First Day of Class Assignment and Already This Bullshit?
The words "What the hell is this bullshit?" might naturally come to mind on the very first day of class assignments. But among the beastmen, there are those who live with exactly that kind of mindset. The wild makes beastmen strong. You have to live rough to get stronger. Lions drop their own cubs off cliffs. Trials are the driving force that forges beastmen into something greater. And the academy is the perfect place to systematically hand out those kinds of trials.
"This right here is the new pride and joy of magical engineering from Cadelis Academy—the Illusory Dungeon!"
Homeroom teacher Anju pointed at the cave with a proud look on her face. Anyone could tell it was suspicious that a cave like this existed right in the middle of the academy grounds. It wasn't like some game where an underground dungeon suddenly appears in the middle of campus or anything.
"Inside this Illusory Dungeon, a massive spatial magic formation has been deployed. You kids know about the Dragon's Dungeon, right?"
"The Dragon's Dungeon?"
"That's right! That place has all movement handled through magic circles, and the space itself stretches out infinitely like it's connected to some other world."
"So... you're saying that's what's been set up inside here?"
Bleber showed clear interest. The other beastmen in Class 13 didn't say anything, but their ears perked up as they focused on Instructor Anju's words. They were clearly intrigued by this thing called the Illusory Dungeon.
"Exactly. It's an illusion in the truest sense. You never know what kind of enemy might show up? Hehehe."
Instructor Anju grinned from ear to ear, openly looking like she thought this would be fun. Some might wonder if it was appropriate for a teacher who was already late to be pulling pranks like this on her students. But I knew better. This instructor was testing all of us right now.
"Sensations like pain will feel pretty close to the real thing. But you won't actually get hurt or die. Though... if the phantom pain is so bad that you decide you can never attend the academy again, quitting on the spot and dropping out is always an option."
It was a test. A trial. And at the same time, an exam.
"Cadelis Academy isn't just a place that picks the successors of the Twelve Kings. It's aiming for something even greater. By the time you graduate, you need to be strong enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with me—or better yet, strong enough to surpass me."
If you don't have any intention of becoming as strong as your instructor, or as strong as yourself, then just go home. Don't waste three years here. Go live however you want.
"It might be better to go home and live like a spoiled little prince or princess, getting all the pampering you want."
"...What are you even saying?"
Bleber snorted and stepped forward.
"If a princess drops out of the academy, can she really go back and still be treated like a princess?"
"Oh ho..."
"Just watch. Separate from Instructor Anju, I will prove that among all rabbits, I am the strongest and most outstanding one."
Bleber headed straight into the cave. Before any of the other beastmen could say a word, she strode confidently into the Illusory Dungeon all by herself. It was as if she already knew exactly what kind of place this was.
"C-can we not go together...?"
"Sevius. The Illusory Dungeon is already activated. Isn't that right, Instructor?"
"You fox! You seem to know a lot about this. Is it because you're from the fox tribe?"
"Well... something like that."
The three-tailed fox Lily swished her tail and smacked Sevius on the back.
"Let's go in. If we don't pass this test, we have to go back to the desert."
"What? N-no way! Instructor! If we pass the test, can we have a direct spar with you?!"
"As many times as you want!"
"Hell yeah!! Got it!! Let's go, Lily! I'll pass first and challenge Instructor Anju right away!!"
The couple (not quite yet) headed inside. Next up—
"Instructor Anju."
The blue dragon Corvalt approached Instructor Anju with his hands clasped behind his back.
"What is the meaning behind this test?"
"Do you want to know the meaning of the test, or the meaning of Class 13?"
"......"
"I'll tell everyone who passes the test, so just go in and come back out. Or does the successor of the Blue Dragon lack confidence?"
"Hah, what nonsense."
Corvalt clicked his tongue and walked straight inside. The spider woman Zephyr followed right behind him.
"...Hmph!"
The killer whale Orca gave Instructor Anju a quick side-eye before leaping into the dungeon in one swift motion.
