Chapter 209: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat

Chapter 209

The barrier had vanished, and I saw demonic beasts howling as they entered the now unprotected city.

Is this really happening?

I closed my eyes and opened them again, but the scene before me didn’t change.

Even if I didn’t want to believe it, I had no choice but to accept it.

Tellos had been defeated, and the operation to fend off the demonic beasts had failed.

“Ah…” A sigh escaped my lips.

This was a plan that didn’t account for failure, a mission that absolutely could not fail.

Losing the barrier meant that humanity would lose the only safe ground they could stand on and live in peace.

Moreover, if the barrier, which was sealing the Witch of Gluttony, failed to function and the witch were to be resurrected, I knew that would be the end of the world as we know it.

Seeing the barrier, which held such an important role, disappear so pathetically, I felt a wave of despair so overwhelming that I almost wanted to collapse to the ground.

Even the history teacher, who had trusted Tellos, seemed devastated by his defeat.

At that moment.

“...Mom, are we... going to be okay?”

“...Hic.”

A child’s voice was heard amidst the terrified people who couldn’t even think of running away and were trembling in fear.

The child who asked if everything would be okay was crying in the arms of a woman who appeared to be his mother, and the woman, holding the child, couldn’t give him any answer.

The child, sobbing, then stared fixedly at one spot.

It was the place where the history teacher and I were standing.

Perhaps the child thought that we, who had been helping them evacuate, might be able to answer that question.

In the eyes of the anxious child, our figures were reflected.

Figures that were in despair, dumbfounded and stunned.

What was that child thinking when he saw us like this?

“...It’s okay.”

Before I realized it, I was smiling and saying those words.

Perhaps those who saw me thought I had gone mad.

Because anyone could tell that it wasn’t okay, and yet I was saying it was, with a smiling face.

Of course, it wasn’t like I genuinely thought everything would be okay either.

Still, I smiled and said it would be okay because that’s what I had been taught we should do.

“If we believe there’s hope, we can find the strength to rise above despair.

And whether it’s an exaggeration, or even a lie…

Making people believe there’s hope is the role of a hero. Isn’t that what you all taught me?”

Thinking that, I looked at the history teacher.

“...You’re right. Everyone, please evacuate to a safe place. Those sitting there, get up.”

The teacher, as if he had never been in despair, regained his composure and began to guide the people.

And as if our actions inspired them, the people, still trembling, began to follow our directions little by little.

They probably knew too.

That we were lying.

But even knowing that, they were letting themselves be deceived.

Because everyone would rather believe in hope than despair.

Then our role now was to somehow make that hope they believed in a reality.

*

I took another look at the situation.

Tellos had been defeated, a high-level demonic beast had breached the city, and the barrier had disappeared due to overload.

It was hard to see this situation optimistically, but I felt it wasn’t desperate enough to give up like before.

The worst-case scenario would be the barrier disappearing completely, breaking the seal, and the Witch of Gluttony being resurrected.

But recalling what I’d heard from Dwight last time, I remembered that they had prepared auxiliary power in case of an overload like now.

If we could activate the auxiliary power, we could restore the barrier.

In other words, we could avoid the worst-case scenario from the original story.

So shouldn’t we activate that auxiliary power as soon as possible to reestablish the barrier?

But for some reason, there was no sign of that happening.

Thinking about who would know the most about the barrier, I contacted Dwight, who was helping with the evacuation in another team, using the emergency communication artifact.

When I asked if there was a reason not to activate the auxiliary power, Dwight answered with a grim voice.

[...It’s probably because of the demonic beasts. Auxiliary power is just auxiliary power after all.]

“What do you mean?”

[If we reactivate the barrier with the auxiliary power now and the demonic beasts crash into it again, we’re really done for. You said the demonic beasts’ goal seems to be to release the Witch of Gluttony, right? Then, like with the beasts we’re dealing with, the one over there is the biggest problem. If the beasts’ objective is really that, they won’t stand idly by after seeing the barrier restored.]

The demonic beast had already entered the city.

If the barrier were restored, that beast would immediately rush out and crash into the barrier again to destroy it.

Simply put, it would be impossible to reactivate the barrier with auxiliary power as long as that beast remained intact.

I let out a sigh at the unexpectedly troublesome situation.

“...Is it okay to leave the barrier as it is?”

[...No, if too much time passes, the seal will be in danger. But there’s nothing we can do as long as the demonic beast is in that state.]

“...Then shouldn’t we, like, join forces to take that thing down quickly?”

When I said that, as I heard him say time was of the essence, the history teacher, who was communicating with another group beside me, smacked me on the head.

“Help? What help? Does that thing look weakened to you?”

I looked in the direction the teacher pointed.

I saw the demonic beast engaged in fierce battle with other heroes far away.

The demonic beast, which seemed to be in good shape since the barrier had disappeared before it could be significantly weakened, looked strong and formidable.

I shook my head at its appearance.

Then the teacher asked with a serious expression.

“Then you understand? How much stronger that thing is than you?”

I understood.

Even from this distance, I could feel a prickling pressure on my skin, enough to tell that it was way out of my league.

Even if I joined the fight, I couldn’t be sure I’d be of any help.

But still, the reason I said what I did was…

“...I know. But still…”

Because I knew what was happening over there.

