"It's only natural that demons don't die that easily," I said coldly.
"Th-this can't be… you're…" Behemoth stuttered.
Before he could finish his sentence, the spear I had summoned had already pierced his body.
The impact of the explosion caused a violent gust of wind to blow through the forest where the trial was held.
Clarisse, who was with Hugo on one of the trees, almost got blown away by the wind, but fortunately, Hugo managed to cast a spell just in time to protect them both.
As the strong winds died down, the Spear of Destruction slowly vanished, along with Behemoth's body that now lay lifeless on the ground.
Clarisse, who had been hiding behind the trees, suddenly rushed toward me and hugged me tightly as if she never wanted to let go.
"Clarisse, what are you doing?" I asked as she continued to hold me.
"You idiot… Do you even know how worried I was about you?" she said, crying in my arms.
Not long after, Hugo arrived.
"By the way, who are you? How can you use magic that powerful?" Hugo asked.
"Me? I'm just an ordinary guy," I replied.
"Ordinary? What kind of 'ordinary' guy can take down a Behemoth alone, and without any chant at that?" Hugo questioned.
"Of course, I'm different from the rest of you. You all still rely on those troublesome chantings. Me? I've never used a chant even once," I said.
Hearing my words, Hugo laughed heartily—it had been a while since someone dared to talk to him like that.
"Hahaha! Fascinating. Truly fascinating. No one has dared to talk to me like that ever since I became the Head of Stellaris Academy," he said while laughing.
After his laughter died down, Hugo turned to leave, but before going, he said something to me.
"Oh yeah, don't forget to prepare your welcome speech tomorrow. It's already been decided—you're this year's top student," Hugo said before walking away.
Once Hugo left, Clarisse finally released her embrace.
"So… did I win the bet?" I asked.
Clarisse's face turned red as she remembered the bet she had made with me.
"That doesn't count. The bet was during the trial," she said, covering her face.
"Hoo? So now the noble lady wants to back out of the bet?" I teased.
"I-it's not like that, I just… hmph! Whatever…" Clarisse muttered in her typical tsundere tone.
Sigh "Alright, I won't expect too much then. See you tomorrow," I said as I walked away, leaving Clarisse behind.
"...What am I saying, idiot… He really is amazing and strong… Why can't I just admit it?" Clarisse whispered to herself.
From afar, a mysterious figure had been watching my battle with the Behemoth from the very beginning.
"Hoo… So, a student has finally managed to defeat a Behemoth on their own. Interesting. Very interesting," the figure said with a sinister smile.
But what she didn't know was—I had already been standing behind her for a while.
"Interesting, huh?" I said.
The figure jumped in shock upon seeing me behind her.
"You?! How are you here?!" she asked, surprised.
"How I got here isn't your concern. Who are you? Why do you have such a dense demonic aura?" I asked.
"Oh? So you can sense my aura? Fascinating. Let me introduce myself. My name is Lena. I'm a second-year student at Stellaris Academy, technically your senior. As for my aura… my father is a demon, and my mother a human. No one knows this but you," Lena said.
"Hoo… A half-blood, huh? It's been a while since I've met one like you," I replied.
"A while?" Lena asked.
"Forget what I said. Now tell me, why were you watching me from the start?" I asked.
"So, you noticed me all along… Fine. My reason—I want to invite you to join me," Lena said.
"Not interested," I replied bluntly.
"Don't be so quick to decline. You'll be surprised by what I'm about to say," Lena insisted.
"Hoo? Let's hear it then. What makes you so sure I'll change my mind?" I said.
Lena went on to explain her intentions, but I remained uninterested.
"I heard from one of my classmates that there's a rare mana-boosting artifact somewhere—one that can let you cast unlimited magic," Lena said.
"That's it? Just some artifact? You think that's enough to get my attention?" I replied.
"What?! 'Just some artifact'? This is a rare item, you know!" Lena snapped.
"Yeah, yeah, maybe rare for you, but not for me," I said.
Hearing my words, Lena finally turned away with a disappointed face.
"Fine. I give up for today. But remember—one day, you will beg me to work together," Lena said.
"We'll see about that," I replied.
In the blink of an eye, she disappeared from my sight.
---
The Next Day
The newly accepted students sat together, chatting among themselves.
David, still believing I had died, was smiling smugly to himself.
Soon, Hugo walked onto the stage and began his opening speech.
"To all newly accepted students—you are the future mages of this world. I hope you all use your magic for good," Hugo declared.
Meanwhile, at the back of the hall, I yawned—bored by his long speech.
Clarisse, sitting beside me, spoke up.
"Are you nervous, oh top student?" she teased.
"Nah. Just bored of waiting for this long speech to end," I replied, yawning again.
"Is that so? Still, don't make a fool of yourself up there," she said.
"Yeah, yeah. I got it," I replied.
Soon after, Hugo called my name, catching David completely off guard.
"Alright, let's not drag this out. Let's welcome this year's top student—Kyle Ardyn!" Hugo announced.
"Wh-what? He's not dead?! How is that possible?!" David shouted.
He was shocked to see me alive, ruining all his expectations.
Clarisse nudged me.
"Go on. Your name's been called," she said.
"I know, I know," I replied and walked onto the stage to deliver my speech.
But before I could speak, David suddenly stood up and protested.
"Wait a second! He's supposed to be dead! How is he here?!" David exclaimed.
"Hoo? So you were hoping I'd die, huh?" I said.
"There's no way you could've survived after facing a Behemoth. Even experienced mages need a team to take one down. You must be a demon—admit it!" David accused.
The room burst into chaos after his statement.
"He's right… How could a normal student beat a Behemoth alone?"
"He must be a demon in disguise!"
"No wonder he survived…"
David looked proud, thinking he had won, not knowing Hugo had witnessed everything the previous night.
Clarisse stood up, furious.
"You talk too much! Do you even—" she began.
But I stopped her.
"Enough. Don't waste your breath on someone like him," I said.
"Why are you mad? You should leave. You don't belong at this academy," David said arrogantly.
I sighed, fed up with David's stupidity. Then, I decided to teach him a little lesson.
What lesson will Kyle teach David? And what will happen once the truth is revealed? Find out in Chapter 8.