Cairo's consciousness returned in fragments. First came sensation, the dull ache permeating every muscle in his body. Then sound, the distant clatter of utensils against ceramic. Finally, awareness, the recognition that he was lying on something soft in a well-lit room.
He opened his eyes slowly, wincing at the brightness. The training auditorium ceiling came into focus above him, the same scarred and damaged space where he'd just fought for leadership. Someone had moved him to a padded mat along the wall, comfortable enough for recovery but not exactly luxurious.
Cairo tried to sit up and immediately regretted it. His ribs protested with sharp pain, reminding him of the cracked bones from Alina's final attack. His arms were bandaged, the cuts from Layla's Zone treated but still tender. Every part of him hurt in ways he hadn't known were possible.
"Ah, the victor awakens," Noah's voice carried across the auditorium, carrying amusement. "I was starting to worry I'd have to drag your unconscious body back to your dorm. That would've been embarrassing for both of us."
Cairo turned his head, the movement sending fresh spikes of pain through his neck, and found Noah sitting in the same corner where he'd observed the battle. The instructor had a small table set up with what looked like lunch spread across it. Steam rose from covered containers, the smell making Cairo's stomach growl despite his condition.
"How long was I out?" Cairo managed, his voice rough.
"About an hour," Noah replied, taking a bite of something that looked suspiciously like actual quality food rather than Academy cafeteria fare. "You collapsed right after Alina yielded. Dramatic timing, really. Very heroic."
Cairo finally managed to sit up, moving slowly and carefully. His body screamed in protest but obeyed. "Where is everyone?"
"Dismissed them after you went down," Noah said, gesturing with his fork. "Alina woke up about thirty minutes ago. Had the same conversation with her that I'm about to have with you. She took it better than I expected, actually. Acknowledged you earned it."
"That's... surprisingly mature of her."
"Don't get too excited. She also promised to make your life difficult as Vice Commander. Said something about challenging you for Commander position once she's recovered." Noah grinned. "Should be entertaining to watch."
Cairo processed that information, adding it to his growing list of complications. A Vice Commander who resented being second. That would be fun to manage.
"So," Noah continued, setting down his fork and pulling out a folder, "let me fill you in on your responsibilities as Class Commander. Alina got the same briefing, so you two should coordinate."
He opened the folder, revealing several official-looking documents.
"As Commander, you're the primary decision-maker for Delta class in Special Exams. You coordinate strategy, make final calls on approaches, and generally act as the face of your class in inter-class dealings. Alina, as Vice Commander, supports you and takes over if you're incapacitated or unavailable."
Noah pulled out one document in particular, sliding it across the floor toward Cairo since he clearly wasn't getting up to retrieve it.
"This outlines your administrative duties. You're responsible for ensuring class cohesion, settling internal disputes, and reporting any major issues to me. You'll also be the primary contact point between Delta class and Academy administration."
Cairo reached for the document, his movements still pained, and scanned it. The responsibilities were extensive but manageable. Most of it was common sense leadership wrapped in bureaucratic language.
"One thing that's particularly important," Noah said, his tone becoming more serious. "Class Points review checks happen at the end of every week. The Academy evaluates each class's performance, conduct, and achievements, then adjusts your Class Points accordingly. Those adjustments affect your monthly Private Points distribution."
He leaned forward slightly, making sure Cairo was paying attention.
"As Commander, you'll receive a detailed breakdown of what factors influenced your class's evaluation. Positive and negative. Use that information to course-correct, to identify problems before they cost you points. Delta class starts at a disadvantage compared to Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. You'll need every point you can scrounge."
Cairo nodded, filing that away. Weekly evaluations meant constant pressure to perform, to maintain discipline, to keep his classmates in line. It would be exhausting.
"Also," Noah added, "class rankings can shift based on accumulated Class Points. If Delta outperforms Gamma consistently, you can swap rankings. Same for any class pairing. So there's always incentive to push harder, to sabotage rivals, to climb the hierarchy."
"When do we get our first evaluation?" Cairo asked.
"This Friday. Five days from now. Which means you have until then to get your class organized, establish expectations, and start building the foundation for success." Noah smiled. "No pressure."
Cairo felt the weight of leadership settling on his shoulders like a physical thing. Ten students, all placed in the bottom class, all carrying their own issues and insecurities. And he was supposed to forge them into something that could compete with Alpha class.
At least he had advantages they didn't know about. The system, his enhanced attributes, his knowledge of the original story's plot points. That had to count for something.
