Another announcement echoed through the battlefield.
"All students, form groups and fight together! This will increase your chances of survival. And make sure to have a healer with you!" Lilith’s voice rang out, firm and commanding.
Of course, many students had already teamed up even before Lilith made the announcement. It was common sense—fighting alone in a large-scale battle was too risky.
Among the many groups, a handsome blonde-haired boy stood confidently, dressed in shining armor. He smirked as he addressed the four girls standing behind him.
"Don’t worry, ladies! I’ll show these low-rank goblins their place!" he boasted, puffing out his chest.
The girls giggled and cheered for him as he unsheathed his sword with a dramatic flourish.
They were positioned a little behind the academy, where tall trees and patches of grass covered the area. Many students had chosen to fight outside rather than hiding within the academy walls.
The blonde boy's confidence soared. After all, goblins were weak and cowardly creatures. What was there to fear?
"Come at me, you punks!" he taunted, waving his sword.
But what he failed to realize was that goblins were not just weak—they were also cunning and filthy.
Instead of charging straight at him, the goblins changed their strategy.
From the trees, small, clawed hands began throwing rocks, hurling them toward the four girls behind him. At the same time, dozens of goblins rushed toward him from the front.
"Ahh!" one of the girls screamed as a rock hit her shoulder.
"An ambush!" another cried out in panic.
The blonde boy turned back in alarm, just as another group of goblins emerged from the bushes and attacked the girls from behind.
"Damn it!" he growled, about to step in—
But in that moment, a goblin threw a handful of dirt straight into his eyes.
His vision blurred. Pain and irritation burned through his eyes as he stumbled backward.
"You filthy creatures!" he roared. "Do you have no honor? No pride?"
Honor?
Pride?
Such things didn’t exist for monsters.
The only thing that mattered to them was survival and victory.
Blindly, he swung his sword in all directions, but the goblins were faster. They swarmed him like a pack of starving wolves, their sharp claws grabbing at his armor.
"Get off me!" he screamed, trying to shake them off.
But there were too many.
With a sickening rip, they tore through the straps of his armor, exposing his flesh.
He fell to the ground.
And the moment his back hit the dirt—
It was over.
"AARRRGHHHHH!"
His screams filled the air as the goblins clawed at his body. One of them bit into his neck, tearing through his flesh. Another stabbed its dagger into his stomach, twisting it cruelly. His intestines spilled out as warm blood soaked the ground beneath him.
He flailed, but it was useless. His body jerked, then stiffened as his life slipped away.
The girls met the same fate.
They shrieked and pleaded for mercy, but the goblins showed none. Their bodies were torn apart, their flesh devoured.
By the time the goblins finished, there were no clear corpses left.
Only shredded pieces of flesh and scattered bones remained.
And the battlefield moved on, as if they had never existed.
-------------
The night was deep, and under the pale glow of the crescent moon, a large team charged forward with determination.
This group was made up of second-year students, a few teachers, and leading them was Rank B teacher, Astral.
Anyone who reached B Rank had both power and experience, and under his guidance, the team had already taken down hordes of orcs and skeletons.
"Charge! Charge! Charge!" Astral's voice rang across the battlefield. "Go from the left! Healers, cast enhancement spells! Archers, fire at the skeletons and support the front lines! Swordsmen, follow me!"
The battle raged on for what felt like hours.
Their swords clashed, spells flew through the air, and bodies of monsters piled up.
But even for skilled warriors, exhaustion was inevitable.
Astral could feel his mana reserves running low. His breaths became heavy, and his movements slower. The rest of the team was in the same condition—they had fought too long without rest.
They had to retreat before it was too late.
But just as they were about to fall back—
A huge shadow loomed over them.
Astral turned to look, and for the first time in a long while, his eyes widened in fear.
Standing before them was a fifteen-meter-tall spider, its monstrous legs clicking against the ground. But this was no ordinary beast.
Its upper body was that of a woman, with eerie multiple eyes blinking at them, filled with hunger and amusement.
It was a Rank A Monster—
Madam Eight Legs.
Astral’s heart sank.
"An A Rank…?" His voice trembled.
A Rank B like him had no chance against a Rank A—especially in his exhausted state.
Even running away wasn’t an option. If he were at full power, maybe—just maybe—he could escape.
But now?
There was only one thing he could do.
He took a deep breath, turned to his team, and forced a smile.
"Everyone, listen!" he shouted. "You all run away while I distract this damn thing! Split up and run in different directions—at least half of you will survive that way!"
His voice was steady, but deep down, he knew this was the end.
The students and teachers trembled in fear.
They wanted to help.
They wanted to fight by his side.
But against an A Rank monster?
They would be nothing more than fodder.
With tears in their eyes, they nodded and ran, their hearts heavy with guilt.
"We will never forget your bravery, Teacher Astral!"
"You’ll always be in our hearts!"
"You were a true comrade!"
Hearing their words, Astral smiled.
He unsheathed his sword, gripping it tightly, and turned to face Madam Eight Legs.
The monstrous spider raised one of her massive legs, ready to crush him.
Astral braced himself.
Then—
Boom!
A massive lightning bolt shot down from the sky, striking Madam Eight Legs' head.
The force of the impact sent her staggering back by dozens of steps, shrieking in pain.
Astral blinked in shock.
That power—!
A figure floated down from the sky.
An old man with slight wrinkles, a cool mustache, and an aura of authority.
Astral's eyes lit up in recognition.
"Professor Voltez!" he gasped.
A Rank A Mage—
One of the guardian patroling the forest.
