The Extra's Rise

After what felt like an eternity, the blinding light finally faded, and my vision adjusted to the new world around me.

I was standing on the terrace of a towering building, the wind whipping past, carrying with it the scent of ash, metal, and something faintly burnt.

I took a slow step forward, my boots scraping against cracked concrete, and cast a glance around. My classmates were already gathering, the last few students materializing into the simulation as the countdown to war ticked toward zero.

And behind them—

A city in ruins.

Once, this place had been grand, the kind of metropolis where the streets were probably once lined with polished storefronts, bustling with life, the roads filled with speeding hover-cars and glowing street signs.

Now?

Now it looked like something had ripped through it with the single-minded determination of a calamity.

Buildings stood in various states of collapse, skeletal remains of once-proud skyscrapers now hollowed out, their steel frames jutting into the sky like broken ribs. Blackened scorch marks covered entire blocks, as if something massive had burned through them indiscriminately. Smoke still curled from the wreckage, drifting lazily in the wind, thick with the scent of charred metal and death.

The roads below were a war zone in themselves. Pavement cracked open, great fissures cutting through the asphalt like something had clawed its way up from below. Burned-out vehicles lay overturned, some half-melted, others torn apart as if by monstrous hands.

A city once ruled by humans, now ravaged by something much worse.

A ruined world.

A graveyard of civilization.

The perfect setting for this battle.

"Arthur is here! That makes 100!"

I barely registered the voice confirming my arrival. My mind was still processing the landscape, my fingers unconsciously running along the hilt of my sword.

I knew this battlefield.

I knew its secrets.

'Right. Apocalypse theme.'

The entire war zone was structured around a broken world, a city left to rot under the devastating rampage of Dark Beasts. It wasn't just a battlefield—it was a lesson in survival.

And I knew something most of the others didn't.

A little "twist" the professors had included.

The professors wanted this to be a tactical war, a battle that wasn't just about brute strength but strategy and adaptability.

They had even planted a "secret" hidden within the simulation—a scripted event designed to force students to think beyond raw combat and consider the bigger picture.

But that never actually came to fruition.

Because in the novel, Lucifer went nuclear before it even activated, wiping out half the second-years before anyone could even realize what was happening.

I exhaled sharply.

"Looks like the genre shifted," I muttered under my breath, scanning the ruins below.

The others were taking in the scene too, but their reactions varied. Some stood still, assessing the battlefield with tense calculation, while others looked mildly disturbed by the sheer devastation.

Then there was Seraphina.

"How nice," she murmured, stretching as she sat down on the edge of the rooftop, swinging her legs over the side like she was sitting on a park bench instead of a half-destroyed skyscraper.

I stared at her.

Of course, even if she did fall, she'd be perfectly fine. At her level, the worst that could happen was a mildly inconvenient landing.

But that wasn't the point.

'What kind of person casually dangles their legs off the edge of a ruined city while staring at the wreckage like it's a scenic view?'

'Right. Seraphina has a few loose screws.'

Not Cecilia-level insane but still—

Definitely not normal.

The wind howled through the ruins, stirring the ash and dust.

The battlefield was set.

And the war was about to begin.

Of course, we had to begin with reconnaissance.

Victory didn't start with firepower—it started with information.

Ren and Jin were the obvious choices for the job. They each led their units into the ruined city, moving through the cracked streets and collapsed buildings, gathering data that would be relayed back to us. Their orders were simple: track enemy movement, locate key strongholds, and identify any environmental hazards the second years might use against us.

Meanwhile, the rest of us stayed in our designated base, the same skyscraper terrace we had landed on. The building was partially intact, giving us enough height for a vantage point while providing enough cover to prevent easy long-range attacks.

Lucifer stood with his arms crossed, his sharp green eyes scanning the distance. "We should mostly fight head-on, right?"

Rachel sighed, tapping her fingers against her arm. "I hate to agree with Ren, but… yeah. With our superior firepower, that's the best choice."

"It's not just firepower," I added. "Only one of the second years—Kali Maelkith—has a Gift, and only she is at our level. The rest are strong, but they're not on par with you guys."

Lucifer nodded. "So our main strategy is just to overwhelm them."

I pretended to hesitate, then nodded as well.

That was what I wanted them to think, after all.

"That being said," I continued, "I am worried about their use of tactics. But that's why Rose and Leon are here. They'll keep an eye on the big picture while the rest of you focus on brute force. The first goal is to locate Kali so that Lucifer can deal with her."

Lucifer cracked his knuckles, the very mention of her name sparking anticipation in his eyes.

Rachel exhaled, shifting her weight slightly. "Since Cecilia and I have wide-range spell attacks, we should use that to apply constant pressure."

Cecilia yawned loudly, stretching her arms. "Mmm, yeah, I'll just blow things up and see what happens."

Rachel ignored her.

"Seraphina should lead a covert unit," I suggested smoothly, keeping my voice neutral. "She's the best at silent eliminations. Meanwhile, the rest of you lead shock units, clearing out key resistance points so we can push through. With this, we'll control most of the battlefield quickly."

Seraphina, who had been staring off the edge of the building like she was contemplating whether the drop was worth the jump, finally nodded.

A soft beep echoed in my earpiece. Ren's unit had checked in.

"Report," I said.

Ren's voice came through calm but sharp. "Dark Beasts confirmed."

I exhaled slowly, keeping my expression blank. Here it was.

"How many?"

A flicker of static, then Jin's voice cut in. "More than we thought. Way more."

Cecilia whistled softly, crossing her arms. "Well, that's fun."

A holographic map flickered to life, projected above our group. The layout of the ruined city unfolded before us in blue light, glowing markers indicating enemy positions and known hazards.

The second years had set up three main fortifications—a reinforced city square, an abandoned industrial zone, and a partially submerged metro station.

But more concerning than their bases were the clusters of red-marked zones scattered throughout the battlefield.

Dark Beasts.

Far more than a typical simulation should have spawned.

Rachel frowned, narrowing her eyes. "I thought the second years were supposed to have more Dark Beasts than us."

"They do," I said, tilting my head as if thinking it over.

In truth, I already knew the answer.

And I wasn't going to tell them.

Instead, I let them come to their own conclusions.

Cecilia watched me carefully, but for once, she didn't say anything.

She knew I was hiding something.

She just didn't know what.

Lucifer studied the map, rolling his shoulders. "It doesn't change the plan. We take control of key zones, locate Kali, and then finish the rest."

I nodded, masking my real thoughts behind an easy agreement.

This wasn't just a battle.

This was a stage.

And every person on it—first years, second years, even the Dark Beasts themselves—

They were all just pieces moving exactly where I wanted them.