I Obtained the Final Boss' Power

Chapter 86 : Difference in Class (1)

Difference in Class (1)

There was no one who did not know of the Imperial Academy's reputation.

Simply graduating would guarantee one a high position at the frontlines—the continent's finest educational institution.

As befitted its prestige, over half the students hailed from distinguished families.

However, even commoners could attend the academy if they could prove their talent.

After all, the academy's founding principle was to nurture outstanding talent for the empire.

'Was that not one of the founding hero's goals for the academy?'

That was why every year, countless prodigies flocked to the academy.

Nobles entered to heighten their careers and family honor, while commoners threw themselves onto the grounds of education to claw their way up from the bottom.

At a glance, it seemed like an ideal educational institution, but hidden within was a truth not revealed to outsiders.

'In the end, there's always a gap between nobles and commoners.'

Less than one in ten nobles would honestly acknowledge a lower-status student who displayed greater talent than themselves.

For that reason, commoner students would sometimes become mere playthings for the nobles.

At first, it would be passed off as playing around, but the severity of the acts would worsen day by day.

Even so, commoners had no choice but to stay at the academy.

If they failed to graduate, it would all be meaningless, having left their hometowns to come this far.

On the other hand, nobles could manage perfectly fine even without the academy.

In the end, behind the title of the best educational institution, the academy had become the worst site of assault.

'Besides, it's useless to tell the faculty.'

They wouldn't condone violence either—but only on the surface.

Violence conducted in secret was rarely discovered.

Even if one bravely reported it, the retaliation that followed was unbearable.

On top of it all, the perpetrators were nobles.

They could threaten the families of commoners who still lived back in their hometown, as much as they pleased.

In the end, students of commoner status who entered the academy could only be dragged along by them.

If they get hit, they get hit; if told to undress, they undress.

Of course, if it could be written off as a spar, and there happened to be a priest nearby who could use healing magic, it was perfect.

Thwack—

Just like right now.

"Guh-!"

A student who had been sparring was struck with a wooden sword and collapsed.

The one who beat him down was Selion Refilica, the representative of the second-year combat department, who, with a sardonic smile, turned to the priest standing nearby.

"Heal him."

The family's exclusive priest healed the student, but the student winced in fear.

"Please, stop..."

Even while being treated, the student was gripped with terror.

The problem was that healing ensured the wounds quickly closed over, leaving him able to spar again.

And then he would be beaten again, and again, and again. Until the other's mood was satisfied.

"What're you complaining about when I'm having you healed, huh?"

"It still hurts, even if I get healed. This is already the tenth time..."

Thwack!—

As soon as the healing was done, Selion stomped on the student's face.

The sentence was cut short, and the student's face was crushed.

"Older Brother!"

Nearby, a female student—her clothes half torn—screamed out when she witnessed the scene.

The priest healed him again, returning the student's face to its original state.

But even healed, the student's expression was far from peaceful.

"I know. Healing only makes things look better on the surface."

Selion spoke to the student lying on the ground.

"There's no healing on our side that can completely erase the aftereffects. It's just like temporarily repairing a broken object for reuse. Eventually, it's obvious what happens to something that keeps getting broken and repaired."

Roughly fitting damaged parts together and mishandling it again only led to destruction.

The more it was pieced together, the more the item's durability and performance declined until it could no longer be considered an 'object'.

It was the same with healing for the injured.

Even if no wounds could be seen, the mental trauma left by pain chewed away at the psyche.

In the end, one would be left so broken, it would be difficult to call them 'human'.

"You know all this... Why are you doing it?"

The girl with torn clothes asked, and Selion replied with an indifferent expression.

"What about it?"

He truly looked as if he couldn't understand.

"Why question something so obvious?"

As if it were just common sense.

"I'm not doing anything strange. Haven't you ever played with the livestock near your house? So what's the problem?"

At Selion's casual answer, the girl clicked her tongue.

"So, you're saying we're livestock?"

Selion's previously calm face twisted into a devilish grin.

"There's nothing particularly strange about it, is there?"

At those words, the noble students sitting in a circle cheered.

Some clamored that they wanted a turn, but Selion refused, declaring that the 'doll' was his exclusive toy.

"Big Bro, that was incredible! Couldn't you let me have one too?"

His younger brother, Shalio, asked, eyes brimming with admiration.

Seeing the freshman representative eyeing the girl, Selion picked up on his intent.

"She's yours."

"Thank you so much!"

Unbothered by the envious looks from those around, Shalio approached the girl.

"Please, don't do this..."

Shalio advanced with a predatory gaze, and the girl pleaded as if resisting.

At her rejection, Shalio's face twisted with displeasure.

"What, I can't like you?"

Saying that, he touched the girl's clothes.

"I'm already losing my mind because of that black-haired girl. To make it worse, there have been those mercenary-looking folks sticking by her side all month long and it's driven me totally insane! So why won't you let me blow off steam? Do you want to see me die? Are you a murderer? If not, just stay put!"

Shalio muttered whatever came to mind, and as he was about to tear the girl's clothes—

"You—what are you!?"

Suddenly, Selion's shout made Shalio freeze. And Shalio now sensed the presence of someone else as well.

"No way, you're..."

Just when had they arrived?

An outsider had appeared, witnessing the current scene.

What's more, it was the very two people who had infuriated Shalio and Selion—the infamous girl and her brother.

"How did you find this place? And since when have you been here!?"

