Chapter 42

Reａd òn K̃a‍​тＲeａd&i;n​ģC̃â&f;​ẽ

To summarize, the important thing was timing.

If you are too early, it won’t work, but if you are too late, that would also be a problem.

You have to jump in at the moment the high-rank monster sheds its skin and comes back to life.

That way, the audience can enjoy the most perfect version of the show.

But I didn’t know the future.

I only had the knowledge gained from reading novels, but my supernatural ability wasn’t precognition.

I knew the monster would revive, but I didn’t know exactly when.

So, for now, I’d leave it to fate.

I ran at full speed.

I didn’t want to waste time trying to match the timing awkwardly.

If I made a mistake and Eugene or Si-ul died, that would be a huge problem.

The scenery around me blurred past.

I was quickly out of breath.

I hadn’t been careful with my stamina, so I was already feeling exhausted.

Well, I guess that can’t be helped.

I had my head sliced off and holes drilled in my brain, after all.

I could handle other wounds, but damage to the head made regeneration much more difficult.

Even when my neck was crushed, I managed to stay conscious—this time, even though my head was severed, I was holding on to my consciousness by forcing my regeneration to its limits.

Heh, it was a good thing I’d been choking myself regularly.

As expected, when you put in the effort, your abilities grow.

Still, if I had been left like that for too long, I would have eventually lost consciousness and become a living corpse.

I was quite a distance away, but I quickly closed the gap as I ran.

I had forgotten for a moment, but Lucia was, after all, a part of the Golden Generation.

Despite her fragile appearance, she was more than capable of being a superhuman.

Now, this was where luck came in.

I ran without worrying about the time or thinking twice.

As soon as I arrived, I planned to point out something was wrong with the high-rank monster’s corpse.

Then, Eugene would realize something was off and act accordingly.

I won’t be able to show off, but I could prevent any unfortunate accidents.

The world is all about love and peace. I couldn’t let anyone suffer because of my personal desires, could I?

But what if?

What if I was just a little too late?

What if I couldn’t warn them in time?

What if Eugene realized the monster’s resurrection too late?

Well, then…

It would be a fun, enjoyable talent show time.

“Huff… huff…”

Breathing heavily as I ran, I saw people running towards me from the opposite direction.

Ah, it was Arin and Leo. Heh, I figured.

Arin, with her supernatural ability, must have sensed the danger, or at least recognized the ‘crisis’ even if she couldn’t predict the revival.

Eugene, exhausted from the earlier battle, was slow to react.

He was casually waving his hand.

A little further away, Si-ul was lying on the ground.

Both of them had completely relaxed, showing no interest in the high-rank monster’s corpse.

Therefore, they didn’t notice it.

The corpse of the high-rank monster was trembling, as if it was experiencing rigor mortis.

Ah, I ended up being late after all.

I tried, didn’t I?

I wasn’t being selfish, and I ran with everything I had to warn them of the danger.

But even then, I was too late… Well, I guess that’s just how it is, right?

The skin was shedding.

No, it wasn’t shedding; it was ripping apart and exploding.

Inside the monster, it was as if a bomb had gone off, shattering its body and splattering bodily fluids everywhere.

The newly revived high-rank monster had a clear target.

It wasn’t Si-ul, who had collapsed, but Eugene, sitting nearby, was its focus. It surged toward him like an arrow shot from a bow.

Eugene had been quite unlucky, the fact that the monster he had just defeated had the ability to resurrect, how unfortunate.

Who would have thought that it would come back to life after being beheaded?

Lucia wouldn’t die, but other monsters weren’t like that. Usually, when a neck is severed, anyone would die.

So it’s not surprising that he let his guard down.

He noticed a beat too late and reacted, but it was still too late.

Eugene’s reaction speed, already slowed by the previous battle, was significantly slower than usual.

However, despite such terrible misfortune, luck came along with it.

After all, life is a series of ups and downs, isn’t it?

Ah, maybe that’s not the right saying for this situation? Anyway, misfortune is often accompanied by good luck.

And here I am, representing that good luck.

