Western Europe, or where it used to be at least, was now demon-occupied territory under the rule of Lord Amakal.
Two first rank demons wandered into a cave, thinking they'd heard something alive squirming within. The interior was damp and utterly devoid of light, but demons could see just fine even in darkness.
They walked in confidently, hoping it would be a human. The mana within them was a precious resource to grow their strength. It was unlike the mana that floated in the air. More potent, higher quality. For less talented demons who could not simply grow stronger by breathing in ambient mana, human hunting was a must.
The first demon stopped when she noticed a figure hunched over a dead body, and her companion did the same.
"Val, what… is that?" She wondered.
Val, her accomplice, squinted. "I… I think it's a demon….maybe."
A single horn extending from the side of his head, shooting through strands of dirty white hair. A golden sigil on its forehead in the form of a single line, and crimson eyes that could be seen even in complete darkness.
Indeed, it was a demon.
The female demon clicked her tongue. "Damnit, did he beat us to it?" She approached the demon hunched over the dead body and grabbed his hair. "Were there oth–"
She froze as soon as she got a proper look at the corpse lying in front of the crouched figure.
It was no human.
It was a monster, a salamander. Or it used to be. Now it was a bloody mess of flesh and bones.
The female demon creased her brows. "What… are you doing?"
Val looked over her shoulder. "It looks like he's eating it. How bizarre."
She let go of the dirty white hair in disgust. "A demon… eating monsters?"
Val approached the strange demon, who was also much smaller than most other demons he'd ever met. He was the size of a human child, maybe a tiny bit bigger. He stared straight into the strange little one's eyes and he tilted his head.
"Do you speak?" Val asked.
The little demon did not answer. His eyes were unfocused, and his mouth dripping with blood seemed to want to return to the salamander's carcass.
"Come closer, Yol." Val asked his companion.
Yol approached cautiously. This entire situation unsettled her.
"Do you feel that?" Val asked.
Yol extended a hand in confusion, but her eyes soon widened. "He's… leaking mana. His core is cracked! He's dying!"
"Indeed. It looks like he's eating these monsters to sustain himself… Maybe he can no longer do it the traditional way."
Val smiled, a crooked, ominous smile. "We oughta put this little one out of his misery, isn't that right, Yol?"
Consuming other demons was mostly frowned upon, and since they didn't hold much mana within them at a time, it was also considered pointless.
Still, they'd come all this way, and the demon before them would die soon regardless.
Yol's smile was even more sinister. She stepped forward, nearly salivating.
"Don't hate us too much… if anything we're–"
Her eyes widened. "Wh-What…what are you–"
Val lunged toward her. "Yol!!"
"G-Get away from m—"
—
'I wonder what was up with her….'
Today was Verity's first day as a Nexia Academy practical instructor. He didn't feel particularly nervous, and in all honesty, he hated that he had to waste time here because of a stupid bet he made five years ago.
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He sighed and spun his spear around his arms a few times.
He'd just returned from the general meeting with the other instructors of the Supernova class. Felicia had been the one leading it, and Verity found the look of awe and wonder in the other's eyes almost amusing.
Including Verity, there were only six instructors for the Supernova class, and each was meant to mentor five or six students. Every single one of them was an experienced A-rank Protector… except Verity, who had only taken the B-rank exam last year for practicality.
Of course, this had raised some eyebrows within the room, but Felicia had vouched for him, so the objections had been quickly quelled.
Now, Verity stood in the training room specifically assigned to him and his students, waiting for them to arrive.
On paper, they were still highschoolers, so they were forced to undergo regular, albeit accelerated, schooling. Classes ended at one in the afternoon, and then they were to train under their practical instructor for an undefined amount of time.
The first to enter was a girl with black hair highlighted with streaks of purple. She was wearing the Nexia uniform, meaning she had forgotten to change, or did not care to. She walked with confidence, a staff in her hands, and an unwelcoming look on her face.
When she spotted Verity, she nodded. "Hello."
Verity nodded as well. "Your name?"
"Mavis."
....
She was incredibly cold and distant.
"Right."
The next few minutes were awkward.
Soon enough, a second person entered the room. A boy with a smile plastered on his face and a skip in his step. A bow and quiver was holstered onto his back. Freckles spread across his nose bridge and hair stood above his head in the form of spikes. Verity wondered how much gel had been sacrificed to achieve this result.
The boy saluted as soon as he entered. "Hello mister instructor!! My name is Fabio Grandknuckle! I am of the Hunter class!!"
Verity raised an eyebrow, glimpsing at the bow on his back. "Hunter, not archer?"
Fabio nodded frantically. "Yes! Apparently it's a variant of the archer class! I'm still very good with a bow!"
Fabio turned to Mavis and waved amicably. She nodded.
Before five minutes had passed, two other figures entered.
Apatia and Arthur.
They entered one after the other. A sour look was etched onto Apatia's face, and Arthur looked as he usually did, confident.
