"I'm so sorry… I couldn't protect you all…"
"No, please, don't worry about it."
Angelica, usually composed, seemed completely defeated now.
No, this was beyond just being "defeated".
Her jaw was clenched so hard it looked like her teeth might shatter, her face cast in shadow, and her head bowed low.
Her eyes were bloodshot, as though tears might spill at any moment.
With her pride, Angelica was clearly struggling to hold back, trying to avoid breaking down in front of her students. But if she was alone, she probably would have let herself cry, unable to hold it in any longer.
Now, though, she couldn't even walk on her own and had to rely on her student to carry her. Her sense of helplessness must be overwhelming.
"I should've… I should've protected you… but instead, I was the one protected…"
"You did your best, really. You used every ounce of strength to protect me. Please don't say that."
"…"
Angelica silently leaned her head against my back.
Yes, let's just give her a moment. She probably needs some time to process it all on her own.
A teacher's duty is to protect their students. For her, having been protected by her students instead must have been utterly crushing.
And to top it off, the student she protected was so desperate that they even groveled before the enemy, begging them to spare her.
I was the one who did that… but I can imagine how deeply that must have wounded her pride.
The desperation in my voice at that moment…
Honestly… I felt a strange thrill in that instant. I regret unable to see Angelica's face as she looked down at me back then.
What sort of expression did she have? Just thinking about it made me shiver. Ah… it makes me want to cut off a finger in shame~♡
And her ordeal didn't even end there.
Ultimately, we only escaped thanks to the intervention of another student.
If Eugene hadn't arrived in time, what would have happened? Well, considering how Astaroth backed off without much fuss, Angelica might have been spared, but I likely wouldn't have been.
If I had been captured, that would have counted as a loss for Angelica.
Twice now, Angelica had been saved by a student.
It must feel like salt in the wound, but I believe she'll use this feeling to grow even stronger.
Because that's who she is.
In the original novel, she managed to surpass her limits for the sake of protecting her students, and I have no doubt she'll do the same here.
But then again, I can't rely on the novel's plot too much anymore. Astaroth has already appeared far earlier than expected…
That means that "The Dawn of the Sword" and this world are significantly different.
Not to mention that Astaroth hinted at the possibility of multiple timelines, saying something about "rounds" and implying a loop of some kind.
Astaroth said she's died multiple times… but there's something odd about the things she said and did.
If there was time, I'd try to analyze all these hints in depth, but we're in no position for that right now.
I glanced ahead at Eugene, who was running several steps in front of me.
If Angelica hadn't been injured, and if I hadn't been tortured with that mask, Eugene would have already reached Class A's location by now.
But he wouldn't leave us behind. He was slowing down to match our pace, unwilling to abandon us. And considering the time we wasted arguing over who should carry Angelica, we really had to make up for it.
Still, I couldn't let the main fighter of our group carry her.
What if a monster appeared suddenly?
Sure, I'm a fighter too, but I'm nowhere near Eugene's level. It was better for me to be the one carrying Angelica.
Come to think of it… Eugene's gotten incredibly strong, hasn't he?
Apparently, he's even reached the threshold of Awakening.
He's not fully Awakened yet, just on the cusp of it, but even that kind of growth rate is staggering.
It's unbelievable.
Awakening isn't some easy feat—it's not something you achieve so lightly. Even though Awakened individuals might appear frequently as the novel progresses, it's still supposed to be a rare phenomenon.
The Awakened are, in essence, "those closest to the gods".
They're the ones who understand the true essence of their abilities and move closer to the source of their power.
Those who hone the blessings bestowed upon them by the gods, challenging even the gods' domain.
That's what it means to Awaken.
In the story, it took until the middle of the plot before characters could just barely reach that level… and now?
Not everyone who reaches the threshold of Awakening will necessarily achieve it.
Most supernaturals who approach that door are never able to step beyond it.
Even Class A's assistant teacher, Si-ul, is at the threshold of Awakening but hasn't advanced beyond that level.
Still, even with that in mind, Eugene's growth rate is extraordinary.
No matter how much of a prodigy Eugene is, this speed of progression… it's far too rapid. It's abnormal.
It's like watching a baby starting to run before even learning to walk.
Astaroth's sudden appearance, Eugene's rapid growth…
For now, there's no time to analyze it all. Once this mess is over and we're back at the Academy, I'll have to think seriously things through.
"I see them…!" Eugene shouted.
