Chapter 81

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A violent sound echoed from the other side of the door. Each time the sound was made, the door creaked.

Lola watched the scene with bated breath.

On the other side of the door was a high-ranking undead, a Dullahan, far too strong for Lola to defeat even if she stood on her head.

Lola's body stiffened.

(...Someone...!)

Such prayers, such wishes—

Would not easily save reality.

With a loud noise, the door was torn in two.

"―!"

Pushing aside the splintered remains of the door, a figure clad in steel armor slowly entered the classroom.

The Dullahan turned its body toward the target, who should be standing by the window at the back.

But there—

Lola was no longer there.

Lola had already moved from the window to the front door, the opposite direction from the back door through which the Dullahan had entered.

When the Dullahan came in, she would leave through the opposite door.

That was her plan.

But it was enough. For an escape strategy, creativity was unnecessary.

This was a special classroom with large desks arranged for multiple students.

While the reinforced door bought her time, Lola moved the desks to block the path between the newly entered Dullahan and the front door.

For a moment... a few seconds should be enough.

Those few seconds were crucial!

Prayers and wishes—

Would not easily save reality.

Then.

She would carve out her own reality through her own struggle!

Lola uttered the words to unlock the reinforced door.

The lock on the front door disappeared.

(...Now! I have to run!)

Lola had been watching the Dullahan enter the classroom from the beginning.

That's why she didn't die.

(...What!?)

Lola instinctively stepped back.

She stepped back.

She judged that there wasn't enough time to open the door and escape.

It was the right judgment.

The Dullahan did not move to avoid the desks Lola had moved—it lifted them and suddenly threw them at Lola.

"Ah!?"

In front of Lola, who had stepped back, the desk crashed into the wall. The remnants of the desk scattered with a loud noise, blocking the front door.

There was no time to clear the debris.

That meant the only usable door was the one behind the Dullahan.

Still, Lola didn't give up.

"Magic Arrow, Magic Arrow!"

She fired white arrows at the Dullahan one after another. They were ineffective. She knew that.

But she had to struggle.

The Dullahan closed the distance without regard for Lola's attacks.

Lola continued to run around the classroom.

To buy as much time as possible. Whether it was meaningful or not. She had no time to think about it.

But in the end—

It had no meaning other than buying time.

Lola was cornered in the corner of the classroom.

Clank, clank.

The Dullahan approached. If caught by its steel hand, Lola's slender neck would be easily broken.

Death.

Death itself was approaching.

In fear, Lola closed her eyes.

Lola had done everything she could. She had run desperately, believing that something would happen. She had bought time.

But her desperate struggle had come to an end.

All options were exhausted.

She had done what she had to do.

There was nothing left to do.

She had done everything.

So, in the end, Lola called out the name of the one who always helped her from the depths of her heart.

After all that—

"Mr. Albert, please help me!"

Such a prayer, such a wish—

Might just change reality.

"Magic Arrow!"

After a familiar voice, the Dullahan exploded.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

We ran up the night school building at full speed.

The moment we burst into the classroom, we heard that voice.

"Mr. Albert, please help me!"

The owner of the voice—

I knew it before I even thought about it.

It was Lola.

Reflexively, I pointed my right hand and shouted.

"Magic Arrow!"

The steel armor shattered upon impact with my Magic Arrow.

The fragments scattered on the floor and disappeared like the other zombies.

Behind them, Lola was there.

"Lola! Are you okay?!"

Lola looked at me with a dazed expression.

"...Is it really you, Mr. Albert...? Really, Mr. Albert?"

"Yes. It's me, Albert. You don't have to worry anymore."

As I approached, Lola, as if released from a spell, moved and—hugged me.

"Really! Really! You came...! Thank you so much!"

Perhaps because she had been saved from a dangerous situation, Lola was overwhelmed with emotion and held me tightly.

I was a bit at a loss.

How should I react when a girl who had been through a scary experience relied on me?

And—her gaze.

"...So noble..."

Furin clasped her hands together and looked at us, saying such things.

Noble—what did that mean...?

"...I'll keep watch outside to make sure no more undead come...!"

Philbus dragged the excited Furin out.

After a while, Lola sniffled and pulled away from me.

"...S-Sorry...! I, I got a bit emotional...!"

"...No, it's fine..."

After a moment's hesitation, I placed my hand on Lola's shoulder. ...If it would help her calm down a little.

"It's okay now."

"Yes!"

Lola nodded with a full smile.

"I'm really glad you're safe, Lola."

Those words came from my heart.

"Let's go back."

I left the classroom with Lola.

Outside, Philbus and Furin were waiting.

"Are you okay, Albert?"

"Yes. Let's go back."

I nodded in response to Philbus.

Furin, still excited, said,

"I saw something amazing..."

She muttered something incomprehensible, her hand on her cheek.

What's wrong with Furin? She's been acting strange... I became a bit worried about Furin.

The four of us descended the stairs together.

I could hear Lola and Furin's conversation from behind.

"Ms. Lola, did you really run from the library to here?"

"Yes, zombies suddenly appeared... What were they?"

"I don't know either..."

At that moment, the conversation suddenly stopped—

"Ah, that! That!"

Lola's panicked voice continued.

I turned around to see Lola, who had moved away from the stairs and was peering down the corridor, waving her hands.

"What's wrong, Lola?"

"Over there..."

When I spoke, Lola pointed down the corridor. There, the light of a lighting spell was shining brightly.

A lighting spell here...?

"That's not something I made..."

Lola said.

So, someone else must have left it.

...Who could it be...?

"Let's go."

Saying that, Philbus marched toward the source of the lighting spell. It was in front of a classroom door.

Philbus put his hand on the door.

The door didn't budge.

"This is reinforced. It's locked with a Hard Lock..."

Then, he checked the room through the glass embedded in the door.

"Hey."

Philbus's voice became hard.

"Someone is lying there. ...Two people, actually."

Holding the door, Philbus said.

"Dispel Magic!"

The magic to dispel magical effects canceled the Hard Lock on the door.

The four of us entered the classroom.

"Hey, are you okay! Hey!"

Philbus picked up the student lying on the floor.

I recognized the face.

The top of the class—Brain Milchis...

Brain groaned in response to Philbus's voice. It seemed he was still alive.

There should have been another student lying in the room—

Lola stood in front of the female student and whispered in a broken voice.

"Riz..."