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Chapter 40: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

 Chapter 40




As we ran down from the rooftop to the first floor, a heavy thudding sound echoed again.


There was no time to waste.


We didn't know how much longer the door would hold, so we quickly ran out of the building.


Outside, the air was thick with dust kicked up by the monster ramming into the gymnasium.


Mei waved her hand, and the wind blew, slowly clearing the dust.


The monster that had been ramming the gymnasium door was now slowly turning around again, as if performing a repetitive task, and walking away from the door.


Even though it looked quite large from a high vantage point, standing at the same height, the sense of intimidation was overwhelming.


Even if an animal is only the size of a human, it can produce power incomparable to that of a human.


Moreover, if its size is such that its eyes are higher than those of a human even when standing on four legs, imagine how powerful it must be.


No matter how strong a superhuman is compared to a normal person, a monster is also much stronger than a typical animal.


"Since a head-on confrontation would be difficult, let's try to attract its attention as much as possible. Once we have its attention, we'll lead the monster as far away from the gymnasium as possible. If anyone seems to be in danger, others will cover for them, and Jessie will use telekinesis to assist from a distance if needed."


As Mei said, a head-on confrontation was absolutely impossible.


Therefore, the goal was to distract the monster and prevent it from targeting the gymnasium.


Of course, attracting its attention was a crazy idea in itself.


But since we had to do it, we, who had come down from the rooftop, began our life-threatening bullfight, using our bodies as red capes against this monstrous bull.


The kids raised their voices to attract the monster's attention.


"Look at me!"


"Here! You stupid bullhead!"


The monster, walking across the playground with its back to the gymnasium door, turned to look at us.


We swallowed hard, ready to run if the monster charged at us, but it ignored us and continued to walk.


"Is it ignoring us? Hey, hold up the shield."


Thinking that the noise was insufficient, Daniel banged Andre's shield with his spear, making a loud noise.


But the monster completely ignored us, not even glancing our way.


"Ah, it doesn't care at all. What should we do now?" Jessie, who had been using her powers to shout herself hoarse trying to draw the monster's attention, said in a voice filled with confusion.


"What else can we do? We have to make it pay attention to us somehow." Daniel stopped banging the shield and looked at his spear.


"If we hit it with something big, it might get angry and look this way. Anyway, if it charges at us, we'll have to run without using our weapons, right?"


Daniel stretched his left arm forward, aiming at the monster, and drew his right arm holding the spear back over his shoulder.


It was an attack that sacrificed control for immense power.


With his superhuman strength, Daniel's entire body became a bowstring.


"I haven't practiced throwing much...”


To maximize power, he stepped forward with a few strides.


"But hitting a target that big should be easy!"


With a bold shout, he released the bowstring at its limit.


Paaaang-


Daniel's spear sliced through the air with a fearsome sound.


But when it struck the monster, it bounced off with a disappointingly small sound.


"Huh...?"


Daniel's voice was filled with bewilderment, matching our shared feeling of disbelief.


The monster didn’t even flinch at Daniel’s attack.


The monster continued walking towards the gymnasium door, without even sparing us a glance.


If the door broke, there would be no reason for us to have come down here.


We had to stop it somehow.


"We can't let it keep running!"


As soon as May's urgent voice rang out, we were all already running towards the monster.


Even when we reached its side, the monster still seemed indifferent to us.


Jessie used her telekinesis to retrieve Daniel's spear from the ground and handed it back to him.


The rest of us surrounded the monster.


"Aim for its legs!"


Each of us targeted a leg with all our might.


Daniel thrust his spear,


Andre struck with his shield,


Mei slashed with her sword,


And my fire-encased fist struck the monster's leg.


Despite all our attacks, the monster continued stepping forward as if it felt nothing.


Even a mid-level monster shouldn't be unscathed from such concentrated attacks.


Except for one kind of monster.


"Damn it, our attacks aren't working! This thing is a Sloth Monster!"


"Why the hell is such a rare type here?"


The kids voiced their frustration.


Unlike low-level monsters, mid-level monsters possess special abilities.


These abilities stem from the powers of the witches that influenced their creation.


Most mid-level monsters have the "gluttony" ability, which increases their regeneration the more they eat. Some, like the ones Eve encountered on her first day of school, have the "greed" ability, creating illusions that trap people within a certain area.


Though not as powerful as real witches, these abilities are terrifying nonetheless.


The "sloth" ability, rarely seen, allows a monster to halve the damage from external attacks.


This means it’s almost impossible for students to deal with such a monster.


Our attacks left not a single scratch on the monster.


Mei slashed with her sword, Daniel struck with his spear and water orbs, and I attacked with my fire-encased fists, but the monster didn’t budge.


Instead of inflicting damage, we tried to slow it down.


Three of us clung to the monster while Andre, with his enhanced physical abilities, grabbed onto it, and Jessie used her telekinesis to try to bind its feet.


For a moment, the monster seemed to slow, but it quickly regained its speed.


