The Extra's Rise

After the Arts were assigned, we had our first real class.

Aura Mechanics.

Nero led us from the classroom to a massive training ground, a space so large that it could probably fit an entire small city's worth of battlegrounds within its walls. The air was thick with ambient mana, the kind that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, as if the very ground itself was watching, waiting for a fight to begin.

Nero stopped in the middle of the field, turning to face us. His grey eyes were as sharp as ever, his posture unshakable.

"I know that some of you are not Body aspect users," he began, clearly addressing Rachel and Cecilia. "However, that does not mean you should ignore the fundamentals."

There was no argument from them.

Even the most powerful spellcasters knew that in a fight, knowing how to dodge a blade was just as important as knowing how to summon a meteor.

"I will not be teaching you how to use your weapons of choice," Nero continued. "Your Arts will handle that. Instead, you need a solid foundation—the basics that will allow you to make the most of your Art."

His gaze swept across us, as if mentally evaluating how many of us already had those fundamentals down.

"All of you are Silver-rankers," he stated. "Which means you can manifest aura outside of your body."

There was a slight shift in the air, the sheer power contained within this group becoming almost tangible.

"Now," Nero said, "I want to teach you a simple but effective technique. One that will serve you well in battle."

He turned and gestured toward a row of training dummies.

The dummies were made of reinforced alloy, humanoid-shaped constructs lined with glowing mana circuits. Their surfaces shimmered slightly, programmed with adaptive resistance.

"This technique is called Delay Piston," Nero announced.

I frowned. 'Delay Piston?'

"The concept is simple," he explained, stepping toward a dummy. "These dummies are programmed so that the first strike will have no effect. Your task is to make sure the second hit lands—but without making a second attack."

I narrowed my eyes.

'Two impacts. One strike.'

"Basically," Nero continued, "you will delay the force of your aura, making it so that your attack lands twice with a single motion."

I blinked. That was… not normal.

"Let me show you," Nero said.

He raised a single hand, fingers curling into a relaxed fist, and exhaled slowly.

And then he punched.

At first, nothing happened.

The dummy didn't even budge.

And then—

A deep shockwave erupted from within the dummy, a second impact detonating from inside-out, as if the punch had been frozen in time and then suddenly decided to exist again.

A sharp CRACK echoed across the training grounds.

The dummy staggered backward, a visible dent sinking into its chest.

He had hit it once.

But the delayed force had landed a second blow—after the first had seemingly done nothing.

There was a beat of silence.

Then, Nero straightened.

"This," he said, completely unfazed, "is a useful tool in battle. It allows you to strike through defenses, bypass blocks, and create openings where none should exist."

His grey eyes met ours.

"Now," he said. "You will learn it."

After walking us through the mechanics, Nero wasted no time in putting us to work.

"Aura is not just raw energy. It needs precision," he stated, his voice carrying over the training grounds.

He strode past us, his posture as rigid as his teaching style, eyes scanning for the first sign of incompetence.

"The key to Delay Piston is in your control over aura flow. Mana is converted into aura, which reinforces your muscles and enhances your strikes. But that is basic knowledge."

His gaze lingered on Ren for half a second before continuing.

"What matters here is when and where you allow the aura to concentrate. If done correctly, the initial strike suppresses the force for just a fraction of a second—then, using muscle contractions and precise aura release, you detonate the energy inside your target."

He punched another dummy, this time at half-speed, allowing us to see the process.

First, the impact. The initial strike did nothing, appearing weak.

Then, a pulse of aura from within.

The dummy shuddered as the second impact landed with brutal efficiency, an echo of the first strike but twice as devastating.

His grey eyes scanned us again.

"Now—try it."

Trying it was a disaster.

I threw my first punch.

The dummy did not care.

I punched again.

The dummy remained thoroughly unimpressed.

Across the field, similar failures echoed. Ian scowled as his strikes barely even left a mark. Jin, a necromancer, looked about as comfortable throwing punches as a fish in a desert. Rachel and Seraphina were faring better, but the timing was all wrong.

Ren Kagu, meanwhile, was getting increasingly frustrated.

"Your problem is that you have the subtlety of a battering ram," Nero commented dryly as Ren slammed his fist into the dummy with enough force to rattle the ground.

Ren gritted his teeth but adjusted his stance, rolling his shoulders. He wasn't about to admit he was struggling, but even he knew brute force wasn't the solution here.

And then—

Lucifer moved.

One swift punch.

The dummy did not move.

Then, in the next instant, a concussive force erupted from the other side, sending it skidding backward.

Nero nodded approvingly. "As expected."

A second later—

Ren's dummy shook violently as his own delayed impact landed.

The two of them—Lucifer and Ren—had succeeded at the same time.

A murmur rippled through the group.

"Alright, that was fast," Ian muttered, cracking his knuckles.

"Of course Ren got it," Rachel sighed, rolling her eyes.

"And Lucifer," Cecilia added, leaning lazily against her dummy. "But no surprises there."

I took a step back, wiping sweat from my brow.

It was frustrating, but not surprising. They were the two most monstrous prodigies in this class.

But I wasn't about to be left behind.

I exhaled, clearing my mind.

Nero had said the trick was in precision. Not just the punch—but the control of aura release.

I visualized it.

Aura flowing not just through my fist, but into my arm, my shoulders, my core.

I raised my hand.

Breathed.

Punched.

Nothing.

And then—

BOOM.

The dummy jerked violently, a delayed shockwave of force rippling through its structure.

A pause.

I turned to see half the class staring at me.

Even Ren's eyes flickered with momentary surprise.

Nero raised an eyebrow, but if he was impressed, he didn't show it.

"Hmm," was all he said.

Lucifer, standing across from me, smiled slightly.

"Interesting," he murmured.

Rachel blinked. "Did Arthur just…?"

Seraphina, who had been watching in silence, tilted her head.

I exhaled, rolling my shoulders.

"Guess I got it," I said, shaking out my fist.

The truth was—

I had felt it. The flow of aura, the timing, the way my body naturally adjusted to match the technique.

And for the first time since arriving in this world—

I felt like I belonged here.