Giles quickly set up the simulation.

Within seconds, a new area appeared. Surveying the newly created area, Giles nods approvingly.

"Everyone, what do you see?"

Selena, who's getting impatient, quickly answers.

"A giant suspended bridge!"

Giles nods but before he could reply, Selena quickly shouts.

"Can't we go next??!"

Her eyes were slightly bloodshot as she did her best to control herself. Giles internally smiles.

Her gift must be hard to control.

Giles looks around. He sees Anne, Cieran, and Nicholas discussing what went wrong and how they could have won the fight. Giles approved of that.

Studying his other students, he looks at Vergil, who was becoming impatient as well.

Should I let group 8 and group 3 fight?

Giles sees Dante look at Steve. It was a look of curiosity and respect.

I can't really pair up Steve's team with anyone except Price's team since I already gave my word. It doesn't help that only Price, Selena, & Vergil are the only ones that can take on Stevie.

Giles pauses for a bit to think of what group to pair with what group.

The students who haven't participated look at him earnestly.

After thinking of how to pair each group, Giles makes an announcement.

"So that we won't have delays, I want you guys to know which group you'll be fighting against."

Price speaks.

"I'll be fighting Stevie."

Giles quickly replies.

"I'm getting there. Now, don't interrupt me."

Price grunts and looks at Steve, who's sleeping on the ground. Suzaku gives Price a terrified thumbs up but Price ignores him.

Tsk... unless I fight him 1 on 1, I can't prove that he's not that strong... I'll tell the others not to interfere.

Returning his attention to the class, Giles tells them about the group matches.

"I already promised Stevie a chance-"

Suzaku comments.

"One that no one asked for."

Giles ignores him and continues.

"-to prove himself. Because of this, Price and his team will be paired with Steve and Suzaku. So, that's group 6 vs group 7."

Suzaku sighs. Ignoring Suzaku again, Giles continues.

"But we'll be saving that for last. The next groups that'll fight will be group 2 and group 8. Carly, Eliza, and Iza vs Dante and Selena."

Selena jumps up in joy when she hears her name.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Dante tells Selena to shut her mouth.

"Shut up!"

Selena promptly kicks Dante on the stomach, causing him to groan in pain. Dante tries to retaliate but Giles shouts.

"Hey break it up, save it in the simulation so no one has to get hurt... too much at least."

Dante glares at Selena. Selena ignores him in place of staring at Eliza, the one that interests her the most in group 2. Iza shyly waves her hand towards Selena but due to the latter's laser focus on Eliza, Iza is ignored. Iza awkwardly puts her hand down

I suck at this...

Carly, who was listening to her music the entire time, saw the encounter. She pats Iza on the back, causing the poor girl to jump at Carly's touch. Looking at Carly, Iza blushed. Carly gives her a thumbs up and then she quickly returns to her music.

Giles continues.

"Group 1 and group 5 are out of the picture. Groups 2, 8, 6, and 7 are already paired. Group 3 will be paired with group 4."

The class murmurs and talks about their opponents. While there wasn't much noise, Giles saw his students prepare for their fights, even the meek Iza was preparing to do combat.

He sighs.

Poor kids. Even that shy girl's ready to fight. They're used to this.

Putting the dark thought away, Giles speaks again.

"Now, everyone split up and talk with your groupmates. Plan whatever and do whatever. I'll call everyone in a few minutes."

Giles goes to Anne, Cieran, and Nicholas. The trio sees Giles approach. They can't help but feel a bit embarrassed that they lost, especially since they were brave enough to attack Giles in their previous class.

"Good job out there. Cieran and Nicholas, I am impressed by your control over your powers."

While Cieran and Nicholas smile at Giles' compliment, Anne frowns but before she could complain, Giles immediately stops her.

"And before you complain, I forbade you from using your unique power because you're too dependent on it. Cieran and Nicholas can fight well even without their unique powers."

Anne frowns.

"Bu-but! If I used my power, we might have had a chance against Ben!"

Nicholas kept his mouth shut but his more aggressive friend didn't.

"Anne's right. With her speed boost that can even blitz you, we would have been able to put up a better fight."

Giles chuckles as he ignores his student's comments on their speed.

"I know you're annoyed because you could've turned a loss into a win but at the same time, you will meet individuals that can suppress your unique power. In these situations, what's your plan?"

Anne pursed her lips. She knew Giles had a point but she still wanted to use her unique power.

Giles chuckles.

"Keep practicing Anne. Who knows, next time you'll be able to beat all three of them on your own."

Nicholas quickly replies.

"Yeah! Keep working hard!"

