Alexia was looking up at Midgar Academy building dyed in
the sunset.
Students walk past Alexia as class ends.
"The Knights cannot be trusted. And onee-sama, too..."
She muttered, remembering her conversation with Iris the
other day.
Her sister had changed, and not a single word Alexia said
reached her.
"I have to do something..."
The cult is trying to resurrect the right arm of Diabolos
somewhere in this school.
If no one can be trusted, then she has to do it herself. If she
can prevent the resurrection of the right arm and get solid
evidence, people will believe her.
"Hey, you're in the way."
"Ouch."
Suddenly, Alexia turned around when she was pushed from
behind with tremendous strength.
With the setting sun in the background, a beautiful girl with
black hair was crossing her arms.
"Claire..."
"If you just stand there, you'll get in the way of my
movement."
"M-Movement?"
It didn't make sense.
Claire looks at Alexia with eyes full of mysterious
confidence.
"You look so dejected. What's wrong, Alexia?"
"I... was thinking about the future."
"Ara, What a coincidence. Me too."
"Claire too?"
"That's right. Even if the truth is buried in the dark, it
doesn't end there. We need someone to solve the case
behind the scenes."
"..."
"And maybe I didn't tell Alexia this ... but I am the Chosen
One."
Claire held up her magic-engraved right hand.
"My mission is to save the world and protect Sid. That is
why I was given this power."
"Haa...?"
"If we have the same goal, I'm willing to cooperate. Let's
go."
"W-Wait!"
Without knowing what was going on, Alexia was pulled by
Claire by the arm.
But it was strangely not unpleasant.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"The Church."
"Do you know where it is!?"
"I know——my right hand hurts."
Claire stopped, a serious look on her face.
"Aurora doesn't say anything, but I know. She's hiding
something. The ache in my arm is leading me to the truth
——"
Claire said and unwrapped the bandage on her right arm.
The magic circle engraved there shines slightly.
"It's kind of fishy..."
"It's getting a little bit stronger —— that moment is
coming."
Then, the magic circle shone more strongly.
"——It's coming!"
The next moment, the world cracked and shattered like
glass.
"Heh, you're lying, right?"
Alexia remembers this scene. It is the same one she saw
when she was captured by the chief librarian.
Then a white fog envelops the school.
"W-What's this?"
"Why is the fog in the school...?"
The fog covered the school, including students who were on
their way home.
I was standing on the rooftop, looking down at Midgar
Academy dyed in the evening glow.
"I don't mind. If that is what the world needs —— I will be
hated by the world. That is my mission——"
I felt a thrill in my heart as I muttered an arrangement of
Zeta's line from last night.
"...This kind of development is also good."
Shadow, the man who rebels against the world.
In order to protect the world, he shouldered the burden of
the crime alone——that's pretty cool.
"Zeta is not bad either. I didn't expect her to boil the setting
this far..."
Let's give her the respect she deserves here and copy it.
No, wait. Come to think of it, I must have said something
similar a long time ago.
"We are not walking in the path of justice, nor are we
walking in the path of evil. We only follow our own path——"
I stood at the tip of the rooftop and struck a cool pose.
And let the uniform flutter in the wind.
"If you can, then bring the sins of the world to us. We will
shoulder them all——"
It's cool as expected.
It was definitely a line I said. It goes well with the sunset
rooftop.
"In other words, chronologically, I was first. There is nothing
wrong with copying it. Rather, she is the one who copying."
So if I get a chance, I will definitely use it.
But this is also a good opportunity.
I've been neglecting my training around lines lately, so it's
good to go back to the basics for the first time in a while.
"——It's an afterimage."
"The shade——devour them all."
"The wind is swaying——it's the scream of the soul."
I said that and struck one pose after another.
In my previous life, I used to do secret workouts like this on
the rooftop. It brings back fond memories.
"Alone on the rooftop of the school building in the
sunset... I look down at the students leaving school and
smile meaningfully... I have a feeling something is going
to happen..."
All the situations were perfect.
I raise my right hand and murmur in high spirits.
"——It's coming."
The next moment, the world shattered into pieces.
Then a white fog starts to gather.
"... Eh?"
The white fog enveloped the school as if to separate it from
the outside world.
The fog soon thickened, and eventually even the sunset
could not reach.
"..."
I blinked several times and looked around.
"... Eh, eeh?"
I had a feeling something was going to happen, but I didn't
think anything would really happen.
Confused voices can be heard from the schoolyard.
"W-What's going on!"
"W-We have to inform the teachers!"
"Teacher has a staff meeting outside, no one is left!"
The students who were still in school were starting to
gather.
"Fumu.... A mysterious white fog... isolated school...
and me smiling on the rooftop... It's nice."
I'm not sure of the details, but this is definitely a flag for the
event to begin.
"The white fog... will eventually envelop the world in
silence."
I mutter meaningfully and leave the rooftop.
When I went down the stairs to the hallway of the school
building, it was dimly lit by a thick fog.
More than half of the students seem to have left school.
"What is this fog?"
I thought the head librarian had used some artifact, but the
head librarian is gone.
I try to explore the fog with my magic power, but all I could
tell was that it was some kind of mysterious fog.
"...Well, whatever"
In the end, it is more important to me how I enjoy myself in
the fog than what this fog is.
Shall I join the other students for now? Or shall I suddenly
appear as Shadow?
"What shall I do~"
I skipped lightly down the hallway. Then I heard a scream in
the distance.
"Is it an event?"
I skipped fast and headed toward the screams.
"I'm pretty sure I heard it coming from around here..."
A number of doors are lined up at singing intervals. This is a
private study room, and although all the rooms were empty,
probably because it was close to dismissal time, there was
one locked door, and I could hear noises coming from inside.
