The announcement was taken a little differently across class B student base.

For the exhausted defenders at Class B’s river base, students still nursing burns and bruises from Reddy’s attack saw it as another impossible weight dropped onto shoulders already heavy.

"Another statue?" someone muttered near the supply tent. "We haven’t even finished rebuilding."

A girl slumped against a tree, staring at her bandaged hands, a scowl now on her face. "How are we supposed to compete for that?"

The boar statue had just finished capturing due to the usage of the class D node, making class B feel like they should now just hold down base.

"Two nodes," one boy said, voice rising with something close to excitement. "We have two extra nodes from Class D. We could actually–"

"Are you insane?" another interrupted. "Using both of them means risking everything we just gained. What if we lose them? No, what if we lose our entire base and get disqualified?"

Elara stood apart from the clusters of conversation, arms crossed. Her expression was complicated and he knew she was trying to figure out what the best move was.

The final statue required two minor nodes inserted simultaneously, which meant any class attempting to claim it would be committing serious resources to a single objective. For Class B, that meant using the nodes they’d captured from Class D.

Claiming the final statue could push them ahead, which was something they needed if they had to win. But class B was thinking with a sustenance mindset.

"We can’t," Elara said quietly, more to herself than anyone. "We’re not ready for this."

Ronan stayed silent.

He’d known the final statue would rise eventually.

The novel had made that clear – a late-stage objective designed to force desperate classes into conflict.

But the timing was wrong.

In the original timeline, the final statue appeared on day ten, after most classes had already established dominant positions and the weaker factions had been eliminated or absorbed.

This was day seven.

Three days early.

Looks like my interference has made the Academy feel like they should end the exam early.

Class B’s rapid node gains. Class A’s internal fracture. The C/D alliance splitting. Marcus’s murder destabilizing Class S. The acceleration method spreading throughout the Academy student base when it should have stayed hidden.

There were all things Ronan had pushed towards in order to create a classwide conflict, so every class would have more incentive to fight in the final war.

Ronan thought back to a conversation he’d had with Aura a few nights ago, hidden from the rest of class B.

She’d arrived through his window as usual, transformed back from her cat form with that familiar scowl already forming.

"I need you to do something," he’d said.

"Of course you do."

"Steal Class B’s second minor node."

Her eyes narrowed immediately, suspicion flaring in her purple eyes.

"You want me to help you betray your own class?"

"I want you to create a threat they must respond to." Ronan kept his tone even as he explained his thought process. "Class B won’t attack without something pushing them. They’re too defensive, too focused on survival and too easily complacent. Especially Elara. If I want them to strike Class D while the alliance is fractured, I need them angry first."

"And stealing from your own class accomplishes that?"

She hadn’t questioned how he knew the alliance would fracture, but it didn’t look like she knew enough about the topic to comment either. From what he knew, she was rather uncaring of this "war."

"It gives them a reason to act." Ronan gestured vaguely toward the camp. "Elara won’t mobilize without justification. But if someone steals the node, if she believes the traitor is feeding information to Class A, or worse class S, then attacking Class D will become far earlier to convince her to do."

Aura had stared at him for several long seconds, her expression unreadable.

"This is dumb."

"Probably." Ronan shrugged, not arguing her and adding fuel to the fire. "Will you do it?"

She’d scoffed, then nodded reluctantly. "Fine. But don’t you dare forget what you promised. After this, you do what I ask."

"I wouldn’t dream of it. That’s only fair."

The theft had gone exactly as planned. Aura’s transformation made infiltration effortless, and her mana control ensured no traces remained. Class B never suspected her because they never suspected a demon could walk freely among them.

That same conversation had continued later, after the node was gone and Ronan confirmed Armani possessed the acceleration method.

"There’s one more thing," he’d said.

"Of course there is."

"Marcus Vrell."

Aura’s expression hadn’t changed, but something cold flickered behind her eyes. "The handsy noble from Class S?"

"That’s him."

"What about him?"

"Kill him."

The bluntness of the order had surprised even Aura. She’d tilted her head slightly, studying him with renewed interest.

"You want me to murder a classmate?"

"I want you to destabilize Class S." Ronan met her gaze steadily. "Grace Light has unified them too well. They’re too organized, too confident. If Class S enters the final war at full strength, they’ll dominate everyone else."

"And killing Marcus accomplishes what, exactly?"

"Fear. Internal conflict." Ronan ticked off each point on his fingers. "A murder inside their own camp forces them to turn on each other instead of focusing outward. It doesn’t matter if they find the killer. The damage happens either way."

Aura’s jaw tightened very visibly. "You’re asking me to kill someone just to create chaos?"

"What’s this? Perhaps you and Marcus have something going on secretly? I can choose someone else you know."

"That’s not the problem!" she hissed. "You’re talking about killing people like it’s something that I can just do."

"Can’t you? You killed those assassins."

"No, I knocked them out. Lockhart killed them."

"So will you do it or not? I understand that you may be feeling uncertain, but if you can’t do this for me now, I’ll be far more limited in helping you out with the favor you want from me."

Aura had paused before giving her answer, grimacing at the mention of the promise. She hadn’t told Ronan what she wanted, but she was willing to comply thus far because she wanted something from him, and she planned on telling him after the war from the looks of it.

She clicked her tongue.

"Fine. But I’m choosing how."

"As long as it looks deliberate, I don’t care what you do."

"It will."

Ronan frowned now, breaking himself out of this thoughts, watching class B discuss what to do with the announcement.

The theft. The murder. The fractures spread across every class.

All of it had been necessary.

Right now every class should be eager to fight for the final statue, Ronan had ensured that.

Every class except class B.

Ronan had planned to wound them, then give them a path to recover through the final announcement. But it had come far earlier than he had expected.

Class B needed a reason to fight in the final war, not just defend what they had.

He glanced toward Elara, who still stood apart from the others, arms crossed, expression tight with uncertainty.

She’s close, Ronan thought. But not there yet. I just need a small push.

Class B was in no state to fight for the final statue.

The sentiment to protect what they had was tempting. Safe.

Wrong.

Ronan needed to give them a reason to fight.