—————————————————————–
Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
—————————————————————–
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Weeks before the Duel Season began, Lee Yu-jin had warned them.
He said that the Fallen might attack during the Duel Season.
Their numbers could range from thousands to tens of thousands, possibly even more.
And one or two Named Fallen might appear.
But… somehow…
“…With this, the Duel Season has concluded… Wait a minute.”
…something far worse than what they had been told had occurred.
“The sky… shattered?”
Arthur gasped, unable to believe her eyes.
The sky, shattered like broken glass.
And beyond the shattered sky, a world shrouded in darkness appeared.
It was an ominous, chilling sight.
But what truly sent shivers down Arthur’s spine was the scenery hidden within the darkness.
‘…Though mostly destroyed, there’s no mistaking it.’
Thanks to her Fairy Eyes, which allowed her to see through the darkness, Arthur recognized the scenery, or rather, the building hidden within.
A familiar, undeniably familiar building.
It was none other than… Arena Academy.
It was an impossible sight. But considering the abilities of the Fairy Eyes Vivian had bestowed upon her, it was an undeniable truth.
Fairy Eyes not only allowed her to read the minds of those she made eye contact with, but also to see through illusions.
Therefore, the scene before her was not an illusion, but reality.
But that realization only confused Arthur further.
‘…Is that world the future of this world? Or perhaps a parallel world?’
She didn’t know.
She couldn’t understand why there was another world with the same environment as this one.
But she understood one thing.
The shattered sky.
That phenomenon was far more dangerous than a Special-Grade Rift.
The dark world.
That world and this world should never connect.
And it seemed she wasn’t the only one who thought so.
Shing.
Lee Seo-yeon and Asuka, their faces tense with apprehension, drew their swords.
“…God, grant us the strength to overcome this trial.”
Noah knelt, praying to God and gathering holy power.
Seeing them, Arthur gripped the hilt of Excalibur, which was trembling at her waist, and drew it. As if taking her cue, her classmates began drawing their weapons one by one.
And Vice-principal Kang, standing among them, finally seemed to understand the situation. He pulled a device with a red button from his pocket.
The instructors, who had been below the arena, were now in the spectator stands, calming the crowd.
When had they gone up there?
“…So this is why the Principal told us to prepare.”
Vice-principal Kang muttered, pressing the red button on the device.
Rumble…
The ground shook as if an earthquake had struck.
And a sturdy-looking wall rose from the Academy’s outer perimeter.
And then…
Flash—! Whoosh!
A bright light erupted from the spectator stands, where the instructors were barely managing to control the crowd.
Judging by the light, similar to the one that appeared when they were transported to different locations during the matches, it seemed to be a teleportation spell.
As Arthur was having that thought…
…the light from the spectator stands faded.
Everyone in the regular seats had vanished, except for the Saintess and Sword Saint, who were having a serious conversation in the VIP seats.
Vice-principal Kang, seeing that all the civilians had been evacuated, sighed briefly in relief. And as he was reaching into his pocket for another device…
…Rumble—!
…a deafening roar echoed from the sky.
Everyone looked up, startled by the earth-shattering sound.
And their eyes widened in horror.
The sight before them was truly shocking.
Crackle, crackle!
The cracks in the sky were spreading rapidly.
And the dark world beyond the shattered sky was spewing darkness towards this world.
And within that darkness… black vortexes.
Special-Grade Rifts.
“…Everyone, stay where you are!”
Vice-principal Kang shouted, pressing the button on the device he had just retrieved.
Click, click!
“Damn it! Work, work, damn it!”
But unlike before, no matter how many times he pressed the button, the teleportation spell didn’t activate.
The reason was simple.
The teleportation circles installed in the spectator stands and the arena, a collaborative creation of the Principal, Vice-principal, and the Crafting Instructor, were designed to function even amidst the demonic energy emitted by Special-Grade Rifts.
But that was assuming only two or three Special-Grade Rifts. The number of Rifts pouring out of the shattered sky was immeasurable.
So, it was natural that the teleportation spell wouldn’t work.
“Damn it…”
Vice-principal Kang cursed, looking up at the sky.
The sight of the impending apocalypse loomed above them.
He frowned and pulled a quill pen from his pocket.
Then, he looked at the students and said,
“As you can see, the teleportation circles aren’t working. So, we’ll have to walk to the safe zone. Understood?”
““Yes, sir!””
The students gripped their weapons tightly, their faces tense.
“Then follow me closely.”
With those words, Vice-principal Kang turned around. And as he was about to descend from the arena…
“There’s no need for that.”
…the Saintess and Sword Saint appeared on the arena floor, bathed in bright, holy light.
