Ch.131Traitor (2)

“This time is different.”

In this life, there was a way.

A way to save the academy and the people from being engulfed in destruction.

Because the card of deception existed.

Of course, even this wouldn’t be a perfect solution.

Nevertheless, it remained an unchanged joker that could overthrow disaster.

The plan was simple.

‘I need to ask.’

If the opponent targets my weakness, I should likewise aim for theirs.

The underground passage undetectable even by tracking magic.

Their task didn’t end there.

In the end, they needed to inject the appropriate output to awaken [Death].

After all, it was about breaking an ancient seal.

The cult would surely supply this output with Demonic Energy.

In the original story, dozens of high-ranking officials were involved in the terror attack.

That very moment would be.

‘The gap.’

At that moment.

No matter how much it was a space beyond causality, its unique presence would inevitably leak out.

I’ll aim for that instant.

With all my senses heightened, I’ll track it immediately when that signal is detected.

It felt somewhat inefficient, but it was also the most reliable solution.

A problem of distinguishing a single drop of ink fallen into the ocean.

Fortunately, I possessed eyes that could catch even such ink.

I’ll crush it with my ability.

“For that reason… I’ll be counting on your help.”

Since the academy’s survival was at stake, I asked for help from a few people in advance.

It’s better to be as thorough as possible with preparations.

I look at the girls before me.

Sharlotte and Irene, who were waiting, nod.

Without even a moment’s hesitation.

“Yes. If it’s Judas’s request.”

“To think the day would come when you’d rely on me… I’m a bit happy.”

I suppose my efforts to tame them paid off.

I felt somewhat proud.

The two were among the strongest in the academy, more than capable of facing this ordeal together.

With their extensive experience in combat against others, they would be excellent assets.

It also helped that they wouldn’t question or oppose my eccentric actions.

A relationship of complete mutual trust.

‘Of course, the other children are the same, but…’

Each had their vulnerabilities.

Lezia was overwhelming in terms of firepower, but lacked the firepower to follow through.

Ameila was close to being a well-rounded individual, but her lack of experience compared to the others held her back.

As for Elise, she wasn’t physically suited for fighting from the beginning.

Talents that hadn’t fully bloomed yet.

‘That’s why.’

I couldn’t carelessly involve them.

Disaster was never a concept to be taken lightly.

I intended to eliminate risky probabilities as much as possible.

The fox and the little prince would be sufficient help for this crisis.

I organize the plan.

-We will be on standby at the church branch.

-Everything according to your will.

There was also contact from headquarters offering support, but I rejected it.

They were to be deployed outside the academy anyway.

The cult’s attack wasn’t an event that would occur only at the academy.

If the resurrection of [Death] were to succeed, evil would move throughout the continent as if it had been waiting, so forces needed to be evenly distributed.

Rash movements would result in casualties.

‘The main points that were attacked in the original story.’

Church branches, frontier baronies, the northern snowfields, and more.

I sent members to selected locations.

I heard Neria would personally command this side, so there seemed to be no need for concern.

Moreover, if I have a card, I’ll use it aggressively.

“It’s been a while.”

-{My… I never expected you to contact me.}

The Monarch.

Although he had faltered after defeat, he was still a figure with deep influence.

In terms of organizational scale, there was no comparable force.

Thanks to these characteristics, he was also a versatile individual.

The old man responds as if intrigued.

Through the crystal ball, his voice comes through.

-{Another interesting request this time.}

“Cooperate with me.”

-{Of course.}

“Just act according to the plan.”

-{A plan… Aren’t you expecting too much from an outlaw?}

“If a puppet can’t even be this useful, as the master, I’d have no choice but to dispose of the defective product.”

-{Thanks for the advice.}

The exchange of pleasantries as always.

Although there was some tension, I was able to secure support forces easily in the end.

I convey the plan along with the attack points.

“Then I’ll be counting on you.”

-{Hmm… I wish you luck as well.}

The signal cuts off afterward.

Though he was an unreliable character, there was no denying that he was a capable force.

I end the communication with a deep breath.

‘…I suppose this is enough.’

The preparations were thorough.

I had made plans for numerous scenarios, maintained maximum output for deception, and neatly resolved the issue of manpower that had been concerning me.

The snake organizes his thoughts while sitting still.

‘There’s no need… to worry.’

As always.

I just need to move within the board I’ve designed.

***

And then.

On the day the disaster was scheduled.

-I can’t believe vacation is already over… It still doesn’t feel real.

-I know. I’m already starting to miss it.

-Did you hear about the pop quiz in two days?

-Already? That’s too soon!

-It’s that crazy bald professor. He should pace the curriculum reasonably.

-True… He’s been pushing hard since the first day of school.

A tranquil flow of daily life.

On the surface, it was just another weekend at the academy.

Times of peace where students complained during brief respites, chatted with friends, and recharged energy to continue their studies…

A scenery that would soon be shattered.

It was a thin peace maintained before the impending disaster.

The precariousness felt like walking on thin ice.

“……”

The snake quietly observing this scenery.

The boy had all his senses on high alert.

It was to detect the disaster before it was too late.

Beside him, the fox in a defensive stance and the princess with her usual blank expression were also keeping watch.

The passing wind caresses the golden hair.

The scent of winter colors the air.

Just then.

Boom-!

A thunderous sound echoes through the academy streets.

It came from the direction of the main gate.

Dust rising from not too far away.

Something seemed to have exploded.

-Wh-what’s happening?!

-Did something explode…?

-It sounded like it came from the main gate! Should we call the faculty?

-Wait… something’s coming out of the hole!

A single explosion.

