The Extra Who Inherited Ragnarok

The morning bell rang across Valhalla Academy.

Noah opened his eyes.

For several seconds, he simply stared at the ceiling.

Another day.

Another class.

Another chance to train.

He sat up and looked toward the window.

The academy grounds were already busy.

Students crossed the courtyards below, heading toward their morning lessons. A few were already wearing training equipment.

Noah got dressed and left his room.

The hallway was crowded.

"Morning."

Eric walked past him while carrying a stack of books.

Noah stared.

"You’re studying?"

Eric looked offended.

"I can study."

"I didn’t say you couldn’t."

"You sounded surprised."

"I was."

Eric sighed.

"Come on. We’re going to be late."

They hurried toward the classroom.

Sophia, Luna, Damien, and Laura were already there.

Eric dropped his books onto the desk.

"Made it."

Professor Astrid entered moments later.

The room became quiet.

"Today, we’re discussing combat formations."

A diagram appeared on the board.

Six figures appeared around a central point.

"Most squads make the same mistake."

Astrid pointed toward the formation.

"They believe a formation exists to make everyone stronger."

She shook her head.

"A formation exists to make weaknesses manageable."

Noah listened carefully.

That was something he hadn’t considered.

Astrid explained how different fighters could compensate for one another.

A close-range fighter could protect a long-range attacker.

A support fighter could strengthen someone else’s abilities.

A defensive fighter could create openings.

The lesson continued for nearly an hour.

Then Astrid gave them an assignment.

"Create a formation suitable for your squad."

Eric immediately turned toward Noah.

"Easy."

Sophia shook her head.

"You haven’t even thought about it."

"I’ve thought about it."

"You just said easy."

"That was the thinking."

Luna laughed.

Damien pulled out a sheet of paper.

"Let’s actually plan this."

They gathered around the desk.

Laura looked at the group.

"Noah shouldn’t always be at the front."

Noah raised an eyebrow.

"Why?"

"Because you’re the most adaptable."

Eric nodded.

"If something goes wrong, you’re usually the one who reacts."

Sophia added, "Which means you shouldn’t be locked into one position."

Noah considered it.

That made sense.

They spent the next several minutes discussing possibilities.

For once, Noah wasn’t thinking about how he could defeat an enemy.

He was thinking about how everyone else could fight better.

The difference was subtle.

But important.

When the class ended, Squad Seven remained behind.

They tested their formation in the training room.

It failed immediately.

Eric moved too far forward.

Luna couldn’t support him.

Damien shifted to cover the wrong side.

Sophia nearly collided with Laura.

Everyone stopped.

Silence.

Eric looked around.

"That went well."

Noah laughed.

"Terribly."

They tried again.

This time, they adjusted their positions.

It still wasn’t perfect.

But it was better.

Again.

And again.

By the fifth attempt, they finally moved without getting in each other’s way.

Professor Astrid watched from the doorway.

She didn’t interrupt.

When they finished, she simply nodded.

"Better."

Noah looked at his teammates.

Nobody had become stronger overnight.

Nobody had unlocked some extraordinary ability.

They had simply learned something new about each other.

And that felt like progress.

As they left the training room, Eric stretched his arms.

"Tomorrow, we make it perfect."

Sophia smiled.

"Tomorrow."

Noah walked beside them.

For once, he wasn’t walking toward a battlefield.

He was walking toward another ordinary day at Valhalla.

And strangely enough, he was beginning to look forward to those days.

The next training session began before breakfast.

Noah stood in the eastern training field with the rest of Squad Seven.

The grass was still covered with a thin layer of morning dew.

Eric looked half-asleep.

"Why are we here this early?"

Noah glanced at him.

"You said we were going to make the formation perfect."

"I was hoping we’d do that later."

Sophia folded her arms.

"You were the one who suggested it."

Eric sighed.

"I make terrible decisions before breakfast."

Luna laughed.

Damien shook his head.

Laura stood nearby, already prepared.

"Let’s begin."

They took their positions.

Noah stood slightly behind the center.

Eric and Damien occupied the front.

Sophia moved along the left.

Luna stayed farther back.

Laura positioned herself where she could support everyone.

They started.

Eric moved first.

A practice construct appeared.

He blocked its attack and pushed it toward Noah.

Noah struck.

Sophia followed from the side.

Luna fired a controlled blast.

The construct collapsed.

"Better," Damien said.

Another construct appeared.

This time, it attacked Luna.

Damien moved immediately.

He blocked the strike.

Sophia stepped in.

Noah shifted to cover the opening.

Laura strengthened Damien’s defense.

The construct fell.

They stopped.

Nobody spoke.

It had worked.

Not perfectly.

But naturally.

They tried again.

And again.

With every attempt, the movements became less forced.

Noah began noticing the small details.

Eric no longer needed to shout when he needed help.

Sophia had learned when to move without waiting for instructions.

Damien was becoming better at predicting where attacks would come from.

Luna had stopped hesitating when taking the offensive.

Laura seemed to understand everyone’s position before they moved.

Their formation was finally beginning to feel like theirs.

A group of students passed the training field.

Maria was among them.

She stopped when she saw Squad Seven.

"You’re already training?"

Eric looked over.

"Some of us have dedication."

Maria laughed.

"Or poor sleeping habits."

"That too."

Zelen looked at the formation.

"You changed it."

Noah nodded.

"Still working on it."

Torino studied them for a moment.

"It looks more flexible."

Laura nodded.

"That was the idea."

Maria smiled.

"Looks good."

The group continued walking.

Noah watched them leave.

Eric picked up his sword again.

"One day, we’re beating Squad One."

Noah smiled.

"That’s the spirit."

They continued training.

By late morning, Noah’s arms were sore.

His breathing was heavier.

But this time, he didn’t push beyond his limits.

When the training session ended, he lowered his sword.

"That’s enough."

Eric stared at him.

"You said that?"

Noah nodded.

"I’m learning."

Sophia smiled.

"Finally."

They began gathering their equipment.

Noah looked across the academy grounds.

Students were moving between buildings.

Classes were starting.

The sound of the morning bell echoed through Valhalla.

Another ordinary day.

Another small improvement.

No dramatic breakthrough.

No overwhelming new power.

Just six people slowly learning how to fight as one.

Noah realized that might be more important than he had originally thought.

Power could be gained quickly.

Trust couldn’t.

And Squad Seven was beginning to build something that couldn’t be measured by a rank.