How To Survive A Calamity-Chapter 243: Ranker Combat [3]

Derrick's sudden declaration hit the hall like a tidal wave, sweeping through the air and leaving gaps of stunned silence broken only by bursts of disbelief and excitement.

Even I almost wasn't exempt. Macho Derrick had just thrown the shit straight into the fan.

"What?" A voice snapped from the arena—it was Deandra.

The red-haired princess furrowed her brows, her bright crimson eyes darting to Elijah and Williem, both wearing the same puzzled expression.

And there Derrick stood, his monstrous frame looming like some mad colossus, arms spread wide as though he were basking under stage lights with the entire world beneath his feet—

…or at least, that's probably how the muscle-brained instructor with his generous streak of narcissism felt.

Macho Derrick's grin stretched wider, brutal and unrestrained, flashing rows of bold teeth. His eyes burned with a dark, infectious excitement.

"This is good."

He swept his browless gaze across the hall, dragging it slowly over the stands where the cadets—and I—sat, caught speechless by his performance.

"Today's class, a Duel Exclusive lesson, was meant to bolster and promote competition—especially among those of you who find yourselves dissatisfied with your current ranking and standing."

The words came like hammer blows.

"You were at the top, and now you're below. You were below, and now you're at the top. But still, you hunger, you burn, you believe you can climb even higher."

He paused then, deliberately, the silence stretched taut. The grin never once left Derrick Greybarn's face—it only grew sharper, more brutal, as if feeding on the tension he himself created.

By now the entire class was riveted. Their attention clung to him, every word and syllable a chain pulling tighter. Of course, it was impossible to ignore him—his voice wasn't just loud, it was an eruption, a volcanic bellow that left no space for distraction.

And with that thunderous authority, Macho Derrick pressed on.

"But in all this shifting, not everyone was so lucky—or so unfortunate. The tides rose and fell for most of you, yes… but not for all. Especially not for the Top Ten Cadets, whose standings, to this very moment, remain the same."

Derrick took a step away from Deandra, Elijah, and Williem, drifting until he stood beside Ceres, his eyes locked on the figure below. Every gaze in the room followed him—drawn to his broad, muscular frame, catching on even the smallest of his movements.

His grin widened, teeth flashing, his stare fixed hard on the platinum-haired girl as though his words carried a heavier meaning for her than anyone else present.

"And I, as a firm believer and advocate of equality, would like to give everyone a fair opportunity. A chance to rise, to fall. To decide, and to claim whatever rank, number, privilege, or position they so desire. That is why I've set it up this way. But let's make it even more interesting."

The dark-skinned man burst into laughter, roaring at some private joke that no one else seemed to catch.

Derrick's ingenious idea was spiraling into something unnecessarily huge and out of control, yet the cadets had no choice but to be dragged along in its wake. Overwhelmed by the instructor's chaotic momentum, they could only sit at the edge of their seats, whispering in low murmurs as the storm around them gathered force.

I watched it all unfold with deadpan calm.

The question hanging heavy on their lips was obvious—

Was Derrick really about to make the Top Ten Rankers fight each other?

He did call it a battle royale, after all. Everyone could see where that road led.

But the answer? No.

Not now, at least.

Derrick's intentions were clear as day, even if most mistook him for a simple brute. But even he wasn't reckless enough to throw all ten against each other here. Not yet.

So, with a massive wave of his hand, he dismissed them.

"Get lost for now. This stage isn't yours any longer," Derrick Greybarn said, his grin still splitting wide. "You'll have a far bigger stage soon—one that fits the status of your precious Top Ten."

And just like that, the next most anticipated event of the First Year was christened: Rankers Combat.

Another of Head Instructor Greybarn's genius ideas spiraling off course.

Macho Derrick's original plan had been simple—cruel, but simple. He wanted the cadets to duel against one another, their hard-earned Ranks and privileges hanging by a thread with every clash. But somewhere along the way, that idea twisted and grew into something bigger. What started as a reckless test of strength had now evolved into a full-blown Ranker-exclusive battle, one that went beyond ordinary cadets.

This was no longer just training anymore.

