Chapter 14 – Reunion (5)
“Lo… Lope?”
As soon as I sprinted through the door, a familiar voice called out to me. I can’t say I’m happy, but that doesn’t mean I’m reluctant. I was a little relieved and called the other person’s name.
“Roman.”
“You…It was you. What were you doing here?”
“I was just looking for someone. More than that, why are you screaming and fussing? It’s a mess anyway.”
“No, well… That’s true, but…”
“Why. Is something going on?”
“That is…”
It seems that he was yelling at him outside, but when he went out confidently, Roman stuttered. Then he opened his mouth again in a slightly condescending manner.
“I just said something because the situation was a bit messy. I didn’t know you were inside…”
“Are you still not organized? I thought you pushed in a lot.”
“The resistance is tougher than I thought. And especially… The basement is so quiet. There are quite a few kids who went there, but none of them came up again.”
“It’s underground.”
He spoke in passing, but it was as if he secretly wanted me to go. Due to the nature of the underground, it must be a little scary to go there yourself.
It wasn’t such a bad proposal, even if it had a prevalent air of passing it off. For me, who wants to disappear without anyone noticing, the underground is the best place where no one comes.
I pretended to be a bit worried, but then slowly nodded.
“I’ll have to go. But since I’m here, I’ll have to do my part.”
“Uh…Really? I’d appreciate it if you did. If it’s you, I’ll be relieved…”
“Then there’s nothing more to say? Then go.”
“Is that so? I…I should be. Thanks Lope.”
Roman awkwardly waved his hand at me and he quickly disappeared towards the other side. He was an easy-going guy to use.
“After…”
After confirming that he was walking away, I walked toward the basement without looking back. Rogeria’s men who were standing in the back stared blankly at my back. Next to her, she finally gave up her strength and saw the man drooping.
After leaving all of that behind, I saw a path heading underground. After confirming again that no one was following me, I stepped towards the stairs.
As she locked her heavy steps in the darkness of the basement, in an instant, lukewarm warmth enveloped her whole body.
“…”
The flow of darkness that pierced her maiden through the genitals of light was deep and thick. It was only one step, coming down from the ground, but the whole place was locked in darkness to the extent that one could not see an inch ahead.
“Whoa…”
As I stepped down the stairs one step at a time, I felt as if the stale dust peculiar to the basement was blocking my breathing. He sighed a little to clear the dust that had burrowed deep into his lungs, but it didn’t help at all. I felt like I was drowning in the dust if I went down any further.
Nevertheless, as I inevitably moved my steps to the end, the end of the stairs hit the soles of my feet roughly. Since I went down without being able to see the front, I almost fell over because of the awkward feeling of the ground I was facing. I managed to balance and looked around.
Of course it was useless. Still my low vision could not penetrate the darkness.
I finally leaned against the wall with my eyes closed. Seeing that there was no sound around me, it seemed like I was the only one in this space. I wonder if all the guys who came down as Roman said have been changed.
Or maybe you’ve already run away. Either way was good for me. It was enough to kill time like this and leave when it was quiet. In the meantime, you should think about what just happened.
…
What should I do now…
I carefully took off my gloves and looked at the pattern on the back of my hand. Even in this darkness, the pattern glowed as blue as ever. Even if all the lights in the world were turned off, I thought that this pattern would be able to emit a noble color alone.
Of course, it would be an exaggeration, but it was certain that it was an item with that much value. Still, there are so many things I don’t know about this pattern. Not too long ago, I thought I’d use this as an exchange.
Looking back now, it was such an immature thought. What can I exchange this for?
Even now, the only person who accepts it is Rogeria.
“Well…”
How long will it take for that crazy bitch to know the truth about the pattern?
I couldn’t possibly guess. One month? One week? Or just two days? She didn’t know how often she was in contact with the Empire, so she didn’t have much basis for guessing. Right now, she seems to be passing it off because of her unique arrogance, but due to Roselia’s personality, she’ll notice something strange after a while.
And by that time, it was clear that a lot would change. Rogeria wouldn’t keep quiet any longer, and her relationship with Lena would change. Yeah, I was especially curious about what would happen to Lena. Will Roselia really tell her the truth? Perhaps she is getting out of here holding hands with Roselia without knowing anything by now.
If you think about it, it’s hard to even imagine how the academy will change tomorrow.
…
To have a headache. It doesn’t seem like it suits me very well.
“Whoa…”
Should I ask Saya more precisely about this pattern? That seemed like the most pressing issue. First of all, it’s important to get out of here quickly.
After deciding on the immediate task, I felt a little refreshed. I raised my head straight up so as not to lose that illusion.
“I guess it’s going to be quiet…”
The tension was relieved, so I spat out words to myself carelessly. I flinched and quickly took out the gloves I had taken off. Again, the pattern on the back of the hand was covered by the black cloth, and the last light poured into the wall.
And thanks to that, I was able to find bloodstains on the wall even belatedly.
