I got into school for nothing - 178
I got into school for nothing (178)
Lesson 35. The Final Changeling - 3
[Master — You've arrived? Really?]
[Me — I told you I'd finish quickly. I'm coming to where you are now.]
[Master — No... sorry, this side is fine. Dokgo Yeon is fighting Lyu Cheolmyeong right now.]
[Me — You'll have to make it up to me with lots of affection when this is over.]
[Master — Please. Be careful.]
Mira closed her Mirror, a smile gracing her lips.
She had secured her intel.
Still, she couldn't delay any longer.
From this point on, she had to reverse the situation.
"Mira, I'm dying here."
"You won't die from just that, Shati."
There was a remarkably simple reason why they were able to finish the special activity, originally scheduled for up to two weeks, so quickly.
They had risked a negative evaluation to negotiate with Professor Campanella and pre-select the special activity area, carried out various preparations beforehand, and then used overwhelming force to resolve the situation in one fell swoop.
Their all-out effort, utilizing all the Student Council's connections and power, was undeniably successful. However, in other words, they had cleared all the tasks meant for two weeks in a single day, so it was inevitable that fatigue would accumulate.
Originally, they had planned to rest for a full day and depart the next, but as luck would have it, Mira, having witnessed Rucell and Ban Yuwon's "broadcast incident," went berserk, causing them to depart immediately for the E-1 Dimension.
Thus, it was only natural that there was a difference in enthusiasm between the two.
"I really don't want to give you this, but... eat it."
"You should've given it to me ages ago."
Mira tore open the bag of candies she received from Ban Yuwon and handed Shati one of the individually wrapped 'Candy of Life' elixirs.
Shati, as if all her prior exhaustion and fatigue had been an act, beamed a smile as she caught the candy and immediately popped it into her mouth.
"Ahhh~ I feel alive. Just being able to eat these every day might be worth dating the Head of Planning, don't you think?"
"Yuwon isn't your personal pâtissier."
Mira retorted gruffly, tossing a candy into her own mouth as well.
Feeling her stamina and mana, which had been depleted during the special activity with Shati, fully restored, Mira thought it was truly fortunate.
Had it not been for this, she wouldn't have even considered tackling tasks so recklessly.
"Is stealth mode still active?"
"Yeah, but we'll probably be detected the moment we enter the atmosphere. Exodus seems to be pulling back their ships, though..."
The spaceship carrying the two was now before Jeda, the Jade Star, E-1's sole mana civilization.
Only a few minutes remained until atmospheric entry.
They didn't rush, instead observing their surroundings.
Normally, Exodus would station support forces outside the atmosphere of any planet they invaded, preparing for contingencies. Now, however, those very support forces were seen retreating through the dimensional wall.
"Could Yuwon have dealt with everything?"
"The Head of Planning is capable, but not *that* capable. It's strange. There's no way Exodus would retreat so easily after launching a full-scale invasion."
"That's because Yuwon is..."
"Why do you turn into an idiot whenever the Head of Planning is involved these days?"
As Shati, who had been analyzing Jeda's situation by enlarging the spaceship's display, turned back with a look of exasperation, Mira, her purple-tinged eyes filled with sincerity, spoke seriously.
"Shati, do you know this? If love deepens... you could die."
Mira spoke, clutching her chest with one hand.
Perhaps it was because she was savoring the candies Ban Yuwon had made for her, feeling his presence, or perhaps the memory of the earlier "broadcast incident" made her heart flutter.
"That's a serious illness. You don't need to die to prove it, alright?"
Shati, narrowing her demonic, vertically slit eyes, casually humored her.
But the reply that came back was beyond her imagination.
"Of course. My life is no longer my own, after all."
Shati was utterly sick of it.
Vowing never to humor Mira's love stories again, Shati input detailed coordinates into the spaceship and changed its course.
"I've located Lyu Cheolmyeong. I'll move towards him for now."