"Hmph!"
I tore the key off the doorknob and dynamically entered the
room.
"W-W-What is this?!"
There was a male student in the room.
He held his neck and groaned. I recognized his face.
"You must be my classmate...Etto...Suzuki-kun, aren't
you?"
'Right right it's me', he was a student who was so
inconspicuous that he even competed with me. I have
respected his unobtrusive character and used him as a
reference several times.
According to my mob list, he is a distant relative of
Christina-san's, a branch of the Duke Hope family.
"Y-You're Kageno-kun! Help me, I can't get the collar off!!"
"Collar...?"
Suzuki-kun had a bad-taste collar stuck around his neck. Not
suitable for ordinary mobs.
"It's bad taste. It's not like you."
"It was stuck on its own! I can't seem to get it off. It's been
making weird noises for a while now..."
A small beep, beep, beep ... can be heard.
The collar had a timer on it and the moment I saw it, it went
to exactly zero.
A beep and a long warning tone sounded.
"Ah"
"Ah..."
And then Suzuki-kun's neck exploded.
Blood splattered all over the room and I guarded myself with
slime to keep from getting dirty.
Suzuki-kun's fresh head rolled on the floor and my eyes met
his resentful eyes.
"... I had a feeling it was going to explode."
It was a little late.
I pray, putting my hands together.
"Now...I wonder what this collar is."
I picked up Suzuki-kun's collar.
The ill-fitting collar was burnt black. The timer had stopped
at zero.
"Fumu..."
I poured magic power into the collar and examined it.
In addition, using my knowledge of my previous life, I made
extremely sophisticated and precise deductions.
The result——.
"It's a collar bomb that explodes when the timer reaches
zero!"
I further develop my theory.
"Fumu fumu... Usually, timers decrease over time, but this
one seems different. The needle is going up and down
depending on the magic power. When you touch the collar,
it feels as if the magic power is sucked out of you. In other
words, this is a bomb that explodes when the magic power
is sucked out of the collar and reaches zero!"
Suzuki-kun was suffering from low magic power in the class.
He trained his magic in the study hall, and when his magic
was running low, he was unlucky enough to be caught up in
this incident and exploded to death.
"... There is always one truth." (TLN: Detective Conan?)
I grinned.
The question is, when and where was the collar attached?
"If someone put a collar like this on you, you would notice it
right away. Anyone who doesn't notice is very dumb..."
Having a bad feeling, I touched my neck.
A collar was attached.
When did it happen...
"... It must have been fitted in an extremely sophisticated
way that ordinary people would not notice."
If I could think of it, it could have been put on when the
white fog appeared.
I make a mirror out of slime and look at my collar.
It was definitely the same collar as Suzuki-kun's.
The timer for the remaining magic power is bugged, hitting
9999. There is a sensation that magic power is being sucked
out little by little, but compared to the total amount of
magic power, it is a very small amount, and the amount of
natural recovery is by far greater.
"Fumu..."
To be frank, I could try to remove it any way I wanted, but of
course I rejected the idea.
There is no option not to participate in the "collar bomb
event".
For the time being, I temporarily disconnect the magic
circuits in my body and adjust the amount of remaining
magic.
"Suzuki-kun was low on magic, so... All right, I guess
that's about it."
I adjusted the amount of magic power so that the timer was
set to about 600.
It is about once every ten seconds and the magic power is
sucked out and decreased.
I have one hour and forty minutes left to live.
Why go to the trouble of adjusting to Suzuki-kun's magic
power remaining, which is, of course....
"... The Eminence in Shadow who disguises himself as a
deceased student and infiltrates to investigate the case.
Fufufu, that's cool."
For some reason, Suzuki-kun, a rather ordinary student,
begins to mutter meaningful words after the incident.
And when his hidden abilities are revealed and he tracks
down the real culprit in the case, he reveals his true
identity...!
I'm getting excited about this.
"With slime makeup technology taken from Nu and slime
plastic surgery technology taken from Epsilon...It's just
like this."
When I checked in the mirror, it was Suzuki-kun who was
there, no matter how anyone looked at it.
I also snagged his student notebook and other small things
just in case, and I'm ready to go.
"Well, let's go!"
I left the study room with an even lighter skip than when I
arrived.
Alexia and Claire gathered in the auditorium to discuss the
issue.
"There's no doubt about it. This collar sucks out magic.
When the timer reaches zero..."
Alexia's gaze fell on the body of a student who had died of a
crushed neck.
"Removing it is dangerous, too."
Claire tried several times to check it by pouring magic
power into the collar. But each time, she felt an unpleasant
resistance.
It may explode if triggered.
"In any case, don't waste your magic power. Especially if
you have little magic power left."
Alexia encouraged the students.
The auditorium was filled with students caught in the white
fog. Many students should have already left the school, yet
the number of students coming into the auditorium was still
increasing.
Around their necks, too, was a bad-taste collar.
Alexia's collar showed 1303 and Claire's showed 1917.
"Fuuh...I looked around, but I don't think I saw any
teachers that I could rely on."
The one who said that was Nina, a petite, short-skirted
schoolgirl.
"Is that so. I guess we'll have to do something about it."
"Nina, is Sid here?"
"Otouto-kun wasn't here. I think he's back in the dorm."
"Thank goodness...."
Claire let out a sigh of relief.
"But how in the world did it come to this? Mysterious white
fog and a nasty collar. We can't even contact the outside
world. I have no idea what's going on."
"... Shadow Garden"
It was a male student with deep green hair who muttered.
