Part Six

As we stand on the slimy, bouncy surface of the monster's stomach, Lysandra nearly slips. I quickly grab her arm, steadying her. "Be careful, I don't want you to give this thing a damn stomachache," I caution her, half-joking.

Lysandra groans, clearly not thrilled with our current location. "Just what are we doing here?" she asks, her voice tinged with both curiosity and annoyance.

Grinning, I gesture towards the stomach walls. "Look at its stomach, around the walls," I say. There, attached to the skin, are hundreds of eggs, each one a small promise of life. Lysandra follows my gaze, her expression shifting from confusion to understanding.

"So what?" she asks, not immediately grasping the significance.

"These things are ready to hatch," I explain. "Normally, the mother would find a safe place for this since it's a sensitive process. But she can't yet. For them to hatch, they need a high level of heat."

Lysandra's eyes widen as she pieces it together. "Oh, I get it... But won't we fall?" she murmurs, her voice filled with a mix of excitement and mischief.

I nod, pointing downwards. "Don't worry; we're going underwater. The professors won't come looking for us unless they notice our vitals dropping," I say, tapping the silver bracelet on my wrist as a visual cue.

Her grin widens, and she cracks her knuckles. "So I can go all out, right?" she asks, a dangerous glint in her eye.

"Yeah, enjoy it, you crazy bitch," I reply with a chuckle. Lysandra's like a free nuke I get to carry around with me.

She looks at me, her eyes glowing red with excitement. "Will you be okay?" she inquires, she has no concern for me, I can see it in her eyes. She's eager to unleash havoc.

I nod confidently. "I have Umbra, and I think if I coat myself in my fire, I can absorb any fire that tries to get me," I explain, feeling a surge of adrenaline at the thought of the impending chaos.

Lysandra's excitement is palpable as she raises her hand, from which a massive explosion of fire erupts. The intensity of the blaze is staggering, filling the stomach chamber with an inferno of heat and light.

Lysandra's laughter echoes maniacally around us as she unleashes a torrent of fire from her hands. "HAHAHAHAHA!" she cackles, her voice resonating with unrestrained glee. Her eyes gleam with a wild, primal joy as she continues her fiery rampage, shouting, "BURN! BURN!"

I watch her, a mix of awe and concern in my eyes. Why does she have to be so damn intense? The heat around us intensifies, but there's something odd about it. The fire, despite its ferocity, isn't burning me. I glance down at my hand, perplexed. The flames lick against my skin, yet I feel no pain, no searing heat. How is she doing that?

Despite my proficiency in mana and aura control, my affinity for fire has always been a tricky thing. It's as if the fire has a mind of its own, resisting my attempts to bend it to my will. And there's another affinity within me, elusive and undefined, that I can't quite grasp.

Lysandra, in all her dragon-born glory, seems to be controlling the fire in a way that it doesn't harm me. How does she wield such power? The thought lingers in my mind as I watch the inferno she's created.

Then, with a deafening explosion, the stomach bursts open, hurling the eggs and us with them. We're sent flying through the air as water from the lake rushes in, filling the void left by the destroyed stomach.

I grab Lysandra, steadying us both in the turbulent water. "Hey Lysandra," I call out over the sound of rushing water and chaos. "Do you think you can freeze a little box underwater for a couple of minutes?"

Lysandra, still reveling in the aftermath of her fiery display, turns to me, her red eyes still glowing with excitement. "Freeze a box underwater?" she repeats, a curious grin spreading across her face. "Hell yeah, I can! Just watch me, Kael!"

-

In the midst of the intense battle raging outside the behemoth, the combatants pause as an unusual phenomenon unfolds before their eyes. The monstrous behemoth, already a daunting presence, begins to exhibit strange and alarming behavior.

From the outside, the creature's massive form starts to emit an eerie steam, its thick hide glistening with an unnatural sheen. Muffled sounds, reminiscent of muffled explosions and chaos, emanate from within its gargantuan body. The fighters, including Azura, Knox, Quinn, and others, exchange bewildered looks, unsure of what's transpiring inside the beast.

The behemoth's movements become erratic and pained. It thrashes wildly, its massive tentacles flailing in the air, as if trying to rid itself of some internal torment. Its roars, once thunderous and intimidating, now take on a tone of agony and desperation.

As the tension reaches a crescendo, the monster's stomach visibly bulges and distorts in a grotesque display. The sight is both fascinating and horrifying, a testament to the unseen chaos unfolding within its bowels. The combatants brace themselves, instinctively understanding that something catastrophic is about to happen.

Then, with a deafening explosion that echoes through the field, the behemoth's stomach bursts open in a violent eruption. The force of the blast sends hundreds of small, monstrous creatures flying into the air, scattering them across the battlefield.

These creatures, freshly hatched from the eggs incubated within the behemoth, land amidst the fighters, momentarily stunned by their abrupt entrance into the world. As they begin to stir and awaken, their forms are revealed in the light: a bizarre array of shapes and sizes, each one a miniature version of the behemoth, yet unique in its grotesque features.

-

Lysandra, still buzzing from her recent display of pyrotechnics, turns to me with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Ah, can I borrow your artifact for a second? I still have a bit more fire I didn't let out," she asks, her tone hinting at the untamed energy still coursing through her.

