Chapter 131
'This time is different.'
There was a way in this life.
A way to save the academy and people engulfed in destruction.
Because the card of lies existed.
Of course, even this wouldn't be a perfect solution.
Nevertheless, it remained unchanged as a joker to overcome disaster.
The plan was simple.
'I have to ask.'
If the opponent aimed for this side's weakness, this side should also aim for the opponent's weakness.
An underground passage undetectable even by detection magic.
Their task didn't end there.
In the end, they had to inject appropriate output to awaken [Death].
Because it was breaking an ancient seal.
The heretics' side would surely make up for this output with magical energy.
In the original work, dozens of high-ranking executives also accompanied that terror.
That moment was none other than.
'A gap.'
At that moment.
No matter how much it was a space beyond causality, characteristic signs would inevitably leak out.
I aimed for that instant.
I kept all my senses on edge, and as soon as that signal was caught, I would immediately track it.
Though it felt somewhat inefficient, on the other hand it was the surest solution method.
A problem of distinguishing a drop of ink fallen in the sea.
Fortunately, I had eyes that could catch even such ink.
I pressed down with my ability.
"In that regard... I'll be counting on you."
As it was a matter the academy's existence depended on, I asked a few people for help in advance.
It would be better to be as thorough as possible with preparations.
I looked at the girls before my eyes.
Charlotte and Irene who were waiting nodded.
There wasn't even a trace of hesitation.
"Mm. If it's Yuda's request."
"To think the day would come when you rely on me... I'm a little happy."
Should I say the taming was worth it?
I felt a bit of pride.
The two were among the top strongest in the academy, and were more than enough to face this hardship together.
As they had plenty of experience in combat against people, they would be excellent forces.
The fact that they wouldn't question or oppose the eccentricities I carried out also played a part.
A relationship of complete mutual trust.
'Of course, it's the same for the other children too...'
They each had their own weaknesses.
Regia was overwhelming in terms of firepower, but lacked the firepower to follow up.
Though Emilia was close to a hexagon, her lack of experience compared to the previous children held her back.
In Elise's case, she wasn't suitable for fighting from the start.
Talents that hadn't finished blooming yet.
'That's why.'
I couldn't recklessly drag them in.
Disaster was not a concept to be taken lightly.
I intended to exclude dangerous probabilities as much as possible.
The help from the fox and little prince would be enough for this incident.
I organized the plan.
-We'll be on standby at the church branch.
-Everything according to your will.
There was also contact saying support would come from headquarters, but I rejected it.
They were scheduled to be deployed outside the academy.
The heretics' attack wasn't an event occurring only at the academy.
If [Death]'s revival was successfully carried out, evil would move from all over the continent as if it had been waiting, so forces had to be evenly distributed.
Damage would occur if moved rashly.
'Major points that were attacked in the original work.'
Church branches, frontier baronies, northern snowfields, etc.
I sent members to selected locations.
I heard Neria would command this side directly, so it seemed I could put aside separate worries.
Moreover, I actively put forward the cards I held.
"It's been a while."
-{My... to think you would contact from your side.}
The monarch.
Though he had faltered after defeat, he was still a big shot with thick influence.
There was no force that could match him in terms of organization size alone.
Thanks to these characteristics, he was also a figure with various uses.
The old man answered as if interested.
A voice was heard through the crystal ball.
-{This is an interesting request too.}
"Please cooperate."
-{Of course.}
"Just act according to the plan."
-{Plan... aren't you having too many expectations for an outlaw?}
"If a mere puppet can't even fulfill such usefulness, the master has no choice but to dispose of a defective product."
-{Thanks for the advice.}
Words of blessing exchanged without fail.
Though there was some psychological warfare, in the end I was able to easily secure support forces.
I conveyed the plan along with the attack points.
"Then I'll be counting on you."
-{Keukeuk... I'll wish you luck too.}
The signal cut off afterwards.
Though he was an unreliable figure, there was no room to refute that he was also a capable force at the same time.
I ended the communication with a deep breath.
'...Is this enough?'
The preparations were thorough.
I had made plans preparing for numerous cases, the output of lies was maintained at maximum, and even the manpower problem I was anxious about was neatly resolved.
The snake organized his thoughts while sitting still.
'There's no need... to worry.'
As always.
It was just a matter of moving on the board I designed myself.
***
And
On the day the disaster was scheduled.
-To think vacation is already over... I still can't believe it.
-That's right. I'm already starting to miss it.
-Did you hear the news that there's a pop quiz in two days?
-Already? That's too fast.
-It's that crazy bald professor. He should progress moderately even when progressing.
-Well... he rushed tremendously from the first day of school.
Daily life flowed calmly.
On the surface, it was an unremarkable weekend at the academy.
Peaceful times... complaining a little along with brief rest, chatting with friends, and recharging energy to continue studies.
It was also scenery that would soon be shattered.
It was a thin peace maintained by the disaster that had not yet arrived.
That precariousness was like walking on thin ice.
"......"
The snake quietly watched such scenery.
The boy had all his senses on edge.
It was to detect the disaster without being late.
Beside him, the fox who had taken a vigilant stance and the imperial princess with her usual blank expression were also keeping their places.
The flowing wind stroked golden hair.
The scent of winter dyeing like that.
Right then.
Kuung-!
A roar originating from somewhere rang through the academy streets.
It was a sound heard from the direction of the main gate.
Dust rising stealthily beyond the not-too-distant view.
It seemed something had caused an explosion.
-Wh-what's going on?!
-Did something explode...?
-It sounded like it came from the main gate! Should we call faculty members?
-Wait... something's coming out of the hole that opened up?
One round of explosion.
