episode_0227

“Kuh… I’m sorry…!!”

“I guess this is where we part ways… I’ll leave the rest to you—”

Only Yuri and Eve could withstand the Federation’s massive offensive. The rest of the cadets were no different from the Federation members. They were unfamiliar with this saturated war, lacking the overwhelming strength to compensate for their inexperience.

One by one, pillars of light began to rise in 1-A’s camp.

“Damn it… I’m dead again.”

“…We’re just doing what we have to do. Maintain formation, and don’t reveal yourselves.”

“Retreating…!”

Rosaria’s Gamma Squad suffered relatively few casualties. This was because they were moving between the trees and bushes, taking down enemies from a distance. The Federation members, having to deal with unseen enemies, couldn’t let their guard down, making it unlikely for Gamma Squad to be counterattacked.

But that was short-lived.

The Federation gradually began to adapt to the long-range magic bullet sniping. The magic bullets only caused instant death as they precisely targeted vital points; their power itself wasn’t great. Upperclassmen with some combat experience deployed magic shields to easily block them.

Furthermore, their sniping points began to be discovered. Initially, they countered this by constantly changing locations to snipe. However, time was on the Federation’s side. Gamma Squad gradually wore down, their gaps widened, and after a prolonged battle, they were even counterattacked.

‘…Gamma’s finished, too.’

Even amidst the enemy lines, Eve was paying attention to the rear. The mana waves of Rosaria and the rest of Gamma Squad were cut off. When Eve didn’t receive a reply to the message sent through the mana network, she was certain.

“There are less than five of us left.”

“Kukuk… To hear such welcome words from your own mouth. Hey, you guys—!! Did you hear that? It’s almost over. Let’s overwhelm them with numbers—!”

Waaaaaaa—

The emboldened Federation members surged forward like a wave. Most of the first-year students had already been eliminated in the previous clashes. The Federation wouldn’t leave those with little experience, skill, or information behind for long. They would have ruthlessly forced them to die at the forefront.

Now, only the second-year students, who had some combat experience, to the most senior fourth-year students remained. They were strong enough to never be underestimated by ordinary cadets.

Of course, to Eve, they were somewhere between amateurs and professionals—mediocre.

Puk-

Eve dropped her sword. The sword was embedded in the ground. Her empty hand looked as if she had lost her fighting spirit. Of course, the Federation members who saw it that way were all eliminated 10 seconds later.

She was gathering her mana.

“Samra Mansang,千里, the flow of time…the seven moons and the spirits of the vast forest.”

The Federation members who were running at the front didn’t even notice Eve’s incantation. From the start, the Federation’s shared victory wasn’t their goal. They only thought of exploiting the weakness of those with many points, and snatching those additional points for themselves.

‘Blinded by greed, they wouldn’t even notice death right in front of them…’

A wry smile touched Eve’s lips.

“Unleash the endless resentment… that freezes even time itself.”

Zeeeng- Jing- Zeeeeng-

Above the heads of the charging Federation members, a magic circle appeared, as if to fill the sky of the mock dungeon.

[Absolute Zero].

Even if they had noticed it in advance, they couldn’t stop it. Dispeling it was even more impossible.

Jeong—!!

A dazzling flash brighter than the speed of their senses reaching their brains. After the bright white light subsided…

Winter had come to the forest.

All the Federation members charging forward had become ice statues. Soon, pillars of light engulfed them.

“Haa… Haa…”

Her breath froze white. Eve had no strength left. Ideally, she should have collapsed on the ground. However, she became an ice statue, standing rigidly rooted to the ground, her lower body frozen as well.

Sabak- Sabak-

Footsteps soon followed. They were the last survivors outside the magic’s effect, approaching to finish her off and take her points. A familiar sensation washed over Eve’s body.

“My role… ends here.”

She gathered mana in her palm to create an ice blade. Only her upper body, from her chest up, was still moving. Her right arm raised in the magic circle was already completely frozen, leaving only her left arm capable of slight movement.

