Hospital Havoc and Fiery Retribution
Sky Academy's infirmary had top-tier medical staff on standby 24/7, given how often students got hurt.
"Urghhh…"
"My, my head…"
"My, my back… Ugh!"
"Aaaah! It hurts! Gently, gently!"
But a massive wave of freshmen flooding in right after enrollment? That was a first in academy history.
"Stay still! Moving makes it hurt more!"
Smack!
"Ow!"
"What the hell did you do to get hurt like this?"
"Fought… the boss…"
"I got… hit by that bastard…"
The nurse wrapping bandages couldn't believe her ears.
What? Fought what?
"The boss?"
"Yeah…"
"What were you even doing? It's only been three days! You didn't seriously fight the boss at full strength, right?"
"…Full strength?"
The nurse freaked out at their clueless expressions.
So these idiots got carted in after charging a fully intact boss as a group?
Without even proper intel?
No one had even spotted the boss last year, let alone taken it down.
And this year, they'd flipped the script entirely.
The doctors were just as baffled during checkups. One physician spotted odd wounds.
These aren't from the boss…
These looked like… someone had beaten the crap out of them.
"Did someone hit you guys?"
"Huh?"
"These aren't boss wounds."
"No, they are. Got hit by the boss."
"Hmmm. Kid, you can't lie. My god tells me…"
The nurse and doctor launched into a lecture, prepping to root out any school bullying.
This played out across the entire hospital. Half the injuries were from the boss, the other half from plain old beatings.
The culprit behind it all couldn't care less.
Slurp, slurp. Slurrrp!
Nipella rubbed her temples with a headache as she watched Eugene scarf down hotpot mixed with rice.
"Eugene."
"Yeah?"
"Didn't you say you wouldn't cause any trouble…?"
Eugene flinched. At least he had a conscience—he stopped eating and averted his eyes.
Was it a relief that the War God's priest was this docile, or a pain that he still caused headaches anyway…?
"How the hell do we even filter the dropouts now…?"
Over two-thirds of the students hadn't earned points. Half would've been manageable, but this many? Impossible.
And it was all one guy's fault.
Eugene!
By shoving everyone into the boss room, he'd screwed over those trying to farm points the normal way. They'd racked up zero and gotten mass-eliminated.
Including the son of a grand mage who'd been hyped as a rookie standout…
"Do you even know what you've done, Eugene?"
Normally he'd play dumb or mouth off, but this was Professor Nipella. Even he felt a pang of guilt.
"Y-yeah… gulp."
"…Drink some water first."
Ugh, spicy. Choking it down burned his throat.
"Anyway, we're looking at retests now. Seriously, who drags a bunch of students into the boss room? And who ignores the recall order and fights anyway?"
"But… it didn't force-recall, so I thought it was fine…"
Still, what Eugene pulled off was impressive.
Solo first place!
And he'd bagged a vampire that glitched into high knight level.
That final wild slash—even Nipella, a professor, got chills watching it.
"…You did good, though."
"?!"
"Honestly, this freshman class is full of cocky punks who think they're hot shit. Consider it a lesson learned."
"But I beat the crap outta them…"
"Par for the course here. Not school violence, of course. And they'll heal anyway—self-inflicted karma makes it easier."
Wow. No wonder this place runs like this.
Eugene cursed inwardly but was grateful things were contained.
Whatever, principal's my backup. He'll handle it.
—Professor Nipella.
"Principal!"
—…So, what did you say? Shoved students into the boss, mass dropouts, boss glitches to high knight level, and you took it down? You think that makes sense?!
The principal showed up later and blew a gasket, of course.
"Ow! It hurts!"
"Hold still. Moving reopens wounds."
Smack!
Adria rubbed her stinging back, tears welling up.
Wasn't the nurse supposed to be gentle?
That palm's like a freaking board…
Adria didn't know, but the nurses were priest trainees hardened by years on the job.
They'd transcended power trips—pure grit now!
These ladies had tempers too, and pulling rank meant professors showing up, so compliant students just took it.
"Acid, Acid."
—Get lost, you perv!! Scram! Why're you always creeping around me!!
Eodukshini fled from the lecherous(?) assistant professor.
"Hold up. Lemme take that kid."
"Huh? You're not the slime's owner from last time?"
