The group was outside.

At the spot, where the cave leading to the Unnatural Dungeon should have been, was nothing but sand.

"..."

Her legs were shaking but Ophelia still forced herself to stand up.

"Do you think that this is a wise decision?" Vira huffed, looking at Ophelia’s fighting stance.

"I don’t have another choice, do I? Either I die fighting or I die doing nothing." Ophelia replied with a small chuckle.

The other students and Tija could not get up yet. Their faces were pale and their lips could not stop shaking.

However, Vira remained calmer than the others when she stared at Vira, who ignored her gaze.

"What have you done to my students...?" Ophelia asked with a nervous smile.

"Don’t worry. I just knocked them out. Well, in the case of this boy, he actually got unconscious on his own."

Vira shrugged her shoulders as she looked at Mika.

"I see."

Even though she was a high-ranking demon, Ophelia did not sense any hostility from her.

"Why did you kill your own kin? And what are you planning to do with us?"

Vira sighed.

"You sure are bombarding me with questions." she responded.

"But to answer your first question, I just killed her because we did not come to an agreement." Vira elaborated bluntly.

"T-that’s it...?"

"Yes. Isn’t that enough of a reason?"

That was when Ophelia realized that in front of her was a demon, whose common sense and morals were far different from those of humans.

"And concerning your second question-"

[13 seconds left.]

All of a sudden, Mika rose up from the ground, dashing instantly to Vira, whose apathetic gaze met his blank expression.

"Let’s see what you can do... Hm?"

Vira initially stretched out her hand to him but at that moment, Mika suddenly disappeared.

"!"

While she turned her head around, she jumped away as Mika appeared behind her, trying to cut her down.

"This ability..." she muttered as her grin widened.

Mika disappeared again, only to get behind her again.

"Heh!"

Vira anticipated that and raised the pressure around her.

"Argh!"

"Hrngh!"

Even those, who were already on their knees and hands, and those, who were still unconscious, felt an even greater weight on their bodies, pressing them further into the sandy ground.

"..."

With a blank expression, Mika was lying on his belly. And because Excalibur slipped out of his hand, it was just a few inches away from his hand on the ground.

[6 seconds left.]

Mika finally grabbed hold of his sword.

And when he did, he vanished from the spot once more.

"?"

Vira looked behind but Mika was not there.

"Tch!" she clicked her tongue when she lifted her face.

Above her was Mika, who was quickly falling down due to the change in the gravitation.

"!"

Vira’s eyes flinched slightly when Mika landed a small cut on her cheek.

"Now, you’ve made me mad...!" Vira fumed silently, wiping away the blood.

However, Mika was on his knees and stabbed Excalibur in the sand.

[0.]

His appearance changed.

"Haa... Haa..." he breathed raggedly.

As his gaze was cast to the sand, he could only see her feet when she stood before him.

"I won’t kill you yet." she stated calmly.

"Huh?"

Ophelia was not expecting those words from a demon.

"It just depends on your answer."

Vira’s grin turned to Ophelia.

"I plan on killing Leviathan, ’The Nightmare of the Sea’. Will you join my cause or not?"

It was the same question she asked Dugea.

"W-why do you wa-"

"Yes or no?"

The moment Ophelia tried to learn more, Vira’s mood turned worse and she began to look even more threatening.

"..."

Ophelia looked at her scared students and the students, who were unconscious.

"...?"

When she turned to Mika, she saw his lips moving.

’No’.

He was trying to make her say no.

"What will it be now?" 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

However, if they wanted to survive, she had to say yes. Even if she knew about Leviathan and the small chance of surviving it, it was a better option than dying right there and now.

"Y-yes... We will help you..." Ophelia gave in bitterly.

"Smart choice." Vira commended with a faint smile.

The pressure on everyone faded away.

"Now-"

"Don’t screw with me!" Mika yelled as he shot up from the ground and charged at her with a sword that was not lethal.

Vira sighs again.

