Join us on Discord
Click Here

Chapter 205: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

Chapter 205



[■■■■■!!]


The growling sound of a demonic beast echoed from nearby.


It felt like it could rush into the alley I was waiting in at any moment, but there was no need to be impatient.


If I waited calmly, the right moment would come for sure.


And just as if to confirm that, Mei dashed past the place where I was hiding and shouted.


“Scarlet! Now!”


At that moment, I stepped out of the alley, aimed, and fired.


Flames erupted from the prosthetic arm I had prepared, always ready to unleash them, and the demonic beast Mei had lured in was hit directly by the fire, burning up in a miserable death throe right before my eyes.


This one must have been the last.


As I muttered inwardly, the illusion of the city spread around us dispersed, revealing the gymnasium, signaling the end of the training.


Ms. Eve, who had been watching us finish the training, nodded and said.


“Good, you passed! Remember, even if you can take down an enemy head-on, choosing a safer method is always the right decision!”


Mei and I responded with a “Yes, ma’am,” and Ms. Eve looked around at the students with a proud expression and murmured.


“Wow, everyone’s gotten pretty skilled at dealing with demonic beasts! Compared to when you first entered the academy, your growth is remarkable!”


“…Well, you tend to get better after being thrown around so much.”


A lot of students smiled wryly in agreement with someone’s resigned comment.


After Yoon Si-woo’s inauguration, the academy resumed its regular classes over the past few weeks, and Ms. Eve had been pushing us harder than ever, making the previous training sessions look like child’s play.


But no one complained about it because they had realized something after the recent incident.


Just like when the demonic beasts invaded the city we thought was safe, they learned that things they never imagined could happen, actually could.


The students must have felt a sense of crisis, realizing that they couldn’t protect themselves or those around them in such situations if they stayed the way they were.


The first-year students were fortunate enough to be assigned to a relatively safe area during the demonic beast invasion, so there were no fatalities among them.


However, there were a few deaths among the second and third-year students who were assigned to the more intense battle zones.


That’s probably why no one complained about the increased intensity of the training.


Even if she didn’t show it, we knew Ms. Eve felt a great sense of responsibility for what had happened.


Of course, knowing that didn’t make the training any less grueling, so when Ms. Eve saw the exhausted looks on the students’ faces, she smiled and said.


“Hehe, really? Anyway, you all worked hard in today’s training! There’s a special lecture scheduled for the afternoon, so you won’t have to exert yourselves anymore! So don’t worry and enjoy your lunch!”


Some students visibly brightened at those words.


The recent training sessions had been so harsh that some kids had thrown up everything they ate for lunch if they weren’t careful.


Hearing that they wouldn’t have to go on an enforced diet today, everyone left the gymnasium in high spirits and headed to the cafeteria.


While I was getting some food and sitting down with the others to eat, Jessie, who was sitting across from me, suddenly spoke up.


“Oh! Speaking of which, did everyone see it yesterday? The show Yoon Si-woo was on?”


A show with Yoon Si-woo? I hadn’t seen it, but it seemed like he had been on TV again.


I thought it was just one of those things, but a lot of kids had apparently watched the show Jessie was talking about, and they began chatting enthusiastically about it.


“I saw it! He was so cool, wasn’t he?”


“The way he took down those demonic beasts in one shot was insane. It’s hard to believe we used to be in the same class as that guy.”


Honestly, I might not have known before, but lately, I’ve gotten used to the kids talking about Yoon Si-woo like this.


It’s kind of ridiculous, but they say that the interview that aired was the turning point that made his popularity skyrocket like it has now.


Apparently, what Yoon Si-woo said had given strength to people who were struggling and feeling hurt.


Since I knew he had said those things to me, it felt a bit strange, but in any case, the fact that his image was positively imprinted on people was a good thing, so I decided to just take it positively.


“Right? He was totally awesome, right? Haa…”


And as if to prove his popularity, quite a few kids in the class were Yoon Si-woo’s fans, with the biggest one being Jessie, of course.


When she talked about him, she almost looked like a girl in love.


Well, I could understand why Jessie acted that way.


Recently, in a survey conducted by a magazine, Yoon Si-woo had been chosen as the number one hero people would want as their boyfriend.


He was talented and handsome, and his unfortunate family background apparently made people feel a maternal instinct to protect him or something.


The only problem was that Yoon Si-woo himself didn’t seem very interested in girls.


The last time he was on leave, I teased him, showing him the survey results and saying he must be happy to be so popular, but he blushed furiously and insisted he didn’t care about other girls’ attention.


I personally think it would be good for him to get a girlfriend, as it would help him emotionally.


It’s a bit annoying to see someone who’s capable of dating act like that, though.


In any case, knowing how he was, I was aware that Jessie’s crush on him had little chance of working out.


Feeling a bit sorry for her, I looked at her sympathetically, but suddenly, Jessie noticed me and exclaimed, startled.


“Ah! Sc-Scarlet, when I said he was cool, I didn’t mean it like that…! Please don’t get me wrong! I don’t see Yoon Si-woo as a man; I admire him as a hero!”


I nodded at her, who was frantically making excuses, looking at me anxiously.


