Forsaken By The Gods, I Made A Contract With the Demon King

The simulated civilian's lifeless body lay on the ground, a reminder of our failure to work as team.

'Is this what it's like in the real world? One mistake and someone dies?'

The thought made my stomach churn.

Just as I watched - Lysandra's eyes fixed on the fallen man, her silver irises flickering with an emotion I couldn't quite place. Suddenly, the air around her began to crackle with raw energy.

'Huh?'

Lysandra's essence exploded outward, a visible manifestation of her rage. Her sword, previously just a standard weapon, now glowed with an otherworldly light. The air hummed with power as she activated her ability – and a devastating combat style I'd never seen before enfolded in front.

Without warning, she charged at the oncoming monsters.

Her movements were a blur, her sword cutting through the shadowy creatures as if they were made of mist. Each strike was precise, powerful, and utterly lethal. The monsters, which had overwhelmed us moments ago, were now being decimated by Lysandra's furious assault.

I stood back, observing her rampage with a mix of awe and apprehension. Her raw power was undeniable, but there was something unsettling about the wild look in her eyes.

This wasn't the collected, assertive look she had earlier. This was something else entirely – a berserker consumed by rage.

The rest of our team seemed equally stunned. Toby's defensive barriers faltered as he gaped at Lysandra's display of power.

"Toby! Focus on defense!" I shouted, trying to snap him out of it.

Ryn had stopped his ranged attacks, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Is... is this even allowed?" he asked no one in particular.

Alex, usually so agile, stood rooted to the spot, his sword hanging limply at his side. I could see the fear in his eyes.

As Lysandra carved a path of destruction through the monster horde - we all stood watching at her back.

There an emotion that Levi felt right now - deep inside, his competitive spirit was awakened!

He wanted to go on a rampage too but he held back.

Was it because he didn't have the power?

No, it was because there was no need to showcase them. The monster were only of dormant rank - Levi in follower rank with his double core could easily slaughter through them and if he considered presence of Noir stirring within him- asking him to allow it out, there would be nothing to worry.

Just the phantom flock alone were enough to handle this dormant monsters.

But Levi held back.

This was a test, not a competition and more importantly, there was no risk or rewards - he would be a fool to display his powers in such a cenario.

Levi had his own reasons for being here, and revealing his true strength now would only complicate matters. So he watched, limiting his involvement to the bare minimum – taking down any monsters that slipped past Lysandra's onslaught, ensuring that the team weren't completely overwhelmed.

But as the battle raged on, it became clear that Lysandra's berserk state was causing as many problems as it solved.

Her movements were erratic, unpredictable. She'd charge into areas that team had just cleared, leaving other sectors vulnerable. The team struggled to adapt to her wild fighting style.

Toby attempted to direct his barriers to complement Lysandra's movements, but she'd change direction without warning, rendering his efforts useless.

Ryn tried to provide covering fire, but more than once, his essence projectiles nearly hit Lysandra as she darted unpredictably across the battlefield.

Alex made a valiant effort to fight alongside her, but after a few near misses with her wildly swinging sword, he retreated to a safer distance. The team's earlier attempts at coordination had completely fallen apart.

And the girl who had come with Lysssandra didn't even dare to go anywhere near here.

Levi frowned, noting how the simulation was exposing critical flaws in their group dynamic. Lysandra's power was impressive, but her lack of control was a liability.

The others, too awed or intimidated to assert themselves, were falling into a passive role, merely reacting to Lysandra's actions rather than contributing meaningfully to the battle.

As another wave of monsters emerged from the portal, Levi saw uncertainty flick across the teammates' faces. Lysandra, still lost in her frenzy, showed no signs of slowing down. But the toll of her relentless assault was beginning to show. Her movements, while still devastatingly effective, were slowing. Her essence, burning bright and hot, couldn't sustain this level of output forever.

Levi knew he could turn the tide of the battle in an instant.

Noir's power, combined with my own abilities, would make short work of these simulated threats. But that wasn't the point of this exercise. They were supposed to learn to work as a team, to overcome challenges together and he was pretty sure that the Instructor and his assistants were keeping a close watch on them, so he didn't do anything.

