Perspective: Elfie
Date: March 16, 2012
Time: 9:01 AM
Location: Asura Academy, Class C Classroom
The black wooden ballot box sat squarely in the center of the teacher's podium, looking like a miniature coffin. 🥺
Instructor Aisha stepped back to the chalkboard, resting her hands inside the flowing sleeves of her emerald robe. Her long silver-blond hair caught the morning sunlight through the high arched windows, and her eyes swept over our 25 desks with patience.
"Your 1 hour begins now."
The heavy classroom door clicked shut behind her, locked from the outside by the academy proctor.
A terrible, suffocating silence dropped over the room.
Nobody moved. Nobody breathed.
My chest felt so tight I could barely draw air. 🥺 60 minutes. Just 60 minutes to choose 1 classmate to throw out of Asura Academy forever.
As Class Representative, I was supposed to be the person leading everyone through crises. I was supposed to have a brilliant answer. But how could anyone choose? Rigel fought his heart out on the frontline. Novenol lead the strike squads. Axel held the rocky passes. Sophia kept half the squad alive with healing magic. Even the quieter students in the back rows had trained to exhaustion during the island trial.
Throwing any of them away felt sickening.
Then a cold, sharp prickle ran down the back of my neck.
What if... somebody tried to choose Kai?
My fingers curled into fists against my thighs, my fingernails biting deep into my skin.
If anyone in this room dares to speak his name, I will rip their throat open with my bare hands. I will drag them into the forest behind the training grounds, snap every single bone in their fingers 1 by 1, and bury them where the sun will never touch their face again. Nobody touches him. Nobody takes him from me. Nobody.
I took a sharp breath, blinking rapidly to clear the red mist from my vision.
Calm down, Elfie! Breathe! You're the Class Representative! You have to protect everyone... and keep Kai safe by my side forever!
I glanced sideways toward his desk.
Kaiser was sitting back with his chair tipped slightly on 2 legs, resting his cheek against his knuckles. He wasn't pale. He wasn't shaking. He looked like he was waiting for a boring lecture on soil composition to wrap up so he could go eat lunch.
Why is he always like this?! Doesn't he know what's at stake?! 🥺
I pushed my chair back, stood up, and walked to the front of the classroom. My boots made a steady, deliberate tap against the polished floorboards. I stood right behind the podium, resting both hands on the edge so my trembling wouldn't show.
"Listen to me, everyone," I said, keeping my voice as steady and gentle as possible. "We have 60 minutes. That's plenty of time. If the timer runs out without a unanimous or accepted decision, the academy's automated system expels 3 of us at random. None of us want that. But we don't need to panic. We can talk through this calmly. Maybe there's a way to contest the island scoring, or an appeal process through the student council—"
"There is no appeal process, Elfina."
A crisp, high-class voice cut straight through the air.
Lucia stood up from the 1st row. She smoothed down her pleated navy skirt, brushed a strand of styled chestnut hair over her shoulder, and walked into the center aisle. She didn't look frantic or malicious. She looked completely composed, like an auditor reviewing account books.
"Instructor Aisha already stated the rules," Lucia said, turning to address the room. "The expulsion is mandatory. If we waste 50 minutes pretending we're all best friends who can hold hands and bypass academy bylaws, 3 students will lose their lives and futures today instead of 1. So before people start throwing around emotional pleas or voting based on petty grudges, we need an objective, measurable standard."
I narrowed my eyes at her.
"What kind of standard, Lucia?" Rigel called out, his broad shoulders tensing as he leaned forward from his desk.
Lucia met his gaze without flinching. "Contribution and replaceability. We look at hard results. Combat ability, spell utility, academic standing, and class points."
She turned slowly on her heel, her gaze landing squarely on Kaiser.
My stomach plummeted straight into ice water.
Don't you dare look at him like that, you worthless little parasite. I will gouge your eyes out.
"Let's look at the facts," Lucia continued smoothly, her voice carrying effortlessly into every corner of the room.
"Kaiser Everhart currently has 1 personal merit credit to his name. His measured mana density during entrance testing was 0. In our 1st monthly assessment, his reckless behavior triggered penalties that cost Class C 75% of our starting budget. And during the island exam, when every single student selected among us was bleeding in the mud, he was swapped out of the frontline combat roster entirely. He contributed 0 offensive spells, 0 defensive barriers, and 0 recon reports."
A heavy, uneasy hush settled over the desks.
Lucia took a step closer to the podium, spreading her hands in a reasonable, open gesture. "I'm not saying Kaiser is an evil person. I'm saying that if 1 person has to leave Class C today, somebody stand up and explain why an actual mage with talent and a future should be sacrificed to keep someone who cannot even cast magic."
It was a brutal, flawless argument. You could see it on everyone's faces.
Sophia immediately raised her hand from her seat, nodding in fierce agreement. "Lucia is right. I spent hours on that island casting healing magic on everyone and even took blows from Lucas! Rigel held the attack formation. Leena kept us informed. Axel's squad guarded the ridge. What did Kaiser actually do? He did NOTHING and was replaced, he probably just wandered around the ship with his hands in his pockets!"
I will smash your face through your desk, Sophia. I will tear that smug little mouth off your jaw.
My blood rushed in my ears, pounding like war drums. I slammed my palm down on the wooden podium. "Kaiser contributed! He was carrying out duties I assigned him! His role isn't important, it was—"
"Actually, Sophia is being generous."
A flat, lazy voice interrupted me.
The entire classroom blinked.
Kaiser had leaned forward, resting his forearms on his desk. He looked around at the staring faces with total, unapologetic calm.
"Kai!" I gasped, staring at him in horror. 🥺
Kaiser rubbed the back of his neck and spoke in that maddeningly dry, deadpan tone of his.
"My mana density isn't just low. During the orientation screening, the instructors had to recalibrate the testing crystal twice because the needle didn't register a single pulse. In written magical theory, I placed 24th out of 25. And in practical alchemy last Tuesday, I almost blew up the southern workstation because I misread the sulfur ratio and nearly set my own sleeves on fire. Lucia's summary was actually quite accurate."
Rigel nearly choked on his own spit. "Kaiser, shut up!"
Leena slapped her palm against her forehead, groaning loudly. "Why are you helping her expell you?! Are you insane?!"
