Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Brighter Than Gold☆ (3)
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Hundreds of students from the Aristocratic Faction were subdued in an instant by a volley of violet armaments that flew in from nowhere.
Sieglinde, along with the main Gjallarhorn forces that had joined her, was in the midst of taking the captured aristocrats to a correctional facility.
Suddenly, a tremendous shockwave slammed into them. When she came to her senses, the towering, formidable barriers built from the outskirts to the center of the Golden Street were collapsing one after another.
*Ruuuumble—!!*
With another tremor, a colossal crash echoed from the distance. The barrier that seemed impenetrable had fallen, and through the breach, a presence like a black mountain range advanced with leisurely grace.
“Ugh…!”
Sieglinde staggered to her feet, her expression strained. This was no time to be lying around. She perked up her black wolf ears and surveyed her surroundings.
Students were strewn across the streets.
The regular students and dwarf residents had been evacuated to the distant dormitory area or the auditorium after an alert the previous night. Thus, the ruined street was filled only with the black-uniformed students of the United Student Council, either unconscious or stumbling about.
“Ugh…”
“Damage… Team 3, report your status…!”
“…”
“Ugh… gotta… stay conscious…”
“Damn it…! It’s already gotten that far…!”
Sieglinde’s ears filled with the sounds of devastation.
‘Aside from the squad leaders, all several hundred of them are effectively out of commission…’
The eleven squad leaders, who had just reached the third stage of mastery and used their heightened senses to brace for the impact, were the only ones left standing. Everyone else had been swept away by the shockwave, left unconscious or injured.
Even the squad leaders were busy tending to their own, moving the wounded. No matter how powerful they were as top-tier fighters in the Academy City who wielded Wave Ether, fighting that colossal serpent in this situation was impossible.
“Wiped out… are we.”
Staggering, Sieglinde searched for the thunderous roar of the azure-white lightning she knew was fighting somewhere.
‘At this rate, we won’t even last until we can rendezvous with the disciplinary committee from Aesir Girls' High School, who are operating in another sector… The United Student Council’s forces are effectively annihilated… Where is the President?’
But the noble cry of thunder was drowned out by the overwhelming roar of destruction.
The body of the black serpent filled her vision. Though it was hundreds of meters away, its sheer scale, which eclipsed even the white of the towering barriers, made it feel unreal.
“…”
Like a conquering monarch marching unopposed toward a throne, there was no army left here to stand in the black entity’s way.
*Vwoooom—!!*
*Vwoooom—!!*
Dozens of armored puppets followed the conqueror, advancing to decide the fate of the Academy City and the World Tree.
They were marching toward the World Tree.
They were marching with absolute confidence.
And there was nothing they could do to stop it.
To try would mean certain death.
“…”
Sieglinde silently looked up at the sky. The early summer heat was gone; beneath the overcast sky, only a cold wind blew, carrying clouds of dust.
“…”
Was this… destiny?
Did all history eventually repeat its own ruin?
The land once ruled by beastkin nobles had knelt before the power of the military factions led by the Aesir family. But now, even that thousand-year order was crumbling before this transcendent being.
“…”
Despite it all, Sieglinde tightened her grip on her greatsword.
“…So this is it. The end.”
*Click—!*
Then she would remain on this final battlefield and fight to the last.
There were others better suited than her, with her slow mind, to handle the wounded and rally the remaining forces scattered across the Academy City.
‘Though I am from the Public Vana Boarding School… I will not simply yield to this changing order now.’
What she did best was simply charge forward… She had become Vice President to follow the President she so admired and fight until the very end.
With the fate of the World Tree hanging in the balance.
The time had come to fulfill that duty.
‘Secretary Vel… and Treasurer Erda. I leave the rest to you. Please, take good care of the President.’
As one who belonged to the old world’s order, she would resist until her last breath.
And she would vanish amidst the changes sweeping through this Academy City.
“…”
With that resolve, Sieglinde drew upon all the ether in her body. She shouted at the transcendent being passing before her.
“I am Sieglinde, Vice President of the United Student Council, guardian of the Academy City Yggd—!! Witness the sword that carries the final will of those who protect this city—!!”
*Dash!*
Sieglinde charged without hesitation.
Even if the foe was so immense she could never reach it.
Even if victory was unthinkable.
She charged forward without a shred of doubt.
However…
Countless enemies stood in the way of the old world’s guardian as she approached the god of serpents.
