"Hmm~~ Huhu~~ hmm~~"
Jass takes stock of locality and environment, a soft melody decamp her soft winsome lips.
The scene before her was discompose for some. There were numerous students laying stationery on the ground, their bodies intermingled with countless ants.
Only a handful of individuals, approximately twenty students, still have a compos mentis, including her roommates.
The queen ant's sinister plot was to incapacitate and abolish all the students that had backfired or weak spectacularly.
Its scheme, intended to grant the colony an upper hand, had instead left them impuissant.
The malfunction at paramountcy in the battlefield. Now there is also threat to the ants themselves, as the awakened students stood ready to counteract their diminutive enemies.
"I wouldn't be bothered if someone inculcate me one of those cowardice for massacre them while they are insentient and insensate."
Jass remarked and candidly disqualified all the insects from life.
The toxic fumes gradually promulgated through an opening in the ceiling, absconding the subterranean chamber.
Her companions emulated her nature and moves, recreating her movements with fidelity.
After all, who would willingly fight again with the annoying creatures upon their awakeness?
At the very least, they weren't foolish enough to subject themselves to this harrowing ordeal.
After the defeat of their foes, the group foregather in a single venue to deliberate on their next course of action.
They were wary of bumping into unforeseen danger, and didn't want to wander aimlessly.
After the proper discussion. They collectively agreed to establish a camp.
The final decision was some members would stand guard while others took the opportunity to rest and recuperate.
Jass was chaperoned by two unfamiliar individuals.
She was tasked to apprise the group in the case of an emergency.
Moreover, Jass wasn't assigned to keep watch.
The fellow community members were wary of her due to her demonic race and past of her bullying nature.
As the night was in their minds and they slumbered. Soon, Jass approached the security group.
They referred to her with consternation and presentimently, their eyes widened with restlessness.
"Stop there otherwise there is nothing good for any of us!"
"Heh! Do you both truly believe you are capable of defending yourself from me?"
Jass taunted with a smirk playing on her lips.
"W-What are you implying?"
The woman stammered, her voice quavering very much.
Beside her, the man's brow glistened, nervousness evident as drops of sweat drenched from his skin and clothes.
As he was about to shout out, Jass struck him on the nape. He reacted with his lost consciousness.
The woman was going with a similar action, but Jass immediately covered her face.
She biffed roughly to her temple with his fist, and exhibited her immobile on earth as well.
"At last, I can conduct my task without any obstacles."
Jass detained herself close to the deceased queen ant's corpse.
With a gesture, she supplicated her necromantic powers, trying to resurrect the fallen insect monarch.
The lifeless form briefly illuminated with a freakish light, but the spell vacillated.
The ant's body, glowed for a few seconds, soon returned to its inert state.
It dashed off Jass's hopes for creating an undead minion.
The incantation distorted her features, making her expression very ugly.
Once more, she casted her mystical powers on it. Though the ritual left her exhausted, it succeeded in subjugating the ants to her will.
"I'm in dire need of rest as well."
Jass murmured, stifling a yawn.
She reclined next to Cassie, embossing her companion's waist with an arm. As her eyelids grew heavy, Jass coasted off into dreamland.
***
Jass's eyelids fluttered open as she gradually regained responsiveness.
To her surprise, she gets wind of the fact that Cassie huddled against her.
The fox woman's head rested comfortably on her shoulder. The sound of muffled laughter perked her ears.
She saw Muskan and Avora nearby, clearly beguiled by the scene.
'How on earth did this betided?'
Jass is mystified by her own world of conclusion.
With gentle care, she eased Cassie off her shoulder and put onto the close surface, choosing to ignore the giggles from her 'friends.'
As she glanced around, Jass distinguished that everyone else had already muddled out from their sleep.
The two individuals she had confronted earlier were still at their short drowsy.
The group's eyes were now locked on her, silently stressful for an explanation of the abnormal situation those both found themselves in.
Jass viewed that there were educators and the school administrator present as well.
He was alongside so many instructors, painstakingly listening to the distress of impatient pupils who shared their problems.
"Is it possible to leave this domain? I need to freshen my body!"
Jass told the principal Benja.
"Sure, I don't mind this at all."
The old man stroked his whiskers thoughtfully, then decisively snapped his fingers.
The students appeared into the arena, where overwrought parents madly waited for their children's arrival.
A collective sigh of relief echoed through the crowd as they saw their offspring unharmed.
Even those students who had died by ants were present, their bodies intact and full of life force.
'If my memory is correct. The elderly sage Benja has the ability to resurrect individuals who had passed away within the last day, using his insoluble spell and supernatural prowess.'
Jass smiled, showing her bit of white teeth, celebrating the uniqueness of her enchantment.
Her arcane power blessed something far beyond mere resurrection; it granted her the ability to tether the souls that will be salvaged to her wish.
This extraordinary gift came with its own set of complications.
She pondered the double-edged nature of her magic.
'If should tragedy take my loved ones, bringing them back would change our relationship.'
'Though not explicitly bound by oath or contract, those I revived would invariably view themselves as indentured to me'
This unspoken servitude is bad luck on Jass.
Which is also constantly reminding her the price of her supernatural influence.
Jass gazed wistfully at the scene before her, a heart-breaking smile lurking on her dark face.
'It's rather ironic, don't you think? Here I stand, a lonely orphan figure in this cruel world. Those children make me green with envy.'
'In their bad timing, They actually have people who genuinely care about their grades, well-being, and every financial trouble of their lives.'
With a weary sigh, Jass exhaled deeply, her shoulders sagging under an invisible weight.
She eyed the crowd. Not a single member of the villianess's family was present there for her.
The lone exception was Jessica, the Villainess's elder sister, standing out in the middle of the sea of unknown faces.
'She's only here due to her teaching responsibilities. How annoying... But why did I expect the villainess's mother to show up for my results?'
Thinking about her thoughts again, her feelings didn't seem like an outsider's perspective, but rather her own.
This fulfilment left her flummoxed and somewhat disturbing.
'Why is my heart aching? I feel… hurt… but… Why do I yearn for the villainess's mother to be here to see the aftermath of the competition?'
'As far as I know, these emotions only ostensibled when I recall my father's passing.'
She shakes her head to clear her mind from negative energy.
'Now was not the moment to sojourn on these dirty thoughts. I need to concentrate on the outcome at hand.'
"My apologies, ladies and gentlemen, for the interruption and delay. While we don't have the validation recordings, the upshot of our friendly competition has already been in our report."
The principal looked at families with a smile.
"I've thoroughly reviewed the situation with the students and checked out the coin tallies from the battle. Without ransacking into excessive detail, I'll simply share this information with you, dear audience."
"The class structure will be unchanged for different reasons. If I say that, then the victor had gauged all students in the first year of school. I might be wrong so don't mind this business."
"Anyways, Each kid will stay in their current group, with no changes to the arrangement. As for the apropos of the champion... the winning individual is…"
Old man Benja placed his hand on Jass's shoulder.
"... It is none other than Jass Stella. The youngest member of the Stella family."