Chapter 62 of the Academy's Weapon Replicator

Section 16: Ambush (7)

Malia is a smart woman.

This place is in a completely different direction from where the monsters are fleeing, which means I am farther away from them than the students and teachers of Constel.

So, it's practically impossible for me to stop those monsters. You must know that, right?

In other words, the fact that you're telling me this means there are no other options.

...

I quickly thought. Time was running out. The students and teachers are chasing and defeating the monsters now, but from what Malia said, it seems the scale of the monsters is quite significant.

They will scatter soon and some might invade the village. If that happens, tragedy is certain.

I had only a few seconds to find a solution. My thoughts accelerated. I recalled all the abilities I had gained so far.

Among all the things I have, something, something...

...something.

I bit my lip.

It's not about methods or means; the word "impossible" kept flashing through my mind.

If the students of Constel can't stop them, how can I, who am much farther away?

No, I can. I don't know how, but I have to find a way. I've done it before. I'm used to dealing with unexpected situations.

Somehow...

"I'm sorry."

I heard Malia's voice.

Why is Malia apologizing?

"You saw me take down the Chimera. I didn't expect to be the one to deliver this news."

Malia has no reason to apologize. She was just doing her job.

Malia was monitoring the situation here and at Constel through sensory sharing.

She must have been encouraging the students and continuously instilling hope in them. Considering my progress in capturing the Chimera here, she must have managed the students' stamina and morale.

She did her part well.

I have to do it.

I, somehow.

"You are quite lonely, aren't you?"

A voice suddenly flew in.

I flinched and turned towards the voice. It was Philia.

Philia spoke calmly and composedly.

"From the moment we first met until now, you seemed to know everything."

"......Philia."

"You always fight alone. Slowpoke Frondier."

Philia called me by that nickname.

She wasn't mocking me. She saw through my weakness, which that nickname represents.

"...Ah."

I lifted my head.

I always think, plan, and act alone. But this time, I can't do it alone.

However, with Malia here now.

"Can you still see the monsters fleeing, Mom?"

[What? Yes. I'm on the rooftop of the main building.]

She can't catch them, but she can still see them.

Then.

"Can you share your senses in reverse, Mom?"

[In reverse, you mean show you what I'm seeing?]

"Yes."

[It's not impossible, but what can you do just by seeing?]

As soon as she said that, I ran. Towards the tower of Elysia.

I heard Philia's surprised voice behind me.

I entered the tower, climbed the stairs, and stood on the rooftop.

"Show me what you see, Mom."

[...Okay.]

Malia didn't ask any more questions. Time was tight, and she must have trusted me.

Soon, a new landscape appeared in my vision. It was a strange sensation.

My left and right eyes were seeing different landscapes. It seemed Malia had applied sensory sharing to my left eye.

I could see the monsters fleeing, and the students chasing them.

Leading the charge was Aster, as expected. He was riding a horse.

Aster's horse was the famous steed 'Cassian' from the 'Equestrian' club.

Of course, Cassian belongs to Constel, so Aster's actions were a clear violation of the school rules, but no one was paying attention to that now.

The people around him simply wondered why Aster was chasing the monsters.

Then a thunderous voice struck.

"──They're heading for the village!!"

It was Aster's voice. It was so loud that the vibration of the sound lightly struck the ground. It was an aura manifestation.

Hearing Aster's voice, the students snapped to attention. Those with weapons followed Aster, and the mages began casting spells again.

"Haah-!!"

In an instant, Aster reached close enough to mercilessly slash the backs of the monsters. Lightning and fireballs from magic rained down in front of him.

Cassian, the famous steed, skillfully dodged without any fine adjustments and continued moving forward. It didn't even make a sound.

Aster swung his sword wildly. The fatigue and exhaustion from defending against the attack were secondary.

His arm moved before his muscles could even scream. To the monsters, he was just a ghost, and they fled even faster. Not a single one tried to counterattack.

However, even if Aster's stamina were infinite, and even if he could cut down the monsters like a madman...

The number of monsters was too great. For now, they were bunched together, and Aster's sword and the magic projectiles from a distance were effective.

But they would soon scatter. Once that happened, it would be impossible to wipe them all out. No matter how skilled Aster was, he couldn't multiply himself.

"Huff, huff...!"

With each swing, the upper bodies of the monsters floated and their heads flew off. But this time, Aster's sword swung through the air.

Aster looked ahead. The monsters were starting to spread out. The moment he saw this, the fatigue he had forgotten about rushed back.

If the scattered monsters were to attack the village, or if they regrouped and headed for the village...

Monsters are inherently hostile to humans, which is why they are called monsters. They wouldn't just ignore the smell of human blood in the village.

'I have to head for the village at full speed. In a straight line.'

Aster steeled himself. It was a truly painful, heart-wrenching resolve.

...The resolve to face the deaths of ordinary civilians.

The despair Aster felt began to spread, reaching the warriors chasing behind him and the mages at the rear.

