Chapter 172: Full Moon Night – Part 1 (5)

Turning Back Time: 10 Minutes Before Raizein Engulfed the Entire School in the Black Parade

“Aaaaah!!! I can’t take it anymore!!! I’m leaving! I’m getting out of here!!!”

“Please calm down, Master! I beg you!”

Philia and Dorothy were struggling in a remote corner of the forest.

Well, calling it a “struggle” was an exaggeration—considering Dorothy’s strength, it was more like Philia clinging onto her and being dragged along.

Dorothy could easily shake her off at any time, but she was holding back to avoid accidentally hurting her maid.

Or maybe she was worried that forcibly prying her off would tear her skirt.

Philia adjusted her slipping glasses and spoke.

“Even if you’re going to leave, you should at least go through the proper procedures. You need to wait until the expulsion process is complete. If you just disappear without a word, everyone will be shocked.”

“Hmph, shocked? Yeah, right. I’m just a commoner, and I don’t know a single person at this school. If I vanish, no one’s gonna care.”

“That was before you smashed open the Agamamtong. Things are different now. The male students are lining up to flirt with you, Master. If you suddenly disappear, they’ll all be bewildered.”

“Even worse!!!!! I’m leaving!!!!!”

That had the opposite effect. Dorothy struggled even harder, screaming her determination to leave.

A pair of blue wings burst through her clothes, tearing them apart as they emerged from her back.

“Sien told me, too. In life, you must always be ready to cut your losses without hesitation. If I run now, at least I won’t have to suffer further humiliation. So don’t stop me!”

“You can’t! The past three months have been so much fun for me! Please don’t take away the joy in my life!”

“At least try to hide it, you damn brat!!!!”

As the two bickered as usual—

—BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!

A sharp siren suddenly blared.

Both of them froze and turned toward the direction of the school. It was the alarm Sally had triggered due to Raizen’s invasion.

They both stared blankly.

“What the hell? Something happened?”

“Seems like it…?”

Philia, who had responded in a dazed voice, suddenly realized something. This could be an opportunity.

She nudged her master’s side and spoke in an insinuating tone.

“Master, Master. This is your chance. I don’t know what’s going on, but something urgent is happening at the school. If you resolve this, you could overturn public opinion and become a hero.”

“Ugh…”

But Dorothy didn’t seem convinced.

“There’s no guarantee that I’ll actually be able to fix anything. Besides, the Hero is there too. I’ll probably just end up as Sion’s sidekick again, like during the wolf incident. It’s obvious.”

“Still, you never kno—”

“No, it’s obvious. Has there ever been a time when it wasn’t?”

Saying that, Dorothy flopped onto the ground, making it clear she had no intention of moving.

“I’ve already lost my motivation. I don’t care if the school is in danger. It’s not my problem. I’ll just stay here and sleep.”

“Ugh…”

Philia sighed in disappointment. It seemed the repeated failures had left a deeper emotional wound than she thought.

She looked at Dorothy, who had now given up completely and was rolling around on the ground.

“Then how about this? I’ll go check out what’s happening and come back. If I tell you it’s worth it, you’ll come, right? We can’t just let an opportunity slip away.”

“Do whatever you want.”

Dorothy lazily flicked her tail in response. Philia bowed slightly.

“Then, I’ll be back.”

“Yeah.”

As soon as she said that, Philia vanished.

Her combat abilities were nothing compared to Dorothy’s, but there was one thing she excelled at—hiding.

When she was serious about stealth, even Dorothy’s dragon senses had trouble detecting her.

That meant there was no need to worry about her dying no matter where she went.

Not that anything that dangerous ever really happened at this school anyway.

“Haah…”

Dorothy sighed, staring at the spot where Philia had disappeared.

Then she rolled onto her back.

Above her, the night sky stretched out, a breathtaking river of stars glittering in the darkness.

The stars twinkled indifferently, as if they had no concern for the turmoil in her heart.

Dorothy muttered bitterly, gazing upward.

“Where did my life go wrong…? I was supposed to live in luxury as the next Dragon Lord, but instead, I’m stuck here playing the fool… Ugh.”

She knew the reason. It was obvious. It was all because of Sien.

The man who killed her father and planted twisted ideals in her head.

A worthless piece of trash who hit children without hesitation, the root of her distrust toward men.

And the bastard who told her to seek revenge—only to go and die on his own terms.

“The absolute worst…”

Dorothy shut her eyes, trying to bury her restless thoughts.

Curling up like a true dragon, she wrapped her wings around herself like a blanket and drifted off to sleep.

If someone saw her wings, they might be startled—but that didn’t matter.

If that happened, then she’d have no regrets about leaving this place for good.

“At the very least, let’s be free from worrying about others’ opinions—just for now. Just for this moment, as the pleasant night breeze gently blows.”