Noah reached beside him and produced another paper bag, sealed and still warm. He tossed it to Cairo, who caught it awkwardly.
"Lunch," Noah explained. "My treat. You earned it with that performance. That deflection at the end? Incredible. Stupid, but incredible."
Cairo opened the bag and found quality food inside. Actual meat, fresh bread, vegetables that looked like they'd been prepared by someone who cared. His stomach growled loudly, and he realized he hadn't eaten since before the placement ceremony.
"Thanks," he said, genuinely grateful.
"Don't mention it," Noah replied, returning to his own meal. Then he grinned, that mischievous expression returning. "Though I have to say, Starlight, I'm incredibly jealous of your fighting style. The tactical groping? Brilliant. Completely inappropriate, but brilliant."
Cairo nearly choked on his first bite. "That wasn't intentional."
"Sure it wasn't," Noah said, his tone heavy with disbelief. "You accidentally grabbed Beaufort's chest. Then accidentally grabbed it again. Then accidentally grabbed Wisteria's hip during your final grapple. That's a lot of accidents."
"Combat is chaotic," Cairo protested weakly.
"Combat is chaotic," Noah agreed, "but your hands seemed to have remarkably good aim for being so accidentally placed. I saw Beaufort's face after you eliminated her. That wasn't just embarrassment, Starlight. You got in her head."
Cairo felt his own face heating. "Can we talk about something else?"
"Fine, fine," Noah said, though his grin suggested he'd be bringing this up again later. "Just know that half the Academy is going to hear about how Delta class's new Commander wins fights through strategic fondling. Your reputation is going to be interesting."
That was not comforting.
They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes, Cairo savoring food that actually had flavor while his body slowly recovered. The bandages on his arms were professional work, probably Noah's doing while he'd been unconscious. The pain in his ribs was manageable now, sharp when he moved wrong but tolerable otherwise.
"Alright," Noah said finally, standing and stretching. "I'm heading out. You should take the rest of the day to recover. Classes start properly tomorrow morning, and as Commander, you need to make sure your whole class shows up on time. First impressions matter."
He gathered his things, pausing at the door to look back at Cairo.
"Also, start thinking about class communication. You've got ten people who need to function as a unit. Some of them will resent your leadership. Some will challenge you. Some will just be difficult because that's their nature. Figure out how to manage that before Friday's evaluation. Your Class Points depend on cohesion as much as individual performance."
"Any advice?" Cairo asked.
Noah considered for a moment. "Lead by example. You won Commander position through strength, but keep it through competence. Show them you're not just the strongest fighter but the smartest strategist. Make them believe Delta class can climb the rankings, and they'll follow."
He left without waiting for a response, the door closing behind him with a soft click.
Cairo sat alone in the damaged auditorium, finishing his lunch and processing everything. Commander of Delta class. The position he'd fought for, schemed for, pushed his body past its limits for. Now he had it, and with it came responsibilities he wasn't entirely sure he could handle.
But he'd figure it out. He had to.
After finishing his meal, Cairo slowly stood, testing his body's limits. Everything hurt, but nothing was unbearable. His enhanced attributes were already accelerating his healing beyond normal rates. By tomorrow, he'd probably be functional enough for classes.
He made his way out of the training auditorium and through the Academy corridors, moving slowly and carefully. Students passed him occasionally, some offering curious glances at his bandaged state but none stopping to ask questions. He was grateful for the anonymity.
The walk back to his dorm felt longer than it should have. His body wanted rest, wanted to shut down and recover properly. Cairo pushed through, driven by the need to reach his room, to have privacy to process everything that had happened.
Finally, he reached his door, key fumbling in the lock before clicking open. The simple single room had never looked more inviting. Cairo stepped inside, locked the door behind him, and collapsed onto his bed without even removing his shoes.
For several minutes, he just lay there, staring at the ceiling and letting his mind wander. The fight replayed in his memory. Michael's elimination, straightforward and quick. Dena's removal, complicated by accidentally groping her multiple times. Layla's defeat, hard-fought and closer than he'd have liked. And finally, Alina's elimination, won by the narrowest of margins through a combination of skill, luck, and willingness to risk everything.
He'd won. Against all odds, despite being placed in the weakest class, Cairo Starlight was now Class Commander.
But more than that, he felt different. Stronger. His body had been pushed to its absolute limits and beyond, and something had changed. The Limitbreak talent had been activated four times during the battle, each use pushing him past constraints, each activation leaving him more capable than before.