“What…”
The rest of the shock, the self-talk came out again. It wasn’t just because I saw blood. For the past two months, I’ve already gotten sick of human bloodstains. The problem was its shape.
Scars as if a thin brush had been applied deep into a person’s neck and then scattered all over the wall. The traces of the end were marked only after a puddle was collected at the place where the corpse fell.
Those were things that could only be drawn by cutting with a sword.
“Sir…”
It was only then that the bodies of the dead were kicked at their toes. Most of them were raiders, but there were some delicate girls among them. I don’t know who this murderer is, but he seems to be a person without discrimination.
At that point, the candidates could be narrowed down to a handful. And half of them were people I knew. I swallowed the sigh that was about to escape and walked slowly along the bloodstains on the wall.
“…”
The end of the breathless step was the door again. However, this time it was not a large lecture hall, but a narrow warehouse. It seemed that there was only enough space for one person to enter and wield a sword.
The choice of location is really excellent. I lowered my gaze in small admiration. Then, her eyes, accustomed to the darkness, illuminated the shapes of the corpses piled up beside the door. Even if you look at it, it was definitely the skill of a skilled person to cut out only the vital parts accurately.
I couldn’t guarantee a perfect victory against such a talented person. Besides, since the other party was already seated, it would have been foolish for me to open the door and go in first.
At this time, I had no choice but to trust my friendship. I risked my voice cautiously.
“There.”
“…”
“Is this someone I know?”
“…”
But the opponent didn’t fall over. I could feel the presence, but no answer came. It seems that I have to take a picture of one person.
I stood by the door and raised my sword over my head. And with a desperate heart, I put one name in my mouth.
“Miss Rebecca?”
“…”
Still no answer. I don’t know if I got the wrong answer or if I got it right but there is no answer. Reluctantly, I felt I had to open that door to find out the answer.
“After…”
I finally caught my breath and drew my sword. Then he drew in his remaining breath and kicked the door with all his might. A hard crash hit my knees and the crotch of the door opened wide.
And at the same time, the tip of the sharp sword flew straight toward the end of his neck.
“…!”
It was a trajectory that would have cut his throat if he hadn’t raised his sword in time. The sword strikes that were entangled in an instant sparked and licked each other’s blades. Only then did I see the killer’s face crouching in the dark.
The exact form was still not visible. But even in that pitch-black room, one thing was clearly visible. Horrible burns and scars covering the place where the other person’s eyes were supposed to be.
At that moment, I called the name of the only blind girl I could call her junior at this academy.
“Day!”
“…!”
For a moment, the tip of her sword waved. That said, the sword wasn’t completely reaped, but that was enough.
“Sigh…!”
I pushed the entangled swords all the way and then reached my arms upward as I bumped into them. Naturally, the hilt twisted and the two swords pointed upward at the same time. At that moment, I let go of the sword and hugged Haru’s thigh as hard as I could.
“…!!!”
Haru read my intentions and reacted by throwing his sword belatedly, but it was already too late. As I lifted her thighs, she lost her balance and fell to the floor. The slender back hit the floor violently, and the first moans came out.
“Aww…!”
“Haru! Because it’s me…!”
Surprised by that moan, I called her name again. However, that hesitation was too much to be an opportunity for a counterattack.
“…!”
“Ugh!”
One day, not missing her gap, she grabbed my arm in an instant, then climbed up like a snake and grabbed her neck with her legs. With a posture so perfect that it could be put in a textbook, I was blocked without a chance to resist. Soon, her legs squeezed her carotid artery, and in an instant her vision blurred and her mind giddy.
I felt like I would pass out if I went on like this. As I was looking for a breakthrough, the sword that fell next to me caught my eye. I desperately reached out my hand toward it.
“Ughh…Ahhh…!”
“…!”
“Ughhhhh…!”
Thanks to the superiority in the weight class, I struggled desperately, and my hand touched the sword. Just before my consciousness faded, I stretched out my arms as hard as I could toward them.
Then, instead of the hilt, he grabbed the blade and cut off his own palm.
“Keuk…!”
In an instant, the blood burst in my hand, and red blood flowed. I sprayed it all over Haru’s face. It wasn’t to cover the invisible sight.
But drops of blood dripped down her nose just as I intended. Then Haru tilted her head and quietly opened her mouth.
“Uh?”
“Haru… Please…!”
“Oh my goodness.”
At that moment, in an instant, my body flipped over and my back hit the floor. While I moaned in another pain, Haru rode on top of my body. Then he put his nose on the arm he was holding and began to sniff it like a dog.
“Um… Uhm…”
“Be gentle… Take it easy…”
“Hmm.”
Haru, who rubbed his nose hard and even tasted it with his tongue, finally let go of my arms. Then he smiled and greeted me.
“Oh my goodness, senior. Hello.”
“…Yes. Nice to meet you too.”
I groaned as I held onto my broken arm. In the meantime, Haru added a word from her in a very bright voice.
“Are you here to eat me?”
