Emergency Broadcast
The Seven Saintesses of Ephnel.
They were the mightiest pillars upholding Ephnel and the Holy Federation, said to awaken when the Essence of Saintess descended upon a female student or alumna of Ephnel. Beings who stood in perfect counterbalance to the Legion Commanders of the Dark Alliance.
Where the Legion Commanders roamed free and untamed, bound by neither allegiance nor rank, the Saintesses were the very heart of power — living emblems of Ephnel and the Holy Federation themselves.
The moment a woman awakened as a Saintess, she stepped beyond every structure of authority in the Holy Federation, reigning above mankind as a demigod. Above her stood one being and one being only: the Pope.
Each of the seven held a different divine authority.
Among them, Flema, the Saintess of Purification, had been granted the Pure White Flame — a sacred trinity of healing, attack, and defense.
And there was one more thing, a secret known to only a handful within Ephnel, the Pope included: the Saintess of Purification could transcend the human body.
She was, in a sense, a spirit — even if her own flesh collapsed, she could possess another body and claim it as her own.
With this power, Flema had resolved to bring Kizen down from within, and after long searching, she succeeded in descending into the body of Francesca Belmond — a chief TA grown sick and weary of years of thankless servitude.
Flema gained Francesca's strength, her knowledge, and with them, the ability to wield Jet-Black. She borrowed the woman's expertise to carry out her classes, and succeeded in poisoning Professor Lang, who had trusted Francesca with all his heart.
Kajan and other meddlers had appeared along the way, but they were no obstacle. She had crouched low, exercised extreme caution, and prepared her plan over years of patient time.
The plan was flawless.
She killed Lang to bring about the Night of Erebos, when every Kizen professor would be called away, and shaped Francesca — a figure with unshakable convictions — into a will the students could all accept: 'I remain at Kizen to honor Professor Lang's final wishes and carry on his classes.'
It had been easy. A feat achieved because she had dug deep into their culture and truly understood it.
Necromancers were excessively sentimental about 'death,' and she knew that the 'last words' a man left before dying carried more weight in necromancer society than anything else.
Every thread of the plan had woven together perfectly. But of course, a tiny variable no bigger than a speck of dust had appeared.
Simon Polentia.
Kajan Edvalt.
The two of them had neutralized the Desolator bombs and fought their way here.
But there would be no further variables. Remove these two, activate the Prima Materia, and everything would be over.
"[Burn in the flames of eternity.]"
White fire surged from her fingertips like a rising wave and lashed outward. Simon and Kajan threw themselves to the ground just in time.
The flames looked like a horrific white monster seething and roaring — yet everything they touched remained perfectly untouched. Except.
"Kraaaagh!"
The fire had merely grazed his arm. Kajan collapsed, writhing in unspeakable agony. If Kajan reacted that violently to a single brush of flame, the pain itself had to be beyond anything Simon could imagine.
[...To think such a power even exists. This is a nightmare.]
Even Pier's voice was trembling.
An overwhelming, absolute counter to every necromancer and every undead. This was the divine authority of the Saintess of Purification.
[Now I understand what you are, Simon Polentia.]
Francesca — no, Flema, wearing the woman's body — smiled.
[I did wonder when an Ancient Undead appeared in the Forbidden Forest. To think you were a Legion Commander all along.]
"......."
Simon said nothing.
[But even so, you're a babe of a Legion Commander. Perhaps in another ten years it would be a different story — but this stage is far too early for you.]
She wasn't wrong, and he knew it. Simon had been a Legion Commander for less than half a year, and his opponent was a Saintess in her prime.
There was no way he could stand against her.
"Even so."
Simon tightened his grip on the hilt of his greatsword.
"I won't know until I try."
She laughed as if amused, then turned her back on him. Where she was headed was the magic circle table at the heart of the Command and Control Room.
"Ghnn! Simon, you have to stop her from using that thing!"
Kajan shouted even through the pain wracking his body.
"She's going to activate the Prima Materia!"
At those words, Simon kicked off the ground and charged, Jet-Black trailing behind him.
But at a single flick of her hand, a colossal wall of Pure White Flame erupted, splitting the Command and Control Room clean in half. Simon skidded to a halt.
[Stand there and watch.]
She opened a subspace and drew out a cube blazing with brilliant prismatic light. Simon slammed his left foot into the floor.
'Open Gate!'
Beyond the wall of white fire, a subspace tore open, and six blades shot forward in unison. But with a furious hiss, white flames rose to wrap around her body, deflecting every single one.
"……!"
Blocked far too easily.
Flema flashed an enigmatic smile and activated the table. Its center split open, and a dazzling crystal rose to the surface.
A barrier stone capable of covering the entirety of Kizen. Flema seized it, hurled it to the floor, and slotted the Prima Materia into place.
[An artifact that endlessly spawns monsters alien to the very nature of its wielder's power. You've tormented the Holy Federation with this thing for ages.]
She laid her hand upon the Prima Materia.
[Now it's your turn to suffer.]
A mountain of Pure White Flame erupted from her palm as it pressed down on the artifact.
"Damn you! Stop this!"
[Hahahahaha!]
The effect was immediate.
Across the countless screens in the Command and Control Room — screens that mirrored every corner of the Kizen campus — snow-white monsters began to appear.
They resembled featureless white dolls.
Pure white bodies and limbs without any defining traits. Wings sprouted from their backs, and their faces bore eyes, a nose, and a mouth — though rather than functioning organs, they were simply black holes.
Their sizes and shapes varied wildly. Monsters that walked on two legs, monsters that bounded on four, monsters whose arms were longer than their entire bodies — and even a colossal one stretching over twenty meters from head to tail.
