We Promised to Dance (6)
While rushing toward the source of the noise, Ellis assessed Moon Sulin's condition. She'd only caught the middle of the conversation, but from the flow, it seemed Moon Sulin was blood-related to a Mine. She'd heard the word "father" come out of Moon Sulin's mouth several times.
That's some huge information.
Moon Sulin's father was the former head of Victoria Academy and the current chairman's son. For someone like that to have become a Mine? This was priceless intel. If used politically, it could deal massive damage to Victoria Academy. Of course, Ellis didn't let any of that show on her face. She just walked quietly.
Moon Sulin glanced cautiously at Ellis. Thankfully, backup had arrived quickly and they'd gotten through it, but that had been a genuinely dangerous situation. If Ellis hadn't joined in, she might really have been kidnapped by her father, whom she hadn't seen in ten years.
I owe her thanks.
Moon Sulin still vividly remembered sending Ellis away so she could talk with Lee Ho-yeon. Ellis must have been upset, but she hadn't shown it at all and had helped her out.
"…Ellis."
"Yes, Student Council President."
Seeing Ellis's emotionless expression, Moon Sulin swallowed hard. This detached attitude felt even more awkward. It would have been better if she'd shown some dislike.
"That… a few days ago, I'm sorry. I was just momentarily…."
"It's fine. Don't worry about it."
Ellis nodded. So that's what she wanted to say—an apology. She'd been annoyed at the time, but Ellis was a pro. She could overlook a girl's momentary jealousy.
"And what you just heard…."
Moon Sulin continued carefully. It was a plea not to reveal her connection to the Mine.
"Don't worry. I'm not interested, and I won't tell anyone."
"…Yeah. Thanks."
Ellis didn't respond after that. Just knowing this information gave her power anyway. In fact, seeing Moon Sulin bow her head stirred a bit of pity. Lee Ho-yeon had already slept with other women, yet here she was, fighting alone against the wall like that.
Clang-
Clang-!
The eerie metallic sounds grew closer. The two stopped talking and ran faster, soon discovering a bizarre scene.
First in view was Nam Da-eun, biting her lip as she pressed her sword against the barrier. Her arms trembled, and dark mana leaked from the blade infused with heavy mana.
Screeech-!
But the sword ultimately failed to slice through the barrier. The sharp blade let out a chilling screech before sliding off along its surface.
"…No way."
"N-No! You bastard! This, this… no!"
"Lucy… stop, please… if you get hurt too, I, I…."
Nam Da-eun stared blankly at the sliding sword, while beside her were Lucy and Lumi. Lucy was pounding the barrier with her fists, tears streaming down, blood from her scraped knuckles trickling along it. Lumi, holding Lucy's waist and pulling her back, was also shedding tears.
"…What the hell are they doing."
"We need to hurry."
Unable to comprehend the behavior, they approached and finally grasped the situation.
The opaque, unidentified barrier was transparent from inside, revealing a Mine fighting Lee Ho-yeon. The problem was Ho-yeon's dire state—staggering legs and blood covering his body. It was a miracle he was still standing.
"Ho-yeon's… getting pushed back?"
Moon Sulin couldn't accept it. She knew how strong he was. And it was weird that he wasn't using magic. He was a mage, yet he was in a melee stance.
"This barrier's the issue. Is mana sealed?"
"…It's a mana-blocking barrier. It blocks mana-infused attacks entirely."
"Barrier?"
As soon as Nam Da-eun, who'd lowered her sword, explained, Ellis began analyzing the cause. Touching the surface gave a rough, prickly feel—not made of mana, but some unfamiliar material.
Inside, Ho-yeon focused solely on the fight despite the crowd outside. He dodged an attack precariously but took a solid hit. His legs buckled, and he collapsed.
Startled, Moon Sulin unleashed her mana against the barrier, but it was useless. Nam Da-eun gritted her teeth and scanned around. Should she call another professor? But no one had come despite Lumi's earlier rescue request. Other areas must be more chaotic. And even if a professor arrived, could they solve this?
"…Everyone, back off. I think I can handle it."
At Ellis's words, all eyes turned to her. Nam Da-eun stepped back from the barrier, and the tearful twins looked at her sniffling.
"Ellis. You sure…?"
"I don't know about a full rescue, but I can reverse-engineer it."
Replying to Moon Sulin, Ellis placed both hands on the barrier and focused. While the others fixated on Ho-yeon, Ellis studied the barrier and found its weakness. Her talent for barriers and reversal shone here.
I can do this.
Not from inside, but faintly from outside, she detected mana. Pandemic's tech wasn't perfect. Exploiting that tiny gap, Ellis injected her mana. She pried apart the connections in the unfamiliar material, creating a fissure.
Drip-
The backlash from forcing mana hit her body. Blood trickled from her red lips down her chin.
"E-Ellis… are you okay?"
"Isn't this dangerous? You, you…."
Ignoring the twins' worry, Ellis clenched her teeth.
Drip.
Drip.
…Pushed too hard.
Fighting a powerful Mine, reversing an unknown barrier, intervening with mana—it was excessive for Ellis with her congenital mana disorder. Blood kept flowing from her mouth, but she didn't break focus.
Crack-
Crack-
Fortunately, a gap formed in the barrier. Small, but the mana-nullifying property vanished there. Ellis turned to Nam Da-eun.