'Oh, isn't that the kid from the exam?' Verity wondered.
He'd wondered if any one had really taken his advice after the exam, so it pleased him to see that Arthur had been assigned to him.
Arthur nodded when he saw Verity. Unlike Mavis and Fabio, he was wearing the standard issue gear given to all students. It was a skin tight body suit made with the best minds humanity possessed. The suit itself was made of a material that was both breathable and resistant to slashing attacks. A synthetic composition that was meant to mimic salamander skin. Blades slid off of it and thrusts hardly managed to penetrate it.
Then on the vital areas, the chest, and the stomach, the suit was reinforced with an alloy resembling steel, but much more lightweight and much tougher. It was made in the image of dragon scales. It could fully block the axe of an Ogre at least once.
The suit also had other features, such as elastic, yet protective soles meant for speed and maneuverability and a built-in temperature regulation system ready for any environment.
Apatia wore the same suit, even though she'd gotten amazing armor from her Master. She hated the way it looked.
As soon as he entered, Fabio rushed to Arthur. "Did you try that game I told you about last time!?"
Arthur stroked his chin. "Infinite Frontiers? Yes… but I have to say, isn't it a bit too difficult?"
Fabio shook his head with a smile, and wrapped his arm around Arthur's shoulder. "Non, my friend. That's exactly what makes it so fun! Realism! No health bars, no scopes, and no map!"
The two continued their conversation as Apatia listened from the side.
'I had noticed before, but Arthur really is only like that with me, huh… Did I ever do something to him…?'
When she saw Verity, Apatia bowed deeply. She still felt guilty for what had happened the other day.
Verity looked at her as if to say, 'Didn't I already tell you it was fine?'
Verity huffed. "So, is that all of us?"
Mavis shook her head. "No, Igor is missing."
A tall boy entered the room last. His hair was short, nearly buzzed, and he was quite thin, especially for someone from Nexia academy. Not to the point of being sickly, but he was undeniably slender.
He nodded when he entered, and promptly introduced himself. "I'm Igor, part of the Supernova class. It's nice to meet you, instructor."
Mavis spoke to Verity. "That is all of us."
Verity stroked his chin. "Hm. Good. Before you start, tell me about your Class, specialty, and anything else you can think of that'd be useful." He then pointed to Mavis. "Let's start with you."
Mavis took a step forward. "Hm. I'm a Mage. I have a greater affinity for Sound magic, and a minor affinity for mind magic. I specialize in utility-type magic, but my combat abilities do not fall behind my peers. That is all."
"What is the most powerful offensive spell you can unleash?"
"Banshee's wail. It is a sound attack. At close range, it's enough to kill a wyvern with a single cast."
Verity then pointed to Arthur. "You go next."
Arthur nodded politely. "I'm a swordsman. I can use Enhan– I can use basic sword Aura in battle, and not to flatter myself, but my sword skill is considered among the best in Nexia I'm confident I wouldn't lose to most B-rank Protectors."
The comment on his sword Aura made Verity smile. 'So he did take it to heart, huh.'
He shifted his attention to Apatia.
She took a deep breath and answered immediately. "My class is Spearman. I can't use Aura yet, but my proficiency with the spear is solid! That's all, sir!"
"You, next." Verity said, pointing to Igor.
Igor looked around him, and he took a deep breath. People tended to look down on him, but he was used to it. "I'm… a support-type. I didn't get here through the regular exam. To be precise, I'm a Strategist, from Eden in the South."
'I remember him from the days at the Cradle... so that's where he went all this time.' Apatia thought.
"What can you do?" Verity asked.
[This. I can also view the battlefield from an aerial point at any time, and provide moderate buffs to allies.]
He'd spoken directly into Verity's mind, slipping in-between his thoughts.
Verity couldn't help but be impressed. "Very useful."
"And last but not least."
"Yes! I'm Fabio! As I said earlier, I am of the Hunter Class! My skills make me extremely proficient at tracking, hiding, and ambushing my enemies! I don't have as much fire-power as a real archer, but I'm just as efficient when it comes to killing things!"
"Two frontlines, two ranged combatants, and one support. Balanced, not bad." Verity muttered.
He spun his spear around his arm and pointed it toward them. "Now, I imagine you must know what happens next. Let's find out how good you are."
Verity smiled. "Ah, this is just to test your abilities, so let's not take it too seriously. I won't attack first, and I won't even move from my current position." He stretched his neck. "Show me what you can do!"
Fabio drew his short bow. "Oh~ So generous, sir!"
Mavis began chanting some spell. Igor established the mind link, while Arthur gathered his Aura.
Meanwhile, Apatia…. Apatia wore a look of terror on her face.
'N-No!! Don't act so relaxed!'
Her muscles tensed, sweat rolled down her temple, the words began to form in her mouth when. "Everyone, lis–"
BOOM
Mavis' barrier shattered. Verity was already upon her.
'You can't trust a thing he says when it comes to training!!'
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