"A missing student case and the mysterious death of the
head librarian. There were rumors that an organization
called Shadow Garden was involved in it. My father works
for the Knights, so I've heard a lot about them."
"... You're Isaac-kun, I think. I hear you're a promising
swordsman. But do you have any proof that Shadow Garden
is the culprit?"
"Proof? You ask strange questions, Alexia-sama. They have a
record of taking over schools, don't they."
".... Is there a motive?"
"They are a violent criminal organization. They have no
motive. They kill people for fun and to satisfy their desires."
The students who were listening to the conversation around
them were agitated.
"S-Shadow Garden again..."
"I ... almost got killed in that case ... Hikku"
"What the hell? ... Why did we have to go through this!"
"Everybody calm down! Isaac-kun, please refrain from
saying anything that might cause anxiety."
"Excuse me."
Isaac shrugged his shoulders. However, the anxiety of the
students could not be wiped away.
"It's dangerous to assume the culprit with so little
information. All we have to do is remove this collar and get
out of here. No?"
"But I think it's going to be hard to escape."
It was Nina who said so.
"I tried to find out how far this fog went, but I couldn't seem
to get outside the school grounds. There's some kind of
invisible wall."
"Then I wonder if there's a way to remove the collar..."
"It must be difficult. It looks like a very complicated artifact.
I don't know what will happen if you touch it badly."
"That's right..."
A heavy silence spreads over the auditorium.
"No...I, I don't want to die yet!"
A male student who had been shivering by the wall got up
and started to run.
"Me too!! I'm not gonna die ... in a place like this!!"
Several more follow him to the exit of the auditorium.
"W-Wait!!"
Alexia hurriedly stopped them.
"Wha——!"
But the moment they stepped out of the auditorium, blood
splashed out.
Translucent swords were piercing through the students.
The sword is held by a lifeless, ghost-like warrior.
"That is... Ghosts."
"What do you mean, a ghost!"
"I don't know, but Aurora said it was a ghost!"
Claire and Alexia run with swords drawn.
Isaac and Nina followed.
"Haaa."
"Tei."
Multiple ghosts vanish with a single slash of Alexia and
Claire.
But outside the auditorium, there were still a large number
of ghosts wriggling.
"This number ... Since when."
"It's a lot. It's going to break my bones."
"Both of you, watch out for your remaining magic power."
Nina's advice from behind.
The two of them checked each other's collars.
"Let's withdraw!"
"Close the auditorium doors!"
Nina and Isaac close the door while Alexia and Claire push
the ghost back.
"Both of you, hurry up!"
Just as the doors were about to close, they slipped into the
auditorium.
As they caught their breath, they checked their collars.
Alexia had 1238 and Claire had 1825.
"This is bad ... If this keeps up, it's going to go down faster
than I thought."
"Right. How much do you have left, Nina?"
"Eh... I guess."
For some reason, Nina pretended to hide the timer.
"I can't see you with that."
"Ah, unn. You're right"
Nina slowly shows the timer. The numbers were quite
common.
"784, huh. That's less than I thought."
"At this pace, I have two hours left to live. Isaac-kun, how
about you..."
"I'm 1367."
"As expected of an honor student. You have a first-rate
amount of magic power, too. Shall we check everyone's
remaining magic power."
Alexia and her colleagues checked the remaining magic
power of the students in the auditorium.
"The lowest of a student is 300..."
After checking, Alexia said, keeping her voice down.
"I think she consumed some magic during her free afterschool workout. If we don't do something about it within the
hour, her life will be ..."
Claire's gaze falls on a female student who has turned pale
and is shaking.
"There are a lot of students with little magic power left. I
don't know how long we can defend this place either."
The doors of the auditorium were banged on by the ghosts.
Students piled up chairs and desks to form a barricade.
"What should we do, Princess Alexia?"
Isaac asks Alexia.
"Even if you ask me what should we do..."
It was unexpected to get caught in the white fog, and there
was no way she could figure out how to remove the collar.
Alexia's gaze wandered as if seeking an answer.
——At that time.
"If this continues, we'll just wait for death ..."
His voice was not loud.
Yet strangely, there was a power that resonated through the
auditorium.
"... I have an idea."
One male student was leaning against the wall of the
auditorium. His dark brown hair brushed back languidly, he
slowly steps in front of Alexia and the others.
"You are…..?"
"I'm Suzuki."
He looked straight at Alexia. He is an ordinary student
everywhere, although his eyes are a bit unpleasant.
"... He's in the same class as me."
Isaac adds.
"Suzuki-kun. You said you had an idea. Can you tell me?"
"Right..."
Suzuki speaks slowly, looking around at the students in the
auditorium.
"First of all, our strength is limited. Many of the students
here have very little magic power left, and if we engage in
battle, we will run out quickly. If we do battle, we will
literally be fighting for our lives. The mental load is also
great. I don't think we can fight properly."
"... Yes."
It was an appropriate analysis.
He calmly analyzes the current situation under these tense
circumstances.
"The only ones who can afford the amount of magical power
are the few who are here. In other words, there are only so
many people who can be a fighting force. So we will divide
the students into two units."
He says and looks over at the students who are building
barricades.
"The first unit is the defense squad. Students with low
remaining magic power stay in the auditorium to conserve
their magic power and defend themselves. And the other
unit is——"
"Special Attack Unit——"
Suzuki looked around at Alexia and the others.
"Hold on, what are you doing!"
At that moment, a female student's voice interrupted
Suzuki's statement.
The tension of Alexia and the others, who were holding their
breath while listening to his talk, dissipated.
"Don't talk so cockily to Princess Alexia, even though you
are a branch of the family. You should be over there
barricading yourself. If you do something unnecessary and
ruin the reputation of the main family, you will be
responsible for it."
