[ Walter Park – West Quadrant |]
Dust and debris swirled through the ruined plaza, the air humming with residual mana. The Panther Rat, a mutated beast stitched together with corrupted flesh and coiling tails, snapped wildly—one massive tail barreling toward the scattered group of civilians.
But it stopped.
Opera stood at the center of the chaos, one hand raised, holding the beast's tail in place. Muscles tense, posture poised, their crimson eyes burned with silent resolve.
"President Ameri," Opera said coolly without turning. "Get the others to safety."
Ameri nodded sharply, rallying the others. "Follow me! Stay low and don't stop!"
As they disappeared into the smoke, Opera gritted their teeth—the tail was stronger than expected. With a surge of mana, the Panther Rat twisted around, swinging a second tail from the opposite side. Opera's heels dug in—but it was too fast.
Just as the strike was about to land—
"Hyah!"
Ameri appeared like a flash, her mana-infused punch colliding with the tail and sending it off-course.
"I told you I'd come back."
Opera gave her a rare smile. "Much appreciated."
Together, they stood back-to-back, preparing to go on the offensive. But before they could move—
"Waaah! Somebody help!"
Both of them froze.
High above, swinging wildly from one of the Panther Rat's tails… was Clara.
"How did she get up there?!" Ameri barked, wide-eyed.
Opera blinked. "…No idea. But she does this."
[ Walter Park – North Zone ]
Farther across the park, beneath the looming shadow of the Blue Mountain Beast, a storm of feathers and shrieking cries burst into the sky.
Dozens of demonic birds swarmed, pecking and flapping chaotically around the monster's eyes.
At the center of it all—riding the largest bird with a gleeful grin—was Caim Kamui.
"Dance, my feathery soldiers! Divebomb formation!"
While the monster flailed to swat the birds away, Shax Lied darted along its blind side, his body cloaked in illusion magic. He dashed forward and—
"Yoink!"
—stole the hearing from its left ear, leaving the monster disoriented and vulnerable.
---
[ Walter Park – Ground Zero]
Behind cover, Andro Jazz adjusted his gloves and checked his notes. Every movement was accounted for. Every position—calculated.
He whispered into the comm stone: "Now, Gaap."
Gaap Goemon leapt from the shadows like a bullet, his blade gleaming.
CLANG!
He intercepted a tail strike from the beast, knocking it upward—just enough for Jazz to sprint through the opening.
He reached the monster's left side and pulled out a sleek, metallic whistle—the one gifted to him by his older brother, Rock.
"Let's put you down."
He blew.
The sound was unnatural—so sharp it tore through the air like a razor, inaudible to most, but devastating to the beast's magically-enhanced hearing.
The Blue Mountain Beast shrieked—stumbling and then crashing to the ground, paralyzed by the sensory overload.
The squad caught their breath.
"Is it down…?" Gaap asked.
The answer came quickly.
The beast twitched. Then snarled. It was stunned, but not defeated.
--
[ The Enforcer Arrives]
A dark pulse erupted overhead.
The students turned to see a black coat fluttering through the sky—descending like a falling star.
"Kalego-sensei?!"
Kalego Naberius landed with crushing weight, his eyes cold and furious.
He raised one hand—and magic circles layered in concentric rings beneath the fallen beast.
"Enough."
Chains of black flame erupted, binding the Blue Mountain Beast in place. It roared in resistance—only for Kalego to press a heel to its skull.
"You've disrupted class long enough."
With one final surge, the beast was sealed—motionless, unconscious, and silenced.
Kalego destroy its small core with ease.
[ Misfit Memory – Group Photo]
As calm returned and the surviving monsters lay defeated, Caim fluttered down, camera in hand.
"Yo! Time for the shot! Group up!"
Jazz crossed his arms, trying to look composed. Shax gave a dramatic wink. Gaap posed with a cool, almost smug smile. Clara had somehow acquired popcorn again and posed with a peace sign. Opera and Ameri stood behind them—calm and collected.
And Kalego?
He stood in the background, arms crossed, absolutely refusing to acknowledge the photo was even being taken.
Click.
A snapshot was taken—not of students, but of tacticians, fighters, and heroes.
The Misfit Class was no longer just a curiosity.
They were a force.
---
[ Emergency Center – Crocell's Concert of Courage]
Panic rippled through the emergency shelter like static. Families huddled close, trembling. Children cried. The roars of the Panther Rat outside were getting louder—closer.
Suddenly, the lights dimmed.
A spotlight flickered to life.
And from the stage at the front, a voice rang out—clear, melodic, and commanding:
"I am the darkness that sparkles in your heart—Dem-dol Kuromu, here to shine away your fears!"
The crowd blinked in disbelief as Crocell Kerori stood center stage, now fully transformed into her Kuromu persona, complete with shimmering costume and glamor enchantments.
Music erupted, bright and energetic.
With a single twirl, Kuromu began to sing.
Her voice cut through the fear like a spell, her performance overflowing with radiance and charisma. Holograms danced around her—galaxies and stars in sync with the beat.
The children stopped crying. Eyes widened. Heads turned.
And then—
They sang along.
Cheers filled the shelter.
For a moment, the terror outside was forgotten.
--
[ Outside the Emergency Center – Panther Rat vs Opera & Ameri]
Outside, it was chaos.
The Panther Rat's tails whipped through the air, each strike capable of splitting stone. Opera moved with blinding speed, deflecting one tail, redirecting another. But even they were beginning to feel the strain.
A third tail lashed out—too fast.
"Got it!"
Ameri stepped in front, throwing up her hand. A chant-less barrier flashed into place just in time, deflecting the blow.
Opera blinked. "Impressive. Your spellcasting is maturing."
Ameri smirked. "I've been training. Iruma-kun isn't the only one improving."
