.
His entire stance shifted—lower, grounded, like he was anchoring himself against something far greater than himself.
Then—
He screamed.
"Infernal Cataclysm: Spear of the Sunfall!"
The name alone seemed to weigh on the air.
Heat gathered.
Not like flame—
Like a collapsing star being forced into a single point.
The tip of his spear ignited—blazing gold, then burning deeper into something almost white-hot, the surrounding air warping violently as if reality itself struggled to contain it.
And then—
He moved.
Samuel leapt.
The ground beneath him didn't just crack—
It collapsed.
A crater formed instantly where he had stood, the force of his launch sending a shockwave tearing through the jungle. Trees bent, snapped, and were flung outward as the air itself was displaced.
He rose—
High.
Higher than the canopy.
For a brief moment—he looked like a falling star.
Then—
He came down.
The spear descended with him, dragging a trail of blazing light through the sky—like the sun itself had been torn free and hurled downward.
And when it hit—
The world broke.
A blinding explosion swallowed everything.
The impact didn't just hit the lion—
It erased the space around it.
The ground caved in violently, forming a massive crater that spread outward in layers, each wave ripping through the forest. Trees were uprooted instantly, thrown like splinters. The earth split open in jagged lines stretching far into the distance.
The sound came after.
A deafening, crushing roar that made ears ring and lungs seize.
For a few seconds—
There was nothing but dust.
Smoke.
And silence.
Then—
The dust began to clear.
Slowly—
The shape emerged.
Samuel.
On one knee.
His spear embedded into the ground, supporting his weight as his shoulders rose and fell heavily.
And in front of him—
One of the lion's heads—
Gone.
Not damaged.
Not injured.
Crushed.
Completely obliterated by the impact.
For a moment—
It looked like he had done it.
Then—
The lion moved.
The remaining heads lifted.
And it roared.
Not in pain—
In rage.
The air twisted violently as all three heads inhaled at once—
Then—
They exhaled.
A massive wave of energy—fire mixed with something far denser—poured out, consuming everything in front of it. The ground melted, trees disintegrated instantly, the attack sweeping across the jungle like a natural disaster.
Samuel's eyes widened.
He couldn't move in time.
The blast hit him—
And sent him flying.
His body tore through the air, smashing through trees one after another before finally crashing into the distance.
"—SAMUEL!!"
Selena's voice broke as she sprinted forward, not hesitating for even a second as she rushed toward where he had fallen.
Reinheart watched it all.
Then exhaled softly.
"…Hm~"
He turned slightly, already stepping back.
"I don't think I want to deal with that."
"Tch." Yelena's grip tightened. "Coward."
Reinheart glanced at her, unfazed.
"What?" he said lightly. "You want to fight that thing, go ahead."
His eyes flicked back to the lion—still standing, still overwhelming.
"…That's easily around B+ rank."
Another step.
Then another.
Even he—
Was choosing distance.
____
Reinheart turned—already choosing to leave.
Then—
His step stopped.
No.
It didn't stop.
It locked.
Like his body had forgotten how to move.
His eyes widened—completely.
Not the usual amused curve.
Not curiosity.
This time—pure shock.
"…"
Yelena's voice caught in her throat before it could even form.
Reina's breath hitched—sharp, audible—as her eyes stretched wide, pupils trembling.
Samuel—who had just stood against that lion—felt his entire body go rigid, fingers tightening around his spear as if it were the only thing keeping him grounded.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Because something had just changed.
Reinheart slowly turned back.
And saw it.
The divine lion—
No.
It wasn't gone.
It was being held.
Overpowered.
Reduced to prey.
A serpent.
A colossal, breathtaking, terrifying serpent.
Its body stretched endlessly through the jungle, coils layered like flowing shadows made solid. Its scales shimmered—not dull, not rough—but beautiful. Each one reflected a deep midnight hue, threaded with faint streaks of violet light that pulsed slowly, like a heartbeat beneath its skin.
It was mesmerizing.
Almost divine.
If not for what it was doing.
It curled tighter around the lion.
Effortless.
Absolute.
Then—
CRUNCH.
Its jaws came down.
One of the lion's heads disappeared completely between its fangs.
The sound echoed—wet, heavy, final.
The lion shrieked.
Not a roar.
A scream.
It struggled—burned—thrashed—
But it meant nothing.
The serpent tightened again.
CRUNCH.
More of it vanished.
Piece by piece.
Like it had already lost.
"…What… is that…?"
Reinheart's voice came out low.
Uncertain.
For the first time.
The serpent paused.
Just for a moment.
Then—
Its eye shifted.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
Toward them.
Pressure.
It dropped instantly.
Not gradual.
Not building.
Just—there.
A crushing weight slammed down on all of them at once.
Reina's legs gave out first—she dropped to her knees, her hands hitting the ground as she struggled to even breathe.
"…gh—!"
Reinheart staggered, his posture breaking as his body was forced down slightly, his usual composure cracking as his grin vanished completely.
Yelena clenched her sword with both hands, lightning flickering wildly—but even she couldn't move forward.
Samuel's grip tightened violently, his entire body trembling as he forced himself to stay standing.