As Lysandra's rampage continued, Levi made a decision.

He wouldn't step in – not yet.

The simulated city continued to crumble around them, casualties mounting as Lysandra's uncontrolled fury left swathes of destruction in her wake.

That was when Levi realized that the actual test was not just surviving the onslaught of monsters, but learning to control their powers and to work as a unit.

***

Lysandra's rampage continued unabated, her silver hair a beacon amidst the chaos. But as impressive as her display was, it was clear she couldn't sustain this level of output forever. The team needed to step up, and fast.

A flash of movement caught my eye.

Alex, previously frozen in awe, now strode forward with purpose. His body began to glow with an inner light, essence visibly coursing through his muscles. I watched, intrigued, as his body reinforcement ability took hold.

In an instant, Alex was in motion. He crossed the battlefield in a blur, engaging a cluster of monsters that had slipped past Lysandra's onslaught. His fists, now glowing with concentrated essence, tore through the shadowy forms with ease. Each punch landed with devastating precision, the shockwaves alone enough to disperse nearby creatures.

Alex's movements were a stark contrast to Lysandra's wild frenzy. Where she was all fury and instinct, he was calculated power. He danced between the monsters, his enhanced speed allowing him to dodge attacks that should have been unavoidable. His face set in grim determination.

It seemed like his ability was something related to reinforcing his body - that was not rare but the output that he was display after the activation of the ability was incredible!

As Alex held the front line, Ryn finally sprang into action. Instead of his earlier ranged attacks, he planted his feet firmly on the ground, his hands splayed out before him. The earth beneath us trembled, and I realized we were about to see Ryn's true ability.

Massive walls of stone erupted from the ground, reshaping the battlefield in seconds. Ryn's face was a mask of concentration as he manipulated the earth, creating a complex series of barriers and channels. The advancing monsters found themselves funneled into narrow corridors, easy prey for Alex's powerful strikes and Lysandra's wild swings.

Ryn didn't stop there. As more monsters poured from the portal, he raised platforms of rock, giving himself and the others vantage points to attack from. The entire cityscape was being remolded to our advantage, turning what was once a chaotic free-for-all into a carefully orchestrated killing ground.

Amidst the fury of battle, I noticed the girl who had arrived with Lysandra joining the fray. She wielded a sword with competent grace, her movements fluid and practiced. While she lacked the raw power of Lysandra or the enhanced abilities of Alex, she proved herself a capable fighter.

She darted between the stone walls Ryn had created, picking off monsters that tried to slip through the cracks in our defense.

As the tide of battle slowly turned in our favor, I realized Toby had yet to reveal any special abilities. He fought with admirable physical prowess, using his essence to enhance his strength and speed, but nothing on the level of the others. Curious, I made my way to his side.

"Toby," I called out, dispatching a monster that lunged for him. "Aren't you going to use your ability, this seems to be the best time for it?"

Toby's face twisted with something akin to shame. He hesitated, blocking an attack from a particularly large shadow creature before responding. "My ability... it wouldn't be useful here. Not with all of you here."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. What kind of power would be useless in a situation like this? Before I could press further, a deafening roar shook the simulated city to its foundations.

The portal, which had been steadily disgorging monsters, now pulsed with a sinister red light. The air grew thick with malevolent energy.

Whatever was coming, it was big.

"Incoming!" Ryn's shout echoed across the battlefield. "Something's different about this one!"

As if in response to Ryn's warning, a massive clawed hand emerged from the portal. It gripped the edges of the dimensional tear, widening it further. Slowly, inexorably, a monstrous form began to pull itself through.

The essence-level boss monster had arrived, and with it, the real challenge was about to begin.

Lysandra's berserk rage faltered as she sensed the new threat. Alex's confident stride hitched for just a moment. Ryn's earth manipulations trembled under the weight of the creature's presence. The girl with Lysandra tightened her grip on her sword, eyes wide with a mix of fear and determination.

And Toby? He stepped forward, a look of resolve replacing his earlier hesitation. Whatever ability he'd been holding back, it seemed he was ready to reveal it now.

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