28 - The Victim of the Academy

Chain of Hatred (2) Yuna knew Johan well. Or so she had thought. At the very least, when the barbarian appeared, Johan instinctively took a step back. Running from danger—this seemed like an innate trait of someone with the soul of a small-town citizen. She had no intention of faulting him for it. It was, after all, those like Ariel and Roberia, who faced danger head-on, that were the exceptions. People called such individuals heroes. Johan was far from fitting that description. So when Ariel faced off against the barbarians and Johan stood at a safe distance watching, Yuna accepted it as natural. "Oh!" However, when Johan, who had been standing still, suddenly moved, Yuna couldn't help but exclaim in surprise and admiration. 'He's not the type to do that.' For a moment, Yuna couldn't comprehend Johan's behavior, but she soon realized why he acted that way. "Ah, it's the transcendental disease, isn't it?" Ariel's illness. Without any medical knowledge, Yuna couldn’t recognize when Ariel's symptoms flared. Johan, who was working to treat Ariel's illness, was simply attuned to spotting any abnormalities early on. Recalling Johan's actions a moment earlier, Yuna smiled. "Impressive." Clap! She clapped her hands. There was no hesitation in Johan's movements. The man who was always overly cautious and erecting barriers out of fear of everything, had stepped into a situation where he could easily perish—without any reservations. It was uncharacteristic of him. Whether Johan had experienced some shift in his mindset or was driven by a clear conviction of his own, Yuna didn't know; but she decided to root for him. "You can do it!" Yuna believed. In the boy's courage, in his moment of striving to be a hero, in the resolve he had forged. "You can do it!" * * * "You wretched woman." "...Me?" Ariel, having just shaken off the combat-induced high, looked up at me with spaced-out eyes, murmuring. She probably couldn’t see clearly at the moment. The symptoms were worsening. I forced myself to provide an excuse, something I would have ignored under normal circumstances, simply because the sight of her made me uneasy. "I wasn’t talking about you, Lady Ariel." The 'wretched woman' comment was meant for Yuna. Though whether she could hear it or not, I wasn't sure. She once promised to save my life, but when the time came, she tested me instead. I swear I’ll never take that lunatic's words seriously again. "Ha ha ha ha!" But there's no time to curse Yuna now. I need to use all my wits to figure out how to deal with the barbarian primitively chasing us. A barbarian with a colossal club—smashing walls and buildings alike. Each time I change direction or leap behind cover, the brute demolishes obstacles and charges in a near straight line. With Ariel in my arms, my movement is slower. Escaping is impossible—we will be caught soon. "Close your eyes." "…Sorry?" "I told you to close your eyes, since you might get dizzy and vomit." Whoosh! Grabbing a streetlight, I attempted another change of direction. For an adversary dashing in a straight line, leaving destruction in his wake, my escape route was inefficient. But walls aren't just barriers. "Can you really flee properly with such slow feet?" Taking advantage of the slowed pace from the direction change, the barbarian warrior caught up to me and immediately swung the giant club he held with a brutal grip. KWAAANG! The force of the club, powerful enough to crush my head in one strike, had a significant impact on the surroundings. "Hm?!" However, he hadn’t managed to kill me. Instead of crushing my skull, the massive club struck only the ground. Illusion magic [Mirage]. The moment I shifted direction, I crafted a mirage. As I've said many times, illusion magic is my specialty. Creating mirages to confuse locations is so simple that it requires almost no preparation time, unlike [Polymorph] or [Camouflage]. Thunk! And in the moment he was caught off guard, I plunged a dagger into him. "Ah! Quite the feat..." Did choosing to fight back rather than flee turn out to be a mistake? Balancing Ariel in one arm and using all my might to drive the dagger in… but the dagger couldn't penetrate the barbarian's tough hide and thick muscles properly. It left no more than a scratch. The barbarian seemed amused that I’d retaliated while fleeing, yet the murderous intent in his eyes made it clear he wanted to crush my skull without delay. "That was too shallow, Sir Johan." She whispered weakly into my ear. Despite being turned away, Ariel instantly realized what had happened. Was it a fleeting return of her senses? I shook my head at her limp body. Her senses hadn’t returned; instead, they had expanded beyond her physical limits. She was nearing transcendence. "I know without being reminded. I thought I was stabbing into a rock." I deliberately responded with irritation. Given the current state, I wouldn’t last long. “Phew...” Staring at my aching wrist, I ruminated over my regrets. Damn it, I thought Ariel had softened him up enough with her magic, but evidently, it wasn’t sufficient. I had wanted to end him in one blow. "I'm dizzy." "Bear with it. If it's too difficult, just vomit." Ariel, resting her chin on my shoulder, let out a weary breath. It was no surprise she felt dizzy; I had forcibly drawn her into the illusion magic. She was now so hypersensitive to mana that she must have vividly experienced the effect of my magic. "Ugh?!" Whoosh! In a flash, a barbarian’s massive hand swept through where I’d been. Although I managed to dodge, given the exhaustion on both sides, my stomach churned. Damn it, there's no time to think about this or that. If I'm not careful, I’ll die before Ariel. Pat. Patting my thigh once to steady my trembling legs, I put more distance between myself and the barbarian. It wasn’t over yet. “…You've lost your only weapon?" "It was useless anyway. And it's distracting, so could you stay quiet, Lady Ariel?" "Sir Johan, let me handle this. I'm perfectly fine." Darn Ariel. It would be so much easier on my nerves if she would just keep her mouth shut. How could she claim to be alright when she couldn't even recognize her own physical state? "We've come this far; I can't back down now." If