After the unexpected ending to the Dragons and Phoenixes exam, the online community was sent into a frenzy.

[HOLY SHIT! That was insane!]

[I felt like I just binge-watched a 4-season web drama.]

[Does this mean humanity is doomed?]

[What a complete turnaround. What the hell is up with that Demon King? Does it even make sense that he’s so strong?]

[The other students were also amazing! I’ve never seen such a high-level display of combat power below the Martial Master realm before!]

[Why is no one talking about the final scene? What did Sylph mean by her last words??? Are the Demon King and the fairy a rare case of the forbidden relationship trope?]

[Blasphemy! Sylford believers, stand up!]

As the discussion online took an unexpected turn, the martial artist community had also exploded into a state of disorder.

Many of the internal departments within both major and minor guilds were busy gathering information and preparing recruitment contracts for this year’s batch of students.

Even the first years weren’t excluded from this list, while the second and third years were even more sought after than before.

Of course, the main stars and focus of all these recruitment efforts were the students who managed to make it to the end—especially those involved in the final stand. As for the Demon King... everyone already knew he was affiliated with the Blackheart guild and didn’t bother to waste the effort.

To go up against that giant in the Hunter Industry—many didn’t think they were qualified.

Elsewhere, inside the Mana Gathering Field behind the academy, all the students who were eliminated in the exam were in the process of recovering their wounds. The mana field had an auto-heal function that allowed for accelerated healing, while the dense mana in the atmosphere further sped up the recovery effort.

Sitting by a tree was the group of students who displayed the most outstanding results out of everyone.

"Ugh, I feel like I’m going to dieeee!"

"Stop complaining already. You were eliminated instantly."

"And? Did that stop our junior from hitting me in the face? Did it stop him from making me feel like my head exploded?"

Hana’s sharp glare landed on Landur.

"And you, didn’t you die from a slap? How embarrassing."

"What about it? At least I managed to wound him. All your arrows bounced right off."

Leaning back against the trunk of the tree, Landur’s lazy voice retorted to Hana’s insult.

"Ow! Hey, what are you do—Ow, ow, ow!"

Hana’s hand came down mercilessly.

"...Are they always like this?"

"Just ignore them."

Zeke stared at the "couple" for a second longer before his eyes shifted to the fairy siblings.

Bramble was lying on the grass while his sister paced nervously back and forth.

He gave Iris a strange look before turning elsewhere.

"How are you feeling, Kate?"

Sitting under the shade of the tree, Kate had her arms wrapped around her knees pressed to her chest, her chin resting lazily atop them.

Hearing Zeke call out, she released a long sigh. Her eyes were slightly hollow as she absently replied, "...I’m exhausted."

Seeing Kate’s condition, Zeke scratched his head.

"Seriously, though, who would’ve thought that he would be so strong?"

Zeke tried to shift the mood by bringing up the exam, but instead, he received strange looks from everyone around him.

Even Landur and Hana stopped their bickering to stare at him.

"...What? Did I say something weird?"

****

Elsewhere, in a more secluded spot away from the noise of the academy, Lake was currently trying to comfort the sulking Sylph. They sat beneath an ancient oak, its sprawling branches creating a natural canopy that filtered the afternoon light into shifting patterns on the grass.

’...How did I end up here?’

He felt a special kind of exhaustion right now—the kind that only forms when dealing with a situation beyond one’s limit. A cool breeze swept through the clearing. Nothing particularly noteworthy, though Lake noted distantly that the air had been perfectly still only moments ago.

"...sniff."

Her occasional sniffle would reach his ear from time to time, yet no matter how much he tried to call out to her, she would only continue to ignore him.

A bird somewhere in the canopy above let out a sharp, discordant cry. Lake glanced up briefly before returning his attention to the sulking fairy curled in front of him.

"...I’m sorry."

Lake apologized for the nth time as he sighed. He was kneeling before her, the grass beneath him slightly stiffer than it had been when they first sat down.

Sylph remained motionless, her face hidden behind her knees. The shadows from the oak above seemed to have shifted—nothing more than the natural movement of the wind and branches—though he noticed they now fell more heavily across him while Sylph sat in undisturbed warmth.

