—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The sky seemed to know it was the day of the academy’s all-out war.
The sun, brighter than ever, began to lift the veil of darkness.
A vibrant energy filled the academy as it welcomed its biggest event.
Magnificent carriages, clearly conveying the high status of their occupants, streamed onto the campus.
On any other day, the appearance of such luxurious vehicles would have been remarkable, but today, it wasn’t surprising.
High-ranking nobles, imperial officials… the all-out war was a significant event for them as well.
Among these grand carriages, however, was a rather ordinary one.
It bore no embellishments, simply a basic design.
Its escort was minimal, their attire rather shabby.
A carriage of a fallen noble house?
Most observers assumed as much.
Inside the carriage sat a woman whose hair, eyes, and even fingernails were all jet black.
She exuded a sinister, gloomy aura.
Her features were undeniably beautiful, yet her oppressive gloom was so potent that the overall impression was one of unease and fear.
“So, I’ve come this far. Tsk.”
She clicked her tongue.
Indeed, she wasn’t human.
She was a Lamia, once Vivian’s secretary, now retired.
Her name was Bianca.
“I can’t leave things as they are. No. I can’t. Tsk.”
If Vivian was the White Snake of the Demon Realm, Bianca was the Black Snake.
More than ten years had passed since she’d stepped down as Vivian’s secretary, but her conviction that a Lamia must embody “Envy” remained unshaken.
Just then, the carriage rattled to a stop.
The voices of academy officials drifted in, and the carriage door opened without warning.
“What brings you to the academy?”
Bianca presented the prepared letter of recommendation.
“I’ve come from the Pailo region.”
“Pailo? That’s at the southernmost tip.”
“Yes. But even from the furthest reaches, I couldn’t miss the all-out war.”
The academy official wished her a good day and closed the carriage door.
Only then did Bianca click her tongue again.
She pressed a finger against her ear, her pupils slitting like a reptile’s as her magic power focused.
“What’s the situation?”
The voices of other Lamias reached her ears.
As she removed her finger from her ear, Bianca reassessed the situation.
“Vivian has become too soft.”
That was Bianca’s conclusion.
The Sin of Envy, who once envied everything and tempted all into ruin, was gone.
At least, that’s how it seemed to Bianca.
‘Noble sublimity that cannot be envied?’
Don’t make me laugh.
Such a thing didn’t exist for a Lamia.
If it did, a Lamia would envy even that.
This conviction must remain unwavering, no matter what anyone said.
“Jekkiel’s location confirmed, Bianca.”
The Lamia seated beside her spoke.
A girl with hair precisely half black and half white.
“Where? Ah… never mind. I see him.”
In the distance, the figure Bianca had been searching for came into view.
Impeccably dressed in uniform, a professor’s badge pinned to his chest, the disgusting demon convincingly mimicking a human…
His name was Jekkiel.
Or should she call him Adrian now?
Whatever his past status, it didn’t matter to Bianca.
What mattered was that this vampire was preventing Vivian from fulfilling her role as a Sin.
He had stolen Vivian, whom Bianca respected above all else.
That was the most crucial point.
“Bianca, don’t be too upset. This operation will not fail.”
“Of course not.”
“If that vampire hadn’t come down to the human world and started acting strangely, Vivian wouldn’t have developed such peculiar interests…”
“Enough.”
Bianca cut her off.
Not because she disagreed, but because hearing any more would only fuel her anger.
“Valerie, you won’t fail, will you?”
“Certainly not. Valerie never fails.”
Never.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The day of the all-out war finally arrived.
Amidst the throngs of students, the failing class huddled together.
They still couldn’t believe they were participating in the all-out war, which was something they hadn’t even dared to dream of.
It felt like they were a solitary island in a sea of students.
The feeling was a strange mix of excitement, fear, and bewilderment.
Isabel, her face pale with nerves, spoke first.
“I-I’m realizing this now, but there are so many people at the academy… I even heard that the imperial officials are coming to watch the all-out war!”
The other students shared Isabel’s apprehension, but Michelle, with her usual air of boredom, muttered, “If someone’s watching, we should be happy, not nervous. We’ve trained hard, so it’s better to show off in front of a large audience.”
Isabel immediately asked, “Michelle, you’re so confident…? Is your leg alright?”
“No. But my leg doesn’t matter.”
Michelle muttered, gazing intently at her lace-gloved hand, the glove inscribed with magic circles.
Once again, Isabel broke the silence.
“Michelle, why are you staring at your glove like that? Aha! You’re a romantic after all!”
“What romance?”
“You know, a mage giving another mage a lace glove means ‘I acknowledge you as the best mage.’ It’s romantic!”
“I… wasn’t thinking about it that way.”
Isabel cupped her cheeks in her hands, lost in a daydream.
“Oh~ I wish someone from the imperial family would treat me like that~ A handsome man would be even better!”
Meanwhile, Lotten pushed up his glasses and spoke.
“…Where’s Charlotte? What’s she doing? Is she still in the infirmary?”
“What?!”
Isabel jumped.
“That would be a disaster! We don’t even have a reserve for Mana Sprint! If we don’t perform well in Sprint, we have no chance of promotion!”
At that moment—
As the announcement echoed, a skilled orchestra began playing lively music.
The all-out war had truly begun.
The students, their faces tense, began forming lines.
The sight of the chaotic crowd swiftly organizing into neat rows was impressive.
With everyone in formation, the empty spaces stood out even more.
In the front row of the failing class, one spot remained vacant.
As the failing class murmured amongst themselves—
“…”
A girl, seemingly drifting in another world, silently walked towards the empty space.
Around her, all sensation, except for time and space, seemed to vanish.
No color, no sound.
The murmuring students, overwhelmed by the sight, fell silent.
Isabel, who had unconsciously been about to greet her, stopped.
Charlotte seemed empty.
Her eyes were unfocused and dull, her expression vacant.
It was impossible to discern her thoughts.
It would have been helpful if Adrian were there, but unfortunately, the professors had their designated area.
“Are you prepared?”
While everyone else was preoccupied with Charlotte, Michelle calmly asked.
Charlotte silently nodded.
“…Yes.”
“Don’t make any mis—”
Michelle trailed off.
The aura emanating from Charlotte was incredibly peculiar.
And her eyes…
A gaze of utter resolve, as if she had accepted death.
It had been a long time since even Michelle had seen such a look.
“…Never mind.”
And so, with no absences, the failing class’s all-out war began.
An all-out war where someone’s life, and everything, was at stake.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
[Another Lamia baddie has entered the story]
