It has been 3 weeks, and a lot has happened. After Amon showed Amou to his entire class on the first day, he became instantly famous and became one of the most feared students in the whole 'R.S. Advanced Academy'. This was the effect of having the 'Primordial Beast of Lust' as a familiar. However, there were more pressing matters than that.
"Geez, I scored 90s on the previous test; what a bummer." Ross threw his test sheets on the desk, seemingly bothered. "I still don't understand how you can keep a perfect 100 in every subject, Amon…" He glanced at Amon, who was folding all his test sheets into a bunch of paper planes. "Just get better, I guess?" He shrugged at Ross's words. "Oh, come on! You said the same thing as Jeanne! She also got a perfect 100 in every other subject, and when I asked her about it, she just told me that I lacked the necessary intellect to score a hundred in every subject!" Ross whined comically, which brought a slight smile to Amon's face.
"Damn, I only got a bunch of 95s on most of the subjects while getting 99s on 'History' and 'Philosophy,'" Alexander commented calmly, joining the conversation. However, this comment made Ross throw a tantrum, which was a hilarious sight to see. "Ross, it's very unsightly for a student of the Elite Class to act like this." Jeanne stood behind Ross's seat, and her words made him jump out of it. Jeanne's usual aloof demeanour was on display. And, like usual, her words were sharper than a knife. Because of her aloof demeanour and sharp words, She was called the 'Frost Empress' of the Elite Class.
As the name suggests, the Elite Class, or Class 1-S, was full of students with the most outstanding academic capability. Every student here was equivalent to fifty average students in the Academy. This Academy has a weekly exam system, which happens at the end of every week. The exam questions were based on the week's classes and their contents. Everyone had to be diligent during classes; otherwise, they would fail the weekly tests.
The punishment for failing the weekly tests was not forgiving either. If any boy failed the weekly test, they would be publicly humiliated by the female students who passed the exam. If a girl failed the weekly test, their parents would be called to the Academy by the authorities. In other words, the girls had an easier time than the boys in the Academy; the same was true anywhere else. The sons of the nobles were treated a bit differently compared to the general population, but in the end, they were treated the same way.
Amon's familiar and excellent results have gotten him much attention in the Academy, especially from female students. They were impressed mainly by Amon but were also envious of him. Despite all of this, Amon didn't seem to care about it. What he cared about most was that Sophia still needed to appear. And it bothered him.
'In the novel, Sophia appears right after the third weekly test results to congratulate Seraphina on her brilliant results. But the real reason for her appearance was to challenge Seraphina to a duel where Sophia would absolutely curbstomp her. Despite the defeat, Seraphina handled it in a kind manner, which later made Sophia's heart flutter for her… GOD THAT SOUNDS CRINGE AS FUCK!!' Amon had a cringed expression while he thought of the plot of 'Forbidden Love Between Two Maidens.'
There were still five minutes left before homeroom started. Ross and Alexander were bickering while Jeanne silently stared out the window. Everyone was doing their own thing. "Um, Amon?" Seraphina gently tapped Amon's shoulder to get his attention. "How may I help you, Seraphina?" Amon smiled at her, quickly changing his expression. "I just wanted to congratulate you on your brilliant results in the weekly exam, so I made this for you." Seraphina held out a small box at Amon. He was utterly taken aback and was also quite happy at the same time because it was the first time in Amon's life that he had ever received a present from a girl.
Before Amon could express his gratitude, a sudden commotion outside the classroom caught everyone's attention. "Everyone! The 'Hamstring Menace' is in a showdown with the Student Council President! It's an unexpected clash between these two!" A random student had burst into the class, his words sparking excitement. Most of the class rushed to witness the spectacle, leaving Amon, Jeanne, Ross, Alexander, and Seraphina in the now deserted classroom.
Amidst the commotion, Amon remained remarkably composed. "This is certainly a departure from our usual test result days," He observed, his calm exterior belying the confusion he felt inside.
'The 'Hamstring Menace'… Zephyra Valkaress? She is a part of the 'War Goddess Council' and is a key character in 'Forbidden Love Between Two Maidens'. Because she is one of the characters needed for Sophia's power level amp in the novel. Zephyra picks a fight with Sophia because she never liked Sophia's way of solving problems and thought they were a bit too extreme. But that fight is supposed to happen way later after Sophia's confrontation with Seraphina. Why is it happening now?' Amon's mind was a whirlwind of confusion as he tried to make sense of the unexpected turn of events.
While Amon considered the plot of the novel he despised, the others debated whether they should join them to spectate the fight between Zephyra and Sophia.
