Isolation
The carriage rattled along with a pleasant clatter. Fresh air and bright sunlight greeted me as I rode toward the Academy, enjoying the morning.
"Haah… It's been a while."
Only two weeks had passed, yet it felt like far longer. I took in the familiar scenery for a moment before my thoughts drifted to Isis.
"I never expected getting permission to be this difficult."
When I returned to the family after clearing the Red Dragon's Lair and announced my intention to head back to the Academy, Isis's reaction had been beyond anything I could have imagined. She clung to me, apologizing over and over, convinced it was because she had deliberately avoided me. When I denied that, she immediately tried to pack her things, declaring we would return together. Only after I mentioned having someone to meet at the Academy did she finally accept, asking if the rumors were true. I simply nodded in silence, already guessing what rumor she had heard.
'Sorry, Deborah.'
I had told her it would blow over in a day, but the shock of the news—that the infamous troublemaker Luan Priulri was dating Deborah, disciple of the Gray Magic Tower's master—had apparently been enormous. We might still be dealing with the fallout even after the new semester began. Still, it only inconvenienced Deborah. There was no real harm to me, so I decided to soothe her when needed and otherwise ignore the gossip.
As I mulled over countermeasures, my hand drifted to my chest.
"Now, how am I supposed to fulfill the condition?"
The Phoenix Egg's hatching conditions were extremely demanding. In the original setting, they required an understanding of death and an intense longing for life. In game terms, that translated to surviving below 30% HP for one minute against a much higher-level enemy. It had been possible in the game, but in reality, the condition was nearly impossible to achieve. Thank goodness I had the Rape Declaration. Without it, I wouldn't have even considered attempting this. That was probably why the other transmigrators had never gone after the Phoenix Egg either.
"Still, with Kain's help, I should manage somehow."
The conditions didn't specify that I had to fight alone, so using Kain as insurance shouldn't be a problem. I was nodding to myself, organizing my plans, when—
Wuuum!
A wave of mana swept over my body. The powerful yet sinister energy sent a chill down my spine. I quickly opened the window and looked toward the source.
"That is…?"
The Academy stood in the distance. A massive barrier now encircled its vast grounds. The dark-red construct pulsed like a living heart, and with every beat, another wave of mana rippled outward, filling the air with unease. My grip tightened on the window frame.
"Why is it already active?"
This was the Illusion Labyrinth Barrier sealing the heart of the Immortal Beast Levios. Created jointly by the Yellow Magic Tower master and the Gray Magic Tower master, it was designed to activate if an intruder reached the sealed core. With the barrier up, the space inside was completely isolated from the outside. But according to the original timeline, it shouldn't have activated until the summer break of the second year. The schedule had advanced by a full year.
"Damn it!"
I tossed a gold coin to the coachman, jumped out of the carriage, and sprinted toward the Academy. The reason I was in such a hurry was simple: in this episode, both Verdan Roosevelt and Kain were supposed to die. The timing was completely different from the game, so I couldn't be sure events would unfold the same way, but I couldn't just sit back and do nothing. I had already received the full manual for the Infinite Thousand Li Art, so Kain's death wouldn't cause immediate problems for me, but I still had to save him—to grow stronger and, more importantly, to repay the kindness my master had shown me. As for Verdan…
"Sara would be devastated."
I owed Sara a great deal. The least I could do was not let Verdan Roosevelt die. Just imagining her crying in grief made my chest tighten painfully. I wasn't sure whether the pain came from simple sadness or something else mixed in. But one thing I could say with certainty: I wanted Sara to be happy.
'Please, let me not be too late!'
I slipped through the hole the Yellow Magic Tower master had prepared in the wall and entered the barrier.
*
At the same time, Sara and Verdan Roosevelt, who had been enjoying a date by the fountain, were suddenly transported into a strange space when the barrier activated. Crimson veins pulsed across the dark-red walls, as if they had been swallowed into the stomach of some monstrous creature.
"This is…"
"Professor Verdan, do you know where we are?"
"No, I don't. What on earth is going on?"
Neither of them could calm down in the bewildering situation. Sara felt irritated by the sudden incident interrupting their date, yet she sensed the danger and responded calmly.
"Let's move first. Staying here won't guarantee we can escape. We should find others and gather information."
"An excellent idea. Then let's go."
"I'll take the lead. Professor Verdan, please watch our rear."
Verdan wasn't completely without ability, but as a mage focused on theory, his combat prowess wasn't particularly high. Sara placed him behind her and began carefully navigating the grotesque interior. Then—
Clack! Rattle!
Skeletons wreathed in black magic rose from the ground. They blocked both sides and slowly approached. After observing them, Sara confirmed they were weaker than expected and spoke.
"Professor Verdan, can you hold out?"
"Yes, no problem. Why do you ask?"
"There's a Skeleton Mage in the back. It would be easier to deal with it first."
"You're right. Go ahead. I'll hold them off in the meantime."
"Understood. Don't push yourself. I'll be right back."
