Field Trip (2)
Regardless of my doubts, all sorts of revolting things spewed out from beyond the wriggling darkness.
Corpses, blackly rotting blood, clumps of crimson mud oozing along.
Some pinched their noses against the stench they emitted, while others screamed in hysterics, demanding to know what the hell that was.
The Imperial Guard were slashing through the wave of filth with terrifying momentum, desperately trying to close in on the black-robed figure... but if it were me, I'd have run.
More things were about to pour out from there soon enough.
What was coming out now was like sediment.
The stuff that had sunk to the bottom, pushed out before the real flood hit.
"What... what is that...?"
The moment someone muttered that—
"Gaaaaahhh!!!!!"
A scream echoed.
It wasn't the Imperial Guard who'd been hit. Nor the black robe.
Just a wail from something that burst out from over yonder.
Crimson chunks of flesh and grotesquely twisted animal-like things began tumbling out from beyond the rift.
The flesh lumps rolled across the ground, but the beasts—looking like they'd crawled out of hell after years—charged forward, ignoring their own mangled bodies.
Magic beasts.
Four-legged, but with hind legs sprouting from their backs, dragging their lower halves along the dirt; heads and legs swapped places—yeah, had to be.
The rifts spat out the demon kin's minions before sealing shut again, but that didn't make the magic beasts vanish.
Instead, they lunged at the Guard like a pack of starving wild dogs.
The Guard silently unleashed their aura, methodically carving the beasts apart with clean slices.
"Form up! Don't let them through!"
The Academy guards drew their weapons too, but sensing it wasn't their place, they fell back to form a secondary line behind the Guard.
"Students, fall back!"
Reinhardt, who had somehow drawn his sword, was barking orders like he was the on-site commander.
The guy who always whined about hating crown prince duties showed no hesitation when it actually counted.
I smirked inwardly, but had to admit his competence.
Even Ern, still masking his panic, had sized up the situation and seized command.
"Surround them! Don't give them any space!"
At Reinhardt's shout, the Guard advanced.
With every step, dozens of golden trails etched the air—quite the sight.
Wonder how they matched their aura colors like that.
Aura wasn't something you could dye on a whim.
It was the manifestation of one's inner image, so even similar mindsets wouldn't produce an exact match like theirs.
Probably some Imperial trick.
I wasn't the only one without a sense of crisis.
The others had long since lost theirs watching that display.
One guy might've been risky, but there were dozens of Guard here.
All Sword Experts.
"Thank goodness. Worth dragging in the Imperial might, even if it meant a little arm-twisting. They've called for backup too, so if we hold out, it'll be fine."
Cecilia gazed at the overwhelming scene and turned to me.
"Uh, S-Saintess? You arranged that? But why would a saintess...?"
Lucia gawked at her in disbelief.
"If I say my father warned me this might happen... would you understand?"
Cecilia shot back with astonishing brazenness.
"Ah...! So you received a divine revelation..."
"Yes. And feel free to speak casually, Lucia."
"You remembered?!"
"How could I forget a little sister checking on her brother's condition?"
"U-Uwaaaah!! Stop, stop!!!"
Lucia, treating it like black history, shrieked and tried to bury it.
Seeing that, I couldn't help but chuckle.
Hard to believe this benevolent Cecilia would later get all catty in a fierce rivalry with Ern over him.
Then again, that lie she just told? Maybe the scheming was always there.
...Or maybe she really did get a revelation?
Only she knew the truth.
Tension eased, Dorothea and Lucia started chattering too.
The students watched the clash like it was an entertaining match, some even cheering.
So at first, I figured it'd fizzle out boringly.
Guard corner the dagger-wielding black robe, who bolts—end of story.
The situation wasn't all unpleasant.
Cecilia personally warning Reinhardt for my sake, and him actually bringing the Guard? Nice.
But still, unsatisfying.
No opening for me to step in.
Today was prime for a "legal" excuse to get hurt.
No dice now. Regrettable.
But as time dragged, things turned weirder bit by bit.
The Guard had seemed set to encircle the robe, but now they were the ones being surrounded.
The black robe wasn't fleeing—instead, swinging that dagger like they meant to end it here.
Rifts had limits on how many times you could open them into thin air.
Figured they'd cut losses and run, but no—this one was going all-in, slashing away relentlessly.
More magic beasts poured out, and soon demon worshippers started spilling from the rifts too.
"...Fall back! Protect the students!"
Reinhardt finally deemed pushing further impossible, ordering the Guard into a circular formation around us.
The kids sensed something off, falling silent in unease.
But that was it.
Stalemate.
A deadlock stretched on.
The Guard mechanically cleaved beasts; the beasts clawed to break through.
Even flyers and leapers got swatted down like tennis balls.
Safe. For now.
But I watched for my chance.
This could work.
Play it right, and I might get my moment.
Not charging solo into the fray like a lunatic—that'd ruin my character and lack justification.
Justification.
Yeah, I needed that. A reason to pull some crazy stunt.
Problem was, who provides it?
Ah, maybe one of those flower-brained idiots panics, loses it, and bolts from the group whining she can't take it?
Then I could dash out to "save" her.
Mid-thought—
The black robe leaped high, then slammed down at the air with ferocious force.
"What the..."
Reinhardt muttered in disbelief.
He'd noticed too.
Something big incoming.
The black line slashed in space hung there, but a distant thud echoed from beyond.
"What was that sound just now? I'm not the only one who heard it, right...?"
I confirmed I heard it too; Dorothea lit up like "Yes! Not just me!"
"...So what is it?"
Who knows.
We'll see soon.
Another thud—a crack split the massive line in the air.
"Huh?"
Another thud.
Space shattered, and a massive black fist burst through from the rift.
As it unclenched, a glaring blue eye embedded in the palm fixed us with a savage glare.
It was staring right at me.
"Fuck, what the hell is that?!"
Lucia freaked at the black hand, but I knew what it was—no surprise.
A demon itself, beyond mere magic beasts.
Wow.
Already pulling that out to get me?
Great, my chance to shine—but could I handle it solo?
The demon would piss off the Guard plenty too.
One alone? Maybe. But with beasts and worshippers? No.
Add that fist, and survival gets dicey.
We'd need to borrow even a cat's paw—that dire.
Cecilia stared grimly at the demon's grasp and eye.
Ern drew his sword and moved.
"...Cecilia. Sorry. I have to step in."
Before his regression, this guy never showed himself, just ran interference from the shadows—his appearing here meant one thing.
The demon worshippers knew Ilisha would be here.
They might guess the field trip, but the destination was classified.
I knew mulling it now was pointless, but how did they know?
Whatever—time to move.
No one here, Guard included, had faced a demon except me.
My body wasn't fully ready; unsure if it'd hold up to my techniques.
But if I didn't step up, we'd all get wiped.
If anything, this was perfect.
Chance to slay the demon and finish the Dimension Slasher.
The moment he gritted his teeth and leaped past the Guard, ignoring Cecilia's pleas—
Someone followed from behind.
Who? Reinhardt? One of his Guard? Or...?
Glancing back, he could scarcely believe his eyes.
"Ilisha?!"
She—the worshippers' prime target—was following him.