"The curse is mutually connected; we'll be detected the moment we approach, so a surprise attack is pointless. Let's just charge straight in."
"Wait a moment."
Just as they were about to make a grand entrance, strengthen Lyu Cheolmyeong's restraints, and capture him, Shati suddenly made a tense expression and operated the control panel.
Next to the display showing Jeda's landscape, a smaller display appeared.
It was footage transmitted from a camera on the spaceship's rear, and the problem was that it had captured a fleet moving in formation.
"This... what is it?"
"Crimson Spear..."
The Crimson Spear was the name of a dimension pirate group infamous throughout all dimensions.
They were a force that followed the notorious Exodus, but unlike Exodus, which hated higher dimensions and their rulers, rumors constantly circulated that they were sponsored by S-rank dimensions, making them, in a sense, even shadier than Exodus.
"It's already complicated enough to kill me, so why do these guys have to show up too?"
Shati let out a grand sigh.
She didn't need to ask why they had appeared here; she already knew.
They must have rushed here after receiving information about Exodus's presence.
Perhaps they might even try to target Jeda while they were at it...
"So that's why Exodus retreated. But why?"
"Shati... Can we request support from the Chancellor?"
"I've already filed the report. ...I just hope they only clash with those Exodus bastards."
Shati increased the spaceship's speed.
This was because she had concluded that no matter how things progressed, they needed to deal with Lyu Cheolmyeong quickly and then rendezvous with Ban Yuwon.
"Mira, are you alright?"
"I have a... bad feeling."
Mira's beautiful forehead furrowed.
"I don't think their target is Exodus."
"Then who?"
"Perhaps... me."
At Mira's words, Shati momentarily forgot to breathe.
"Why would they target you... No, never mind that. That means Lyu Cheolmyeong considered our arrival and called those guys."
"I'll tell you later. Let's hurry for now."
The spaceship broke through the atmosphere.
At that moment, the curse's connection, manifested through Shati and controlled by Mira, strengthened, pulling her sharply.
Lyu Cheolmyeong, at the end of that connection, must have also become aware of their presence.
"The Exodus fleet has fully retreated. Crimson Spear is engaging them. Ah... perhaps you were really right, Mira. A few ships are breaking away from the engaging fleet and coming this way."
"..."
Mira's complexion turned pale.
Shati also knew well that Mira was the most important being even in the A-1 Dimension.
And that if interdimensional conflicts arose, she would be the first one targeted.
No, was it the other way around?
If something happened to her, interdimensional conflicts could escalate.
But what in the world was it about the timing that it had to be now!
"Mira, snap out of it."
"I'm going to help him, but what if I, instead, become a burden to Yuwon?"
Ah, damn it.
I really didn't want her to come to that conclusion if possible, Shati sighed once more.
"If me dying is better for Yuwon's safety then..."
"I just told you not to think extreme thoughts five minutes ago. You said everything belongs to the Head of Planning. What would he think if you just died on your own whim?"
"But—"
"Mira, calm down."
Ah, a large ship floated visibly in the air.
A ship left alone and isolated, occupied by outsiders, even as the entire Exodus fleet retreated.
Even the fierce battle raging above it, marked by a red Or and a black Or, was clearly visible.
One must be Lyu Cheolmyeong, and the other... Dokgo Yeon? Shati clicked her tongue inwardly.
Even with a curse on him, the Or's quality itself shouldn't diminish. So for her to be facing it head-on, what kind of monster is she?
"The request has been accepted. A full professor is departing for support. So then, there won't be any problems, right?"
"A full professor? Surely not Cantone."
"No way. The Chancellor might be trash, but since he's made the decision to provide support, he'll definitely back us up. Alright, now, collect yourself. We have a Lyu Cheolmyeong to kill."
"...Yeah. I'll kill him."
The spaceship opened.
The two flung themselves out of the spaceship, each manifesting magic to float in the sky.
