No... It happened again. It's because of me. It's all because of me that everyone is in danger. Because... I'm a monster.

"Artian... Artian... Lidusis!!!!!" Lidusis eyes opened as he felt someone shaking him. It was Dio.

"Hey! Are you alright?" Lidusis stared into Dio's face, concern shone in his orange eyes. Lidusis sat up in confusion. The last thing he remembered was Rood shouting his name. However, that boy was nowhere in sight.

"Mr. Dio, is something wrong?...... Ah, Mr. Artian... You must be surprised. But due to the current situation, you have to stay focused." Professor Heil walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. A chill ran down Lidusis from the professor's touch. Smiling, Professor Heil leaned over him.

"Everything... is for your sake." The professor whispered into Lidusis' ear. Lidusis' eyes widened as he stared at him.

What on earth...... does he mean by that? My sake?

He quickly stood up and acted like he was taking a look at his surroundings. Moving imperceptibly closer to stick close with Dio. Dio looked at Lidusis worriedly before he tried to search for Rood, Sky, Lin and Carmille. He sighed as he could not find them amongst the crowd of students. Chevel, however, was there and Dio frowned. Knowing that Sky and Rood were not here, he needed to step up and protect Lidusis from Chevel so he held Lidusis close to him protectively.

After being transported through the black water, many students clustered together. Some of them are beginning to realize that their group mates are not here. Worry for their safety settles over them and they head to inform Professor Heil about their missing groupmates.

"... Who cares? Since they haven't turned up yet..." Professor Heil chuckled as he smiled darkly. "They're all probably dead."

The students flinched at Professor Heil's words. Even Chevel was surprised by what the professor had said. "What are you saying, Professor?"

Professor Heil chuckled as a yellow orb formed on the palm of his hand. "You guys are rather lucky though... You'll stay alive. Until the end." The yellow orb floated up and lightning struck against the ground, causing the earth to rumble. Everyone screamed as the lightning circled around them, trapping them in a large cage.

The yellow orb soared up into the bleeding sky and the ground below them was elevated like a platform. It all felt like a horror movie, except everything that happened was real. The playing field has been set and the participants are limited to the small piece of ground which now towers highly. The rules seemed simple: Do not venture too far or risk falling off the cliff. Run and you might just lose your very life.

The students standing close to the edge of the field peered down at the gaping maw of darkness that awaits them below. Jumping back in fright, they huddled themselves further away. Gulping, they know now how far they are away from the bottom.

Chevel tried to maintain his calm as he looked towards Professor Heil. "Was it you, professor?! The one behind all this?!" He pointed out his suspicions as the students looked towards Professor Heil with fear.

"Indeed." Professor Heil admitted.

Dio was shocked at the revelation. "Why professor? Why would you do such a horrible thing?!"

Professor Heil chuckled. "Well, we all have our circumstances Mr Varus. Now everyone might be confused, but this is a good opportunity. Since practical training at the Tower was cancelled, rather than such boring practice, isn't real-life experience much valuable?...... Ah. I almost forgot. Before we begin, I should tell you something, in order for all of you to try your hardest."

He snapped his fingers as his mana wrapped around Dio's throat, lifting him up in the air. Lidusis flinched as he watched Dio struggle. "I've always lived by one philosophy. That useless humans don't have the right to live and by my standards, Mr Dio Varus qualifies as a useless human without the right to live. So... What should I do?"

Professor Heil's hand waved as his mana lifted Dio away from the edge of the peak, leaving him hanging in the empty air. "Uuhk... H- Help me..." Dio struggles against the mana on his neck as he glances down in fear.

Watching Dio struggling helplessly, Chevel couldn't let a fellow student of Helios suffer any longer. "Hey you! Stop. Let him go." He demanded bravely. Professor Heil chuckled as he released his mana. Chevel flinched as the mana around Dio's throat dissipated and knew that he would fall to his death if he didn't do something.

Running quickly to the edge and he reached his hand out to Dio, in an attempt to save him. But it was too late. He watched helplessly as Dio fell to his doom.

The students screamed in terror while Lidusis fell to his knees in despair, unable to believe that Dio had just died in front of him. Enraged, Chevel shouted angrily. "What do you want from us?!"

"Let's see... what do I want from you... Care to take a guess, Mr. Hadelio?" Professor Heil chuckled out.

Chevel couldn't bear to watch the rest end up with the same fate as Dio so he took a gamble. Grabbing the mana stone he wore on his neck, he prepared himself for a fight. "I won't let you get away with this, professor!"

Seeing Chevel activating his mana stone, a smile crept upon Professor Heil's lips. "Thank you, Mr Hadelio."

Suddenly, the mana stone hanging on Chevel's neck started to burst out a blue mana and Chevel could not control it. He struggled as the blue mana wrapped itself around him. Like a puppet on a string, Chevel stopped struggling immediately and walked over to Professor Heil's side. Everyone watched in shock as they realized that Chevel had been turned into a mindless doll.

Lidusis' eyes widened and stared at Chevel. Not him... Not him too... Even though Chevel treated him harshly, he couldn't hate him. He knew why Chevel did what he did.

In the past, they were close friends. Initially, Chevel did not think much of Lidusis because of his shy personality. But his younger sister, Ibriel Phon Hadelio, was determined to become Lidusis' best friend and always dragged Chevel along to play with him. Back then, Lidusis' older brother, Dirod, had warned Chevel to stay away from Lidusis. He told him Lidusis is a "monster" who would bring misfortune.

Chevel ignored Dirod. All he saw was a shy boy struggling to make friends. Lidusis was constantly neglected by Dirod and his servants and Chevel treated him as the younger brother he never had. Just like that the trio fell into a peaceful cadence... until Ibriel died.