"Kai! Stop agreeing with her right now!" I shouted, my cheeks burning as I glared at him.
Kaiser only shrugged, his expression completely unfazed. "I prefer honesty. If the class is going to make an informed vote, you shouldn't rely on incomplete evidence. The real numbers make me look much worse."
From the 4th row, Delyra Nysira crossed her arms, clicking her tongue with disgust. Her sharp eyes locked onto Kaiser like he was an insect on her shoe.
"See? Even the guy himself admits it. He's dead weight. Literally the weakest student in the entire grade. Why should any of us risk our enrollment for someone who can't even defend his own existence?"
Beside her, Mira leaned in, tugging nervously on Delyra's sleeve. "Wait, Delyra... remember that incident at the resturant? I think... he seemed like a really decent guy..."
Delyra scoffed, waving her hand dismissively. "Being nice doesn't raise our grade average, Mira. He can go be nice at an ordinary trade school in the lower city. This is Asura Academy. We're training elite combatants, not charity."
Milo Sterling kicked his feet up onto the desk in front of him, smirking maliciously from the back corner. "Couldn't agree more. The guy has 0 mana, 0 results, and spends all day hiding behind Elfina's skirt. If we're cutting dead weight, toss the trash out the window."
Roman let out a low, approving grunt beside him. "Should've been expelled 2 months ago."
Over by the window, Novenol Dexus and Rinsha exchanged quiet, uncomfortable glances, murmuring in agreement. "He really didn't show up on any battle logs on the island... Logically, if 1 has to go, he's the cleanest option."
My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird. They were closing ranks. Lucia hadn't shouted or threatened anyone; she had simply handed everyone a scapegoat, and their fear was doing the rest.
At the side of the room, Instructor Aisha tilted her head slightly. Her silver eyelashes fluttered as her gaze rested briefly on Kaiser's impassive face, then shifted back to the room.
"Remember, students," Aisha said, her melodious voice flowing like cool water over the heated room. "The academy evaluates numbers, but a classroom must live with the consequences of what it discards. Ensure that what you cast away is truly what you do not need."
Lucia straightened her back, stepping to the center of the podium. "We hear you, Instructor. And we've made our evaluation. Let us conduct the Turn 1 nomination. All those in favor of nominating Kaiser for expulsion, raise your hands."
My breath hitched.
Milo's hand shot up 1st. Then Roman. Then Delyra. Then Novenol, Rinsha, and several students from the middle rows who were trembling with fear, desperate to save their own skin.
13 hands.
A clear plurality. Over half the room.
Instructor Aisha picked up the small bronze mallet and struck the chime on her desk. Clang.
"Student Kaiser has received the plurality nomination for Turn 1," Aisha announced calmly. "In accordance with examination procedure, does the nominated student have 5 defenders willing to void the result?"
Before the chime's ring had even faded, 7 people rose to their feet in unison.
I slammed both hands onto the podium, standing tall at the front.
To my right, Rigel stood like a mountain, his jaw clenched, glaring daggers at Milo.
Beside him, Leena stood up, crossing her slender arms with a defiant scowl.
In the 2nd row, Kayla Caroline rose smoothly, her pale face cool and unreadable.
Behind her, Scarlet Hearst stood with her blond hair flaring, sneering at Delyra.
Across the aisle, Axel shoved his chair back with a scrape, standing firmly with his hands resting on his belt.
And from the shadows of the back corner, Aki Futaba leaned forward, her green eyes dark and contemptuous as she stood up with her hands buried lazily in her blazer pockets.
7 defenders.
Aisha's lips curved into the faintest hint of a smile. "7 defenders. The threshold is 5. The nomination of student Kaiser is voided."
A ragged breath escaped my throat. Thank God...
Kaiser didn't look relieved. He just gave me a faint, exasperated glance, as if to say: You guys are making this much harder than it needs to be.
Lucia didn't look defeated either. In fact, a faint, predatory glint sparked in her chestnut eyes. She turned slowly to face the rest of the room, raising her voice so every single student could hear.
"7 defenders," Lucia said softly, letting the words hang in the heavy air. "Look closely, everyone. 7 students just banded together to veto the majority. That means 7 people are willing to run the clock down to 0 and gamble all 25 of our futures—risking 3 random expulsions chosen by the academy—just to protect 1 person who cannot cast a single spell."
A ripple of genuine panic swept through the 13 students who had voted for Kaiser.
"Wait... she's right," Xavier in the 3rd row whispered. "If they keep blocking it, the time will run out!"
"Why are they protecting him?!" Espen hissed. "Are they trying to get us all killed?!"
My claws practically wanted to sprout from my fingers.
"We have over 50 minutes left!" I yelled, trying to drown out the rising panic. "Nobody is running the clock down!"
"Are you sure, Elfina?" Lucia challenged, stepping directly in front of the podium. "Because from where I'm standing, personal bias is holding our entire class hostage."
She paused, letting the silence build, then threw her head back with a sharp, dramatic laugh.
"Fine! If everyone thinks I'm targeting Kaiser out of personal malice, let's remove that doubt right now. Turn 2 nomination. I nominate myself."
The classroom froze in sheer, paralyzed disbelief.
"Lucia?!" Sophia gasped, her face draining of color.
"If my judgment is compromised, vote me out," Lucia declared proudly, resting a hand on her chest. "I am Class C's high ranked student in combat magic. I provide high-tier offensive elemental spells, tactical coordination, and steady grades. If Kaiser's presence is truly more valuable to this class's survival than my magic, then let the class decide. Vote me out right now!"
It was a masterclass in manipulation.
She wasn't risking anything. She knew exactly what the room would do.
"Are you insane, Lucia?!" Sophia shrieked, instantly jumping out of her chair. "We're not expelling you!"
"Sit down, Lucia, that's ridiculous!" another boy yelled.
"We need your contributions!" Delyra shouted, standing up. "Without your elemental spells, our offensive rating drops an entire tier!"
Within 4 seconds, 10 hands shot up to defend her. The Turn 2 nomination didn't just fail; it collapsed under a tidal wave of vocal support.
Lucia lowered her hand, a smug, satisfied smirk playing at the corners of her lips. She looked back at me, her eyes practically dripping with condescension. "You see, Elfina? When a student has measurable, undeniable value, the class protects them naturally. Nobody has to beg. Nobody has to make excuses."
