Chapter 148
Despite Erzebet’s shout, no answer came. Just as she sighed deeply and began to scatter webs all around—
“Wait a moment.”
Kajan stopped her.
[What is it?]
“I don’t think Francesca is here.”
As if he had discovered something, Kajan strode forward.
At the end of the secret hazardous material vault was a single table, and this one, in particular, seemed to have been given special attention, as there were traces of multiple layers of security magic. However, the contents that should have been on top were completely gone.
Kajan began examining the empty spot with focus. Judging by how he even pulled out measuring tools and other equipment, it seemed he was trying to deduce what used to be there.
[Commander!]
Erzebet, after checking the magic circle installed on the wall, ran over to report to Simon.
[It looks like the magic circle was set up at least a day ago!]
“She must’ve set the trap and ran.”
“Looks like we’ve been had.”
Kajan spoke, lifting his head.
“She never came into the secret vault to begin with. And more importantly, it looks like she had a Plan B in place in case the four Desolaters of Plan A didn’t all go off. I’m guessing you didn’t see that future either.”
“......!”
Simon’s face turned pale. This meant the large-scale threat against the priest still wasn’t over.
“What exactly was stolen, that it’s such a big deal?”
“Prima Materia.”
Kajan answered.
“It’s a horrifyingly complex item, but to put it simply, it’s something that can endlessly create alien monsters.”
“No way, she’s going to use that to....…”
“Yeah, she’s probably planning to attack Keyzen with it.”
Kajan glanced at his wristwatch.
“By now, Francesca’s barrier should be more than halfway complete. Once it’s 100% finished, even professor-levels will need time to break through. In the meantime, the Prima Materia’s monsters will slaughter every first-year student trapped inside the barrier.”
“We have to stop her no matter what.”
Simon said, gritting his teeth. Kajan nodded in agreement.
“There’s a place I suspect she’s planning to use that item. Follow me.”
“Yes!”
* * *
At the same time, Maelyn, who had taken care of her assigned Desolater, arrived at the final location, the Study Hall.
Bang!
She flung the classroom door open and looked around.
‘Huh?’
The plant-type monsters that were supposed to be guarding the Desolater were either shredded to pieces or shriveled up, scattered across the floor.
Maelyn quickly assessed the situation.
‘Someone got here before me. Was it Kami? If not.......’
Crash!
Suddenly, the window shattered, and someone jumped straight into the classroom.
Startled, Maelyn took a step back. The man who rose, striking a ridiculous pose, had an unmistakable face.
“Ah, geez! Why the hell would you jump in through the window when there’s a perfectly fine door?!”
“The urgency of the situation left me no choice.”
Dick, seemingly fully immersed in his secret agent role, adjusted Kajan’s glasses and scanned the room. All the plants were dead, but the Desolater was nowhere to be seen.
“I was sure I’d be the first here. Did you handle it?”
“Not me. If it wasn’t us, Kami must’ve arrived first.”
“Okay then.”
Dick took off the glasses and tucked them into his chest pocket.
“So that means the Desolater problem is fully solved now?”
Maelyn nodded in response.
All three of them were to take care of one Desolater each, then regroup at the Study Hall. If Kamibarez had arrived first and cleared it, then that meant all four bombs were neutralized.
“Wahaha!”
Dick threw both arms in the air.
“We’ve saved peace in Keyzen!”
“...There he goes again. I really don’t think it’s time to be letting our guard down.”
She let out a heavy sigh and rubbed her temple.
The situation would only truly be resolved once Simon and Kajan took down Francesca. Until then, they couldn’t afford to relax.
“But more than that, I’ve got a fundamental question.”
Maelyn crossed her arms.
“Simon and Kajan. How exactly are two first-years supposed to take down a priest stronger than a head TA?”
Dick shrugged.
“Simon’s Special Admission No. 1, and more than anything, Kajan is seriously strong.”
“Him?”
“Yeah. This is a secret, but apparently, during the last Island Survival, not a single person who encountered Kajan survived.”
He lowered his voice and spoke in a spooky tone.
“Among the second-years, he’s famous for last year’s undefeated record in the final evaluation. Plus, he’s a rare repeater in Keyzen, and a member of the Thieves’ Guild. Doesn’t that tell you something? He’s clearly a professional necromancer who infiltrated Keyzen on a mission!”
“.......”
She couldn’t believe everything Dick said, but if even part of it was true, then Simon and Kajan might really be the most viable duo in Keyzen to defeat Francesca.
After all, the only people left in Keyzen now were students, henchmen, and TAs without much experience.
“Alright. Then let’s do what we can.”
“What do you mean?”
“We need to take over the broadcasting room and alert the students of the danger. Since all the Desolaters have been dealt with, it should be okay to monitor the situation and give warnings.”
Maelyn had a hunch that the danger wasn’t over yet.
For a priest attack aimed at Keyzen, the Desolaters had been suspiciously poorly guarded.
It gave off a vibe like, “if it works, great, if not, oh well”. She had a strong feeling that Francesca had another main plan.
Hearing her words, Dick clapped his hands once.
“Oh, I hadn’t thought that far!”
“Keep up. If we can’t convince the broadcasting room’s staff, we’ll just take it by force.”
“Okay!”
The two hurried out of the classroom and the building, heading toward the Broadcast Communications Hall, where the broadcasting room was located. Around campus, students bustled about, chatting as they moved between classes.
