Purging the Fallen Academy
"Grrrk..."
The rebel soldier collapsed with a gurgling sound from his throat. The knife had pierced both his artery and windpipe simultaneously, ensuring no real noise escaped. I carefully withdrew the blade to avoid any blood spray.
Using a knife up close doesn't feel great at all.
Especially with this short military knife—the sensation of slicing through flesh and organs was vividly transmitted up my arm. Unlike in games, the feeling of severing muscles and puncturing airways wasn't enjoyable in the slightest. If I had the option to use a gun, I'd settle things cleanly with that from now on.
Thanks to Jenny's support, no sand dust reached my immediate vicinity. My vision was clear.
Bang— "Uwaaaah!"
Gunshots, explosions, and screams still echoed sporadically, but whether Jenny had properly coordinated with the academy forces or not, no attacks came flying through the sandstorm. Three shadows appeared in my path of movement. I decided to prioritize the ones heading my way.
Bang.
The comrade next to one dropped with a hole blown through his head. The remaining two rebels turned toward me in shock, hastily swinging their muzzles around. I observed them.
The one on the left is faster at turning his gun.
Coldly assigning priorities was a habit ingrained from learning the Alaboy Fighting Technique. With high-speed thinking, I locked onto the left rebel's forehead and fired. To the one on the right, I unleashed a burst of flame.
"Kwaaaah!" Boom!
The right rebel ignited alive, then exploded spectacularly—likely from the explosives he carried. The shockwave briefly scattered the surrounding dust cloud.
"......!"
Through the flying chunks of flesh, my eyes met another enemy a short distance away. My vision clouded again almost instantly, but I'd already aimed in that direction. I pulled the trigger three times and shifted position to dodge any return fire. No need to check the results. An average human's reflexes couldn't fully evade that. He'd be wounded and down at minimum.
I can move more aggressively now.
The enemies couldn't even keep their eyes open properly, while I thrashed around like a fish in water. No counterfire came my way, perhaps because the initial attack had originated from the friendly side.
Splash.
I rubbed my dress shoes against the ground to set my stance for a leap.
Whoosh— Boom!
Exploding flames from my soles, I kicked off the earth and launched forward. My vision soared upward like a long jump. As I burst out above the dust cloud in a blaze of firelight, every gaze—from both academy and rebel sides—locked onto me.
High-speed analysis pinpointed enemy positions. I'd take out the quick reactors first, one by one.
In midair, I emptied my pistol's magazine in a frenzy of trigger pulls.
Click.
The slide locked back on my spent pistol. Without hesitation, I dropped it and summoned my ability. Cresting the apex, my body began descending. The fire power I'd focused on my right arm overflowed, engulfing my upper body.
Dropping into the cluster of rebels. Ignoring the enemies surrounding my landing zone, the moment I hit the ground, I unleashed the pent-up force downward.
Light erupted from my right arm slamming the earth.
Flash— Boom! "Kwaaaak...!"
Flames radiated outward in a circular wave centered on me. The crimson cloud devoured the entire rebel formation, licking right up to the academy lines.
Roar... Crackle, crackle.
Since it was ability-born fire, the flames burned slowly even on this barren, fuel-less land. Amid air hot enough to cook lungs, I slowly raised my head and surveyed the area.
Seems like the rebels are all cleared out.
A few stragglers on the outskirts had survived, but instructors had snapped to and were capturing them for transport. I turned to find Jenny. She stared at me with those inscrutable, glassy eyes.
......
......Incredible.
Jenny Windfield felt awe stirring within as she watched the flames scorching the air. It shook even the emotion-suppressing effects of EDP-427.
Normally, the output of an ability gained from Telos was proportional to the user's physical capabilities and stamina. It wasn't a cost-free miracle tool. That was why she couldn't directly kill enemies with her wind control—instead opting to deflect projectiles or blind foes with sandstorms. Pure ability use would lead to backlash and force her out of the fight too quickly. It was a necessary choice for sustained combat efficiency.
But Min-ho Moralis was different. He'd tested the waters by picking off foes in the dust cloud at first, then decisively unleashed his power to annihilate the rebels. And even after that devastating technique, no sign of fatigue showed on him.
Side effects... I'll have to cover for them well.
Trivial compared to the output. Jenny thought this as she watched him rise through the shimmering heat haze.
......
Tch, my clothes are all burned up.
I'd been so careful to avoid blood splatter, and it was all for nothing. Got too hyped and went full throttle with my ability. I'd only used it lightly in spars before, so I hadn't anticipated this.
My top was completely gone, pants shredded to the thighs. I pushed through the dying flames and rejoined the academy side.
Additional forces led by Headmaster Grayham caught my eye. He glanced at the academy grounds turned into a sea of fire, then addressed me.
"......Let's head to the headmaster's office."
"Yes, sir."
He delegated cleanup to the late-arriving troops and dismissed the rest. Jenny and I followed the headmaster ahead.
In his office, he positioned us before his desk and sank into his chair, brooding. Finally, he spoke, directing his question at me.
"Any thoughts on switching partners?"
I glanced at Jenny beside me, who'd heard it too. A flinch would have pleased me, but the drugs kept her expression neutral.
"None."
Why do you think I made that mess?
It was all to keep partnering with Jenny for more fun times.
Just be satisfied I smashed all the intruders.
"There's an agent named Leyton Code. Top of his class. If you want, I can recommend you as his partner."
Leyton Code—the original protagonist I'd been curious about. The headmaster clearly valued me highly to offer this.
Partnering with the protag would make future events a breeze, but...
"My thoughts remain the same. I'm still lacking in many ways. My ability synergy with Senior Jenny Windfield is excellent, so I see no need for changes."
"Fine, we'll drop it then."
A sulky uncle over a beauty? No contest. Plenty of things left to try with her. It wasn't a hill worth dying on for him either—he acquiesced easily. Otherwise, it'd have been an order, not a question.
Might've been my imagination, but Jenny's expression seemed a touch softer.
The headmaster steepled his fingers on the desk—a classic movie pose for heavy talks. The mood turned deadly serious.
"To the point. Refrain from using your ability going forward."
"Why is that?"
"There shouldn't have been an issue, but thanks to those experiments from the Moralis Research Institute, your ability's output is several times stronger than other agents'."
I listened quietly.
"The problem is its sheer power. If word leaks, the International Federation might protest."
Headmaster Grayham meant my firepower outclassed typical weaponry, risking backlash against the Telos program and agent system. Makes sense—the Hailum regime was thuggish to its own, but as a defeated nation, they'd bow to Federation treaty nitpicks. Telos production might halt, agents disbanded.
He fixed me with a sharp gaze.
"If that happens, the government can't protect you."
Tch... Always the bad news.
"So if you must use high-output ability like today, leave no witnesses. Kill them all."
The headmaster's shocking order stunned even my inner grumbling.
"Every last one?"
"Yes."
He prioritized strategic secrecy over minor casualties. Fine by me, but it revealed his ruthlessness. "Witnesses" included civilians, not just rebels.
"Understood."
"That's all. Dismissed."
We finished the meeting half-naked and received new uniforms and pistols on the way back.
......
A few days later, I ran into Leyton Code in an academy corridor.
"You're Min-ho Moralis, right?"