Ethela's expression darkened.
'Even sensing everything won't help. The next trap is impossible.'
Shirone sensed it too.
The gaps between obstacles had narrowed to a mere meter.
'I need to fragment further.'
Reducing his 10-meter teleport into ten 1-meter micro-jumps—a technique beyond Class Seven.
Yet no hesitation entered his mind.
'Left-right pattern.'
He analyzed dozens of interlocking ring structures simultaneously.
Left-right-left-left-right-left—
The moment he finished processing, he zigzagged through without looking.
Light flashed in jagged lines, as if bouncing off invisible walls.
'Breakthrough!'
The only proof he'd succeeded was that he was still conscious.
But as his vision cleared, a new wave of rings descended—this time vertically.
"Tch!"
With no straight path, his mind leaped again.
'If I split it to the extreme…'
His body flared with light—then the flash curved, tumbling like a gymnast.
Students gaped.
"Did the light just… bend?"
Iruki shot up, eyes wide.
"Rainbow Drop! He actually reached that level?!"
Most students didn't understand the arcing trajectory.
Rainbow Drop was an elite technique, reserved for teleportation masters.
"How?! Teleportation is supposed to be linear!"
Iruki tapped his temple.
"Simple. A circle is infinite straight lines when divided. He split his jumps into thousands."
"Thousands? Who can calculate that?!"
"Not calculation—instinct. Even so, it's insane. More 'omnipotent' than 'omniscient,' I guess. The opposite of me—a true genius."
The students turned back to the field.
'Genius? He's Class Seven.'
As the bridge's speed peaked, only Shirone's adapted eyes could track the traps.
Just 30 meters left.
Now, even the skeptics cheered—hoping to witness history: the first advanced-class student to conquer the Uncrossable Bridge.
"Headmaster! Look!"
The teachers paled.
As if envious of Shirone's success, the bars twisted into a monstrous new shape.
"Damn it—Dragon's Labyrinth! This can't be! What is Sade even doing?!"
As they shouted, Siana teleported away in fury.
'Sade! You've gone too far—!'
Dragon's Labyrinth—a one-time Level 10 trap—took the form of a giant dragon's maw.
Once swallowed, escape was impossible unless the entire structure was memorized mid-magic.
Shirone bit his lip, analyzing the pattern.
'It loops there…'
"Agh! What is that?!"
Mark's sudden scream shattered his Spirit Zone's stability.
"Kgh—!"
The dragon's maw hurtled toward them at record speed.
Time remaining until impact: less than a second.
A scent of death lingered in the air.
'Stay calm.'
Shirone wasn't dead yet. He glared at the iron structure about to swallow him whole.
'Think.'
A violent electric jolt struck his brain, and his senses and abilities rapidly recalibrated.
This all happened in a tenth of a second.
Was there still time?
'Yes.'
His thoughts accelerated further.
A hundredth of a second.
The inner structure of the Dragon's Labyrinth reconfigured in his mind, and simulations for an escape route began.
A thousandth of a second.
Six branching paths. To escape, he needed to chain nine consecutive teleportations flawlessly.
'No.'
Alone, it might have been possible—but there was no opening wide enough for both him and Mark.
'Need another route…'
Just as Shirone was about to start a new simulation, the Dragon's Labyrinth swallowed them both.
Many students turned their heads. Some of the girls screamed.
Seriel's shriek was the loudest.
BOOOOOOM!
The explosive sound echoing through the confined space felt like the shattering of life itself.
A ten-thousandth of a second.
In that fleeting fragment of time, faster than perception, Shirone executed the teleportation sequence as planned.
Then—a streak of light burst through the Dragon's Labyrinth, piercing through the finish line.
As the students stood frozen, Shirone landed on the ground, dropping to his knees and curling forward.
"Ughhh!"
His body was overloaded, every muscle screaming in protest.
"Haa… haa…"
Shirone finally exhaled, but no one spoke to him yet.
They all looked as if they'd seen a ghost. Ethela flew off to the control room to find Siana.
A moment later, the mechanical device shut down, and an automated voice echoed through the air.
-The Bridge of No Return's mechanism has been deactivated. Level 0. Level 0.
The distorted, hollow mechanical tone was followed by the twisted iron bars sinking down into a flat, horizontal position.
The senior students from the advanced class were the first to break the silence.
"What the hell? That was actually possible?"
"No way. It was Level 10. And he went through the Dragon's Labyrinth."
Hearing their voices, Shirone finally regained his bearings and glanced around.
Everyone was staring at him, hanging onto his every word.
He replayed the events in his mind.
'Did I… make it?'
