Chapter 1072: Students at War, Mentors Stand Aside!
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 1072: Students at War, Mentors Stand Aside!
"What kind of spell is that?"
"Shouldn't you be asking why she’s casting a spell right now? She’s still at least a hundred kilometers away from her destination. There’s no one out there to ambush her."
The crowd couldn't reach a consensus, offering nothing but guesses. Meanwhile, the Flame Falcon spell continued to streak forward at an incredible velocity. In the brief time they spent arguing, it had already pulled another hundred kilometers ahead of the warship.
Everyone’s breath hitched again.
What kind of spell was this? How could the casting range be so vast?
Even with summoning arts paired with vision-sharing spells to control a construct, such a distance was impossible. Without ascending to the Transcendent realm, one's mental power simply couldn't cover that much ground.
Furthermore, the further a spell was cast, the more uncontrollable its effects became, usually rendering it toothless. Such a move should have been meaningless.
As the onlookers stood bewildered, someone finally spoke up. "The trajectory of this spell aligns perfectly with the warship’s heading. There are only a few possibilities. Let’s contact the Vampires and get a video feed to see what’s actually happening."
The suggestion was met with immediate nods; their curiosity had reached a breaking point.
Setting aside the range, the sheer scale of this beyond-visual-range strike was something none of them could replicate.
Of course, some Wizards of the Mechanical Faction could create mechanical wizard tools capable of long-range strikes, but their practical combat effectiveness was poor, and they were easily intercepted.
Once the connection to the Vampires was established, the student representative of the Vampire Academy immediately began wailing to the Wizards, begging for reinforcements.
However, the Wizard Apprentices present felt no pity. They cut off the representative’s attempt to play the victim and told them bluntly: in a few minutes, a spell would descend upon their academy—or, at the very least, pass directly over their airspace.
"What?! The Witches are attacking already?!" The Vampire representative was instantly struck with terror.
"No, it’s just a single spell. The Witches' warship won't arrive for at least another half hour."
"Huh? Just one spell? Why are you making such a fuss over one spell?"
As they spoke, a cry of alarm erupted from the other side of the feed!
From their perspective, the sky to the southeast—directly facing the Blood Slave Peninsula—was being swallowed by a crimson fire.
It looked like a meteor, yet it was far more intense. The extreme heat turned the clouds into a sea of fire, and its brilliance briefly rivaled the sun itself.
A vision like a second sun was descending from the horizon.
It was a scene of such exquisite beauty that it was hard to associate it with destruction.
The Vampire Academy was shrouded beneath a dark barrier. Unlike the Curtain Wall of the Witch Academy, this was a simple construct designed to block out sunlight, as Vampires generally disliked the sun.
That said, ordinary sunlight wasn't enough to truly harm a Vampire of their caliber.
One moment, the students of the Vampire Affiliated Academy were marveling at the beauty of the phenomenon.
The next, the Flame Falcon bared its razor-sharp talons and killing intent. It tore through their dark barrier as easily as if it were ripping paper, and only then did they realize the gravity of the situation.
"Damn it! This is the 'spell' you were talking about? Where did it come from!"
The Vampires in the video feed no longer cared about appearances. They rushed forward to intercept rather than flee.
It seemed this particular Vampire was confident in his ability to handle sudden incidents.
And he wasn't alone.
Such a thunderous phenomenon had alerted the entire Vampire Affiliated Academy.
It wasn't just the students; Transcendent Mentors were roused as well.
Some went to the windows of their ancient castles to pull back the curtains; others sat up from their coffins in dark places, staring at this extraordinary strike.
The Flame Falcon seemed to possess a life of its own. Upon reaching the Vampire Academy, it paused briefly, as if identifying its target.
The pause lasted less than a second before it locked onto the most iconic structure of the Vampire Affiliated Academy.
The building with the most distinct religious character of the Blood Clan—the Blood Chapel!
It was a special manifestation of faith, built upon the Vampires' primal thirst and worship of blood.
The Blood Chapel did not gather faith in the traditional sense; instead, it housed a pool filled with fresh blood!
It was the Saint Blood Pool, a place where only the most elite members of the Blood Clan could go to undergo baptism.
"No! No! Damn it! Stop it!"
"Its target is the Saint Blood Chapel! Intercept it, now!"