The ripple that fell into calm daily life instantly dyed the surroundings in confusion.
Students freezing in surprise, faculty members heading towards the main gate to grasp the situation, and unidentified shadows squeezing through the opened hole.
Though the atmosphere was rushing into chaos in an instant.
Even in such a situation, the snake only closed his eyes.
His sharply honed senses pierced through the surrounding energies.
'The main gate is a decoy.'
The previous explosion was a shallow trick.
An intention to disperse attention as much as possible.
Though low-ranking executives and chimeras actually appeared, what to find in such pandemonium wasn't small fry.
The boy gradually expanded the lies he had scattered around.
Enough to evenly cover the entire academy.
-Ding!
[Current remaining output: 91.7%]
Following the consumed output, his senses also sharpened further.
Amid the waves of information rushing chaotically.
The goal he yearned for was.
A little more below.
More below.
And more below...
'Ah.'
The next moment.
A chilling energy brushed past the boy's spine.
A chorus of mana twisted to an eerie degree.
It was none other than the characteristic stench emanating from magical energy.
The direction those remnants continued was indeed underground, far below the academy building.
He had found the passage location.
'Found it.'
Though it was hidden by barriers, even faint signs couldn't deceive the snake's eyes.
The boy wove those traces into a single thread.
Afterwards.
A line stretching in midair.
As if showing the way to the passage, it was extending long in a certain direction.
The snake tightly tied the thread to his fingertip and stood up.
White pupils were shining before he knew it.
"Let's go."
"Mm."
"I'll follow."
The three people began kicking off the ground.
The path the black thread pointed to.
It crossed right through the center of the academy.
The atmosphere was chaotic, perhaps because of the commotion that occurred at the main gate.
Professors already engaged in battle, assistants announcing student evacuation, and students following instructions while flustered.
They ran passing by all those scenes.
"This way!"
The annex they arrived at like that.
Just before finding the passage connecting to underground at the end of running guided by the thread.
A shadow blocked the group's way.
"Student Yuda."
"Master...?"
It was none other than the drunkard.
While helping students evacuate outside, she had followed after seeing the boy rush out.
The woman held out her hand as if saying to go together with her.
Her red eyes rarely contained wavering.
"An unidentified attack occurred at the main gate."
"I know."
"Though professors went out to handle it... as the situation hasn't been grasped yet, you shouldn't take individual action recklessly."
"There's a destination I must reach."
"No."
A firm voice.
Unlike her attitude of just watching until now, it seemed she couldn't allow it this time.
"I can't cooperate in dangerous situations."
The woman furrowing her brow as if dealing with a young sibling.
For a moment, cracks formed in her stiff expression.
Though such a reaction was partly pleasing, the boy had no time to delay right now.
The disciple flicked his finger towards the master who didn't seem to have any intention of stepping aside.
Tak-!
"Ah..."
Pupils losing focus.
Soon the woman staggered as if drunk, then lost consciousness and collapsed in place.
He had made her fall asleep by consuming some output.
The boy slowly laid down the body of the woman he had embraced on the floor.
He soon turned his head again.
"We'll continue on."
Steps advancing again.
The children ran towards the passage connecting the academy and underground.
"......"
And
At the place the children left.
Near the woman left behind, there was a shadow that had been watching all that.
A young man smiling with an ominous atmosphere.
He muttered meaningfully.
"I didn't know things would turn out like this... interesting."
It was none other than.
Professor Cardel.
***
The underground was deeper than expected.
The entrance was barely found.
Only after breaking through layers of silence and blocking magic could we enter through the gate whose outline was revealed.
I seemed to understand why the passage couldn't be found in the original work.
If it was so elaborate that even professors couldn't detect it, it would be impossible to find at the student level.
No wonder it was called a legacy left by the [Ancient Star].
We ran through the passage.
Tap tap tap tap-!
Thousands of layers of barriers shimmered around, the maze-like interior made one lose sense of direction, and it even changed the passage structure in real time.
A labyrinth impossible to break through normally.
Though it was designed to make one nauseous just from walking.
We were able to pass through the passage without particular obstruction because we had the guidance of lies.
Thud-.
Only after reaching the deepest underground, the thread that had finished guiding broke off.
It meant we had arrived.
A huge door was in place before us.
Beyond the panel engraved with all sorts of ominous forms like offerings, demons, and demon gods, thick stench and smell of blood were leaking out.
I gathered shadows with my fingertips.
In my other hand I gripped a sword honed in pitch black.
'Temple of Death.'
There was no hesitation.
Feet kicking off roughly.
Right after, the barrier surrounding the room shattered, and the huge door broke into pieces.
As we took steps into the destination we had finally arrived at.
Soon a voice was heard.
"Who are you?"
A scenery strewn with blood and corpses all over.
Were they in the middle of human sacrifice?
Lumps covered in blood. In front of the temple where those were piled like mountains, dozens of shadows surrounded an altar.
They were all wearing dark red robes.
The color symbolised heretics.
"Fearless sacrifices have found the disaster."
Gazes focusing all at once.
The voices had similar tones to the extent they couldn't be distinguished.
Blood tears were streaming down from their eyes.
They were intruders moving in the same way, as if their sync had been matched.
The flowing magical energy slowly seeped between the sacrifices and altar.
"Draw your swords."
I spoke while raising my sword tip.
To the two people beside me.
"We must stop them somehow."
"Mm."
"If that's your wish."
The girls drawing swords together.
The boy and girls kicked off the ground towards the awakening darkness.
Afterwards.
Kwaaaang-!!
Beyond the underground temple, a huge explosion sound began to ring out.
[EP23. Evil Awakening]
-Life crying out death amid seething blood and malice-
It was the start of a game staking the academy's existence.