"It would be useful to see what the Student Council President is capable of. It would make life much easier when I am about to dropkick her and abolish the Student Council." Alexander spoke in a calm yet excited tone. "I don't think you should say things like that, Alexander…" Seraphina stared at him nervously. "Besides, Professor Celestia is going to be mad-"Seraphina's words were cut short by Ross's interruption. "The professor won't be mad, trust me. She may look like a cold woman but deep down, she's a little silly and she would sometimes consider our silliness." Ross assured in a positive tone as he smiled brightly. Ross's positivity, as usual, was over the roof.
While the trio were discussing, Jeanne approached Amon's desk and stood before him. "What about you, Amon?" She stared at Amon with her usual aloof demeanour, but a hint of curiosity was also mixed with it. "Are you going to go and spectate the match between those two?"
"Yeah, I will. Even though I already know who's going to win." Amon got up from his desk and headed towards the exit. His words confused Jeanne to no end, and seeing him walking towards the exit, the others decided to join him in watching the fight.
. . .
'Zephyra… She's a fucking monster…' Sophia thought to herself as she barely blocked a punch from Zephyra which came from the side. Sophia was disadvantaged because none of her Elemental Magic worked against Zephyra. She had to resort to physical fighting, but that was a big mistake. Zephyra is the Academy's strongest student when it comes to physical fighting.
On the other hand, Sophia was the Academy's strongest student in sword fighting. Zephyra, a tan-skinned girl of tall height, is a sight to behold. Her narrow red eyes, long, defined eyelashes, and straight white hair reaching her thighs with bangs that extend to the left of her face all add to her allure. But her lean, athletic, and well-defined build, especially in her arms and legs, truly impresses anyone, especially the guys.
"You're really pathetic for a sword-master. Your strikes have no real power behind them because you're constantly relying on Elemental Magic to increase your power." Zephyra commented calmly, but Sophia did not notice the disappointment in her tone, and it infuriated her.
Sophia was going to say something, but she couldn't because Zephyra had kicked her in the guts, which proved to be a fatal hit. She was flung a few feet away and crashed into the wall of a nearby building.
Sophia and Zephyra were both fighting in a Replica World. A Replica World is a special technology that allows opponents to fight in a replica of the real world on a scale. However, the only difference was that there were no life forms in the Replica World, which allowed the opponents to go all-out when fighting each other without worrying about harming innocent people. The device to create the Replica World is called 'Structure Block'. Every student in the 'R.S. Advanced Academy possesses a 'Structure Block'. Since duelling is very popular among the students. Whenever there's a dispute about anything, students prefer to solve it through either discussions or duels. To provide a safe duelling experience, the 'Structure Block' was invented, and right after its release, it became very popular.
The fight between Sophia and Zephyra was observed on a screen. The students excitedly spectated the breathtaking battle in the real world. Some of the students even gambled on the outcome of the duel. Some bet on Sophia, and some bet on Zephyra.
"Tch, for the Student Council President to fight someone from the 'War Goddess Council' is quite bothering," Celestia commented in her usual cold tone as she spectated the match. She was clearly very unhappy with the duel between those two and considered it a regular catfight between girls. "But you can't deny that it's definitely an interesting sight. The Student Council President, Sopiha Von Crown, has been challenged for the second time in her overall academic career." A male professor sitting beside Celestia spoke in a light-hearted tone.
His name was Jordan Ernest. He was a young and well-built man of tall height. He is fair-skinned with neck-length, wavy, brown hair that partially covers the front of his face. Jordan wore a dark blue zip-up jacket with a high collar, which is also reasonably broad, matching slim-fit black pants, and black dress boots. Jordan wore a casual expression most of the time and was the favourite professor of most students simply due to his chill and friendly nature.
Hearing his words, Celestia gave a slight nod. "Well, I can't deny that." She sighed. "But I don't like the fact of monitoring a catfight between fellow female students."
"Oh come on~ Admit it that you're interested~" Jordan spoke teasingly, which seemed to fluster and annoy Celestia a lot. Celestia didn't like Jordan's teasing words because they made her heart race uncontrollably whenever he teased her.
Amon, Ross, Seraphina, Alexander, and Jeanne entered the hall where the match between Sophia and Zephyra was being spectated. "It seems like the fight is still going on. I expected it to be over before we even managed to get here." Amon commented calmly as he walked towards where both Celestia and Jordan were. "Jeanne, Make sure to get VIP Seats for all of us."
Hearing Amon's words, Jeanne nodded in approval. "Professor, I want you to stop this match." Amon spoke calmly as he stood beside Celestia. "And why should I do that?" Celestia stared at Amon with a cold look.
"It's because my 'prideful' sister doesn't know her own limits. She is completely outclassed by Zephyra Valkaress. Zephyra Valkaress has resistance to Elemental Magic Spells that are below Ancient Grade or Z Grade. She also doesn't have resistance to some S Grade Elemental Magic Spells. But my sister never took that into consideration. She can only perform a few S Grade Elemental Spells and none of them are even going to scratch Zephyra. You see, Zephyra's Personal Magic is all about nullifying Elemental Magic and enhancing physical capabilities." Amon explained in a calm and composed manner.