Before I could tear her throat out with a magical wind blade, a raspy, utterly disgusted voice drawled from the back row:
"God, you're such a fucking bitch."
The entire classroom went dead silent.
You could have heard a single hair drop onto the floor.
Aki Futaba was slouched back against the wall, blowing her chewing gum. Her gaze was fixed on Lucia like she was looking at a pile of steaming garbage.
Lucia's smile instantly cracked. Her jaw tightened, her knuckles turning white. "Excuse me, Aki? What did you just say?"
Aki didn't even bother taking her hands out of her pockets. She rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. "You heard me, princess. You put on that little martyr act like you're Mother Teresa sacrificing herself for the common folk, but everyone with half a brain knows you're just a narcissistic bitch who loves kicking people when they're down."
"Aki!" Sophia snapped, outraged. "Watch your mouth!"
Lucia took a rigid breath, pulling her dignity around herself like a shield, though her cheeks were flushed crimson. "I don't expect common street trash to understand tactical triage. Some of us actually possess social decorum. Not all of us spend our lunch breaks hidding in the garden because literally nobody in this school can stand to look at us."
Aki let out a loud, mocking bark of laughter.
"Oh, wow! Brutal burn, Lucia! Truly devastating!" Aki sneered, flashing a sharp, venomous grin.
"Yeah, I don't have friends. Big fucking deal. But guess what? Look at the academy leaderboard on the wall! My combat rating is an A-minus, and my theory score is higher than yours! So go ahead and call me a loner. Call me whatever helps you sleep at night! Nobody's voting me out, because unlike Kaiser, you can't trick the room into thinking I'm dead weight. Meanwhile, you're standing up there sweating through your expensive silk blouse, acting like you're the queen of Class C!"
Someone in the middle row hastily muffled a snort of laughter behind their hand.
Lucia's face turned a violent shade of scarlet. Her hands shook with pure, boiling indignation, but she couldn't find a single comeback. Because every single word Aki said was 100% true.
I had to bite the inside of my lip to keep from smiling. Aki is terrifying... but I love her so much right now.
"Enough!" Milo yelled, slamming his fist on his desk. "We're wasting time on catfights! Look at the clock! We've already burned 2 turns and nearly 20 minutes! If we keep yapping around, we're all going to get slaughtered by the randomizer!"
Panic flared up again, hotter and sharper than before.
"He's right!" Novenol cried out. "Who do we actually nominate?! We can't keep vetoing!"
My mind raced. 42 minutes left.
Lucia was gearing up to push Kaiser's name again. The moment she did, the fear in the room would make the neutral students even more desperate. They would vote for him just to end the nightmare.
I have to break her momentum. I have to make them realize how insane this is! 😤
I stepped around the podium, standing squarely in front of the entire class. I puffed my chest out, raised my chin, and let my golden aura pulse with a faint, crackling pressure that made the front desks vibrate.
"If this class wants to hold someone accountable for our island performance," I announced, my voice ringing out with iron authority, "then Turn 3 nomination is mine. Nominate me."
The classroom went instantly, horrifyingly quiet.
Rigel dropped his pencil. It rolled off his desk and clattered loudly against the floor. "Wait... what?!"
Leena's eyes widened in sheer horror. "Elfie, no! Stop!"
I stood tall, refusing to back down. "I was the Class Representative! I selected our combat assignments! I authorized the squad formations! If anyone is responsible for Class C finishing in last place, it was my leadership! So go ahead! If you want to expel someone for the island exam, put my name on the ballot!"
For 2 whole seconds, nobody moved.
Then, the entire room exploded into complete, screaming chaos.
"NO BRO! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!"
"WE ARE NOT EXPELLING RANK 0!"
"SIT YOUR ASS DOWN, ELFIE!"
Before Aisha could even touch her bronze chime, literally all 24 students in the room—including Lucia, Sophia, Milo, Delyra, Roman, and everyone in between—scrambled to their feet, shouting and waving their arms in violent protest!
24 defenders. Every single living soul in the room besides me.
Daniel leaned over his desk, his face red as he pointed an accusing finger at anyone who might have even blinked. "If Elfie gets expelled, Class C literally drops to F-rank overnight! Anyone who votes against Elfie is catching these hands the moment we walk out that door!"
Roman nodded aggressively, his veins bulging. "Yeah! Don't even joke about that shit!"
Delyra looked completely horrified, waving her hands frantically. "No! Absolutely not! Veto! Veto! Veto!"
Instructor Aisha lightly tapped the bronze chime, a faint, amused glint dancing in her lavender eyes. "24 defenders. The nomination of Class Representative Elfina is overwhelmingly voided."
I blinked, exhaling a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. 🥺 Good grief... they're completely terrified of losing Rank 0.
If anyone in this room had dared to raise a hand against me, the other 23 students would have beaten them into a coma before Aisha could even ring the bell.
Lucia stood in the aisle, panting softly, her chestnut hair slightly disheveled. Her aristocratic composure was completely gone now, replaced by raw, grinding frustration. She whipped around, leveling a trembling, furious finger straight at Kaiser.
"Fine!" Lucia screamed, her voice cracking with fury. "Elfie is untouchable! We all know that! But that brings us right back to square 1! We have 38 minutes left on the clock! Look at him! Look at Kaiser just sitting there doing absolutely nothing while everyone else scrambles to survive!"
She took 2 aggressive steps toward Kaiser's desk, her eyes wild with desperation. "You are all dodging the elephant in the room because you don't want to feel like monsters! But this isn't a game of morality! It's the truth! Kaiser has to—"
SCREEECH.
A wooden chair scraped sharply against the floorboards.
The sharp sound cut Lucia off mid-sentence.
Kayla Caroline stood up from the 2nd row.
She smoothed her sleeves with slow, chilling deliberation, stepped out into the center aisle, and turned her piercing blue gaze directly onto Lucia.
"Shut up, Lucia."
Lucia stiffened, blinking in shock. "Kayla...?"
Kayla took a slow, measured step forward. Her voice wasn't loud, but it possessed a cold, razor-sharp weight that instantly pinned the entire classroom in place.
