The deafening sound of wood cracking echoed throughout the classroom.
BAM!
Siva's palm slammed into the teacher's desk with enough force to make the entire thing tremble. The shock traveled across the room, rattling chairs and startling more than a few students. One boy nearly fell backward out of his seat.
The beastwoman stood motionless behind the desk, her sharp eyes slowly sweeping across the classroom.
"Alright."
Her voice was low and heavy.
"Listen carefully, you useless brats."
The room instantly fell silent.
Nobody laughed.
Nobody whispered.
The atmosphere became so tense that even breathing felt dangerous.
"Since this is your first day," Siva continued, crossing her muscular arms, "I'll only be explaining the basics. But if any of you fail to pay attention…"
A dangerous smile appeared on her face.
"…then prepare to die early."
Several students visibly swallowed.
At the back of the classroom, Duke nudged Kai with his elbow.
"Hey, idiot. Wake up."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"This sounds important."
Kai lazily opened one eye.
"Yeah, yeah…"
On the platform, Siva glanced over the class.
"First."
Her gaze sharpened.
"I have a question."
No one answered.
The silence stretched awkwardly across the room.
Finally, a trembling hand rose into the air.
Siva immediately pointed toward its owner.
"You. The girl."
The student flinched.
"Stand up. Name."
The girl nervously rose from her seat, clutching the edge of her uniform.
"M-My name is Yuki…"
Her voice shook.
"And… I think we're here to save this world."
A few students nodded slightly.
Others looked uncertain.
Near the back, Kai frowned.
Yuki…?
The name sounded strangely familiar.
He searched his memory for a moment before giving up.
Must be imagining it.
Siva stared at the girl for several seconds before giving a small nod.
"Close."
Yuki visibly relaxed.
Then Siva continued.
"But not enough."
The relief vanished immediately.
"You were not brought here to become heroes."
The classroom grew even quieter.
"You were brought here to contribute."
Confused looks spread throughout the room.
Siva ignored them.
"In this world, value matters."
Her gaze swept across the students.
"We value useful people."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Not trash."
The statement landed like a hammer.
Near the front row, Hajime's lips curved slightly.
More realistic than I expected.
At the opposite end of the room, Duke clenched his fist beneath the desk.
That's disgustingly practical.
Without giving anyone time to process her words, Siva continued.
"Second."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
"The academy bears absolutely no responsibility if any of you die."
A ripple of shock swept through the class.
Several students stiffened.
One girl covered her mouth.
Another looked as though he had misheard.
Siva remained expressionless.
"It doesn't matter whether it's an accident."
Her voice was calm.
"It doesn't matter whether it's a dispute."
Then her eyes grew colder.
"Or murder."
The silence that followed was absolute.
Even the air itself seemed frozen.
"Other instructors have the authority to intervene," she continued. "If they want to."
The emphasis made the meaning painfully clear.
Nobody was guaranteed help.
Nobody was guaranteed protection.
"If you want to become heroes, then prove you're not worthless."
Daniel lowered his eyes.
So our lives mean nothing here…?
Beside him, Mike unconsciously tightened his grip on the desk.
Murder…? Inside the academy…?
Siva continued as though none of their reactions existed.
"You will study here for one and a half years. Every six months, there will be evaluations."
She tapped the desk with one finger.
"Pass them, and you'll receive a Hero License."
A faint grin appeared.
"Your ticket to freedom."
Kai blinked.
A Hero License?
Sounds like a driver's license.
"When you obtain one, you'll be eligible to take missions from various organizations throughout the continent."
She shrugged.
"The details can wait."
Siva looked around the room one last time.
"Now then."
Her smile returned.
"Any questions?"
At the back, Duke lowered his head slightly.
"What exactly are we supposed to ask?"
Mike rubbed his forehead.
"I'm still processing everything."
Kai shrugged.
"No clue."
Seeing nobody raise a hand, Siva nodded.
"Good."
She was about to continue when the sound of a chair scraping against the floor cut through the silence.
Every head turned.
A tall, broad-shouldered student had risen from his seat.
Confidence radiated from him.
