If the Shadow Monsters were the teachers, this Giant was more like a homeroom teacher or even the head of discipline.
In essence, its job was simple: patrol the corridors during class, occasionally peering through the small windows at the front and back of the classrooms to ensure students were studying diligently and to catch anyone trying to skip class.
The rule was straightforward: "No leaving the classroom during class time."
Even standing outside the door as punishment was forbidden.
The Giant cast a cursory glance at the classroom where Shu Cat and Invincible Bro were located, observing the scene of "harmonious chaos"—the Dark Shadow Teacher seething with frustration yet powerless to act. With a disappointed sigh, it continued its patrol.
Soon, it reached the ground floor. As it descended the stairs, a cacophony erupted—the clatter of desks and chairs colliding, followed by the jarring crash of something heavy hitting the floor.
Instantly, the Giant quickened its pace. Bald and browless, with cloudy, fist-sized eyes and a massive face crisscrossed with deep wrinkles like that of a chronically ill old man, its expression transformed into one of feverish excitement and bloodlust.
If you made a mistake in class and didn't want to face the punishment, any normal person's first instinct would be to bolt out of the classroom, right? The commotion clearly indicated someone fleeing recklessly, knocking over desks and chairs in their panic. For the Giant, the solution was simple: lie in wait outside the door and ambush them.
Escaping the classroom might seem like a lifeline, but in reality, the Giant lurking outside was far more terrifying than the Dark Shadow Teacher and the mannequin students within.
As the Giant drew closer to the source of the noise, its excitement grew. Then, in an instant, it witnessed a round head shatter the small square glass pane in the front door of First-Year Class Two. The head spun through the air, crashed against the opposite wall with a sickening splat, and exploded into a shower of shards.
The Giant: "?"
It paused momentarily, its expression unreadable. Taking a few more steps, it finally reached the classroom door. Kneeling and bending at an awkward angle, it managed to align its head with the shattered square window.
Then, the Giant saw a silver-haired female student moving like a character in a Musou game. With a casual swing of her weapon, she sliced through several mannequins at the waist. A swift kick shattered the chest of another mannequin that seemed poised to ambush her from the side.
The mannequin exploded like a watermelon, its arms and legs flying off in separate directions.
Next, she gripped the neck of another mannequin with her free left hand. With a sickening crack, she effortlessly crushed its neck and ripped off its head.
Clearly, the object she had flung out of the classroom earlier had met a similar fate before being casually discarded.
Unsurprisingly, this student was Firefly.
Her hair and clothes were plastered with plastic shards, remnants of the shattered mannequins. The debris gave her a slightly disheveled appearance, like a rambunctious child returning home after a wild outdoor adventure.
But from the mannequins' perspective, wasn't this equivalent to being drenched in blood and gore?
The scene unfolding before him left the Giant in the corridor utterly dumbfounded. Shouldn't the normal course of events be either to follow the rules, using the mechanisms to prevent the monsters from attacking, or to break the rules and be chased down by them?
What the hell is going on here?
What kind of freshman are you?
How did you manage to slaughter the teacher and the entire class during your very first lesson?
In fact, if the Giant had arrived just a few seconds later, he might have missed Firefly's massacre of the mannequins entirely.
Crunch! With none of the grace expected of a lady, Firefly stomped the final mannequin's head into pieces. Just as she was about to exhale in relief, a movement in her peripheral vision caught her eye. Through the small window in the classroom door, a large face stared wide-eyed at her, having been watching for who knew how long.
Anyone else would have jumped at such a sudden encounter, but Firefly remained unfazed. Still riding the adrenaline rush from her rampage, her first instinct was to snap, "What the hell are you staring at?!"
The Giant blinked. Constrained by the "rules," he could only manifest during class hours and was forbidden from entering the classroom or attacking anyone properly engaged in learning inside.
Hmm, even though the student in front of him didn't seem to be paying much attention to class, as long as Firefly stayed inside the classroom, the Giant was completely powerless against her.
But just because the Giant couldn't touch Firefly didn't mean she had no plans of her own!
Brushing plastic shards off her body, Firefly strode toward the front door. The height difference between them was truly absurd.
The Giant had to half-kneel and hunch over to peer through the small window, while Firefly had to stand on her tiptoes just to see the view outside properly.
This reminded her of an old saying: "I'll jump up and chop your knees!" Though not quite that extreme, the sentiment was similar. Staring at the Giant's wrinkled, hideous face inches away, she slowly raised her right hand, activated her Lightsaber, and thrust it forward.
Thwack!
"ROAAAAAAAR!!!"
The Giant, remarkably slow-witted, made no attempt to dodge. Instantly, a deafening roar of fury and an agonized scream—even more ear-splitting than Soup Dumpling's earlier shrieks—reverberated throughout the entire school.
The Giant dropped its bone knife, clutched its head with both hands, and began rolling frantically on the ground. However, its immense size and the corridor's narrowness meant it was now slamming its head violently against the left and right walls.
Thud!Thud!Thud!
A cacophony of enraged roars, agonized screams, and thunderous crashes echoed through the building. On the second floor, Shu Cat and Invincible Bro felt as if an earthquake had struck.
"Wh-what's happening? What's going on now?!"
Though Firefly had only landed a single strike, her sword had pierced the Giant's brain. Its movements visibly slowed, its anguished cries fading into pained whimpers until it collapsed motionless on the floor.