Selion barked, tense. Louis, the older brother, calmly replied.

"We've been here since you started beating that student with the wooden sword and stomping him."

At Louis's nonchalant words, Selion's face twisted.

Not only was his attitude arrogant, but the girl was also by his side—his anger flared explosively.

But in fact, this was an opportunity. The troublesome mystery mercenaries were no longer in the academy.

"Well, I don't know how you found this place, but it's just as well."

Selion turned away from the male student he had been beating.

For he had found a plaything that could not even be compared to the former.

"Until now, those mercenaries kept us from getting close to you, but this is our chance to settle things once and for all."

"Settle what?"

Louis asked shortly, as Selion stepped closer and answered.

"An apology! For making a laughing stock of my little brother, bow your head and get on your knees at once!"

Standing in front of Louis, Selion slammed the wooden sword into the ground, sending out a ringing sword echo.

The surrounding students jumped at the sound.

"Ah, to be honest, that was our fault. My younger sister made a blunder, so there's nothing we can say in our defense."

Lowering his head, Louis pressed down on Rio's head next to him, forcing her to bow as well.

He did cross the line by treating him as a pants-wetter the last time.

"But before you apologize, I want to ask you something. Who in the world were those mercenaries protecting your siblings? And who was that mysterious girl commanding them?"

It was impossible to say they were actually elite Imperial Court guards disguised as mercenaries.

Likewise, that the mysterious girl commanding them was actually the Princess.

"Who knows? We really don't know ourselves."

"Is that so."

"Anyway, I apologize for embarrassing your brother. But what exactly is going on here?"

Louis and Rio had witnessed it all from the start.

Anyone could see that this was an assault disguised as a sparring match, and sexual harassment.

"Apart from our mistake, doesn't this look like a whole different problem?"

When Louis pointed it out, Selion grinned so wide it almost split his face.

"Do you know what? Everyone who's ever defied me ended up like that. Same goes for anyone who messed with my brother. Know what that means?"

There was no need to clarify.

"Don't think it'll end with a simple apology. We're going to have a spar, right now."

"You plan to do that to us too? You know you'd be in big trouble if we reported this to the teachers, right?"

"With my personal priest's healing, your wounds will disappear in no time, so don't worry."

If there's no evidence of the beating, who's going to tattle? With those words, everyone's eyes focused on their side.

"Draw your sword. This wooden sword is more than enough for the likes of you."

Selion flaunted his intent—that someone like Louis was hardly worth more than a wooden sword. Louis smirked at his confidence, but as he reached for his sword, Rio drew hers first.

"Wait... Older Brother, can't you leave this to me?"

Unexpectedly, Rio wore a confident look.

"He looks pretty strong."

"Fine."

Sensing Rio's competitive spirit, Louis nodded readily.

It was not strange for a place like the academy, renowned for producing skilled individuals, to have shining talents everywhere.

"You have a good eye. Fine, I'll allow you to challenge me."

"Are you really strong?"

"I won last year's academy swordsmanship tournament. No one disputes that."

At his words, Rio's eyes sparkled like a child receiving a gift from Santa.

Craving to become stronger to survive, Rio always sought out formidable opponents.

She sparred often with people like Silia and Louis, but they were not enough.

"Are you really that strong?"

What is with this kid?

Selion felt a sense of discomfort at Rio's earnest stare. Did this girl not understand she was about to get thrashed?

"Big Bro! With a face and body like that, it would be a shame to break her! Please go easy!"

"I know."

Shalio pleaded, practically drooling at Rio's unexpectedly attractive looks and figure.

Selion, accepting the plea, addressed Rio.

"Introduce yourself before we start."

Is such formal procedure necessary before fighting? Rio tilted her head, about to say her name, when—

"I'm Rio Dex—"

Her words halted. Selion had suddenly jabbed her in the solar plexus with the wooden sword.

It was a ridiculous sneak attack. Yet, skilled as Selion was, Rio failed to dodge it.

Struck in the solar plexus, Rio flew like a cannonball, slamming into a tree.

"Big Bro! I said go easy! What if you ruin her face or body!?"

"It's fine! Don't forget who we've got on our side!"

Hearing this, the personal priest rushed over to heal Rio.

She lay collapsed, impaled into the tree, appearing to suffer at least severe injuries.

No one could remain standing after a thrust from someone infamous for cutting down dozens of monsters.

"Huh?"

So thought the priest, but as he examined Rio—he gasped in shock.

"What's wrong? Don't tell me she's dead?"

Alarmed by the priest's reaction, Selion panicked.

He hadn't meant to kill, only to torment her.

"No... it's just..."

Rio was still lying beneath the tree. She didn't move at all, making her seem truly dead.

"Rio, what are you doing not getting up?"

Even as his own younger sister was struck, Louis asked indifferently.

Selion scowled at the brazen attitude. Then, Rio's lips parted.

"This can't be right."

Lifting her head, Rio sat up. The priest examining her looked shocked to see that Rio had not a single scratch.

"Weird."

Yet, with a deeply serious expression, Rio stood up again.

"It's strange."

She muttered something, as if possessed, and with a zombie-like gait, stood before Selion once more.

None could believe their eyes—Rio had been stabbed in the solar plexus, yet was unharmed.

"Why are you so weak?"

Rio, recalling the lower-tier monsters from the demon realm, was shocked.

Compared to their blows, what she'd just received was barely a scratch.