That left just three.
"Ah, um... uh, well...."
"Shall we go together, Miss Anellis?"
"Ah, yes! Um...."
"Call me Hane. Please, just Hane."
The butterfly invited the jellyfish to go with her, and the jellyfish nodded vigorously as she stuck close to her side.
"Ah! By the way...."
At the same time, they both turned to look at me, but I simply shook my head in response.
"Ah, okay.... Then I'll see you after we pass the test...."
The jellyfish Anellis waved her hand and entered the cave.
Now there was only one person left.
Me.
"Hmm."
Instructor Anju looked me up and down.
"What are you doing? Scared?"
"Not scared. Just curious."
"Whoa, casual speech? Well, whatever. Confidence is good. What are you curious about? Don't tell me you're going to ask what kind of trials are waiting inside?"
"No."
I pointed behind the instructor.
"I'm curious why the principal came out in person for something like Class 13."
"Ah."
"Heh heh heh."
Behind Anju, a wolf beastman with blue hair approached while brushing off the principal's robe with his hand.
"Interesting. How did you notice?"
"Notice? Who was the one who blatantly showed up saying 'I'm right here'?"
"...Hey, kid. Listen well. I don't care if you're rude to me, but I won't forgive that kind of attitude toward the principal."
Thump.
A massive aura began pouring out of Anju. It felt like something snake-like was wrapping around my ankle from below, and like something was about to bite into the back of my neck. Killing intent.
"Heh heh heh, that's enough."
The moment the principal placed a hand on Anju's shoulder, that killing intent shattered instantly. It wasn't that Anju had reined it in herself—the principal's overwhelming presence had suppressed her instead.
"What's a little rudeness? If he has the skill to back it up, that's all that matters. More importantly, I have one request before you go in."
"A request...?"
"This."
The principal pulled something out from his robe and held up a square frame-like panel with both hands.
"Could you press your hand firmly onto this once?"
"...You're not asking me to stamp some kind of guarantee or contract, are you?"
"No, no. It's more like... a personal hobby of mine. I collect handprints from talented individuals."
"Principal?"
Anju looked flustered at the principal's words, glancing between me and the Illusory Dungeon.
"Don't tell me there's a talent here with more potential than the Rabbit Princess or the Blue Dragon successor...."
"It's this one. Heh heh heh."
......
Principal Lobo smiled brightly as he held the frame out toward me. He pointed at the slime-like, squishy clay with his eyes, still not losing that smile for even a second.
"What? Scared?"
"Scared? As if."
I lightly brushed my hand on my clothes, then firmly pressed my right hand into the clay.
"I figured something like this should be done with both hands, don't you think?"
"......!!"
"Only collecting one hand?"
I made sure to press it down hard enough to leave a clear fingerprint, then waved my empty left hand.
"Make sure to prepare the other side next time so I can stamp that one too."
"Hah, haha...."
"Why?"
"It's nothing."
Principal Lobo smiled faintly and pointed toward the Illusory Dungeon.
"Good luck."
The moment I passed through the magic circle, an underground dungeon unfolded before me. And from that dungeon, countless beasts came rushing out. Among the beasts that had lost their reason and devolved into nothing but animals, there were those corrupted by demonic energy—creatures that saw every living thing, whether human or beastman, as nothing but 'prey.' Those were called demonic beasts.
This Illusory Dungeon was a place where those demonic beasts were densely packed in the form of illusions.
Whoosh!!
Toward the deepest part of that Illusory Dungeon, Bleber swung her rapier wrapped in red magic power, cutting down demonic beasts as she advanced.
Kyaaaack!!
"Ugh."
Even though she knew they were illusions, the sensations were far too realistic. The fact that the demonic beasts' corpses didn't disappear was one problem, but the rotten blood smell that sprayed out every time they opened their mouths was something Bleber's sensitive nose simply couldn't tolerate.