"You keep barking about objective standards and honesty," Kayla said, her eyes narrowing with lethal precision, "but you're only targeting Kaiser because you have 0 other excuses to target anyone else. You think because he doesn't scream or defend himself, he's your easiest scapegoat."
She paused, tilting her head slightly, her gaze cutting like a scalpel.
"You're wrong."
"You claim Kaiser didn't participate on the frontline," Kayla continued, her eyes fixed on Lucia.
"That's true. But he didn't participate because he stepped aside and gave up his deployment spot for the armored knight Elfina selected. That armored fighter carried our entire class through the island so we didn't get eliminated in the 1st hour. Kaiser giving up his spot for someone who could actually hold the line was the smartest decision made that day. It doesn't make him dead weight. It makes him someone who knew his limits and made room for a weapon."
Kayla took another deliberate step forward, her tone freezing. "Meanwhile, Lucia, you didn't participate on that exam either. You claim that if you had been chosen, you would have saved us. But consider the circumstances, do you really think you'd survive a fight against Lucas Reindhardt? So where is your proof?"
"I would've survived! I'm stronger than—"
Milo kicked his desk with a heavy combat boot, the metal legs screeching against the floorboards.
"Quit your damn yapping!" Milo barked, leaning forward with an aggressive sneer directed straight at Lucia.
"I'm sick of listening to your high-and-mighty whining! You talk like you're some untouchable goddess, but you sat on the benches picking your nails just like him! If we're kicking dead weight, why the hell are we listening to a spoiled noble girl who couldn't even make the squad cut?! You got benched, Lucia! You sat on your ass while real fighters took hits!"
Delyra immediately jumped out of her seat, glaring at Milo. "Lucia has 3rd rank combat magic, Milo! She's from House Astrocia! You can't compare her to a 0-mana parasite!"
Sophia stood up as well, waving her hands in protest. "She practices high-tier elemental spells! She's an actual asset to our grade!"
Milo bared his teeth like a feral hound, laughing in their faces. "I don't give a rat's ass about her house or her fancy ranking! Strength in a real fight is the only thing that matters in this world, and right now, all she's doing is crying like a street dog backed into a corner! You want dead weight? She talks the loudest and does the least!"
---
### Class B Classroom
CRACK!
Sylvia Somerset slammed her open palm against the chalkboard with terrifying force, snapping a piece of chalk into dust.
Across the center of Class C's roster, a massive, jagged "X" had been gouged into the slate.
Sylvia's silver-white hair flared like moonlight around her shoulders, her silver eyes blazing with cold, aristocratic fury.
"Look at it!" Sylvia's voice cracked across the silent desks of Class B like a whip. "We almost lost the entire examination! If that shadow—that 'X' who commanded Class C's northern front—had targeted our main camp 1st, Class B would have been eliminated before noon!"
She spun around, her icy gaze drilling into Victor Sterling.
Victor sat rigid in the 2nd row. His posture was stiff, his hands clenched so tightly against his thighs that his knuckles were stark white.
"They wiped you out, Victor," Sylvia said, her voice dropping into a deadly, velvet purr. "Single-handedly. No squad support. No combined artillery. Just that bomb tactic."
She began pacing before the podium, her every step radiating contempt. "I tracked the sensor residue through the logs afterward. It wasn't even an actual alchemical bomb! It was crude, unrefined scrap materials that shouldn't have detonated under standard combustion! But the mastermind manipulated the localized electromagnetic field with micro-frequencies, forcing the chemical mixture to react midway far faster than natural chemistry permits! The instant it grazed your barrier, it triggered an artificial chain reaction and blew you out of the exam!"
Sylvia stopped right in front of Victor's desk, leaning down until her face was inches from his. "I sacrificed my pride to form an open communication channel with you. I tolerated your sanctimonious speeches about unity because you claimed you had eyes inside Class C. You had information, Victor. You had leaks! And you still got destroyed and outplayed by a ghost!"
Victor's jaw clenched until the muscle visibly jumped. His throat moved, but under the weight of her public humiliation, no sound came out.
"Shut up, Sylvia!"
Ivy Faerydae sprang to her feet from the 3rd row. Her translucent crystalline wings fluttered in a violent blur of pastel pink and lavender sparks, her delicate face flushed with anger.
"Stop putting all the blame on Victor!" Ivy yelled, her voice trembling with indignation. "He was out there making moves while you lost by falling into a hole acting like an untouchable goddess! You didn't bring any results either!"
Sylvia slowly turned her head, her silver eyes narrowing to razor slits.
A suffocating pulse of mental mana rolled off her, pressing down on Ivy's small frame until the fairy girl gasped for breath.
"Know your place, fairy," Sylvia whispered, her tone chillingly calm. "You are nothing but an insect playing at queen. Shut your mouth before I clip your wings."
She turned back to the room, striking the chalkboard over the "X" once more.
"We could have won if we knew who this mastermind was. But from next month onward, I am taking sole command of Class B. And in the next exam, we will hunt down and expel the shadow who made fools of us."
---
### Class A Classroom
In Class A, the morning sunlight fell across rows of pristine mahogany desks.
Rose Valentine stood gracefully at the front of the room, her hands folded neatly over her navy blazer. Her spun-gold hair was perfectly arranged, her expression radiating serene royal composure.
Yet beneath the calm, the air was suffocating. They had won 1st place, but it felt hollow. It felt like luck and tainted by betrayal.
Cecily Isha's desk in the 3rd row sat empty. She had not come to school today.
In the back corner, Lucas Reinhardt sat slouched with his heavy leather boots kicked up onto the adjacent desk, his lazy green eyes heavy with indifference.
"The lion doesn't lose sleep over the pack of dogs," Lucas drawled, not even bothering to look up from under his messy bangs. "I betrayed Class A because they were weak. I secured our victory. If anyone in this room wants an apology, come take it from me in 7 business days."
Rose did not look at Lucas. Instead, she addressed her classmates with smooth, effortless authority, systematically dismantling the rumors that had begun circulating about Class C's mysterious knight.
"We must evaluate the island reports with disciplined logic, not superstition," Rose began, her melodious voice carrying easily through the hall.
"The knights who were publicly chosen are already accounted for, and Elfina is out of the question too. That leaves the students from Class C as the only real suspects.
