Chapter 22: ○○○○ Monster (4)

The academy has been attacked.

Again, the academy has been attacked.

However, this assault was on a completely different level from a few delinquents causing trouble as part of some delinquent circle.

The feeling that came to mind wasn’t so much fear as it was sheer disbelief.

“We are the dark guild ‘Claw.’ As of this moment, Everlight Academy is now under our control.”

“W-what?! Claw?! That’s the name of an infamous criminal guild!”

“A vicious criminal organization with bounties on most of its executives—why would they attack the academy?!”

They say it’s always one thing after another.

That phrase perfectly described the current situation.

I mean, seriously— how long had it even been since we resolved the Scar problem before the academy got attacked again?

Even in my most delusional middle-school chuunibyou fantasies, terrorists didn’t take over the school this often!!

Was this really just another paranormal phenomenon?

In the midst of this surreal scenario— a criminal organization attacking the academy— I stood there, detached, as if watching a movie, dazed and simply observing.

Then, from among the terrorists, their leader stepped forward.

And shockingly, that leader was Mucia.

“M-Mucia?!”

“Why are you with criminals like these?!”

“Hmph! Being a student at this academy was nothing more than a disguise. I infiltrated under the pretense of a peaceful resolution for a hidden purpose. But you people— you threw away the only chance to settle this peacefully.”

“W-what kind of nonsense is that?! How did we throw anything away?!”

At Mucia’s words, the burly P.E. teacher stepped forward and shouted.

“The delinquent circle ‘Scar’ in this academy. You’re familiar with them, of course?”

“Why bring them up all of a sudden…?”

The sudden mention of Scar’s name was completely out of nowhere.

But by this point, I had already adopted a “whatever happens, happens” mindset and let the words wash over me.

If the academy kept getting attacked due to paranormal phenomena, then the reason could be anything, right?

No matter how I looked at it, this had to be tied to some urban legend.

Hiding among the panicked teachers, I silently observed him.

[Mucia Leoforte]

[Classification: Human / Male / Criminal]

[Gift: ???]

[Traits: The wandering youth, the leader of a delinquent group—all of it was nothing more than an act to hide his true self from the outside world. Now, he refuses to hide any longer. In truth, his real identity is the boss of the criminal organization ‘Claw,’ the ruler of the underworld, the emperor of the night. He is after ‘something’ within Everlight Academy.]

…What?

No matter how many times I observed him, the only thing that appeared was this updated information.

Unlike Uncle Brandon, his classification didn’t show up as paranormal, and there was nothing particularly suspicious…

Wait— “something” within the academy?

“Actually, Scar was a hidden sleeper cell planted by Claw within Everlight Academy. However, your academy’s teachers launched a large-scale purge operation, and as a result, all the efforts we put into building the Scarr organization were laughably wiped away like foam on water. That’s why we’ve decided to intervene directly.”

“Wh-what…?! Why would a major criminal organization like Claw resort to such underhanded tactics against the academy?!”

“Who knows? Perhaps to uncover the secrets hidden within Everlight Academy… or maybe to obtain the legacy of the academy’s slumbering first headmaster. But does the reason even matter now?”

The academy’s hidden secrets…?

The moment I heard those words, my mind sharpened.

Could they be talking about that Outer God slumbering beneath the academy?

“Wait, don’t tell me—!”

But before I could press for details, Mucia gave orders to her subordinates and left.

“This conversation has gone on long enough. You all handle the rest.”

“Yes!” “Understood!”

A few brave students and faculty members tried to resist, but they were up against a notorious criminal organization that operated on a national scale. In an instant, they were subdued, bound, and herded into the large auditorium, where everyone was imprisoned.

The only reason there were no casualties among the students and staff was that a significant number of the academy’s students were children of high-ranking nobles from various nations—nothing more than that.

After locking all the academy’s members in the auditorium, they stationed guards to keep watch over us.

.

.

.

“Are you okay, PE teacher?”

“Ouch… I’m fine. Damn it, I wish I had something to swing at them too.”

The PE teacher, who had been leading the students in an attempt to resist, was still defiant despite being thoroughly beaten.

The teachers’ reactions were varied.

Only a few, like the PE teacher, were furious about the academy being attacked.

Some were cautiously watching the members of Claw, others were trembling in fear, and some were forcing themselves to stay strong to encourage the students.

In contrast, most of the students looked the same—uneasy, terrified, or crying.

Of course, “most” implies that there were exceptions.

For example, Elaine, who had just secretly approached me.

“Mr. Allen.”

Her calm demeanor—was it due to her Gift’s ability?

