Julian felt the sudden power rising within him go down, as his body suddenly froze.
Every single cell in his body, was screaming danger at him, as he looked at the handsome young man standing atop the dissipating corpse of the Demon Baron.
He didn't feel human. Julian felt like he was looking at a monster, or perhaps a weapon.
"Hello there."
Julian's fear calmed down as he finally breathed.
Nexus, his tongue ever sharp, asked from where he was leaning against the wall, "And who the fuck are you?"
He was answered, not be the man opposite him, but by Rietta.
"Y-You are Alastor Stele! The number one genius of the Alliance! The Spear Hero's successor! Ah- I'm sorry for not recognizing you till now, senior!"
Rietta swatted Julian and Nexus' heads into a bow as they greeted their senior.
Alastor looked at them, amused.
'So, this is the main cast. How....weak. It's almost impossible to believe they will be able to kill the Devils in a few years.'
He replied, "Glad to see I haven't been forgotten already. So, you kids are the first years, huh?"
"Why were you guys fighting with a Baron if you couldn't win?"
They explained how they were expecting to be in an unranked dungeon with newborn demons.
Alastor quickly recognized the problem, 'So, the Baronet must have descended to the First Layer,on the verge of evolution when this part was made into a dungeon and reattached here. Then, it evolved inside the dungeon.'
'The chances os this are extremely small, but since this is the protagonist, of course it happened.'
Nexus asked Alastor, his tone a bit more respectful, "But, uh Senior Alastor, why were you in here?'
Alastor replied with a smile, "I was sleeping."
The three were left dumbfounded as Alastor led them out of the dungeon.
................................................................................
Axel was walking towards the training grounds, when he felt a sudden flare of danger. His body reacted on it's own as he leapt to the side, just in time to avoid a stray wind blade from Alicia and Amber's spar.
He asked Karna, who didn't even flinch from the attack, "He should have been back by now. Is the plan still going the same?"
Karna nodded slightly, as he chewed on a special sweet treat called a tack, "Everything is going just as he wants it to. Don't doubt him, Axel. Your role, is to just be a weapon. Weapons unconditionally listen to their masters, even if the order is to be destroyed."
Axel nodded, "Yes. I understand."
Karna's eyes glowed for a moment as the Sun God's Divinity rushed to his eyes, "He's back."
Axel looked around, "Where- Ah, I see what you did there. Nevermind. Tell me when he's less than 200 kilometres away."
Karna waited for a while before repeating, "He's less than 200 kilometres away."
After a while, Karna left for his room to sleep. Alicia and Amber's spar ended and they left as well, with Amber trying to get Axel to go to sleep too. Axel simly waited by the Gates.
Even A returned from his training, yawning as he brushed off the lava coating his torso.
Axel still waited by the front gate.
At the stroke of midnight, the Gates finally creaked open. Alastor entered the Academy to see Axel waiting for him, sleeping on his feet.
'How long has he been here?'
Alastor just picked him up by the scruff of his neck and threw him into Axel's room, guiding his path with the help of his advanced Spear Aura to ensure he landed on the bed.
'Can't use a rusted weapon, can I?'
................................................................................
The next morning, the still remaining first years returned to the Academy and the incident with the Baron was reported to Illia.
The Professor at hand reported to the woman lying listlessly on the couch, "And the Baron was dealt with by Alastor Stele, who was apparently taking a nap inside the Dungeon on his way from the Spear Hero's training."
After hearing Alastor's name, Illia's finger twitched a little.
"Right, he was that brazen kid who said he had a wish I couldn't fulfill. So that grumpy old man really agreed to teach him?"
The Professor was at a loss for words, 'You were the one who threatened to blow up the Alliance Headquarters if they refused your request!'
Illia answered, "Ah, yeah I suppose I was."
The Professor froze. 'D-Did I say that-'
"-out loud? No, you didn't." Illia's words rang out in the Professor's ears, as he hastily stopped thinking about unnecessary things.
Illia bent space around her so that she was floating upright instead of lying down, "Go tell Anatoly that he'll have to be the Acting Headmaster for a while. Some pests are acting up in the Northern Border."
She disappeared without a trace.
...............................................................................
The Northern Border was on the verge of destruction, since 4 Grand Dukes had attacked it at once.
The God who had been stationed here was already dead, her corpse scattered around the battlefield as the Divinity seeped into the ground, despite being a mighty Fourth Heaven God.
The Demonic Duke Magimin said excitedly as she used the head of the God as a football, "Was all this really necessary to distract one human?"
Duke Vassagos replied calmly, "Do not underestimate that one. Despite being human, she has been empowered by those dastardly Gods of the Seven Heavens. She is even said to be on par with a Demon Prince such as Barbatos."
The other two Dukes made preparations for the trap they were to catch Illia in, silently reinforcing the space around them.
They felt it when space began bending. Illia had arrived.
Magimin smiled excitedly, before clenching her fist, her Authority making space itself congeal and harden, "Then we should greet her well, right?"
...............................................................................
Julian remembered how helpless he had been in the fight against the Baron, and the feeling of strength he hadn't been able to reproduce since then.
Rietta asked him, "What are you so glum about? Senior Alastor himself saved us! Damn it, I should have gotten an autograph!"
Julian remained quiet.
'That strength I felt from him was.....'
'There's really monstrous geniuses everywhere in the world, just like Grandpa said. It's really exciting!'
'I want to fight on that level too! One day, I'll be able to stand on the same stage as you geniuses!'
Nexus, walking alongside them, noticed Julian's excited look.
'Shit. If this fucking commoner can have that kind of resolve even after witnessing such power, I can too! I'll get stronger too, you bastard!'
Rietta looked at the two boys, one of whom was quivering with excitement and smiling at the air for no reason, and the latter was glaring angrily at the former, 'Did I really choose the right friends?'