Behind him stood a beautiful girl with light red hair.
"Etto, I believe you are..."
"My name is Christina Hope. I am a distant relative of
Suzuki."
"... She's also my classmate. The excellent one."
Isaac adds.
"It looks like Suzuki bothered you... Usually, he is more
close-lipped."
Christina tries to pull on Suzuki's uniform and take him
away.
It was Alexia who stopped it.
"Wait. There's a point to what he said."
Christina reluctantly released Suzuki.
"Yare yare, Christina nee-san is still the same as ever."
"Don't talk bossy to me, I'm the head of the family."
"It's an emergency right now. I'm going to be a little
reckless."
"What are you going to do?"
At Christina's stern gaze, Suzuki let out a small sigh.
"Let's return to the topic. We will make a special attack unit
with a small number of the elite who have enough magic
power left. Then we will break through the ghost's
surroundings and cut off the source of this phenomenon——
this is my plan."
"What is the source of the phenomenon?"
"Our magic is being sucked up by these collars. Have you
thought about —— where that magic is going?"
"That's——"
Alexia concentrates on detecting magic.
Then she felt faint magical power flowing out of the collar.
"If we trace this magic power back… I'm surprised you
noticed it."
"Suzuki, you ..."
Christina was also a little surprised.
"It's a simple deduction. Anyone with a little thought can
figure it out."
He said so casually.
"... Indeed, it's brilliant. But can the magic power be
accurately traced?"
It was Isaac who said so.
"A faint magic power is easily disturbed. I disagree with
Suzuki's plan. He was not a remarkable student. No, to put it
bluntly, he was an inferior student."
He looks at Suzuki with suspicious eyes.
"Right."
Christina nodded.
"Let's be honest. Suzuki-kun is not trustworthy."
Isaac turned his stern gaze on Suzuki.
The eyes of the surroundings are focused on Suzuki.
"Trustworthy, huh... Fuh."
Suzuki smiled slightly.
"... What's so funny?"
"Nothing. Just, yes, ... I never thought I'd hear that from
the most untrustworthy person."
"What do you mean..."
In the midst of all that, it was Claire who opened her mouth.
"I agree with Suzuki-kun's plan."
"Claire...?"
"My right hand is aching... in the direction where the
magic power flows. So, I can feel it, I wouldn't make a
mistake... I can trace the magic power."
Claire turned her powerful eyes.
"Claire... Got it. Let's go with your plan, Suzuki-kun."
Alexia said.
"Please wait! I can't trust him."
"We don't have time. We can't have strategy meetings
forever."
"But..."
"Isaac-kun, even if you don't agree, we're going to go
alone."
"I also agree with Suzuki-kun's plan."
When Nina also raised her hand, Isaac folded.
"Kuh...Okay, I agree."
"Shall we decide on the members of the special attack unit?
Let's start with me, Claire, and Isaac-kun. Is that okay this
far?"
Claire and Isaac nodded in response to Alexia's question.
"Also, if possible, I would like Christina-san to cooperate as
well."
Christina's remaining magic power was 1179.
"If Princess Alexia asks for it. I will cooperate."
"I appreciate it. For now, these four——"
"I'm going too."
Nina raised her hand.
"But your remaining magic power..."
Alexia looks troubled.
Nina's remaining magic power is 784. It is not a number that
she can easily spend.
"Nina can handle it. Her magic is normal, but she's pretty
dependable."
"... I get it. I count on you, Nina-senpai."
"I'll do my best not to slow you down."
"More than that, wasn't it 784 earlier?"
"Eh? About what?"
For a moment, Nina's expression froze.
"Nina's remaining magic power. I felt like it hasn't decreased
since a while ago."
"Really? It was 794 earlier, so it's decreased by 10."
"Is that so?"
"That's right. Claire is so forgetful."
Saying so, Nina gently stroked the timer on her collar with
her finger.
Then, the number decreased by 1.
"Ah, it became 783."
"See? It's decreasing properly."
"What. I thought there was a way to keep the magic from
decreasing."
"There's no way to do that."
Nina let out a sigh.
"Well, then, these five people will be the special attack unit
——"
"——I'm going too."
It was Suzuki who said so.
"Of course you can't. You only have 541 magic power left."
"I'm against it, too. He will only slow us down."
Christina and Isaac object.
"If I slow you down, just abandon me. I'm not going to ask
for help."
Suzuki calmly said so.
"I agree. If he slows us down, we can just abandon him and
use him as bait."
Nina interrupted Alexia and said so.
"Hey, it's irresponsible."
Claire be moderate.
"He's okay with that. Besides, his analytical skills could be
useful."
"—— As I thought, let's take him."
Surprisingly, it was Christina who continued.
"If he slows us down, I will take responsibility as the head
family. Is that okay with you?"
Christina turns her stern gaze on Suzuki.
"... No problem."
He nodded silently.
Alexia took the lead in explaining the plan to everyone.
Some students protested, "You're abandoning us!" but there
was no time to persuade them.
The six of them went out through the back door of the
auditorium to avoid being noticed. Claire and Alexia quickly
took care of any ghosts that might be an obstacle and
hurried onward.
Meanwhile, Christina was observing Suzuki without being
noticed.
He stands calmly in the white fog against the ghosts that
could attack him from anywhere.
"... It's strange."
Christina muttered in a voice so small that no one could
hear her.
Her relationship with Suzuki was that of a distant relative
and classmate. They were neither more nor less than that,
and did not have that deep a relationship.
But still, she knew what kind of person Suzuki was.
He would not have been the kind of person who could
behave with dignity in front of Princess Alexia or stand
calmly in a real battle.