The ripple that fell into the calm daily life instantly colors the surroundings with chaos.

Students frozen in shock, faculty heading toward the main gate to assess the situation, and mysterious shadows entering through the breached hole.

The atmosphere was rapidly descending into pandemonium, but.

Even in such a situation, the snake merely closed his eyes.

His sharply honed senses pierce through the surrounding energies.

‘The main gate is a decoy.’

The earlier explosion was a shallow distraction.

An intention to divert attention as much as possible.

While lower-ranking officials and chimeras did appear, what he was looking for in this chaos wasn’t these small fry.

The boy gradually expands the deception he had scattered around.

Enough to cover the entire academy evenly.

-Ding!

[Remaining output: 91.7%]

As the output is consumed, his senses become even sharper.

In the midst of the overwhelming wave of information.

The goal he sought was.

A bit deeper.

Deeper.

And even deeper…

‘Ah.’

The next moment.

A chilling energy runs down the boy’s spine.

A choir of mana twisted to an eerie degree.

It was the distinctive stench emanating from Demonic Energy.

The direction in which its remnants continued was indeed underground, far below the academy building.

He had found the location of the passage.

‘Found it.’

Although it was hidden by barriers, even a faint presence couldn’t deceive the snake’s eyes.

The boy weaves that trace into a single thread.

Then.

A line stretching in the air.

Like guiding the way to the passage, it extended in a certain direction.

The snake rises, firmly tying the thread to his fingertip.

His pupils now glowing white.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

“I’ll follow you.”

The three begin to dash across the ground.

The path indicated by the black thread.

It cuts straight through the center of the academy.

Due to the commotion at the main gate, the atmosphere was chaotic.

Professors already engaged in battle, assistants announcing student evacuation, students following instructions despite their confusion.

They run past all these scenes.

“This way!”

And so they arrive at the annex.

Following the thread’s guidance, just before finding the passage leading underground.

A shadow blocks the group’s path.

“Student Judas.”

“Master…?”

None other than the drunkard.

While helping students evacuate outside, she had followed after seeing the boy run off.

The woman extends her hand as if asking him to come with her.

Her red eyes show rare agitation.

“There’s been an unidentified attack at the main gate.”

“I know.”

“The professors have gone to handle it, but… as the situation hasn’t been fully assessed yet, you shouldn’t act independently.”

“I have a destination I must reach.”

“No.”

A firm voice.

Unlike her usual observant attitude, this time she seemed unwilling to allow it.

“I can’t cooperate with dangerous situations.”

The woman furrows her brow as if dealing with a younger sibling.

For a moment, cracks appear in her rigid expression.

While part of him was happy to see such a reaction, the boy had no time to delay.

The disciple flicks his finger toward the master who shows no intention of stepping aside.

Snap-!

“Ah…”

Her pupils lose focus.

The woman staggers as if drunk, then collapses, losing consciousness.

He had used some output to make her fall asleep.

The boy gently lays down the woman he had been holding.

Then turns his head again.

“Let’s continue.”

Steps moving forward again.

The children run toward the passage connecting the academy and the underground.

“……”

And.

At the place the children left.

Near the woman left behind, there was a shadow that had been watching everything.

A young man smiling with an ominous atmosphere.

He mutters meaningfully.

“I didn’t expect things to turn out like this… Interesting.”

None other than.

Professor Cadel.

***

The underground was deeper than expected.

The entrance we finally found.

Only after breaking through layers of silence and blocking magic could we enter through the revealed gate.

I could understand why the passage couldn’t be found in the original story.

If it was so intricate that even professors couldn’t detect it, it would be impossible for students to find.

Not for nothing was it a legacy left by the [Ancient Star].

We ran through the passage.

Tap tap tap tap-!

Thousands of layers of barriers shimmer around us, the maze-like interior makes us lose our sense of direction, and the structure of the passage changes in real-time.

A labyrinth impossible to navigate by normal means.

A place designed to cause dizziness just by walking through it, but.

With the guidance of deception, we were able to pass through the passage without any particular hindrance.

Snap-.

Only after reaching the deepest underground did the thread break, ending its guidance.

It meant we had arrived.

Before us stood a massive door.

Beyond the plate engraved with all sorts of ominous figures—offerings, demons, evil gods—leaked a thick stench and the smell of blood.

I gather shadows at my fingertips.

In my other hand, I grip a sword honed in pitch black.

‘Death’s temple.’

There is no hesitation.

A rough kick.

The barrier surrounding the room shatters, and the massive door crumbles to pieces.

As I step into the destination I’ve finally reached.

A voice is heard.

“”Who are you.””

A scene littered with blood and corpses.

Were they in the midst of human sacrifice?

Lumps covered in blood. In front of the temple where these were piled like mountains, dozens of shadows surrounded the altar.

All were figures draped in dark red robes.

The color symbolizing the cult.

“”Fearless sacrifices have found disaster.””

Gazes fixed on us all at once.

The voices had such similar tones that they were indistinguishable.

Tears of blood stream down from their eyes.

They were assailants moving in unison, as if synchronized.

The flowing Demonic Energy slowly seeps between the altar and the sacrifices.

“Draw your swords.”

I say, raising my sword tip.

To the two beside me.

“We must stop them somehow.”

“Yes.”

“If that’s your wish.”

The girls draw their swords together.

The boy and girls kick off the ground toward the stirring darkness.

Then.

Kwaaaang-!!

A massive explosion echoes beyond the underground temple.

[EP23. Stirring Evil]

-Life calling for Death amidst seething blood and malice-

It was the beginning of a game staking the academy’s survival.