Chapter 147

R̃êãd̃ ̃ôǹ ̂K̃​át́R̃êãd́ìǹg̀C̈âf̂é

I was deeply worried that something might have happened to Anna.

Fortunately, the worst-case scenario I had feared didn’t come to pass.

But that doesn’t mean the situation was entirely good.

I held Anna in my arms and gently patted her head.

I supported her bottom with my right arm and cradled her with my left hand.

My clothes were soaked in blood, so Anna got dirty too, but now wasn’t the time to worry about such trivial things.

Anna was asleep, breathing steadily.

Well, to be precise, she wasn’t asleep—she had fainted.

When we hurriedly searched for Anna and found her in the restroom.

She was leaning against the wall with her head slumped forward.

Seeing the foam at her mouth, it was clear she hadn’t just fallen asleep.

She must have been overwhelmed by the pressure Murmur had exerted to intimidate me.

It was the same pressure that had caused the surrounding visitors to flee in panic.

It was too much for a child like Anna to endure.

“I’ll take the lead. Follow me.”

After checking Anna’s condition, Carlos spoke in a cold, low voice.

His blue-gray eyes, distant from humanity, revealed a chilling anger.

I nodded and followed behind Carlos.

As we left the restroom, I listened carefully. Screams echoed, and the sound of something exploding rang out continuously. The situation wasn’t good. Well, if things were fine after a rift opened, that would be even stranger.

The Celestial Corps, with their precognitive abilities, usually detect the occurrence of spatial rifts in advance, but unfortunately, they’re not omnipotent.

Especially when beings like Murmur intervene, it’s hard to predict.

It’s not impossible, but errors in precognition often occur.

That’s why the Celestial Corps’ intervention was delayed during the cherry blossom festival.

This time seemed similar.

The spatial rift had opened before the Celestial Corps could intervene.

This meant that civilians were once again exposed to the threat of monsters.

“…Let’s first take Anna to a safe place.”

As students of the academy, we should hold off the monsters until the Celestial Corps arrives, but we can’t fight while carrying an unconscious Anna.

We can evacuate people while taking Anna to safety.

“…”

Carlos didn’t respond to my suggestion.

If it’s Carlos, of course, Anna’s safety would be his top priority.

Assuming he agreed without saying so, I quickened my pace.

As we moved to find an exit, we encountered a few monsters.

Since the spatial rift had just opened, all the monsters crossing over were low rank.

When Carlos leaped in with immense force, they were torn apart before they could even react.

“They’re in the way.”

The sharp claws at the tips of his five fingers gleamed with menace.

Like a wolf swiftly cutting off its prey’s breath.

A single strike through the air sliced the green dwarves into five pieces.

As if determined not to let a single one escape, he relentlessly tore through the monsters.

“…Something’s off.”

Following behind Carlos, I felt a subtle sense of unease.

As the number of monster corpses piled up at the Hunting Dog’s hands, my doubts grew.

The number of monsters was strange.

Why are there so many?

No, to be precise, the number of monsters was actually small.

Carlos had only taken down about a dozen.

Not a number you could call overwhelming.

Considering it’s the early stages of the spatial rift, it’s an appropriate scale.

That’s why it’s puzzling. We’re underground. This is an exhibition hall located beneath the square. 

Spatial rifts open in the sky. Like during the cherry blossom festival, monsters pour down like rain. 

Shouldn’t there be only a handful of monsters in the exhibition hall? Did all the invading monsters somehow come underground?

“This is…”

The opportunity to resolve my doubts came quickly.

I looked up at the ceiling and let out a low hum.

The ceiling of the exhibition hall was cracked.

As if it might collapse at any moment.

But it didn’t collapse.

Because that crack wasn’t a physical one.

A spatial rift. A passage connecting dimensions.

“Did the spatial rift open underground…?”

A phenomenon that shouldn’t normally occur.

But I know someone who could make it possible.

Murmur.

If it’s Murmur, who can freely open spatial rifts, it’s entirely possible.

The situation in the exhibition hall was dire.

Human bodies were scattered everywhere.

The exits were limited, but there were many people trying to escape.

The result was predictable. Pushing and shoving to get out first likely caused accidents.

There might be more people crushed and trampled by others than those killed by monsters.

I covered Anna’s eyes as I looked at the bodies.

She was unconscious, but I didn’t know when she might wake up.

I hoped Anna wouldn’t witness such a scene if she woke up.

“…It’s getting hot. Someone’s fighting.”

“Yeah, I felt it too.”

The thudding sounds grew louder.