It was as if he was a different person... He had changed so
much that she could not help but describe him as such.
However, Suzuki's face and voice are definitely his.
"... Perhaps, he was hiding his ability."
To avoid getting involved in a dispute between the main
family and a branch family. It is a thin motive, but it is not
unlikely.
"... Effects of artifacts or drugs"
This is the only other thing she could think of, but it still
doesn't feel right.
But there is no doubt that something has changed in him.
If Suzuki is a harm to the main family, Christina will not
hesitate to dispose of him.
That's what Christina thought —— then.
"It's dangerous."
Gently, Christina's shoulder was pulled.
Shortly after, a ghost sword passes in front of Cristina.
"This!"
She reacted as expected, slashing through the ghosts with
her sword.
The ghost shatters and disappears.
"As expected of Christina nee-san."
"... You saved me."
She said this to Suzuki. If he hadn't been there, she might
have received a hit.
"As a branch family, I did what I had to do."
He said it quietly and hurried on. She could not read
anything from his back.
"This way."
Claire followed the subtle magic power and made her way
through the school building. She occasionally held the
bandage on her right hand, seemingly concerned about
something.
"Is there something on her right hand?"
"It's a peculiar constitution. Sensitive to magic power."
To Isaac's question, Alexia gives a reasonable answer. There
was no way she could say that Aurora or some other
unidentifiable ghost was haunting her.
"Is it the secret of the winner of the Bushin Festival?"
"That's about it, I guess."
"Yes."
"The fog is thick. You never know where you might be
caught off guard."
"But don't worry. I will take care of Princess Alexia's safety
——"
At that moment, Alexia suddenly drew her sword.
She then slashed at the ghost's arm, which had grown out
from under her feet. With the shattered ghost at her side,
Alexia puts her sword.
"——Did you say something?"
"No ... Nothing."
For a while, the six of them proceeded in silence.
"Did you hear that?"
It was Nina who stopped and said so.
"What... this is, a scream!?"
Listening carefully, Alexia and the others certainly heard the
screams.
"Maybe there are students who are late to escape. What
should we do?"
Claire, who is leading the way, looks back.
"But we can't take it easy either."
Isaac advises. As he said, from the time they left the
auditorium to this point, they had already consumed nearly
20% of their magic power.
"... Let's go help them."
After some hesitation, Alexia made her decision.
As they all ran through the school building, countless ghosts
were stirring at the end of the hallway.
"Are ghosts... surrounding the classroom?"
"It looks like there's a student inside!"
Claire exclaims.
"No, even outside."
Nina discovered countless corpses that had been cruelly
slashed to pieces.
And then there is the schoolgirl who is about to be pierced.
"Hiih… H-Help me!!"
——Can't make it in time.
Everyone thought so.
However, a blood red tentacle reaches out. The tentacle
tears the ghosts around the schoolgirl and rescues her.
"Now——!"
At the same time as Claire gave the order, the six plunged
into the crowd of ghosts.
Claire manipulates her red tentacles to open a huge hole in
the crowd of ghosts, Alexia slashes one after another with
her lean movements, and Isaac blasts them away with his
powerful sword filled with magic power.
These three people were the main force in the battle.
Nina, Christina, and Suzuki fight modestly a little behind the
main force.
Nina was handling the ghost that Claire had missed, while
Christina was fighting with a sideways glance concerned
about Suzuki.
And Suzuki was ... just standing there.
He didn't even pull out his sword.
Leaning against the corridor wall, he watched the battle
from the sidelines. The presence was extremely different.
Through the efforts of the five, the ghosts were
exterminated.
After the fight was over, Christina was the first to open her
mouth.
"If you don't want to fight, it's just a hindrance."
"I was just trying to avoid unnecessary battles because I
was running low on magic power. You seemed to be doing
fine without me ... Perhaps you needed some help?"
"No need. Keep shaking in the back."
"That's reassuring."
The two exchange words in a casual manner.
The distance felt much more distant than classmates or
relatives.
"Are you okay? Are you injured?"
Claire looked at the girl they had saved.
"Uwh, my arms..."
The female student's face contorted.
"It's broken, she needs to rest..."
Claire glanced at the female student's remaining magic
power. It was already below 100.
"It's dangerous here. Let's go inside the classroom."
Alexia tries to open the classroom door.
"Please wait! Help me, when I get back to the classroom,
I'm going to..."
The female student screams in desperation.
At that moment, behind them, the classroom door opened.
"Well, well, Princess Alexia. Please, come in."
"You are ….. Vice President"
There she was, a bewitchingly beautiful female student ——
Eliza, the vice president of the student council.
"Yes, it's okay~."
Eliza treats the injured female student with a gentle smile.
"T-Thank you very much...Eliza-sama..."
The female student's voice was trembling. It was never due
to pain. Next to Eliza, a large student at her side crossed his
arms.
"I didn't realize there were this many students left."
Alexia looked around the room.
Except for Alexia, Eliza, and the others, eight students still
remained. And four bodies.
"Suddenly I thought I was surrounded by a white fog, and
then I was attacked by a monster that I couldn't
understand~ ... I'm still the vice president, so I had to
fight really hard to keep everyone together~."
A barricade had been built at the exit of the classroom.
The barricades were stained with blood. Blood was
splattered everywhere, even on the walls.
Alexia stole a glance at Eliza's remaining magic power. The
number was 1971.
"The vice president has a lot of magic left, doesn't she?"
"I was blessed with a good bloodline. My parents are my
pride and joy~."
Eliza said a little proudly.
"I see ... What are you going to do now? The students are
gathering in the auditorium. I think it would be safer to
move them there."
