So amazing... or rather, what was happening right in front of them had already gone beyond something you could describe with just amazing.

Five years ago, he had already known how strong Empty City was. The terrifying power to blow up a bomb with one punch, to destroy a warship in a single strike... probably no Superhuman in this world could do that.

But compared to that, what Night Zero was worried about right now was something else.

Covering the wound on her abdomen, she walked straight to Empty City's side.

"What is it?"

Empty City stared at the wound on her abdomen, the one she was deliberately covering, and asked.

Yet Night Zero leaned close to his ear, as if embarrassed, or afraid someone else might hear, and whispered softly,

"Idiot... you're exposing yourself like this."

Although Empty City knew she was talking about his strength, he didn't seem to care at all.

He crouched down beside Night Zero and motioned for her to look around.

And when she followed the direction he pointed in—

it was a scene as if time itself had stopped.

In the entire space, only Night Zero and Empty City could move. Everyone else had fallen into complete stillness.

Vivian had her eyes wide open, clearly about to attack, yet she was frozen there like a black-and-white photograph.

Maxsdale was clutching his wounds, but he couldn't move either. Even the blood spilling out of him stayed motionless, as if it had solidified. Everything else was the same. The glass shards floating in midair, the broken pieces of tables hanging in the air...

"So that's how it is... didn't expect you to think things through this carefully... eh?! That tickles... wait, that hurts!"

Considering Empty City's strength, if he really had an ability like this, it actually wasn't that surprising.

But what the heck was this sudden sensation? A gust of cold air swept past.

The exposed skin of her abdomen, left uncovered beneath her clothes, was slightly red. It looked like she'd been hit pretty hard. Her cute little navel was just sitting there in Empty City's line of sight. While Night Zero had been looking around, Empty City had directly lifted her shirt to check the injury on her abdomen. Her attempt to hide it had been clumsy, and it didn't seem too serious, but Empty City would never allow even the slightest mistake, especially when it came to this.

He placed his hand on her abdomen. It was soft, warm, and carried a strangely comforting touch.

Night Zero blushed as she watched Empty City lift her shirt and place his hand there, gently feeling over it. If she didn't know his intention, then this kind of behavior would be completely perverted, wouldn't it? It was a little ticklish, and it hurt a little too, but after a short while, the pain seemed to vanish without a trace.

"Didn't expect you to have healing abilities too..."

Night Zero said with a hint of emotion, though those words were really just to cover up her embarrassment, and the comfort coming from Empty City's palm.

"Yeah. I learned a little from someone before."

"Someone?"

"Yeah. Someone I used to go to war with."

When he said that, Empty City's eyes seemed a little tired.

That person... was probably a girl, wasn't she? For some reason, Night Zero suddenly thought that.

"Alright. Next, I'm going to restore time. When that happens, I'll deal with this guy's corpse. You just have the students and the other teachers handle the Apostles outside. Of course, I'll help out a little on the side too. From what I can tell at a glance, those Apostles are only around B-rank. They can handle it. It'll also be a good chance to give this academy's students some real combat experience."

Clearly not noticing what Night Zero was thinking, or maybe because he himself had sunk into some vague memory, Empty City spoke calmly. After treating Night Zero's injury, he could have completely wiped out the Apostles outside, but that would be too hard to explain afterward. And right now, this was also a chance to give these people some practical combat experience. It was also a good opportunity for Empty City to see just how strong those so-called Class S students really were.

After Night Zero agreed to his decision, Empty City released his control over time.

That ability just now was only one among Empty City's many powers, but it had its limits. In other words, it couldn't be used repeatedly in rapid succession, or the strain on his body would be enormous. This time, it was only because he hadn't used it in so long that there were no side effects at all.

Once everyone returned to normal, they immediately moved under the command of Night Zero and the other teachers. As for the enemy who had suddenly been finished off, Night Zero brushed it over with a simple excuse. Although everyone had their doubts, wondering if that guy had just been all bark and no bite, the situation didn't allow them time to think. They could only continue fighting.

But there was one person—

Maxsdale, the man whose abdomen had been pierced through, kept staring fixedly at Empty City.

He was clearly badly wounded, yet he paid no attention to his injuries at all. Instead, he studied Empty City with great interest. If Empty City didn't know what he was thinking, he would've seriously wondered whether this guy was gay. But Empty City didn't bother with him right now. The moment Empty City had appeared earlier, time around them had already been frozen, so no one had noticed his presence.

Except for Maxsdale.

Still, explanations could wait until later.

Looking out through the shattered window at the Apostles filling the sky—

Whoosh!

A bullet tore through the air. It was a product of modern super-technology. A bullet with tremendous explosive power fired out with Estia's snipe shot!

It pierced straight through a skull, then erupted with a violent explosion. At the same time, a silver-haired girl wielding twin swords kept weaving through the Apostles on the ground. Her constantly shifting Dual Sword Style carved out one dazzling sword technique after another. Aside from the students who already belonged to his own class, Empty City also took a brief look at the battles of the other students. It did interest him a little.

Only a little.

Then, after the initial panic had passed, the students launched a counterattack under the teachers' lead and gradually gained the upper hand. The reason was simple: all the Apostles this time were ultimately only B-rank, aside from the two that Empty City had crushed.

But... was it really going to end just like this?

Looking at the corpse he had transferred away to some unknown corner, Empty City narrowed his eyes in thought.

The Thirteenth Apostle had already appeared.

If that was the case, then an even greater storm was probably still to come.

Empty City thought this without showing it on his face, then quietly left the place.