Lucia is here.

“Watch out!”

Ugh!

I pushed Eugene hard. I put all my running strength into the push, so it might hurt a little.

But that’s still better than having a hole in your body, right?

Although I was a little late, this time, I wasn’t too late.

Yes, really, thank goodness───

Fwok!

I stumbled forward, my legs giving way. My knees buckled, but the claws that had pierced my chest kept me from falling.

My spine was crushed.

Ribs broke, and the lungs and heart it was protecting were smashed along with them.

Blood bubbled up from my esophagus, making it impossible to breathe.

“Ah… aaah…”

No scream came out.

Only a sound like air escaping from a balloon mixed with blood bubbles seeped out of my mouth.

I gagged. My lips were covered in a warm, squishy mass of blood. A flood of blood poured from my nose.

“He… heh… uhehe…”

I weakly grasped the claws that pierced my back and chest.

Blood poured out, and bone fragments ripped through my skin.

Drops of blood fell to the ground with a soft splatter.

My mind began to dull, and the stars in the sky twinkled brightly.

Huh?

It’s still day, isn’t it?

And there are so many dark clouds?

Hehe, it’s so pretty…

Twinkle. Twinkle. Twinkle.

There are so many shooting stars in the sky!

“Kyaa… Ahh… Ugh…”

My body lifted.

As the claws rose, I was pulled upward with them.

My flesh tore, and the already severe bleeding worsened.

Blood started pouring from my chest and stomach, soaking my legs.

A little more.

Just a little more…

No… much more~♡

Tear me apart~♡

Everyone’s watching. Ah~♡

Eugene, Si-ul, Leo, Arin.

Are other students watching from far away?

Hehe, I don’t know~

But I hope everyone sees it.

It’s so much more exciting when people are watching.

It’s a hundred times… no, a thousand times better than doing it alone.

Hahaha, everyone’s making such weird faces.

Why are they making those faces?

I’m feeling amazing right now~♡

Thud.

I was discarded like trash.

My neck snapped when my head hit the ground. My neck broke in an unnatural direction.

Roll, roll, roll. 

Hmm, I’m rolling a lot today. Lucia the ball is here~

My focus blurred. Dirt got in my eyes, and blood tears streamed down from my bloodshot eyes.

I blinked to clear the debris. As my vision slowly returned, I met Eugene’s gaze.

Wow… what’s that face?

Anyone who saw it would think the sky was falling.

It’s just a little chest wound, neck snapping, and a little bleeding from the eyes… did they really need to exaggerate the reaction?

Or maybe… Is that normal? My brain isn’t working well since I’m losing blood.

One thing’s for sure: I’m feeling absolutely amazing right now~♡

I’m happy~♡ Though it’s a bit of a shame.

If only they had torn me apart a little more…

Ah… somehow, I’m getting sleepy.

It’s still too early to sleep, but…

The twinkling stars in the sky.

Seeing the stars rise, I guess it’s not really that early after all.

Good kids go to bed early, you know.

Good night~

◈

“AAAHHHHHHHHHH—!!!”

It was more of a scream than a battle cry.

Eugene wildly swung his sword.

Time was of the essence. He couldn’t afford to waste time being caught by the high-rank monster.

In the distance, Lucia was growing cold.

It’s okay. She’ll be fine…!

He desperately tried to calm himself. The more anxious he got, the slower his sword became. If he truly cared about her, now was the time to stay calm.

To calm the boiling anxiety, Eugene recalled Lucia’s supernatural ability.

Her ability was super regeneration.

She’d been fine even when her head was severed. She’d be fine this time, too.

Her chest had been horrifically torn out. But with her ability…

But what if…

What if she couldn’t regenerate this time because she’d used up too much energy recovering from her previous wounds?

Then… Lucia…

The image of her lifeless eyes remained in his mind.

A bone pierced her neck.

Her neck was twisted, and blood flowed down her face like tears.

She looked like a dead person.

It’s my fault…

By carelessly thinking it was over and letting my guard down, she ended up like that.

She took the hit to protect me.