The Rankers filed off the stage and slipped back to their seats. Around them, cadets buzzed—some relieved, others grumbling at the lost chance to watch a Top Ten free-for-all.

As for the Rankers themselves, they returned in silence, each sunk into their own thoughts, their own masks of expression.

Williem with a thin, dry grin, Elijah with a deep and heavy expression that both masked and portrayed the weight of his thoughts — Deandra with slender brows furrowed and eyes full of questions and daze.

And Ceres… was as aloof as ever.

Scratch what I said earlier about being able to read Ceres Walker a bit more. I couldn't understand that taciturn, statue-like face after all.

Whether she felt excitement at the development, or annoyance at being dragged into the center of something unnecessary and troublesome, she hid it away perfectly.

Couldn't she be more like Huey? That guy was throwing a tantrum and groaning like it was the end of the world.

"Kakakakakakakahh!" Terra Vought, the short miscreant with messy brown hair, cackled away in that odd, grating sound of hers, full of relish — hands tucked and hidden deep inside the pockets of her oversized sweater.

Amy Santiago, seated next to her, pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed deeply, like the entire situation was just one long drag.

"Aarghh!" Huey Gallagher clawed at his messy black hair, yanking at the roots like he was possessed by some wraith or demon. Someone really should check on that guy.

And I managed to catch sight of Xavier Locke, Rank 7, amidst all of this. Among the crowd, his reaction stood out — quiet, calm, untouched. He sat with legs crossed in an almost careless sprawl, carrying himself with an effortless, easygoing grace. A lazy grin arched across his face.

He looked less like one of the main actors on stage and more like an amused spectator in the audience, grounded in some untouchable, detached demure. His narrow eyes curved thinly, like crescent moons, smiling in sync with his lips. His yellow hair, parted to the side, swept over his face like something out of a model shoot.

That lazy grin, that unshaken composure, the aloof curve of his eyes—everything about him was strangely mysterious, quietly charming, and unnervingly unreadable all at once.

I thought Xavier Locke, Rank 7 of Class C, was a strange guy. My instincts reacted subtly when it came to him.

Thinking that, I turned away from Xavier.

Ceres Walker.

Deandra Lunar De'Lacurt.

Huey Gallagher.

Elijah Vayne.

Williem.

Terra Vought.

Xavier Locke.

Amy Santiago.

Those were the top eight cadets of the first year, listed in order.

I still wasn't entirely sure who the 9th and 10th ranked cadets were. I wouldn't have recognized them even if they were standing right in front of me. Especially Number Nine.

As for Number Ten, I'd only ever heard rumors. I knew she was female, a cadet from Class C like Xavier. But from what I could tell, she hadn't shown up in class today either.

If she did, apparently I'd know when i see her, for some reason.

Part of the rumour about her was that she was a very charming and easygoing person that moved like the world seemed to revolve around her. I wasn't sure if that meant she was narcissistic, or maybe the rumours had just been over exaggerated in some way.

But i also heard she was quite elusive and usually missed a lot of classes and group participations due to... circumstances.

Could that explain why I'd never seen her once throughout all this time? It sounded a little crazy though. But i admit i was interested in the top ten until recently.

Oh, right. Also, i think Alex and her might be freinds, although i found that laughable to believe.

He probably talked about her once before to ke at some point, i think i can vaguely remember, but i wasn't listen.

I rose my brow in thought and pinched my chin.

Hmmm.

"What was her name again, anyway? Uhmm..."

I think it was...

"Alice...?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Fuck it. I couldn't remember.

I shrugged and turned my attention back to the stage. Muscle Derrick's class wasn't over yet.

With the Rankers' face-off pushed to later, a new round of challenges was already underway, and my thoughts drifted as cadets stepped up one after another—only to fall just as quickly.

This time, the top ten were excluded, leaving the rest to battle it out. Still, Derrick's booming speech must've lit some kind of fire, because suddenly the arena was crawling with reckless volunteers. A few lower-ranked cadets, drunk on nothing but blind inspiration, even went so far as to hurl challenges at opponents leagues above them.

"Oof."

Another poor soul kissed the dirt face-first, and I could only facepalm, shaking my head.

In the background i could hear Derrick's hearty laughter roll mockingly.

This… was going to take a while.