In a not-so-quiet anymore Academy…
It was utter panic. Picture a cafeteria riot, multiply it by a magical Dragon attack, and then compound it all with Teacher Gale's propaganda. As for the effect? It was EXPLOSIVE!
All across the Academy:
"Headmaster, there's an angry mob marching toward…"
"Sir Enforcer! It's bad! Teacher Gale's place's about to be attacked…"
"My Lord, we've successfully incensed the crowd! It's perfect: that Grave Robber will be kicked out even before his trial!"
As for how that mob had even formed? Well, at the core, it was all because of a certain Classroom. As for the chain of events? It had gone a little bit like this…
Students Rioting → Dragon Attacking → Students running in every direction → Some finding themselves at Gray's place.
That's when they had seen it…
Protest wall? → It really was just a nice wall
Hall of shame? → What shame? It was now a Classroom!
The Gale Isolation Project? → It was 100% benefiting him instead!
The many who had sweated to build it all felt so damn foolish, falling to their knees as they realized how much they had been bamboozled.
"I-It can't be?! What about the protest?! What about L-Leader?!"
"W-Was it all a lie?! Was it all for nothing?!""
"That bastard! Legendary Swindler!"
But as if to add insult to injury, were the flyers:
Join Teacher Gale → We have the best classroom!
Teacher Gale! → We PTSD our enemies!
Teacher Gale! → UNSTOPPABLE!
At this moment, countless cursed the flyers, the wind, and ESPECIALLY Teacher Gale! Overcome by rage, they suddenly felt like everything wrong in the world was because of him!
And what did angry students excel at? Mobbing! That's how this party had started, one that didn't augur well for Gray…. Hundreds of students with burning torches!
It sure was a sight to behold! A distance away, a trio of students just happened to see it as they returned from their training.
"T-They're all around Teacher's place?!"
"They look so angry! Pacify them? Impossible!"
"Ajax, run to the Astral Tower and get Teacher Eagleye!—"
At this moment, Lizzy could only count on her old mentor. Not only did he already know that Teacher Gale wasn't in jail, but he also didn't give a damn.
Yet, her hands remained clenched on her badge.
"Teacher, he can't still be sleeping… right?!"
"Teacher, please answer…"
— BZZZZTTT! —
— BZZZZTTT! —
— BZZZZTTT! —
— BZZZZTTT! —
"Arrrg… Can't they let me sleep?"
Gray couldn't help but grumble as he felt the non-stop notifications. He had even left Lizzy his Teacher's Badge, was even that not enough?
What time was it anyway? He lazily stretched as he glanced through the window—
Fire, so much fire, an ocean of fire. That's all there was before him! Torches lighting up angry visages. W-What?! When the hell had those guys arrived?!
Yesterday was a hazy mess, but he would still have remembered something like that.
"Oh well, guess I have to sort this whole mess out…"
At this moment, he had the energy of a man preparing to go on his morning jog. Hell, he even took the time to pet a few bunnies in passing. Then, before long outside…
"We'll burn this entire place!" — YEAHHHH!"
"We'll make him regret toying with us! — YEAHHHH!"
"We'll make him tasty pancakes! YEAHHHH! Wait, who said that?!"
That's when a certain bandaged Gray Gale peeked through the palisade. What did he think this was? He was even smiling and waving at them?!
"Y-You?! Bastard, how dare you—"
"How dare I? I'm the one who should be asking that! I was taking a nap, and you all woke me up! Still, so many of you came to this recruitment event—great! By the way, the test's right there…"
All Gray did was point at the Classroom before disappearing. God knows when it had happened, but there were signs with tons of arrows to guide would-be applicants.
Wanna be an EPIC mage? → Join the Gale Legion right now! → Step through the Classroom doors and take the Entrance Test, your future awaits!
Countless couldn't help but gulp.
This guy was actually treating them like applicants?!
"D-Did he not see all the torches?"
"We're here to burn the man's class down, not join it!"
"Who knew that bandaged guy was so goddamn shameless!"
But just as they angrily shouted, there was a sudden commotion in the back, a youngster rushing through, cackling like a madman!
"G-Guys, the Enforcers aren't even coming!"
"Ah?! Not coming? Doesn't that mean we can go crazy?!"
"Hell yeah! I don't know who Teacher Gale pissed off, but it's perfect!"
At that moment, the last shred of their self-control exploded in pieces. One eager student even threw his torch right at the wooden palisade, soon followed by many others!
— WOOSH! WOOSHH! WOOSH! —
A small fire quickly turned into an inferno!
It burned so brightly and spread even faster, emotions running wild. They had finally done it. With this, all the hard work they had been scammed of would now turn to ashes.
They'd rather see it destroyed than a tool to spread shamelessness. With this, their holy crusade had succeeded. They could rejoice in knowing—
"I-Is it me, or there's something weird?!"
"There's so much fire, and yet.."
"It's burning, but WTF?!"
At this moment, a certain Teacher couldn't help but chuckle.
[Ding! Your Classroom is Under Attack!]
[Perhaps you should stop them?]
As the fire burned his place, Gray could feel a layer of that strange energy protecting it. Outwardly, it seemed like a world-ending inferno, but the actual damage? NONE!
"As expected of a System! Their faces must be sooo nice!"
And they were. Outside, many students could be seen casting Identification and analysis spells, some even calling seniors to ask them about it.
It was only then that they realized…
"The Enforcers aren't coming… because they don't need to?!"
"T-This is insane! Wasn't this just built yesterday?"
"A fortress, it's a goddamn fortress!!"
Little did they know that said Enforcers were as in the dark as them! A certain Head Enforcer especially was going mad.
Material? Just wood.
Enchantments? None!
Killing arrays? Neither!
Was this an Ancient power, too?! One that just protected the wood from burning… what the hell?! But to the students, this was an insurmountable death trap!
Gulp.
"I bet the sky's full of killing arrays."
"Fallback? I think we should give up."
"No! Think about it. The entrance has to be safe!"
Ah?! That made a lot of sense! The test signs? They invited them in! Putting deadly traps there would instantly have the Academy itself turning against him!
"Brothers, let's go! Crush Teacher Gale's test! Beat up that backstabbing fake Leader guy, and mess up the whole goddamn place while we're at it!"
They were so inspired and inspiring, their rage contagious! Classroom tests? So WHAT! Not scared in the least, they heroically charged in! As for what happened next?
They started falling like flies…