The Kizen students sitting through their classes, it seemed, had noticed nothing yet.
[Watch the great chaos unfold with your own eyes, babe of a Legion Commander.]
Just as Flema spoke those words —
—Ah, ahem. Ah, ah!
A broadcast tone echoed through the Kizen campus — and through the Command and Control Room itself.
Simon recognized the voice instantly.
'Meilin!'
Five minutes earlier.
Fourth floor of the Broadcasting and Communications Hall.
"What is all this commotion!"
"Return to your lecture hall at once, student!"
Burly henchmen blocked the entrance to the broadcast room. Meilin stood before them, straining with every ounce of strength to push through.
"Oh, come on! You dense blockheads!"
Meilin erupted.
"A Priest has appeared inside Kizen! She's preparing a terror attack right now!"
The henchmen traded hollow laughs.
"...What kind of ridiculous dream are you having, exactly?"
"Student, this is Kizen. Even if a Saintess herself showed up, she couldn't crack this place. Go on back."
'Ughhhh, this is driving me crazy!'
She cast an anxious glance out the window.
They had managed to stop the explosions — but this was a plan Francesca had spent over a year preparing. Common sense said it couldn't possibly end with a few bombs.
"Fine. Let's humor your little dream, then."
One henchman sighed and pressed on.
"Who exactly is this Priest of yours?"
"Francesca Belmond!"
Meilin growled through gritted teeth.
"She's been deceiving every single one of us! Her true identity is a Priest of Ephnel!"
"……."
The henchmen stared blankly at one another. Then, all at once, their faces turned ice cold.
"Now you've crossed a line that shouldn't be crossed. It hasn't even been a day since Professor Lang passed."
"I don't know about anyone else, but spreading that kind of rumor about Professor Francesca is low, even for a Kizen student."
She had told nothing but the truth, and somehow the situation had only gotten worse.
Then one of the henchmen stretched out his arm. His core whirred to life, and a club of solid Jet-Black materialized in his hand.
"Cause any more trouble, and even a Kizen student leaves me no choice but to use force."
"I'll be reporting this incident to the presiding professor. Trust me, this won't end with simple disciplinary punishment."
Haah.
Meilin let out a long sigh and glared at them.
"And if you lay a hand on me? What then, exactly?"
"Why, you—!"
The instant the henchman swung his club, she slid one foot sideways and triggered the magic circle she had prepared in advance.
⟨ Dark Glacier ⟩
CRACK!
The henchman who collided with her outstretched hand went flying. He slammed into the wall and stuck there, body encased in ice up to the shoulders, only his face left sticking out.
"What the— that lunatic!"
The other two henchmen moved to react, but Meilin was faster, her sky-blue hair streaming behind her as she vaulted over them. In the blink of an eye, both their legs were frozen to the floor.
"H-hey, aren't you going to undo this?"
"She's actually lost her mind!"
She strode forward and flung the broadcast room door open with a rattle. A male henchman sitting in a chair munching on snacks blinked wide-eyed at her.
"W-wait! What do you think you're—"
CRUNCH!
Meilin swept her arm, and the henchman froze solid where he sat, pressed flat against the wall. She yanked her skirt straight and dropped into the chair, then drew in a deep breath.
"S-student! Have you completely lost it?!"
"Ugh! Shut up and just sit there! Punish me, discipline me, whatever — do it later!"
She raised the microphone to her lips and cleared her throat.
Honestly, she knew this was insane. She knew full well this was far beyond a simple slap on the wrist, and that if she broadcast all this and nothing came of it, she'd be the only fool left standing. That terrified her.
But sitting helplessly through class while the Priest's attack claimed casualties — that was worse. Far better that she shoulder the consequences herself and act.
Having made her decision, Meilin pressed the BROADCAST ON button.
What should she say? She hesitated for a moment, then opened her mouth again. Shock value. They'd only listen if she shocked them.
Murmur. Murmur. Murmur.
Through the walls, she could hear the confused rumble of students rising from every corner of the building. The ice-encased henchman let out a defeated sigh, his face going flat with resignation — I'm dead. I'm so dead.
THWACK!
A violent impact struck the back of her head, and she crumpled forward. Cracker crumbs scattered in every direction.
"Son of a—! You actually want to die, is that it?!"
The barrier woven into her uniform had spared her any injury, but the impact still rattled her skull. The Jet-Black club she now realized had been hurled at her lay on the floor; the henchman had pinned her left arm behind her back and pressed his right elbow against her throat.
"Ugh!"
"You think henchmen are scum who can't touch a precious Kizen student? We're necromancers too!"
Having subdued Meilin, the man dragged her forcefully from the chair.
"Somebody get a professor or a TA down here, fast! This one's mine to—"
CRASH!
With an impact even louder than before, the henchman's pupils rolled back until only the whites showed, and he crumpled to the floor.
"Woo-hoo."
Dick was grinning from ear to ear, an enchanted textbook still clutched in one hand.
"You're late!"
Whirling on Dick, Meilin snapped at him in pure exasperation.
"That knock to the head is YOUR fault! Why did you just vanish without saying anything?!"
"...Uh, yeah. Sorry. I honestly can't remember what happened to me either. More importantly — get the broadcast going. Now."
Dick pointed out the window.
"Because just like you said — the Priest's attack has begun."
Through the glass, white monsters could be seen closing in.
Screams erupted from students all across the grounds, and even the henchmen nearby were staring out the windows with expressions of sheer disbelief. It seemed reality was finally sinking in.
Meilin drew a long, deep breath.