No matter how hard we tried, the monster kept heading straight for the gymnasium door.


Its steps accelerated.


Everyone holding onto the monster was shaken off.


Once it gained momentum, it was unstoppable, like a train not slowing down for someone jumping in front of it.


Failing to stop it, a loud crash resounded again, accompanied by a shockwave.


Dust rose and then settled.


The door, visibly more cracked and with fragments falling off, came into view.


It looked like the door could withstand one, maybe two more hits at most.


The impacts were clearly stronger than our attacks.


The monster, despite ramming the door several times, seemed unscathed.


This meant we couldn’t stop it by normal means.


The weight of that realization was heavy.


Despite this, we continued to shout and ran towards the monster, which had turned its back on the door and was heading back towards the center of the playground.


I climbed on top and tried to attack its eyes, but it didn’t work.


When the monster shook its head, Daniel, who was riding on top, was flung far away, and Jessie barely caught him with telekinesis.


Our desperate efforts seemed meaningless.


Then, perhaps because we had kicked up dust and obstructed its vision, the monster changed direction slightly.


In the direction it was now heading,


Jessie stood, far away.


Her face showed panic.


"Run!!!"


Feeling an ominous premonition, I shouted and ran towards her.


Ahead of me, I saw Mei already running towards Jessie.


Behind us, the monster started to charge, and Jessie, her face pale, turned and ran.


Given her relatively weaker physical abilities compared to the rest of us, Jessie couldn’t outrun the monster.


The terrifying sound of its footsteps got closer.


Jessie, running just ahead of Mei.


[■■■■■■■-!!!]


The monster roared, and Mei tackled Jessie, throwing them both to the side.


At that moment, the vibration felt behind me grew distant.


The monster was predicting our actions, slowing down slightly, and preparing to change direction toward the fallen girls.


I felt a chill.


Then, the vibration was directly behind me.


Mei's figure, frozen in my vision during training, overlapped with reality.


“Ah...!”


I screamed, throwing myself desperately.


As I rolled on the ground with Jessie and Mei in my arms, I felt a heavy impact on my back, and the monster's footsteps thundered past us.


Jessie, sobbing with relief, and Mei, gasping for breath after running at full speed, were safe.


Aside from a very sore back, I was unharmed too.


I realized if we had collided with the monster, it wouldn’t have ended like this.


Looking back, I saw Andre and Daniel arriving a bit late.


Andre's shield lay on the ground behind me.


He had thrown it to push us further away, knowing he wouldn’t make it in time.


It was a good decision.


Getting hit by a shield was much better than dying.


I saw the monster in the distance, having stopped and started walking back towards the center of the playground.


The look of utter annoyance in its eyes explained its actions.


The monster knew.


Beyond the gymnasium door, there were countless defenseless prey.


The monster found breaking the gymnasium door less of a hassle than catching us.


It was like having a sushi roll ready to eat without the need to pick up bothersome side dishes with chopsticks.


We were merely flies buzzing around, an annoyance it swatted away as a warning.


Our resistance amounted to that for the monster.


The disparity in perception made me feel like giving up.


Despair and helplessness made my hands tremble and my legs too weak to stand.


However, I saw Mei and Jessie, who had just escaped death, standing up with the help of Daniel and Andre.


Their eyes brimmed with tears.


They probably felt the same emotions I did.


Yet, their tear-filled eyes still sparkled.


Perhaps this was why everyone in the original story died, even though they could have survived by fleeing after the gymnasium door was breached.


The boy who always made others laugh,


The quiet but reliable boy,


The girl who, despite her fears, found courage and cried for others' pain,


The serious, diligent girl who was sincere and sometimes shy, unable to voice her desire to be friends but constantly showing kindness,


They all died because of the emotions driving them now.


It was foolish, irrational, and far from logical.


They were certainly idiots.


As I thought this, a plan formed in my mind.


Possibility and risk.


Thinking about failure, and even if it succeeded, whether it would be okay.


Honestly, it was a gamble with almost entirely negative thoughts, a plan full of flaws.


Normally, I wouldn't have considered such a foolish, irrational, and illogical plan.


But the very fact that I thought of it meant I was ready to try it.


I looked at my trembling hands and weak legs.


I still had everything intact.


I had too much left to regret, too much I had received.


Mei reached out her hand to me.


The emotion shining in her eyes was like fire, spreading to me through her hand.


I grabbed her hand, joining the ranks of the fools.


My hands still trembled.


So, for the most important part of the plan,


I asked myself,


Hey, fool. Are you ready?


I answered by clenching my fists tightly.


*


We all stood in front of the slowly walking Sloth monster.


Seeing insignificant things suddenly blocking its path, the monster snorted.


I had told the kids very little.


To hold it still for even a second and lower its head.


It wasn't easy, but they nodded.


Without explaining my reasoning, they all joined in my plan.


The monster pawed the ground, perhaps thinking it would trample us.


