“Class A's monitor, Adel. I declare my return. Four exceptions, a total of seventeen have returned.”
Immediately after arriving in the Demon Realm, I reported our casualties and survivors to Idea.
“……I see.”
Idea's expression darkened after hearing my report.
She must be feeling complicated knowing that the students she taught have died.
Of course, she must have been prepared for this as well.
Wasn't she the one who said to abandon any students who weren't talented before invading the human realm?
'Even so, it must be impossible not to feel attached to them.'
It would be strange to be happy that your own students have died.
I added to my report to Idea.
“We were unable to recover the bodies. However, I have memorized their names.”
I recited the names of the students who had died by Terias's hand.
Surely, just a short while ago, they were students whose names I couldn't even remember.
When Luna told me to memorize the students' names, I was able to call out their names because I had gotten to know each of them personally.
What can I say, my heart felt heavy knowing that the students whose names I knew had died.
“You've worked hard.”
Thud-.
Idea hugged me as I began to speak, her shoulders trembling.
As her warm body temperature spread through my body, I felt a sense of calm.
Idea, who had been hugging me, removed the Angelic Flower Badge from my chest.
“I'll have this retrieved later. I need to evaluate the exam.”
“Understood.”
I nodded my head.
As I had expected, the Angelic Flower Badge seemed to have a recording function.
Of course, I used my darkness attribute to hide any scenes where I consumed the elixir or showed it to others.
So there's no need to worry.
After handing the badge over to Idea.
Swish-.
I looked around my surroundings.
There was a large crowd gathered around us, who had just returned from the human realm.
First of all,
The instructors, including Idea and Ares, were watching us.
And secondly,
“It looks like the class with the most half-bloods suffered the most injuries. It's a miracle that any of them survived.”
“Hohwi, you didn't die?”
The children of the Seven Deadly Sins and the students who had already finished the exam and returned to the Demon Realm, including Guwar and Diana, were looking at us.
Unlike us, who had a hard time against the formidable Terias, the other students didn’t seem to have suffered much damage.
The only area that boasted a difficulty on par with ours would have been the human world’s capital, and yet, the ones who attacked that place was none other than ‘Baltan's’ class…
It was only natural that our class suffered the most casualties.
Well, even as instructors of Sytan, I don’t think they would have expected a monster like Terias to be among the first-year students of the human world.
While I was standing there with a bitter feeling.
“Hello.”
Rene approached me and spoke.
She also seemed to have gone through a lot, as her appearance was shabby.
However, Rene’s beauty still shone through it all.
Perhaps it was because I had grown fond of her, but a smile naturally formed on my face at the sight of her unharmed.
“Hello, miss.”
After greeting me, Rene quickly began to scan my body.
Then, her eyebrows twitched as she confirmed the bloodstains and broken bones on my body.
“Are you okay?”
“Well, I’m not in normal condition, but I’m not going to die, so I’m fine.”
“I know you’re not okay.”
“W-well, that’s true.”
I tried to act tough, but Rene seemed to realize that it wouldn’t be strange for me to collapse.
“I’ll take you to the infirmary.”
Finally, she came closer to support me.
But at that moment.
“O-oh, hello…….”
Behind me, Luna’s eyes, who had been supporting me while mumbling, met Rene’s gaze.
“…….”
At this, Rene’s cat-like eyes narrowed even more.
Luna flinched at the gaze that was like a cat’s staring at a mouse.
“W-why are you looking at me like that…….”
Luna tried to hide her body behind mine, trembling with fear.
Rene grabbed Luna’s shoulder and spoke in a cold voice.
“That’s mine.”
“Y-yes……?”
“Get lost.”
Saying that, Rene drew her sword from its scabbard and pointed it at Luna.
At that threatening sight, Luna flinched and grabbed my arm tightly.
“……!!”
Then, Rene’s face became even more distorted, and her sword turned black.
She had manifested her Sword Lacquer in an instant.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry……!”
Luna’s grip on my arm tightened even more.
And the killing intent emanating from Rene intensified.
It seemed like things were about to explode…
“Miss, I don’t know why you’re angry, but please calm down for now…”
I gently pushed Luna back and broke out in a cold sweat as I tried to calm down Rene, who was inexplicably furious.
Did my sincerity work?
“…….”
Clang.
Only then did Rene put away her sword, her anger somewhat subsided.
I let out a sigh of relief at the sight.
Why did she have to draw her sword on Luna in such a short amount of time?
It seemed like she didn’t like the fact that Luna was supporting me.
Perhaps she thought of me as her own possession and felt offended when Luna touched me.
“……I’ll see you later.”
Rene glared at Luna until the end and then turned her steps towards Diana’s group.
Only after Rene left did Luna stop sobbing and take a deep breath.
“She was scarier than humans…”
“……I agree.”
I nodded slightly.
Was there a woman in this world as frightening as Rene when she was angry?
It seemed like it was the first time I had seen Rene exuding killing intent like that, except for the time in the Bares' secret realm…
‘…I never want to experience that again.’
Rather than that.
I looked down at the single thorn on my left wrist.
I already had a headache thinking about how I was going to explain to the instructors that Samuel had become one of my traits.
Still, I hoped that it would be fine since the recording in the Angel Flower’s Crest would show how Samuel had become a thorn.
I was letting out a sigh when—
“Attention.”
Headmaster Lucian’s voice suddenly echoed from afar.
She had been nowhere to be seen just a moment ago, but she had deceived everyone’s senses and revealed herself.
The students stopped their conversations and looked back at Lucian.
“You must have each felt something through this exam, and there must be students whose hearts ache because of the comrades they have lost.”
The students grew solemn at Lucian’s words. The atmosphere among the students of Class A was even heavier.
They felt a heavy weight in their hearts from the fact that they had failed to protect their comrades from the humans because of their own weakness.
Lucian continued to speak amidst this solemn atmosphere.
“First, do not shed tears. It is too early to shed tears. It will not be too late to show tears after you have annihilated all of your enemies. Bury your comrades’ corpses and their deaths in your hearts, and burn with anger. And grow stronger. The hardships you have experienced in this exam will make you stronger.”
Lujan's speech boosted morale.
The eyes of the Class A students, who had been depressed by the memory of their comrade's death, began to burn with anger towards humanity.
Lucian, who had seen the change in the students' eyes, opened his mouth.
"Finally. Everyone worked hard."
Lucian announced the end of the midterm exam.
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