"Nah, just a friend."
"Girlfriend?"
"?"
The assistant prof deflated under her baffled stare.
With Eodukshini on her shoulder, Adria skipped lightly to Eugene's room.
"…?"
Peeking through the door glass, Adria blinked in disbelief.
Slurp, slurrrp! Slurp!
…What the hell's he eating?
Eugene's desk was piled with bowls. He slammed one empty, shoved it aside, and grabbed a fresh one.
Even drinks wouldn't go down that fast.
Adria, dumbfounded, flung the door open.
"Here, eat mo—"
"…?"
She thought it was just Eugene, but Ashy was there supplying(?) the bowls.
They should be yelling at him to stop, but she was cooing and feeding him more hotpot… Adria was speechless and asked,
"You two aren't hurt anywhere?"
"Huh? Why would we be?"
"Spit some divine power on it, good as new."
What kinda bullshit…
"I got a little banged up just casting from the back…"
"Pfft, that's 'cause you're weak."
A vein popped on Adria's forehead. She snatched Eodukshini off her shoulder.
—Huh?
Yeet! Strike!
"Gah!"
Eodukshini nailed Eugene's face dead-on. Priest and slime toppled with brief death rattles.
Adria twisted her neck demonically.
"What? Weak? Say it again."
"Means I'm weak, sis."
"Sis?"
"'Sis' fits better than… Ow!"
Eugene grumbled after extra whacks for no reason, then slurped the last broth clean.
"You okay?"
"Why didn't you stop her?"
"Even I couldn't… that was too much."
"…"
Once things settled, Adria murmured,
"…We won't get punished, right?"
Eugene, polishing off his tenth bowl, tilted his head curiously as he cleared it.
"Why?"
"We caused a mess."
"What mess?"
You did!
Adria, exasperated, spelled it out.
"Beat up students, shoved 'em in the boss room, ignored the exit…"
"They set it up as cutthroat competition—what's the issue? This is fine."
What's fine??
"Proof I herded 'em on purpose? I ran scared, they chased and stumbled into the boss."
"No, that's not…"
"Right, Adria. We just followed Eugene."
Ashy backed him up from the side.
Birds of a feather.
Seeing Adria's eyes chill, Eugene rushed to add,
"No, hear me out! If we cop to it, what happens?"
"Fair punishment, duh…"
"Tsk tsk tsk. Adria, if you flub lyrics mid-song, you stop and bow? Nah."
"…No."
"Exactly! Need flexibility. We didn't break rules. Professors didn't plan that danger—it's on them. We sit pretty, collect points."
"…Two-thirds got D's 'cause of us? They all drop?"
"That's not… my problem—Ow!"
"You psycho!"
One more smack for the road.
I pouted but cooperated with the investigation.
I'm innocent! Just farming points!
"Pout again and eat fist."
Life's got injustices sometimes.
Tucking my lip, I breezily answered: How'd I catch the vampire? What'd I say? Attitude?
'Just beat it down.'
'Told it to quit screwing around.'
'Pissed-off vibe.'
Obviously not full truth. Duh.
Would blow my War God's priest cover.
'Oh, and kid.'
'?'
'Watch it. Group complaints get messy.'
The investigating TA warned me, but I shrugged it off.
I'd calculated: Highborn nobles reporting a thrashing from a commoner?
I'd die first.
So I ignored the glares and hostility.
Thud!
"Hey. Hold up."
"?"
One blocked my path.
Purple-haired girl.
Familiar face… Oh.
"Uh, h-hey… Hi?"
"…"
The one sparking flames against the vampire.
Princess-level talent.
She glared murderously, bandages wrapping her whole body. Looked painful.
"Not hurt?"
"Burn!"
"Wha—Hey, wait!"
Whoosh!
Fireball launched—I swatted it away in panic.
Wall damage or commotion screws us both.
But I'd poked the bear. Her killing intent thickened.
"…Blocked it?"
"Yeah. Hits the wall, you're the one in trouble—"
"Shut up!"
Whoosh!
Really pissed now—she thrust her hand forward.
Dozens of fireballs spawned midair.
"Uh…"
She's pissed.
"Die!!"
"Die's a bit much, no?"
What'd I even do?!
Whoosh! Fwoom!
Fireballs homed in.