[Seraphina's POV]
My eyes rebelled against logic—what I witnessed defied all reason. This was pure, unyielding madness.
The entity stood as an unbreakable bulwark, absorbing every attack from the surrounding monsters while simultaneously tearing them to shreds with such ferocity that none dared approach the orb of darkness. Its wings, battered and crumbling to ash, still clung to the orb with a resolve that mocked its earlier savagery.
Crimson tears streamed relentlessly from its glowing eyes, spilling like liquid guilt onto the orb's surface. It wept as though it had committed a sin so profound, it would sooner burn itself to cinders than let the darkness fall.
This all unfolded within a span of mere minutes. I couldn't tear my eyes away, utterly captivated by the sheer absurdity of it all. I even momentarily forgot that I was holding the president.
After a while, the monsters simply ceased their assault. Yes, that angelic entity had defeated them all. Now reduced to a battered, wingless figure, it still clung to the dark orb with every ounce of its being, as if its life depended on it.
Without skipping a beat, the moment the monsters ceased their assault, the angel stepped off the orb. It slowly made its way forward, its warm, motherly expression radiating happiness.
It then knelt on one knee and extended its arms as though cradling something precious within the dark orb. What happened next was beyond my wildest imagination: she gently pulled out the baron's worthless son from the shadowy mass, his head fully intact, as if it had never been severed in the first place.
The shock hit me like a wave, sending chills down my spine as I took in the sight before me. The angel held him tenderly, like a mother cradling her newborn, its expression softening with every passing second. For a fleeting moment, it lingered there, suspended in time, before it began to disintegrate into ash, gently placing him on the ground amidst hundreds of lifeless bodies scattered around him.
With how focused I was, I had completely forgotten to check on my team after the angel's relentless attack. Finally snapping out of it, I quickly surveyed my surroundings to see if they were alright. To my dismay, I realized I was the only one left standing—they must have passed out from the sheer shock of the assault before everything unfolded.
As the weight of being the sole witness to this event crept over me, the barrier that had surrounded us dissipated. Professors swarmed the area almost instantly, their faces pale with disbelief as they took in the scene: countless monsters defeated, corpses strewn about, and an unconscious boy lying amidst it all—nearly unscathed despite the chaos.
They rushed toward him, toward us, and the other groups scattered throughout the forest. We were saved—but not by the professors. No, we owed our lives to the boy I had dismissed as worthless. A deep-rooted guilt began to take hold of me as we were ushered back to the academy infirmary.
This is an experience I will never forget—for better or worse, it has been etched into my memory forever.
[Klare's POV]
'Huh.'
What lay before me was an unfamiliar ceiling, and I found myself surrounded by curtains.
For a brief moment, relief washed over me—until the memories came flooding back. The exam. The sheer disaster of it all, both on my part and because of that wretched, unforeseen twist of fate.
'Wasn't I dead, though?'
The thought lingered as my hand instinctively moved to my neck—the very spot where it had been cleanly severed.
'I can't recall anything past my blackout. Maybe the professors took care of it. Either way, it's a big relief for me.'
With my mind finally at ease, I felt calm enough to rest.
But before relaxation fully set in, the images of Friena and Evelyn flashed through my mind—their conditions during the exam were still unknown. That thought alone jolted me upright in bed, inadvertently tearing the mana supply tube from my arm.
'I can't be wasting time here—I need to check up on them.'
As if on cue, an elf-like nurse rushed over upon seeing me standing outside the curtains surrounding my bed.
"I'm sorry, patient, but please return to your bed obediently. You're in no condition to be running around."
"Is that so? But I don't feel any anomalies in my body. In fact, I've never felt this good."
She approached me cautiously, inspecting my condition with growing disbelief. Surprise flickered across her eyes, followed by something akin to suspicion—as though I were some kind of ghost.
"How can this be?" she muttered under her breath.
"Hmm? What was that? Aren't I in good condition already, Nurse? Can't you at least let me go see my friends?"
Yes, I'd made up my mind—I wouldn't avoid those two any longer. Even though they were part of the main cast and I'd tried to keep my distance before, with the protagonist missing, I had no choice but to step in.
Besides, I couldn't betray what they showed me during the exam. I've always been weak when it comes to emotions, and now I found myself thinking about them far too fondly for comfort.
Despite the horrified look on her face, the nurse reluctantly nodded in agreement.
With her guidance, I headed toward Evelyn's and Friena's rooms—which, coincidentally, was the same room.
Relief washed over me again as I saw both Evelyn and Friena fully healed and lively, chatting animatedly as I entered.
"Say, girl, what is your relationship with Klare? I'm rather curious."
"You know, President, I was about to ask you the same question."
I overheard their conversation just before letting myself into the room where they were staying.
They both quickly quieted down as I entered, their expressions shifting to delight with bright smiles spreading across their faces.
"Klare, how are you? Any pain or anything?" Evelyn asked, her voice laced with concern.
"Nah, I'm all good. Speaking of which, how about you two? You both doing okay?"
Both of them nodded enthusiastically, their joy evident.
I then pulled up a chair between their beds and we had a nice chat about our experiences during the exam. Of course, I left out the part about dying—it probably would've ruined the mood if I'd brought that up.
Speaking of which, I should probably just forget it for now, better to just forget it than get a headache thinking about it.
A few days of rest passed, and I was finally released from the infirmary along with Evelyn and Friena.
We stood right outside the infirmary.
"Alright, Friena, I'll see you around. Let's go, Evelyn," I said, turning to leave.
Friena raised an eyebrow at my words, seemingly caught off guard.
"But, the dorms are this way. Where are you going, Klare?" she asked, her tone laced with curiosity.
"Ah, I forgot to mention it. He's living with me," Evelyn chimed in nonchalantly.
"What do you mean? Klare is a student, and you're the council president. How are you two living together?" Friena questioned, clearly confused.
"Well, about that… Friena, I got kicked out of the dorms because of my low birth status, so she was kind enough to offer me a room," I explained, scratching the back of my head awkwardly.
Friena's cheeks puffed up slightly, as if she were trying to hold back frustration—or maybe disappointment. She looked at me like she'd missed out on some big opportunity. Still, she seemed to understand the situation well enough, given her own personality and position.
"Fine, but don't think this is over," she muttered under her breath before walking away, leaving us to head back to Evelyn's place.
We both headed to our respective rooms, and as I entered mine, I noticed a letter placed conspicuously on my desk.
Given my track record with letters, I had a sinking feeling that opening it was a bad idea. But, as always, curiosity got the better of me.
I shouldn't have.
"Student Klare, your achievements in our school's Grand Opening Exam will surely be recorded in history as the highest score ever attained—surpassing even that of the First Heroes. We commend you, Student Klare. This news will soon spread through newspapers, and there will be an assembly for all students held in your honor. Meet with the principal at her office by noon next Sunday."
Great. Just great. Why couldn't I have stayed under the radar? Being overlooked due to my low status had its benefits, but now they wanted to take even that away from me?
I let out a disappointed sigh, dreading the situation I'd found myself in.
Guess I'll be labeled as the "problem child" by the high-and-mighty, stubborn nobles from now on. Truly, one headache after another.