episode_0050

The quiet stillness fills the corridor.

The gentle sound of rain outside the window begins to heighten the tension.

In this silence, someone broke the quiet.

Without going down to the first floor, Lucy, who was beside me, spoke in a small voice that only I could hear.

“Hey…! Thanks for helping me…! Isn’t it a bit dangerous for me to go down alone right now?”

Would it be more dangerous to fall in a situation like this?

“Got it. Then, stick close to me for now.”

“Oh, okay..!”

She said that and stuck closely behind me, glaring at Naidus, who was far away.

“But, Lucy. What’s on your wrist?”

“T-This… It’s a filled restraint! Because of this, I can’t use magic…! Be careful too…!”

Hmm, a magical tool that disrupts magic.

There are various ways to disrupt magic, such as the barrier experienced in the previous training session.

And there are tools worn directly on people.

Among them, the most commonly used is the handcuff-type magical tool.

It’s an item made to block criminals’ magic, think of it like the handcuffs in some pirate comics.

Anyway, the manufacturing method of this magical tool is kept secret, and the materials needed to make it are always scarce, making it a rare item even in the academy.

Having such an item is not a problem.

Since that guy often carried it around in the game.

If it gets filled during battle, you couldn’t use magic.

However, since it was a kind of gimmick, the handcuffs would automatically release after a few seconds.

Probably because the protagonist’s power is too strong to be sealed by such a magical tool.

Anyway, Lucy used that item. Is that it?

“As expected, you’re irredeemable trash, Naidus.”

“Oh, you know my name? By the way, you… how did you… this is dangerous. I’m sorry to him, but. I guess I have to kill you. The time for fun is over.”

Saying that, Naidus began to assume a stance.

He held two very sharp daggers stained black on the blade in his hands, ready for action.

I, too, summoned a knife in my uninjured left hand to match, unable to use a sword to block for Lucy with my right hand.

But that’s fine.

The teachers like Elisha should have noticed that something was amiss here due to the protective spells and magical tools being neutralized.

For some reason, in this situation where protective magic and magical tools were disabled, all I could do was protect Lucy and buy time.

It would be great if I could take down Naidus.

However, fighting while protecting Lucy makes that practically impossible.

Naidus seems to have suffered quite a significant injury, but he’s also a boss-level character.

So, attacking him in the current state is practically impossible.

“Phew..”

Taking a deep breath, I firmly gripped the knife in my left hand.

And in my right hand, I conjured a faint flame, ready to use fire at any moment.

Naidus specializes in using shadows for movement, weapon enhancement, and blocking sight.

Unlike Shadi, who fights bare-handed and uses knives and dark magic, he’s a tough opponent to counter.

Therefore, I keep my eyes on Naidus so as not to lose track of him.

A thunderbolt struck from the sky, illuminating the dark world with a loud noise.

And Naidus began to move.

-Wham!

In that instant of lightning, he shattered the nearby glass window and started falling outside.

“W-What, that brat!! Run…!!”

Lucy, looking bewildered by his actions, shouted loudly.

It was no wonder, as Naidus had simply leaped from a height of three floors.

“Would I face you in this state, claiming that I’ve gone mad? I’ll let you live to kill another day. Today, I’ll give you a small gift and take my leave. Well then.”

Saying so, he disappeared into the air as if being sucked away somewhere.

‘Shadow movement, perhaps.’

Likely using up all remaining magic power to move far away from this place.

Hence, pursuing that guy is impossible.

Well, it’s fortunate that there was no battle.

I was worried since I hadn’t fully recovered yet.

“Thank goodness. Not too late.”

“Uh, huh?”

I extinguished the flame in my right hand and stowed the knife held in my left hand in the inventory.

The situation has ended, so now it’s fine.

However, there is a problem.

Just feeling a bit tired?

My head feels a bit dizzy, but it’s okay. I can endure it.

First things first, I need to make sure Lucy isn’t injured.

So, I searched Lucy’s body and asked, “Lucy, are you hurt anywhere?”

“No…”

Indeed, she doesn’t seem to have any wounds.

But, why won’t these handcuffs come off her wrists?

Judging by its appearance, it doesn’t seem to be made properly.

