Demon and the Final Evaluation (2)
"Seha student. We'll substitute the evaluation with a combat ability test. Sorry, but you'll have to bear the penalty on the measurement score."
"……Understood."
Seha nodded heavily.
A target was set up. A reinforced mana stone, two meters wide and two meters tall. The head professor said,
"Have your summoned beast attack that target."
Seha looked at Dahong.
"Dahong-ssi, that target……."
Dahong was already staring at the target.
But… it was gone.
"……What?"
The head professor rose from his seat. The target had vanished. It had been there just moments ago. Only the pedestal remained in its place, stark and empty. No powder, no traces.
"……?"
The stands fell silent.
The head professor slowly opened his mouth.
"Did you all… see that just now?"
"No, nothing…."
"Maybe it's using illusions."
Illusions. The head professor glanced at his angel. But the angel detected no illusion or hallucination abilities.
"……It doesn't seem to be illusions."
"Shall we try once more?"
A new target was set up. This time, everyone strained their eyes, focusing intently.
And then.
Thud.
The target split precisely in half, top to bottom, and toppled over.
"……."
No one saw it again. Not Dahong taking an attack stance. Not any ability being used. Nothing. The target had simply cleaved in two out of nowhere. No flashiness, no grandeur.
A student in the front row muttered softly.
"…Did something just happen?"
"No idea. Wind ability maybe?"
"Why'd the target fall?"
Soon, the stands buzzed with murmurs. The professors huddled together.
"Destructive power confirmed."
"The problem is we have no idea how it did it."
"Can't calculate a rank. No baseline."
The head professor finally turned his gaze to Seha.
"Seha student."
"Y-yes!"
"Can you explain your summoned beast? What abilities it has. Its affinity."
Seha opened his mouth, then closed it.
"W-well……."
"……?"
"……I don't really know. Other than that it's a demon affinity……."
Silence fell.
The head professor's eyebrow arched.
"You don't know?"
"I-I just succeeded in summoning yesterday…! Haven't figured it out yet. Sorry……."
Seha bowed his head in shame.
The head professor rubbed his forehead. Another professor sighed.
"Can't measure it, and the summoner doesn't know either."
"Total mess."
Grumbles leaked from the stands too.
"Doesn't know their own summoned beast's abilities?"
"Summoned it yesterday?"
"What the hell?"
"……."
Seha's gaze dropped to the floor.
As the head professor opened his mouth again, someone shot up a hand.
"I'll check it out."
It was Sangjun.
The professor asked dubiously,
"Sangjun student. What do you mean? How do you plan to check?"
Sangjun glanced sideways at Seha, smirking as he answered.
"I request a summoned beast duel. Between Seha student's summoned beast and my Salamander."
The head professor frowned.
"Sangjun student. This is someone else's exam. Your intervention would violate fairness and invite suspicions of cheating."
Sangjun declared confidently anyway.
"Then give me a reason to go all out."
"What?"
"Deduct points from the loser. If I lose, deduct from mine."
"……."
Seha bit his lip hard. He could guess Sangjun's aim. Seha had been scraping by with failing grades—no room left to deduct. Lose, and it meant expulsion.
The professors whispered in discussion.
"Is that okay?"
"Rules-wise, no issue."
"Still, I oppose……."
"But no other way……."
The head professor eyed Dahong. White hair. Red eyes. White suit. Black horns. Demon affinity, apparently. Honestly, she didn't look strong at all. Demons grew huge and ferocious with higher ranks. But look at her. Tall for a female form, sure, but at best adult male size.
The head professor turned to Seha.
"Seha student. Will you accept the duel?"
Seha looked at Dahong. She seemed utterly disinterested, pretending not to notice.
Seha grew anxious. The opponent was the top-scoring summon of this class—Sangjun's Salamander. All he knew of Dahong's power was surviving a four-story fall unscathed. Impressive for a normal person, but nothing special for an awakener. He had no clue if she could handle a massive fire-breathing beast. She might get badly hurt.
"D-Dahong-ssi."
Dahong turned.
Seha whispered,
"……You okay with this?"
Dahong met Seha's eyes. Genuine worry. For her.
Dahong's lips curved slightly.
Fun.
"Yeah."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"……."
Dahong answered, but Seha still looked doubtful. No other choice, though.
"Sorry. If it gets dangerous, I'll stop it right away."
"Do whatever."
Seha finally nodded to the head professor.
"……I'll accept."
"Good. Permitted."
The stands stirred.
"They're really doing it?"
"Salamander vs. that."
"Whoa… insane."
Sangjun bowed politely to the professors.
"Thank you."
Then he strode into the test area. Applause erupted. The top candidate of the class stepping up personally.
Sangjun shrugged, basking in it. Behind him, the massive Salamander waddled out. Its fiery mane blazed brighter, exuding confidence. Heat rose around them.
Sangjun took position opposite, eyeing Dahong.
"Don't disappoint. I'll send you packing in humiliation."