"Break through here. Nam Da-eun."
Nam Da-eun's spatial cutting power. That should do it.
"…Got it."
Nam Da-eun infused mana and thrust her sword tip into Ellis's gap.
Crackle-
Sizzle-
Like high-voltage current, the barrier resisted, but a hole slowly formed. It stabilized at just enough for one person.
"…Go inside, President."
"M-Me?"
Startled by her name, Moon Sulin looked at Ellis.
"No time. Only one can fit. Nam Da-eun has to hold the barrier."
Ellis winced through the pain.
"…Okay. I'll go."
Seeing her expression, Moon Sulin decided quickly—the hole might close anytime.
"M-Me too!"
"I can go too!"
Lucy and Lumi insisted, but Ellis shook her head.
"No. Once the president enters, you two maintain the barrier in my place. Keeping the gap lets mana through inside."
All barriers react to foreign entry by sealing the breach. Ellis couldn't hold the backlash. Only one could enter while the gap lasted. Logically, the most efficient—Moon Sulin.
"…Thank you."
Moon Sulin meant it—from Ellis bleeding to open the barrier, to Nam Da-eun trembling as she jammed her sword in desperately, to Lucy and Lumi gathering mana. But no time to hesitate.
"I'm going in."
Moon Sulin threw herself into the person-sized gap.
Crackle-
Szzzzzt-!
Simultaneously, Ellis vomited blood and was flung back; Lucy and Lumi instantly took her place.
Hah.
Hah.
Collapsed on the ground, Ellis glanced at the barrier. Seeing the gap hold and mana flow, she relaxed, lying back to stare at the sky. Her head spun. Her mana circuits screamed. She'd never pushed this hard in her life—always safe as the guild heiress, rarely involved in academy incidents.
But today, she'd surpassed her limits. For someone else's life, not her own. Amused, Ellis let out a wry laugh.
Boom-!
Kaboom-!
Magic echoes from inside, sweating Nam Da-eun and the twins beside her.
"…If she can't save him, I'll really kill her. Student Council President."
Ellis closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her condition warranted passing out, but she wouldn't. France's hope, Iris Guild's daughter—fainting lacked dignity.
*
Whoosh-
Bam!
The Mine stomped, kicking up a dust cloud. Ho-yeon wanted to shed his blood-soaked, heavy clothes, but no opening. His insides were a mess, helplessness crushing him. He craved collapse and sleep, but the Mine ahead had other plans.
"Let's rest a bit, you fuck…."
He realized counterattacking was pointless. All he could do was endure until help. Inside the barrier, the outside was invisible—no way to know.
The professor and my wife should be here by now, right?
His mana links to Im Sol and Baek Ayoung snapped when the barrier formed. Devices like smartwatches were blocked too.
Whoosh-!
Shin Dong-min swung without mercy. Muscles screamed, bones ached, but he moved. Dodging meant survival.
But his trembling legs disobeyed.
Smack-
Hit by the fist, his legs gave out, and he crumpled. Blood surged inside.
Urk.
He spat dark red blood and rose to dodge the next, enduring what felt like broken legs. His natural healing was a boon—from pursuing Lucy. But limits loomed; vision blurred. Stamina drained faster than it healed.
"Give up now. No one's coming to save you…."
"…Fuck off."
He wanted more curses, but saved breath. The assault continued. Shin Dong-min hammered relentlessly, each heavy punch or kick threatening to pulverize him. Without battle sense, he'd be dead.
Thud-
Damn!
He slapped the incoming fist's wrist to alter its path— a miscalculation. Accumulated damage sapped his power; it didn't budge.
"Urgh…."
Grabbed, he was lifted.
"I'll… kill you."
He thrashed, but the grip tightened. Neck snap incoming.
As death neared, peace settled. Not bad for a shut-in—women, endless sex. Better than rotting alone. Inevitable.
"Cut off your air… then Moon Sulin… make it as painful as possible…."
"…You fucking."
But Shin Dong-min's words snapped him alert. Bullshit. He wanted to live—more sex, more fun. Ellis, Moon Sulin, Lucy, Lumi, Liliana, Nam Da-eun, Baek Ayoung, Im Sol, Scarlett, Rebecca. Faces of women he'd bonded with flashed. Too attached to quit.
Vision darkened, grip crushed. Then, in the haze's corner—a bright light.
Shin Dong-min's hand released his neck. Head detached? No reattach power. Braced to fall, but he floated feather-light to the ground.
Kaboom-!
Shin Dong-min rocketed into the barrier like a cannonball.
"…?"
Not dead—he touched his face, intact. As he processed, light footsteps approached.
"Ho-yeon-ah."
Familiar voice. Strongest normal cadet he knew. Tension melted.
"Here to save me?"
Moon Sulin stood between them, glancing back with teary eyes—she'd worried—but smiled reassuringly.
"We decided to dance, remember?"
He chuckled wryly at her playful tone.
"Don't think about dying first."
The follow-up was scary.
"…Yeah."
This sister's ruthless. But that's why he trusted her. She'd save him somehow.
A thin light beam from her entry carried faint mana. With mana, Sulin-noona wouldn't lose.
Etching her protective back, he let his fraying consciousness fade.