"I would like to invite the top ranker of the first-year batch, the position holder of the student representative, and the official bearer of the ARCHON title to come on the stage and address the batch."
The moment Kevin's words settled, a subtle shift ran through the auditorium.
Hundreds of gazes instinctively turned in a single direction, anticipation and curiosity mixing with lingering unease from everything that had already happened that morning.
William looked at Kevin, and then with a smile, he started walking towards the stage.
He stepped forward without hesitation; the black cat sat calmly on his shoulders, unbothered.
There was no nervous adjustment of posture, no glance around the hall to gauge reactions.
His expression remained detached, as though the weight of five hundred pairs of eyes meant nothing to him.
As William climbed onto the stage, Kevin stepped aside, giving him space without ceremony.
The distance between them was small, but the contrast was striking.
William came to a stop behind the podium.
He placed his hands on its surface briefly, grounding himself in the moment.
Then he raised his head and looked straight ahead.
His unwavering and cold gaze passed over the students without warmth or disdain.
"Good morning," he said.
From a short distance away, Kevin let out a quiet chuckle, clearly amused by the contrast.
"I don't have much to tell you, and I'm not here to comfort anyone.
A calamity struck. Some of you almost died. Many people actually did. That is reality, and pretending otherwise is pointless.
But don't stop living because of it.
Don't stop celebrating.
Sometimes wasting time is fine.
Don't be too hard on yourselves when you feel crushed.
Keep telling yourself you can do it, even when you don't believe it.
Eat good food. Go on adventures.
Enjoy this academy, because this time will never return.
ENJOY YOUR LIVES."
Will spoke in a soft motivational tone, but then something beyond that appeared; his expression hardened and his voice deepened.
"It does not matter whether chickens were happy or sad before they went under the knife."
"THEY WERE BORN TO BE CUT DOWN.
THE SAME WAY YOU WERE BORN TO BE BUTCHERED BY DEMONS," he shouted.
"Now, even though I am the Archon and the strongest in the first year, I know these words will offend some of you. Calling you chickens is disrespectful."
"I just wish the demons thought so too. Unfortunately, they don't."
"Most of you believe the demons attacked the trial to wipe out the so-called golden generation the elders love to talk about. But you missed one thing."
"There are cults in this world. They are expendable tools used by demons to control ARIS."
"If the demons were truly afraid of you, they would have sent their best warriors."
"BUT THEY DIDN'T."
"They didn't even send a single demon."
"They sent their lapdogs."
"The ones who butchered candidates during the trial were not demons. They were natives of ARIS. People born in this very world."
"The demons did nothing, and yet an entire generation was nearly erased. For us, it was a generation at stake. For them, it was just a few disposable pawns."
"ONE ORDER FROM THEM -
AND A WHOLE FUCKING GENERATION DISAPPEARS."
So when I call you chickens, I am not talking only about academy students.
I AM TALKING ABOUT EVERYONE LIVING IN THIS WORLD."
Sigh*!
A moment of silence spread as Will took a breath of sigh!!
"Fortunately, I am not a chicken."
"The demons are chickens in front of me, and they will soon learn what it feels like to stand on the chopping board."
"THE PEOPLE WHO WALK BESIDE ME WILL BE MY KNIVES.
I WILL SHARPEN THEM.
I WILL TEMPER THEM.
AND I WILL SWING THEM...
Until Abyss Itself has to shiver under my name."
"I am a commoner, a human.
The butcher of space mage Vorin.
And now the 1st-year Archon of the World Academy.
This is William Kaiser signing off..."
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Silence!!!
There was no applause. No cheers. Not even scattered clapping.
The auditorium was locked in a pin-drop silence so complete it felt unnatural. Students stared ahead, unable to process what they had just heard.
The words were brutal, offensive, and terrifying, yet they rang with a truth that made it impossible to dismiss them outright.
William stepped away from the podium and quietly climbed down from the stage, returning to his designated seat.
He could feel countless stares following him, pressing against his back, but he did not react.
This was not the first time he had been looked at that way, and it would not be the last.
His goal had been simple.
To spark anger, helplessness, and discomfort.
Judging by the silence around him, he had succeeded.
By calling the entire world chickens, he had meant to show that influence and power changed nothing at the core.
Whether one held authority or not, everyone stood alone when facing the Abyss.
As the impact of his speech continued to spread through the hall and beyond its walls, Kevin resumed the orientation, his voice steady as he explained additional guidelines.
Soon after, the prize distribution began. The top ten rankers were called onto the stage one by one and awarded points, coupons to withdraw high-ranked techniques from the academy archives, and several high-ranked weapons corresponding to their standings.
The rewards were mediocre in William's eyes. The only thing that truly interested him was the techniques he would be able to obtain later.
When the ceremony finally ended, students began leaving the auditorium in small groups.
William did the same, walking calmly toward the student center to retrieve the passkey to his dorm room.
Before he could take more than a few steps, a figure appeared in front of him.
The man wore a black ceremonial uniform, and a metallic spear gleamed across his back.
His gaze was sharp as he looked William over.
"William Kaiser," the man said, his tone formal, "you have been summoned by the investigation committee. Please follow me."
_________________
[A/N: Sorry for the short Chapters and low updates from last 2 days I was out of station and did not have my pc with me, I was writting Chapters from my phone so editing was difficult]
MASS RELEASE SOON!