"My name is Athena Schwarzkopf, and I'll be your teacher from now on," she announced, making it clear that there was no room for doubt or insubordination in her class, and with those words, the pressure on us increased even more.

"We're off to a good start to the academic year," Anthony cursed inwardly.

The pressure in the room gradually increased, initially bearable for everyone present. However, as minutes passed, it became increasingly unbearable. Those wielding weapons covered their bodies with a protective aura, while the mages invoked their mana to defend themselves. Despite their efforts, the pressure continued to intensify, surpassing the resistance limits of many.

Over time, some students couldn't bear it anymore and fell unconscious, overwhelmed by the crushing force filling the room. The smile on Professor Athena's face was charming, but to the students, it seemed like the smile of the devil, heralding their inevitable defeat against the overwhelming pressure.

Then, in a decisive moment, Professor Athena snapped her fingers, and the unconscious students were transported behind her. As soon as they arrived there, they instantly woke up, finding themselves free from the suffocating pressure that had overwhelmed their bodies.

Behind the professor, there was no trace of the oppression that had been weighing them down moments before, leaving them amazed and bewildered by her ability to control the situation with such mastery.

The expressions of the students changed drastically as they saw their classmates in front of them, struggling with furrowed brows as they attempted to shield themselves from the overwhelming pressure falling on their shoulders. With each passing minute, more and more students fell unconscious on their desks, unable to withstand the relentless burden weighing upon them.

And likewise, more students mysteriously appeared behind the teacher, instantly awakening as they freed themselves from the oppressive pressure.

Over time, only the main cast of students continued to endure the immense pressure surrounding them. The tension in the room reached its peak when Charlotte was the first to fall, followed by Daniela, Adelaide, and Nicholas, who also succumbed to the overwhelming force. Alexandra and Victoria, Eleanor, could not endure any longer, and soon joined their unconscious classmates.

One by one, the other students also fell, unable to resist the overwhelming pressure bearing down on them. All of them, like their peers, appeared behind the teacher, who looked at them with a bright smile as she observed the four students who continued bravely resisting her relentless pressure.

Among the students still enduring the pressure, one of them, a woman, stood firm. Until that moment, only she had covered her body with a protective aura, while the other three boys continued to resist without taking measures to shield themselves with their own aura.

Time continued to pass inexorably, and the tension in the room only increased. Minutes turned into an eternity as the remaining four boys bravely fought against the relentless pressure emanating from Professor Athena. However, even their endurance had a limit.

Finally, another crucial moment arrived when Emily, one of the last standing, fell unconscious, unable to withstand the overwhelming force surrounding her anymore. With her fall, only three students remained standing, facing alone the intense pressure emanating from Professor Athena.

With Emily behind the teacher, she instantly woke up, her eyes turning red as she stared at her older brother, watching as his expression darkened more and more.

Anthony felt as if an entire mountain was placed on his shoulders, a burden so heavy that it seemed to crush even his bones. Although the pressure was overwhelming and some of his bones began to crack, he stood firm. He knew this was a test, a test of endurance and determination that Professor Athena had designed to separate the weakest from the strongest.

Observing the deranged yet triumphant expression of the professor, Anthony understood that she was evaluating her students, determining who were the most fit to face the challenges that awaited them. Depending on the result, she would act accordingly, adapting to the information she had gathered throughout this endurance test.

Anthony noticed that Edward and Ezequiel were the only ones left beside him, facing the pressure with determination. At that moment, he realized that this was a battle of wills, a struggle to prove who was the strongest and who had the strength necessary to triumph.

As the minutes went by, the burden on Anthony's shoulders shifted from feeling like a mountain to feeling like the weight of the entire world. His bones creaked under the immense pressure, but gritting his teeth, he refused to yield to the pain. With a superhuman effort, he released his aura, enveloping his body in a protective energy.

Almost simultaneously, Edward and Ezequiel also released their auras, forming a triad of power that fought to resist the oppression imposed by Professor Athena. Edward's aura glowed with a dark orange hue, while Ezequiel's radiated a golden glow. The professor's smile widened even more, and her eyes sparkled with an intensity that seemed to emulate small stars in the darkness.

Suddenly, in an instant, the pressure increased abruptly, as if multiplying a thousandfold in the blink of an eye. Anthony felt his bones dislocating in his shoulders, and a scream of pain threatened to escape his lips. However, in the midst of his agony, he held fast to his determination, refusing to give in to the relentless pressure enveloping him.

With a superhuman effort, he increased even more the amount of aura emanating from his body. Black flames emerged from his being, shining brightly in the darkness like a beacon of resistance. The part of the room where Anthony was standing became as dark as the night, shrouded in a mantle of power that defied the oppression surrounding them.

Edward and Ezequiel followed his example, infusing their auras with dark orange and golden colors, the two colors contrasting with Anthony's dark aura. The three auras intertwined in a dance of strength, fighting against the pressure exerted by Professor Atena. Her silver aura shimmered with a dazzling intensity.

As the minutes passed, Anthony spat a mouthful of blood from his mouth, which was black in color. The three students were at their limit, the pressure increasing to the level of a Maximum-Fallen rank creature. Anthony's bones were breaking under the immense pressure, his eyes were bloodshot. Just when he felt he couldn't take it anymore, the enormous pressure disappeared from his shoulders.