Chapter 87: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

Chapter 87

Shortly after the witch disappeared, I heard Sylvia's shout from a distance.

"Scarlet!!!"

"Sylvia! Over here!!!"

When I waved my flaming arm, she seemed to see it. Sylvia, riding something like a cluster of stars, was quickly approaching.

A high-speed movement spell, perhaps.

I remembered she learned it much later in the original work, yet here she was, already mastering it.

As I marveled at her competence, Sylvia grabbed me and shouted.

"What happened?! Are you okay?! I saw the flames and rushed over!"

"I'm fine! But over there, surrounded by those people, there's a cocoon-like thing! Destroying it might stop the controlled people, but I can't do it alone!"

At my words, Sylvia looked at the cocoon entwined with controlled people.

"A way to stop the controlled people... Then first, we need to separate them."

Muttering to herself, Sylvia closed her eyes, and a radiant light emanated from her body.

As the light enveloped the people, the strength left their bodies, causing them to release their grip on each other.

One by one, the people, covered in bruises from holding on so tightly, fell away, revealing the pulsating cocoon hidden within.

"If we can just destroy this..."

Finally, we could put an end to this horrific situation.

My flame-wreathed fist struck the cocoon.

It shattered and burned with surprising ease.

"Is it... over now?"

Sylvia asked.

I murmured, feeling something was off.

"Something's wrong..."

Despite destroying the cocoon, I felt nothing in my hand.

When I first saw it, the cocoon was pulsating.

It couldn't have done that if it were empty.

But now, the cocoon I destroyed felt like an empty shell.

What had the witch said?

Inside...

The hairs on my body stood on end.

I quickly checked the ground where the cocoon had been and saw a hole as if something had escaped.

"Damn! It got away!"

"W-what got away suddenly?"

"A beast! There was supposed to be a beast inside the cocoon! We need to find it quickly!"

As I frantically searched the hole for the escaped beast, I heard Sylvia's shout.

"Scarlet! Over there!"

Following her gaze, I saw a large insect-like beast fluttering its wings and flying into the sky.

Its altitude was just below where I had sent up the flames earlier.

As soon as I assessed the situation, I manipulated my prosthetic arm to gather flames and shouted.

"We need to shoot it down!"

"Got it!"

While Sylvia chanted her spell and I concentrated on gathering my flames, I kept my eyes fixed on the beast's movements.

If it had flown erratically, it would have been hard to hit, but the beast was flying straight as if on a direct course.

Still, could I hit a target that high?

-Alf Ad Astra!!

"I'm ready!"

Sylvia announced as she finished her chant.

I checked the prosthetic arm and saw the gem in the center of my palm glowing red.

I aimed it at the beast.

My arm was trembling.

The metal arm shouldn't tremble, so I realized it was my whole body shaking.

My breath quickened from the tension of not missing the shot.

Then, Sylvia, standing to my right, gently touched my shoulder and whispered.

"I'll definitely hit it, so you can relax."

"...Show off."

Though I said that, I didn't really think Sylvia would miss.

She was the main heroine in the original story, after all.

I probably believed in her more than she believed in herself.

And she looked into my eyes and said.

"I'm sure you'll hit it. I believe in you as much as I believe in myself."

Her words miraculously steadied my shaking.

"...Thank you."

I muttered.

"Finally, a thank you."

Sylvia replied.

Despite the urgent situation, I couldn't help but laugh.

I saw the beast flying in the sky.

I raised my left hand, and Sylvia raised her right, aiming at the beast.

Something conveyed through our touching shoulders told us when to fire, even without words.

I counted silently.

One,

Two,

And three.

"Hit it!!!"

With a simultaneous shout, flames and starlight shot into the sky.

They flew straight, aimed at the beast.

The flames and starlight struck the beast, blowing off its left wing and half of its body.

"Yes!!!!"

"We did it!!"

We cheered in triumph.

"...Huh?"

But our cheers faded in less than a second.

The beast was still flying.

Despite losing its left wing and half its body, it acted as if nothing happened.

I soon realized why.

The insect-like beast trembled for a moment, then scattered, transforming into a cloudy mist.

The mist was made up of countless small beasts.

"It was never just one from the start..."

Was it deceit or mockery that made the swarm of beasts appear like a giant insect flying in unison?