Cieran shrugged. He knew that was not gonna happen any time soon so why bother encouraging her.

Giles then leaves the three after offering a few more comforting words.

While Giles was handling the catastrophe class, Ava, the security officer of the entire academy, was called into the entrance's waiting hall.

Ava was fuming.

She was in her training room on the verge of a breakthrough in the control of her unique power and advanced will techniques. Then she was suddenly called to work despite specifically saying that she will be in closed doors training her abilities.

What could possibly be so important that they'll stop my breakthrough! Gods, if this is a minor event, I swear someone will go through a grinder tonight. How can I reach the avatar stage if I don't have time to train?!!? Tsk... Charlene...

She wanted to give this work to Charlene, her 2nd in command, but she knew that Yatt specifically asked for her which meant that she couldn't just wave this off.

As she reached the waiting hall's entrance, Ava was prepared to shout but it was cut short when she sees her visitors.

Accompanied by the two low-ranking defiant agents that Yatt previously declined entry, there was a tall and gentle-looking man that brightly smiled at Ava.

Ava knew who this person was and she also knew that her day was now ruined.

Lorel!

As if on cue, the man Ava knows as Lorel speaks.

"Ava! My beautiful rival! You're finally here. As expected of you to be always late."

Ava scowls as she hears Lorel's smooth voice. Many people would love to hear his voice but Ava finds it irritating.

It doesn't help that Lorel is a piece of shit.

As if reading Ava's mind, Lorel's smile becomes wider.

Ava scoffs.

"What do you want Lorel? Calloren academy didn't do anything to warrant a visit from a high-ranking defiant like you."

Ava's eyes turn to the two men a few feet behind Lorel. She glares at them.

Jack and Charlie slink away to escape Ava's scalding gaze.

Charlie whispers to Jack.

"Man, she wasn't this scary last time."

"Yeah, I know... Bossman probably pissed her off."

Lorel ignores his two subordinates and focuses entirely on Ava.

"But oh contrare, there is a situation."

Ava frowns. She quickly wracks her brain for what Lorel could possibly be talking about.

What? I didn't receive any reports about this.

Aware of what Ava was thinking, Lorel grins.

"Well, it would be obvious that the perpetrator would hide it but we have reason to believe that someone from this academy went against Defiant regulations and used their powers in public space without submitting a report."

Ava looked at Lorel's face to study his expression but she knew that he wasn't lying. She hated his guts but he wasn't the type to come to visit just to annoy her.

Sighing, she replies to Lorel's accusation.

"Do you have proof? Do you have any actual evidence to come barging in here? You goddamn know that we don't take these types of accusations well."

Ava glares at Lorel. Most people would have withered from Ava's eyes but this simply made Lorel's smile wider.

Knowing that Ava was the type to throw punches first and this was her home turf, Lorel makes the smart decision to slightly back away. Ava cools down.

No point in punching him... right now.

Lorel replies to Ava.

"None at the moment but that's why we are investigating."

Ava grits her teeth. Holding back her anger, she replies.

"You know damn well that you can't just barge in here without just cause. We're autonomous and you better get the fuck out of here before I rip that smug smile of yours off of your face."

Lorel immediately speaks.

"Ava, you know that the defiants do not answer to anyone, not even the government."

Ava scoffs.

"And you think Calloren academy does?"

The security head of the academy crosses her arms. She then smiles at Lorel.

Lorel frowns. He knew what Ava was going to bring up.

"During the war with the beast domain and the abyssal court, I recall that you didn't participate. Is that how you treat a veteran?"

Scowling, Lorel retaliates.

"I was with family and you know it. I had a responsibility with them and I chose to be responsible rather than enter a pointless war like some hot-headed teen."

He said this without any emotion but Ava could faintly feel Lorel's anxiety.

"Lorel, you know that's not true. Your older brother was there and at the time, he was more powerful than you or me. You didn't come with me because you were afraid. And you're the one who keeps visiting me. For what reason... I'll never know."

Ava glares at Lorel, waiting for his response.

Lorel was silent. Jack and Charlie did their best not to add commentary, lest Lorel flattens them to the ground.

Glaring at Ava, Lorel clicks his tongue.

"Zack and Hippie."

Despite the error in their names, the two low-ranking defiants stand up in attention.

"Yes, boss!"

"Yes, sir!"

The two shout their acknowledgment.

Lorel glares at Ava one last time.

"You know, when you went home, I thought we could go back to before but you've become such a warmonger. You've changed. The 'you' before wouldn't bring up dirty laundry with such a straight face."

Ava was about to retort but Lorel spoke first.

"I don't know what happened to you in the war but your lack of partners and friends tells me many things. While I did stay home, at the very least, my mind is clear, unlike yours."

