My Special Ability is Growing Muscles

"Hold!" Kairo growled.

At first, looking at the horde of Demons charging at them, their endeavor felt like an impossible one. Afterall, this was a horde containing not just F-Ranked Demons but E-Rank Demons too.

There were stronger Demons, but those were preoccupied with taking out the instructors, the nobles, guild scouts, and the senior students of Nexus Academy.

This gave the applicants the grace to fight Demons on their level.

But still, it was frightening right until the first Demon wave slammed into them, claws sparking off defensive abilities, screeches filling the air.

KABOOM!

A combination of Jone's Iron Hide ability, Draven's Titan Arm and Seismic Stomp ability, Barros's Bone Reinforcement, and Marik's Chain Lash was able to stop the tide of Demons.

Not just stop, Seismic Stomp retaliated, toppling the closest Demons over, and leaving them for a counterattack.

"Attack!" Kairo roared, and the applicants surged forward.

They were 16 year olds, but at this moment they didn't charge like 16 year olds at all. Rather, they charged like a disciplined platoon under Kairo's raw command who in this case was the commander.

BAM!

Draven's Titan Arms lashed at the nearest Demon, tearing through him with devastating power as blood sprayed like a fountain.

Yes, just like every other applicant at this moment, Draven was tired physically and mentally. He was exhausted but under the effects of Kairo's rallying voice, and fueled by adrenaline, he was ready to fight to the death.

Beside him, Lyra finally triggered her ability, weaponizing her healing energy as cutting threads as they surged forward, cutting into the horde of Demons and slowing them down even more.

A shockwave reverberated as Barros punched at the nearest Demon.

In the end, despite their exhaustion, they were still the best of the best out of 10,000 applicants who applied for the scholarship into Nexus Academy.

They may not have the elite training facilities and resources of noble heirs yet, but among the mundane humans and lesser noble households in the human domain, they were the best of the best.

All they needed was calm, and they erupted with their abilities.

BZZZ!

The Elementalists went to work, Torric's Inferno Spiral triggering a wall of flame that surged towards the Demons, lighting them up.

Kael joined him with his Burning Wall. Since they were no longer in the combat arena, rules were no longer imposed. He popped mana recovery potions from his storage ring, drinking them to supplement his low mana reserves.

Then…

WHOOSH!

Jareth, Veyna, Alric, and Mira charged from the group, entering the horde of Demons as with their swords, spears, and daggers, they carved a hole inside.

They were a blur of different colors, blood flying around them in a haze as locked in under Kairo's voice, they carved the Demons.

Defense, attack, and battlefield control, they did it to perfection at this moment, coordinating perfectly to stem the Demon tide.

Kairo kept barking orders. "Defenders, brace!"

"Lyra, heal!"

"Don't chase, HOLD THE LINE!"

They fought with discipline and efficiency under Kairo's voice.

But then, mid-command, Kairo suddenly doubled over, his stomach gnawing as his shriveled body trembled.

His muscles ached to collapse, his height diminishing even further as his face became ashen.

DING!

The system flashed.

~----~

[WARNING: Caloric Deficit Critical!]

[Muscle Index Dropping… Danger of Collapse!]

~----~

As the one closest to Kairo having retreated from her initial reckless charge, Mira noticed immediately but she refused to show pity as she snarled.

"Don't you dare fall now, Kairo!"

Kairo staggered but he stayed standing. He ground his teeth so hard that his gums begin to bleed, but then unable to bear it anymore, he growled amid the chaos.

"I… need meat. Anything, NOW!"

Confusion rippled under the influence of his voice, but one applicant, a quiet noble boy gritted his teeth and pulled raw beef slabs out of his storage ring.

Others stared in disbelief, even disgust, but the sight of meat made Kairo salivate like a man who's been starved for years.

Without caring about his image, Kairo ripped into the raw meat like an animal, blood dripping down his chin.

Watching him at this moment, the applicants and even the Demons felt a chill run down their spines. They didn't feel like they were looking at a human at all, rather it felt like they were looking at a monster.

'Is he even human?!'

And that was when the system chimed again.

DING!

~----~

[Nutritional Intake Detected]

[Accelerated Digestion triggered…!]

[Muscle Index Restored: 47% ~ 89%]

[Strength Returning to Peak…!]

~----~

Under the disbelieving gaze of humans and Demons, Kairo's shriveled body recovered, filling out again even as his muscles swelled, his height growing taller as his veins thrummed with energy.

The other applicants saw it firsthand as the slumrat, always viewed as the underdog from the very beginning grew stronger right in front of them.

Kairo wiped blood from his mouth, smirking savagely.

"Good," he grinned. "Now, let's kill some Demons".

The horde never stopped moving, never stopped attacking, as the defensive applicants kept them at bay. And now, Kairo finally led the offense personally.

Charging into his fray, he felt his muscles squirming under his skin, brimming with power, almost begging him to be unleashed.

They didn't have to beg because Kairo did it himself.

~----~

[Hypermuscle Creation Activated!]

[Muscle Lock Active!]

~----~

With a roar, jumping into the fray as Hypermuscle roared alive, Kairo's fists shot forward with brutal velocity, smashing skulls an shattering bones.

BOOM!

He fought like a beast, using his fists, his nails, his head, and even his teeth at times to rip at the Demons, tearing them apart.

Every strike was feral but precise. His aggression became an inspiration for the others to double down, holding the line.

In just a few seconds, Kairo became drenched in blood, but none of them was his blood. He was a rampaging monster at this moment.

And even as the other applicants fought for their lives, they could not help the thoughts rippling through their heads as they saw him fight.

'He's insane…'

'No, he's leading us'.

'That slumrat…, he's the only reason we're still alive'.

With realization came respect, and with respect came willing followership. They were ready to fight and die with Kairo.

Mira fought at his side, wind and earth carving paths, but even she watched with new awe as his willpower eclipsed his hunger, his fear, and even his malnourished body to lead the stand against the Demon horde.

The horde stalled as dozens of Demon corpses piled before the applicants' line. They were bloodied, exhausted, but still alive.

Kairo growled. "See?! We can live through this!"

"Just… don't break!"

Monarchs' Roar echoed again, stabilizing their faltering hearts.

But just as hope flickered, shadows rippled across the ruined stands as a new wave of Demons stepped forward; armored, larger, and stronger than the fodder, all E-Rank Demons.

"We can't… we can't fight those". Kael said, terrified.

Kairo's response?

His fists clenched, blood dripping from his knuckles, his bloodshot eyes wild with bloodlust and recklessness.

"Then we'll hold again. And again, and again, until we break… or they do".