Even with half of them blown away, the sheer number was still overwhelming.

Countless beasts were flying in the sky.

Higher and higher.

Now, they were beyond the reach of both Sylvia and my attacks.

Screams echoed from beyond.

Even with half of the beasts destroyed, the screams continued relentlessly.

Suddenly, I seemed to understand why there were so many of these beasts.

If they were paired with the beasts inside people’s minds...

It meant there were still that many controlled people left in the city.

Then, the beasts gathered in the sky once more, as if daring us to catch them, before slowly dispersing throughout the city.

I slumped down in despair, staring blankly at the sky filled with dispersing beasts.

How many more victims would there be until we caught all those beasts?

Would the city be able to function properly until then?

My mind was already painting a grim future.

A future as dark as the stormy sky filled with those clouds.

Rain hit my face, mixing with the tears of despair flowing from my eyes.

I bowed my head, feeling like giving up.

And then,

“Getting wet in the rain isn’t good for your health.”

As someone spoke, the feeling of rain hitting my body disappeared.

I slowly raised my head to see Yoon Si-woo, shielding me from the rain with the protective barrier of the Holy Sword.

“Sorry, it took me some time to get back after rescuing people from far away.”

“...You should have come a little sooner.”

Even Yoon Si-woo couldn’t catch those beasts scattered across the sky.

I mumbled to him in despair.

Yoon Si-woo looked at me, then turned and gazed up at the sky.

Finally, he spoke quietly, looking at the scattered beasts.

“Your expression says it all. It’s all because of those things, right?”

Though his back appeared calm, his voice was filled with anger.

“...Yes. But there’s nothing we can do now.”

I answered weakly.

Then Yoon Si-woo silently drew his sword from the air.

A softly glowing golden longsword.

The Holy Sword of Radiance, which prevents its wielder from falling into illusions and enchantments.

He held the sword in both hands and looked up at the sky.

...It can’t be.

I watched, thinking it was impossible.

No matter how much of a genius Yoon Si-woo was, and despite having formed a new contract with Lucia earlier than in the original story, the timing seemed impossible.

Just as I thought that, Yoon Si-woo muttered softly.

“A ray of light that can pierce through the darkest darkness.”

Hearing the familiar phrase, I held my breath.

There are many famous swords and magical swords in the world, but few are special enough to be called Holy Swords.

Holy Swords are called such because their power is too immense to be considered just a sword.

Therefore, without the skill and ability to withstand that power, a wielder cannot be acknowledged by the Holy Sword and use its true power.

Even Yoon Si-woo in the original story could barely use it in the later parts, requiring tremendous effort and enlightenment.

Yet now, Yoon Si-woo was reciting the phrase to unleash the true power.

“Holy Sword—”

The Holy Sword of Radiance in Yoon Si-woo’s hands shimmered once.

“Release.”

In the next moment, a bright light filled the surroundings.

The softly glowing golden blade disappeared, leaving only the light illuminating the world,

Revealing the true form of the Holy Sword of Radiance, now brilliantly shining in Yoon Si-woo’s hands.

I captured that light with my eyes.

Some would call it a blessing,

Some would call it a miracle.

And now, for us, that light was hope.

Yoon Si-woo, holding hope in his hands, slowly swung it towards the sky.

Originally, light descends from the sky to illuminate the earth.

But as if defying that order, the light rose swiftly from the ground to the sky.

The light from the earth illuminated everything in the sky equally.

The raindrops falling from the sky.

The beasts flying in the sky.

Even the dark clouds filling the high sky.

Seeing each one swallowed by the light was like seeing the darkness cast over the world being driven away,

Sylvia and I held our breath as we watched the majestic sight.

The light, which seemed never-ending, gradually faded.

But even after the light from the ground faded, the world was no longer dark.

There was no more despair or dark clouds left in the sky where the light had shone.

The boy slowly turned around and spoke.

“It’s not too late.”

The boy, with the clear sky behind him, was shining so brightly.

“I’ll make sure it never is.”

In his eyes, reflecting mine,

“So, don’t cry.”

I was no longer crying.

I lifted my head and looked at the sky.

As if to say that even in a world full of despair, there is hope.

The sun, hidden behind the dark clouds, was now shining brightly.

The rain I so despised had stopped.

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