Ibriel's death devastated Chevel, he loved her deeply. She was found lying on the ground, bloodied in the backyard of the Artian's mansion. No one knew the cause of her sudden death. Just before her death, Ibriel was seen hanging out with Lidusis, who was found unconscious yet unscathed in the backyard.

Chevel gritted his teeth as he kneeled beside his sister's coffin. He recalled Dirod's warning and clenched his fists tightly. It was all his fault... It was all that monster's fault!

His father, Marquis Hadelio, gently patted him on his head as he looked at his daughter's coffin sorrowfully. As though he could read his son's mind, the Marquis spoke quietly. "It's not his fault, Chevel..."

Deep down, Chevel knew it too. That it couldn't be Lidusis' fault. But who else can he put his blame on? Who else could he hate for taking his beloved sister away from him?

Now Chevel stood beside Professor Heil controlled to summon wolf demons, while the students watched in fear. Professor Heil chuckled and threw out a box of mana stones. "Now now! Show me your skills and fight!"

The students looked at each other unsure of what they should do. Some are unwilling to fight against Chevel, knowing he was doing this against his will. Iel stepped out and grabbed a mana stone preparing to fight. She knew that this was the only way to survive in the current situation. The demons charged towards her as she prepared to cast a spell.

To her surprise, Lidusis jumped between her and the demons, attempting to shield her using his body. Alarmed, Iel quickly casted out a restraining spell as the mana stone glowed in her hand. "Daraen. Mantinoas!" A white shield appeared, protecting them.

Iel grabbed Lidusis' collar, glaring angrily at him. "Just what are you doing?! You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"I- If I die, then everyone will be-"

"They won't be safe!" Iel interrupted, surprising Lidusis.

"Look at the situation. Even if you die, nothing changes. You will die a pointless death like Dio. The only way out is to fight back. We are students training to become magicians. So act like one!" Iel sighed and faced the demons once more. But this time, students are picking the mana stones on the ground and standing their ground together with her. Iel's speech has ignited their fighting spirits. Only by working together can they fight back against the enemies before them.

Seeing that their morale has been raised, Professor Heil was annoyed. He was running out of time. Deciding to play his trump card, he recalled the demons.

"Playtime's over. I'll show you something you'll remember even after your deaths. Consider yourselves honored! My name is Venus. Awaken!"

A bright yellow light enveloped him as he awakened his mana. However, his transformation did not stop there. More power swells into him as he begins to transform into something grotesque. "This is the feeling! I... have surpassed a human's limits!" Professor Heil cackled in delight as a creature with bat-like wings stood in his place staring at the students with evil eyes.

Iel stared at the creature in horror. No... He's an evil spirit.

The creature cackles gleefully while wondering what to do with its playthings. Looking at Chevel who was still under its control of his mana stone, it smiled. "Hmmm. Let me get rid of the unnecessary weight. I was going to use you well. But... Farewell. Hadelio."

Releasing the mana against the ground that Chevel was standing on, he began to fall off the edge of the peak. Not wishing to lose anyone else close to him again, Lidusis ran and grabbed onto Chevel's arm tightly, holding him from his deadly fall.

Watching the sight in front of him, Professor Heil was surprised. Out of all the students, he never expected Lidusis to save Chevel. "Honestly, I did not expect that you would save Hadelio, Artian. He was your tormentor this whole time. Were you aware that he was the one that made you a loner? That he's responsible for your situation?"

Lidusis ignored Professor Heil as he focused on pulling Chevel up. I can't let go... Not again.

"I will give you a chance to make a decision, Artian." Professor Heil released a wave of mana, shattering Chevel's mana stone and released him from its control.

"W- What?" Chevel woke up and looked up at Lidusis, who was holding onto his arm tightly. Surprise and disbelief filled him.

At the same time, Professor Heil created a large number of sharp boulders, floating them above the students.

"If you let go of that hand you're holding Hadelio with, the rest of the students will live. If you don't, I will drop the boulders on them and they will all die. Make your decision."

Lidusis flinched and his heart sank. He could not make the decision. No matter what Chevel did to him, he could not let him die. Chevel chuckled and looked at Lidusis. "Y- You... were waiting for this chance. You were glad weren't you? You could finally get back at me for bullying you and calling you a monster all this time. Aren't you thinking that this is what I deserved? So why are you hesitating? ...... Let go! Damn i-" Chevel paused as something wet dripped onto his face. He stared as tears fell from Lidusis face.

"I.... I don't want to!" Lidusis cried out.

Chevel's eyes softened. Knowing that Professor Heil would really kill the other students, he made a choice for Lidusis. "So... you are not a monster. But an idiot. A complete idiot! You always did look a little dumb... But let me make this clear. None of this was your fault. Back then... it was not your fault either. I'm sorry for everything I did... Lidusis." Chevel shrugged off from Lidusis' grip and allowed himself to fall off the peak. Watching Chevel fall to his death, Lidusis dropped to his knees in despair.

Now, he doesn't know what he should do. He wished for help. For someone to help him and save Chevel, Dio and the rest of them.

"Rood and I could handle them easily. So...... Do not worry about the Heresis and Klads bullying you, Rood and I got your back no matter what happens, okay?"

"Next time, ask for help, Lidusis. No matter what happens, I will help you."

As Sky and Rood's words rang in his mind, Lidusis called them out.

"Rood... Sky... Please... help me. I need your help." He sobbed.

Almost as if his prayers were heard, a black figure appeared before his eyes with Chevel safely in his hands. Before Professor Heil could react to the intruder, a wave of silver mana crushed the boulders floating above the students into tiny debris, saving them from their imminent death.