256 – Final Chapter (9): Emergency Disaster
People have different types of sleep.
Some people are quite sensitive and wake up even when the blanket rustles.
“Hmmnya-.”
Some people sleep soundly without worrying about people around them snoring or running around.
Elena of the dessert research group fell entirely into the latter category.
She is the one who has the ability to doze off anytime, anywhere.
Elena was the type of person who enjoyed a good night’s sleep, so much so that no one would even know if someone was carrying her when she was lying on her bed.
At the height of the invasion of Shaleam Bridge, Elena moves like a separate team as Ian’s search team.
“Umm-.”
But.
Even people who sleep soundly at any time sometimes wake up for no reason.
In most cases, it is due to someone’s noise, a prank, or a natural disaster such as an earthquake.
And if it’s not for that reason…
“…Hmm?”
Usually the reason is extremely ominous.
Early morning.
Elena woke up.
Usually, Elena wakes up only when Lina or Danya comes and shakes her. She woke up way too early for her.
— Blink, blink.
Elena blinked her eyes while covering herself with the blanket.
Normally she would have fallen asleep right away, but she didn’t.
Strangely, her mind was clear.
Elena tilted her head.
She didn’t feel sleepy even though she opened her eyes in the middle of the night.
Is something big about to happen?
She was strange.
The sun might be rising in the west.
“Ugh-.”
Elena stood up from her seat, stretching as was her habit. She also brushed the side of her hair that went into her mouth while she slept.
“It’s still dark…”
Elena was not used to the dark. She
Because she always sleeps when it’s dark.
What time is it?
Elena was startled when she checked the time.
“8:30…?”
It was clearly a long time after sunrise.
Why is the surrounding area so dark?
Why didn’t Sisters Lina and Danya come to wake her up?
It was full of strange things.
Elena swept her own wide robe.
It was a habit I did because I often found traces of the pillow when I woke up.
But it still didn’t calm down.
For some reason, a part of my heart was filled with anxiety.
“… Gulp.”
Elena swallowed her dry saliva.
Elena, brushing her forearms in the cool air, walked towards the entrance to her barracks.
— Sararak
The tent opened following her slightly trembling hand.
Elena took a deep breath and stepped her foot outside.
The surrounding scenery began to come into view.
“… Ah.”
A short sigh naturally flowed out.
Breath spreading white.
But the world beyond that is red.
Elena looked up at the sky blankly.
Clouds dyed dark red.
— Creepy
Goosebumps appeared all over her body.
The clouds looked as if they were soaked in blood.
If it rained, red blood would definitely fall.
Thanks to you, the whole world turned red.
“What is this…”
Elena’s lips trembled as she muttered to herself.
It felt like the end of days that I had heard about from my priestly teachers had arrived.
My legs were shaking.
Elena, who lost her balance and almost fell, saw the backs of Danya and Lina standing in the distance.
“Come on, sisters!”
Elena ran toward them.
Dirt spattered on the hem of her clothes, but she didn’t care.
“Elena.”
Lina greeted her briefly.
Danya was looking up at the sky motionlessly.
Even her pink hair seemed to be dyed red.
“Ha, the sky…!”
Elena, who was about to shout something, closed her mouth.
As long as they have eyes, Danya and Lina will also be seeing that scene.
No. It was clear that I could see better.
Danya’s five senses are several times better than her own.
Elena realized that Danya had closed her eyes, as if she felt something about her.
Soon Danya pointed to a corner of the sky with her finger.
“… It started in that direction.”
Elena and Lina’s heads turned following Danya’s fingertips.
The tip of her finger pointed toward the mountains in the distance.
“Where is it?”
Elena tilted her head.
Danya’s mouth opened.
Slowly.
“Academy.”
“…Yes?”
“Academy. In the direction of the Black Forest.”
Danya muttered absently and started running.
◆
“This is an urgent telegram!”
The entire sky of the continent turned red.
Shale Bridge, to be exact, the eastern front of the continent that blocks the various monsters they summon.
Among them, a soldier hurriedly ran into the barracks where the imperial flag was fluttering.
Tent of the Third Princess Asteria.
It was Sylvia who received the soldier’s report on his behalf.
“Emergency? Who is it from?”
“This is Danya Ketznesia!”
“… Danya?”
Silvia’s eyes became sharper.
The mission given to Danya and the members of the Dessert Research Club is to track down Ian.
There was a high possibility that some important evidence had been found.
Sylvia took her note and read it quickly.
There was unexpected content written there.
— The sky dyed red. I feel unusually energetic. The location is west of the academy. It’s in the direction of the Black Forest. I’ll go there.
