When The Dust Settles

At the crucial moment, Kabuto Tsuginumi saved the day, slashing the wyvern before it could lay its claws on her.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-yes i'm fine."

Roaring in pain, the wyvern wasn't going to stop easily. It tried to attack again, but this time, a huge glacier suddenly burst from the ground, blocking its path.

"(Alice Ancantrea [2/596])

With the help of Alice's ice magic, the professors managed to surround the raging wyvern, bringing its movement to a halt.

Another spell was shot from afar, striking the side of the wyvern's head and causing it to falter.

"How dare you, vile creature! You've ruined my first day, and I haven't even had my chance in the match yet!" (Alex Hagan [8/596]) He launched his fire javelin toward the wyvern from the other side of the arena.

"Don't forget, I'm here too!" (Ling Renwu [5/595])

Ling Renwu lunged into the air with his fist enveloped in a bright yellow aura, he delivered a powerful punch to the wyvern's chin.

The wyvern was momentarily startled, yet it was evident that defeating the formidable creature would require more than that.

"What are you all doing here?! Go evacuate! Let the professors deal with this!" Vice Principal Ragnar Strauss shouted.

"No way, don't look down upon us!"

"We're here to help!"

"I can't just leave when everyone needs me yo!"

"Tsk... such stubborn freshmen. Alright, don't act recklessly. Follow my orders! But be prepared for punishment once this is over!"

Thanks to the combined efforts of the students and professors, the vice principal found an opportunity to cast a restraining spell.

"Light, lend me your grace and grant me the strength to purge evil. Among the sea of darkness, let no wicked being tread upon this holy land."

"Chains of Seraphim!"

Brilliant chains of light erupted from the ground, snaking through the air with blinding speed. They wrapped around the wyvern, binding its wings and limbs. The creature roared in fury, thrashing against its restraints, but the chains held firm.

"Now! Everyone!"

The students and professors unleashed a barrage of spells and attacks upon the restrained wyvern. Flames, ice shards, lightning bolts, and torrents of water crashed against the creature, overwhelming it with magical onslaughts.

"Yoshaaa! Take that, you pesky wyvern!" 

As dust and magicule from the onslaught filled the arena, the students and professors paused to catch their breath. They were confident that the wyvern couldn't possibly endure such attack.

But, when the smoke cleared, they were shocked to the core. Despite the relentless magic bombardment, the wyvern remained steadfast, its body glowing with magical runes that healed the injuries inflicted upon it.

"No way... Even after all that..."

The wyvern let out a furious roar, breaking free from the restraining chains. It then flew towards the evacuating students at lightning speed.

"No!"

Just as the wyvern was about to reach them, a rock struck its head. Although the small rock didn't leave a scratch, it succeeded in catching the wyvern's attention, diverting it away from the students.

"Hey ugly, yeah you. Come here and catch me if you can! Wleeee!" (Alan Boltz [596/596] taunted the wyvern, hurling rocks at it.

The wyvern, enraged by his taunt, turned its gaze toward Alan. It roared and lunged furiously as it charged after him, leading it away from the evacuating students.

"That's right, follow me!" Alan yelled, continuing to throw rocks, each one striking the wyvern and drawing it further away from the crowd.

Unfortunately, as he led the wyvern away, Alan stumbled over an uneven ground and tripped over.

"O-ouch..." Alan rubbed his head in pain as he tried to stood up.

But when he looked up, the wyvern was already looming above him.

"W-wait, wait! I was just joking!"

As Alan scrambled to his feet, he found himself face-to-face with the enraged wyvern. He held up his hands in a feeble attempt to calm the creature.

"Gate!"

With quick reflexes, Professor Johan Evanssius opened a portal under Alan, allowing him to fall into it and teleporting him beside the group.

"You idiot, do you realize you almost got yourself killed?!" Professor Johan scolded.

"Ehehe..."

"Damn it, that thing won't go down even after we hit it thousands of times. It must have a weakness," Vice principal muttered in frustration.

"Hahahaha, Interesting to see you all struggling against a mere lizard." 

Hearing the sudden laugh, their attention turned to me as I strolled casually in their direction.

"You—!"

"Even if all of you drained your mana to death, you still wouldn't be able to take that creature down. It's not your normal wyvern, after all."

"What do you mean by that?" Professor Johan questioned my vague statement.

"Well, it's only natural that you can't see it. That wyvern was modified with recovery magic down to its core. It's been done so neatly that you wouldn't notice it with the naked eye."

"So, is there a way to defeat it at all?"

"Well, unless any of you have magic that could disintegrate the wyvern into the molecular level???"

They exchanged looks with each other, but none of them uttered a word.

"Yeah, I thought so."

"You see, that's the issue with you modern mages," I remarked casually as I strolled towards the raging wyvern.

"Wait! What are you doing?!"

"You've all grown too reliant on magic for convenience, thus you've erased the true essence of magic."

"If the demon lord were to be born in this era,"

"judging by your magic, I could confidently say that humanity is done for."

Noticing me advancing, the wyvern instantly locked onto me, charging forward with astonishing speed.

"Don't be foolish! The wyvern!"