And before anyone brings up Kaiser Everhart—remember the rules. He was replaced before the exam, which means he couldn't have been acting as their knight in the 1st place. Even if we ignored that, he doesn't have the mana, strength, or physical ability to be the person who tore through the exam like that.
So whoever this 'X' is, it has to be someone connected to Class C who could actually meet those requirements."
From his slouched chair, Lucas's eyes narrowed slightly. He stared at Rose's calm, smiling face, a flicker of suspicion passing behind his green gaze.
Why is she defending that 0-mana loser so desperately?
Lucas tightened his jaw. He had fought the knight face-to-face. He had felt that terrifyingly precise, unyielding grip on his wrists. He knew who was behind that mask.
Beneath Rose's polished smile, her internal thoughts were cold, immovable iron.
I will never allow this academy to point their hatred at my brother. Never. But I will use the terror of this 'X' to force Class A into absolute unity under my hand.
In the darkest corner of the back row, Asier Yeshe sat with his chin resting on his steepled fingers. His dark, calculating eyes observed Rose in silence. He didn't speak. He didn't move.
He remained still knowing the truth.
---
### Class C Classroom
Back in our classroom, the timer on the wall ticked down to 34 minutes.
And the pressure was boiling over.
The neutral students in the middle rows, terrified of the ticking clock, began dogpiling on Kai with desperate, ugly accusations.
"I mean he has no contributions either!" a boy in the 3rd row shouted. "He literally parasites over our rep and drags us back!"
"He honestly is a joke of a mage too..." Espen murmured nervously, his beastkin ears pinning flat against his head.
"He wheezed after 3 laps during physical conditioning!" another student yelled. "Why are we risking our lives for a bum who has nothing?!"
SCREEECH!
A wooden chair flew backward, slamming hard against the floorboards.
Scarlet Hearst stood up.
Her green half-elf ears prickled straight up in sheer distress. Her blonde twin braids trembled, her face burning crimson, and tears welled up in her wide green eyes.
"Stop it!" Scarlet screamed at the top of her lungs, her voice cracking with raw, sobbing fury. "Stop it! You're all being so mean to him!"
The entire classroom went dead silent. Nobody had ever heard Scarlet raise her voice before.
Scarlet's hands clenched into trembling fists against her chest, her shoulders shaking violently as tears spilled down her cheeks.
"Kaiser isn't useless!" Scarlet cried out, her voice breaking on every word. "When I was struggling by the pond in the park... when my ice magic kept failing and everyone in this class laughed at me and called me a failure... Kaiser sat by the water with me! He explained heat dispersion! He showed me how to cast water 1st and freeze it from the inside with a tiny catalyst! He has an incredible memory and understands magical theory better than most in this room! He just can't cast spells because of how he was born... and you're all just being cruel to him!"
She wiped furiously at her eyes, clutching her phone tightly against her chest, her small frame heaving as she sobbed.
"It's so unfair! In the 1st monthly exam, he took blows to keep me safe and helped Axel! He's doing his absolute best! Why do you hate him so much?!"
My heart squeezed so hard it ached. 🥺
Leena immediately rushed over to Scarlet's desk, wrapping both arms around her trembling shoulders and rubbing her back to soothe her. I stood right beside them, gently touching Scarlet's arm.
"Shh, Scarlet... don't cry," I said softly, my voice firm. "Kaiser isn't going anywhere. Nobody is expelling him."
In the 2nd row, Kayla wasn't looking at Scarlet. She was staring down at her Dwarvian phone, her thumbs tapping the glass as new data streamed across the screen. Her sharp blue eyes widened by a fraction of a millimeter before her expression locked back into cold, motionless steel.
The sight of Scarlet openly weeping in the aisle hit the classroom like a bucket of ice water. Even Roman and Milo looked away, visibly uncomfortable. The cruel jeers completely died out.
Then, a sharp click echoed from the 2nd row.
Vivienne Hartwell clicked her silver pen, adjusting her spectacles over her open notebook.
"Statistically speaking, Scarlet's argument holds significant weight," Vivienne stated, her calm, analytical voice cutting through the silence.
"Look at the operational efficiency. Kaiser manages Elfina's daily schedule, prepares her briefing notes, and ensures her cognitive focus remains sharp. If his indirect support is what allows our Rank 0 representative to operate at 100% capacity, then his functional utility to Class C is higher than half the combatants sitting in this room."
Beside her, Xavier Reyes clutched his leather-bound notebook tightly to his chest, his knuckles white. He pushed his glasses up his nose. His usual nervous stutter completely vanished as his mind locked onto structural mechanics.
"A-And the island records doesn't make sense," Xavier added, his quiet voice drawing everyone's attention.
"The armored combatant—the fighter Class B is calling 'X'—went toe-to-toe with Lucas Reinhardt and manipulated local electromagnetic fields without a staff or wand. Publicly, none of us have those stats. And... Elfie? How did you map the entire island's defensive coordinates in the 1st 2 minutes of the exam? I've been studying Earth Core algorithms for 3 years, and even I couldn't have pulled that terrain data that fast unless someone handed you a complete topographical breakdown before everyone even touched the sand."
A cold bead of sweat trickled down the back of my neck.
Bwaa! Xavier is way too sharp! 😳
Lucia stood in the center aisle, her chest heaving, watching the entire room slip out of her grasp. Panic flared behind her eyes, burning away the last shreds of her composure.
"None of that matters!" Lucia shrieked, slamming her hand down on an empty desk. "Kaiser didn't fight on that island! Theoretical advice doesn't score points! Turn 4 nomination: Kaiser Everhart!"
The chime rang out.
Only 10 hands went up for Kaiser this time—Milo, Roman, and a handful of terrified students.
"Does student Kaiser have 5 defenders?" Instructor Aisha asked smoothly.
Instantly, 7 of us stood.
And then, 3 more chairs scraped back.
Vivienne clicked her pen and stood up.
Xavier hugged his notebook to his chest and stood up.
And from Delyra's side, Mira stood up, ignoring Delyra's shocked glare.
10 defenders.
"10 defenders," Aisha announced with an amused tilt of her head. "The nomination of student Kaiser is overwhelmingly voided."
Lucia's face twisted into an expression of pure, unhinged disbelief. Her hands shook violently at her sides.