“S-Saintess-nim! Sword Saint-nim!”
Vice-principal Kang’s face brightened as he looked at them.
The Saintess patted his shoulder and said,
“Leave this Dimensional Rift to Sword Saint Lee Jung-baek, myself, and…”
She paused, looking towards a certain spot. A flash of blue light, and Grand Wizard Yoo Baek, the Principal, appeared.
“…Grand Wizard Yoo Baek.”
With those words, the Saintess vanished in a flash of light.
And she reappeared beneath the shattered sky, in the space consumed by darkness.
Twinkle.
A small light twinkled in the darkness.
Twinkle, twinkle.
More lights appeared, one by one.
And soon…
…countless lights filled the darkness, like a starry night sky.
Hum, hum, hum.
The small lights converged.
And the converged light grew in size.
And the enlarged light…
Flash.
…with a single flash…
────────!!
…caused a massive explosion. And that explosion triggered…
────, ────, ─────!
…a chain reaction, momentarily dispelling the darkness.
And not just dispelling it, but pushing it back, along with the black vortexes, towards the Dimensional Rift.
A voice, audible despite the distance echoed out. And as the voice faded…
Whoosh—!!
…an immense wave of holy power erupted from the Saintess, surging upwards.
And the surging holy power spread like an inverted umbrella, covering a vast area of the Dimensional Rift.
Sword Saint Lee Jung-baek and Grand Wizard Yoo Baek exchanged nods.
Shing.
Sword Saint Lee Jung-baek drew his sword.
Grand Wizard Yoo Baek pulled his wand from his sleeve. He placed his hand on Sword Saint Lee Jung-baek’s shoulder and cast a teleportation spell.
And they reappeared beneath the Dimensional Rift.
Inside one of the Special-Grade Rifts, now blocked by the Saintess’s holy barrier.
Boom, boom! Crash!
As soon as they entered the Rift, it began to disappear rapidly.
However, perhaps because of the sheer number of Rifts pouring out of the Dimensional Rift, the rate at which they were being destroyed was almost the same as the rate at which they were appearing.
“Ah… this isn’t the time.”
Vice-principal Kang, who had been staring blankly at the disappearing Rifts, snapped out of his daze.
“I’m going to activate the teleportation circles, so don’t move.”
Now that the Saintess’s holy barrier was blocking the Rifts, the deactivated teleportation circles should function properly.
He retrieved the device he had put away when he pulled out the quill pen. He pressed the button.
Whoosh!
A bright light engulfed the arena.
At the same time, they felt a surge of mana, as if they were being pulled somewhere.
It was the precursor to teleportation.
Everyone sighed in relief. And so did Arthur.
“Phew…”
They would soon be in a safe place.
As Arthur was sighing in relief, she felt a sense of dissonance.
‘…Why has Lee Yu-jin been staring at the sky all this time?’
Unlike them, who had drawn their weapons in fear and tension, Lee Yu-jin had only activated his armor and was staring intently at the shattered sky.
He was completely motionless, like a statue, and his lack of movement made Arthur uneasy.
And that unease grew as the scenery around them began to change.
Just as the scenery had almost completely changed and the teleportation was about to activate, she saw it.
A blurry, formless being standing behind him.
And the absence of the teleportation’s precursor on him.
‘Ah… that was the source of my unease.’
Realizing that, Arthur channeled her mana. And she released it, disrupting the mana of the teleportation spell.
“What are you…!”
Vice-principal Kang’s bewildered, horrified shout reached her ears.
But the sound cut off as the teleportation completed for everyone else.
But why did he say “you,” plural, instead of “you,” singular?
The reason was soon revealed.
“Yu-jin!”
“Top Student-ssi!”
Lee Seo-yeon and Asuka were running towards Lee Yu-jin.
…She had expected them to do the same, but she hadn’t been certain.
But that wasn’t important right now.
“Everyone, get out of the way!”
Arthur shouted, pushing off the ground.
She channeled her mana into Excalibur, amplifying the holy power within the blade.
And as she was about to swing it at the being behind Lee Yu-jin…
…the formless, blank-faced being turned towards her.
– Hmm, a sword imbued with holy power…
At the same time, a chilling voice, incomprehensible yet understood, echoed in her mind.
A throbbing pain shot through her head, and then…
…the world slowed down.
Her footsteps.
Her classmates, reacting belatedly.
Her sword, reaching towards the being.
Everything was affected by the slowed world.
But the being was different.
– And someone who can wield holy power… You are a threat to Them.
It moved freely, unaffected by the slowed time.
– So, die for Them.
