Chapter 171: Full Moon Night – Part 1 (4)

The evacuation was progressing smoothly. At least, it seemed that way on the surface.

That was, until a different kind of blackness started to creep into the hue of the night sky.

“Wait, what’s that?”

As the evacuation to the auditorium neared its end, Brad saw shadows quickly spreading from the distant forest.

At the same time, something dark and monstrous began wriggling up from the shade.

Brad instinctively sensed danger and screamed with all his might.

“Block the auditorium entrance!!!”

“What?! But there are still students who haven’t arrived yet…”

“Shut up and block it!!! If you don’t want to see everyone slaughtered!!”

Brad threatened the hesitating soldiers with a murderous glare.

The auditorium in Anatolia was designed to be extremely sturdy, so it could serve as a shelter in case of emergencies.

Even if those creatures were strong, they wouldn’t be able to break through the auditorium walls, which were built with the latest fortification technology.

The only exception would be the front gate, the common weakness of all fortresses.

Therefore, they had to block that gate with their lives.

“Priests, keep the Light spells at maximum power! Mages, split into two groups: one to cast short-casting spells to suppress them, the other to prepare large-scale area magic! Those with swords, of course, keep the front line! Why aren’t you moving quickly?!”

“Yes, yes!”

The guards and staff gathered at the front gate started to move busily. Meanwhile, the army of darkness, which had been lurking, was now dangerously close.

Seeing the terrifying creatures lurking in the shadows, Brad couldn’t help but shudder.

“My god. I’ve been a mercenary for 20 years before becoming a teacher, but I’ve never seen such crazy-looking things before. They don’t even look like creatures from this world.”

“They’re probably not creatures from this world,” Sally replied with a nervous look on her face as she gripped her staff tightly. “They’re a type of demon beast thought to be extinct.”

“Wait. Do you know what those things are, Sally?”

“Somewhat.”

Sally’s face tensed as she held her staff firmly.

“Anyone who was a disciple of my master would know. I also grew up reading my master’s memoirs and dreamed of becoming a mage.

Especially the demon creatures from the demon realm; I remember them vividly, especially their descriptions.

For example, the one over there is a Giant Death Worm, and the one next to it is—”

“Alright, no need to list them all. What matters right now isn’t their names.”

Brad said, glaring at the creatures before him.

“What matters is whether we can defeat them or not. If we can’t, at least can we hold out? At this point, that’s the most important thing. What do you think?”

“Well…”

What would happen if she said she wasn’t confident? But even then, could they not fight?

Sally bit her lip with a sour expression.

If she had known this would happen, she never would’ve become a teacher.

Maybe she should’ve gotten a job at a mage tower or something and lived a stable life with a high salary.

But it was too late.

Who could have predicted that the demon beasts would attack Anatolia, the so-called safest place in the world, let alone in swarms?

It was spilled water now.

Once things had gone this far, even if her life was at risk, she couldn’t just run away.

That’s what being a teacher was all about, after all.

“They’re coming!”

At that moment, Brad, who had been watching the demon beasts closely, shouted sharply.

At the same time, the shadow demon beasts charged toward them in various ways—some leaped from the ground, others crawled along the floor, and so on.

Sally, clearing her mind, focused all her attention on the tip of her staff.

She was preparing to cast her most powerful area-of-effect spell, Chain Lightning.

“Chain Li—”

“Chain Lightning!”

A surge of blue overcurrent struck dozens of monsters simultaneously.

The intense heat generated by the strike made everyone feel it.

The shadow demon beasts, charging forward in a coordinated attack, melted away without even putting up resistance.

The few that survived faltered, unable to advance further.

The firepower was on an entirely different level than when Sally cast it herself.

She blinked, bewildered.

“What’s going on? Who—”

“Sorry, I’m a little late. I was just getting a grasp of the situation.”

“Ah, Master!”

Everyone present, including Sally, showed relief on their faces.