As Astral stood frozen in shock, another figure appeared in the sky.
A young woman, floating gracefully, her long purple hair flowing behind her like silk in the wind. She was in the prime of her youth, and her presence alone was enough to captivate anyone who saw her.
Then, in a voice both elegant and powerful, she called out—
"Starlight Blast!"
Her words echoed across the battlefield, carrying a strange beauty despite the chaos around them.
With a simple wave of her hands, the sky lit up with countless twinkling lights—
Like stars coming to life.
And then—
Boom! Bam! Bam!
One after another, the sparkling starlights rained down upon the battlefield.
Explosions erupted everywhere, sending shockwaves through the ground.
Hundreds of monsters were instantly blasted away, their bodies torn apart by the overwhelming force.
Even Madam Eight Legs, the terrifying Rank A monster, let out a piercing shriek as the explosions engulfed her.
The sheer power of the attack was enough to shake the earth, causing the ground beneath them to crack and crumble.
Astral, despite the chaos, felt nothing but relief.
A bright smile appeared on his tired face.
"Ms. Felicia too…?" he muttered in disbelief.
Felicia—another Rank A awakened.
With both Voltez and Felicia here, he was saved.
Voltez turned to him, his voice strong and commanding.
"Go retreat. We’ll take care of the rest."
Astral hesitated for a moment, but he knew the truth.
Compared to Rank A awakeneds, he was nowhere near strong enough.
Letting out a deep sigh, he nodded.
"I really can’t compare to the power of Rank A," he said softly before turning away and retreating without another word.
---
Meanwhile, inside the principal’s office—
Lilith and Elara had both risen from their seats.
Their faces were serious, their gazes sharp.
A mix of calm determination and quiet fury burned in their eyes.
"It seems…" Elara’s deep voice broke the silence. "It’s time to join the battle."
Lilith let out a slow breath before gripping the hilt of her saber-like sword.
The blade was taller than half of her small body, yet she held it effortlessly.
"You’re right," she said, her voice carrying a cold edge.
"I’ll take care of the traitors who dared to break the treaty between humans and dragons."
Elara smirked slightly, cracking his knuckles.
"Then I’ll handle the high-rank demons causing havoc."
The two locked eyes for a moment before nodding to each other.
Then, without another word—
They left the room, stepping into the battlefield that awaited them.
--------------------
"Yeah, let's not meet again," Esdeath whispered, her voice full of amusement.
The demon gritted his teeth in rage. "You traitor!" he spat.
With trembling hands, he struggled to cast a spell.
Esdeath noticed it immediately, but she didn’t know how to stop him from using magic.
So, she did the simplest thing—she charged straight at him.
Letting go of her ZK-20 gun, she turned it back into a bracelet, which wrapped around her right wrist.
Then, without hesitation—
BAM!
She punched him square in the face.
A powerful shockwave exploded from the impact, completely blowing his head apart.
Blood splattered everywhere—on her face, on the floor, and staining her white turtleneck in deep red.
She looked down at her fist, eyes wide in surprise.
"Was I always this strong?" she wondered.
She had no idea.
Thanks to Fable, she had absorbed so many strength-enhancing essence stones over time that her physical power had grown without her realizing it.
And now, it was enough to completely destroy a low-rank demon with a single hit.
The demon's lifeless body collapsed onto the ground, blood still pouring from the headless neck.
Esdeath stared at the corpse.
"I killed someone."
But she felt nothing. No guilt, no fear.
"Is it because he was a demon?" she asked herself, placing a hand on her chest.
Then, unexpectedly, a grin spread across her face.
"It actually felt kind of good. Should I kill another one?"
The thought lingered for a moment before she shook her head.
"Ugh... what am I thinking?" She quickly cleared her mind.
Lortell had told her not to do chores, Training or anything like that, Just stay by her side, For all eternity.
"She’ll always be by my side," Esdeath reminded herself. "I can’t ignore my goddess’s words. Her words are absolute."
She had only fought because she had no other choice.
If there was ever a chance to avoid fighting, she would follow what Lortell had said ten years ago.
Just as she settled her thoughts, a loud voice echoed down the hallway.
"Fableeeee!"
There was only one person who could be that loud.
Maruti.
The girl came running toward Esdeath, panting hard.
"What are you doing here?! Why did you leave Selene alone in the room like that?" she demanded.
"Selene? Alone in the room?"
Esdeath froze.
Her daughter—Selene, with her half-black, half-white hair.
"How does Maruti know about her?" Esdeath wondered, feeling a chill down her spine.
It was supposed to be a secret.
Only she and Lortell knew.
"Maybe… she was close to my previous personality?"
Esdeath didn’t have an answer, but for now, she decided to play along.
"Yeah! I was just checking the area before taking her out. Let’s go get her!"
She quickly turned back toward her dorm room.
As they walked, Maruti spoke up again.
"You once said you know the best hiding place, right? Now’s the perfect time to go there and survive!"
Esdeath nodded without thinking.
"Yeah, I’ll tell you once we get Selene!" she replied, walking even faster.
But then—
Maruti stopped.
Esdeath noticed immediately.
"Why did you stop?" she asked, turning around.
Maruti’s face had changed.
Gone was the usual cheerful and carefree expression.
Now, she looked serious—too serious.
Esdeath felt a strange sense of danger creeping in.
"You know what?" Maruti said, her voice low and cold.
"You never told me about a hiding place. So how did you just agree to my words so easily?"
Her eyes locked onto Esdeath’s.
"Who are you?"