Amon's explanation had surprised both Jordan and Celestia to no end. "How did you know about Zephyra's Personal Magic?" Celestia inquired in a surprised tone, betraying her usual cold tone. "I simply deducted it and it seems like my deduction was correct."
After saying those words, Amon took out his 'Structure Block' and used it to get into the replica world where Sophia and Zephyra were fighting before Celestia could stop him.
. . .
Sophia was holding onto her sword, blood dripping from the side of her forehead. She took a terrible beating from Zephyra and was now on the verge of passing out. After the first fatal hit from Zephyra, Sophia couldn't fight well due to the damage, and it caused her to take a beating.
"You're the first ever opponent to last this long against me in a fight," Zephyra remarked calmly, but she was also smiling. It was actually the first time in her fighting experience that she got to have a lot of fun against her opponent. Usually, her wins so far have been straightforward, but Sophia was the first person ever to put up a good fight, even though she got utterly outclassed.
"Stand proud, you're strong, Sophia Von Crown." Zephyra stared at Sophia with a look of respect. Sophia's insides were burning with shame and frustration. This was the second time she was humiliated this badly. The first time was when her younger brother refused to battle against her at the Duel of Succession. Her thoughts drifted back to when Amon had openly refused to duel her.
"I-"Sophia opened her mouth to say something, but no words would come out after seeing Amon approach her. "Long time no see, Elder Sister~" Amon teased Sophia as he started healing her wounds. "It seems like you took quite the beating from Senior Zephyra. I expected you to lose much earlier against her, but you've impressed me with your sheer willpower to hold on for this long!" Amon burst out into laughter as he said those words.
A vein popped on Sophia's forehead as she felt angry after hearing Amon's words and his laughter. "You have the audacity to ridicule me-"Sophia's words were cut off again by Amon's remarks. "You're literally WEAKER than Ross! You have no right to defend yourself, my dear sister! When I heard that you were going to go up against Senior Zephyra, I immediately knew that you would lose miserably!"
Amon was now smiling like a madman, which sent a shiver down Sophia's spine. Her entire body was shaking, but it wasn't noticeable. This was the first time in her life that something had scared her this badly.
"Now…" Amon turned to Zephyra, who was staring at the siblings with a bored expression. "Are you both done with your bickering?" She yawned as she inquired.
"Of course, Senior~ How about I duel you instead of my sister?~" Amon suggested playfully as he stared at Zephyra with a playful smile. Hearing Amon's words, the audience was more pumped up than ever. Everyone was excited to see how strong the top scorer of the first years, Amon Von Crown, were.
'I am… weaker… compared to my own younger brother… whom I had never acknowledged… I always wanted to become a strong person… but my want never became a reality… My brother, on the other hand, achieved everything I had wanted to achieve… The brother I never acknowledged has surpassed me…' Sophia regretted her decisions and the way she treated Amon in the past. She felt an intense guilt in her heart, and it made her miserable on the inside.
"Sure, I have no problems. In fact, I was going to challenge you after I had beaten your sister. And you saved me a lot of hassle by asking me to duel yourself." Zephyra had a satisfied look on her face. She was enjoying the unprecedented turn of events.
'Sophia's going to have an existential crisis after this and I FUCKING LOVE IT! My plan worked successfully! The first phase of the plan was to score the highest possible marks in the Entrance Exams. The second phase of the plan was to reveal Amou to my classmates and it would lead to me getting famous plus feared in no time within the Academy, and the final nail in the coffin! The duel with Zephyra! All of it will be ENOUGH to cause Sophia psychological damage to the point where she becomes a hollow shell of what she used to be!' Amon felt euphoric as he contemplated. His plan to destroy Sophia was entering its last stage, making him feel superior.
Sophia got second place in her entrance exam and an A-grade Summon. And she slowly had to build up her reputation through her excellent academics and overall academic achievements. Amon's plan was simple. He planned to get first place during the Entrance Exam with record-breaking marks and also had to get a Summon above A-Grade. In any novel, the beginning arcs are significant for the later arcs of the story, and with that in mind, Amon made his plan.
Amon created [No Longer Human] instead of any other skill to compensate for the lack of intellect in his reincarnated body. He also used the hidden Summoning Circle at the Crown Mansion's Library to get a better summon because in the 'Forbidden Love Between Two Maidens', it was stated that the Crown Family's personal Summoning Circle had a better chance at summoning Summons above A-Grade. He was sure that if he was better than Sophia at the Academy, it would have a significant impact on her and would also ruin the novel's original plot massively.
The most remarkable aspect of Amon's plan was that he had thought of the worst-case scenarios and made his plan accordingly. However, due to Amon's fantastic luck, he quickly implemented his plan.