And the ground under its feet collapsed, thanks to Jessie's telekinesis.


As planned.


The unexpected situation caused the monster to lose its balance momentarily.


Its head lowered due to the shifted weight.


Everyone except Jessie and I leapt up, using all their strength to press down the monster's head.


Its head was lowered a bit more.


The monster's head came down to my eye level.


One shake of its head would throw everyone off.


It seemed the monster wanted to shake them off right away.


So now was the only moment.


Don't be scared, you're not going to die.


I stretched out my left arm and lightly tapped the monster's snout.


Without igniting flames.


Sloth monster.


As its name suggested, it seemed bored with everything, ramming the door only to eat.


Such a creature, when presented with easy prey, would only do one thing.


There was a crack from my left shoulder, and the monster's throat moved significantly.


I heard a scream from somewhere.


Don't worry.


It's all part of the plan.


"Everyone, get away!"


I shouted as I moved back.


The kids on the monster's head jumped down and ran towards me.


It hurt like hell, and my vision sparkled, but it was more bearable than I thought.


Fortunately, the gamble worked.


An opponent impervious to external attacks.


My only ability was to ignite flames on my body.


So, it should be possible to ignite flames on a detached part of my body.


As planned, my left arm detached but felt connected somehow.


I didn't ignite flames to lull it into a false sense of security.


The monster's eyes curved into a smile.


I smiled back and spoke,


"You can't just eat appetizers, you bastard."


Fire ignited inside the monster.


The fuel was my anger towards the world.


I hated the world that abandoned me without reason.


But I also knew there were good people in that world.


And I couldn't accept a world where such people had to die.


That anger burned hotter and fiercer than anything before.


It was dangerous if uncontrolled, but it didn't matter now.


Unrestricted, the fire from my left arm burned hotter, using my arm as fuel.


The fire seemed unstoppable until it consumed everything nearby.


The monster, sensing something wrong, opened its mouth.


But instead of a roar, fire spewed out.


Flames erupted from its mouth, engulfing its entire body.


The flames burned as red as my hair.


The monster, which seemed unbeatable, fell engulfed in flames.


As I stared blankly, I heard the kids shouting beside me.


"Blood... the blood won't stop!"


"Scarlet, stay with us! Lie down to elevate the wound!"


I glanced at the spot where my arm used to be, seeing blood pouring out.


Maybe I was dazed from blood loss.


I couldn't die, so I lit a small flame on my right hand and cauterized the wound.


It hurt more than when my arm was cut off, making me groan, but the bleeding stopped.


The kids looked at me in shock at my rugged emergency treatment, but it was necessary to stay alive.


I had planned for this from the start.


Jessie sobbed uncontrollably, and the rest of the kids helped me up with worried faces.


The kids were alive, and the people in the gym were safe.


I was still alive too.


It was the best outcome I could think of, and I couldn't help but smile.


The burning monster turned to ashes, leaving only a small blackened fragment.


Is it over?


As I was about to collapse from exhaustion,


[■■■■■■■-!!!]


A familiar roar echoed.


Another monster, similar to the one we just defeated, was walking towards us from the school gate.


...You have to be kidding me.


Even as I cursed, I understood something.


If it had only been one monster, the people in the gym wouldn't have been completely wiped out, even without the door.


Another monster must have blocked the entrance, causing the total annihilation.


It was a relief there were two rather than starting with two.


As I forced myself to stand, wondering if I should sacrifice my right arm or right leg for balance,


A flash of light appeared.


"I came as quickly as I could when I heard something was wrong at school... but I might be a bit late..."


A man's voice.


The man's hair color and skin matched someone I knew.


The kids' eyes filled with relief.


Strong enough to be in the top five heroes, but the fastest among them.


His golden hair and brown skin were the symbols of the fastest hero.


"I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner. You've done well, now rest."


Known as the [One Who Follows Sound].


Leonor Lionelle.


With his appearance, tension eased, and my memory faded.




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Comments

  1. Thx for the chapter

    ReplyDelete
  2. Atleast it wasn’t Yoon Si-woo appearing or it would be way too forced, but the appearance of mc’s senior’s father ! Didnt expect that to happen lol

    Thanks for the chapter !

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you very much. I love you Ashborntl.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The fastest is also a cook in the school club, wow. That's a double profession, heh.

    ReplyDelete
  5. pretty sure this is leonors dad

    ReplyDelete
  6. thank you tl and moar please

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh, that injury must have hurt a lot.
    But they made it at least
    I'm so glad it wasn't that jerk coming but someone else.
    Now i'm wondering, can the arm be reattached if not burnt?
    Otherwise, MC's going to need a prosthetic arm with a way to ignite safely.
    If not, it's quite a loss in power.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm thinking that it will just magically regrow in due time or appear again in the future.
      Seeing the cover I really hope she won't just have one of her arm gone.
      (Come on author she have suffered enough don't you think.)

      Delete
  8. Thanks pookie bear

    ReplyDelete

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