Most of his memories were blank—only the vivid sensation of still breathing remained.
Plop. Shirone fell onto his backside, wincing before muttering:
"Haa… Thought I was gonna die."
The students, expecting some grand declaration from the man who had just made history, stared at him in disbelief.
But Amy knew better.
'It wasn't about being cool.'
Moving forward meant—
'Being terrified, suffering, wanting to give up… and still struggling to push through.'
Those who fought like that could never boast about their achievements.
Seriel grabbed Amy and shrieked.
"Shirone did it! Your boyfriend actually did it!"
She could have done without the "boyfriend" part, but seeing her friend's tearful face, Amy let it slide—just this once.
Within seconds, seniors swarmed Shirone.
"Congrats! That was insane!"
"So you're moving up to Class Five now? Hahaha! The Sixes are gonna be pissed!"
Meanwhile, the three instructors and Maria arrived via spatial teleportation from the control room.
Siana immediately searched for Shirone.
Even after hearing Ethela's report, she couldn't believe the sight before her.
'He really broke through the Dragon's Labyrinth? How? That's a training level even for graduating students.'
Regretful that she'd missed the historic moment, she shot Sade a glare.
Sade shrugged.
"Well, as you know—or maybe you don't—I did my best."
Sighing, Siana turned to Alpheas.
Though unlikely, since Shirone and Mark had entered together, she needed to clarify the results now to avoid future disputes.
"Headmaster, regarding the pass—"
She paused. The usually sharp-eyed Alpheas looked… sorrowful.
'Why does he look like that?'
Sade quickly stepped in.
"I'll handle the explanation. He seems… preoccupied."
"Preoccupied? The headmaster oversaw the exam, and it ended without injuries. What's the issue?"
"Well, yes, but…"
Sade hesitated.
As someone who knew Alpheas' past—and as his student—he understood his mentor's emotions.
Shirone's dazzling performance must have reminded Alpheas of his own youth.
'Don't blame yourself. This isn't anyone's fault.'
The light of the Mirhi family.
Alpheas had earned his name by redefining the very nature of photons.
Though now considered an outdated theory, back then, it was revolutionary enough to earn him the Empire's Gold Circle Award—a recognition bestowed by the Emperor himself.
But that brilliance had also dragged the young Alpheas into despair.
'If only that incident hadn't happened…'
He might have become a Grand Sorcerer, etching his name into history.
Sade forced a smile.
"Headmaster, say something. A prodigy has appeared—one who could shape this school's future."
"Hm? Ah, yes. My apologies."
As if snapping out of a trance, Alpheas smiled warmly at the students.
"The one who passed this exam is Arian Shirone. Though only one succeeded, I applaud the courage of all participants. The bravery you showed today will be the driving force that shapes the world. I hope you continue striving for greatness."
Applause erupted.
With Shirone rewriting the school's history, no one could dispute his early promotion.
Mark felt the same.
'I was wrong.'
Unlike Shirone, he remembered the exact moment they escaped the Dragon's Labyrinth.
'I wouldn't have even tried.'
But Shirone charged forward.
The courage to take one more step when all seemed impossible.
'Maybe… that's the real talent.'
Slowly rising to his feet, Mark faced Shirone—drawing everyone's attention.
By now, most students knew about Operation Squad Zero, so Shirone must have too.
That made it even more humiliating, but Mark had already steeled himself. He bowed his head.
"I admit defeat, senior. I won't ask for forgiveness, but I'll take responsibility."
Shirone studied him.
For someone as combative as Mark, bowing to another was unheard of.
Yet, in a way, it was fitting—he would accept the outcome, but not abandon his pride.
"Alright. Do better from now on."
Though emotions were tangled, disciplinary matters were best left to the school.
As Mark surrendered, Class Seven's students began offering their respects one by one.
"Congratulations, senior. That was incredible."
Having proven his strength, no one saw Shirone as just another classmate anymore.
Amy smiled faintly.
'Congrats.'
After watching him a moment longer, she turned decisively.
"Let's go, Seriel."
"Huh? Already? On a day like this, you should stay with your boyfriend!"
"No time."
Truthfully, her feet felt heavy—but she wanted to channel even that frustration into training.
'Now it's my turn.'
As Amy walked away, Shirone—still receiving praise from juniors—glanced back.
Knowing how she must have felt watching him, he silently sent his gratitude.
'Thank you.'
Once the seniors dispersed and only Class Seven remained, Sade approached Alpheas.
"Headmaster, about Maria… there's something we need to discuss."
"Hm."
Since the exam hadn't proceeded normally, Alpheas had been waiting for this.
"Maria, she…"
Sade reported factually—neither defending nor condemning her.