The direct beneficiaries of the Blood Chapel roared in fury. They couldn't bear to imagine the losses they would suffer if such a massive firebird even grazed the chapel.
Vampire Earls from the academy charged out in a rage. The ranking of "Earl" was a unique title within the Lord Vampire Academy system.
Vampires who ascended to the Transcendent realm were known as Vampire Grand Dukes. Just below them were the Vampire Marquises—the geniuses gathered in the orthodox Lord Vampire Academy. Thus, Earls were essentially the top-tier combatants within this specific affiliated academy.
Transforming into swarms of bats, the Vampires met the Flame Falcon head-on. Upon reaching high altitude, they shifted back into human form, waving their hands to unleash slashes of crimson energy fueled by massive amounts of blood. The collisions between the blood energy and the flames produced a constant, violent hissing.
The mere flapping of the Flame Falcon’s wings sent waves of fire cascading down, forcing many lower-ranked Vampires to retreat in haste.
Their attempts to block it were largely ineffective. These Vampires felt as though they weren't facing a mere spell effect, but a hundred-meter-tall magical beast wreathed in living flame!
When numerous Vampires joined forces to bind the falcon with chains forged from blood, they hoped for a moment of respite. Instead, they watched in horror as the blood chains—reinforced with sealing arts—began to snap under the sheer, ridiculous intensity of the heat!
They had to admit the truth... they could not stop this Flame Falcon from diving toward the Blood Chapel.
Just as despair set in, the dark barrier of the academy distorted. A massive blood-red hand, comparable in size to the Flame Falcon, manifested instantly and snatched the bird out of the air!
At that moment, the gathered Vampires began to cheer.
A Mentor had intervened!
If the Mentor hadn't stepped in, the Blood Chapel would have been reduced to rubble in a single strike, and even the blood pool would have been defiled.
But before their cheers could fade, the falcon—acting like a living creature—transformed into the most primitive, volatile explosion!
Crimson flames erupted from between the giant hand's fingers. Even the blood-red hand itself was torn apart by the ferocious blast, sending blood splattering everywhere!
This was the work of a Vampire Grand Duke, a Transcendent!
A Transcendent's technique had actually been humiliated by a single spell!
It was unthinkable. Although the form of the blood hand hadn't completely dissipated, the fact that the blood composing it had been scattered by the explosion was a clear sign of failure.
The owner of that hand seemed to feel the sting of humiliation and mockery, for they immediately withdrew the technique.
From beginning to end, not a single Vampire saw which Mentor had acted.
Regardless, the crisis was temporarily averted.
Many students, ignorant of the deeper implications, continued to cheer. But for a Transcendent Mentor to be forced to intervene against a single attack was, in itself, a catastrophic failure.
Many Vampire students seemed not to realize this.
As the Flame Falcon chose to self-destruct, feathers of condensed fire drifted down. They continued to fall until they hit the ground or an object, at which point they would flare up, burning away the last of their energy.
Falling alongside this rain of fiery feathers was a single piece of parchment.
Indeed, this parchment had not been destroyed in the terrifying explosion; it had remained perfectly intact.
Naturally, this parchment drew many eyes.
Ordinary students only knew how to watch the spectacle, but the upperclassmen—the Vampire Earls and their ilk—knew exactly what just happened.
They looked up at the torn shadow barrier in the sky, and their gazes inevitably fell upon that piece of parchment.
Then, a figure appeared.
Light Milne.
One of the few Vampire Marquises in the academy!
A Critical Transcendent, his status was nearly equal to that of the Transcendent Mentor Grand Dukes. They were similar to the Teaching Assistants of the Witch Academy, but often performed the duties of a Mentor.
With his appearance, the crowd found their pillar of support. They watched with bated breath, curious about the contents of the parchment.
When Light Milne snatched the parchment from the air, he immediately realized it wasn't a simple piece of paper. It was a Witch Contract, radiating the distinct aura of a pact!
He frowned at first, but as he read the contents, his face gradually turned ashen.
Then, that emotion curdled into pure rage!
If he had to describe the contents of this Witch Contract in one word, it would be... hubris!
The contract was drafted by a Witch named "Yang Yuehan." Upon seeing that name, Light Milne’s heart instinctively skipped a beat, but the contents only fueled his fury!
