CH 76

"Phew… I thought I was going to die from exhaustion."

Rie caught her breath a little and muttered to herself.

I opened my mouth, looking at Rie.

"How did you get here?"

The information that could have led Rie here was severely lacking.

I was able to quickly figure it out because I knew about the Fred family, but Rie wasn't the same.

Even as a student council member, it would be impossible for her to know every detail about the academy.

When I asked that, Rie opened her mouth with a smile.

"Well, with Luna's sudden disappearance, you rushing off, and the dormitory fire, I put the pieces together with the information I had, and made a rough guess."

Puzzled, I stared at Rie.

"How did you learn Luna was missing?"

At this, Rie frowned.

"Didn't I tell you at lunch? I said I'd go warn Luna. But no matter how much I searched, I couldn't find Luna anywhere. Even Professor Mcguire was clueless."

That made sense.

Seeing me nod, Rie smirked.

"However, it looks like everything worked out without any major problems."

Just then, a loud cry came from where Carol had been.

"Damn brats...!!!!"

Rie and I looked his way.

The place was shrouded in dense smoke and fire due to Rie's explosive magic.

However, Carol was slowly emerging from the flames.

"Wow, he's sturdy~"

Rie snickered as she watched Carol.

Infuriated by her words, Carol gritted his teeth and shouted at us.

"Do you think I'll lose to brats like you!!!"

Upon hearing his cry, I walked forward.

"He's really tenacious."

His vitality was something even a cockroach would admire.

Normally, I would be irritated by it.

But not now.

Instead, I smiled.

"Actually, that's good."

I would be upset if it ended with just this.

Luna's abduction.

What would've happened if Luna was indeed kidnapped?

I didn't even want to think about it.

Just thinking of it made my teeth grind together.

I had no intention of forgiving that guy who attempted such an act, and the ones behind him as well.

Of course, if the situation ended like this, the royal family would handle it well, but I was not satisfied.

The feeling of defeating someone with my own hands is clearly different from someone else doing it for me.

I felt like I could only be relieved if I personally beat that guy up.

I glanced at Rie for a moment.

"Rie, take a rest. Look after Luna."

Rie glanced at me.

"Don't get hurt."

Rie said that, but she didn't seem too worried, maybe she had faith in me.

After smiling at Rie, I walked forward.

"Arghh!!"

Carol lifted his sword and started to charge at me.

"You're too slow."

I concentrated mana on my feet and stomped on the ground.

My body shot forward, and in an instant, I lunged towards Carol.

Using the momentum of my rush, I struck his abdomen.

-Thud!

"Ugh……!"

Without a moment to react, Carol took my hit, flew backwards and rolled on the ground.

His already burnt, disheveled clothes and hair became more chaotic as they rolled in the dirt.

"Cough! Cough!"

Carol spat out a cough while lying on the ground.

I walked towards the fallen Carol and opened my mouth.

"Stand up properly."

"This brat……!"

Carol glared at me as he struggled to his feet.

However, I wasn't scared at all.

I stomped on the ground again.

And kicked Carol, who was trying to get up.

-Smack!

"Ugh!"

Carol rolled back once more.

I opened my mouth again.

"I said, stand up properly."

"This damn psycho brat……!"

I stomped on the ground again.

This repeated several times.

Carol's body was in shambles.

Not to mention the several broken ribs, his face was covered in blood.

I carefully controlled my strength.

Enough to keep the opponent from fainting, to keep him in a state of pain.

I maintained that level.

Then Carol's eyes began to lose focus and his words changed.

"Please…… Stop…… Please stop……."

-Snap!

"AAAAAAHH!!!!"

I stomped hard on Carol's leg, who was begging for mercy.

I spoke with fury in my voice.

"You tried to kidnap a young girl, but you can't handle a few hits?"

"Ughh…… UGHHH!!!!"

"You don't think of the pain others feel yet you're so conscious of your own?"

"AHHHH!!!! Please!!! Please!!!!!!"

I continued to step on Carol's leg.

"Ugh……Ugh……."

Carol shed tears and screamed.

However, seeing Carol begging for his life, I couldn't contain my anger and failed to control my strength.

Carol lost consciousness and collapsed right there.