"You love to interrupt me, huh...?" she murmured tiredly.

With ease, she caught Mika’s sword one-handedly.

"Do you rather want to die now? I can grant you that wish if you desire that so much." Vira scoffed.

"Mika, stop!" Ophelia shouted reprimandingly.

Mika was still pushing his sword but his resolve was shaking at her voice.

"Tch...!"

He distanced himself from Vira.

"Rest up for today and head back to Youra tomorrow. You will be given further instructions once you meet up with my men there." Vira stated, turning her back on them.

"Y-your men...?"

Ophelia obviously had to think of demons.

"There were demons in Youra...?" Asak muttered in disbelief.

But Vira did not reply and only threw a few small potions to their feet.

"Just remember this. You can’t go back on your words now or else, I will personally come for your heads." she warned them, giving them one last sharp glare before she flew away.

It was silent.

Even after Vira disappeared on the horizon, there was no one among the group, who voiced out their frustration.

"Let’s camp here for tonight." Ophelia suggested indifferently, being the first one to break the ice.

And before she took out the camping stuff from the carriages, she grabbed the potions Vira threw at them and gave them to everyone.

"I don’t want it..." Mika refused, averting his gaze from Ophelia.

"Even if I don’t act like that I do have some pride left in me. Being granted mercy by her was already frustrating but drinking her potion would be too much." Mika stated bitterly with a grim gaze.

"..."

Ophelia grabbed his chin and turned his face to her.

"Shut up and drink."

"!"

Forcefully, she shoved the potion’s content into his throat.

"Do you think any one of us doesn’t feel the same way? Actually, there may be some of us, who had their pride even more hurt than you. Now just accept this and rest up."

After the potion was emptied, Mika had to cough.

"If you don’t want to be at the mercy of someone then become someone so strong that there will be no one, who could spare you any type of mercy!" Ophelia said strongly as she stared at him with firm eyes.

Mika gritted his teeth at her statement.

"Damnit...!" he whispered to himself.

Then, Ophelia went to each one of the students, including Tija, and checked on them.

"System."

[Yes, you called?]

"I have now received five installments, right?"

[Indeed.]

"When will I get the next one? Or rather, what do I have to do for that?"

[Why are you asking?]

Mika looked at the sight of his injured, exhausted and partly knocked-out friends.

"I want to get as strong as possible."

"I’ve always talked about wanting to support and protect my friends, however, today I had to realize that I’m still not strong enough." Mika elaborated calmly with tired eyes.

[...]

"Please tell me... What are the conditions for the sixth installment?"

[It will depend on your decision in the near future.]

As he hugged his knees, Mika clenched his fists even tighter.

"Is it possible to get that installment even sooner? Like now or tomorrow?"

[No, it is not possible.]

"I see..." Mika muttered dejectedly.

The sun was setting and soon the night was coloring the sky dark.

Belian, Sara and Lily were given the potions but they did not wake up once. Still, it appeared like they were fine and maybe it was just sleep, which they needed for now. Meanwhile, the other students remained silent for the rest of the day and did not interact with one another even once as usual.

Everyone just wanted to forget the day and move on but it was easier said than done after the strongest A-rank demon forced them to soon fight against the rumored sea monster Leviathan, against whom nobody won before in the history of mankind.

And without getting a good sleep, the group had to welcome the next day.

Their morning was filled with yawns and a low-spirited atmosphere.

"!"

However, their drowsiness faded away instantly upon the sight of Mika, who was getting up.

"What’s wrong, guys? Why are you staring so much?" Mika wondered apathetically.

"M-Mika... Y-your hair and e-eyes..." Ophelia stuttered as she pointed at his face.

"Hm?"

Nervously, Tija came closer and offered him her blade as a mirror to look at.

"Hm!?"

Mika was shocked once he saw his reflection.

Despite being unable to transform currently, in his reflection, he saw his blonde hair and blue eyes, whose white irises were shaped like a cross.