Chapter 6: Never Annoy a Fat Cat
The cafeteria exploded into noise.
"What do you mean it exploded again!?"
"Who released the creature this time!?"
"I heard it smashed through two walls!"
"Didn’t they reinforce the magical barriers!?"
Students began rapidly getting up from their seats.
Excitement spread throughout the entire place.
Kael watched the scene while remaining calmly seated.
"I’m not getting involved."
Luna immediately stood up.
"Let’s go see!"
"I knew you were going to say that."
Seraphina also stood up.
"I’ll go."
Kael looked at her.
Then at Luna.
Then back at Seraphina.
"...Why are you two so synchronized?"
Neither answered.
That was honestly more frightening.
Kael sighed in defeat and ended up getting up.
"Fine. But this time, I’m not doing anything weird."
The cat was still asleep in his arms.
Completely disconnected from reality.
"Meow..."
"Yeah, you especially won’t do anything weird."
The cat didn’t even open its eyes.
.
.
.
The enormous combat training complex was in absolute chaos.
Teachers ran back and forth. Students watched from safe zones. And several healers were helping some minor injured.
Kael observed the huge, partially destroyed building.
"...What kind of school blows up buildings this often?"
Luna looked excited.
"That means classes are fun!"
"That means I’ll probably die before graduating."
A teacher ran past them.
"CLOSE BARRIER EAST!!"
"IT’S ALREADY BROKEN!!"
"THEN IMPROVISE!!"
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Very professional professionals, I see."
Seraphina calmly watched the entire disaster.
"Arcadia Academy prioritizes real combat."
"Does that include blowing up buildings weekly?"
"Yes."
"...Amazing."
Then they heard a roar.
ROOOOAAAAAR.
The entire place shook slightly.
A massive creature shot out through a destroyed wall.
It looked like a cross between a reptile and a wolf.
Covered in black scales. With four glowing eyes. And absurd speed.
"THERE IT IS!!"
"STOP IT!!"
"DON’T LET IT REACH THE MAIN CAMPUS!!"
The creature dodged three spells and kept running.
Kael immediately stepped back.
"Nope."
Luna looked at him.
"Nope?"
"I’m not getting involved this time."
"You sure?"
"Completely sure."
The creature smashed through a training booth.
EXPLOSION.
"...Very sure."
The cat was still asleep.
As if the entire apocalypse was irrelevant to its nap.
Then a teacher landed in front of the students.
He was sweating profusely.
"ALL STUDENTS, FALL BACK!"
The beast roared again.
And shot directly toward where they were standing.
Kael’s eyes widened.
"...Ah."
"RUN!!" the teacher shouted.
Everyone started moving desperately.
Everyone except:
Seraphina,
Kael,
Luna,
and the cat.
Because the feline was still asleep.
Then tragedy struck.
The beast ran too close.
And accidentally...
stepped on the cat’s tail.
Silence.
The entire world seemed to stop.
The cat slowly opened its eyes.
Very slowly.
Kael felt an immediate chill.
"...Oh no."
The creature also seemed to realize its mistake.
Because it slowly turned one of its heads downward.
And saw the cat.
The cat stared at it.
Absolute silence.
Then—
"Mrrr."
Kael automatically stepped back.
"We’re all going to die."
The creature roared aggressively.
Clearly trying to intimidate it.
Fatal mistake.
The cat slowly rose from Kael’s arms.
Its fatness wobbled slightly as it landed on the ground.
And it stared at the enormous beast before it with absolute contempt.
The creature charged.
Fast. Violent. Monstrous.
Several students screamed.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!!"
And then—
SLAP.
Silence.
The creature disappeared.
It just...
disappeared.
One second it was there.
The next...
it went flying like a living missile through:
one wall,
two training towers,
and part of an artificial hill.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM.
The ground shook violently.
The entire academy fell silent.
No one breathed.
No one spoke.
Everyone stared at the giant dust cloud in the distance.
Kael slowly turned to the cat.
The feline yawned again.
And started cleaning its paw.
As if it had just shooed away an annoying fly.
Absolute silence.
A student dropped his sword.
CLANG.
And that broke the collective trance.
"..."
"..."
"WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?"
"THAT BEAST WAS B+ RANK!!"
"IT JUST LAUNCHED IT TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAMPUS!!"
"WHY DOES THAT THING EXIST!?"
The teachers seemed on the verge of another mental breakdown.
One of them sat directly on the ground.
"I quit..."
Another immediately pointed at him.
"YOU CAN’T QUIT IN THE MIDDLE OF AN EMERGENCY!"
"I DON’T CARE!!"
Kael slowly raised a hand.
"Technically, that wasn’t my fault."
The entire academy stared at him.
Kael pointed at the cat.
"It was self-defense."
The cat nodded proudly.
As if it had indeed acted correctly.
Seraphina then calmly walked over to the feline.
And picked it up.
The cat tried to hit her.
SLAP.
"...Good work."
SLAP.
"...Very impressive."
SLAP.
The cat slowly stopped resisting.
Emotionally defeated.
A teacher shouted desperately.
"DON’T PRAISE IT!!"
"It’s tired," Seraphina replied calmly.
The entire academy:
??????
Kael started to feel that no one understood reality anymore.
Then he noticed something.
The stares.
Everyone was watching him now.
Not with curiosity.
Not with mockery.
No.
With genuine fear.
That was new.
And honestly...
a little uncomfortable.
Then a voice echoed through the crowd.
"So the rumors were true."
Everyone automatically turned around.
A tall young man was slowly descending from a destroyed structure.
Dark red hair. Open black uniform. Arrogant gaze.
And a massive black spear resting on his shoulder.
The students immediately began murmuring.
"That’s Darius Ravencrest!"
"One of the Big Five!"
"The third-ranked student in the academy!"
"Now things are going to get interesting..."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
Darius slowly walked toward him.
His magical presence was absurdly heavy.
Far superior to that of normal students.
Clearly someone monstrously talented.
But his eyes...
were fixed on Kael.
More specifically: on the cat.
And they didn’t look happy.
"For years, I’ve been one of the most recognized students in this academy."
Silence.
"And then suddenly you show up."
Kael felt the atmosphere become uncomfortable.
Darius continued speaking.
"Everyone is talking about the ’monster cat.’"
"The ’new prodigy.’"
"The ’absurd summoner.’"
The magical pressure increased.
"And honestly..."
He slammed his spear into the ground.
BOOM.
"I think it’s all a ridiculous trick."
Absolute silence.
Luna nervously stepped back.
The students began to get excited.
"A challenge!!"
"Now this will be interesting!!"
"Darius is going to crush him!!"
Kael sighed internally.
"Of course."
"Because my life couldn’t stay peaceful for even two days."
Darius pointed directly at the cat.
"I want to see if that thing is really as powerful as they say."
The cat slowly lifted its head.
And stared at Darius with absolute contempt.
Kael felt an immediate chill.
Oh no.
That was definitely not a good sign.