"I'd like to, but I'm worried about moving. Everyone's
remaining magic power is low."
All of the students in the classroom, with the exception of
Eliza and her entourage, had less than 300 remaining.
"Shall I accompany you on the way?"
"I would be very relieved if you would~."
Waiting for the preparations to be finished, Alexia and the
others left the classroom. The female students were shaken
until the end.
Alexia, Claire, and Isaac led the way.
This was to avoid depleting students who had little
remaining magic power.
However, Alexia's remaining magic power is not enough to
spare either.
"Less than 1000..."
Alexia muttered quietly.
As her remaining magic power decreases, she realizes that
death is approaching.
"I'm 1100."
"I still have 1300. Leave it to me when it's hard."
Isaac and Claire continue while saying so.
They had more leeway than Alexia, but they were still
mentally drained.
However, it was the female student they just helped who
was in the hardest position of all.
"Ah, ah, no..."
She shuddered and looked at the numbers, which were
slowly decreasing.
Her remaining magic power is 59.
She would have roughly 10 minutes left. But there is nothing
could be done about it.
"Uuwh...Uuuwh..."
When she finally began to cry, no one could find the words
to say to her.
At that time, they felt multiple magic reactions in their
surroundings.
"Be careful."
They look around, but there is nothing there but a white fog.
No, the magic gathers in the white fog and it takes the form
of a ghost. Right now, a ghost is being created from the fog.
"This!"
Before it could make its move, Alexia and the others slashed
at it.
However, the number of ghosts created is large.
Christina, Nina, and the students in the rear joined the
battle, and the small school building became a huge
battleground of people and ghosts.
"Damn, even from behind!"
"This bastard!"
"Hiih, don't come hereee!"
But there were those among them who did not fight.
"You're not going to fight, Eliza-senpai?"
It was Suzuki who asked.
"Call me Eliza-sama. It's not time for me to fight yet. You're
the one who's not fighting, aren't you~?"
Eliza dodged the ghost's sword with her brilliant footwork
and sneered at him.
"I have less magic left than Eliza-sama. I thought Eliza-sama
should fight first."
"Oi, shut up, you first-year."
A large male student in her entourage glared at Suzuki. He,
too, was only using a minimal amount of magic to protect
Eliza.
Suzuki chuckled softly as Eliza and two members of her
entourage glared at him.
"I feel sorry for her. After all the trouble we went through to
treat her, she's going to die."
Suzuki looked at the female student, whose remaining
magic power was finally below 10, and said.
She was desperately fighting the ghost with her injured arm
with her remaining magic power.
"It can't be helped~. There's nothing more that can be done
about it."
Her remaining magic power is decreasing.
6, 5, 4, ...
"I don't think so. I did some checking and found that this
collar had an interesting feature."
Suzuki said so, and approached the female student in the
middle of the battle.
He flicks the ghost's sword, which is swung at the female
student, with the bottom of his magic-filled palm.
Pang, the sword popped into pieces.
"Eh"
The female student looks up at Suzuki with a surprised look
on her face.
Pang, the sound echoed again.
The next thing she knew, the ghost's jaw had been
shattered into pieces. Suzuki slowly brought down his
swinging palm strike.
"What did you do~?"
Eliza said in a stern voice.
"It's simple taijutsu. Nothing to fuss about."
Suzuki smiles lightly and touches the female student's
collar.
3, 2, 1... and that number is decreasing.
It was clear that she could not be saved.
"Ah, aah... No, I don't want to die... Please."
She said this as if she were clinging to him.
"It's okay."
Suzuki said so and poured magic into her collar.
The next moment, the remaining magic power jumps up 50,
100, 150...
"Th...Thank you..."
Her magic power remaining is 251.
She exhaled in relief.
"Suzuki...What did you do?"
The one who said that was Christina who had finished the
fight.
Most of the ghosts have already been defeated, and Claire
has just cut down the last one.
Seeing that the battle is over, Suzuki speaks up.
"In the classroom, I examined the collars of the victim
students. I let the magic flow through the collar to test it
out, and the magic power collected in the collar. Then I
thought, maybe."
Everyone heard what Suzuki said.
"This collar has the function of passing on magic power. The
magic power transferred is stored in the other party's collar
and consumed —— in other words, if the magic power is
transferred to a student with low remaining magic power,
the explosion can be postponed."
"I'm surprised you noticed that..."
Alexia said, impressed.
"This may reduce the number of casualties."
Claire said.
"The student with the most remaining magic power is ...
Eliza-sama. Of course you will cooperate with us, won't
you?"
Suzuki says with a smile.
Eliza smiled too.
"When I arrive at the auditorium, I will consider it
positively~."
"That's good to hear. By the way, ... when I was in the
classroom examining the student's body, there was
something that bothered me."
"Something that bothered you~...?"
"The victims had restraint marks on their limbs."
"...Isn't it just your imagination?"
Eliza's eyes shook for a moment.
"Another strange thing. All their collars were exploding."
"So what? If the magic power runs out, it's only natural that
the collar would explode."
"I agree. But it's a very strange situation to imagine. They
died when their collars exploded while they were being
restrained. I wonder what happened to them"
"... I wonder what you are trying to say~."
"Maybe someone has tried the same thing I did against a
living person. They poured magic into them, or made them
use magic. I've been trying to find out the conditions for
activating the collar and see if I can't release it ... and she
was the deciding factor."
Suzuki pointed at the female student.
"When I transferred the magic power to her, she said,
"Thank you." But that's strange. Normally, she would be
surprised. She didn't know that magic power could be
transferred ... You guys knew that, didn't you?"
The female student turned pale and trembled.