Ava doesn't respond to the provocation.

Seeing Ava's expressionless face, Lorel turns to leave the building.

But before he could move a single step, he feels immense pressure behind him.

Using all of the power he could immediately, Lorel turns around with blinding speed, just in time to see Ava moving towards him with a will-infused kick.

"The defiants are here?"

Dr. Lyo lightly turned his head towards one of his many contracted beasts. In this case, the beast was a small tri-colored cat. It meowed which transmitted a message only Lyo could understand.

"I see. They're after someone who broke defiant regulations huh?"

The cat meows once more.

"You think it's Giles? Hmmm... yeah. You're right. Giles probably did it."

The cat suddenly hisses.

"Amiable, what's the-"

Before Lyo could continue his question, the entire academy suddenly shook. Not too terrified, Lyo raises an eyebrow.

Earthquake?

Then he senses his niece's overpowering will.

Oh, Lorel is here again huh?

While Lyo's powerful will infused the entire school and repaired it whenever it could, the school's regeneration abilities could be outpaced by constant damage or in the current situation, an extreme amount of damage.

In the combat gym, Giles immediately noticed the cracks in the wall. Since the combat gym was underground, the damage didn't immediately spread but Giles didn't care.

"Everyone! Out of the combat gym. Now!"

The students of the catastrophe class suddenly turn to their teacher, along with the other students, teachers, and staff that were in the combat gym.

Except for a few students, nobody panicked. Every teacher in Calloren academy, even the ones for the lower grades, were people of great power and experience. And the staff, excluding the front gate guard Yatt, weren't someone normal people could ignore. Using their will-infused bodies, the teachers and staff immediately evacuated along with their students.

But it wasn't fast enough.

Despite its tough material and Lyo's will, the ceiling shattered and large boulders started to fall.

Giles looks up and sees a giant rockfall towards them with increasing speed.

Can't afford to slack here. 100%

Going full power right off the bat, Giles immediately jumps up and raises his right leg. He delivers a powerful upward kick toward the incoming boulder. The boulder shatters when it makes contact with Giles' feet, showering the area with smaller but still dangerous shards of rock.

Without pause, the other teachers present in the combat gym reacted to the shards with quick movement so that they could protect their students.

Iza's eyes widen at Giles' heroic image or the lack of it as he continued to disappear, moving at high speeds, to make sure that no rock hits his students.

"What are you gawking at!"

Iza hears a girl's voice and turns her head toward her groupmate. Eliza grabs her hand and runs towards the exit.

Stupid! Why did you gawk at sir Ivor! You could die!

Iza berated herself as Eliza forced her to run.

"Look out!"

From a distance, August screams at Iza to dodge as a giant boulder falls from the ceiling.

Iza's eyes widen in fear as the boulder is about to land on her and Eliza. She looked for sir Ivor but he was too preoccupied with even larger falling rocks.

The nearby catastrophe students saw the large stone falling toward Eliza and Iza. They didn't hesitate to rush toward the danger.

The first to step forward was the most skilled in the class.

Vergil didn't bring his sword with him but that was fine. After all, he was the heir of the Angelo family. Infusing his body with will, Vergil swings his hand in an arc in front of him.

Dimension Blade is the aspect power of the Angelo family and is considered to be one of the most powerful aspects in Outem.

This power manifests as multiple abilities.

But all of these abilities have a simple feature.

They cut.

And that's what happened.

Vergil's swing cuts the boulder in half. He swings his hand again, cutting the two boulders into a total of four parts. After his second slice, Vergil frowns.

Only 2 times huh?

Despite only cutting the boulder into 4 parts, the cleaved boulder harmlessly falls to the ground. Vergil lands in front of Iza and Eliza.

"Are you two okay?"

Iza quickly nods.

"Thank you! Tha- Look out!"

A sharp shard quickly shoots towards Vergil. Seeing the spear-like stone rush towards him, Vergil tries to summon the dimensional blade once more but he couldn't generate enough power.

He was empty.

Shit.

The shard was moving quickly but before it hits Vergil, the shard disappears.

August who reached their side looks around.

"There!"

The shard pierced the ground, far away from everyone. August was surprised.

"Ho-how?"

Ignoring August, Vergil turns to Eliza.

"You did that?"

Eliza frowns. She replies to Vergil.

"Your aspect manipulates space?"

Vergil nods.

The two stare at each other before they hear an angry voice.

"What the hell are you guys still doing here!?"

Giles appears in front of them and grabs them one by one. Then he throws them towards the exit. Then he returns to the deeper parts of the combat gym to protect the other students.