Demon Lord Candidate

Kate leaned back in her chair, the familiar hum of the classroom around her doing little to ease her restless thoughts. "A year… already," she mused, staring at the ceiling. She had accomplished so much in that time defeating the Trinity Seven, mastering all the Archives, and even surpassing her own expectations. But something still felt off.

"This world… it's not exactly like the one I remember," she thought, glancing at the other students who were casually chatting among themselves. "Akio using a weapon, and the others… their powers have evolved in ways I didn't anticipate."

She sighed deeply, her mind drifting back to the countless battles she'd fought against the Trinity Seven. Each of them had pushed her to her limits, but she had emerged victorious every time. Yet, despite her accomplishments, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was still missing something crucial that she hadn't yet uncovered.

"Lilith Sensei is late," one of the students muttered, pulling Kate out of her reverie.

"Late? That's unusual," Kate thought, her instincts immediately on alert. "Is something going on?"

Kate's gaze shifted to the door, half-expecting something or someone to burst through it. "This world might be different, but that doesn't mean I should let my guard down," she reminded herself. She had come too far and gained too much to be caught off guard now.

"Guess I'll just have to wait and see," Kate muttered under her breath, a determined glint in her eyes. "Whatever's coming, I'm ready."

As Kate sat by the window, her mind was elsewhere, lost in thoughts of what was to come. Suddenly, the door opened, and Lilith Sensei walked in, her usual calm authority commanding the room's attention.

"Alright everyone, quiet down," Lilith announced, her voice cutting through the chatter. The students immediately settled down. "We have a new transfer student."

Kate's ears perked up, and she turned her attention back to the front of the class. "Finally," she thought, her excitement bubbling beneath her composed exterior.

"Introduce yourself," Lilith prompted.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Kasuga Arata," the boy said simply, a casual smile on his face.

"Is that all?" Lilith asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, Lilith Sensei," Arata replied, clearly not one for lengthy introductions.

Kate couldn't help but feel a rush of anticipation. "Finally! He's here," she thought, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. This was the moment she'd been waiting for—the arrival of the Demon Lord Candidate, the catalyst for the real story to begin.

As Arata scanned the room, his gaze lingered on Kate, clearly intrigued by her unique appearance. Her half-black, half-white hair stood out starkly against the mundane backdrop of the classroom.

"Lilith Sensei, who is she?" Arata asked, pointing directly at Kate.

The room fell into an awkward silence, students exchanging nervous glances as if Arata had just broken some unspoken rule.

"She's Kate Apocalypse, the strongest person in this school," Lilith explained, her tone serious. "Everyone calls her the Anomaly."

Kate felt the weight of the title, one that she had earned through countless battles and challenges. She didn't mind it, it suited her just fine.

"Kate is the loner type," Lilith continued, her voice lowering slightly as if to emphasize the warning. "Unlike you, she doesn't have anything or any goals, so be careful."

Arata blinked in surprise, clearly not expecting such a reputation to precede the quiet girl by the window. Kate didn't respond, merely offering a brief, almost dismissive glance in his direction. She had more important things to think about now that the story was finally moving forward.

As the class ended, Kate quickly gathered her things, heading straight for the library, her usual routine. But just as she reached the door, she heard a voice call out her name.

"Apocalypse-san, please wait!" Arata shouted, his tone a mix of determination and nervousness.

Kate stopped in her tracks and slowly turned her head, giving Arata a single, piercing glare. The intensity of her gaze sent a shiver down Arata's spine, and in that moment, the wall directly behind him shattered as if reacting to the sheer force of her presence.

Without a word, Kate turned back and continued on her way to the library, completely unfazed by the destruction she left in her wake. To her, it was just another interruption a minor inconvenience.

"Wha- what was that?" Arata stammered, visibly shaken.

"Don't be stupid," one of the students said, shaking their head. "Apocalypse-san does what she wants, and no one can stop that."

"Just ignore her, and you'll be fine," another student chimed in, their tone carrying a note of caution.

"I see," Arata muttered, still trying to process what had just happened.

"Even if you're the Demon Lord candidate, you're not that special to her," another student added, making it clear that in Kate's world, Arata was just another face in the crowd.

"Thanks, everyone," Arata said, taking their advice to heart as he left the room, his thoughts now swirling with uncertainty about the enigmatic girl called Kate Apocalypse.

In the library, Kate sat at her usual spot a round table cluttered with books and papers, evidence of her ongoing research. She glanced at the pile, deep in thought. "My control over my energy has improved significantly," she mused. "I've been restricting myself, only using pure energy manipulation and avoiding any advanced techniques. But once Arata gains his Magus mode, I'll take him down."

As she continued her work, flipping through the pages of a particularly dense tome, she was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Any new results?" Mira asked, approaching the table with Akio by her side.

"Oh, it's you," Kate responded without looking up. "Not much progress yet. I'm starting to think that Mana alone might not be capable of what I'm aiming for."

"What do you mean by that?" Akio asked, intrigued.

"I'm not entirely sure," Kate replied, her tone distant as she continued to flip through the books.

"Have you met the Demon Lord candidate?" Mira asked, changing the subject.

Kate raised an eyebrow. "What's with the sudden off-topic question?"

"You know what I mean," Mira pressed, leaning in slightly.

Kate shrugged. "I don't know. He was foolish enough to try and get my attention before I came here."

Akio smirked. "It's just that you're too intriguing."

Mira added with a sharper tone, "It's more about how you treat the school like your own personal castle."