As Professor Johan shouted out in warning, I remained unfazed, my gaze locked with the oncoming wyvern.

 "Magic isn't just a tool for convenience or a way to simplify your lives. It's a force, a power that requires understanding, respect, and above all, mastery."

"Indeed, my magic doesn't grant me the ability to fly, jump over fences, cut lines, or make sandwiches."

"Not that it matters anyway."

"What it does grant me is something far greater, something that a true mage should possess."

"The foundation of all magic since the ancient times."

"A calamity, a disaster, a force that rivals gods."

"Magic, is a weapon..."

"...Which its sole purpose..."

"IS TO KILL."

The wyvern stands right in front of me, its razor-sharp claws poised to shred me to pieces.

"Maledictio(Curse): Consume 200 animal souls, Medusaei Oculi(Eyes of Medusa)."

The wyvern's claws stopped just inches away from me, its body turned into solid stone. The previously ominous wyvern now stood there, imposing no more than a statue.

Reaching towards the petrified wyvern, I tapped lightly on its claw. In an instant, the wyvern crumbled into pieces, reduced to a pile of dust and rocks.

I turned around to meet their gaze, a smug grin on my face as I remarked,

"Now, that's what a real magic looks like."

***

"Lam Hoffman, do you understand why you've been summoned to this hearing?"

"I dont know, are you planning to reward me or something?"

I shrugged as I faced the faculty council before me, seated imposingly as if I were on trial.

"Don't joke with us! Do you realize what you've done?!" One of the rectors shouted at me.

"What have I done? Let me see... I excelled in the match and saved the entire school from a raging wyvern that was about to kill everyone?"

"You displayed a usage of magic far beyond what any mage could conceive of. There isn't even a mention of it in any of the academy's scriptures!"

"Well, thanks for the compliment, I guess?"

"We're not praising you! You're dangerous! We can't allow you to roam this academy among our students."

With a mix of anger and caution, the rector passed judgment on me.

"We've decided to expel you from this academy, and perhaps even report you to the kingdom authorities!"

Upon hearing their verdict, I couldn't suppress my laughter. 

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! How amusing... I wipe your whole incompetent ass and this is what you throw me with?"

"What's the matter, Vice Principal Ragnar Strauss? Cat got your tongue?"

I fixed my gaze on Vice Principal, whose lips remained tightly sealed throughout the entire hearing. He seemed to avoid my gaze, sitting at the far left of the table.

"Well, I couldn't care less about this stupid academy. I'm sure I could get into another one easily. But if you think you can push me around as you wish..."

"Magick Prohibitae (Forbidden magic)..."

Seeing me as I chanted, the professors and deans rose to their feet, prepared to confront me directly.

"Well, well, well, let's not jump to conclusions, shall we?"

Just when the situation was about to escalate further, a voice emerged from behind. The sound of heels tapping against the floor echoed through the room.

As tension in the room reached its peak, all eyes turned towards the source of the unexpected interruption. A figure emerged from the shadows, walking confidently to the center of the room and placing her hand on my shoulder.

"You're quite the rebellious kid, aren't you?~"

"Chancellor Ignatius..!"

The girl in the navy dress and hazel blazer is none other than the chancellor and principal of Calleimus Academy, Melissa Agatha Ignatius.

As Chancellor Melissa stepped forward, her presence seemed to command the attention of everyone in the room. Her gaze swept over the gathered faculty and rectors as she spoke.

"Lam Hoffman, you have indeed displayed remarkable abilities today, but with great power comes great responsibility. Your actions have raised serious concerns among the faculty."

"However," Chancellor Ignatius continued, her tone softening slightly, "we must also acknowledge the circumstances that led to your actions. You acted bravely to protect the school and its students from harm, and for that, you have my gratitude."

"Nevertheless, we cannot ignore the risks associated with your unorthodox use of magic. We will need to discuss how best to address this matter going forward."

"For the time being, I propose that Lam Hoffman be enrolled in the Dragon Class under my guidance."

As the chancellor made this announcement, protests and murmurs erupted among the council members, with some even voicing their opposition to her decision.

"But, Chancellor, this goes far beyond mere mischief!"

Despite the dissent among the council members, Chancellor Ignatius maintained her composure. She raised a hand, signaling for silence, and the room gradually quieted down.

"I understand your concerns," she began, her voice cutting through the unrest. "But we must remember our duty as educators. Lam Hoffman has demonstrated exceptional talent and courage, qualities that should be nurtured, not stifled."

A few council members nodded in reluctant agreement, while others remained skeptical.

"We cannot ignore the potential he holds," Chancellor Ignatius continued, her tone unwavering. "By admitting him to the Dragon Class, we can provide him with the guidance and mentorship he needs to harness his abilities responsibly."

"Very well," Chancellor Ignatius said, her gaze sweeping over the room.

"Let it be decided then. Lam Hoffman shall be admitted to the Dragon Class under my supervision. If anything happens, I will take full responsibility."

While the council was still immersed in their debates, the chancellor leaned in and whispered to me.

"Don't let me down, young one."

"Hahaha, how could I ever disappoint this lady's expectations of me?"

"Ara~ Are you flirting with me? I might be older than your mother, you know?"

"Game is game."