A few minutes passed before Sylph finally spoke.

"Why?"

Her voice was muffled by her knees, but the single word landed and made him feel unnaturally uncomfortable.

Lake exhaled slowly. "The instructors asked me to. The Demon King role needed someone who could fight at that level without actually endangering anyone. They also needed a way to include me in the exam while considering the balance of power."

Sylph’s head lifted slightly, just enough for her eyes to appear above her knees. They were red-rimmed.

"That’s not what I asked."

Lake held her gaze. He was slightly taken aback by her words but quickly figured out what she meant.

"When Iris was taken," Sylph continued, her voice quiet, "I was scared. I thought I’d lose her. Like before."

Lake remained motionless, yet something about seeing her this way left him disturbed. He didn’t know what "like before" meant, but now wasn’t the time to ask.

"Then you came after the exam..." Sylph’s face twisted as tears threatened to fall again. "You said she’d be okay and I believed you." She paused , a short gasp puncturing her words. "But... you were the one who took her. You tricked me."

The wind picked up sharply. Several leaves fell from the canopy above, landing squarely on Lake’s shoulders and head , but he remained motionless.

Tears started to flow from Sylph’s eyes once more.

"...Why?" Sylph asked. "Why did you do that?"

Lake met her eyes. His mouth opened, but no words came out.

"You lied."

Lake remained silent for a moment, several unfamiliar emotions surging through him.

"I did," he admitted.

"I was sad." Her voice cracked slightly. "The image of her hanging there—even after she was rescued, I kept recalling it. Kept blaming myself."

The shadows around Lake deepened as the temperature noticeably dropped.

Recalling how she had acted after Iris was rescued, he truly hadn’t realized she was still hurting inside.

"...I’m sorry."

Sylph wiped her eyes. "You comforted me while I cried about something you did."

Lake had no defense for that. It was simply true.

"Yes," he lowered his head. "I did."

Sylph stared at him. "Is that normal?"

"No..."

"Then why would you do that?"

Lake considered the question carefully. With a sigh, he answered, "Because I couldn’t help it."

Sylph seemed to process this, her brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?"

Lake didn’t immediately answer, seemingly processing something before he said with an uncanny seriousness:

"Because I care about you."

The words came out simpler than he expected.

"And watching you hurt—even if I caused it—hurts me too."

After admitting it, Lake felt as if something had broken free within him, yet he couldn’t figure out the origin of this feeling. He just silently maintained eye contact with Sylph.

Sylph was quiet for a long moment. The wind died down slightly.

She seemed to think about it before her head dropped behind her knees again.

"I’m still mad..."

"I know."

"Really mad."

"Okay."

"...You have to make it up to me."

"I will."

Sylph nodded, apparently satisfied with this. Then she stretched her legs out in front of her.

"...Carry me back."

Lake blinked. He didn’t mention the subtle movement of her hiding her wings behind her back.

"To your room?"

Sylph nodded. "My legs fell asleep. From sitting so long." A pause. "Because of you."

The last three words were delivered with such straightforward sincerity that Lake felt his mouth twitch despite himself. He rose smoothly, noting how the grass beneath him suddenly felt normal again, and extended his hand.

Only after contemplating for a moment did she take it. Her fingers were cool against his palm, and the moment they connected, the lingering chill in the air vanished. The bird above sang a pleasant melody, and the oak’s branches rustled gently.

Lake pulled her up. She didn’t let go of his hand even after regaining her balance.

"Your room?" he asked.

Sylph nodded. As they started walking, she added quietly, "Lake?"

"Hmm?"

"I’m glad you were the Demon King."

Lake stopped, somewhat surprised. "What?"

Sylph shrugged—a small, honest gesture. "If someone had to take her, I’m glad it was you. Because you kept her safe." She paused. "And because if it was someone else, you wouldn’t have been there after. To hold my hand."

Lake stared at her, completely at a loss for words. It was then that he silently decided to never mention the fact that he was the one who planned the entire exam...

’I’ll just dump the blame on Teach...’

Sylph tugged his hand gently. "Walk slower. My legs are still asleep."

"...Okay."

And they did.