READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 116.1
Chapter 116.1. The Results Of Diligence
Suddenly, a black wall and a horde of monsters appeared at the academy.
Without any warning, without any sign, an absurd crisis descended upon them. Many students and even teachers were instantly thrown into panic.
Yet, somehow, the academy managed to respond. They evacuated most of the people inside the building, sent out those who could fight, and managed to maintain a fragile stalemate against the monster attack.
The ones responsible for this were two girls.
First was Katia von Thracia, who wielded top-tier magic even within the academy, and her superior command skills allowed her to place the fighters precisely, effectively holding back the monsters’ unnaturally coordinated assault. She was the keystone of the front line.
The second was—
“—Injured students, come here immediately! Everyone else who can fight, please handle the monsters near the barrier! We need to buy as much time as possible!”
To secure a safe zone for the fleeing people, she instantly deployed a barrier covering the entire school. At the same time, she prepared a space to heal the wounded.
She was a dual aptitude user, skilled in handling two rare Bloodline Magics, and maintaining the rear. This girl was Sara von Hartmann.
Anyone who only knew her from school would be stunned. Normally so gentle and kind, the very opposite of someone suited to this situation—yet here she was, throwing herself into the middle of the monster horde, facing real danger with no hint of hesitation.
A new wounded person approached her.
“…Ugh…ah…”
“—! You’re…”
Sara’s eyes widened slightly at the sight of a familiar student.
An A-class student, and not just any—someone who had actively fueled prejudice against B-class, led by Clyde. Up until recently, he was one of those who openly despised B-class.
Moreover, when the battle started, he had arrogantly rushed into the monsters, overestimating his own strength, and was now returning in tatters.
“…”
Naturally, the other students, especially those from B-class who were protecting Sara, looked at him with contempt.
But, despite understanding this, Sara activated her [Ars Paulina] without hesitation.
The effects were immediate. The wounds from claws and bites healed instantly. As the student stared in disbelief at his restored body, Sara calmly asked him,
“I’ve healed what I can see. Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“N-no, I’m fine.”
“Good. Then… can you still fight?”
At that question, the A-class student’s face twisted.
“—I-I can’t! W-what are those things? Aren’t monsters supposed to be easy to kill with Bloodline Magic?! I’ve never fought anything like that before! No, I-I don’t want to die!”
This was the same.
A mage trained only for hunting, never battle. They had become so accustomed to winning that they couldn’t comprehend loss or danger.
His pathetic declaration infuriated the B-class students.
How dare he, after acting so high and mighty until now?
But.
Before they could shout, Sara gently held up her hand, silencing them.
She looked the student in the eye and spoke softly.
“…I understand. Then, please fall back.”
“…What?”
The A-class student wasn’t surprised by her words, but by her expression.
—It was filled with pity and kindness.
Not a trace of anger or scorn, only genuine concern for the wounded person before her.
“Please retreat inside the building, so you’re not caught up in the fight. I’ll cover for you. It would help if you could wait there.”
“Wh-why?”
Unable to hold back, the A-class student called out to Sara as she turned back toward the battlefield.
“Why? Why aren’t you blaming me?! Why aren’t you angry at someone like me?!”
“…Because I understand.”
Her voice remained gentle as she replied.
“I know how terrifying it is to face something overwhelming, how natural it is to want to protect yourself. …I’ve experienced that before, so I’m used to it. But without that experience, I might be just like you right now.”
She didn’t abandon him.
She didn’t condemn his weakness or foolishness, because that aligned with her wish.
“So, there’s no need to feel ashamed for being unable to fight now. I believe everyone has the chance to grow stronger. I want to believe that.”
So, please survive. I’ll protect you for now.
With that, she finally turned away.
The B-class students followed her without a word, because they, too, had once been saved by her kindness.
“…The rest of you who are injured, please don’t hold back. Whether or not you can fight, I’ll heal anyone I can. While I will prioritize those who can continue fighting, I won’t abandon anyone!”
With that declaration, Sara re-entered the battlefield.
The A-class student watched her in a daze, still feeling the warmth of her healing magic.
Even so, the situation was dire.
The barrier covering the entire building wouldn’t last forever. The moment her magic ran out, the monsters would flood in and attack the people sheltering inside.
But Sara knew.
There were only two people in this entire year who could turn this situation around in an instant.
And soon enough, she saw it.
With incredible speed, a single boy flew from inside the building, diving into the battlefield. She watched him clearly.
At nearly the same time, on the front lines—
“No… way…!”
Katia, who was commanding the mages, had a look close to despair.
Albert and the B-class students had fought bravely.
As they declared at the start, they had destroyed the army of monsters advancing on the school.
—But who could have imagined?
That monstrous horde, terrifying in its own right, was merely a distraction.
“Wh—!”
Just after the monsters in front were wiped out,
Huge monsters, far more powerful than before, began pouring in from behind.
There weren’t many of them, but everyone could sense that these monsters were on a completely different level.
And that dread would prove to be justified, far worse than they could have imagined.
“…Impossible.”
The first student to land a hit on one of the monsters gasped.
“It’s not working—Bloodline Magic doesn’t work?!”
It was unthinkable.
Monsters were supposed to be easy for nobles and bloodline mages to defeat.
Even in large-scale stampedes, as long as they fought carefully, a single mage could handle the monsters.
Monsters could be killed by Bloodline Magic. That had always been the rule.
There were rare exceptions, like powerful labyrinth bosses or mutants, but those were only extreme cases.
Yet here they were.
Dozens of exceptions—monsters that could overpower even bloodline mages—rushing at them.
This was the true force Clyde had prepared.
After the small monsters cleared the way, this was the main force designed to crush the academy and overwhelm the bloodline mages.
“This is insane—!”
Katia realized.
There was no way Clyde had done this alone. He must have had some sort of magical device or special technique assisting him.
But knowing that didn’t change the situation—it only made it worse.
“Damn it—everyone stay calm! Don’t fight alone; group up and take them down one by one! It’s our turn to work together now!”
Albert’s voice rang out.
Despite the dire circumstances, B-class remained composed, their experience of constant defeat teaching them how to adapt.
That was reassuring, but…
If they focused on fighting in groups, it meant more monsters would slip through and head for the rear.
(This is bad—!)
If that happened, Sara and the others would be overwhelmed. The barrier could break at any moment.
Something had to be done.
But just as Katia was thinking that, she noticed something.
The monsters… were all looking up.
It was as if they were being drawn toward something.
Something so threatening that they couldn’t ignore it, something far more dangerous than the enemies in front of them—a predator.
The students, too, followed the monsters’ gaze.
And so did Katia—who then saw it.
“…There you are!”
Tears welled up in her eyes as she smiled.
The silver-haired boy she had longed to see had finally arrived.
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