Sword Ghost Rebecca (2)
Before Shion Esperand entered the student council building.
A deafening roar tore through the first-year dormitory. It wasn't the rumble of simple thunder and lightning.
Outside the window, everything was shrouded in ashen gray, flashing only sporadically when lightning struck. In the end, the dark, humid air woke me from sleep.
Irritated by the commotion, I stepped out of the dormitory. Who the hell was causing this racket in the middle of the night? And why wasn't anyone stopping or restraining them amid all this chaos?
I planned to vent the anger that had built up in that short time.
...That was the original plan.
Crackle—!
I descended the stairs and stood in front of the flower bed. The scene before me was utterly bizarre. A crack appeared in empty space, shattering like glass.
"Kieeeek!"
The rift grew larger, and a monstrous screech emanated from within.
……!
Then, sudden silence washed over everything. The awakened students wondered if it was a dream and approached cautiously. Right after, a black arm burst from the shattered gap.
"Aaaah!"
The attack came too fast to react. A female student screamed as her hair was grabbed. The distorted rift expanded, now crumpling the space entirely. A goat-like monster's head thrashed out, dragging the student toward the rift while baring saw-like teeth.
"Help... please, spare me! Anyone!"
But cruelly, no help came. Many students had left when the request board opened, and today was a holiday anyway. Fewer students remained in the dormitory than usual.
Just as the warped rift drew closer—
"...What is all this commotion while I was away for a moment?"
A hand shot out like lightning, seizing the monster's head.
"Kiekeek! Ek!"
The monster struggled briefly, choking, but released the girl's hair. It flailed with both hands to break free, but the pressure only intensified.
"I never imagined you'd try something like this again."
The monster's head crumpled under the vise-like grip. Its resistance faded.
Squelch—!
Finally, the head exploded outright. The one who crushed the invading monster with a single hand was none other than the dorm supervisor.
She shook off the monster's blood and surveyed the surroundings. She'd come out sensing something odd, only to find a gate trying to open inside the dormitory. Having worked here for years, even she had never seen such a sight. Truly unprecedented.
Arsen had manuals for gate responses, but none anticipated a gate opening inside the academy. No one at Arsen had experienced this.
"Teacher!"
"……."
The dorm supervisor turned at the voice calling her. There stood Kyle Ivanstair and the first-year students who had rushed out at the noise.
"What the hell is going on?!"
"A gate has opened inside Arsen."
"A gate... inside Arsen?……?"
"Yes. It's unprecedented."
Even as she spoke, the rifts kept growing. Not just one gate—two or three were manifesting simultaneously.
The supervisor glanced at the tearing space, then turned back to Kyle Ivanstair.
"Right now, there's no one at Arsen who can handle this crisis. If you want to save others, you'll have to step up."
"What about you, teacher?"
"For the students' safety, I must stay here."
Kyle silently stared at the gates. More than three were visible already. The supervisor's face showed no bewilderment, no despair—just her usual impassive expression gazing at the gates.
"Go, Kyle Ivanstair."
She added one more word for the hesitant group.
"There will surely be a place that needs your help."
The supervisor clenched her fist. No trace of flinching. She advanced step by step against the tearing rifts. Footsteps hurried behind her. Only after they faded did a certain phrase flash through her mind.
—It'd probably be safer if the dorm supervisor oversaw it personally.
A remark from Sion Illeionhart some time ago. Though she'd entered hiding her name and identity, his words had resonated strangely.
She shook off the odd unease. Now wasn't the time to dwell.
Monsters emerging from the rifts lined up one by one.
"This place is not for you."
She shed her coat and gloves. The otherworldly monsters bared their teeth and charged.
"Go back quietly to where you belong."
Azure lightning poured down on the intruders invading the dormitory.
In the downpour stinging his shoulders, Kyle Ivanstair ran for a while.
"Where are we going?!"
"There have to be people who need help."
"Running around Arsen recklessly won't solve anything."
He'd charged ahead blindly, but now he'd lost direction. He finally stopped, looking around.
"Feel anything? Essili."
"Not yet... who knows."
She extended mana everywhere, but got no response. Essili Silvergaden was knowledgeable in spirit arts, but not at a professional level.
"A strange energy blankets all of Arsen. I can't pinpoint the source. Mages would know better than me."
"Then what do we do? We can't just head back to the dorm now."
"Shut up. Elin."
"She says I'm noisy the second I open my mouth."
Ignoring Elin Beonard's mutter, Kyle closed his eyes. The supervisor had said there'd be a place needing help. To navigate this, they needed a mage—the slot still vacant.
