*****
"And now, the last one,"
Alicia's voice echoed through the room, commanding everyone's attention.
Her sharp gaze landed on Lyrium, her expression unreadable as she began to announce the details.
"Lyrium Blackwood,"
She stated clearly, her tone calm yet carrying a weight of authority.
"Temporary rank—15th. Element—Lightning."
She let the words linger in the air for a moment before continuing.
"Your opponent..."
She paused deliberately, allowing the suspense to build,
"will be none other than Professor Eugene Darcyroix."
The group fell silent as the weight of her words settled.
All eyes turned to Lyrium, anticipation thick in the air.
Then she continued, her tone unwavering,
"His Sage rank is 2nd, with a talent rank of—YX."
Her words carried a sense of finality, leaving no room for doubt.
The trio's eyes were now on him, waiting to see his reaction.
Lyrium, upon hearing Alicia's words, felt a cold sweat drip down his back as the reality of the situation sank in.
His breathing quickened, and his mind raced to process what had just happened.
It wasn't just the fear of facing a 2nd-ranked Sage that shook him to his core; it was the undeniable fact that the plotline had shifted.
'Professor Eugene was supposed to fight Silas. Why me?!'
He thought, panic creeping into his mind as he clenched his fists.
This wasn't how things were supposed to go. The pieces were moving differently, and it left him feeling exposed, vulnerable, and entirely unprepared.
Ding—!
"???"
====[Holy system]====
====[First Quest]====
[Survive the 'Sovereign Killer' Aka Eugene Darcyroix for 5 Minutes']
[Rewards: 50 MP]
[Skill: Peek At You!]
[Penalty for not completing: Instant clearance from the existence]
[Quest can't be withdraw!]
[Quest Accepted!]
===={Closed}=====
"Holy mother of fucking asshole shit-ass fuck!"
"!!"
Lyrium's exclamation burst out before he could stop himself, earning wide-eyed stares from Silas and Lily while Ren chuckled as bit.
"Words, boy,"
Alicia's sharp voice cut through the air, her gaze piercing into him like a dagger.
Lyrium froze, his face flushing as he straightened up awkwardly and nodded hastily.
"Y-Yes, mommy—I mean, yes, instructor!"
He blurted out, instantly regretting every syllable.
'I am really, really dead for real!'
Lyrium's thoughts spiraled in panic, his mind racing.
'Why is this happening to me?! In the novel, Silas was the one who fought Sovereign Killer! He got instantly defeated, and that fight became the turning point where he realized just how weak and pathetic he was. That's what started his training arc! He even challenged Eugene to a spar again later on, only to lose again!'
Lyrium's hands trembled slightly as he gritted his teeth.
'This isn't how it's supposed to go. Why the hell am I the one standing in Silas's place?!'
He already knew it was the butterfly effect at play, but what he didn't know—and desperately wanted to understand—was how it had changed and where exactly things had gone wrong.
Was it truly because of him?
Or was there another variable, someone else who had disrupted the flow of events?
The uncertainty gnawed at him.
He racked his brain, trying to recall if he had done anything that could have altered the storyline of the academy arc, but nothing came to mind.
He hadn't interfered with any major events or made decisions that could ripple out to this extent—or at least, that's what he thought.
And yet, here he was, standing in a role that wasn't meant for him, facing an opponent he was certain would crush him.
"LYRIUM!!"
Ren's voice exploded in his ears, snapping him out of his spiraling thoughts.
"!!"
"Huh? Huh?! What?!"
Lyrium stammered, looking around in confusion, his mind still half-lost in the chaos of his worries.
"Mate, you zoned out again, like usual,"
Ren said, shaking his head with an exasperated sigh.
"Miss Alicia's been calling you to get off the field so they can start the assessment. She said the first one up is Silas."
Lyrium blinked, his mind still catching up as the weight of the announcement finally hit him.
"Silas?"
He repeated the name under his breath, a mix of relief and concern washing over him.
For now, he decided to let it go, shrugging his shoulders as he replied nonchalantly,
"Okay, let's go."
With that, Lyrium turned and walked off the field, heading toward the audience seats alongside Ren.
As they approached, his eyes quickly spotted Lily and Alicia already seated, their attention focused on the upcoming assessment.
Taking a deep breath, he settled into a seat, trying to push his worries to the back of his mind—though the unease still lingered.
"Haa..."
Lyrium sighed, muttering under his breath as he watched Silas step up to the field.
"So, our protagonist is the first one to take the assessment,"
He mused, shaking his head.
"Although, in the novel, he would've been the last one fighting..."
The unexpected shift in the timeline weighed on him, but he quickly pushed the thought aside.
It seemed like everything was falling into place... just not in the way he had expected.
As Lyrium watched, Silas reached the center of the field and stood there, completely still.
He didn't move, didn't make a sound, just holding his sword in his hand, the blade gleaming under the light.
His stance was calm, almost unnervingly so, as if he was waiting for something. The silence stretched on, the tension in the air thickening with every passing second.
After a few tense seconds, The Trio with Alicia in the audience could feel it—the surge of high-output mana radiating from the field.
Whoose—!
A faint, blue steam began to materialize in front of Silas, swirling around him like a fog.
Silas stood still, his gaze fixed on the mist, as if waiting for something to emerge from it.
A figure slowly approached through the fog, and Lyrium couldn't help but smirk, sensing the intensity building in the air.
"Heh,"
He chuckled quietly to himself.
"Here it comes..."
The atmosphere seemed to crackle with anticipation as the figure drew closer, the fight finally about to begin.
*****
Beerus: Goku, are you finished....!!
Beerus: Heh~~
After some seconds
Beerus: Here it comes!!!
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.btw thans for reading—!