If only I had been calmer. If I hadn’t let my guard down. If I had handled it properly.

If I had… maybe, if I had done that…

No.

There’s no point in wondering about “what ifs” now.

Time can’t be turned back. I learned that truth deeply five years ago.

So now…

I must defeat the monster in front of me.

I need to treat her as soon as possible.

I must.

I must, but…

“Ugh…!”

His chest felt tight.

It felt like his lungs were burning.

Hurry! He had to swing his sword faster, no matter what.

Move! His legs felt slow. Hurry up, there’s no time. Quickly!

His body felt heavy, like thick chains were binding him.

He’d already exhausted his stamina in the previous battle. He had no strength left for prolonged combat.

The red on the sword was too faint.

The flames he could summon were like a match in the wind compared to before.

In contrast, the high-rank monster showed no sign of fatigue.

It was like it had been reborn as it shed its skin—faster, stronger.

It rampaged across the battlefield. Like it was enraged after being decapitated, the high-rank monster went wild.

“Keok?! Urgh!”

Leo, struck by the monster’s tail, was sent flying to the ground, vomiting blood.

They had rushed in to help, but it was useless. The monster swung its tail as if dealing with a nuisance, and Leo’s arm was broken in a single strike.

This was only possible because Si-ul used her ability to lessen the shock.

If it hadn’t been for her, Leo’s arm wouldn’t have been broken; it would have been torn off.

I really have no strength left…

Si-ul tried to hide her trembling legs but couldn’t manage it.

She had overused her ability. With her current stamina, she could barely manage small space distortions.

Angelica’s golem held the high-rank monster in check. But Si-ul’s expression darkened even further.

With her personality, Angelica wouldn’t rely on a golem; she would be in the fray herself.

Even so, sending the golem means she’s in a state where only she can fight with it.

Ah, really… She’s gotten stronger! Her spirit is different now! Even so, with her current condition, there’s no way she can…

Si-ul was just as anxious as Eugene.

A student had been turned into a skewer.

And right in front of them at that.

If she had used her ability and reached out, she could’ve stopped it, but it was too late.

She threw herself into harm’s way to protect her fellow student.

She had been viciously stabbed and was now in a state where her life was uncertain.

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■─────!!!!

The high-rank monster roared.

It struck the ground fiercely, sending shockwaves that pushed the golem back.

The wounds that had just barely been held together reopened. Si-ul staggered, bending over in pain.

“I’m here. I’ll help.”

A silver-haired girl passed by Si-ul, charging at the monster.

It wasn’t just one, but multiple identical girls. All of them were Anastasia’s clones.

But there weren’t many. At most, there were nine.

She couldn’t make more because of her physical and mental limitations.

When a clone disappeared, the strain would return to the original body.

In other words, Anastasia was remembering now the deaths of hundreds of her clones in this battle against the monsters.

Being able to create nine clones after that experience was impressive.

However, it wasn’t enough to even catch the high-rank monster’s attention.

It whipped its tail, wiping out all the clones.

“Why is it like this… again?”

A heat ray scorched the side of the high-rank monster, tearing up the ground.

It was Alice’s (Frey’s) supernatural ability. Seeing Lucia grow cold, Frey clenched her teeth and unleashed a barrage of fiery energy.

But the result wasn’t much different from Anastasia’s.

It couldn’t even pierce the monster’s scales, only hitting its outer surface.

“Move aside… you’re still too weak to fight it!”

“But teacher Si-ul can’t fight it in that state either!”

At Arin’s cry, Si-ul couldn’t refute her words.

Still, it wasn’t something they could ask the inexperienced students to handle—the high-rank monster.

The only student capable of going up against it was Eugene, who had rapidly grown stronger. But even Eugene was exhausted and no longer had the strength to fight properly.

What… what should we do now…?

While Si-ul struggled to find an answer, the monster didn’t wait.

The high-rank monster, which had previously ignored everyone except Si-ul and Eugene, finally changed its target due to their continued interference.

It crushed one of the clones under its front paw, then shattered the golem with an impossible amount of strength.

