The Minotaur devil leader, though struck down by Fenric's blade, refused to die.
Its jaws gaped wide, spewing a stream of dark-green venom straight at him.
For anyone else, such an attack would be fatal.
But Fenric remained unshaken.
With a thought, his mind power surged.
The venom struck an invisible barrier around him, splattering harmlessly to the ground.
Zi! Zi!
The acid hissed as it ate through the marble floor, leaving a gaping pit in the tiles within seconds.
Those standing nearby felt their scalps prickle.
If that had landed on flesh, the result would have been gruesome beyond words.
Yet Fenric's face stayed calm.
Even without mind power, his constitution alone rendered him immune to poison. No venom, no matter how potent, could harm him.
With a swift motion—puff!—his blade carved down once more, striking the Minotaur leader's skull and ending it for good this time.
But danger was far from over.
Outside, the black fog pressed against the building, seeping in through cracks and doorways.
"No! The mist is coming inside!"
"Everyone, fall back!"
"Don't push! There's no room behind us!"
Panic spread through the crowd, fear twisting their voices. No one knew what lurked within that fog.
Fenric frowned, raised his palm, and thrust forward.
Whoosh!
A storm of mental power erupted, blasting the black mist away like a gale.
Suddenly, what had been hidden was revealed.
Dark creatures writhed in the light—three-legged dwarfs, one-eyed toads, centipedes as thick as a man's arm—packed together in a seething mass.
The sight made stomachs churn. Goosebumps erupted on every neck. Some students turned pale as chalk, unable to even scream.
But those creatures, sensitive to light, immediately shrieked and scurried back into the depths of the mist, vanishing as quickly as they had appeared.
In the blink of an eye, the hall was clear again.
A collective sigh of relief rippled through the survivors.
Then all eyes turned toward Fenric.
"He really is the Shura God…" someone whispered.
"To push back the mist itself with just a wave of his hand… that's terrifying."
"I always imagined Shura as some ruthless, untouchable monster. But he's just… a student? Like us?"
"I sat next to him for years, treated him like he was nothing special… What was I even thinking?"
"Don't blame yourself. Shura was just too good at hiding."
"No wonder Goddess Isla favors him. If I'd known he was the Shura God, I'd—"
"Yeah! When Goddess Isla started chasing him, I thought she'd lost her mind. Turns out she was smarter than all of us."
"It's hilarious. In class, we'd talk about how incredible Shura was… never realizing he was sitting right there."
"Whatever the case, since he's here, we're saved. The Shura God can rival the Sage King himself! We'll be fine!"
Their gazes toward Fenric were filled with awe, reverence, and something more complicated—guilt, admiration, even envy.
His classmates, in particular, struggled to reconcile the truth. To them, Fenric had always been that quiet, transparent boy in the corner. A "poor student" barely worth remembering.
And now?
He stood revealed as their greatest shield.
—-
Meanwhile, Yuhan's thoughts drifted elsewhere.
She had just heard someone mention Isla Wynn's connection with Fenric.
Isla Wynn… and Fenric?
Her curiosity burned, but now wasn't the time to ask.
—--
"Jitto!"
A student turned to him suddenly. "You're closest to Fenric. Did you know he was Shura all along?"
At once, several pairs of eyes pinned Jitto.
Under their stares, he gave a bitter smile. "Honestly? Ric… this guy pretends too well. If not for tonight, he never would've exposed himself. I only realized it just now."
Some nodded, believing him. Others were skeptical.
Then, a bold girl piped up, "Jitto, do you have Fenric's phone number? Give it to me!"
"Yeah! You must have it. Share it with us!"
Voices rose one after another.
Jitto hesitated, embarrassed. "I… I do, but I need to ask Ric first. If Ric finds out I gave it away without permission, I might not have a friend anymore."
If this had been before, Jitto would've shared Fenric's number without hesitation.
But now?
Fenric's identity as the Shura God made that number more precious than gold. Giving it away carelessly was unthinkable.
"Brother Jitto, please?" A pretty girl tugged at his sleeve, batting her eyes. "Just this once. I won't tell anyone."
Her plea stroked his vanity, but still, Jitto shook his head firmly. "No. Not possible."
The girl pouted, ready to argue further—
When suddenly, the world outside shifted.
The black fog thinned and dispersed.
But what appeared beyond the windows was not the city streets.
Instead, an endless wasteland stretched into the horizon.
The ground was crimson, the sky the same, the entire world drenched in a blood-red hue that chilled the bones.
"This… what is this place?"
"A moment ago, we were in the city! How did it become… this!?"
The question weighed heavily on everyone.
"Attention!" Fenric's voice cut through the whispers like steel.
His instincts screamed—death was approaching.
Boom—!
A heavy impact shook the earth, like a massive weight slamming into the ground from above.
Boom—!
Another followed, closer.
Boom—! Boom—! Boom—!
Each strike rattled the hall. By now, even fools could tell. These weren't impacts. They were footsteps.
Something titanic was drawing near.
Fenric's face hardened.
"Everyone—get out!" he roared.
Without a moment's pause, he turned, seized Yuhan's hand, and pulled her with him toward the exit.