episode_0089

Adam looked down at me coldly, as if he had no intention of letting go, despite my attempts to wriggle out by asking him to release my arm and squirming around.

Instead, he tightened his grip on my arm with a sly smile, causing unbearable pain that made it impossible for me to stifle a groan.

“Ugh… Please let go, I can’t take this anymore. Please…”

Only when he finally loosened his grip on my arm did the pain subside, allowing me some relief. However, I felt apprehensive about what would come next.

Ignoring my well-being completely, he continued walking briskly while still holding onto my arm, forcing me to stagger along to avoid falling and getting hurt.

Glancing around, he headed towards a tree to check if the magic circle was properly engraved.

“I guess that tree is the most suitable. You seemed to have an interest in it. It’ll be quite a sight to see you in such a state near a tree you fancy.”

Realizing that the destination of this scoundrel was a tree with a magic circle, I attempted one last act of defiance as we were being dragged there.

First, I tried to match his pace to create some room while swiftly walking, aligning my steps with his.

Judging that he either thought I wouldn’t attempt to escape again after failing once or believed he could catch me even if I tried the same action, he focused on the tree ahead, holding only my arm from behind. Seizing the opportunity, I fiercely bit down with all my might on his hand, which was holding me.

“Ouch! You crazy bastard!!”

Though he cursed and turned back, the sudden pain made him reflexively release my arm.

Not missing the chance, I grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground and flung it towards his face.

Despite his attempt to shield himself, some of it landed on his face, reaching his eyes.

Swiftly activating a weak body enhancement, I started running away.

“Is anyone there? I need help near the outskirts of the forest! Please, if anyone is listening, help me!”

While fleeing and calling out like this, escaping from that wretched Adam seemed like an almost impossible task.

“Still, I must act now. This is the best course of action.”

The primary goal was to divert his attention away from the tree with the magic circle and make him lose interest.

Additionally, it was to attract someone’s help by requesting aid through my cries.

“Escaping or receiving help will both be challenging.”

Considering the geographical location, the forest’s northern region, located on the outskirts of the Ardent Academy, was rarely visited by students who typically came to the forest for leisure or to cool off.

Moreover, the forest where I currently found myself had suffered significant damage last year during the conflict between Iris and the Black Moon, resulting in mana evaporation due to the use of high-level magical weaponry.

Anyone aware of these events or recalling them would likely avoid the area due to the associated risks.

Despite my efforts to put distance between us, the dirt in my eyes eventually led me to grimace, revealing my approximate location to Adam, who was running towards me, leaving me no choice but to be caught.

– Thud!

The impact on my cheek sent my head reeling, compounded by the strain of running, causing me to collapse in exhaustion.

In my ears, the ringing is incessant, and thinking about my vision turning yellow is quite unpleasant.

Surely, due to the excessive aftermath, my face and lips must be pale.

Yet, despite recognizing my condition, the trash confronting me, Adam, raised my hair and locked eyes with me.

Amidst the dizzying pain of having my hair pulled out and scalp seemingly torn off, I managed to grab my hair with both hands in agony.

“Throwing a fit, demanding punishment, huh? Here, there’s no Claire or any other students to help you.”

Such a situation… I know.

While fleeing, I briefly exhibited heightened senses and already confirmed that no one could detect me in this area.

“It’s so easy to resolve things once Claire is out of the picture. Should’ve done it this way from the start. Instead of finding another way around, using another student to detain you under the guise of a scholarship student.”

“What did you do to Claire?!”

Partly clouded in mind, upon hearing Claire’s name, I reflexively opened my mouth to ascertain her condition.

“I messed up. At this moment, if I speak carelessly, all I’ll do is expose my vulnerability, showing that I’m concerned about Claire’s safety.”

To my surprise, after confirming my reaction, he smirked even more sardonically than before and continued speaking.

“Well… I haven’t done anything particularly harmful yet. But the future situation depends on how you behave towards me. If you want to ensure Claire, who took good care of you from afar, doesn’t face any issues, you know what you have to do, right?”

“For now, Claire hasn’t suffered any harm or threats from this guy.”

Given my weakened physical state, unable to sense Claire’s current situation with my heightened senses, all I could do was hope that his words were true for now.

Releasing my chin with one hand and letting go of the hand that held my hair, I was about to reach for my top when a different thought struck me, prompting me to stop.

“Strip. It wouldn’t be bad to undress with my hands, which you despise, but if you’re as prideful as you seem, submitting while stripping yourself would be more humiliating.”

With Claire’s safety not properly secured, I had no choice but to comply.

I had no intention of gambling Claire’s life on a losing bet.

To forget that filthy guy’s face from my mind, I closed my eyes and slowly began unbuttoning my school uniform top.

-Salak

With each button undone, my body trembled, exposed to the chilly wind, discomfort, embarrassment, the consequences of overexertion, all mixing together.