Cairo sat up, ignoring his body's protests, and thought the word that had become familiar.
Status.
The translucent blue screen materialized before his eyes, information cascading across its surface.
[Name: Cairo Starlight]
[STR: 15]
[WIS: 13]
[INT: 16]
[CHA: 15]
[AGI: 14]
[Talent: [Absorption] [System]]
[Bond Formed: 1]
[Bond Library: [Eden Brighthelm - Descent from the Brighthelm line, a hero family with the talent of Limitbreak, a talent that allows them shatter any known limit and continue growing in power, they will never return to that weak state after breaking through. You gain +5 attribute point for having sex with her the first time and +2 for subsequent sex this applies just once a day] - [55%]]
[Skills: [Eros Sigil - Sleep with them and brand them as your slave, immediately after the deed they would become indebted to you craving you and unable to disobey you]]
[[Talent Replica - Creates a Replica of any talents from those you have fucked, the talents aren't any weaker, if anything they're stronger]]
[[Limitbreak]]
Cairo stared at the numbers, his mind processing the changes. Every attribute had increased by six points since he last checked. The repeated use of Limitbreak during the battle royale had pushed his body past its previous limitations, and those gains had become permanent.
He was stronger now. Significantly so. Not at the level of Layla or Alina yet, probably not even matching the upper tier of Gamma class. But he wasn't bottom tier anymore either. He'd climbed from the absolute weakest to somewhere in the middle through one intense fight.
And this was just the beginning. With the system, with his stolen talents, with his knowledge of the story's progression, he could keep climbing. Could become stronger than anyone expected.
The thought was intoxicating.
Cairo was about to dismiss the status screen when he heard it. A knock on his door, hesitant and irregular. Not the confident rap of someone sure of their welcome, but the uncertain tapping of someone desperate and afraid of rejection.
He frowned, dismissing the screen, and slowly made his way to the door. Who would be visiting him? His classmates didn't know where his room was yet. Noah had left him alone to recover. It couldn't be—
Cairo opened the door and froze.
Eden Brighthelm stood in the hallway, and she was a mess.
Her white hair, normally perfect and pristine, was disheveled and damp with sweat. Her face was flushed deep crimson, her crimson eyes unfocused and glazed with something that looked like fever but wasn't. She panted, quick shallow breaths that made her chest heave, her uniform clinging to her sweat-slicked body.
Her hands gripped herself, one clutching at her own throat, the other pressed between her thighs over her skirt. She shifted her weight from foot to foot, fidgeting like she couldn't stand still, like every nerve in her body was on fire.
Cairo couldn't see through her clothing, but the way she moved, the desperate quality of her breathing, the flush that extended down her neck and disappeared beneath her collar, all told him exactly what state she was in.
She was aroused. Desperately, overwhelmingly aroused. And from the way her eyes locked onto him, recognizing him even through her haze, she was here for one reason.
"Cairo," Eden breathed his name like a prayer and a curse combined. Her voice was rough, needy, carrying an edge of desperation that made his pulse spike. "I... I tried to stay away. Tried to ignore it. But I can't. It's been hours and it just keeps getting worse."
She took a step forward, forcing Cairo to back up into his room. Her hands reached for him, trembling, and soft sounds escaped her lips unbidden. Whimpers. Moans. The sounds of someone losing control.
"Eden, what—" Cairo started.
"Your bitch needs you," Eden interrupted, her voice breaking on the words. Shame and need warred in her expression, her pride crumbling under the weight of whatever compulsion the Eros Sigil had imposed. "Nowww."
The last word came out as almost a moan, desperate and pleading.
Then she was on him, her lips crashing against his with bruising force. Her body pressed flush against his, and he could feel the heat radiating from her, could feel how she trembled with barely restrained need.
Cairo's mind went blank for a crucial second, too shocked to react. Then awareness returned, along with the horrifying realization that they were standing in his open doorway, visible to anyone walking past in the hallway.
He looked past Eden's shoulder and saw them. Other students. At least three, maybe four, standing frozen in the corridor with expressions ranging from shock to scandalized delight.
Eden Brighthelm, Alpha class elite, one of the strongest candidates in the Academy, kissing Cairo Starlight, Delta class Commander and supposed weakest bloodline, in his doorway where anyone could see.
Only one phrase came to Cairo's mind, crystallizing with perfect clarity despite the chaos.
Oh shit.