The Extra's Rise

I walked into Class 2-A, a place that felt both familiar and strangely distant after my five-week absence. The ten seats, arranged in their usual 2x5 format, were all occupied by the academy's most exceptional students. As I stepped in, I felt a few gazes turn my way. The air was charged with a mixture of curiosity and surprise - my return clearly hadn't gone unnoticed.

The classroom itself was unchanged - the same reinforced walls designed to withstand errant bursts of mana, the same advanced holo-displays at the front, the same faint scent of energy-infused cleaning agents used to remove the occasional scorch marks or frost patterns. It was comforting in its predictability.

"Arthur," Lucifer greeted me first, his verdant eyes glinting with curiosity. His silver-white hair was slightly longer than when I'd last seen him, falling just above his shoulders now. "I heard you were in a coma. What happened?"

I took my seat beside him—the Rank 1 seat, still mine after all this time. It was strange how important such a small thing could feel. "Had a run-in with a Bishop," I said, leaning back casually. "He was injured, so I managed to survive."

Lucifer blinked. "Wait, actually? You fought a Bishop?"

I nodded, watching his reaction carefully.

His usual calm demeanor cracked for a moment as his eyes widened slightly. Even he, the "Hero," was surprised. The flicker of genuine shock on his face was almost worth the near-death experience.

I smirked a little. In the original story, Lucifer's first real battle against a Bishop came when he was a high Integration-ranker, a moment that solidified his legend. And yet, here I was, having done it without even reaching Integration-rank. Of course, he ended up defeating the Bishop alone with the Bishop at full power, while I had barely survived a wounded one.

"As expected, you're incredible," Lucifer muttered, shaking his head slightly before resting his chin on his hand. There was genuine respect in his voice, tinged with something that might have been concern.

'Says the guy who's already Integration-rank.'

I could feel the shift in his mana. He had fully stepped into that level, while I was still lagging a step behind. The difference was subtle but unmistakable - like comparing a burning candle to a small bonfire. It was only a matter of time before he left me in the dust if I didn't push myself harder.

Before I could say anything, a loud voice interrupted us.

"Arthur! Long time no see, man!"

Ian Viserion strode up with a wide grin, clapping me on the shoulder with enough force to make me wince slightly. The dragon-blooded prince radiated warmth—both metaphorically and literally. His mana always carried a heat to it, like standing too close to a furnace. His crimson hair seemed to glow under the classroom lights, catching fire with every movement.

"Glad to see you're still alive," he added, shaking my hand with a strong grip that would have crushed the fingers of anyone with lesser physical enhancement.

"Of course," I said with a chuckle. "It'll take more than a Bishop to get rid of me."

"That's the spirit!" Ian laughed, his voice filling the classroom. "Next time, let me in on the fight, yeah? My flames could've helped. Would've roasted that Bishop nice and crispy."

I smiled but didn't say anything. If Ian had been there, it would've turned into a full-blown battlefield. The last thing I needed was another future Radiant-ranker getting dragged into my mess. Besides, Ian's idea of "help" usually involved reducing everything within a half-mile radius to smoldering ash.

"Seriously though," he added, his tone dropping slightly as he leaned in. "You good? Heard you were pretty messed up."

"I'm fine now," I assured him. "Just needed some time to recover."

He nodded, seemingly satisfied with my answer. "Well, don't go hogging all the glory next time. Some of us want a crack at those Cult bastards too."

As Ian and Lucifer continued talking, I glanced around the classroom, taking stock of my other classmates.

Ren Kagu was watching me. Not in an obvious way, but his violet eyes lingered on me longer than necessary before he turned his attention back to his notebook. He never said much, and right now was no exception. His white hair fell across his face, partially obscuring his expression, but I caught the calculating gleam in his eyes.

He was analyzing me.

Ren wasn't like the others. He didn't waste time on small talk or pleasantries—he watched, calculated, and waited.

And then there was Clana.

As usual, she was sleeping. Head down, arms crossed, her slow, steady breathing making it clear she had absolutely no intention of participating in whatever chaos the rest of us were stirring up. Her long navy blue hair spilled across her desk like a curtain.

No one questioned it anymore. We just accepted that Clana operated on a different plane of existence than the rest of us.

And well, I didn't have to mention Jin who was pointedly ignoring me.

Then there were the four girls - Rachel, Cecilia, Seraphina, and Rose. They kept stealing glances at me when they thought I wasn't looking. Cecilia was the most obvious, turning fully in her seat to flash me a brilliant smile. Rachel was more subtle, watching me from the corner of her eye with that familiar smirk playing on her lips. Seraphina maintained her usual composure, but her ice-blue gaze lingered a moment longer than necessary. And Rose seemed to be trying very hard not to look at me at all, which only made her furtive glances more noticeable.

I sighed. Some things never changed.

It was good to be back, despite everything. The familiarity of these rivalries, friendships, and whatever complicated thing I had with the four girls was oddly comforting after weeks of recovery.

Finally, the door slid open as Professor Nero stepped inside. Conversation immediately died down, everyone straightening in their seats - except Clana, who continued to sleep peacefully.

Ian moved back to his seat as the professor reached the center of the front of the class. Nero looked exactly as I remembered him - immaculately dressed in the Academy's official instructor uniform, his grey hair neatly trimmed, his posture rigid with military precision. The only sign of the passing weeks was perhaps a few more lines around his eyes.

"Welcome back everyone," he said, his eyes turning to me, lingering for a moment with an unreadable expression. "And especially you, Arthur. I hope your fall break was fulfilling."

There was a hint of dry humor in his tone that wasn't lost on me. My "fall break" had involved a coma and extensive healing. Hardly fulfilling in the traditional sense.

"Now, as you know, we have two main events this half of the semester," Nero continued, activating the holo-display with a gesture. A calendar materialized in the air, key dates highlighted in glowing red. "We have your second practical evaluation which will technically be your third mission that you will undertake. And we have the Inter-Academy Festival."

The mention of the festival caused a ripple of excitement through the class. The annual competition between the world's top academies was a prestigious event, one that attracted attention from the highest levels of government and military.

"Your second practical evaluation will be in two weeks, so you don't have much time till that," Nero warned, his expression growing more serious. "This time, you will be taking more dangerous missions near the borders."

"Near the borders?" Rachel repeated as Nero nodded.

Everyone's expressions darkened. The atmosphere in the room shifted, the earlier excitement replaced by tension so thick you could almost taste it.

After all, the borders being mentioned by Nero were the borders between the continents and the lands ruled by miasmic beasts and the cults. These weren't just geographical boundaries - they were frontlines in humanity's ongoing war against extinction.

"Yes, the borders," Nero confirmed, his voice taking on a harder edge. "The Academy believes that after your two mission experiences, you're ready for more challenging assignments. You will be operating in teams of two to three, with support from regular military units, but your objectives will be independent."

"Will we choose our own partners?" Lucifer asked, glancing around the room.

Nero shook his head. "Partners will be assigned based on complementary abilities and your individual performance metrics from previous missions. We're looking to balance strengths and compensate for weaknesses."