So, Jessie’s still a girl, huh?


She must be embarrassed about people knowing she likes Yoon Si-woo.


Still, if it’s someone like Jessie, I think there’s a chance if she tries hard enough.


While I was thinking about that, Mei murmured.


“By the way, there’s a special lecture this afternoon, right? Does anyone know who’s coming?”


At Mei’s question, Florene, who was eating at a distance, suddenly raised her head and shouted.


“Florene knows! Florene’s grandpa is coming today!”


“Really? Is Tellos coming?!”


The kids around exclaimed in surprise at Florene’s words.


Tellos Dolos, the one who had held the position of squad leader of the 2nd Squad, now under Yoon Si-woo’s command, for over half a century, was a living legend among heroes.


Florene, as usual, smiled brightly amidst the excited children who were thrilled by the news that they would get to meet such a legendary figure in person.


“Grandpa said he had something really important to take care of first, but he’ll be here soon!”


---


“Huff… I thought my heart was going to shrink from the tension.”


Joseph, the manager in charge of the Magic Purification Facility, murmured to himself as he patted his chest.


He had just experienced firsthand how difficult it was to breathe properly when a person was too nervous.


His legs had been shaking so much, and no wonder—he hadn’t just attended to the chairman of the organization he worked for but to the chairman’s father as well.


However, once he calmed down, what replaced the tension was excitement.


It was enough for him to have met and spoken with the legendary figure he had only ever heard about in stories.


Joseph couldn’t help but feel exhilarated at the fact that he’d had a conversation with someone who had patted him on the shoulder, saying he’d worked hard all this time, the sensation of that large hand still vividly lingering.


“Seeing him in person is even more incredible...! How can someone over eighty be in such shape...? Ah, the kids are going to love this, right?”


Mumbling to himself, Joseph looked at the piece of paper he was holding.


On that paper was a magnificent signature he had nervously requested for the children.


His eldest, who loved heroes, would jump for joy, and although the newborn second child wouldn’t understand yet, he would surely boast about what Joseph had received today to his friends when he grew up.


Thinking about how happy the kids would be, Joseph, who had been smiling brightly while working overtime, suddenly turned pale at the ominous vibration he felt under his feet.


“What’s this... An earthquake, maybe?”


Though slightly tense, Joseph maintained his composure.


The place where he worked was an important facility, equipped with the best seismic protection measures in the city to handle such situations.


Believing that the facility wouldn’t crack from an ordinary earthquake, he was about to issue an order for the staff to stay in their positions as per the manual when—


With a cracking sound, he noticed a fissure forming on the ground.


“Damn it... The seismic protection should be perfect... shouldn’t it...?”


Thinking maybe someone had done a shoddy job on the construction, Joseph cursed under his breath. But then, seeing the black smoke seeping out from the crack in the ground, he hastily put on the protective gear nearby.


Being an expert in this field, he recognized it at a glance.


What was leaking from the ground was miasma.


“This is bad... I need to contain it...!”


Could it be the miasma he had been processing had leaked out?


In any case, it was a major accident, but the amount of miasma that had yet to be processed today wasn’t particularly large.


So, Joseph thought he could somehow manage the situation with the equipment inside the facility.


“…Huh?”


But what he saw next was no ordinary leak.


The miasma, which had been trickling out slowly at first, was now gushing out in a flood, and then it erupted in a violent burst.


In an instant, the space around him was filled with so much miasma that he could hardly see ahead of him.


Watching this, Joseph thought.


This is impossible.


Even if he combined all the miasma that had been in the facility today, it wasn’t nearly enough to cause this.


Where on earth did all this miasma come from...?


It was then that he recalled something a young boy who had visited the facility on a tour once said.


‘...Then the calculations don’t add up.’


‘I did a rough calculation with that magic circle, and it seems like about 10% of the miasma remains...’


Joseph thought.


If this is really that 10%, then—


How long has that 10% been accumulating?


Joseph remembered what he had studied to become the facility manager.


The 300-year history of this facility.


The incalculable amount of miasma the facility had processed over that time.


Even if it was only 10% of that, if it were such a quantity…


Unfortunately, Joseph’s thoughts didn’t continue for long.


There is a law that everyone in this world knows:


Where the concentration of miasma is dense, a demonic beast will be born.


Joseph saw it.


He saw a gigantic beast emerging, as massive as the facility where he worked.


Joseph saw it.


When the beast lifted its head, he saw the city where his children lived beyond the rubble of the collapsing buildings.


Joseph saw it.


The place where the beast’s head was pointed.


“…K-ki…”


Crack!


---------------


Read ahead by supporting me on Patreon. Tiers starting at $5 per month and you can access upto 50 Chapters.


Rate/Review this Novel on NOVEL UPDATES .


---------------

PREVIOUS | TOC | NEXT

Comments

  1. No right diagonal update😩?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dropped I think

      Delete
    2. Nah, there is no announcment of droping the novel in the discord

      Delete
    3. he still publish new chapter in patreon daily

      Delete
  2. ㅤㅤㅤ ㅤ ㅤㅤ

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Join us on Discord
Click Here