It was right as Dorothy’s consciousness began to slowly drift off into a dream.

“If you go straight this way…”

“……”

“Huh?”

A woman’s voice nearby made Dorothy perk up her ears and wake from her slumber.

It seemed she had fallen into a rather deep sleep without realizing it.

The proof was the night sky—or rather, the entire surroundings—now completely engulfed in pitch-black darkness.

Come to think of it, isn’t it a little too dark? Then again, if it’s around 3 or 4 AM, maybe that makes sense.

But more importantly—what was that sound just now?

“Alright, here we are. If you go through this forest and cross over, the next place will be—”

At that moment, a black-haired schoolgirl pushed through the bushes and emerged.

She had been facing away, seemingly guiding someone, but the moment she spotted Dorothy, she froze in place.

It wasn’t because of Dorothy’s wings or tail—she had already hidden those the instant she heard a sound.

No. This was a different kind of fear. Something far more fundamental.

“Ah… Ah…”

“What’s wrong? Is someone there?”

And from behind the girl, a woman in a white dress appeared.

The moment Dorothy saw her, she instinctively frowned.

She didn’t like this woman’s face.

To be more specific—her appearance was strikingly similar to the man Dorothy hated most in the world.

It was as if someone had taken him, swapped his gender, added a slight golden tint to his hair, and dressed him in women’s clothing.

Dorothy’s voice naturally turned sharp.

“…Who the hell are you two? I was having a perfectly good nap, and now you’re interrupting me.”

At her words, the schoolgirl’s face grew even paler.

Was she intimidated?

No—something felt off. Dorothy’s tone was rough, but she hadn’t threatened her.

And besides, the girl didn’t seem to be afraid of her.

Rather, that terror seemed directed at—

“How rude.”

A displeased glint flickered in the woman’s eyes.

“I don’t know how many ill-mannered people I’ve encountered since arriving here, but honestly, what do they even teach at this so-called school?

Even the most basic etiquette—like not addressing strangers so casually—is beyond you?”

As she spoke, the woman raised her hand.

It was the exact same movement she had made when she cut down the guards earlier.

A signal for slaughter—executed without a hint of hesitation.

“I hope that when you’re reborn, you’ll be a more polite child.”

Shwoooosh!

A black aura shot toward Dorothy like a razor-sharp blade—an attack so honed and lethal that it could slice through anything it touched.

A simple yet overwhelmingly powerful strike, the same one that had already reduced three innocent guards to pieces.

Marianne screamed.

“No! Dodge—”

But it was too late.

By the time she even opened her mouth, the shadow was already inches away from Dorothy’s throat.

It would slice through her neck before she even realized—split her body in two, unleashing a fountain of blood—

“What do you think you’re doing?”

—Or so it should have.

Astonishingly, the blue-haired girl before them had raised her hand at the last possible moment and clamped down on the shadow just before it could touch her neck.

The darkness writhed in an attempt to break free, but as she tightened her grip, it lost its form and melted away.

A spark of interest flickered in Raizein’s eyes.

“Oh? You blocked that? You don’t look like much, but it seems you have some skill.”

“Hey. Don’t ignore me.”

Dorothy shot her a menacing glare and growled.

“What the hell was that just now? You clearly tried to kill me. Huh? Is tossing around lethal magic just a normal greeting in the outside world these days?”

“…….”

Raizein didn’t answer.

Instead, she looked Dorothy up and down, as if examining something interesting.

Dorothy’s forehead twitched.

“You. When someone talks to you, you should—”

“I’ve decided.”

“…What?”

Raizein clapped her hands together with a bright smile.

“I was thinking that I should warm up a little before meeting my father. And look at that—you’ve shown up at the perfect time.”

“What the hell are you talking about, you crazy bit—”

“A proper meal always starts with an appetizer, after all. And I think you’ll make for a rather satisfying first course.”

Dorothy’s expression darkened.

Her speech grew even rougher.

No one could blame her. After all, the woman in front of her was openly disregarding her.

And for a dragon—renowned for their pride—that was unforgivable.

With a crack of her knuckles, Dorothy smirked.

“A fight, huh? Sounds good. I was in a bad mood anyway—this’ll be the perfect way to relieve some stress.”

She took a step forward, voice brimming with hostility.

“I don’t know who the hell you are, but you picked the wrong person to mess with.

And judging by that mouth of yours, I think you’re in dire need of some proper education. Lucky for you—I only know one method of teaching.”

She cracked her neck.

“Get ready to have your face beaten in, you bitch.”

Raizein let out a delighted chuckle.

“Oh my. Such crude language.”

Then, with an arrogant smirk, she gazed down at Dorothy as if looking at an insect.

“Go ahead. Resist all you like. It won’t make a difference in the end. ♬”

From behind her, dozens of shadowy tendrils slithered upward, twisting and writhing like snakes—preparing to strike.