Chapter 74
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: 25. Wasteland Rite
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All eyes turned toward the source of the sound, where a shadow lurking in the darkness behind Professor Aria slowly stepped forward.
"No time. People will swarm here soon."
The modulated voice was utterly dry, but the urgency laced within it was unmistakable.
A message to the students: stop dragging this out and get going.
"Just wait a bit. It's almost over."
Professor Aria shot back with irritation, raising her staff once more.
Even if they had to leave, she wanted to finish off the prey right in front of her first. Her eyes gleamed with greedy avarice.
Especially Iris.
She had to die. Only then would Aria feel at ease.
"What do you mean, 'over'?"
The robed man, who had glanced down the opposite passage, let out a sigh.
He coldly snapped at Aria, who was too intoxicated by the thrill of battle to grasp the situation.
"It's already too late. Because you wasted time pointlessly."
As if on cue, murmurs echoed from the far end of the passage.
Urgent footsteps faintly approached.
"Over there! Hurry!"
"Is it true Professor Aria's the ringleader of the terror attack?"
"I-I heard it from some maid..."
They had indeed dragged things out too long.
Aria had thought they had plenty of leeway, but reinforcements had arrived far sooner and in greater numbers than expected.
"...Tch."
Professor Aria clicked her tongue reluctantly and lowered her staff.
The girl whose neck she hadn't yet snapped grated on her eyes, but the situation left no choice.
Lingering longer would mean facing the academy's full forces.
"The kid's right. And that woman's coming too."
"I know."
Her head had cooled, and now she realized it.
Someone radiating overwhelming killing intent was heading their way.
Ingrid von Hainel.
A high-rank mage who had reached the 6th circle.
Rumors even whispered she was on the verge of the 7th.
Even Aria couldn't confidently claim victory over her.
Regrettable as it was, getting caught here would be foolish.
Iris, whose future monstrous growth was unknown.
Ingrid, terrifying in the present.
Weighing the two, fleeing was the obvious choice for Aria.
She couldn't ruin everything with one poor decision.
"...My disciples have quite the luck."
Aria gave a plain smile toward Iris, who lay collapsed on the floor, bleeding but glaring at her with venomous eyes.
"We'll retreat this time, but there won't be a next. We'll settle it then."
"...Stop right there! Professor Aria!"
She was vomiting blood, barely propped up by the sword clutched in her hand.
Yet her fierce gaze screamed she had no intention of letting them go—she looked ready to lunge at any moment.
"You done talking? Let's go already. They're right on us."
"Your mouth is as foul as ever..."
"Enough. The teleport spell's ready."
"What, old man? Finished faster than I thought. Figured it'd take at least an hour."
"...Don't get cocky, brat."
Woooong.
As the robed elder spoke, a massive magic circle unfurled beneath their feet.
Mass Teleport—a spell that warped space to transport them vast distances in an instant.
In just a few seconds, they'd escape the academy.
Even Ingrid or the other professors wouldn't chase them that far so quickly.
'Can't be helped.'
Aria repeated it to herself, steeling her resolve to leave peacefully.
But her gaze clung stubbornly to Iris.
Her mind understood, yet the nagging unease in her chest held her back.
"Ah."
In that moment, a memorized spell she hadn't used flashed in Professor Aria's mind.
'...Piercing magic.'
Kept in reserve for emergencies, but perfect as a parting gift right now.
Her lips twisted into a grotesque grin.
"Well then..."
Feigning a turn, Aria slyly snapped her fingers.
'I won't fear the future because of one little bitch.'
Snap!
"A final gift."
Fwoosh!
The memorized piercing magic shot toward Iris at invisible speeds.
A lethal strike aimed precisely at the exhausted, defenseless girl's heart.
Piiiing!
A blue beam lanced out like a flash of lightning.
Too close to dodge, too fast to react.
Iris's eyes flew wide in horror.
'No...!'
Her body had reached its limit.
She saw it, but her body wouldn't obey.
Even knowing she had to evade, her body screamed in refusal.
"...Danger!"
A dull thud rang out as someone roughly shoved Iris aside.
Her vision tilted, and in slow motion, she glimpsed the profile of her savior.
Thud!
"Urgh...!"
A gruesome sound of flesh tearing echoed.
Kaien's body flew backward, the air blast piercing his abdomen and scattering red blood into the air as it dissipated.
"Nooooo!"
Iris's belated scream echoed through the passage.
Kaien collapsed, coughing blood, but even then, he managed a faint smile toward her.
"...Good... thing."
Professor Aria clicked her tongue.
"...Interfering, huh. The Raven Duke's brat."
It had been the perfect chance.
Ruined by that punk.
'Well, can't be helped.'
The magic circle was already activating.
No time for more attacks.
A pillar of light veiled their vision as space began to warp.
"Regrettable, but..."
As Aria surrendered to the spell, a chilling dread prickled her back, making her shudder involuntarily.
"Aria, you son of a bitch."
Right behind Professor Aria.
A small but clear curse spat out raw.
Laced with unfiltered rage.
'...What?'
At the unfamiliar chill,
She whipped her head around and saw.
Fierce eyes glinting beneath a hood.
Evan Dreadnote, glaring as if ready to tear her apart.
"Classmate! Snap out of it!"
"K-Kaien, young master?"
Screams for the fallen Kaien echoed from behind.
Crunch.
"Stop... right...!"
They couldn't be let go like this.
Her body was wrecked, not even a finger would move.
But Iris gritted her teeth, forcing her staggering body upright and charging at them.
It was superhuman resolve—anyone witnessing it might bow in respect.
But futile; the moment had passed.
Before her desperate sword swing could reach, the magic circle's light enveloped them.
"Ariiiiia!"
Boom!