From the back row, Aki Futaba blew a pink bubble with her chewing gum, let it pop, and leaned forward with a feral grin.
"Look at this dumb bitch," Aki drawled loudly, her voice dripping with sheer venom. "Look at her losing her goddamn mind."
Lucia whipped around, her eyes bulging. "Aki—"
"I don't even give a single shit about Kaiser!" Aki yelled, pointing a mocking finger straight at Lucia's face. "I just want to watch you choke on your own silver spoon, you stuck-up cunt!"
"Watch your language, you gutter trash!" Lucia screamed, her aristocratic poise completely shattering into a shrill shriek.
"Make me, bitch!" Aki sneered, stepping onto the rung of her desk. "You've been crying for 40 minutes about 'results' and 'justice' when the only metric that matters is that nobody in this room respects you enough to give you what you want!"
"I am trying to save this class from extinction!" Lucia cried out, her voice cracking hysterically.
"You're trying to save your own pathetic ego!" Aki fired back, laughing right in her face. "You thought you could bully a guy who doesn't talk back so you could look like a hero! Go cry to your boyfriend Victor in Class B! Oh wait—he got blown the fuck up on the island, didn't he?! Took a blast straight to the chest and got carried out like trash!"
"Shut up! Shut up!" Lucia shrieked, clutching her head.
"So shut your lying mouth before I come over there and shut it for you, you absolute psycho!" Aki shouted, slamming her palm down on her desk.
In the front row, Kaiser actually let out a quiet giggle, resting his chin on his palm.
"Dumb bitch..." Kaiser murmured with a faint smirk. "What a nice nickname."
Kai, please! 🥺
Kayla Caroline stepped forward into the center aisle. She raised 1 hand, her cold, commanding presence instantly cutting through the noise.
"Victor knew," Kayla said, her voice dropping like chilled iron over the room.
The shouting died down.
"Victor Sterling knew our squad coordinates," Kayla stated, her eyes locking onto Lucia. "He knew our defensive routes, our attack formations, and individual stats on our classmates. That was how Class B anticipated our rotations at every pass. Without the armored knight's intervention in the northern basin, Class C would have been annihilated before noon because Victor had our complete tactical playbook—plans we spent weeks training together as a class to perfect."
A collective gasp rippled through the desks.
Kayla's gaze sharpened like a scalpel. "Which proves 1 undeniable fact: someone in Class C leaked our battle plans and betrayed us to Class B."
Lucia let out a high, defensive laugh, though her knuckles were shaking against her skirt. "That's absolute nonsense! Why would anyone in Class C betray their own grade?! What possible reason would someone have to sabotage their own future?!"
Beside her, Sophia nodded frantically, clutching Lucia's arm. "Kayla, that makes no sense! What could anyone possibly gain by exposing us?!"
Kayla met Lucia's gaze without blinking. "There is a traitor in this room. And I know exactly who it is."
Before Kayla could say another word, a chair scraped back.
Kaiser stood up, rolling his shoulders with complete nonchalance.
"Yeah, sure," Kaiser said lazily. "I'll volunteer myself again so you guys have time to figure this out."
The entire classroom stared at him in utter disbelief.
Lucia immediately pounced on the opening like a drowning animal. "See?! He wants to go! Just vote him out! You're all wasting time listening to Kayla's wild conspiracy theories! Kayla is obviously working with Kaiser to derail the exam! Vote him out right now!"
Instructor Aisha tapped the bronze bell. Clang."Turn 5 nomination: student Kaiser Everhart."
A handful of panicked hands rose in the middle rows, but before Aisha could even finish counting, our defense stood up in unison.
Vetoed in less than 5 seconds.
Kaiser scratched his cheek, looking around the room. "Right. Moving on."
Kayla didn't look at Kaiser. She raised her Dwarvian phone, tapped the screen twice, and linked her terminal to the classroom's projection slate on the wall.
"You betrayed Class C for Victor Sterling, Lucia."
The classroom went cold.
Lucia's face turned ghostly white, then flushed a violent, burning crimson. "That's a lie! That's slander! You have 0 proof!"
A series of glowing communication logs materialized across the slate.
Dozens of synchronized direct messages between terminal account `Luciiiii` and `Victor`.
The timestamps matched Class C's private strategy sessions down to the minute. But worse than the tactical leaks was the text itself—pages of flirtatious banter, Victor praising her beauty, promising her status once Class C fell, and Lucia feeding him our squad markers in return.
Kayla's voice remained mercilessly flat as she read 1 of the final entries aloud:
"Your birthday is coming in 2 weeks, Lucia. I wonder if Victor promised you an exclusive dinner in the upper district... maybe even spending the night with you at the Grand Sovereign Hotel in exchange for our squad routes?"
A suffocating, horrified silence dropped over Class C.
Lucia's eyes bulged in pure panic. Her chest heaved, her aristocratic mask completely shattering into hysterical rage.
"That's impossible!" Lucia screamed, clutching her head. "Those are private messages! How can you have logs from my private terminal?! That's cheating! You broke the privacy laws! You hacked my phone!"
Kayla didn't raise her voice. She didn't swear. She simply lowered her device.
"I have 2 weeks of synchronized direct messages pulled directly from your terminal ID," Kayla said calmly. "You aren't screaming because the evidence is false, Lucia. You're screaming because you thought nobody would ever see it."
Beside Lucia, Sophia stood frozen. Her hands were shaking so hard she dropped her healing charms. Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her pale cheeks.
"Lucia... tell them it's a lie," Sophia sobbed, grabbing Lucia's sleeve with trembling fingers. "Please... tell me you didn't do this! Tell them it's fake! Lucia, look at me!"
Lucia violently yanked her arm away from Sophia's grip, backing toward the chalkboard like a trapped beast.
Aki Futaba let out a vicious, mocking laugh from the back row, slamming her boots onto her desk.
"Look at her!" Aki roared, her voice dripping with pure disgust. "You're a dumb whore who betrayed all 24 of us just to suck some Class B dick! What an absolute dumb bitch!"
"Shut up! Shut up!" Lucia shrieked, tears of humiliation finally bursting from her eyes. "He promised me! He said Class C wouldn't get hurt! He said we would be safe!"