The temperature in the exhibition hall was rising rapidly.

The sound of things breaking. The sound of collapse. The sound of explosions.

All sorts of loud noises erupted continuously.

From a distance, I had vaguely thought it was the work of monsters, but hearing it up close, I realized it was different.

This wasn’t the sound of monsters destroying things.

It was the clash of forces. The sound of a battle taking place.

Had the Celestial Corps already arrived?

I held onto a small hope but soon shook my head.

If the Celestial Corps had arrived, the exhibition hall would already be filled with Heroes.

Could it be other academy students like us?

“What should we do? Should we go help?”

“Anna’s safety comes first.”

Carlos said firmly.

He glanced at Anna in my arms.

I nodded in agreement.

We couldn’t take Anna to such a violent battlefield.

◈

Why are they looking for Lucia?

I don’t know the reason, but one thing is certain.

Their intentions are definitely not good.

Lucia must never meet them.

Eugene was certain of that.

And the others felt the same way.

Swoosh. 

A clear sound rang out as a sword was drawn.

The red-hot blade created a heat haze.

Eugene glared at Ere and spoke.

“Arin, evacuate the people.”

“Then what about you?”

“I’ll stop this woman. Fre—Alice, help me. I can’t do this alone.”

“Hmph.”

Frey snorted and stepped forward.

Her crimson eyes burned fiercely.

Eugene wasn’t the only one angered by Ere’s words.

Frey was also suppressing her boiling emotions.

“…Alright. Both of you, be careful.”

Arin glared at Ere as she slowly stepped back.

She felt a chill down her spine, knowing she’d be attacked if she looked away even for a moment.

She was worried about Eugene and Alice, but someone had to do this.

If the people weren’t evacuated, there would surely be many casualties.

Promising herself to return as quickly as possible, Arin turned away.

The sound of her footsteps quickly faded.

But Ere didn’t pay any attention.

She simply stared silently at Eugene and Frey.

‘She said she’s not familiar with human language. She’s definitely a monster.’

Moreover, the language spoken by the woman in the red fox mask was similar to the one used by the Black Knight.

So why is a monster targeting Lucia?

There aren’t enough clues. Right now, no matter how much I think about it, I won’t find an answer. Eugene assumed a basic sword stance, ready to react at the slightest suspicious move from the woman.

‘The location isn’t good.’

The heat in Frey’s crimson eyes had already reached its peak.

She had compressed her firepower to the extreme, ready to unleash it at any moment.

The problem was that they were underground.

If the heat ray melted something it shouldn’t, the aftermath would be uncontrollable.

“…”

The standoff was long.

Eugene clicked his tongue at the opponent, who showed no openings.

She was just standing there without a weapon, yet there was no gap to exploit.

The only image that came to mind was that any attack would be blocked.

Frey couldn’t attack recklessly due to her supernatural ability, which was focused on firepower.

If the opponent dodged, the damage caused by the heat ray would be unimaginable.

If it were an open space like during the cherry blossom festival, it might be different, but here, she couldn’t use her ability carelessly.

Even as the two hesitated to move, Ere didn’t react particularly.

She crossed her arms, supporting her ample chest, and remained silent.

At first glance, it seemed like she was ignoring Eugene and Frey, but in reality, Ere was deep in thought.

‘I can’t detect the girl’s location.’

The ring of Astaroth, delivered to Lucia through Regina.

The ring allowed Lucia’s location to be constantly tracked.

Ere had come to the square in District 6 because she knew Lucia would be here today, but she had also tracked the ring’s location.

But at some point, Lucia’s location could no longer be detected.

No, to be precise, the ring’s location could still be tracked.

But it had become unreliable.

It was as if she had suddenly teleported far away.

She had been in the exhibition hall just moments ago, but now she had moved somewhere else.

It was a distance impossible to cover in such a short time.

The girl’s ability is super regeneration, which has nothing to do with teleportation.

That’s why she had asked them about Lucia’s location…

As you can see, it only heightened their wariness.

‘…I didn’t expect them to answer from the beginning.’

Her mission was to bring Lucia back.

She couldn’t stay lost in thought forever.

Ere uncrossed her arms and slowly loosened her wrists.

‘Well, fine.’

It wouldn’t be bad to test the capabilities of this body before finding the target.

The conditions are similar to back then.

A boy like a blazing fire.

A girl who seems to hold the sun.

A faint smile appeared on Ere’s lips.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Lucia’s arm went missing in a faraway place.

Naturally, her ring went missing as well.

It’s all Murmur’s doing.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
And they wonder why they kept on losing…

Smh.