The mages who could see the situation from a distance realized it first.

It was a tragedy that hadn't yet arrived, but one that was certainly coming...

Elodie, who was on the rooftop, lowered her hand. Lunia, who was casting a spell beside her, looked at her in surprise.

"Hey, don't give up yet! We have to take down as many as we can!"

Elodie didn't respond. Her expression was peculiar. She didn't look desperate or defeated.

Elodie just stared at the sky with an expression of having seen something truly bizarre.

"What are you looking at..."

Lunia naturally followed her gaze. Her words trailed off, and her expression changed to match Elodie's.

Then, one by one, more eyes turned to the sky.

Starting with Elodie and Lunia, the mages, including Aten, looked up.

The teachers, who were checking the students' conditions and safety, were also drawn to it. Even the archers, who had paused their shooting, looked up.

In a way that was completely out of place, a sudden silence fell over Constel.

─At first, it looked like a comet.

A long, endless streak of light split the sky. But upon closer inspection, it was drawing a very faint parabola.

And when it reached above the heads of the monsters, it exploded like fireworks.

The light particles that burst forth rained down, no, pierced the ground like spears.

They rained down on the monsters.

"......!"

Only then did Aster realize. He quickly pulled the reins to stop Cassian.

The surrounding monsters were pierced by the eerie sounds and fell one by one.

Every one of them was hit in a vital spot: the head, the neck, the chest.

It seemed random, but each arrow was precisely aimed at the monsters.

As evidence of this meticulousness...

'...None of them hit me.'

Not a single one grazed Aster.

Despite being in the lead, cutting down monsters, and being in the middle of the group, Aster was untouched.

Aster quickly surveyed the fallen monsters. The light streaks were arrows.

The monsters that weren't hit by arrows continued to flee. There were no missed shots, just a lack of quantity.

Then, once again, fireworks exploded.

The number of monsters decreased exactly as many arrows rained down.

And again, and again, and once more.

Without targeting a single human, every monster was pierced by the light streaks, not a single one escaping.

─Countless arrows formed a fiery net, covering the area, and each one hit a vital spot without fail.

The fact conveyed by this single sentence is absurdly chilling.

All sounds abruptly ceased.

The intense breathing, the monsters' screams, the clashing of weapons, and the pounding of footsteps all seemed like a dream.

Creak, creak─

Rumble.

All the monsters fell, but a few survived.

Even if hit in a vital spot, a few might survive for a few seconds.

Of course, fleeing was impossible, so from then on, Aster and the other students would finish them off.

But it seemed unnecessary, as once again...

A rumbling sound echoed through the earth. The same number of light streaks rained down in front of Aster.

This time, it was truly a "tidying up."

It felt like forcing reality into the students' eyes, making it impossible to dismiss as a dream.

"Huff... huff..."

Aster's breathing was still rough but gradually slowed.

He sheathed his sword and slowly accepted the overwhelming fatigue.

Now, it seemed safe to do so.

Aster turned around unconsciously. The students who followed him all had similar expressions.

Not just them.

The mages and teachers at Constel.

It was a clean and clear victory, but no one cheered.

No cheers, no shouts.

"What... what is this...?"

Someone voiced their thoughts.

Everyone felt the same way.

Thud.

Malia collapsed.

She knew, or rather, guessed who created this scene.

The reason for the uncertainty was that she found it hard to believe herself.

'Could Frondier have done this...?'

Frondier is her son.

Moreover, with her ability to share senses.

She thought she knew everything about what she could see and hear.

But she realized she knew nothing about Frondier, who was so close to her.

* * *

"Damn, it's exhausting..."

I gritted my teeth and held on.

My legs were weak, and my back was bent, but I didn't fall. My hands, resting on my knees, trembled.

I shouldn't have shot that last arrow!

My head was dizzy from mana depletion.

Here, the arrows take time to arrive, so it's hard to know how many monsters are left.

So, I overdid it a bit.

I forced myself to stand up and staggered down the tower stairs.

I won't faint this time, no matter what.

Every time I fight, I end up in the hospital, which is a huge inconvenience and a pitiful situation.

When I reached the first floor, the door creaked open.

Philia stood at the entrance, looking at me in disbelief.

"Did you already forget what I just said? Why are you coming down instead of resting?"

"This is... a matter of a man's pride."

Philia sighed dramatically in response to my words. She walked over and slung my arm over her shoulder.

"Being supported by the Empress is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so consider it an honor."

"......Really, no one else would ever experience this."

"You did a great job."

Philia praised me with a sentimental remark.

I smiled a little, feeling the tension release.

The sun was high in the sky, even though we had started in the morning. It was a clear sky, too clear for such a battle to have taken place.

"......Philia."

"What? No need for thanks. Considering our ranks, you're the one who..."

"You look even smaller up close."

"Would you like me to teach you what the crime of insulting the Empress is?"

Philia smiled as she said this.

It was her usual smile.

It was very, very scary.