Did they really think the Vampire Affiliated Academy was made of clay?
"Arrogant! That damn Witch... she’s completely looking down on us!"
Light Milne angrily crumpled the contract and threw it aside, but even that wasn't enough to vent his rage.
The onlookers watched the discarded parchment. One brave Vampire stepped forward to pick it up, and soon a swarm of Vampires crowded around. They were dying to know what could possibly make the usually composed Marquis Light Milne lose his dignity and curse so openly.
But when they saw it...
It was a declaration of war!
And it wasn't just a declaration. Even though the Academy War hadn't officially begun, the opponent was demanding territory and reparations as if she were scolding a servant. Everyone who read it was consumed by fury.
However, when they saw the name at the bottom of the declaration, some of the more level-headed Vampires felt a chill run down their spines.
The name Yang Yuehan was far too famous. How could they not know of such a legendary Little Witch?
With a single unknown technique, she had orchestrated the Earth-Sun Tragedy, forcing the Holy Angel Academy and the Afuhemi Academy into a humiliating retreat.
How were they supposed to fight an enemy like that?
While these people were busy venting their anger, the ordinary students didn't realize that the Little Witch they were cursing was currently piloting a massive floating warship, closing in on their position.
It wasn't until a gargantuan object appeared on the horizon—at a distance that could no longer be ignored—that they realized: the Academy War had begun!
From afar, they saw the massive warship open its bay doors. The biting high-altitude winds whipped at the clothes of the Witches standing there.
Their combat uniforms, uniform yet distinct, declared their identity. The roar of the massive warship announced their arrival.
Then, figure after figure leaped from the warship. A combat sequence of over a hundred Witches dove down like a swarm of hornets leaving the nest, a sight that made everyone’s skin crawl.
On the upper deck of the warship, a single figure stood tall. Even the gale-force winds couldn't move her an inch.
Even though the Vampire Affiliated Academy had been shouting about enemy raids and going on high alert before the warship was even visible to the naked eye, many Vampire students remained somewhat unresponsive.
Everything was happening too fast. The contents of the declaration hadn't even finished spreading before the war started.
Over a hundred Witch students rode their brooms, wands in hand. The brilliance of their spells mercilessly tore through the dark barrier. The daylight poured in, illuminating the Vampire Affiliated Academy that had always existed in shadow.
But this wasn't the most terrifying sight.
The most terrifying thing was yet to come.
That figure, tiny compared to the warship, stood on the prow deck.
The warship didn't slow down in the slightest. In fact, it seemed to accelerate, charging straight toward the landmark of the Vampire Affiliated Academy—the Blood Chapel!
It was as if the goal the Flame Falcon failed to achieve was about to be completed now.
As the massive vessel approached the academy, it cast a colossal shadow under the blazing sun.
But this darkness brought them no comfort; they felt only an all-encompassing chill!
At that moment, several figures rose into the air.
The terrifying pressure they radiated indiscriminately blanketed the Vampire Academy, the Witch students, the Witch warship, and... me!
"Stop! Little Witch Yang Yuehan! What do you think you are doing?! The Vampire Academy is not a place for you to run wild! Withdraw at once!"
A voice of immense authority, carrying a vast power that vibrated through the very essence of life, erupted in a world-shaking roar.
Every word felt like an interrogation, laced with restrained fury directed at my actions.
All the members of the Zero Special Operations Sequence riding their brooms suffered greatly under that sound, as the shout was infused with Transcendent power. After stabilizing themselves, many of them instinctively looked toward me, as if waiting for an order.
"Kill them! Let these bloodsuckers know they have no right to shout at us!"
My voice, amplified by magic, echoed in everyone’s ears. The sheer contempt in my tone and the cold killing intent actually broke the spirits of the weaker Vampires.
The weak ones scrambled and crawled, desperate to flee the area.
Meanwhile, I steered the Calamity warship forward, facing those Transcendent Vampire Grand Dukes without a hint of fear.
The killing intent in my eyes was undisguised; the resolve in my gaze was unshakable.
I held the Book in the Box, the corner of the book pointing directly at the Vampire Grand Dukes who dared to block our path.
"Students are at war; Mentors, stand aside! Otherwise, face the consequences!"