The Extra's Rise

"You all did well in both of the examinations we had," Nero announced, standing at the front of the classroom with his usual mildly amused indifference.

I wasn't sure if he genuinely cared about our progress or if he just found watching us struggle entertaining. Probably both.

"Do they even matter?" Cecilia sighed dramatically, stretching like a cat in the sun, as if the very thought of exams was draining her will to live.

"They do," Nero said, completely unbothered. "To a certain extent."

"Your rank will not be determined solely by the midterms," Nero continued. "These examinations do play a role, though the midterms will carry the most weight. That being said, rank changes still only occur twice a year." He paused, then added, "Of course, you also have written rankings. Though, I suppose those matter less."

I almost smirked.

"What's the point of a break if you're just going to give us work?" Ian muttered, running a hand through his messy red hair.

"It is a break," Nero replied smoothly, the kind of smoothness that suggested he had no interest in empathy. "Which is why the assignment isn't particularly difficult. It's simply meant to ensure continued growth."

"Those aren't very simple terms," Cecilia muttered just loud enough for everyone to hear.

I bit back a chuckle.

Rachel, sitting near the front, raised her hand. "Professor, I've been wondering for a while—why don't we train with our Gifts during lessons?"

Now that was an interesting question.

Even those who had checked out of the conversation perked up a little, waiting for the answer.

Nero's expression didn't change. But I noticed the way he tilted his head ever so slightly before speaking, as if he had been expecting this question all along.

"The purpose of Mythos Academy," he said, "is to facilitate your overall growth. Training your Gift is important, yes, but it should never become a crutch. If you rely too much on it, you risk stagnating."

His gaze flickered toward Cecilia, who had started tapping her nails against her desk in obvious boredom.

"For example, Student Cecilia can achieve spell weaving naturally because of her Gift," Nero continued. "But if she learns to do it without relying on that ability, she will be able to push even further when she does use her Gift."

Cecilia huffed. "That sounds like a lot of unnecessary effort."

"Yes," Nero agreed, smiling pleasantly. "That's the point."

A brief, almost uncomfortable silence.

Rachel nodded, thoughtful as ever. Ian leaned back in his chair, looking half convinced, half ready to argue just for fun. Cecilia? She looked about three seconds away from arguing on principle.

I?

I just watched.

Not just Nero—but the entire classroom.

Because he was right.

Not just about Gifts, but about growth.

Everyone here had raw talent. Lucifer, Rachel, Ren, Seraphina, Cecilia—all of them had overwhelming natural abilities. And yet, even now, they were trapped in the patterns they had always relied on.

Their Gifts were powerful, but they had limits. And whether they realized it or not, Mythos Academy wasn't just teaching them to use their strengths.

It was forcing them to surpass them.

I exhaled slowly, tapping my fingers against the desk.

Growth, huh?

That was something I could use.

"And now, the student ranked number one is Arthur Nightingale," Nero announced, as if he were merely commenting on the weather.

The room stilled. Seven sets of eyes flickered toward me, some in shock, some in calculation, some—like Ren's—narrowing in immediate, reflexive disbelief.

"Wait, me?" I asked, blinking.

"You," Nero confirmed, entirely unbothered. "You placed first in the Island Survival and second in the Inter-Year Mock War. However, in terms of sheer calculated points, you surpass Lucifer, who placed second and first respectively. Your total score exceeds his, placing you ahead of everyone else."

I could feel the shift in the room. The faint, almost imperceptible ripple of tension.

Lucifer, seated across from me, remained expressionless. His sharp green eyes gave nothing away, though I could tell he was processing.

Ren, on the other hand, made an actual noise of protest, something between a scoff and a laugh. Cecilia tilted her head, crimson eyes curious, while Rachel simply watched, her lips parted slightly, as if weighing something in her mind.

Jin, as usual, said nothing.

Ian sighed, muttering something about how his ranking "was a disgrace to dragonkind."

Seraphina? Didn't even react.

Meanwhile, Nero continued speaking, utterly immune to the weight of the moment. He gestured toward the board, and a holographic display flickered to life.

Temporary Class 1-A Rankings Before Midterms:

Rank 1: Arthur Nightingale

Rank 2: Lucifer Windward

Rank 3: Ren Kagu

Rank 4: Rachel Creighton

Rank 5: Cecilia Slatemark

Rank 6: Jin Ashbluff

Rank 7: Ian Viserion

Rank 8: Seraphina Zenith

"These are your current rankings," Nero said smoothly, "though the final rankings will be determined after the midterms. The number of points isn't displayed, but I assure you, the gap is… notable."

A pause. Then, with his usual detachment, he dropped a bombshell.

"In the Mock War, Arthur was, by far, the most tactically superior student among both years. He was able to read and command the movements of over two hundred students in real-time while handling logistics on his phone. He identified the location of the 6-star beast, engineered its release at the precise moment that would cripple the second-year's strongest player, Kali Maelkith, and ensured she was eliminated personally. If the AI could perfectly capture every tactical decision made in real time, he may have even surpassed Lucifer in total contribution. Unfortunately, the technology is not quite advanced enough to track such intricate decision-making."

The silence that followed was profound.

Ren looked like he wanted to throw his desk through the wall.

Rachel exhaled slowly, processing.

Cecilia let out a low, delighted laugh, clearly entertained by everyone's reactions.

Lucifer?

Lucifer just… smiled.

A small, fleeting thing. Gone almost instantly. But I saw it.

And I wasn't entirely sure if that was a good thing.

After class ended, Rachel drifted over, her expression unreadable for a moment before she settled into something softer—warm, but assessing.

"You worked hard, Arthur," she said, offering me a small, genuine smile.

I wasn't entirely sure how to respond to that. Compliments weren't something I was particularly used to, nor was the idea of being recognized for anything other than being 'the extra.'

"It was because of you and Cecilia," I admitted, scratching the back of my head. "If not for both of you, I wouldn't have defeated that mutating six-star beast in Island Survival."

"Perhaps," she conceded, tilting her head, "but that doesn't change the fact that you are a tactical genius."

She said it like it was obvious. Like it wasn't something that needed to be argued, debated, or even acknowledged with any surprise. Simply a fact.

I wasn't sure how I felt about that.

Rachel studied me for a long moment, something flickering behind her sapphire eyes—thoughtful, calculating.

Then, almost too casually, she said, "Hey, for the break…"

I raised an eyebrow.

Her lips curled slightly. "How about you come to the Creighton estate?"