I squinted to look ahead.
Ugh, there's… a lot of them.
There are so many monsters.
And they're all wearing masks… how many of those things did they bring?
If these creatures were ones captured by researchers, they'd be weak enough that even with the masks, their strength would be limited.
If Angelica was at full strength, she could probably wipe them all out in one big attack, maybe with a golem to help contain them. But given her condition right now…
"Thank goodness, they're all safe." she said.
It seemed like an invisible wall was holding the monsters back, keeping them from attacking the students.
Wait… it's not a figure of speech—there's literally a barrier there! They're slamming against it, trying to push through with their faces pressed up against it in frustration.
Is this Si-ul's ability?
I'm relieved. I was really worried she might've been killed when Astaroth grabbed her face and threw her.
"There are too many of them. Taking them down one by one would be inefficient. And also…"
"They have a high-ranked monster among them," Eugene muttered, trailing off.
Angelica murmured in agreement.
Indeed, there was one creature among the horde that commanded attention.
A lizard-like monster facing off against a woman with pale green hair.
Wait… is that a lizard?
Its face looks like a dragon's, its body like a lizard's, and its legs like a leopard's.
Huh, I feel a strange sense of déjà vu.
Is that creature… the one from the novel?
Wasn't it the main enemy in the original field training episode?
The lizard that devoured other monsters, evolved, and eventually escaped from the research lab?
"If Si-ul can defeat that high-rank monster, she's more than qualified to teach at the Academy. But the problem is…"
"She's wasting energy and focused on protecting the students." Eugene finished her thought.
"Right. With her strength split between offense and defense, she may be struggling a bit."
Angelica let out a low groan and slid down from my back.
I reached out to steady her, but she waved me away.
"Don't worry, I'm somewhat recovered."
Despite her reassurance, she doesn't look remotely healthy.
I might have super regeneration and can handle injuries, but she doesn't.
I could see her biting her lip, clearly suppressing pain.
If she forces herself, the wounds will only get worse.
Even if supernaturals are more than human, their base is still human. Fighting now, in her current state, could go terribly wrong.
"Stand back, both of you. I'll clear the lesser monsters first, then deal with the high-ranking one…"
"No."
Eugene shook his head.
His hands tightened around his sword's hilt.
His knuckles stood out, veins pulsing, and heat gathered along the blade.
"I'll take care of it."
The Scarlet Blade.
Usually, it's used to compress fire, increasing the blade's sharpness. But this time, it was different.
He was wrapping the blade in more fire than it should be able to handle. A fierce vortex of flames surged around it, anchored to the sword.
"Wait…?"
Is that… the move I think it is?
His ultimate technique? In the story, he only conceptualized it early on, then finally mastered it as his power grew?
And he's using it now? Already?
Later, he'd develop higher-level skills, and his power balance would rise, making this technique just part of his regular arsenal. But at this point in time, it's way too early for him to use it!
I can almost hear the storyline spiraling out of control.
It's moving further and further away from the novel I know.
Is this okay? Is any of this really okay?
It's just unfair. I haven't even done anything…
"This is my first time using it, so I'm not sure how it'll go…" Eugene took a step forward.
As he raised the Scarlet Blade high, the swirling crimson flames surged even higher.
The fire, spiraling upwards like a tower, began to compress. Little by little, its size shrank, gathering onto the blade and spinning like the teeth of a saw. It rotated like a disk, condensing massive power to its absolute limit to enhance its cutting and destructive force.
"Sun Sword.(太陽劍)"
In a way, it was an evolved form of the Scarlet Blade.
The air became his canvas.
The sword became his brush.
He drew a horizontal crimson line.
"Horizontal Slash."
Swish.
A sound that shouldn't have been audible seemed to resonate.
The wind held its breath.
All noise vanished for a moment.
There was a brief silence.
And after a few short seconds…
KABOOM!!
A delayed explosion echoed out.
The mass of monsters was sliced in a single stroke, and the resulting blast tore their corpses to shreds.
I stared speechlessly at Eugene's profile, stunned by that outrageous god-like skill.
But Eugene just grimaced, unsatisfied.
"Not even half… more like a third. Wiping them all out in one go won't work…"
After cutting down dozens of monsters in a single blow, he's still complaining.
Some of us only have 'basic' abilities like super regeneration, and for the others, brawling in the mud is the only ultimate move they got.
He is the protagonist, after all.
Such a greedy one.