The being raised its arm.
From its distorted, shifting arm, tentacle-like fingers shot towards her eyes, mouth, and heart.
Grit!
Arthur gritted her teeth.
She struggled desperately to move her frozen body.
But her body refused to obey.
Just as the five tentacles were about to pierce her body…
[The talent “Wielder of the Holy Sword (S)” fiercely resists.]
Hum!
Excalibur resonated powerfully, emitting a bright, holy light.
The tentacles that touched the light burst into flames. And they quickly turned to ash and vanished.
…!
The being recoiled in surprise.
But the golden flames, imbued with holy power…
Whoosh!
…chased after it, racing along the remaining tentacles.
Without hesitation…
Splatter.
…the being severed its own arm with its other hand.
It looked down at the severed arm… or rather, the mass of tentacles… on the ground.
Then, it looked up at Arthur.
– …You are indeed dangerous.
It muttered, reiterating Arthur’s threat, and its body began to swell.
Like swarming insects, countless tentacles seeped out from the being’s body.
Arthur felt a wave of nausea. A surge of disgust, a desperate urge to gouge out her eyes.
And at that moment…
“N-nooooooooo…!”
“St-stooooop…!”
“D-don’t…!”
Her classmates’ slowed screams reached her ears.
She saw their hands reaching towards their faces.
Thin tentacles, emanating from the being, were wrapping around their fingers.
Fear consumed their faces, all except for Lee Seo-yeon, Asuka, Noah, and a few others.
Arthur channeled all her remaining mana into Excalibur.
But only the size of the sword energy increased, the holy light remained the same.
– I’ll make you an offer.
The being whispered.
– Abandon your fate. And I will spare theirs.
Surrender and die, and he would spare everyone else.
Arthur was about to accept the sinister offer and withdraw the mana she had channeled into Excalibur…
“Nonsense.”
…when a woman appeared, her long coat billowing around her.
And a cutting sound echoed.
…!
The being turned to dust and vanished.
The slowed world returned to its normal speed.
“I-I can move!”
“H-holy shit… I thought I was going to die.”
Her classmates, who had been controlled by the being’s tentacles, regained control of their bodies.
“Child, are you alright?”
And Arthur looked at the woman who had appeared in the nick of time.
“M-Martial God…!”
It was the Martial God, Baek Yoo-hwa.
“You endured well.”
She patted her shoulder.
“T-thank you.”
Arthur bowed deeply, her face filled with awe.
The Martial God nodded and walked towards Lee Yu-jin, who was still staring blankly at the sky, even though the being was gone.
“Hmm… this child has been thoroughly ensnared by the Apostle’s illusion.”
She reached out and tapped his forehead with her index finger. A stream of mana flowed from her finger into his forehead.
“Don’t worry.”
She said, looking at Lee Seo-yeon, Asuka, and Arthur, who were approaching Lee Yu-jin.
“He’ll wake up soon.”
Hearing her assurance, the three of them sighed in relief.
““Thank you so much.””
They bowed deeply, expressing their gratitude.
The Martial God smiled faintly.
“Excellent women surrounding an excellent man. A truly pleasing sight.”
““Ah…””
Their faces flushed slightly.
The Martial God nodded approvingly.
But the warm atmosphere was short-lived.
They all looked up, sensing an unpleasant, chilling aura from above.
And they saw the being, which had just been reduced to dust by the Martial God, and four Fallen radiating immense demonic energy, floating in the air.
Their presence alone indicated that they were not ordinary Fallen, but Named Fallen.
“Hmm, as expected of insects, their tenacity is remarkable.”
The Martial God clicked her tongue and waved her hand dismissively.
A casual gesture, as if swatting away flies.
But the result was far from casual.
Slice.
A cutting sound echoed.
And the being, along with the four Named Fallen, turned to dust… and then reformed.
The Martial God frowned slightly.
“Disgusting creatures.”
She reached out towards the air. And as her hand clenched…
– Martial God, this is not our stage.
…the being spread its tentacle-covered arms wide. Four Special-Grade Rifts appeared above the Academy, one in each cardinal direction.
And one Named Fallen entered each Rift.
And as if taking their cue, the Rifts began to rapidly expand, consuming their surroundings.
“Foolish.”
The Martial God, now wielding a black sword that had appeared out of nowhere, swung it at one of the Rifts.
The Rift split in two.
But only for a moment.
Gurgle.
The bisected vortex rejoined, as if it had never been cut.
The Martial God’s eyes followed something.
– As I said, this is not our stage.
The being said, and vanished.
It reappeared outside the Dimensional Rift.