A barrage of black ether armaments materialized around the serpent’s colossal body. Automated armored weapons launched relentless attacks against anyone who drew near.
“…!”
In the distance, Sieglinde saw a dark elf with a serpent tattoo by her eye. Another traitor. Perched atop an armored weapon, she was smirking down at her.
“Andrea—!!”
“Hah, you’re still charging after seeing these numbers? Have you lost your mind?”
“You!! All of you—!! I will!! Kill you—!!”
“I’m already having a hard time finding someone. Stop doing things that aren’t worth it. Why don’t you come over to this side? Even if the world and its powers change, money always remains.”
“Shut up—!!”
“Ah, right. Then die.”
Andrea gestured at Sieglinde with a bored expression. At her command, the magitech armored weapon charged.
*Vwoooom—!*
“…!”
Sieglinde swung her greatsword at the magitech armor blocking her path. She wanted to prove that, at the very least, she had not simply surrendered in this moment of ruin.
*Swoosh—!!*
“Urk?!”
But the continuous onslaught from countless other enemies caused her greatsword to lose its way in mid-air.
*Vwoooom—!*
*Swish-swish-swish—!*
Dozens of magitech armored weapons charged.
A dense storm of black armaments rained down.
‘…My apologies, President.’
And so…
Just as Sieglinde sensed her end.
*Flash—!*
A brilliant golden light flashed through the gray sky.
At the end of a history turned to ash, a light of hope was kindling.
“…?!”
“…?!”
Andrea and Sieglinde.
The two who were facing off near the great serpent looked up at the sky in unison. A massive wave of gold was washing over the circular street at the heart of the Academy City.
“Gold…?”
“What… is this…?”
As befitted the glory of being closest to the World Tree.
The street named after the most glorious of colors.
Golden ether surged, flooding the Golden Street.
A golden curtain.
A golden aurora.
A golden dress.
A colossal stream of golden ether was flowing from somewhere on the Golden Street. It moved in rhythm, like the cadence of a musical movement, painting a picture across the sky.
[Ah, ahem…]
A voice clearing its throat came from somewhere. And amidst the golden rhythm, a girl’s trembling voice began to read a fairy tale.
[Memories of morning, a dawn star reflected on a red bicycle, so gentle it brings tears to my eyes.]
Then, a massive picture began to form on the gray canvas of the sky.
It looked as if a giant were drawing with a golden crayon…
Sieglinde and Andrea muttered at the same time.
“…A cat?”
“…A cat?”
In that instant.
The giant golden cat drawing moved comically.
It moved its mouth as if drooling after waking from a deep slumber.
*-Meeeoowww—!*
From the cat drawing, as massive as the ‘Serpent,’ flowed… a warmth that somehow dispelled all fear.
“…!”
That feeling was incredibly familiar to Sieglinde.
*-Sieglinde, you are the strongest among them, so take the lead.*
*-…!*
*-If I should fall, you will be the one to lead them next.*
*-Yes…!*
It was… the same tender and pure emotion she had felt when the President had acknowledged her, someone who had always been dismissed for being slow-witted. The feeling of being praised for the first time made her heart race anew.
*Thump—!*
The golden ether resonated with her heartbeat, seeping into her.
‘My ether… is recovering…? How…?’
Sieglinde quickly looked back up at the cat drawing in the sky.
*-Meeeoowww—!*
The golden cat drawing opened its mouth.
And from within, countless cats began to pour out.
A river of stars spewed from its mouth, opened wide like a giant dungeon gate.
“…?!”
“…?!”
Like hundreds of thousands of golden stars etched into the night sky,
an incredible number of cats were pouring out.
*-Meeeoowww—!*
*-Meeeoowww—!*
*-Meeeoowww—!*
The cats, sparkling like a galaxy, all rode red bicycles, racing across the sky.
*-Meeeoowww—!*
*-Meeeoowww—!*
*-Meeeoowww—!*
They pedaled at a tremendous speed, leaving afterimages… cascading down from the sky like a waterfall. And the hundreds of thousands of cats moved like a galaxy, charging toward the head of the giant ‘Serpent.’
*Kwaang—!*
A dazzling explosion, bright enough to make the dim sky sparkle with gold. The golden blasts that erupted each time a cat collided with the black ether overlapped by the hundreds of thousands, becoming a deafening roar.
*Kwagagagagwang—!!!*
The green ‘Dragon’ was flustered.
As the ‘Serpent’s’ advance came to an abrupt halt, it cried out in shock.