“Hey, Maelyn! Don’t you think we’re kinda awesome?”
Dick said, face lit up with excitement.
“Everyone else is just living their normal school lives, but secretly, there’s this huge crisis unfolding beneath the surface! And we’re the ones moving to resolve it at the request of a secret agent! It really feels like we’re actual undercover operatives—”
Thunk.
Dick’s voice stopped. Maelyn didn’t notice, too busy yelling at him to stop spouting nonsense while running.
Dick’s eyes lost focus, and he quietly slipped into a narrow alley on his own.
“That’s a pretty interesting story~”
Inside the alley stood a girl with ivory hair, smiling softly.
With a feather stuck in the back of his neck, Dick’s face turned dazed the moment he saw her.
“You’re Simon’s friend, right?”
“Y-Yeah!”
“Could you secretly tell me what that ‘huge crisis’ is all about?”
Serne clasped her hands together and gave a cute wink as she made her request.
With a dazed expression, Dick nodded up and down vigorously.
“Hah! Hah!”
* * *
Kamibarez, drenched in sweat, was sprinting toward the northern part of Keyzen.
While running, she skimmed a few passages from the diary.
Just that alone gave her goosebumps. Francesca was a priest from the Holy Federation, and she was trying to destroy Keyzen.
Thinking about how everyone’s lives now depended on her, she couldn’t stop, even though her breath was caught in her throat.
Thump!
“Urk!”
Lost in her sprint, she let out a short cry and fell on her backside. She had crashed into something invisible and was bounced back.
Quickly getting up and scanning her surroundings, she saw a reddish, solid-looking barrier blocking her path in midair.
She tried to find a gap, feeling around with her palm and running to other spots, but the barrier spanned a wide area without any gaps, completely cutting off connection with the outside.
“No......”
She murmured with a distressed expression, stepping back.
“Please......!”
She clasped her hands tightly and poured out wave after wave of Haematology Magic. But the barrier didn’t break. It didn’t even tremble, didn’t crack, didn’t show the slightest sign of weakening.
“Let me through!”
She gathered Darkness into her small fists and slammed them—bang! bang! bang! She punched, kicked, rammed it with her head, tried everything, but the barrier wouldn’t break.
“Why......”
She collapsed in front of the barrier as if her legs gave out.
“Why can’t I even manage to run away?”
A crushing sense of powerlessness took over her body.
Even now, Simon, Dick, and Maelyn were each fulfilling their assigned roles, fighting with everything they had.
She had always been anxious. Sometimes, even when the four of them were laughing and joking together, she would feel those three were just so far above her.
Simon was someone who shined no matter where he was, Maelyn was brilliant and effortlessly handled everything like some kind of superhuman, and Dick had a strong sense of self, always pulling his weight no matter the situation.
In the next three years, those three would probably overcome any obstacle in their path.
But she wasn’t like that.
She wasn’t good at anything, always unstable. There was always anxiety, was it really okay for her to be among them? And eventually, would they leave her behind as they moved on to higher places?
She clenched her fist tightly.
She didn’t want to keep being defeated like this.
Staggering to her feet, she stared silently at the barrier with bloodshot red eyes.
—What a pity.
A hazy voice, like drifting fog, echoed in her mind.
—Born with supreme blood, yet inherited the frail body of her mother.
—For such noble blood to flow through such a half-formed vessel. Heaven is truly indifferent.
—With such a weak body, you won’t be able to withstand the power of your blood. You’ll slowly die.
—Had it been the other way around, there might have been some hope.
—The end times are upon us. Truly, the end.
Thud.
She began undressing. Her uniform jacket fell into the grass.
—My daughter.
Amidst the countless voices, the voice of a great being rang out.
—This is your mother’s request. From this moment on, I shall seal your blood to protect you.
She unbuttoned her shirt and pulled it aside. A red magic circle, drawn in blood, was revealed between her chest and navel.
She took a deep breath and placed her palm atop the magic circle.
—The blood you inherited from me will ultimately kill you. This is the only way for you to survive.
With resolve, she took a sharp breath and forcefully turned the magic circle sideways.
Click!
As the magic circle rotated, the blood in her body began to churn like lava.
“Guh!”
She staggered.
The seal was undone, and reddish mana began to rise from her body. Bloody tears trickled from her red eyes. As if her whole body was being torn apart and stitched back together, she let out a scream of agony and pressed herself against the barrier.
Then, opening her mouth, she sank her fangs deep into the barrier.
Crunch!
The barrier, which had been unaffected by any prior attacks, was instantly pierced with a small hole. Her fangs began burrowing into the barrier bit by bit.
Pressing her entire body against it, she put more force into her bite. As the fangs dug deeper, the barrier began to crack with sharp creaking sounds, like shattering glass.
“AAAAAAAAAAAH!”
Craaack! Snap! Craaack!
The cracks in the barrier grew wider, and at last—
Crash!
The barrier shattered from the point of her fangs, opening a hole. The moment Kamibarez slipped through it, the barrier restored itself instantly, leaving no trace behind.
“Hah! Hah!”
Her red eyes wide open, she stared straight ahead.
‘Please let everyone be safe!’
Clutching Lang’s diary close to her chest, she scattered red energy from her body. The tiny wings on her back suddenly swelled, as if soaked in blood.
Then, leaping off the ground, she began flying through the sky at an incredible speed.
Superb.