"I, I….."
"You knew that, didn't you?"
"... I'm sorry. Eliza-sama is a high noble and cannot be
disobeyed ... and students who disobey are restrained and
have their collars removed, or are forced to consume their
magic until it reaches zero ... and I found out that the
magic power can be transferred in the midst of it."
"It was also strange that only Eliza-sama had an unusual
amount of magic power remaining. All the other students
had less than 300 magic power remaining. It was as if it had
been adjusted."
"... Everyone transferred their magic power to Eliza-sama.
But I had so little magic power that I couldn't give it to her,
so I ended up in the corridor..."
Then the female student began to cry.
"If it's true, this is a very serious matter."
Alexia glares at Eliza.
"So... What are you going to do~?"
Eliza let out a sigh and said so.
"So you admit your sin."
"Sin? As vice president, I was trying to help the students. I
didn't know then that if I tried to remove the collar, or if the
magic was depleted, it would explode~."
"What a nerve... How are you going to explain that you
stole the students' magic power?"
"I didn't steal it, I kept it~. Of course, I was going to share it
fairly later~."
"Do you think such an excuse will work?"
"I usually go through it~... As expected, against Alexiasama, the advantage is not so good. That's right, let's make
a deal."
"A deal?"
"I still have 1900 of my magic power. If you can let me go,
I'm willing to give you this magic power~?"
Alexia clicked her tongue a little.
The students' magic power had been reduced by the current
battle. Receiving her magical power might help them.
But if she accepts the deal, it means that her guilt will be
overlooked.
Even for Alexia, it is not easy to break a deal with a high
noble.
"... Are you really going to give it away?"
"Yes, of course. I'm willing to give away a lot of my magic
power under certain conditions~."
Eliza smiles comfortably.
She understands that there is no way they can refuse.
Alexia looked around at the students. Their faces were
tinged with impatience and fatigue. Even at this very
moment, their lives are being shaved off.
The only way to help them is to accept the deal.
"Got it. I'm agree wi..."
Just as Alexia was about to say that——.
"You don't seem to understand the situation."
Suzuki said overriding Alexia's voice.
He stood behind Eliza.
"Wha——Since when~!"
"——Don't move."
As Eliza and her aides hurriedly tried to turn around, Suzuki
stopped them in a low voice.
His hand was touching Eliza's neck ... no, her collar.
"What would happen if I tore off this collar now? Eliza-sama
knows that, right?"
"...What do you want? You know what will happen if you
do this to me!"
Eliza is a formidable swordsman.
"Suzuki, stop it. Even the Hope family does not want to
antagonize her yet."
Christina also says.
"Yare yare. No one seems to understand the situation."
Suzuki let out a sigh so that everyone could hear.
"What do you mean~..."
"Eliza-sama, the things that have protected you so far are
nothing here. The prestige of the high noble family, the
power of the factions, the wealth that has been built up so
high, will not reach you through this white fog."
"I am Eliza~. I represent the Kingdom of Midgar——"
"What about it? Does it protect you at this moment? If I
killed Eliza-sama in this white fog, what will they all testify?
Will those who have been deprived of their magic power by
you testify for you?"
Eliza looked around at the students as if glaring at them.
None of the students wanted to make eye contact with Eliza.
"Do you understand? The position you are in..."
Suzuki whispered in her ear.
Then he applies more strength to the collar.
"...Okay, I apologize."
Said Eliza in a small voice.
"No need to apologize. Please share your magic with the
students."
"... Of course~."
When Eliza said so, her eyes were filled with such hatred
that she could have killed a person with her gaze.
"Do you mind, Princess Alexia? This is an emergency now.
Eliza-sama's punishment will be in court after everything is
finished. And of course, if necessary, my punishment."
"Are you sure? If you threaten a high noble, Suzuki-kun, you
may be treated harshly."
"I'm prepared."
"That's so... What about the Hope family?"
Alexia asks Christina.
"If Alexia-sama can testify in court. The cause is ours. It
won't end so badly."
Christina said so plainly.
"I appreciate it."
Suzuki bowed his head slightly.
"Don't mind ... I have any thoughts on the matter too."
Pui, Christina said while looking away.
After that, the magic power was transferred.
Eliza's magic power is now 400. 1500 was to be given to
students with less magic power.
"I'm sure you understand, but you can't take away their
magic power again."
"Let's head to the auditorium quickly. It would be
unbearable if we were attacked by ghosts~."
After transferring the magic power, the group split into two.
Eliza and the students are in the auditorium, and Alexia and
her team trace where the magic power is going.
"Remember this~..."
As they parted, Eliza glared at Suzuki and said so.
But he glanced past Eliza as if he were looking at a roadside
stone.
"It's all an illusion...all happening in the white fog..."
Then, with his back turned, he said so in a meaningful way.
Alexia and the other students left the school building and
traced the magic power of the collars.
The ghost attacks have calmed down since then, with only
small scattered sporadic battles.
"Who is he...?"
Alexia asks in a small voice as she lines up next to Christina.
"A distant relative of the Hope family. I'm sure he had no
talents worth mentioning. But ..."
Christina's eyes were on Suzuki, who was walking at the end
of the group.
"He is no ordinary man. It is not easy to acquire the courage
to face high-ranking nobles head on."
"He was using taijutsu I had never seen before, even in
combat. He may have been hiding his abilities."
"I wonder if there is any reason….."
"I don't know. But I intend to keep him in the custody of the
main family from now on."
"That would be good..."
It was too wasteful to let him go unchecked. Besides, he was
dangerous.
"You should be careful. He knows too much. He's like a
different person."
It was Isaac, who had been standing in front of the lineup for
some time, who said so.