And at the end of that left arm, the blade in her hand pointed towards Eve’s neck. It was a very familiar movement, as if self-inflicted death wasn’t her first time.

‘Rather than die by the enemy…’

Kwaak-

She squeezed her eyes shut and plunged the blade into her left carotid artery.

“—!!”

However, it was stopped midway.

Because her sense of touch was dulled by the frozen skin, Eve couldn’t even realize what had happened.

“Is that how you casually throw your life away?”

However, she approaches, whether she wants to notice or not.

Enveloping her entire body in the warm, pure white light like the sun, melting her frozen body and heart.

Tok-

A soft yet firm hand rested on Eve’s shoulder, which had become pliable again.

“Leave the rest to me.”

Eve chuckled. Then, quietly closing her eyes, she leaned against Nari’s support and lay down in the bushes.

. . .

Several weeks earlier, a strategy meeting.

Of course, it was Nari and Nix’s strategy meeting. With the Class Warfare rule book and information about all the cadets placed on the table, Nari slowly moved her gaze.

“First, we need to cut out their eyes.”

“You mean take out the Observers first? You’re more than capable. But…is it really possible?”

Nix rubbed her chin and spun the table a few times. Simultaneously, a black mist enveloped the surroundings. It was the process of receiving information and deriving answers.

Her concern was one thing. No matter how much elimination points matter only in the beginning, the elimination zone doesn’t close. This means that even if they accept some level of risk, they can leave the dungeon at any time.

Furthermore, the return for that risk is the Observers. Even if Nari forcibly hunted down the Observers, she couldn’t cover the entire vast elimination zone. The more power she uses, the more it benefits other parties. Eventually, gaps will occur, and eventually, an Observer will escape Nari’s watch.

“There’s no need to stop them inside. Instead, I’ll go as an Observer and block them from the outside.”

“But… wouldn’t that mean a huge loss of power? We decided to entrust the outside matters to that knight from last time, and once you go out, you can’t come back…”

Nix’s eyes flickered momentarily, staring intently at Nari.

Sseik-

From the faint smile playing on her lips, Nari guessed her intentions.

“Kuh- Kuhhuh… Right, it’s not like you absolutely can’t come back. If you have your [Transfer] magic.”

Nari nodded and turned her gaze to the rule book on the table. She carefully flipped through the pages, checking for any separate regulations.

There weren’t any.

No matter how she searched, there was only the statement that re-entry through a ‘portal’ was impossible.

Even if she re-entered using the [Transfer] magic that freely moved through space, there wasn’t any regulation violation.

. . .

“Aaah…due to the final battle, even 1-A, the self-proclaimed top contender, suffered consecutive eliminations—Huh-?!”

Kwaang-

Mette, who had been spouting rapid-fire commentary while staring intently at the broadcast screen, suddenly stood up abruptly and slammed the table. Her wide eyes were fixed on the center of the training ground.

Narias Philbrogue, who had been resting within the soap bubble-like pure white curtain, had emerged and started to loosen up.

“Cadet Narias has finally moved!! However, she’s an Observer! No matter how strong she is, there is nothing she can do here! Her party members are all…all eliminated…”

Mette, who always confidently continued the broadcast, suddenly trailed off. Hearing Mette’s voice, the audience watching the broadcast naturally looked at her. Tracing her gaze, they, too, looked where she was looking.

Sseik-

“She’s…smiling…even though her team is losing…?”

Standing tall in the center of the training ground, she looked around and sent her greetings. To the audience, the broadcast crew, the commentators, and even to Duke Darius watching her from afar.

She smiled infinitely brightly.

Soon, everyone understood the meaning of that smile.

A pure white light began to surround Narias’s body. It looked like some kind of magic. But what magic could an Observer outside the dungeon cast here? That question didn’t last long.

Hwaa-at-

An intense light radiated from her body. Everyone squinted and turned away. And the moment they looked back at the training ground, no one was there.

Then Narias greeted everyone on the broadcast screen.

As if satisfied with the magic’s success, she put one leg back and bowed slightly.

“From now on, the Class Warfare will be…handled by me.”