After completely removing the frilly shirt, I hesitated for a moment, holding the discarded clothes in my hands.

“You don’t plan on keeping your lower garments on? If you wish, you can endure without removing them, run away, or whatever. Just know that Claire will bear everything in your place.”

Ultimately, I had no choice but to lower my skirt as well.

Standing before him in only my underwear.

“Hahaha! Do you know what male students at the academy call girls like you? Ice Queen. They say you have no interest in male students, treat them coldly, yet exude a haughty charm. I wonder what they’d say if they saw you now. In the end, you’re nothing but a weak woman.”

“….”

“Hand over all the clothes you’ve taken off.”

Complying, I handed over the clothes, and he drew out a sword, slashing apart the clothes I had been wearing.

“Ouch, with clothes like this, I’ll have to rely on ‘someone’ when I go out later. Or if you want to return as it is after the proper punishment, I can allow it.”

My thoughts were blatantly revealed that there was no intention of damaging my clothes and letting me go.

“It seems like you’ve been wandering around here and there alone since Claire disappeared, hoping to be helped by the heavens and instinctively wanting to lean on me emotionally.”

Approaching me casually while I covered myself with only underwear, he forcibly made me kneel.

“Open your eyes. If not, I don’t want things to escalate, but I have no choice but to touch Claire.”

Under the forced threat, as I opened my eyes, there were disgusting pants in front of me.

“I will properly imprint who your owner is. If I don’t do it properly, your precious person will experience the same thing, so if you close your eyes or act foolishly, I won’t stand still.”

As he unfastened his belt and pressed the inflated pants against my face, my heart felt suffocated.

“Just within less than two hours, things have escalated like this.”

Even though it was because of Claire, facing the situation, I accepted it and tried to comply, a black figure fell from above.

-Thud!

Due to the loud noise and the shock I felt, I couldn’t properly perceive what was happening in my current state, so it took time to understand.

When I opened my eyes, a man dressed in black entered my sight.

“That’s Laika! He’s hiding his appearance with black clothing, but it’s certain from his familiar look and knuckles.”

Unable to grasp why he was here, I was speechless and bewildered, but Laika glanced at me and then spoke, thinking I was an unfamiliar female student.

“I’m from the Ardente Academy Special Security. I came upon a distress signal, so rest assured.”

Saying that, he struck the fallen Adam so strongly that several trees would break at once, showing no mercy.

I was shocked into paralysis, but with a sense of relief that the situation was resolved, my frozen mind started working again.

“Thank you for helping, but if you hit him more, that bastard, no, the male student might die. Please stop.”

“I refuse. Yura seems too shocked about the imminent danger she almost faced, making rational judgment difficult. If it’s hard to watch, you can turn away.”

Though I wanted to dispose of that trash immediately, I would condemn him within the limits of not causing my death after returning to my original body.

Despite my lingering desire to kill, I received a warning not to do so.

Laika refused my request and continued beating the trash named Adam, so I had no choice but to reluctantly approach him.

Sensing my approach, Laika paused briefly and then tightly embraced his thick arms around me, saying,

“Please. I don’t want anyone else to die because of me.”

Exhaling heavily, he pushed me away and covered himself with his black attire.

“Alright. But please… be more aware of your attire.”

Distracted, I had already done so in my underwear, seemingly ahead of the thought of covering up.

Although it seemed like he was about to hand me my damaged clothes, he seemed to have second thoughts, taking out a lighter-shaped object from his pocket and setting fire to it.

After burning the clothes, covering them with dirt, erasing the traces, he looked at me and said,

“There have been difficult times, and I will take you to the dormitory, so don’t worry and rest easy.”

With that, suddenly lifting me in a princess-carry position, we moved so fast that the background changed rapidly.

Although it was a bit awkward being moved like this as a man, considering my clothes and physical condition, I knew I wouldn’t arrive properly before the buff expired, so I stayed still.

Thinking of Claire, I tried to ask Lyca about her, but before I could speak, she answered first, as if she had read my mind.

“Don’t worry. Claire is just trapped in a lounge-like area in the building where the student support team is located. She hasn’t been harmed at all. It was just a bluff by that human trash to buy time.”

“Claire is safe then.”

Relieved by Lyca’s words, I struggled to hold onto my fading consciousness and brought up what I wanted to say next.

“Please let that male student avoid expulsion.”

“That’s not my role, and even if I had the ability, I have no desire to do so.”

“I’m begging you…”

Though she initially refused outright, when I held her trembling arm and looked up at her, she sighed and reluctantly gave in, finally allowing me to release the last bit of tension I had been holding onto.

“To think of others first in such a situation, what a kind heart you have.”

Before collapsing, it seemed like Lyca muttered something, but her voice faded away, and I fainted just like that.