In both romance and teamwork, they stood on equal footing. Neither let personal feelings cloud their judgment or lead to overprotectiveness. Trusting Verdan, Sara kicked off the ground and soared into the air. Using the skeletons as stepping stones, she closed the distance while shattering any that tried to interfere with single strikes. In less than five seconds she reached the mage, swatted away an incoming fireball with the back of her hand, and crushed its skull.
"They're even weaker than I thought."
She had been tense because of the unfamiliar environment, but the monsters' level was low. Smirking, Sara poured strength into her grip and pulverized the mage's head. Meanwhile, four warrior skeletons and an archer supporting the mage launched attacks.
Whoosh!
Without even looking, Sara sensed the strikes through instinct, dodged them effortlessly, and reduced all of them to bone dust with a counterattack. She then leaped back using another skeleton as a foothold and landed beside Verdan.
"Nothing happened while I was gone?"
"Haha! Only ten seconds have passed. Aren't you being a bit overprotective?"
"Oh, come on. How can I not worry?"
When Verdan teased her, the woman who had just been smashing skeletons shyly smiled and twisted her body in embarrassment. Verdan simply looked at her with a fond smile.
After a brief moment of respite, Sara refocused on the skeletons.
"At least the skeletons are weak. Let's finish them off and move on."
"Agreed."
Within a minute, they had eliminated every skeleton. Sara and Verdan continued deeper into the maze-like space. They faced several more ambushes, but none could even scratch them. Roughly two hours later—
Clang! Clang!
"Professor Verdan, be careful!"
"Goodness, Death Knights."
Death Knights—undead created by forcibly dragging the souls of former knights back into their bodies. Each was level 200. They weren't particularly dangerous for Sara, but for Verdan, whose physical abilities were lower, they would be a tough opponent. Only one had appeared so far, but if more showed up, the situation could turn dire.
"Professor Verdan, I'll handle the offense. Focus only on defense, understood?"
"You don't need to worry about me. I'll maintain distance and provide support as much as possible."
"Please do. Hah!"
Boom!
After giving her warning, Sara charged forward and struck the Death Knight's sword with all her might. Even though human flesh met blade, Sara suffered no damage. The one forced back was the Death Knight. Their level difference was only about seventy, yet the gap in combat ability was vast. Sara maintained the upper hand, seized an opening created by Verdan's timely support, and finished the fight.
Boom!
A single blow punched a hole through its abdomen. Black mana gushed out as it collapsed.
"Huu… Professor Verdan, you're not hurt, are you?"
"Of course not. You kept it pinned down the whole time. Haha! If you keep worrying like this, I might start acting spoiled."
"Oh my, really? I'd love to see Professor Verdan acting spoiled for once."
"Hahaha! Absolutely not. That won't do."
"Aww, what a shame."
They continued their playful banter for a while. Then—
Clang! Clang! Clack! Clack!
As if the maze itself had grown tired of holding back, over a hundred skeletons and five Death Knights erupted from the ground. Sara's expression hardened.
"Professor Verdan, we really need to be careful this time."
"Yes. From now on, I'll devote myself entirely to defense. I'm sorry for relying on you."
"It's fine. We each have our roles. From now on, don't leave my side by more than ten meters."
—Kraaaaaah!
The moment Sara finished speaking, the Death Knights let out ferocious roars and charged, leading the skeleton horde. A perilous battle began.
*
Step. Step.
In the crimson space, only the sound of quiet footsteps echoed. Tracing the sound led to a man in shabby clothes. His appearance was that of a vagrant—greasy, unkempt hair that hadn't been washed in days, clothes with no concept of style. Yet his eyes shone with an intensity that couldn't be ignored. A beast-like sharpness and thick killing intent weighed down the surrounding atmosphere.
"He's this way."
The man, Kain, ground his teeth at the familiar mana he sensed beyond the maze. The necromancer, Huscular. Even after ten years, that rotting stench and unpleasant energy hadn't changed at all. And beside that detestable man was another familiar mana. The woman who had captured his entire being in just a few short years. The one memory that would never fade.
"Yuliana."
His lover, now reduced to the necromancer's puppet, was waiting for him there. There was no time to waste. However, Huscular seemed determined to delay him as long as possible.
Clang! Clang!
Five Death Knights burst from the ground on all sides, forming an encirclement. Blue flames flickered in their helmet eye sockets as they raised their swords and rushed him simultaneously. Just before their blades could tear through the afterimage—
Flash!
Kain vanished, leaving only an afterimage behind. The black-burning sword aura mercilessly sliced through empty air. A moment later, Kain reappeared behind the Death Knights.
"You think something like this can stop me, Huscular?"
Kain stepped forward with clear displeasure. Step. That was the signal.
Boom boom boom boom!
Invisible, formless strikes slammed into the Death Knights' jaws, launching them into the air. The barrage continued without pause.
Boom boom boom boom boom!
Hundreds of wind punches hammered the Death Knights, creating a localized storm. They couldn't even attempt to counterattack or defend properly, enduring the relentless barrage until they were utterly destroyed and fell to the ground. By then, Kain had already moved on to the next path. To him, such obstacles were utterly uninteresting. This was the power of the man once called the Fist Star, ten years ago.