As I examined the handcuffs on Lucy’s wrists, she spoke up.

“Well, um… more importantly, you. Your hands are okay…? It seemed like you were badly hurt because of me earlier…”

“It’s fine. This much can be healed with some ointment…”

My body swayed.

My head is spinning.

I knelt down on the ground with a sudden pain.

Just a moment ago, I was fine.

Feeling nauseous, it seems like I have a fever.

– Hey, hey! Why are you suddenly like this? Hey!!

My vision distorts, making Lucy appear as multiple people.

– Pull yourself together! What’s going on suddenly..!

My vision flickers.

What hit me?

Was the sword poisoned?

He never used poison in the game.

I must have been hit.

Well, it was strange that he didn’t use poison given his character.

He probably smeared something on the blade.

– No potions, no healing magic. What should I do? His head is burning up..!

As I collapsed to the ground, my eyes slowly closed.

It felt like I could hear footsteps from somewhere.

– Bern! I came because of the magical reaction… Hey, Redhead! Why are you lying down?!

– I, I tried to save him. It’s because of grabbing the sword…

– Then, poison? What are you talking about? Who attacked you?

– It was a man with horns on his head. He had purple hair. Probably Requiem…

– Now he’s even coming to the academy, what is the academy doing?

Whose voice is this?

Is it Elisha? It’s hard to see clearly.

– Ber, Bern..! There’s blood on his cheek and hand…!

Is this Ellen?

I don’t know who it is, but a small, warm hand was holding mine.

By the way, maybe because of the rain.

It’s getting colder.

– Hey, what’s wrong with you?

Speaking slightly angrily, there’s only one person I know who talks like that.

“Luna…”

– ..I followed just in case. Why do you keep getting hit all the time?

– Ellen! Go to the faculty room and call the teachers!

– Y-yes..!

– Ugh… Hey, Black Hair! What are you doing! Are you crazy? Why are you licking that guy’s blood?!

– What? What is he doing right now?

– This doesn’t seem like a severe poison. It seems like a mix of anesthetic and other things.

– Black Hair, how do you know that?

-….

– Alright, forget it. It would be a waste to give such information to others. But, Black Hair, are you okay?

– Alright. However, silver-haired. Call me by name. Call me Luna.

– Got it, black-haired. So, is Bern okay?

– Ha, amusing. Yeah, he should be fine. Probably. But, this guy’s taste for blood is subtle…

– What? What do you mean by taste for blood? Is there some other issue?

– It’s nothing. And even if I know, I won’t tell you anymore, got it?

– This is not the time for this. Shouldn’t we take him to the hospital or something?

As expected, did the poison work?

But, licking my blood…?

It feels like my dizzy head is only getting more disoriented.

Even if she controls her blood-sucking impulses well.

Even so, is it okay to consume blood like this?

Now is not the time to worry about Silia.

My head feels like it’s going to split. It feels like consciousness will fade.

Damn it, I should find an artifact with poison resistance…

– Hey, Bern! His eyes are slowly closing? Black-haired! Is this okay?

– It’s because of the sedative mixed in. I just said that.

– S-Sorry. It’s because of me. Suddenly experiencing such a thing… If it wasn’t just me.

– …Hey, you. Are you also acquainted with Bern?

– Yeah… I just came to get a notebook…

– Don’t worry. Despite appearing rough and indifferent on the outside, he’s actually more caring than anyone else. Even if it wasn’t you, he would sacrifice himself to protect anyone. So, you don’t need to blame yourself.

– Even if it wasn’t me…

– Also, it’s not your fault. It’s those Requiem guys.

– By the way, when is that pink-haired one coming? Oh, there she is.

Ah, this is too much now.

I can no longer maintain consciousness…

….

The closed eyes begin to open again.

The warm sunlight streaming in from the window envelops me.

A cool breeze seeps in through the slightly ajar window, and I can hear the chirping of birds starting.

The bed is soft, and the blanket is warm.

However, this is not my room.

The ceiling is unfamiliar, and the wallpaper and windows have a different structure from my room.

Staring at the very white ceiling unlike my room, I couldn’t help but say,

“Oh, it’s a strange ceiling.”

Consciousness returned.