Dahong said nothing. Just gazed at him with bored eyes.
Sangjun swallowed unconsciously.
…What? Why do those eyes make me antsy? She's not even low-tier demon level.
Forcing nonchalance, he said,
"Let's begin, Professor."
The head professor raised his hand.
"Both sides ready?"
"Ready anytime."
"I'm ready too."
Seha clenched his fists.
The hand dropped.
"Begin!"
Sangjun thrust out his hand.
"Go!"
Sangjun commanded first. The Salamander charged bravely. The entire test field heated up instantly. Front-row students recoiled. Its flaming mane roared, air boiling audibly.
Dahong didn't dodge. She just stood there.
"Dahong-ssi!"
Seha screamed.
"Kahaha, too late!"
Flames engulfed Dahong. Fire surged high.
Whoosh!
Screams and groans burst from the stands. The blaze scorched the test area before dying down. Smoke cleared.
"……Huh?"
Dahong still stood there. Her white suit unmarred, not a singe.
"…What?"
"How?"
"She's fine?"
The stands grew rowdy—a different kind of uproar.
Grind.
Sangjun gnashed his teeth. He commanded again.
"…Once more! Full power!"
Fwoosh!!
The Salamander gaped wide. Flames incomparable to before erupted. Heat strong enough to trigger the test field's barrier walls. One professor shielded his face instinctively.
Flames died, smoke cleared.
Dahong still stood there. Yawning boredly, hand over mouth.
"Grrr……."
The Salamander growled, pride wounded, flames flaring huge.
At the sound, Dahong's eyes shifted to it.
"……!"
That instant. The Salamander's pupils dilated hugely.
It flinched. Then stepped back.
Sangjun scowled at the sight.
"What're you doing! Don't retreat—attack!"
"……Grr."
The Salamander ignored the order. Dahong approached slowly.
"Done already?"
"…Damn it, what's wrong! Attack!"
Sangjun urged it. But the Salamander crouched lower instead.
"Attack, I said!!"
"……Kiiing."
As Dahong neared, the Salamander's fiery mane dimmed. Its red scales dulled to ashen gray.
Dahong stopped. Right before it. The beast's head was still massive, but it looked pathetically small. The Salamander began trembling like a leaf. A disgrace for a fire spirit.
The stands froze.
"The Salamander……."
"It's… scared?"
Sangjun yelled in panic.
"What did you do, you bitch!!"
Professors murmured lowly.
"Sangjun student's commands aren't working at all."
"I see it too."
Sweat beaded on Sangjun's forehead. At this rate, defeat certain. He'd stepped up only to lose face without even saving his own score.
Damn…!
Sangjun surged his mana. Forced command. The last resort to crush the beast's will and enforce obedience.
The Salamander convulsed, fighting terror to rise. But as Dahong reached out—
It slammed its head to the ground again.
Thud.
"……Urgh, what! What's happening! How's even forced command…!"
Dahong extended her hand impassively. Her pale, delicate fingers touched the Salamander's scales.
Splat.
The Salamander's entire body vanished.
"……Huh?"
No smoke, no debris, no traces.
Sangjun stared blankly at the spot. Just faint scorch marks. Nothing else.
"……Ah?"
Dahong lowered her hand, turned, and walked back to Seha.
Dead silence.
Sangjun still stared at the empty spot, face blank with incomprehension.
Dahong stood beside Seha. He gaped.
"……Dahong-ssi."
"Yeah."
"The S-Salamander……."
"Yeah."
"How'd you do it."
"Just petted it. First time seeing one, so I was curious."
"……."
Seha asked no more.
The head professor recovered first.
"……Ahem, Seha student."
"Y-yes!"
"Good match."
"Th-thank you."
Seha bowed.
"But honestly, no measurement baseline. Mana output unknown, affinity unknown, attack method unknown."
"That's……."
Seha's face darkened.
"However."
The head professor glanced at Sangjun, then away.
"You beat the top-scoring summoned beast this class. Fair to award equal points. Same score as Sangjun student."
"What!?"
"No way!"
Outcries overlapped.
Sangjun bellowed furiously.
"That's ridiculous…!"
"Why? Your Salamander lost. So currently, Seha student's is superior, no?"
"B-but……."
"For your effort, no deduction."
"……."
Sangjun's face twisted. His score. The top mark he earned, handed straight to Seha.
His hands trembled.
Seha stood dazed.
"Thus, you're first among freshmen. Congratulations, Seha student."
The stands exploded.
"What? How?!"
"Seha's number one!?"
"Salamander just… gone."
Seha barely heard. First place. He knew written exams. Always top to offset summoning fails. But practical too? Overall first? He, who never succeeded at summoning since enrollment?
"……."
His legs weakened.
Then.
"Nice, huh?"
A voice beside him. He turned. Dahong smiled at him. The first smile since the summoning night.
Seha stared, then.
"……Yeah."
Answered softly.