Right. This was Anatolia. Here, there was her.

The one and only living legend, the woman who could fight an entire nation on her own.

If she, who had defeated countless demon beasts in the demon realm, joined the fight, handling the situation would be no problem.

Mana released her flying magic and landed on the ground.

“How’s the evacuation of the students?”

“Most of them have evacuated successfully. However…”

“However?”

The guard, who was checking the number of people at the front gate, replied with an uncomfortable expression.

“There are a few who haven’t arrived. One of them is the hero.”

“Ah, she’s fine. She’ll survive on her own, don’t worry about her.”

“Uh?”

“That’s how it is. Anyway, other than her?”

The guard was momentarily taken aback by Mana’s surprising indifference but quickly handed over the record sheet under her urging.

“Let’s see… For now, the Ratatosk class, except for the hero, has completed their evacuation, and the Nidhogg class has no absentees. And the Hraesvelgr class—”

“Marianne!!!”

An unexpected shout interrupted the guard’s explanation.

Turning her head, she saw Thérèse, still outside the auditorium, frantically searching around like a madwoman.

Her eyes desperately scanned the darkness.

“Marianne! Where are you? If you can hear me, answer me! Marianne!!!”

“Hey, you!!! What are you still doing out there? Get inside now!!!”

Brad shouted at her with a ghostly expression. Thérèse’s face instantly turned to one of distress.

“But my sister hasn’t—”

“We’ll take care of her! Get inside now! Do you want to get ripped apart by the demon beasts?! Huh?!”

“I-I can fight too! I’m confident in being a shield, you know!”

“Please, just let me stay here until I find Marianne! I beg you!”

“No! Stop talking nonsense and go inside!”

“Please! Just once—”

“Do you want to go inside quietly, or do you want to be forced in?!”

While the two were arguing fiercely,

“?!? Hiiick?! B-Bra-Brad… The monsters…”

Sally screamed, looking towards the darkness.

The monsters that had just been hit by Mana’s lightning spell and melted into nothingness were now slithering and reforming, coming back together.

They were regaining their original, hideous, and blasphemous forms once again.

Mana frowned slightly.

“Are they the type that merge with the darkness and continually gain power…? Whoever created them really gave them a nasty trait.

At this rate, it’ll be a long and drawn-out battle.”

That in itself wasn’t a problem.

Mana was the type who could endure and fight long-term by forming a front. If she mass-produced clay golems, she could easily match the monster army.

If she could just hold out and protect the students, the world’s strongest swordmaster, who she knew, would take care of the situation.

The problem was, there wasn’t time to rescue any students who hadn’t evacuated.

Mana herself couldn’t leave since she was the core of the defense line, and the others, even if they tried, would only get surrounded by the monsters and become a meal.

Even Sally, her best disciple, was no exception.

If there was any certainty that they were still alive, perhaps she would risk trying to save them, but there wasn’t.

The darkness had enveloped the entire school, and the monsters were emerging from within it.

‘The students who hadn’t made it out… No, let’s not think like that.’

Mana shook her head to dismiss the pessimistic thoughts.

In any case, she would do what she could. Anything beyond that was in the hands of fate.

She could only wish for luck.

Hopefully, they had found a safe place to hide.

“Master! They’re regenerating again! Magic support!”

“I know.”

Mana replied quietly and began her incantation.

This time, a red flame flickered and gathered at the end of her staff.

“Alright. This should stop any interference.”

In the darkness, a satisfied smile appeared on Raizein’s face as she summoned and spread countless monsters.

The Black Parade, unlike other 9-circle spells, couldn’t be a finishing blow by itself.

In battles between superhumans that defied common sense, it was even less likely to be decisive.

Raizein herself, or even a general of a lower rank, could easily wipe out the monsters.

Even regular mid-level officers could take down one or two of them.

However, the real danger of the Black Parade lay in its relentless persistence.

No matter how many times they fell, the immortal army would revive and attack, wearing down even the strongest of opponents.