"You sold our lives for a boy's validation!" Aki yelled back, pointing a lethal finger at her. "You tried to execute Kaiser to cover your own tracks, and you're still whining about your privacy?! Go crawl in a ditch and die!"
Milo Sterling kicked his chair completely out of the way, taking 2 heavy steps into the center aisle. His emerald eyes burned with pure, unadulterated venom.
"Yeah," Milo growled, his voice vibrating with disgust. "I know my brother. That's Victor's exact playbook."
He sneered directly into Lucia's crying face, his trash-talk landing like physical blows.
"Victor never had 1 ounce of interest in you, Lucia. He never gave a shit about your feelings or your noble bloodline. He used you like a disposable pawn, and the moment you handed over our strategies, he probably forgot what your face looked like. You were never his partner. You were always just a pathetic victim who thought she was special."
Lucia collapsed against the chalkboard, sliding down until she was sitting on the floorboards, hyperventilating in sheer despair.
The wall timer flashed: 16 minutes remaining.
The students who had spent the entire morning defending Lucia—Delyra, Roman, Novenol, Rinsha—sat in complete, frozen silence. They looked at the projected chat logs, then at Lucia weeping against the wall.
Delyra turned her face away in visible disgust. Roman crossed his arms and looked at the ceiling. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved.
The coalition Lucia had spent 2 hours constructing was dead.
Kaiser stood up slowly from his desk, resting his hands in his pockets.
"Well," Kaiser murmured mildly, looking around at the silent desks. "It seems nobody is going to vote me out now."
Lucia lifted her tear-streaked face, staring up at him with raw, burning hatred.
Kaiser walked to the front of the aisle, stopping a few feet away from her. His expression was completely blank—no smirk, no anger, no satisfaction. Just cold, empirical reality.
"They weren't choosing you, Lucia," Kaiser said softly. "They were choosing not to be chosen themselves. You gave them a cheaper sacrifice: me. Now Kayla gave them a cheaper sacrifice: you. You built a coalition around self-interest and mistook it for friendship."
He shifted his gaze slightly, looking at Sophia, who was still standing beside Lucia's empty desk, sobbing uncontrollably into her hands.
"She is your friend," Kaiser added quietly. "1 isn't 5. So..."
"This is the end of your story."
Lucia's face twisted into an unhinged, feral snarl.
"YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!" Lucia shrieked.
She launched herself off the floor like a wounded beast, lunging forward with both hands. She grabbed Kaiser by the front of his collar, drew back her fist, and smashed it violently into his cheek!
CRACK!
Kaiser's head snapped to the side, he lost balance as he stumbled backward and crashed hard onto the floorboards!
In that exact instant—
The air inside the classroom evaporated.
A golden, blinding tempest detonated from the podium!
My vision turned pure crimson. The desks rattled violently as my aura roared like an erupting volcano, cracking the floorboards beneath my boots.
A glittering celestial wind spear materialized in my right hand, hummed with lethal, high-frequency mana, its tip gleaming with the promise of slaughter.
I will rip your heart out through your ribs! I will grind your bones to dust and scatter you across the dirt! NOBODY TOUCHES HIM!
I raised the celestial spear, stepping forward to drive it straight through Lucia's chest—
GRAB!
2 arms locked around my waist from behind with iron grip.
"Elfie, NO!" Kayla screamed in my ear, digging her heels into the floorboards and hauling me back with all her physical strength. "Don't do it! Don't throw your life away over a traitor! Stop!"
"LET GO OF ME!" I snarled, golden sparks lashing out from my hair as I struggled to tear free.
On the floor, Kaiser pushed himself up onto 1 elbow, rubbing the bright red mark on his jaw. He didn't look angry. He looked completely bored.
"Physical assault against a classmate during an official academic evaluation," Kaiser murmured, his voice dry and level.
"Add it to her expulsion report."
Instructor Aisha stepped forward, lifting the bronze mallet. Her lavender eyes were cool and unreadable as she struck the chime with absolute finality.
CLANG!
"Turn 6 nomination: Lucia Astrocia," Aisha announced, her voice echoing in the dead silence. "The voting has begun."
Kaiser was the 1st person to raise his hand from the floor.
Then Milo's hand shot up. Then Aki. Then Kayla. Then Delyra, Roman, Axel, Novenol, Rinsha, Xavier, Vivienne... hand after hand rose in rapid, terrifying succession.
A unanimous plurality of 23 students voted against her.
Aisha surveyed the room calmly. "In accordance with examination procedure, does student Lucia Astrocia have 5 defenders willing to void the result?"
In the entire classroom of 25 students, only 1 person stood up.
Sophia.
Sophia stood alone in the aisle, clutching Lucia's trembling hand, her voice cracking as she wept openly before the silent room.
"Please..." Sophia begged, looking from face to face, her tears soaking her collar. "Please, someone stand up! She made a terrible mistake, but she's our classmate! Don't take her future away! Please!"
Nobody moved.
Milo stared forward. Delyra looked down at her desk. Aki blew a gum bubble.
Nobody raised a hand. Nobody stood.
Aisha struck the chime a 2nd time.
CLANG.
"1 defender," Aisha declared softly. "The threshold of 5 has not been met. The expulsion of student Lucia Astrocia is finalized."
Lucia's knees buckled. She collapsed onto the floor, burying her face against Sophia's skirt, wailing in broken, inconsolable grief.
A heavy mechanical clunk echoed from the rear of the classroom.
The reinforced iron doors unlocked and swung inward. 2 academy proctors in obsidian armor marched into the room, their footsteps heavy and rhythmically synchronized. Without a word, 1 proctor placed a hand on Lucia's shoulder while the other tapped a runic stylus against her chest, officially deactivating her student crest.
The glow in her badge died instantly.
Sophia fell to her knees beside her, sobbing into Lucia's shoulder as the proctors lifted Lucia to her feet and escorted her out into the hallway. The heavy doors slammed shut behind them, locking with a cold, definitive click.
The classroom was left in suffocating, hollow silence.
The celestial spear dissolved from my hands into fading gold particles. I stood by the podium, my chest aching as I looked at the empty desk in the 1st row, and then at Sophia weeping alone into her arms.
We had survived. Kai was safe. 🥺
A wave of intense, overwhelming relief washed over my body, making my knees tremble. But beneath the relief was a dull, bitter sting.