It looked down at the Martial God, as if beckoning her to follow.
“…Very well, I’ll grant your wish.”
The Martial God pushed off the ground lightly. She appeared before the being in an instant.
Grab!
She seized the being by the neck and dragged it into the Dimensional Rift.
And a moment later…
Rumble, rumble!
…roars and flashes of light erupted from within the Dimensional Rift, from the dark world.
Arthur, watching the scene, looked at Noah, sensing the demonic energy pouring out of the Special-Grade Rift above them.
“Noah, can you create a holy barrier like you did on the deserted island?”
“Yes, I can.”
Noah readily agreed and began gathering holy power. And as he was about to create the barrier…
…the Saintess’s voice echoed in their ears.
At the same time, a protective barrier of holy power enveloped everyone in the arena.
Arthur felt her body strengthen. Her breathing, which had been labored due to the demonic energy, returned to normal.
“My mother has bestowed her blessings upon us.”
Noah said cheerfully, explaining the effects of the Saintess’s blessing.
Physical Enhancement, Endurance Enhancement, Mental Fortitude, and finally, Demonic Energy Resistance.
The effects would last for approximately 48 hours.
And the Demonic Energy Resistance was potent enough to allow them to move freely even within the demonic energy of a Special-Grade Rift.
Arthur nodded, listening to Noah’s explanation, and looked at Lee Yu-jin.
He was still motionless.
He was simply staring blankly at the sky, and Arthur sighed briefly.
‘The Martial God said he would wake up.’
She would protect this place until then.
With that thought, Arthur looked around.
There were only about thirty people left, those who had disrupted the teleportation spell and remained behind.
And the number of monsters and Fallen pouring out of the ever-expanding Rifts was immeasurable.
Could they hold out?
Until he woke up?
A sense of doubt crept into her mind, but Arthur gripped Excalibur tightly and dismissed the thought.
‘It’s not about whether we can hold out.’
They would hold out.
As Arthur was having that thought, her classmates, who were forming a defensive formation, spoke up, one by one.
“Holding out until the Top Student wakes up? Piece of cake.”
Park Sung-woo said, feigning bravado, resting his sword on his shoulder.
“Once the Top Student wakes up, this situation will be resolved quickly.”
Im Da-hee said, her faith in Lee Yu-jin unwavering, slamming her lightning-wreathed spear into the ground.
“Y-yeah. O-our T-top S-student is a-amazing.”
Park Ga-ram said, channeling her gray mana and creating protective barriers around everyone.
Seeing their unwavering faith and determination, even in this desperate situation, Arthur nodded.
Screech!
Shriek!
Growl!
「Greed has spoken! Kill everyone except for that Lee Yu-jin!」
「Kihahaha! I’ll tear you limb from limb!」
「Fresh meat! Fresh souls!」
She looked at the monsters and Fallen charging towards them and shouted,
“Hold out!”
Arthur raised her sword.
Whoosh!
Flames, formed from mana, ignited on Excalibur’s blade.
“Until Lee Yu-jin wakes up!”
With those words, Arthur swung her flaming sword.
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!
A wave of golden flames surged towards the monsters and Fallen.
And as the wave engulfed them…
Boom, crash, boom!
…the battle began.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
How long had they been fighting?
Even with the Saintess’s blessing, Arthur felt exhausted.
The sword energy on Excalibur’s blade had thinned.
She had almost depleted her stamina and mana.
But the monsters and Fallen kept coming.
And Lee Yu-jin was still unconscious.
So, she would endure. She would continue to endure until he woke up.
Arthur renewed her resolve and cut down the monsters and Fallen charging towards her.
But her endurance was reaching its limit.
Grab!
“…Damn it!”
A Fallen, lying on the ground, turning to ash, suddenly grabbed Arthur’s ankle.
That single action created an opening.
And the monsters and Fallen, seizing the opportunity, charged towards Arthur, roaring.
“Damn it, if this is how it’s going to be…!”
Arthur gathered her remaining mana. And as she was about to unleash it all at once…
────────!!
…a familiar, thunderous roar, unique to firearms, echoed.
And at the same time…
────────!!
…all the monsters and Fallen charging towards her, and indeed, all the enemies on the arena floor and those approaching them, exploded in white flames.
Arthur, and everyone else, looked towards Lee Yu-jin.
And they saw him, no longer staring at the sky, now armed and firing relentlessly at the enemies.
“Lee Yu-jin…!”
Arthur shouted his name, her face beaming.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
[Your Text Here]
(edited)
YOU SENT AN INVITE TO JOIN A SERVER
Arcane Translations
522 Online
3,519 Members
Joined