Unlike the other students paralyzed by fear, she spoke to me in a composed, quiet voice.

“What’s going on?”

“This incident… is it related to a rumor? That Muchia guy was just the leader of a delinquent group, right? But now he’s suddenly the boss of some infamous criminals? If it’s not a rumor, it doesn’t make sense…”

She seemed to be suspecting the same thing I was.

But I couldn’t give her a clear answer either.

I still hadn’t reached a definitive conclusion about this situation.

“Honestly, I’m not sure either. At first, I suspected it was a rumor. A nationwide criminal organization isn’t something that can just exist normally, unlike the academy’s delinquent circles. But no matter how much I observe them with my Gift, their status windows just show them as ordinary people.”

It wasn’t just Muchia.

Even when observing his subordinates, there was no sign of any special phrases that would suggest a rumor’s influence.

“Right now, I’m starting to think the opposite. Even if it is connected to a rumor, it’s not in the way we’re assuming.”

“What do you mean?”

“Maybe they’re like us— aware of the secrets hidden beneath the academy. If that’s the case, then all the staged incidents at the academy so far start to make sense.”

At my words, Elaine’s expression quickly turned serious.

“Is that really possible?”

“I don’t know. But a rumor about the academy being taken over by criminals? I’ve never heard of anything like that.”

“That’s true… Even aside from you, Mr. Allen, I’ve never heard of such a thing either.”

What’s that supposed to mean?

“But I’m not even sure if my theory is correct. Whether all of this is caused by a rumor or if it’s just real humans acting independently. There’s too little information.”

And so, Elaine and I sat there, tied up in the auditorium, lost in thought.

But no matter how much we agonized over it while restrained and unable to gather proper intel, nothing would change…

Eventually, Elaine slipped away from the watchful eyes of Claw’s members and returned to her original spot.

The flow of events felt too forced to be natural, yet it didn’t carry the eerie, unsettling madness of the Infinite Loop Rumor or the Brandon Uncle Rumor.

What I needed was information.

I needed information. 

But tied up like this, there was no way to get any.

How much time had passed like that?

Something unusual caught my eye as I blankly stared at the scene inside the auditorium.

“…Miss Rone?”

It was Rone, who had somehow managed to secretly free herself from her restraints and was trying to escape the auditorium.

“Shh.”

As our eyes met, she quickly pressed a finger to her lips.

Carefully avoiding the watchful gazes around us, I moved closer to her.

“How did you free yourself?”

“I got lucky. My small frame made the ropes loose enough to slip out.”

“That’s fortunate. Could you undo my restraints as well? If we can all break free, things would be better than they are now.”

But Rone shook her head at my words.

“No. I can free you, but I won’t undo everyone else’s restraints.”

“What do you mean?”

“Even if I free everyone, it’ll only provoke Claw’s members. That’s too reckless. Instead, I’ll slip out alone and take down Claw myself.”

“…You do realize that’s far more reckless, don’t you?”

“No. I can do it. My Gift, “Justice Execution”, is perfect for a situation like this.”

And indeed, her Gift, “Justice Execution”, was the ideal ability to prepare for unforeseen circumstances.

But there was a stark difference between ordinary delinquents and a notorious criminal organization.

Frankly speaking, the delinquents she had taken down before were just troublemakers—  amateurs who had never properly learned combat.

“You didn’t listen to my lectures properly, did you? Even abilities granted by Gifts can’t transcend the limits of human capability.”

“Some risks are worth taking.”

“It’s not about whether you can handle the risk. The problem is exposing a student to danger in the first place.”

“Your idea of freeing everyone is just as dangerous, isn’t it? Besides, we’re already all in danger.”

But Rone’s resolve was firm.

At this rate, no matter how much I tried to persuade her, she’d just ignore me and slip out alone.

I never really had a choice to begin with.

The decision to free me or not was entirely hers.

In that case, keeping her close and controlling her actions might be the easier option.

Sigh. 

“If you’re that stubborn, I suppose there’s no helping it. Fine. But I’m coming with you.”

“…Mr. Allen?”

“If you refuse, I’ll just tell everyone that you’ve freed yourself. I doubt you’d want to deal with that hassle.”

Whether this incident was truly the work of a fabricated urban legend or the result of humans targeting the Academy’s secrets, as one of the only two people in the Academy who knows about the hidden underground Outsider, I couldn’t just stand by and watch.

So, I’d either join Rone’s solo mission to resolve this or at least gather more information.

“…Fine. But don’t do anything reckless.”

“Look who’s talking.”

After a brief hesitation, Rone reluctantly undid the ropes binding me.