The Dark Guild Clo's Assault

Everlight Academy had been attacked. Again.

But this assault was on a completely different level from some punks from a delinquent club like Sca causing trouble.

The sensation it evoked in me wasn't fear so much as sheer absurdity.

"We are the Dark Guild Clo. As of this moment, Everlight Academy will be under Clo's control."

"W-what!? Clo—that's the name of that infamous crime syndicate!"

"A vicious criminal organization with bounties on most of its executives... why would they come to an academy?!"

Mountains beyond mountains, huh? It was the perfect phrase for this situation.

We'd only just resolved the Sca issue—how long had it been? And now the academy was under attack again?

Even in my middle school chuunibyou fantasies, terrorists didn't occupy the school this often!!

Was this really a normal ghost story phenomenon?

In this surreal scenario of a crime syndicate attacking an academy—something that felt utterly detached from reality—I found myself blankly watching like I was at the movies, one step removed.

Then, from among the terrorists who had invaded the academy, a man who seemed to be their leader stepped forward.

And astonishingly, that terrorist leader was Muchia Leoporte.

"M-Muchia!!"

"Why are you with those criminals...!"

"Hmph! My status as an academy student was just a cover. I infiltrated as a student only to pursue a hidden objective peacefully. But you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠all threw away the one chance to resolve this without violence."

"W-we threw away our chance? What nonsense is that?!"

A burly PE teacher bellowed as he stepped forward in response to Muchia's words.

"You must know about the academy's delinquent club, Sca."

"Why bring up that name all of a sudden...?"

Sca's appearance at this utterly random timing. But I was already past caring, just letting it wash over me.

If the academy kept getting attacked and it was due to a ghost story, couldn't they just slap any old reason onto the attackers?

No matter how I thought about it, this had to involve a ghost story.

Hiding among the panicking teachers, I silently observed him.

What the hell?

But no matter how many times I observed him, it only updated ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with the new info I'd gained. Unlike with Mr. Brandon, it didn't classify him as a ghost story, and there wasn't anything particularly suspicious...

Wait. Something from the academy?

"Truth is, Sca was a covert branch planted in Everlight Academy by Clo. But your teachers launched a massive purge, and all our efforts with Sca vanished like bubbles. That's why we've come ourselves."

"W-what...? Why would a massive crime syndicate like Clo bother with petty schemes in an academy?!"

"Who knows? Maybe to uncover Everlight Academy's hidden secrets. Or to claim the legacy of its founding principal. But does the reason even matter now?"

Hidden secrets of the academy...?

The moment I heard that, my mind sharpened.

Was he referring to that outer god slumbering underground?

"Hold on, you don't mean...!"

But before I could press him, Muchia gave orders to his underlings and left.

"I think that's enough talk. Handle the rest."

"Yes!""Yes!"

A few brave students and staff tried to resist, but they were up against a nationally notorious crime syndicate. They were swiftly subdued, bound, and everyone herded into the large auditorium.

The only reason no students or staff died was because many academy students were children of high-ranking nobles from various nations.

After locking all academy members in the auditorium, they posted guards to watch us.

....

"You okay, PE teacher?"

"Ow ow... I'm fine. Damn, if only I had something to swing around."

The PE teacher, who had led a group of students in resistance, was still full of fight despite getting one-sidedly beaten.

The teachers' reactions varied wildly. Few were as outraged as the PE teacher about the academy's invasion.

Some eyed the Clo members warily, others trembled in fear, and some hid their own terror while trying to bolster the students' spirits.

In contrast, most students looked similar: anxious, shaking in fright, or crying.

Of course, "most" meant there were exceptions.

Like Elaine, who had sneaked over to me.

"Mr. Allen."

That calm demeanor—was it thanks to her gift?

Unlike the other terrified students around her, she approached calmly and spoke softly.

"What's up?"

"This incident... do you think it's tied to a ghost story? Wasn't that Muchia guy just the leader of a delinquent club? And now he's suddenly the head of a famous crime syndicate...? It doesn't make sense unless it's a ghost story."

She seemed to suspect the same thing I did.

But I couldn't give her a clear answer either.

I hadn't reached a solid conclusion myself.

"Honestly, I don't know. At first, I suspected a ghost story too. A nationwide crime syndicate isn't something you can just brush off like a school delinquent club. But no matter how much I observe them with my gift, their status windows show them as ordinary people."

It wasn't just Muchia. Even observing his followers yielded no special phrases suggesting ghost story involvement.

"If anything, I'm starting to think the opposite. Even if it's tied to a ghost story, not in the way we imagine."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe they're like us—they know about the secret hidden underground in the academy. That would explain every contrived incident that's happened here."

Elaine's face turned serious at my words.

"Is that true?"

"Dunno. But a ghost story about criminals taking over an academy? Never heard of one."

"Yeah, that's... even I've never heard of anything like it, and you're the expert."

What can I say.

"But I don't even know if my guess is right. Whether this is all a ghost story or real humans after the academy's secrets. We just lack info."

And so Elaine and I huddled in the auditorium, bound together, pondering.

But fretting while tied up and info-starved changed nothing...

Eventually, to avoid the eyes of the Clo guards watching us, Elaine slipped back to her spot.

It felt too contrived for a natural event, but lacked the eerie madness of the infinite loop or Mr. Brandon's ghost stories.

What I needed was information.

But tied up, I couldn't get any.

How much more time passed like that?

As I blankly scanned the auditorium, something odd caught my eye.

"...Rone?"

It was Rone, somehow loosening her bonds and trying to sneak out.

"Shh."

She met my eyes and hurriedly pressed a finger to her lips.

I carefully slipped away from the guards' view and approached her.

"How'd you get free?"

"Luck. My small size meant the ropes were loose."

"Lucky. Mind freeing mine too? If we all get loose, it'll be better than this."

But Rone shook her head at my suggestion.

"No. I could free yours, but not everyone else's."

"What? Why?"

"Freeing everyone's would just provoke the Clo members. Too reckless. Better I slip out alone and take them down."

"...You know that's the height of recklessness, right?"

"No. I can do it. I have a gift for upholding justice."

And her Justice Execution gift was perfect for contingencies.

But a notorious crime syndicate was leagues above petty delinquents.

Frankly, the punks she took down were just amateurs who hadn't even trained in proper combat.

"You weren't paying attention in class. Even gift abilities don't exceed human limits."

"Some risk is necessary."

"It's not about whether you can handle the risk. It's that a student being exposed to danger is the problem."

"Isn't your idea of freeing everyone the same? ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠We're already all at risk."

But Rone's resolve was ironclad.

No point persuading her—she'd just ignore me and bolt.

I had no choice anyway. She held the option to free me or not.

Better to keep her close and control her actions.

"Sigh. If you're that stubborn, fine. But I'm coming with you."

"...Mr. Allen?"

"Refuse, and I'll tell everyone you slipped your bonds. Don't want that hassle, do ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you?"

Whether this was a ghost story stage or a man-made disaster targeting the academy's secrets, I—one of the few who knew about the outer god underground—couldn't just sit idly by.

So I'd join Rone's solo act to resolve it, or at least gather more info.

"...Fine. But no dangerous moves."

"Says the one pulling this."

Rone hesitated at my words, then reluctantly untied the ropes binding me.