[Wha-what?! What is this worthless garbage—?! Golden magic?! D-don’t tell me?! No… the magic used by the golden inferior species shouldn’t work anymore—?!]
*-Meeeoowww—!*
*-Meeeoowww—!*
*-Meeeoowww—!*
And then… a golden trajectory approached.
A golden carriage pulled by countless flying cats.
The girls riding within were heading for the serpent’s head.
*Swoooosh—!!*
“…!”
Sieglinde saw it. Aboard were the President, [The Violet Spindle], and… a girl with pink hair.
‘The President is taking action herself…! But who in the world is that pink-haired girl…?’
Andrea clicked her tongue at the sight and muttered. With a gesture, she began to lead dozens of magitech armored weapons toward the ‘Serpent’s’ head.
“…Damn, I didn’t see this coming. It’d be a problem if my client dies.”
“…!”
Just as Sieglinde raised her greatsword to stop Andrea.
“Andrea—!!”
A voice called out from behind.
Some of those voices were all too familiar to Sieglinde.
Though they were a mess, their eyes still shone fiercely.
They resonated powerfully, empowered by the golden energy raining from the sky.
“That’s far enough!!”
And they unleashed their ether skills.
They launched their attacks to settle the score, filled with the enmity from the long night.
“[Blind Stitch]—!!”
“[Justice Strike]—!!”
“[Righteous Flying Kick]—!!”
“[Banner of Revolution]—!!”
“[Flash Sword Barrage]—!!”
A thrown dagger drew a geometric pattern.
A loosed arrow pursued with fierce intensity.
A girl cloaked in mist swung her sword in mid-air.
A flag emitting ether hindered the magitech weapons.
Countless sword strikes erupted, causing a massive explosion.
And…
A brown-haired girl holding a crimson sword stood beside Sieglinde. She smiled and said.
“…Sorry for the interruption in all this chaos. We’re not too late, are we? We’re reinforcements from Central Prism Academy. …I came with Senior Vel.”
“…You all!”
“We’re later than planned… but we’re joining the fight now.”
Alvitt raised her glowing red sword and looked at Andrea. She seemed preoccupied, commanding her magitech puppets to block the various ether skills.
Then Vel, looking disheveled, popped out from behind and said complainingly.
“Hey! Alvitt! I was supposed to say that line! Just a moment ago you were so pale you didn’t know what to do!”
“Secretary Vel was just as pale, I might add—!”
“Shut it, Sigrun!!”
“This doesn’t seem like the right time to be arguing, does it?!”
“Aah?! More attacks?! Kick of Justice!!”
“That’s not even a kick, is it?!”
Alvitt gave a wry smile and replied.
“Hehe, well… things have changed.”
Alvitt looked at the golden cat carriage making its way toward the serpent’s head in the distance. To be precise, she was looking at the pink-haired girl riding in it.
“I don’t know why she’s here, but if Senior Clara is involved… I feel like we can somehow pull it off.”
“…”
Hearing that, Sieglinde pouted and retorted.
“…If anyone can do it, it will be the President.”
“…”
An awkward silence followed.
But it was Andrea who broke it.
She narrowly dodged the group’s attacks and fumed.
“…Haaah. I’m so sick of this. All of you… a bunch of fools who can’t see which way the wind is blowing. Just die already.”
Alvitt and Sieglinde answered in unison.
“We’re the ones who are sick and tired of this!”
“We’re the ones who are sick and tired of this!”
So let’s end this.
Andrea.
***
*Vwoooom—!!*
I landed on the serpent’s head along with Hilde and Freyja. There, Ófnir stood with a menacing aura.
“The Azure-White, and the Violet… And an inferior species that knows the Prophet.”
“Oh my…☆ I don’t quite like the name you’re calling me♪”
“Heheh… Should I change the name I’ll carve on your tombstone?”
“Hmm—☆ Well, I’ve heard [The Pink Spiral] too many times, and [The Faded Spiral] doesn’t suit the sparkling☆ me of today…”
As I spoke, the golden cats gathered around me.
They soon morphed into familiar shapes, floating by my side.
*-Meeeoowww—!*
*-Meeeoowww—!*
*-Meeeoowww—!*
A dagger.
A longsword.
A greatsword.
A spear and a bow.
I picked up a dagger engraved with a golden cat. From it, a fairy tale containing a girl’s life echoed.
“Yes.”
O enemy who threatens all.
Fear me and call my name…
Call me the Martial God.