If I had just been a better Class Representative... if I had led us properly on that island... maybe we wouldn't have had to destroy 1 of our own today.
---
Perspective: Kaiser
Date: March 16, 2012
Time: 5:45 PM
Location: Capital, West Garden Terrace
The evening sun was sinking beneath the western ramparts of the academy, painting the stone spires in long streaks of deep amber and violet.
A cool breeze swept across the open terrace, rustling the overgrown ivy along the balustrade.
I took a slow sip from my paper cup of black coffee, watching the steam rise into the chilly air. Beside me, Kayla Caroline leaned her forearms against the stone ledge, holding an identical cup between her slender, pale fingers.
"It was difficult saving you, you know," Kayla said quietly, her blue eyes tracking a flock of birds circling the bell tower.
I took another sip, letting the bitter heat warm my throat. "You timed the delivery perfection. I owe you for that."
Kayla turned her head, a slow, predatory smirk touching the corners of her lips. She stepped closer into my personal space, her dark hair catching the amber light as she tilted her head with feline amusement.
"«†∨∨, Ⰴ⊙ 𐰉⊙Ⱑ 𐰄∋∋Ⰴ 𐰉⊙Ⱑ𐰂 ⊂|Ψ Ψ|𐰂Ⱄ ₸⊙ 𐰗†∨∋ 𐰉⊙Ⱑ? ⊂∋ † Ψ⊙⊙Ⰴ Ⱄ|₸₸Ⱄ∋ ⊂⊙𐰉~»"
("Aww, do you need your big girl to save you? Be a good little boy~")
She said it in a low, teasing purr, her throat clicking softly on the guttural consonants.
She thinks I don't speak Varkha.
Ever since she learned the Beastkin tongue from her adoptive Tigress mother, she switched to it whenever she wanted to say something completely shameless without suffering social consequences.
I blinked once, taking a slow sip of coffee. "I assume that was an ancient dialect for 'you are very welcome.'"
Kayla let out a soft, amused scoff, her smirk widening as she looked me up and down.
"«𐰉⊙Ⱑ𐰂∋ 𐰗Ⱑ𐰁||| † Ⱄ⊙𐰉†Ⱄ Ⱄ|₸₸Ⱄ∋ 𐰅∋₸. | Ⰱ†𐰂𐰂|∋Ⰴ 𐰉⊙Ⱑ ₸⊙Ⰴ†𐰉, |||ⰎⰎ?»"
("You're such a loyal little pet. I carried you today, hmm?")
Before I could reply, she raised her slender, black-gloved hand and placed her palm firmly atop my head.
She gave my dark hair a slow, deliberate ruffle, patting my head with the exact rhythm of a master praising a well-behaved hunting dog.
She is actually giving me a headpat.
I didn't flinch, and I didn't swat her hand away. I simply held my paper cup completely level so the hot coffee wouldn't splash over my knuckles, staring blankly ahead at the brick parapet.
"You realize patting my head doesn't make me taller, right?" I remarked dryly.
Kayla's fingers lingered against the crown of my head for 2 extra seconds, a soft, purring warmth vibrating in her chest as she leaned in close enough for me to catch the scent of mint on her breath.
"⊂⊙𐰉~»"
("Stupid boy~")
I kept my face completely devoid of expression, speaking into my cup:
"If this is another lecture about strategy, I already told you I am not that smart."
Kayla finally withdrew her hand, letting her fingertips trail lightly down the side of my neck before resting her hands back on the stone ledge.
"«| Ⱄ|𐰁∋ ₸⊙ 𐰁∋∋𐰅 𐰉⊙Ⱑ 𐰗†∨∋ ⊂𐰉 Ⰾ𐰉 𐰗|Ⰴ∋.»"
("I like to keep you safe by my side.")
I set my cup down on the stone coping with a soft, hollow tap.
"Thank you, Kayla. Genuinely," I said, keeping my voice level. "Without those logs, Lucia would have dragged the voting to the 1-hour limit and forced a coin-toss on 3 random students."
Kayla took a slow drink of her coffee, the playful banter fading from her posture. When she looked back at me, her blue eyes had settled into that familiar, razor-sharp detective baseline.
"Where did you get those logs, Kayla?" I asked quietly. "That wasn't a standard network intercept. Those were end-to-end encrypted direct messages pulled straight from an active private dms."
Kayla's gaze drifted across the darkening terrace, verifying the perimeter was clear before she spoke.
"I didn't extract them," Kayla confessed in a hushed tone. "Someone sent them directly to my private inbox this morning during the vote."
My eyes narrowed by a fraction of a millimeter.
"An anonymous account?" I asked.
"Completely clean," Kayla nodded. "No routing headers, no server footprints. Whoever sent them wanted Lucia expelled today, and they wanted to protect you. More importantly, they were capable of breaching a high-ranking noble's terminal, bypassing academy security protocols, and dumping 2 weeks of encrypted correspondence without tripping a single alert."
She paused, taking a slow breath as she turned to face me.
"Think about that, Kaiser. If that person has access to Lucia's private messages... they have access to everyone's terminals in Class C. We have another mastermind in our class. A dangerous threat."
I didn't answer. I simply looked back out over the darkening courtyard, my mind rapidly compiling the operational telemetry.
Kayla thought this was an external hacker.
She didn't know the code structure. But I did.
The data packet Kayla had projected on that classroom wall utilized a very specific, proprietary compression format. It was the exact back-end architecture I had engineered 3 weeks ago.
To monitor class cohesion, I had quietly embedded passive tracking scripts inside Elfie's custom emoji packs and reaction media. Whenever Elfie sent stickers, funny emojis, or GIFs into the Class C group chat, the code silently anchored onto each recipient's local cache, mapping their outbound network connections and tracking communication vectors.
It was supposed to be my personal, invisible backdoor.
But someone else in Class C had discovered it.
They hadn't just discovered it. They had reverse-engineered my tracking protocol, cracked open the root pipeline, and weaponized my own back-end to siphon private direct messages—an intrusion so aggressive that even I had avoided doing it to prevent triggering the academy's automated firewall.
Whoever did this possessed an intellect that rivaled my own. Perhaps even exceeded it.
And they were sitting in the exact same classroom as me.