I nod, remove Umbra, and hand it to her. Lysandra slips it on and starts channeling the remaining fire mana from her body into it. Her control over her affinities has gotten better, I no longer need to worry about her accidentally killing someone. 

After feeding all her excess fire into Umbra, Lysandra removes the glove and hands it back to me. She then stretches out her hand and, in an instant, creates a massive ice block around us, enclosing us in a translucent, chilly dome. The block begins to sink underwater, providing us a moment of relative calm and safety.

"Did you have fun?" I ask, reaching into my bag while observing her reaction.

Her grin is wide, and there's a sparkle in her eyes I haven't seen before. "That was great," she enthuses. "I don't remember the last time I was allowed to use that much fire." Seeing her this happy, I make a mental note to give her more opportunities like this, maybe even make it a regular thing. It makes her happy and it helps me with my research, it's a win-win situation. 

As we settle underwater, Lysandra peers curiously through the ice, her face a mixture of anticipation and confusion. "Just what are we doing?" she inquires, her eyes scanning our watery surroundings.

I pull out a small device, one of Biana's ingenious designs I forced her to make. "Give me your hand," I instruct. This device is designed to disrupt signals and edit commands. My plan is to trick the system into believing we're still wearing our bracelets and moving around, even after we take them off.

Lysandra watches me, a mixture of curiosity and intrigue in her eyes as I attach the device to her bracelet. "Alright, now time to get serious," I announce, feeling the weight of what we're about to undertake.

She raises an eyebrow, sensing the change in my tone. "Wait, you're saying..." she begins, her voice trailing off.

I nod solemnly. "Yep, we're going to be busy with other problems. This test is not that important." I rummage through my bag and pull out two suits, along with new masks. "We're going to fight with a cult today."

Her expression shifts to one of determination, mixed with a hint of excitement. "A cult, huh? Sounds like a real party."

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

-Knox's POV

Amidst the chaos of the battlefield, with monstrous creatures strewn all around, I find myself tallying each beast I've taken down. A grin spreads across my face as I reach my 15th kill, a small sense of accomplishment amidst the pandemonium, I mean I did it quite fast. But my moment of pride quickly fades as I glance over at Azura, who is already on his 50th monster, tearing through them with a ferocity that's both awe-inspiring and slightly terrifying.

Then, my eyes shift to another figure on the battlefield - Isadora. She stands amidst a sea of corpses, a silent, blood-soaked sentinel. Her face, emotionless and splattered with the blood of her foes, reveals nothing of her thoughts or feelings. Her sword drips with the crimson lifeblood of the monsters she's slain.

I've heard rumors about Isadora - her immense strength, her stoic nature, the way she moves through battle like a force of nature. Seeing her now, surrounded by the evidence of her prowess, those rumors feel like understatements. She doesn't just fight; she annihilates.

As I watch, I start counting the monsters around her. 10... 17... 42... 58... 74... The numbers keep climbing, and with each count, my disbelief grows. 105... How is this even possible? The monsters only just appeared 3 minutes ago, and she's decimated them with such efficiency, it's inhuman.

Isadora's gaze then shifts to the corpse of the giant monster that just exploded. It's clear she's searching for someone - that cook, the one who jumped inside the beast. Her relentless gaze scans the remains, her purpose singular and unyielding.

-

Azura lands forcefully next to Knox, the head of a monster clutched in his hand. He tosses it aside nonchalantly and addresses Knox with a hint of admiration and incredulity in his voice. "Oi Knox. Is she a sophomore or junior? Isn't she too strong to be here?" He asks, his eyes still on Isadora.

Knox, taken aback by Azura's acknowledgment of Isadora's strength, raises his eyebrows. If someone as formidable as Azura is questioning Isadora's presence due to her overwhelming power, it's a clear testament to her prowess.

Without missing a beat, Azura charges towards Isadora, attempting a side kick aimed with precision. Isadora, unfazed, raises her sword in a swift motion, blocking Azura's attack effortlessly and pushing him back slightly. Knox observes the exchange closely, realizing the inevitable conclusion – they all will have to band together to stand a chance against Isadora.

Glancing across the battlefield, Knox spots Class A engaged in their own struggle against the smaller monsters that emerged from the exploded behemoth. They're too preoccupied to notice an attack on Isadora. A plan begins to form in Knox's mind.

He turns to Quinn, determination in his eyes. "We're all going to attack her," he states firmly. Quinn, ever ready for a challenge, grins and pulls out larger daggers. "So she's the prodigy of this academy?" she questions, her curiosity piqued.

Meanwhile, Isadora remains focused on the monster's corpse, even as she effortlessly parries Azura's relentless assault. Her stoicism and concentration are unbreakable.

Lyra, watching the scene, can't hide her disdain for Isadora. "She is beautiful, however, that bitch dares get in the way of our victory? How dare she. She is nothing but a pathetic worm that needs to be—" she begins in a soft, smiling tone, but her words are cut short as Sylvie slaps the back of her head, admonishing her. "Why are you talking? I told you you can't talk until you learn to be respectful!" Sylvie reprimands her sharply.

Zephyr steps up next to Knox, a silent but formidable presence. With a flick of her wrist, she conjures hundreds of magical fire arrows, launching them in a deadly volley towards Isadora. But Isadora, with her remarkable skill and reflexes, slices through each arrow, her blade a blur of motion, unaffected by the onslaught.