And when there were people to protect behind, it became even more taxing.

The school’s faculty, including that troublesome elf mage, would soon be trapped in front of the auditorium. They couldn’t leave the students behind.

Meanwhile, Raizein would calmly carry out her original objective.

To reunite with her father in an emotional meeting.

“Now then.”

Raizein spun around and looked at the trembling Marianne with a smile.

“As I said before, there’s no need to be so afraid. I actually like you quite a bit.

It’s hard to find people who still remember and love him after all this time. I wouldn’t want to hurt you if I could avoid it.”

But…

Raizein leaned toward Marianne and whispered,

“If you refuse my request, though, things might change.”

“!!…”

Marianne inhaled sharply in fear.

She could sense with her body, not her mind, that the woman’s threats were not just empty words.

This woman could definitely carry out her threats. There was no reason not to.

If she just swiped her arm, Marianne knew she would end up torn apart like the guards earlier.

“Now… Let’s get back to the main topic. As you know, my goal is to meet the ‘hero.’

I need to meet him in person and confirm a few things.

The problem is, I have no idea where he’s staying…”

Raizein smiled and asked,

“You’re my friend, so you’ll help me find the way, right?”

Her white fangs gleamed in the moonlight from the darkness.

“……”

Marianne stayed silent.

The name of the Demon Lord’s Prideful Legion Commander was not one to be taken lightly.

Only overwhelming powers were worthy of the arrogance it represented.

The legendary Prideful Legion Commander was one of the strongest underlings, second only to the Demon Lord.

Even the later group of Lier and his companions, who became quite strong, could only defeat him after enduring terrible struggles.

If the woman before her truly had comparable strength, even Sion, who had defeated the Prideful Legion Commander, would have difficulty facing her head-on.

She would need to join forces with everyone else to stand a chance.

In this case, the best option she had was…

“I understand.”

After much thought, Marianne nodded.

“I’ll guide you to the hero. But… please don’t hurt me.”

“Oh, of course.”

Raizein smiled and placed her hand on her lips.

“Good choice. I really don’t want to harm you. As long as you don’t resist unnecessarily.

Now, please, as promised, guide me.”

“…Yes.”

Marianne bit her lip and nodded. Cold sweat seeped from her clenched right hand.

Thankfully, the woman before her didn’t seem to suspect her. In fact, she was acting overly familiar.

Additionally, since this was her first time here, Raizein was completely unfamiliar with the layout of Anatolia.

Marianne could make use of this.

‘I’ll guide her down a completely wrong path. Not the one leading inside the school, but one that loops around the outskirts.

At least it’ll buy us some time.’

Of course, if she did that, she would be killed by the furious woman. Like the guards earlier, she would be torn apart, her body unrecognizable.

But that was okay.

If she could protect the hero and, by extension, the school with her life, it was the right thing to do.

If it were for someone like Sien, he would have done the same.

Fifteen years wasn’t a long life, but she had no regrets.

She had seen Exia confess (in a way) her feelings for Sien.

It was a short life, but it was a life she could be proud of.

Marianne closed her eyes and repeated this in her mind. To her surprise, a sense of peace began to fill her.

The fear she had felt earlier slowly faded, replaced by a sense of joy.

The paradoxical sense of fulfillment that only those who have accepted everything could feel.

“Alright, please lead the way. I’ll clear the darkness out of the way.”

“Yes.”

Marianne nodded. She pressed her hand to her chest and silently prayed.

Holy Lady Lafrei, I beseech you.

Please give me the courage to deceive this monster until the end.

And may the silver-haired girl you bless, fully prepared, be able to fight her and win.

If it is for that, I would sacrifice this life without regret.

Please.

“This way. Stay close and don’t fall behind.”

After finishing her prayer, Marianne walked forward without hesitation, heading in the opposite direction of the dormitory where Sion lived.

There wasn’t even a hint of hesitation in her steps.