His body lay there, covered in blood, unconscious.

However, seeing his chest rise and fall, it seemed like he was still alive.

"Hoo……."

I let out a breath.

A sigh of relief.

I've saved Luna, and the enemy was down.

The situation was mostly under control.

Now, all that's left is to handle the dormitory situation.

But I wasn't too worried.

The students were not weak, and it seemed the Fred family's main goal had been to kidnap Luna.

“Let's head back now.”

Just as I muttered to myself and turned towards Rie, I saw someone running from far away.

Seeing the figure, I assumed a combat stance again.

The speed of the approaching person was unusual.

"Huh?"

As the figure got closer, I could start to see the person's shape.

I tilted my head slightly.

It wasn't just one person.

There was someone riding on the back of the approaching figure.

And both had long hair fluttering in the wind.

I recognized who the person running was by the fluttering of their silver hair.

"Yeniel?"

Yeniel's silver hair was reflective in the moonlight.

It was easily identifiable at a glance.

But why was she suddenly here, and who was the person on her back?

Then I heard a voice.

"Rudy Astria!"

My eyes widened at the sound of that voice.

"Astina?"

No matter how I heard it, the voice belonged to Astina.

As they got closer, my suspicion turned into certainty.

The person being carried was dressed in the attire of a patient from the infirmary.

And the fluttering red hair.

It was Astina.

As Yeniel approached me, she gradually slowed down.

While being carried by Yeniel, Astina asked me.

"Hey, are you okay? No injuries anywhere?"

Astina looked me over.

"Ah, I'm fine. The situation is also somewhat under control..."

I said so, looking at Yeniel.

"Huff... huff... why do this to me really..."

She huffed and puffed with an aggrieved expression.

Astina then slapped Yeniel's back.

"Do you have a problem?"

Yeniel twisted around to look at Astina.

"I can help if it's a fight, but why call me just to carry you around?"

"I've been feeling faint from anemia recently, so running makes me dizzy. Plus, I'm much stronger than you, aren't I? It's better if I just use you as a mount and do the fighting myself."

Astina and Yeniel started bickering.

I awkwardly smiled as I watched them.

After watching their argument for a while, a question came to mind.

"More importantly, Astina, how did you know to come here?"

Astina stopped her bickering with Yeniel, gave me a smile, and said,

"Your friends, Ena and Riku, told me. They said you might need some help."

"Ah."

Now that I think about it, I had forgotten about Ena and Riku.

They must have gone straight to Astina.

I felt a mix of gratitude and a bit of guilt.

"But it looks like the situation is already over."

Astina said, looking around.

"Of course, since I arrived first."

Then Rie came walking from behind.

Behind Rie, Sylph was carrying Luna.

"So, Astina , you're second place? Second place? Hehe..."

Rie said, smiling.

She seemed oddly fixated on the ranking.

Technically, I was the first one to arrive here.

Doesn't that make me the first?

We all laughed and chatted for a while.

It seemed like everyone became talkative after the tension had dissipated.

After sorting out the situation a bit, I opened my mouth.

"Let's go back now."

I said, grinning at them.

Upon hearing this, Rie, Astina, and even Yeniel's expressions hardened.

Rie yelled out.

"Rudy, be careful!!!! Behind you!!!!"

"What?"

Surprised by her shout, I turned around.

A colossal sword was flying towards me from behind.

"Damn it...!"

Priscilla's Guardian Spirit had already been used up.

But, it was too close.

I raised my arm to block.

If I'm hit like this...

"Gravity!!!"

Then, Astina's voice came from behind.

The sword's movement stopped abruptly.

Astina had stopped the sword.

I stared at the suspended blade, a hair's breadth from my face.

"What... is this?"

It was an enormous sword, many times larger than my own body.

But how did such a sword fly towards me?

While I was pondering this, Astina quietly spat out.

"Vice Principal Oliver...."

"...Ah."

Upon hearing that, I understood what this sword was.

Oliver's metal magic.

It was the magic of Vice Principal Oliver, who can manipulate metal at will.

The sword in front of me disappeared and a man walking from a distance came into view.

That man was the vice principal of the academy.

It was Oliver.