Challenge burned in his eyes.
Siva looked directly at him.
"Name."
The student smirked.
"Ethan."
The room became tense again.
"I have a question."
Siva tilted her head.
"Speak."
Ethan took a step forward.
"You said the academy isn't responsible for anything that happens to students."
His voice carried clearly throughout the room.
"Even conflicts involving instructors."
Siva's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Go on."
A grin spread across Ethan's face.
"Then what happens if a student kills an instructor?"
The entire classroom froze.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Several students stared at him as though he'd gone insane.
Siva watched him quietly.
Then she nodded.
"Oh."
A faint understanding crossed her face.
"So that's where this is going."
Ethan spread his arms.
"You said this place values talent."
His grin widened.
"If a student can kill a teacher, doesn't that make him a genius?"
The challenge was obvious.
Many students expected Siva to become angry.
Instead, she looked completely calm.
"Want to test that theory?"
The pressure in the room instantly intensified.
Ethan's smile widened.
"I've been waiting for you to say that."
He snapped his fingers.
Immediately, dozens of weapons materialized around him.
Then dozens became hundreds.
Knives.
Daggers.
Short blades.
Large blades.
The air itself seemed filled with steel.
Gasps erupted throughout the classroom.
The floating weapons slowly rotated around Ethan like a deadly storm.
Siva glanced at them. "Creation-type ability."
She nodded slightly. "Red Blessing."
Ethan looked pleased. "Correct."
His confidence continued to rise.
"I can create any weapon I understand."
He raised his hand.
"And that's not all."
Instantly, every blade launched forward.
The classroom erupted into panic.
Students flinched.
Several screamed.
The storm of steel shot across the room at terrifying speed, aimed directly at Siva's throat.
Then…
they stopped.
Only millimeters away.
A few students nearly fainted from the sight.
Siva simply tilted her head and calmly examined the blades hovering before her face.
"Object manipulation too."
There was even a hint of approval in her voice.
"Not bad."
Ethan's smirk returned.
He thought he had won.
The weapons surrounded Siva from every angle.
There was no escape.
"Looks like this class is getting a new teacher."
His smile widened.
A soft laugh escaped Siva's lips.
The sound immediately made Ethan's confidence waver.
"What?"
For the first time, uncertainty entered his voice.
Siva looked directly into his eyes.
"Have to admit." She took a single step forward. "You surprised me a little"
The pressure in the room suddenly became overwhelming.
"But that's all." Her gaze became ice cold." You're too slow."
The next moment, every blade vanished.
Not shattered.
Not deflected.
Simply gone.
The classroom fell into stunned silence.
Ethan's eyes widened.
"W-What?!"
He looked around wildly.
The weapons he had created had disappeared without leaving a trace.
No sound.
No movement.
Nothing.
His confidence shattered instantly.
"Where did they—"
Siva wasn't even looking at him anymore.
She simply turned around and walked back toward the teacher's desk as though he no longer existed.
Then Ethan felt something strange.
A sharp pain.
His voice caught in his throat.
Slowly, he lowered his gaze.
His arms were twisted into grotesque angles.
Bones protruded through torn flesh.
Blood dripped onto the floor beneath him.
His hands shook uncontrollably.
"W-What…"
His face turned pale.
"What happened…?"
The classroom remained frozen.
Nobody had seen Siva move.
Nobody understood what had happened.
Even Hajime narrowed his eyes slightly.
For the first time since entering the classroom, genuine surprise appeared on his face.
When…?
At the back of the room, Kai quietly leaned against his chair.
What an idiot.
Without sparing Ethan another glance, Siva returned to the front of the classroom and rested a hand on the desk. The silence hanging over the room felt completely different now. Earlier, many of the students had still thought of Gaiacademy as a school. A place to study. A place to prepare for the future.
That illusion had just been shattered.
Ethan's broken body was proof enough.
Siva slowly swept her gaze across the stunned faces before a faint smile appeared on her lips.
"Welcome to Gaiacademy."
No one spoke….No one moved.
The fear in the room was almost tangible, Siva folded her arms "you worthless brats."
And not a single student dared to disobey.