she intended to do that from the start, would I have gone to all this trouble, using my wits to navigate these alleyways? Losing the dagger was unfortunate, but it wasn't of great value. The only regret was not properly maintaining it in the first place. Sigh, I shouldn't have left it neglected out of laziness. "You're unarmed now. How do you plan to deal with him?" "I have other weapons at my disposal." My weapons are my sharp mind, warm heart, and, of course, my handsome face. "And in my hands, whether it's a dagger or a stone, they’re one and the same." "Ooh…" Of course, she likely took it the wrong way. In her current state, Ariel probably couldn't recall the difference. * * * Yuna sighed as Johan's well-planned strike missed. "He acted too hastily." It was shallow. Not only was the quality of the weapon poor, but there was an element of hesitation. Yuna doubted it was hesitation over taking a life. It was likely that even in the moment of plunging the dagger, his mind was still prioritizing escape over combat. Naïve. Compared to other students of the Cradle, Johan had far less combat experience, so it was understandable. "What's he going to do now?" The golden opportunity had slipped by. The time for repercussions had arrived. Johan seemed to be calculating his next move, but his means to act were limited. With the barbarian’s body essentially being a weapon, Johan had no effective means to deal a decisive blow. Johan's specialty lay in deception. He could lure the enemy into a trap, but he lacked the means to finish the ensnared opponent. Using blunt objects like rocks or metal scraps found nearby wouldn’t suffice against a barbarian. He needed something like a piercing weapon, but those were hard to come by. Perhaps shattered glass from the devastation caused by the barbarians? "Hmm… is he trying to buy time?" The best option Yuna could think of now was stalling. Although Johan lacked the means to defeat the barbarian, he had plenty of ways to deceive him. Even with Ariel as a burden, he could continue to evade for a while. By then, the Imperial Knights would arrive to handle the barbarians. Assuming that scenario, enduring the nerve-wracking chase could eventually lead to victory. The problem shared, "He seems impatient... why is that?" Yuna realized the answer after observing Johan’s restlessness. "Ah, that's it, isn't it?" Johan must have factored in the Deus Ex Machina. By now, technicians swarmed the streets to analyze the mechanical device, causing chaos. And such chaos invariably invited danger. The treasure created by the Deus Ex Machina, along with the skilled individuals capable of analyzing it, drew many pursuers. Inevitably, many knights were dispatched in that direction. "Hmm, so what's his plan?" Finding the situation growing more intriguing, Yuna observed Johan's escape with interest. She pursued him across rooftops, moving light-footedly between buildings. Then, at one moment... "Huh?!" Her previously fluid movements turned erratic. What the...?" Yuna quickly brushed her cheek, alarmed. Someone had touched her earlier without her noticing—the feel of gentle fingers, cool to the touch. For the first time since gaining fame as a Safe Clown, she’d been outmaneuvered. "Huh?" Yuna backed away, scanning the area where she’d been. Naturally, the presence that had cornered her was gone. How would the adversary act now? Her calculations were swift, and she prepared a countermeasure immediately. But... "Gah!" The foe was faster. Yuna finally realized who had approached her. A glimpse of radiant silver hair peeked out from beneath a white hood. Eyes vibrant with curiosity, absent of malice, met hers. 'They’re different from me.' She had naturally assumed the foe was an assassin like herself, given how they left no trace. Yet the method wasn’t some form of advanced stealth. "Are you… a student?" The figure, head tilted inquisitively, was a monster that crushed Yuna's stealth with sheer skill disparity. "It would be best to detain you for now." Saint Tilis stretched a hand out toward the petrified Yuna. * * * It was all too sudden. KAA-BOOM! A white-clad figure descended between me and the barbarian, exuding a resonant sound. No warnings, no expectations—it spoke nonchalantly. "Hello?" To its arrival, some were relieved; others clicked their tongues. As for me, I likely turned pale. It was alien, an alien beauty. Descending into the crude alleyway, it exuded an aura that might transform the surroundings into a lush sanctuary. A companion of nature, an Elf. Among them, treated nearly as royalty were the High Elves. "Sir Johan, is that… are we saved now?" "…Well, for now." I replied indifferently to Ariel, who was muttering in a subdued voice. All my attention was fixated on the individual who had just appeared: Saint Tilis. The person I least wanted to face directly. A storm had come. As always, I had intended to hunker down and wait for the storm to pass. "Tch…" That's when I heard the clicking of a tongue. It came from the barbarian who had been roaring and chasing us just moments ago. Barbarians have sharp senses. Born warriors, half-beasts by nature, they perceive much more than what’s visible. The barbarian lifted the club he held, pointing it directly at Ariel nestled in my arms. "You there, girl. You seem heavily reliant on grasping magic, yet I saw potential in you." Ariel narrowed her eyes, tilting her head in confusion at the cryptic words. The barbarian then subtly adjusted the club’s tip to point at me. "You're weak, but you have your merits. You didn’t rely on grasping magic but kept it as one option among many. Waiting for the hunting moment like you did, crouched like a predator—you were the embodiment of a beast." The evaluation of me wasn't as harsh as expected. Maybe I should be pleased? Though likening me to a beast is questionable. With a sly grin, the barbarian swung the club towards Tilis. "…You're an absolute failure. A monster. A creature like you shouldn’t exist. It’s just a shame I lack the power to do anything about it." And with that, it ended. Bang! The barbarian exploded on the spot. His once-solid physique burst like a balloon, drenching the buildings with blood and flesh. It was truly… an unreal spectacle.