"That's quite the unique introduction," Kaiser says, his voice tinged with sarcasm, though the tension in his gaze betrays his unease
'Is she insane?' he wonders. 'I already guessed she was trying to warn us, but in the end, her killing intent flared so strongly that I moved on instinct.' Cold sweat trickles down his temple as he recalls the moment
Lily, standing in the center of the classroom, scanned the frozen students with sharp eyes that seemed to pierce through each of them. Her lips curled into a half-smile, an expression equal parts taunting and provocative
"Not a bad reaction, Kaiser. But don't get too confident," she says, her voice low and cold, the tone cutting through the air like a blade. "Here, I'm the one who decides everything"
Kaiser offers a faint smile, his expression calm despite the flicker of doubt in his mind. "You have your own teaching methods, I get that. But if you want true respect, you don't need to go this far"
Lily narrows her eyes, her expression momentarily inscrutable. A heavy silence lingers for several seconds, as though she's deliberating on his words. But then, the smirk fades from her face, replaced by a colder, more detached demeanor
"Respect isn't something that's given freely," she says, her voice reverberating through the classroom, drowning out even the faintest noise. "Sometimes, fear is the quickest way to earn it"
The atmosphere in the room grows unbearably heavy. A few students discreetly take deep breaths, trying to steady themselves. Kaiser, fully aware he can't oppose her right now, maintains his composed exterior. He raises his hands in a gesture of surrender.
At that moment, Lily's duplicates - stationed throughout the classroom - begin to fade away, vanishing one by one. Seeing this, Kaiser turns to head back to his seat. But as he takes a step, a hand clamps firmly onto his shoulder
He spins around, immediately coming face-to-face with Lily
"Why are you still here?" he asks, his brow furrowed in confusion. His eyes dart to the lectern where Lily had been standing moments earlier - now empty
Lily's smile widens into a smirk. She uses her hand to turn Kaiser's face, forcing him to look directly at her
"I wanted to get a closer look at your face," she says, her tone laced with mockery. Tilting her head, her sharp gaze cuts across every feature of his expression
'Can she switch her main body like that? How exactly does her Aspect work?' The thought flashes through Kaiser's mind, and he fails to hide his surprise
"You really do have the striking appearance people talk about" Lily remarked, her tone casual, though her eyes glinted with something far less ordinary. Then, just as abruptly as she'd approached him, she turned and walked back toward the lectern, her movements fluid and unhurried
As she passed by one of the students, they flinched and almost dropped their pen. Lily's gaze briefly flicked to them, and she said with a dry chuckle "Relax. You're not on my radar. Yet" The student swallowed hard and sat stiffly, avoiding eye contact
Returning to her position at the front of the classroom, Lily addressed the students once more. Her voice, clear and commanding, sliced through the air "As I mentioned earlier" she began, her sharp gaze sweeping over the room "I hold the highest authority here. You will respect me. If you want to speak, raise your hand first and wait for my permission. Do you understand?"
Slow, reluctant nods ripple across the room, as though the students are still shaking off their fear
"Good" she says, her tone tinged with satisfaction "Now, back to business. Theoretical subjects like Monster Studies will be taught by other instructors in a shared classroom. I'll only handle practical combat training"
A boy with glasses sitting in the back cautiously raised his hand, his movements hesitant. Lily's sharp eyes flicked to him, and with a nod, she acknowledged him
"What exactly do you mean by 'practical combat training'?" he asked, his voice steady but low. The moment the words left his mouth, he seemed to tense, as though bracing for an impact
Lily's gaze zeroed in on him, and for a moment, the boy froze. Then she smiled "Oh, you'll find out soon enough. But let's just say it'll push you to your limits, and maybe beyond them"
Reaching into her pocket, Lily pulled out a folded piece of paper. She unfolded it with deliberate care and turned to the blackboard. Picking up a piece of chalk, she began writing a lengthy list of course names and schedules in neat, precise handwriting
"This is the list of theoretical subjects and their schedules" she says, then turns back to face the class
"You'll need to research the details of each course on your own. You can enroll in as many as you like, but remember: by the end of your third year, if you haven't completed them all, you won't receive your graduation certificate"
The room remains silent. No one dares to speak
"To register for courses, you must submit your application to the student management office by tonight" she emphasizes "So think quickly"
Stowing the paper back in her pocket, Lily surveys the class one last time
"That's all the information for today's session" she declares
"For the next class, you'll be participating in a sparring session. Prepare your weapons and skills accordingly. For now, you are dismissed."
With that, Lily turned on her heel and strode out of the classroom, her presence leaving a palpable void in the air. The students remained seated for several moments, the atmosphere so tense it felt suffocating. Finally, as the echoes of her footsteps faded, the murmurs began - quiet, cautious, and laden with disbelief