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Rexaron and Aisha stared blankly at me.

Both of them had expressions that showed they couldn't comprehend the situation.

But I stood my ground, more confident than anyone.

"Assistant Professor Rexaron, you yourself said that if someone in Zerion Academy were to defeat you, you would listen to them."

"…That is true."

Rexaron's gaze shifted to Professor Vega.

Vega was silently observing the situation.

She, too, seemed utterly baffled by what was happening.

"Hannon, explain the situation."

Eventually, Vega demanded an explanation from me.

"Assistant Professor Rexaron stated that his cousin, Aisha Bizvel, is not skilled enough to enter the Demon Dungeon."

I promptly briefed Professor Vega on the current situation.

"I believe this is a selfish decision that completely disregards Aisha’s own thoughts. Aisha is a highly skilled student, having ranked first in martial studies and placed among the top in international individual competitions. If she had no desire to enter the Demon Dungeon, that would be one thing, but she has a strong will to go."

"You're talking too much."

Vega frowned and crossed her legs to the opposite side.

Then, she folded her arms and glanced at Aisha.

"Aisha Bizvel, is this true?"

A peculiar sense of pressure emanated from Vega.

It was an unspoken command to speak only the truth.

"…Yes, it's true."

Aisha, realizing the gravity of the situation, answered honestly.

Hearing this, Vega turned to Rexaron.

"Assistant Professor Rexaron, do you truly believe Aisha lacks the necessary skill?"

"I do."

Rexaron answered without a hint of hesitation.

Vega remained silent, her arms still crossed.

Then, she finally spoke again.

"I understand that there are family matters entangled in this. However, once someone enters Zerion Academy, they take on the mission of facing the Demon Dungeon themselves."

If one cannot accept that mission, they are free to leave the academy.

But Aisha had personally declared her intent to enter the Demon Dungeon.

As a professor, Vega had the authority to honor a student's wishes.

"Very well. I understand the situation. Assistant Professor Rexaron, this is Zerion Academy. The opinion of the student is more important than your personal stubbornness. Because they are the ones who dedicate their youth to becoming heroes who face the Demon Dungeon."

Vega pushed back her chair and stood up.

"I cannot condone the abuse of power by Assistant Professor Rexaron."

I had expected Vega to respond decisively.

"If you're saying that you'll listen to the strongest in Zerion Academy, then I can take that at face value."

"The one who proves their righteousness is always the strongest."

Rexaron’s eyes burned with determination, showing no sign of retreat.

He was a man who kept his word.

No matter who it was, if they overpowered him, he would acknowledge them.

"I agree with that sentiment."

In contrast, Vega looked rather unkempt.

She wore a stretched-out T-shirt and a pair of pants that looked like they were about to slip down.

Anyone seeing this scene would never bet on Vega to win.

And Aisha was no exception.

"…Senior Hannon."

Aisha looked at me as if asking if this was really okay.

If Vega lost, Aisha would have no choice but to give up on entering the Demon Dungeon.

She would be sent back home to undergo bridal training.

That was the ending Aisha dreaded most.

But there wasn’t a single trace of doubt in my eyes.

"Aisha, watch closely. No, actually—"

No, this wasn’t something she needed to see.

"You won’t even be able to see it."

Aisha looked puzzled.

"Then, the battle—"

"Come at me whenever you wish."

Rexaron flexed his massive muscles as if he was always in a combat-ready state.

He looked like a raging bull, gathering all his strength before the fight.

At that moment, his greatsword radiated immense power.

BOOOOOOM!

A deafening explosion ripped through the air, nearly tearing apart Aisha’s and my eardrums.

Our hair whipped wildly in the shockwave.

Aisha stood frozen, her eyes wide open in disbelief.

I brushed off the rising smoke and shifted my gaze beyond it.

And there, I saw—

Vega lowering the foot she had just raised.

She casually pulled up her shirt, which had slipped off her shoulders.

Unfortunately, I caught a glimpse of some worn-out underwear I didn’t need to see.

At the same time, far in the distance, a man was embedded in the wall.

That man was Rexaron.

His eyes had rolled back completely.

He had clear slipper marks all over his body, from his head down to his stomach.

Aisha, who witnessed this, gaped in shock.

She knew better than anyone how strong Rexaron was.

And yet, he had been utterly crushed without even a chance to respond.

"Aisha, you must have heard about it at least once—the first-ever breakthrough of the ninth floor in the Demon Dungeon, an event that once shook the world."

The ninth floor had never been conquered before.

At the time, people even hoped for the annihilation of Demon Sovereign.

"The Generation of Azure Skies, you mean?"