But quitting the test halfway? That was out of the question. Especially considering this Illusory Dungeon was a trial prepared by the instructor, and thinking about the background behind the founding of this academy, she needed to get used to dealing with demonic beasts.
—In one hundred years, I shall return once more.
The final curse left behind by the emperor of the human empire.
—I shall become the Demon King and appear once again upon this land!!
An enemy so powerful that even the ones who had received the King's Symbol from the Dragon and united the strength of the Twelve Kings had struggled to defeat. If that monster were to return in some form as the Demon King—
"Ninety-seven years...."
The exact point when academy students would graduate was the hundred-year mark. Among the three hundred who had received their class assignments, how many truly knew the truth? But if you were to describe the three hundred gathered here in a different way, that might be the perfect term.
Successors who would receive the symbols of the Twelve Kings. At the same time, heroes who would stop the Demon King.
...Some people pointed out that the Demon King was nothing more than a curse, and that the real problem was the way beastmen treated each other.
"...It doesn't matter."
To Bleber, none of that was important. Whether the Demon King returned or whether the insane beastmen truly tried to claim the empire for themselves, what mattered most to her was claiming the King's Symbol given to the rabbit tribe.
It had been hers from the moment she was born. Both by bloodline and by ability.
She could never allow the other six rabbits—who had begun fiercely competing for that opportunity because of this academy—to steal it. Nor could she let other races who coveted the Dragon's treasure given to the rabbits take the symbol of her kind.
"I will prove...."
Flash.
While advancing after defeating demonic beasts, she stepped onto a certain magic circle and suddenly found herself in what appeared to be the deepest part.
"Ha."
The trial was easier than she had expec—
BOOM!
A massive monster fell from the ceiling.
"Huh...?"
The thing, which looked to be over five meters tall, was some kind of muscular creature with the horns of a mountain goat.
"High-ranking demonic beast... Balak...?"
Kyaaaaaaaack!!
A roar so realistic it was hard to believe it was an illusion. For a moment her whole body tensed up wondering if she could handle it alone, but Bleber thrust her rapier forward.
"They said it was about cooperation. Well... it looks like they left it here expecting nine people to team up and take it down."
She smirked.
"I guess I'll just have to take it down myself."
Bleber charged forward. Whether it was a high-ranking demonic beast or whatever, all she had to do was strike its weak point and stab it to death.
Kwaaang!
She dodged the slow fist slamming into the ground, ran up its arm, and thrust the tip of her rapier toward its eye—
Grab!
"?!"
Her body was caught. The slow fist had been a feint—the other hand had snatched her in an instant.
"Ugh?!"
The brutal grip was painful enough to feel like her body was being crushed. It felt so real that it seemed like her body really would be crushed—
Kwaaaaang!!
With a massive impact, Bleber nearly lost consciousness for a moment. The shock was so powerful that her vision went completely white, and she dropped her rapier.
"Th-this is...!"
This wasn't an illusion. Something was wrong. If this wasn't a mistake and a real high-ranking demonic beast Balak had actually been summoned—
"Are you alright?"
A man's voice fell over her like a shadow. When she looked up, there stood a blond, tanned sheep beastman looking down at her.
"S-Sapiens...!"
"I told you it was Sapien."
Sapien picked up the rapier that had fallen to the ground and placed it back in Bleber's hand.
"Hold onto it. I'll clean this up as quickly as possible."
"W-wait. That's not an illusion. It might be the real thing... ugh...!"
This was dangerous. She didn't know how strong this sheep beastman was, but a high-ranking demonic beast was something that at minimum required someone on the level of Instructor Anju outside to have a chance of winning—
"Ah, I didn't think I'd have to take this out already."
Sapien pulled something out from inside his coat and aimed it at the demonic beast Balak.
"Bleber. Don't tell anyone about this."
"Huh?"
Something metallic made a 'click' sound.
"Magic Missile."
Bang!!
Along with an explosion, a streak of light pierced straight through Balak's forehead.