Opera tapped their temple. "The beast's weak point is its underbelly—between the rib plates. Its armored tail sacs are also filled with a paralytic mist. Be careful."
"Understood."
High above, still dangling from a tail, Clara flailed.
"Heeeelp!"
With a precise flick of their fingers, Opera launched a compact mana thread, cutting the tail cleanly. Clara dropped—
Only for Opera to catch her mid-air like a feather on the breeze.
"Thank youuuuuu~!" Clara sang as she hugged her rescuer.
Opera gently set her down. "Stay out of trouble, please."
--
Now it was just Ameri and the beast.
The Panther Rat lunged, but Ameri was already there. Her eyes sharpened, her mana surged.
"Royal Bloodline Magic—Titania's Will!"
Her body pulsed with a radiant force, an aura of strength and grace enveloping her. Her fists met the monster's claws head-on—shattering them like brittle glass.
But then—
PSSSSSHHHH!!!
A dense cloud of poison gas exploded from the creature's tail sacs.
Opera's eyes widened. "Ameri—!"
But she didn't flinch.
The gas rushed toward her, thick as a stormcloud—and she walked straight through it, unfazed. Her magic surged like a second skin, neutralizing the toxin.
"I won't fall… not while I have someone I want to protect."
With a mighty roar, she leapt, her glowing fist aimed directly at the creature's exposed underbelly.
CRACK—!!
The ground trembled.
The Panther Rat howled—then collapsed.
Defeated.
[ Aftermath – An Unexpected Offer]
Opera stepped beside her, brushing dust from their sleeve.
"You performed admirably. Consider working under me after graduation. I could use someone like you."
Ameri blinked, caught off guard. "I… was planning to work under my father. As his secretary."
Opera tilted their head, silently watching.
Ameri looked away… then back toward the Emergency Center.
Living in the same household… with Iruma… every day?
Her face turned bright red. "Actually… I'll consider it."
Opera gave a rare chuckle. "Understood."
They turned to Clara, who was crouched beside a half-open backpack.
"Clara. Why were you up there?"
Clara held up a glittering, oddly-shaped item.
"I was trying to give you this secret weapon I made!"
Opera raised an eyebrow. "…A secret weapon?"
Clara leaned in and whispered something incomprehensible.
Opera blinked. Then blinked again.
"Fascinating. I'll take one. Quietly."
Clara saluted. "Aye, aye!"
---
[ Walter Park – Final Clash with the Gluttonous Dragon]
BOOM!
Another shockwave rippled across the battlefield as the Gluttonous Dragon let out a bloodcurdling roar, its body now swollen from devouring countless elemental spells.
The skies darkened above it.
Smoke and ash swirled.
Nearby, Sabnock Sabro landed hard, rubble crashing around him. He spotted movement beneath the debris—three small children trapped, trembling.
Without hesitation, Sabro reached down and lifted a massive slab of stone with one hand, shielding the kids with the other.
"You're safe now. Go!"
The children ran, eyes wide with gratitude.
Sabro stood, dusted himself off, and growled as he looked toward the battlefield.
"Now back to the real fight."
--
[ Central Arena – Iruma's Gambit]
Iruma and Alice stood side by side as the Gluttonous Dragon reared back again, charging a beam of corrupted stone magic.
"Tch… it's absorbing everything," Alice muttered, his flame gauntlets blazing in frustration.
Sabro appeared beside them through a portal, conjuring a towering axe to block the incoming beam. The ground shattered around his feet from the impact.
"It's not going down easy."
Iruma narrowed his eyes.
His tone was cold. Calculated.
"…We'll all aim for the core. First I will try to cut that dragon in half."
"But Iruma, It will regenerate ."
"Well i know. Thats why You Two will come"
"After cutting in half both you and Alice will attack his core to into pieces"
" Because we all know , The core of that dragon is inside it's body"
Alice glanced at him. Sabro smirked.
"Sounds like a plan, Master."
"Heh… My rival speaks like a king."
Iruma's hand tightened on Samuk's hilt. Purple lightning crackled down the blade, dancing like living energy.
He vanished.
"Amenotejikara."
In an instant, he reappeared above the Gluttonous Dragon—his place switched with a stone fragment mid-air. He raised his glowing blade overhead, his eyes cold and unwavering.
"Sokushin Raikō Zan"
( Tc/L : Instant Lightning Flash Slash)
『Using the Rinnegan's Amenotejikara to instantly teleport a short distance mid-swing, delivering a lightning-charged slash from an unpredictable angle.』
——
FWOOOSH—!!
The lightning-coated blade came down.
SLASH—!!
A clean, devastating arc tore through the dragon's torso, splitting it nearly in half. Its roar turned to static, mana sputtering like sparks.
Iruma began to fall, exhausted, breath shallow. His eyes locked onto the exposed core glowing within the beast.
"Now… do it."
--
Sabro let out a primal roar, conjuring a colossal flaming greatsword from a portal.
Alice ignited both fists to maximum output, his aura a storm of crimson flame.
The two launched forward in unison.
"HYAAAAAH!!"
"FOR IRUMA SAMA!!"
BOOOM—!!
Sabro's massive blade struck the core dead center, right as Alice's fist collided beside it—both strikes synced perfectly.
The dragon's body convulsed, a shockwave bursting outward.
CRACK—CRACK—CRACK—!!!
The Gluttonous Dragon shattered into a million glowing fragments—embers of mana dissolving like fireflies into the sky.
Silence followed.
Then wind.
Then—
Cheers.
From every surrounding people. Grown Devil – Child devil.
The threat was over.
All three of them collapsed to one knee, breathing heavy.
The battlefield was quiet, lit only by drifting embers that glowed like stars.