It bent its legs and lifted its head, causing the ground to explode as it leaped into the air.

The entire body vibrated from the shockwaves.

Despite not having wings, the high-rank monster jumped up as if it could fly. Its front paws raised like blades, still dripping with fresh blood.

“…Alice!”

Si-ul shouted as she noticed the monster’s target.

Frey fired a stronger blast of heat, but the monster wasn’t even pushed back. Despite the lack of a solid footing, it fell faster, heading straight down.

Dodging was… impossible.

Even if she dodged, the follow-up attacks would still hit.

But simply allowing herself to be struck would be foolish.

She had been hesitant to use her hidden abilities in front of others.

As Frey crouched down to bring out her hidden ability…

“HAHHH!”

Eugene leaped in between them.

The red on the sword was still faint. His exhausted arm felt as heavy as if it had iron bars inserted in it.

His legs screamed in pain, feeling like they would shatter. It was the result of forcing himself to move with flames as propulsion. His legs may have actually been broken.

“Sun Sword!!”

Once.

Right now, he could use it once.

Even if he couldn’t, he had to use it!

With a cracked voice, Eugene shouted the incantation.

His veins and blood vessels bulged in his palm. His leg muscles swelled abnormally.

He felt a pain so intense it felt like his nerves were being severed.

His heart was about to explode from the pressure.

Eugene poured all his remaining strength into the blade, drawing an arc toward the descending high-rank monster.

“That’s enough. Using that technique in your current condition is dangerous. Do you want to self-destruct?”

A hand suddenly appeared and grabbed the Sun Sword.

It wasn’t grabbing Eugene’s arm.

It had caught the blade that had been swinging wildly.

Yet, there wasn’t a single scratch on the hand that had caught it.

Only a bright flash of static electricity surged.

“What…?!”

Eugene’s gaze turned to the person who had caught the blade.

At this moment, with the high-rank monster attacking, turning his gaze was a dangerously foolish move.

However, for some reason, his instincts told him that it was not dangerous at all.

It was a man he had never seen before.

His yellow hair was messy, sticking out in every direction.

His eyes looked as if they had been carved from diamonds.

A white coat draped over his shoulders.

And a black uniform, contrasting with the white coat.

The man, who had calmly grabbed Eugene’s sword and stopped the technique, pointed his finger toward the high-rank monster.

In a flash, thunder struck the monster.

The high-rank monster, which had been ignoring Frey’s heat rays, let out a scream and plummeted.

With just a simple motion, the man had shot down the high-rank monster. He narrowed his thick eyebrows and spoke.

“A high-rank monster. I had a bad feeling as soon as the support request came in… I’m glad I rushed over.”

“Who…?”

“If you’re a student of the academy, you should at least recognize the uniform.”

In response to Eugene’s question, the man let go of the blade he had been holding.

As the man had said, Eugene recognized the uniform. It was the combat uniform issued to the heroes.

What Eugene really wanted to ask wasn’t about the uniform.

It was about the identity of this expert who had casually stopped his technique and sent the high-rank monster flying with just a wave of his hand.

“Ah…”

Si-ul slumped down onto the ground, her strength draining away.

With a hollow laugh, or perhaps a relieved one, she collapsed.

“I’m alive…”

She collapsed completely.

It wasn’t a sight she would show in front of the students, but she had long since forgotten about such formalities.

She hadn’t expected that man to show up, but… no, he must have acted directly. After all, his daughter was in Class A.

For whatever reason, it was over now.

The situation was essentially resolved.

“Good job. Everyone.”

He said it in a neutral tone as he looked around at the students.

Then his gaze paused on a girl with glasses staring at him with teary eyes.

He gave a small nod. His expression looked somewhat relieved.

“I’ll handle the aftermath.”

The man’s name was Kallad.

He was the captain of the 2nd Division.

 

Author Note

He came rushing in panic when he heard that his daughter was in danger.

However, he pretended to be calm because he was in front of his daughter.

Translator Note

Curtain call for the reception of Lucia, heh.