On the other side of the portal, the students and teachers finally arrived at their destination.
Grouped together, they took in the strange new world around them. The air itself felt different, heavier, denser, yet oddly clean. The smells were foreign, the atmosphere thick with unfamiliar energy, and even the gravity felt slightly off, pulling at them in a way that made walking feel both lighter and harder at the same time.
Redrick and Diana stood near the shimmering portal, glancing back toward the gateway with growing concern.
It had been several minutes since anyone else had come through.
"Do you think somethingâs gone wrong?" Redrick asked, tension creeping into his voice. "It shouldnât be taking this long, right?"
"Iâm a little worried too," Diana admitted, folding her arms. "But Panla and Luka are still back there. They should be able to handle things... right?"
Redrick gave a dry chuckle. "Against an entire guild? Unlikely. Maybe if the Academy sent
all
of its teachers, weâd stand a chance. But with just those two? No. Iâm honestly glad Luka convinced me to come through first. Thatâs not a fight we want to start, not now."
Back in the portal chamber, inside the Underfang Guildâs base...
Dame hadnât exactly whispered his bold words. His voice echoed loud and clear for everyone to hear, students, teachers, and guild members alike.
And the reaction was instant.
Fury lit up the faces of the Underfang members. Their bodies stiffened, hands inching toward weapons, magic already beginning to stir. They were ready to act,
waiting
for an excuse.
Seeing this, Betrax subtly tightened her grip on her weapon, while Liam stood ready to summon his from the ring at his side. One move from Raze, and theyâd all follow.
Every single one of them had made up their mind.
If this turns into a fight... weâre not backing down.
They didnât believe for a second theyâd lose. Not with Raze leading them.
The ranked students watching from the sidelines, however, were having very different thoughts.
"Theyâre all seriously
crazy
! Like, completely out of their minds!" Chiba exclaimed. "Is this what it takes to get that strong? You have to be
insane
? I thought nutjobs like this usually died before they could even level up!"
At this rate, even Panla and Luka, two of the Academyâs most composed instructors, werenât sure they could stop what was coming.
Maybe this is just how it was always meant to be,
Luka thought grimly.
I didnât get to witness his full strength during the entrance assessment... but if weâre going to perish today, at least Iâll die knowing what heâs truly capable of.
Then a softer voice cut through the tension.
"Raze," Safa said gently, placing her hand on his arm. "I appreciate you standing up for me, I really do. But even if that attack had landed... it wouldnât have done much."
She gave him a knowing look before continuing.
"And I
know
what youâre about to say. That itâs the
intent
that matters, and youâre right. It is. But think about this. These people here? Theyâre not the ones you really want revenge against."
Her voice lowered, but the fire behind her words didnât fade.
"If you act now, if you burn everything down in this moment... how will it affect your plans for the future? Iâm not even hurt. Youâve already given these fools a scare theyâll never forget. And when the time is right... weâll come back.
Then
weâll deal with them properly."
Safa herself was furious. She hadnât done a single thing to deserve being attacked by some arrogant fool.
But she understood how this world worked. These people only lashed out when they
thought
they were stronger. They bowed before true power, but preyed on those they believed weaker.
She hated it, but she also knew this wasnât the moment to feed that fire.
Not for Raze.
Sheâd already made her choice, she would be the one to pull him back when the storm in him started to rise.
Raze closed his eyes for a moment. Then he turned to the group.
"Everyone," he said, his voice level and composed. "Letâs... head into the portal."
One by one, his allies relaxed. Weapons were lowered, shoulders loosened. They took a breath, and obeyed.
The same couldnât be said for the Underfang guild. Their eyes still burned with tension, flicking toward Bronto, waiting for an order.
But none came.
Raze turned his back to them all.
Just like that.
As if they werenât even worth his time.
As if no attack could touch him anyway.
It was another insult, silent, yet loud. A declaration of dominance without saying a word.
He dared them with his silence...
try it.
But nothing happened. No one moved.
With that, Raze walked into the portal, his group following behind. The ranked students quickly trailed after them, leaving only the two teachers behind.
Panla turned, bowed her head toward the guild members, and spoke calmly.
"Please remember... these are
students
. And the Academy still wishes to maintain a good relationship with the Underfang Guild."
With those parting words, Panla and Luka stepped through the portal, heading toward the others.
Just before entering, Raze felt a wave of quiet disappointment in himself.
He had used Qi to stop the lightning attack. Thatâs how heâd neutralized it completely, without injury.
And now, ironically,
he
might be the one to blow their cover, when all along, they had tried to stay hidden.
But things were different now.
He wasnât just protecting himself anymore.
He had people he didnât want to lose, just like before.
Back in the portal room, audible grumbling broke out among the Underfang members.
"What was
wrong
with those students?" one muttered. "Did you see the look in their eyes? I really thought they were going to fight!"
"Same here," another replied. "I was ready to call in the whole guild. I just needed one excuse."
"Honestly," a third added, "it doesnât matter anyway. Especially with whatâs going to happen to them in there... right, Bronto?"
Bronto turned to them with a cold, confident smile.
"Right. When we proceed with the plan... we already know
exactly
who to target first."
He chuckled darkly.
"Assuming they even survive in that place."
*****
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