Kate's lips curled into a sly smile. "Then defeat me and knock me off my high horse."

Mira clenched her fists, frustration evident. "Tch!"

Kate returned to her books, unbothered. The tension hung in the air, but it was clear Kate's confidence and power were unshakable.

"Tch! With your monstrous Mana and strange techniques, it's still too early for me to defeat you," Mira admitted, her frustration palpable.

"That's good. Then you'll just have to endure my princess behavior," Kate replied, not even glancing up from her book.

Mira opened her mouth to protest, but before she could, she noticed something strange the large door to the library was suddenly in front of her. "Wait-" Mira began, but the realization hit her.

"We've been relocated outside the library," Akio observed, clearly impressed by the seamless transition.

Mira frowned, still processing what had just happened. "Her mastery over time and space is far better than Lieselotte's."

"Why are you comparing me to that monster?" Lieselotte's voice chimed in, as she approached the two.

"Why are you here?" Mira asked, surprised.

"Well, I was heading to the library when I felt the space being manipulated, so I waited here," Lieselotte explained casually.

"I see," Mira replied, still somewhat dazed by the sudden shift.

"Can't you do that?" Akio asked, curious.

"I can," Lieselotte admitted, "but I need to cast it. Unlike Kate, who can do it whenever she wants."

Mira sighed, her frustration now mixed with resignation. "Let's go," she said, leading the way, though the encounter with Kate had left an indelible impression on them all.

Kate sat in her usual spot, pondering the complexities of Gojo's Infinity technique. "The mysteries of Gojo's Infinity are still too far beyond my grasp," she mused, her thoughts interrupted by a familiar, unwelcome voice.

"Looks like you're having fun in there," the mysterious voice said, dripping with a mix of amusement and mockery.

"It's you again," Kate responded, her tone laced with disgust. "What do you want this time?"

"I'm here to help you, so don't get angry with me now," the voice replied smoothly.

Kate narrowed her eyes. "What are you going to do?"

"I'll tell you how to resolve your current problems," the mysterious person offered. "It seems to me that you don't enjoy this anymore, so I'll help you."

"OF COURSE! WHO WOULD ENJOY THIS? I'M BEING THROWN AROUND, DOING TASKS I DON'T LIKE!" Kate shouted, her frustration boiling over before she quickly regained her composure. "Though I do enjoy the rewards," she added more quietly.

"I see," the mysterious person said, unfazed. "Do you want me to help you, or should I just change the rules?"

Without hesitation, Kate shouted, "Change the rules!"

"Then I'll change them for you," the voice responded calmly.

"Thanks," Kate muttered, but the mysterious presence had already vanished without a trace. She sat back, wondering if the voice had really gone. "Did she leave?" Kate thought to herself, feeling a strange mix of relief and uncertainty.

Kate realized it was already night. "I accidentally skipped dinner again. I better get some sleep," she muttered as she gathered her things and headed to her room. After a short while, she reached her room and tried to settle in for the night. But suddenly, she heard noise coming from the room next to hers. "Did someone move in? Why are they so noisy? And at midnight, no less!" Kate thought, growing increasingly annoyed.

She tried to ignore it, attempting to fall asleep despite the commotion, but eventually, her patience ran out. "Tch!" Kate exclaimed, getting up and storming out of her room. She knocked on the door of the noisy room. "It's midnight, and you're all noisy!" Kate shouted.

"Is that you, Kate?" Lilith's voice called out from the other side of the door, surprising Kate.

"What are you doing there, Lilith-sensei?" Kate asked.

"Help! Open the door!" Lilith shouted.

"Okay, then," Kate replied as she touched the door, sensing something off. "Hmm? It's sealed with a barrier," she realized before effortlessly shattering the barrier and opening the door.

Inside, Kate saw Lilith and Selina with Arata. "Huh?" Kate exclaimed, puzzled, as Lilith and Selina dashed out of the room.

"Did you do something to them?" Kate asked coldly, her eyes narrowing at Arata.

"No, no way! They just needed the restroom!" Arata replied immediately, waving his hands frantically in denial.

"Good. Stop being noisy, or this room will disappear," Kate warned before turning and heading back to her room.

"Ri-Right!" Arata stammered, watching her leave with a mix of relief and fear.

The next day, Kate noticed Arata standing by his room's door as she walked past, heading straight to the classroom without giving him a second glance. However, she could sense him quietly following her. "For now, the best thing I can do is wait for him to get slightly stronger and then defeat him," Kate thought to herself.

But suddenly, the Gate of Babylon activated, restraining Arata's movements. Kate turned around to see Arata frozen mid-punch, clearly aiming for her back. "What is this?" Kate asked, her voice cold and unimpressed.

"Lilith-sensei said you defeated the Trinity Seven, so I wanted to see how strong you are," Arata explained, trying to sound brave but failing.

"That's stupid," Kate responded flatly, grabbing Enkidu and effortlessly throwing Arata out the window toward the forest. As he disappeared from view, a magical screen appeared in front of Kate, its message causing her to pause.

"You finished all the tasks. Congratulations! You will now be transported back," Kate read aloud, surprised.

"Huh?" Kate exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief as the floor beneath her began to crack and crumble. "Wait, that's all I needed to do?" she shouted, frustration and confusion mingling in her voice as she began to fall into the abyss, her surroundings dissolving into darkness.

"Annoying," Kate muttered, her voice echoing as she descended, the world of Trinity Seven fading away as she was pulled back.