The demonic beast was heading towards the center of the city where the barrier’s magic circle was located.

And the heroes, risking their lives to stop it, were desperately holding it back to protect the citizens who hadn’t evacuated in time and to prevent the beast from reaching the barrier.

A high-level demonic beast known to be unmatchable by anyone other than top-tier heroes.

But there were no such heroes over there.

So how were they managing to hold the demonic beast back?

The answer was simple.

Even at this very moment, numerous heroes were giving their all to hold back the demonic beast over there, sacrificing themselves.

Continuing endlessly, until another commander arrived to take down the beast and offer support.

And knowing this, it frustrated me that I couldn’t fight the beast myself.

Our role, as students, was to evacuate the civilians along the demonic beast’s path while the heroes risked their lives to stop it.

Seeing my frustrated expression, the history teacher gave a bitter smile and patted my shoulder.

“I understand your frustration. But those who are fighting for their lives right now are doing so because they don’t want to send kids like you into the jaws of death. So fighting that beast is not your role. Your job is to protect those whom the heroes are sacrificing so much to save. And to never forget their sacrifice. Remember, that is an equally important role.”

“...Yes.”

Clenching my fists at the teacher’s words to never forget their sacrifice, I looked at the distant demonic beast.

Flashes of light sparkled all over the beast’s body as it swayed its tail and tentacles around as if swatting away annoying flies.

Those must be the sparks of life created by those who stood up to protect others even at the cost of their own lives.

I vowed not to let their noble spirit be in vain, and just as I was about to move the remaining civilians who hadn’t evacuated yet, the demonic beast, which had been hesitating as if contemplating something, suddenly stopped and seemed to be observing its surroundings.

“■■■■■■!!!!”

As if realizing something, the corners of its mouth curled up, and it lifted its head toward the sky, letting out a low, drawn-out roar that I had never heard before.

Maybe it was just my imagination, but that sound somehow felt like the beast was mocking us.

As soon as it roared like that, black energy poured out from its mouth and began to spread slowly across the sky.

The clear sky, without a single cloud, gradually turned black, and soon it transformed into a pitch-dark sky filled with dark clouds.

It wasn’t long before raindrops started falling from the dark clouds.

Seeing the raindrops fall onto the back of my hand, I immediately knew that this wasn’t normal rain.

Because the color of the raindrops was as black as the sky.

A very ominous and unsettling color of rain.

“...I’m not sure what it is, but everyone, be careful not to let it touch you.”

Worried that the raindrops might be infused with dark magic and could have harmful effects, I warned the people and took temporary shelter in a nearby building.

Though I gave the warning, most of the civilians were already soaked from the sudden downpour.

After waiting for a bit and observing their condition, the people just had horrified expressions on their faces, but they didn’t seem to be showing any immediate symptoms.

Maybe it was safe to touch.

If the rain were infused with dark magic, it would have caused problems the moment it made contact, so it might be safer to get wet than I thought.

“...What should we do? It doesn’t seem to cause any issues even if we get wet.”

“...We can’t stay here. We have to keep evacuating the civilians in the demonic beast’s path.”

After some deliberation and discussion with the teacher, we decided to resume the evacuation.

The falling rain soaked us to the skin.

I already hated the rain, but this black rain made me despise it even more.

Feeling even more wretched, I glared resentfully at the sky.

What is that demonic beast thinking, causing this kind of rain?

It must have some sort of scheme.

As I pondered over this and looked up at the sky,

I heard a faint buzzing sound.

...Raindrops don’t make that kind of sound when they fall.

It was the sound something big makes when it cuts through the air.

And with a sense of foreboding at that sound, I looked up at the sky.

I saw what was making that noise.

It was falling.

“...Ah.”

It was mixed in with the raindrops.

“Everyone─”

Something big and sharp,

“Get away─!!!”

At the same time as my shout,

With a thud, blood splattered in mid-air.

“...Teacher?”

The man standing beneath the falling object did not react.

Only the teacher responded to my shout.

And as a result,

“...Ugh?! Aaaaah?!”

The teacher, who hurriedly pushed the man away, was impaled by the thing that fell from the sky instead.

With a gurgling sound, the teacher, pierced through by a large, black stake-like object from her back to her stomach, was pinned to the ground and coughed up blood.

“Teacher?! Teacher, are you okay?!”

her condition was too severe to be asking if she was okay, but I thought there might still be a chance to save her and tried to pull out the stake that pierced her.

But perhaps sensing her own condition, the teacher shook her head slightly, stopping me, and holding my hand, she looked up at the sky, murmuring a warning.

“...Be careful.”

And with those words as her last,

The teacher and the stake that impaled her melted into black liquid like rainwater in my hands.

The teacher slipped through my hands.

The teacher who fell to the ground was mixed with the black hue and soon became indistinguishable from the rainwater.

I stood there, dazed by the shock of what had happened in an instant.

Remembering the teacher’s last words, I looked up at the sky reflexively.

I heard the sound.

The sound of something slicing through the air.

Countless times.

At that sound, I shouted to the people with all my might.

“Run! Get under a roof─!”

[■■■■■■!!!!]

With the demonic beast’s mocking roar,

Death rained down from the sky.

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

TL Note: Rate us on NOVEL UPDATES

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

PREVIOUS | TOC | NEXT