Their fading figures vanished in an explosive burst of light.
The students, including Iris, squeezed their eyes shut against the blinding flash.
When the eternal seconds passed and the light faded,
Nothing remained where they had stood.
"Haa... haa... uwaaaaaah!"
Iris's anguished cry reverberated through the empty underground space.
A scream of frustration and helplessness.
She collapsed to the floor, glaring with bloodshot eyes at the spot they'd vanished.
Her fingertips, outstretched to the last, grasped only empty air.
"Iris... K-Kaien, young master!"
And then.
"Cough!"
The fallen Kaien spewed a mouthful of blood.
The cold stone floor soaked with crimson.
Iris dragged her tottering body to crawl toward him.
"Classmate! Stay with us!"
"Uwaaaan! Don't die!"
As Kaien's state emerged from behind Vulkan's massive frame,
Hira and the other students paled.
"Young master! Pull through!"
At Iris's cry, Kaien laboriously lifted his eyelids.
His unfocused black eyes turned to her.
"...I did something out of character."
"Because of that guy...?"
A self-mocking smile tugged at his bloodied lips.
"D-Don't talk...!"
Iris pressed trembling hands to Kaien's abdomen.
But the red liquid welled up relentlessly between her fingers.
A through-and-through wound.
The magic had clearly ravaged his internals.
"Classmate! Stay with us! You're not the type to fall to a wound like this!"
Vulkan shook Kaien's shoulders, but he merely lolled his head powerlessly.
His face deathly pale, breaths shallowing.
Life flickered perilously.
"No... p-potion..."
Hira fumbled in her bag with shaking hands, but terror froze her from even uncorking it.
"Move! I'll heal him!"
A soft healing light emanated from Iris's hands.
A faint color returned to Kaien's ashen face, but only briefly.
The wound was too deep. Nowhere near enough to stem the blood.
"...The wound's too deep."
Sweat beaded on Iris's brow.
No matter how much mana she poured in, the bleeding wouldn't stop.
"Healing!"
"Spirit, breathe life into him...!"
Desperate cries rang out as Celine and Elisicia rushed in.
Exhausted as they were, they couldn't stand by while a comrade died.
Celine's blue mana and Elisicia's spirit power enveloped the wound.
But blood flowed faster than it could knit.
"No. Not enough. I need to pour more...!"
Celine clenched her teeth, squeezing out mana, but the light from her fingers dimmed.
Elisicia sweated coldly, pleading with the spirits, but even they faltered, the glow fading.
"W-What do we do...! The bleeding won't stop...!"
Hira stomped in tearful panic.
They'd dumped every potion she had, but against a fatal wound, it was mere patchwork.
What to do... how...!
Iris's mind went blank.
At this rate, Kaien would die.
Right before her eyes.
Saving her.
She bit her lip until blood trickled, but felt no pain.
She desperately sought a way, but despair crushed her.
Then, urgent footsteps echoed from afar.
"This way! Hurry before it's too late!"
Dozens of torches pierced the dark, illuminating the passage like daylight.
The belated academy guards and professors arrived, Ingrid at the fore.
"What in the...!"
Ingrid's eyes widened at the devastated underground vault.
Spotting the bloodied, collapsed students at the center, her face hardened.
"Call the medics! Now!"
At her command, the guards moved efficiently.
She rushed straight to Kaien on the floor.
His gut torn open, bleeding profusely—his face corpse-pale.
Despite their frantic healing, his life clung like a candle about to gutter.
"...Wound's too deep."
Waiting for medics would be too late.
Ingrid's brow furrowed as she drew a silk-wrapped scroll from her bosom.
A supreme recovery scroll crafted by royal mages.
Reserved for dire straits.
But not a moment to spare now.
Riiip!
She tore it without hesitation. Blinding light enveloped Kaien.
The glow miraculously stitched flesh, mended vessels.
The watchers held their breath, hands trembling.
'Please...'
Perhaps their prayers reached.
As the light faded, the red blood staining his chest stopped.
Ragged breaths steadied; faint color returned to his ashen face.
"...He's safe."
A sigh of relief escaped someone.
With that, the taut string of tension snapped.
Iris's legs gave out, and she collapsed.
Relief unleashed the tears she'd held back.
"...Really... thank goodness."
Celine and Elisicia clung together, sobbing.
Hira sniffled behind Vulkan, whose massive frame had reddened eyes as he gazed skyward, wiping tears.
"Good... classmate..."
As all exhaled in relief, Professor Ingrid surveyed the surroundings gravely.
Far too organized and planned for a mere intrusion.
She strode to Iris, who sat dazed, gripping her shoulders.
"Iris Liel. What exactly happened here?"
Relief had blanked her mind.
Iris looked up at Ingrid blankly.
The recent events flashed by like a panorama.
Professor Aria's sudden assault.
The brutal melee.
And.
'That man.'
The black-robed man beside Professor Aria.
She never saw his face, but something felt familiar.
Especially his final mutter.
It lingered in her ears.
[Aria, you son of a bitch.]
He was clearly an ally.
Yet his voice brimmed with undisguised rage and killing intent toward Aria.
That tone, that inflection.
Unmistakably familiar, like she'd heard it before.
"...Liel?"
"Iris Liel?"
Ingrid's call snapped Iris back.
"S-Sorry. We don't know the details, but... the professor vanished midway through the fight."
"...You're sure?"
"Yes. Positive."
Ingrid stared piercingly, then sighed and nodded.
"Understood. We'll get details later. Treating the wounded comes first."
Medics arrived, loading Kaien onto a stretcher.
The other students were helped out one by one.
Before exiting the passage, Iris paused and looked back.
In the haze of acrid smoke and metallic blood scent, she clenched her fist.
'...Evan. Where on earth are you?'