"I see. How did it come to this…?"
Maria bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry. I've made an irreversible mistake. I'll accept any punishment."
Alpheas' gaze darkened.
"Hmm."
Disciplinary action was unavoidable, but the bullying she'd endured complicated matters.
Maria met Sade's eyes.
'Don't worry. I'll endure it.'
For the one person who hadn't given up on her, she would take responsibility.
Then—
"Forgive Maria. Honestly, this whole thing is my fault."
"Huh?"
The teachers turned to see Mark standing slightly slouched.
"What do you mean?"
"This morning, I pissed Maria off. I even tattled to the teachers. Honestly, if I were in her shoes, I'd have lost it too."
"Mark…"
Maria stared at him in shock, but he avoided her gaze.
Siana frowned.
"Even if that's true, the direct responsibility lies with Maria. Why say this now? We might've overlooked it."
"Just… felt ashamed."
"Ashamed?"
It wasn't a carefully considered decision.
Seeing even fragile Maria willing to take responsibility, hiding felt disgraceful.
"I'll admit I've got a shitty personality, but I'm not a coward. Well, I kinda was on the bridge, but…"
That was why he acknowledged Shirone.
"Anyway, the blame's on me. Go easier on Maria."
"Even so, breaking school rules is—"
A male student from Class Seven cut in.
"Teacher, I bullied Maria too. I should be punished as well."
Of course, that was true.
But staying silent would've let him escape unscathed.
'If I just shut up and do nothing…'
He didn't want that.
Inspired by the two, the rest of Class Seven joined in.
"Punish me too. I ignored Maria all this time—I can't just walk away."
"Teacher, I've done wrong as well."
As every student raised their hand, Siana sighed.
"This isn't a class meeting. Rules were broken, and punishments will be given."
But the students didn't back down.
"You brats! If you were going to do this, why—"
"Enough."
Alpheas stopped her.
"They've learned something. After all, Shirone just displayed skills rivaling graduating students."
Today had shattered Class Seven's assumptions—that they were only learning basics.
"But if they think standing together will lessen the punishment, is that true remorse?"
"Heh."
Alpheas chuckled.
"Now I see—even Teacher Siana has a cute side."
"…What?"
"Don't expect too much from humans. We're only human. Neither wholly evil nor wholly good. Even if they're not truly remorseful… the fact they're willing to accept punishment shows some conscience."
Siana closed her mouth.
"We'll carry this burden together. Even reaching Class Four is difficult, let alone the graduating class. I suppose this is how they grow into adults. Well… I don't particularly dislike it. If those kids' ideals could survive outside the school, the world would be very different from what it is now."
It was only possible because they were Class Seven.
And someday… these children, too, would live on, forgetting today's memories.
Alpheas walked toward the students.
"I understand your intentions well. In other words, you're saying it's acceptable if I discipline all of you, correct?"
A few students flinched, but after exchanging glances, they answered in unison.
"Yes!"
The corner of Alpheas' mouth twisted.
"Good. Then I shall announce the disciplinary measures. All members of Class Seven—one month of confinement."
"Huh?!"
The unprecedented punishment shocked the students, but this time, the teachers were even more stunned.
Not only was the period long, but disciplining the entirety of Class Seven meant effectively suspending their classes.
"But Headmaster, the students' families will protest. There's also the issue of academic progress—"
"I will take responsibility."
Cutting off the protest firmly, Alpheas glanced at Shirone, who stood apart from the group.
"..."
For a moment, it seemed he wanted to say something, but in the end, he merely smiled faintly and descended the mountain.
The remaining students stood dumbfounded.
"A whole month…"
Though dizzy from the first major incident of their lives, they didn't feel as afraid as they expected.
"I-It's fine, right?! We're all confined together anyway. None of us can attend classes either."
"Exactly. This is way better than a three-day suspension. Confinement isn't even recorded in our academic files."
The students' expressions eased slightly.
"Haha! Then what? Does this mean we're free to do whatever from today?"
"Free?! We'll be pulling all-nighters in the library! Why don't we all study together instead?"
"That sounds fun! Maria, you're joining too, right?"
"Uh, well…"
Maria glanced at the teachers.
When Sade nodded with a smile, her face brightened, and she replied shyly:
"Yeah, I'll join."
It might be awkward at first, but if this punishment brought the children closer, then she would be fine too.
'Was this his plan all along? Unbelievable, Headmaster.'
Of course, once the month of confinement ended, the fierce competition for survival would resume…
'But at least there was a moment when we stood together.'
Sade turned away.
He hoped today's emotions would linger in their memories for as long as possible.