Gardner Meridian was out. He wouldn't help without proper compensation.
"This is tricky……."
Kyle had hastily gathered people, but he lacked ties to capable mages. They needed skill, a righteous personality willing to step up, someone acting on principle over gain—and a mage class to boot.
One person came to mind…….
"Got it."
"Huh?"
"There's someone who'll help."
Someone handling spirits, majoring in magic, and eager to assist when asked. Kyle quickly raised his watch. No friend add, but Arsen students could connect via community.
At Kyle's odd reaction, Essili Silvergaden asked.
"Who the heck are you contacting?"
"That girl with the water spirit."
"Water spirit... you don't mean……?"
...A memory flickered by. During cold-weather survival training, the blue-haired mage they'd bumped into.
"She'll help."
Kyle grinned triumphantly after sending the message. Lara Steelhiden would surely come. She'd saved the most students in training. Though they'd lost touch after she left with a headache, the Lara he'd seen wouldn't ignore this.
"Alright, that's one joined... now—"
His senses jolted a moment later. Essili Silvergaden tackled him, both tumbling.
"...Why the sudden—?"
"Look."
A dent marked where her finger pointed.
"We're being sniped. Don't know by who."
"Someone sniping us?"
"No idea. Could be tied to this mess."
But it felt off. An opponent sniping silently could kill with the first shot if they wanted.
Two possibilities: no intent to kill from the start, or a warning to stay back.
Either way, it made no sense. Gates in the dorm, supervisor fighting alone. More gates unknown, people still un-evacuated.
Yet a random warning shot amid this?
"Hold on."
...A scene flashed in Kyle's mind. Déjà vu. Not imagination.
Similar to the entrance exam. When anonymous help had come.
"What are you doing?! Right now?!"
"It's fine. They won't shoot."
Kyle advanced, hands raised signaling no fight. Another bullet flew. He stopped, not approaching further.
"I know you're there. Sion."
"……?"
"Not going further. At least tell me why."
No reply. No more bullets either. Amid the pouring rain, his watch buzzed. He accepted the call instantly.
A brief silence. Sion spoke first.
-Approach further and I'll shoot. Won't miss this time.
Kyle glanced at Essili, then Elin. Meeting their eyes once, he checked his watch again.
"Why block us, Sion? You know what's happening at Arsen right now."
-I know. That's why I'm stopping you.
"Knowing makes you stop us? People are fighting over there. Ignoring the cause means more victims, and delays could mean deaths."
-…….
"Still blocking? Why?!"
Sion didn't answer. Silence stretched. Kyle pressed after a wait.
"The you I knew wasn't like this."
-Half right, half wrong. You know nothing. Better off staying ignorant this time.
"Please, Sion. Why? What's worth more than lives?"
-At least...
"At least?"
-At least, you shouldn't get involved. You'd just interfere. No help—just harm.
"Harm? What do you mean?"
Silence again. Essili Silvergaden signaled Kyle. He stopped her as she quietly nocked an arrow.
"Please, Sion."
She didn't voice it, but kept the string taut. She'd roughly pinpointed Sion Illeionhart's position. The moment Kyle retreated or sniping resumed, she'd loose.
-I'll handle this. Only I can. No one else should interfere.
Sion declared calmly. He wouldn't let anyone past. Advance, and bullets would rain. No missing this time.
Essili Silvergaden signaled: now's the chance to take him.
Kyle ignored it. He'd trust Sion a bit more.
The reply came right after.
-So go elsewhere.
"What……?"
-Arsen's power's out. That's why the inner barriers failed. Head to the main building. Restart the generator there...
"Wait, wait. What?"
Info flooded in; Kyle panicked. He breathed deep, listening.
-Restart the generator in the main building. Power restores barriers, calms the weird energy haunting Arsen.
"Main building, activate barriers……."
-That's enough. I'll handle the rest.
"……."
-Please, Kyle.
No more after that. Kyle hesitated. He didn't grasp Sion's motives, but he aimed to resolve it solo, rejecting all aid as hindrance.
Incomprehensible. But the Sion he'd seen...
Recalling the entrance exam smile.
"Got it. Leave it to me."
...Trusting Sion here should be fine.
-Thanks.
Call ended.
"...Done?"
"Yeah, probably. It's over."
"You were ready to fight a second ago."
"No worries, Elin."
Essili Silvergaden, who'd glared upward, cautiously lowered her bow. Kyle stood briefly in the downpour. His instincts screamed: Sion Illeionhart was no villain.