"Yes."

We belonged to the generation of golden flames.

But before that, there was another group known as the Generation of Azure Skies.

And at the forefront of that generation was none other than Vega Mercia.

Once, the Generation of Azure Skies was in the spotlight, with high expectations for Demon Sovereign’s destruction.

They possessed talents that were on a completely different level from others of their time.

But in the end, the Generation of Azure Skies failed to defeat Demon Sovereign.

There are still many opinions on why, but one fact is clear—

The absence of their leader.

Without the one who had led them from the front, they ultimately failed to reach Demon Sovereign.

"Professor Vega was part of the Generation of Azure Skies…?"

"Yes. She turned down countless offers and instead chose to become a professor at Zerion Academy."

Vega was once offered the position of the youngest knight commander in the empire.

She was strong enough to receive such an unprecedented offer, but she refused them all.

Rumors, however, fade with time.

It had already been fifteen years since Professor Vega was part of the Generation of Azure Skies.

People gradually forgot about them and became preoccupied with the present.

Rexaron was certainly strong—so strong that he was called the Beast of the North.

But compared to Vega, who had been one of the greatest warriors of a previous generation, he was no match.

"My foot got blocked twice… I must be rusty."

Vega patted her waist.

"Ugh!"

At that moment, Rexaron let out a violent cough and regained consciousness.

Vega had landed several precise hits on his vital points.

And yet, he had already recovered in such a short time.

His body was truly beyond normal limits.

As Rexaron coughed, Vega dragged her slippers across the floor and spoke.

"Assistant Professor Rexaron, do you want to continue?"

Her tone implied that she was more than willing to go on if he desired.

Rexaron, barely conscious, looked up at her.

Then, he spat out a broken tooth into his hand.

"…I understand now. There is no path for me to defeat you."

Rexaron was strong.

And precisely because of that, he recognized the overwhelming difference in their levels.

If he challenged Vega again as he was now, the result would be the same.

Accepting this reality, he admitted his defeat.

"Aisha."

At Rexaron’s call, Aisha flinched.

She had been oppressed by him for so long that her body instinctively shrank.

"I won’t stop you from going to the Demon Dungeon."

Yet, Rexaron was a man who could accept defeat.

Hearing his words, Aisha’s eyes widened.

When she quickly turned to look at me, I nodded in response.

With that, our team’s vanguard issue was settled.

"Senior Hannon, thank you."

Aisha bowed deeply to me, but I waved my hand.

"You should be thanking Professor Vega, not me."

"Of course, I’m grateful to the professor as well. But you’re the one who suggested this solution."

Aisha expressed her gratitude sincerely.

Seeing this, I smirked and smiled.

"It’s only natural for training partners to help each other."

"Training partners… Yes, Senior Hannon and I are bound by an unbreakable bond of loyalty as training partners! If anything ever happens to you, I’ll be the first to step up and help!"

Her blue eyes burned with determination.

Aisha was someone who lived and died by loyalty.

I had no doubt that she would be of great help in the future.

"Now that we’re done here, Hannon, return my chair to my room."

"Should I carry it back the same way I brought it?"

"Do you want me to send you flying?"

I almost got wrecked before even making it to the Demon Dungeon.

As I gathered up the chair, Vega scratched her head.

She was becoming more and more like an old man.

"Professor Vega."

At that moment, Rexaron called out to her.

She turned around, curious, and saw Rexaron hoisting his greatsword onto his shoulder.

"Would it be possible for us to spar like this again in the future?"

Rexaron had suffered a crushing defeat today.

Perhaps because of that, his eyes were now burning with determination.

Vega, however, seemed indifferent.

She looked completely uninterested.

But Rexaron was an unpredictable madman.

"And when the day comes that I defeat you, I want to propose to you."

"What?"

Vega stared at him as if he had just uttered complete nonsense.

But Rexaron’s blazing eyes were dead serious.

"You are the first woman to ever defeat me. I refuse to let this opportunity slip away."

He slammed his greatsword into the ground with a thud.

He looked like a valiant hero heading into battle.

"I want to ask you to bear my children."

Wow.

I couldn’t help but be impressed.

Because I had just witnessed a man flying without the use of magic.

Rexaron had been sent soaring through the air, crashing through the training hall’s walls, and disappearing from sight.

Standing in his place was Vega, her face twisted in utter disgust.

Watching this, Aisha covered her face with her hands and muttered quietly.

"…Senior Hannon, please erase my cousin from your memory forever."

"…Aisha, stay strong."

She must have gone through a lot.

All I could do was gently pat her on the shoulder in silent support.