The abandoned spaceship quickly transformed into a small model and nestled into Shati's arms.
"Let's go."
"Right. ...Ah."
Shati felt relieved at the sight of Mira, who had composed herself and was looking at her with a calm expression. However, the next moment, she realized her Mirror was vibrating and, checking it, made a strange face.
"What's wrong?"
"No... I just realized my prediction was right after all."
"Shati?"
"No, it's fine. I just confirmed my backup plan. So... you and the Head of Planning will both be safe."
Both of them, that is.
Shati swallowed those words, holding them back, and unfurled her demonic wings.
After a long glide, the ship became visible.
"You've―――come――――――!!"
The man's voice, choked with hatred, screamed, pounding against their eardrums.
He could feel it too.
The moment the two laid eyes on him, his power must have been cut by at least half.
"How dare you! Insolent bitches who try to bind me, Lyu Cheolmyeong!"
Red Or shot out, tracing a crescent shape, aiming for their lives, but something Shati summoned into the air without any preparatory action blocked it instead and then vanished.
The unique Authority of the Evil One, Summon.
Unlike her kin, Shati could only summon uncontrollable monsters, but since she could precisely control their coordinates, using them as sacrifices to block enemy attacks posed no problem.
"There wouldn't have been any problems as long as you acted like a professor, you damn rutting dog!"
The moment they successfully blocked his attack, the restraints placed on him grew stronger.
A professor had attacked students, so now it was time for him to pay the price.
Shati extended her hand, aiming at him, and unleashed a dark, dense black laser.
Of course, it was Dark Magic.
"Die!"
"Gravedigger of Purgatory!"
Mira also invoked the name of her contracted Constellation, manifesting her Authority.
A terrifying Authority that greatly amplified the effects of the curse she had placed, weakening the enemy and ultimately leading them to death.
"Be crushed and die beneath the grudges you've created!"
The endlessly erupting red Or on the ship visibly shrank.
"Gukh!"
"――Haaahp!"
And that was precisely the moment Dokgo Yeon had been waiting for.
Dokgo Yeon, having leaped valiantly, unleashed her sword, which finally severed Lyu Cheolmyeong at the waist.
His lower body, struck by death, melted away, while his upper body shot into the air as if fleeing from it.
What was astonishing was that despite this, he was still alive.
"He's no longer human; he's already a monster."
Dokgo Yeon bit her lip, preparing to pursue, but realizing the blood gushing from his wound was laden with Or, she hastily retreated to avoid it.
Meanwhile, Lyu Cheolmyeong, with only half his body remaining, at this moment thought of one thing:
If he could take someone, just one person, down with him on his certain path to death...
That someone wouldn't be Dokgo Yeon, who had cut him at the waist, but rather the one who had reduced him to such a miserable state.
"Kweeeuugh...!"
The blood flowing below his waist, infused with Or, temporarily formed legs.
These fake legs, literally squeezed from his life force, granted Lyu Cheolmyeong a powerful leap.
All those hostile to him were utterly astonished by the tenacious life force displayed by a human who held the position of a full professor at the Academy.
"With such an ability, why in the world..."
"Let's go together."
Lyu Cheolmyeong once again kicked off the air and leaped.
Every single droplet of blood gushing from him transformed into a bullet of red Or, shooting towards the two.
Dokgo Yeon had expended all her strength in the final blow that severed his waist, leaving her unable to help them.
Mira and Shati unfolded a barrier, blocking them, but.
The next moment, a blade imbued with Or was already right before their faces.
If there was one thing the students who antagonized Lyu Cheolmyeong had overlooked...
It was that they didn't know how tenacious the life force of those akin to Transcendents could be.
No matter how powerful the curse binding him, or how grievous the wounds inflicted, a will that surpassed the ordinary could exert the power to overcome limits and common sense.
These individuals, still mere students, due to not knowing just that one fact...
―Thwack.
Unable to withstand his tenacity, they brought about one death.
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