Danya’s senses and instincts are extremely sharp.
If you change direction instead of tracking Ian, there must be something catching your eye.
For example, the judgment that the sky that turned red and Ian might have something to do with it.
“…Hmm.”
Sylvia covered her forehead with her palm.
Her head was pounding.
The war situation wasn’t bad until this morning, when the sky suddenly turned red.
But now, I felt like I was missing something.
What is that?
At that time.
“This is an urgent telegram!”
Once again a telegram has arrived.
“Who is it?”
“This is a message from Aria!”
— I received another revelation. If you hold on and keep it, salvation will come.
It was a call to protect.
But something important was missing.
‘…Where?’
There is always something missing in the revelations of the gods.
If you’re going to tell me, I’ll tell you everything from the beginning.
In the end, looking back later, it only makes me more angry that everything fits…
“Wait a minute.”
Silvia muttered to herself.
Then she quickly scanned the map.
“Are the Shale Cultists attacking the Lichten Academy?”
“No.”
It was real.
Airstrikes by the Shale Cultists occurred across the continent in a variety of ways.
But.
There were no reports that only the academy was attacked.
… That’s right.
The moment when Sylvia’s eyes shined sharply.
— Chollalak
“I’m here, Sylvia.”
The tent was lifted and the smell of blood wafted around.
It was Asteria covered in the blood of dangerous species.
There were many dangerous species on the Eastern Front.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Yes.”
Asteria took off her head protection.
Her white hair swayed like a river.
At the same time, the dirt on her armor was washed away. It was a purification spell.
“I’m talking about that sky-.”
“We have to go protect the academy right now.”
Silvia comes in after interrupting the princess.
From Asteria’s perspective, it was clear that the words were somewhat unexpected. She told someone who came from battle that they had to go to the academy first.
But Asteria nodded her head as if she was used to it.
“You’ve decided something. Are you sure you can save Ian?”
“Yes.”
“How many people are needed?”
“As much as possible.”
“That’s impossible.”
Asteria shook her head resolutely.
“We can’t withdraw troops from the front lines. You know that. Even if we have no choice but to do this—.”
“Yes. The cult leader must have planned it.”
Their conversation tended to skip somewhat. It was because they believed in each other’s abilities.
Asteria looked at Sylvia for a moment.
Her will to leave was evident in her eyes.
Silvia’s influence on the front line was enormous.
She was right to catch Sylvia.
But that wasn’t possible.
If it weren’t for her status as a princess, Asteria would also have left to find her lover.
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“I’ll let you go, Sylvie.”
“Thank you.”
“Please make sure to find my share.”
“Yes.”
Silvia bowed her head, opened the tent, and came out.
◆
Lichten Academy.
Iris, the vice president of the student council, was looking up at the sky from the balcony of the student council.
“… It’s ominous as expected.”
At first glance, it looked like the sunset had set, but it was more red than that. It was as if the entire sky was stained with blood.
Daughter of the Liechten ruling family, Riepenstein.
The natural leader’s instincts continued to awaken Iris.
Something needs to be done for that phenomenon.
This happened even though there was no phenomenon other than the sky turning red.
— “It’s strange. Look at that sky blue.”
— “What on earth is going to happen?”
— “Shouldn’t you be sheltering somewhere?”
Academy cadets whispering on the street.
“Even though the academy is peaceful…”
All cities on the continent were in an uproar due to the invasion of Shale Bridge. Even in places where full-scale battles were not taking place, small-scale terrorist attacks continued. However, the Academy was an exception.
Even if the professor and senior students were acting as vigilantes, it was clearly an exceptional situation.
Nevertheless, fear is becoming more and more prevalent.
The student council president left her academy, saying she would protect her hometown.
“…That damn bastard.”
Iris sighed, having said something unusually harsh. How could she curse someone who went to protect her family and her hometown?
If you think about it, the Academy and Liechten were just hometowns that Iris had to protect.
Yes. A place to protect.
Iris looked up at the sky.
Endless ominousness.
“… It doesn’t matter if safety is excessive.”
Iris headed to the student council president’s office.
She then put her keys in one of the drawers and turned it clockwise.
— Slam!
A wave of magical power spreads with tremendous force as it spins.
When I came out, a translucent sphere surrounded the academy.
Protection barrier.
The academy’s best defense system and a defense method that can be activated under the student council’s authority.
Professors will come and ask for an explanation…….
Iris decided to trust her intuition this time.
She pressed the broadcast button.
— This is an announcement from the student council. As of this time, we are declaring an emergency disaster situation at the Academy. Cadets are requested to move to a shelter or safe location immediately. More details will be announced later.
Alarm sounds filled the academy.