This wasn't fear.
This was something deeper.
Instinct.
Their bodies screaming at them to run.
Then—
A voice.
Cutting through the suffocating pressure.
"…That's…"
They all turned.
I stepped forward slowly.
Each step uneven.
My body still wrecked from before, one hand clutching my side as blood slipped between my fingers.
Even breathing felt heavy here.
"…Nyxtharion."
I exhaled sharply.
"…The ruler of this jungle."
The serpent's gaze shifted.
Locked onto me.
For a second—
The pressure grew heavier.
"—cough—!"
I winced slightly, forcing myself to stay upright.
A pause.
"That thing…"
My voice stayed calm.
"…is not something we can defeat."
Their eyes stayed on the serpent.
"…It's easily A+ rank."
A small breath.
…No.
In the real world…
…it would probably be SS+.
Silence.
Heavy.
Unmoving.
Samuel tightened his grip.
With Selena supporting him, he forced himself back up, spear still in hand despite everything.
No one spoke.
Because now—
They understood.
They weren't fighting for points anymore.
They were standing in front of something they were never meant to face.
But even in front of that abomination—
I smiled.
Not because I thought I could win.
But because I knew someone who could.
From behind my back, I reached—
And pulled someone forward by the scruff of her shirt.
A girl.
Purple hair, slightly messy.
Completely asleep.
Her head tilted to the side, breathing soft, undisturbed—like none of this chaos even existed.
Reina's eyes widened immediately.
"…Alyssa Croft?"
Samuel froze.
"…What are you—"
"Relax," I muttered.
Then—
I casually pulled the pillow out from under her arm.
And threw it.
Straight at the serpent.
It flew—slow, ridiculous—
And tapped against the creature's massive scales.
A beat.
Nothing happened.
Then—
A small tug at my sleeve.
"…Mhm…"
Alyssa stirred.
Her eyes opened slowly, half-lidded, unfocused.
"…Who… are you…" she mumbled.
Then her expression shifted—slightly annoyed.
"Mhm~… my pillow…"
She blinked once.
"…My pillow?"
I pointed.
Straight at the serpent.
"…That thing."
Her gaze followed lazily—
Then stopped.
Her amethyst eyes sharpened.
"…Pillow?"
Yelena's breath caught.
"…You've got to be kidding…"
The serpent moved.
Its massive body rising, coils shifting as its head lifted high into the air. Its jaws began to open, something vast and destructive gathering within.
The pressure spiked.
Even worse than before.
Reinheart stepped back.
Reina struggled to stand.
Samuel tightened his grip.
They were preparing to run.
But I didn't move.
Because I already knew—
Running wouldn't matter.
Not anymore.
To defeat a monster—
You bring something worse.
Alyssa's expression changed.
Completely.
Her eyes—glowing now.
Cold.
Sleepy irritation twisting into something far more dangerous.
"…Are you…" she muttered softly.
"…trying to interrupt my sleep?"
A pause.
Her head tilted slightly.
"…You disgusting snake."
And then—
She rose.
No buildup.
No motion.
Her body simply lifted into the air.
A deep purple aura erupted around her, vast and suffocating, drowning out even the serpent's presence. The jungle bent under it, the air itself distorting violently.
Reinheart's eyes narrowed sharply.
"…So it's true…"
His voice dropped.
"She truly is …"
Unspoken.
But known—among only a few.
The Ducal Houses.
House Croft.
The day Alyssa was born—
A pillar of magic had pierced the sky, swallowing the entire estate.
And when it faded—
She had awakened something that shouldn't exist.
Above—
Alyssa raised her hand.
On it—
A faint mark glowed.
A symbol.
Slow.
Heavy.
Ancient.
The Stigmata of the Demon King of Sloth.
I smiled faintly.
"…The strongest archmage in the future."
Alyssa's voice echoed—
Soft.
Almost bored.
"…Perish."
And the world—
Collapsed.
_____
The light fell.
And it didn't just shine—
It devoured.
Everything in its path was swallowed whole.
Sound disappeared first.
Then the pressure.
Then the very presence of everything around us—
Gone.
I closed my eyes.
Not out of fear.
But because there was nothing left to see.
A faint chime echoed in the distance.
The sound of elimination.
Cold.
Final.
—
When the light faded—
There was no battlefield.
No forest.
No serpent.
No cadets.
Only a vast, hollowed expanse where everything had been erased.
Dust drifted slowly through the air.
Silence followed.
—
At the center of it all—
Alyssa stood.
She blinked once.
Then immediately looked around, slightly confused.
"Mhm…"
Her gaze wandered lazily—
Until—
She spotted it.
Her pillow.
"…m-my pillow…"
She shuffled over, movements slow and uncoordinated, like none of this mattered in the slightest.
"Ah… there it is…"
She picked it up, hugged it close, and without another thought—
Dropped down onto the ground.
Curled slightly.
A soft, blissful smile forming on her face.
Completely at peace.
Completely unaware—
—or uncaring—
Of the shaken world outside.
—
The system flickered.
Updating.
Cold and indifferent.
[Student Rankings]
#1 Alyssa Croft — 250000