"What do you mean?"
"About the collar. He said he looked into it himself, but I
don't believe he could have looked into it that much in the
short time he was in the classroom. He was also the one
who noticed the magic power coming from the collar.
Perhaps he knew all this from the beginning. It makes sense
if you think of it that way."
Isaac's eyes narrowed sharply as he said so.
"He was calm about the situation and the white fog that
made him a different person ... because he was the inside
man."
"... Do you have any evidence?"
"I don't have definitive evidence yet. But I will surely get it.
Princess Alexia, please be careful."
Saying that, he quickened his steps.
Indeed, Isaac had a point.
Suzuki's sudden change after the white fog appears makes
sense enough if he's a member of the cult.
If that's the case, they're being guided by Suzuki.
"...What a shallow man."
Christina muttered so.
Christina looks at Isaac walking in front of her.
"Shallow?"
"No, it's nothing."
Christina shook her head in response to Alexia's question.
"... It seems the magic power continues inside of this
thing."
Claire stopped at a small, old church on the edge of the
school.
"I didn't know there was a church here."
"It didn't."
It was Nina who answered Alexia's question.
"What do you mean?"
"Like I said. There was no church in this place. Not before
the white fog enveloped it."
Saying so, she opened the door and went inside.
The church was quiet, as if people had forgotten about it.
The chairs were covered with dust.
With caution, Alexia moved forward to a pedestal-like area
at the far end of the room.
"Down here."
Claire said. Feeling a faint trickle of air coming from under
the pedestal.
"Hmph!"
Claire kicked the pedestal without hesitation. But only a dull
sound echoed.
"Ouch~! What is this!"
"Magic barrier...It's an artifact. You need a key to move
it."
Nina said, touching the pedestal.
"What is the key? Where is it?"
"I don't know either. It would be nice if it was nearby..."
"Let's look for it."
For a while, everyone searched the area. However, no clues
were found.
"No good. There's nothing here."
Alexia said.
"Me, too. Is there really a clue?"
Isaac was dissatisfied.
"We're running out of time. If we do not hurry..."
Alexia had 500 magic power left, even though there had
been battles along the way, she was more depleted than
she had imagined.
The students in the auditorium will have less magic.
"It seems difficult to decipher the artifact. I'm not an
expert."
It was Nina who said so.
"There's nothing here, either."
Christina and Suzuki didn't seem to find it either.
Then there was a heavy silence.
All they could do was stare at the pedestal. They were
stuck.
At that moment, they heard a small thud. They looked and
saw that Claire had slammed her right fist on the pedestal.
"It's no use, Claire."
Alexia tries to stop her.
But Claire slammed her right fist again. The sound was
duller than before.
"Please...lend me your strength. I have something to do. I
can't let it end here..."
Claire then unbands her right hand. Isaac and Christina
gasped at the ominous magic circle engraved there.
"It's..."
"Please, Aurora, lend me your strength. You've been quiet
for a while now, but I know you can do something about it."
Claire just speaks to her right hand.
"What is she doing?"
"Who is she talking to?"
"Shh, be quiet."
Alexia silences Isaac and Christina.
"Please...please, Aurora...answer me, answer my
voice!!"
At that moment, Claire's magic circle began to glow.
The light turns the area red and carves countless ancient
letters on the pedestal.
"T-This is, what is this power?!"
It's Isaac's startled voice.
"Open, opeeeeeeeeeeeeeen!"
The red magic enveloped the pedestal and burst.
And then —— the pedestal disappeared without a trace.
Underneath the pedestal, a staircase leads to the basement.
"Amazing ..."
Christina mutters dumbfounded. The enormous amount of
magic power that Claire displayed was out of the ordinary.
"You've answered me, Aurora... Kuh... my right hand is
aching... So this is the price of power...."
Claire let out a rough breath and pressed her right hand
painfully.
"Are you okay? Claire"
Alexia supports Claire's shoulder.
"I'm fine. Let's move on. We don't have time."
Claire forced herself to catch her breath and act strong.
"Let's go——to help everyone"
Then, with Claire in the lead, they descend the stairs.
It was a long, long staircase.
Because of the darkness and fog, there is little visibility in
front or behind. There is only silence and the sound of
footsteps echoing.
Eventually, by the time they reached the end of the stairs,
Alexia's magic power, which had been 500, was down to
450.
"It's a big door."
In the dimly lit basement, a huge door appeared.
Alexia and the others all opened the heavy door and
proceeded.
Beyond that was a slightly open space. On either side were
rows of broken prisons. The prison was empty.
"Is this ... a dungeon?"
Alexia and the others proceeded with caution. After a while,
they heard something heavy moving behind them.
"What is it..."
Claire muttered curiously.
In the darkness, she could not see what was happening
behind her. Alexia turned around, feeling as if she had
forgotten something important.
"The basement of the church ... Descend the long stairs
and the secret room ... And then the door behind closed"
Alexia recalled the words of the head librarian. The situation
was very similar to the present.
"——! Go back. This is a trap!!"
Alexia ran to the back in a panic. But there was a loud bang
and the door closed.
At the same time, gas comes gushing out of a small hole in
the ceiling. A sweet aroma filled the area.
"Hold your breath!"
But it was already too late.
One by one, they lose consciousness and collapse. And the
last one left was Alexia.
"In, in a place like this..."
In her fading consciousness, Alexia saw a boy wearing a gas
mask.
"Yare yare, I didn't expect you to be able to infiltrate this far,
Princess Alexia."
"No way, you're ..."
"That's right, I'm the inside man."
Isaac sneers in his gas mask. Alexia tried to reach for her
sword but her consciousness let go of her.