Chapter 152: Chaos (2)
The 49th cadet had nearly gotten beaten up, unaware that Tesha was actually Theresia.
Even after Yuri had told him that Tesha was Theresia and that she would be coming along this path…
“Aargh…”
…he still got hit.
It was because he had wasted time unnecessarily.
Rubbing his aching chest, he lifted his head.
“You bastard, was I the one wasting time?! It was because you didn’t explain things properly that it took so long!”
Only after Yuri had disappeared, and quite some time had passed, did the aggrieved 49th cadet hurl a string of curses in the direction Yuri had left.
It was in that moment, as he vented his frustrations with a barrage of swearing.
Step-.
The sound of footsteps nearby made the aggrieved 49th cadet flinch, his shoulders trembling.
‘Is it… that guy?!’
He had purposely waited a long time before cursing, just in case!
His face turned pale.
However, regaining his rationality, he realized that the sound had come from behind him.
‘Ah, it must be the others waking up.’
His fellow cadets who had also been knocked out cold by Yuri.
Thinking that they were waking up, he turned his head without suspicion.
And then.
“He-Hey?!”
Thud-.
Seeing the figure standing still nearby, he was so startled that he fell backward.
Fiery red hair and a face covered in blood.
A greatsword exuding a frigid air, and red eyes enveloped in chilling murderous intent.
The energy, fully unleashed, responded to its owner’s cold fury, causing the surrounding temperature to plummet sharply.
Sssss- Huff.
Even though spring had arrived, the red-haired, red-eyed monster’s breath continuously exhaled a white vapor.
The 49th cadet swallowed dryly at the sight of him.
‘Is he… Black Sword Corps? I-Is he really a Black Sword Corps member?’
The uniform was indeed that of the Black Sword Corps.
But this raised more questions.
‘The atmosphere is completely different from the Black Sword Corps I know…’
The only Black Sword Corps members he knew were those fulfilling the role of instructors at the Cradle.
But that was not the true form of the Black Sword Corps.
They were beings known as war demons or madmen obsessed with battle.
The terrifying killing intent emanating from this unrestrained, true form of a Black Sword Corps member, particularly one of the squad leader level, was not something ordinary, and the 49th cadet, exposed to it, was engulfed in fear.
Shudder-.
As he sat trembling and unable to speak, the Demon King’s gaze fell upon him.
“…That guy?”
It was like he had climbed up from the depths of hell.
A low, rumbling voice made the 49th cadet quiver in fright as he replied.
“Ah… th-that… y-yes?”
“Black hair… He should have passed through here, right?”
Sensing that the “black hair” in his question referred to Yuri, the 49th cadet nodded fervently.
“…How long ago?”
As he asked, the Demon King’s murderous aura grew even thicker.
Hiccup-.
Even though he knew that the intense killing intent wasn’t directed at him, the 49th cadet felt as though his neck was about to snap.
“I asked how long ago.”
“Ah, w-well… that is…”
The 49th cadet, struggling to think clearly, squeezed out a response.
“A-About 10 minutes…”
“Are you sure?”
“I-It’s definitely been over five minutes!”
As soon as he heard those words, the Demon King started sprinting forward.
The 49th cadet watched, stunned, as the figure moved like a red aura in motion.
“Ah, damn it…”
His face twisted into a grimace.
“…I wet myself.”
Two spearheads crossed, sparking briefly in the clash.
Thwack- Clang!
Like venomous snakes, coiled and hissing, the two spears twisted and writhed against each other.
Then, one of the spear shafts vibrated finely, causing the entire weapon to shudder.
Immediately, the other spear shaft recoiled in surprise, hastily disengaging.
Vvvv- Whizz- Clank!
The two wielders of the spears quickly retreated, glaring at each other.
Vvvvv-.
Theresia grimaced as the strong vibrations lingered in her hand.
‘…Is this spear technique?’
Vangelis Anniston.
Her spear techniques were bizarre and unconventional.
She would reverse her grip and swing the spear like a blunt weapon.
She would grasp the end of the spear and slash with it like a sword.
Sometimes, she would hold the spear close to the blade and wield it as if it were a reversed dagger.
She even threw the spear and then followed up with punches.
It was a spear technique, yet it felt like it was not.
It was a spear technique that leapt beyond the confines of convention, rampaging freely.
That was the overall impression Theresia got as she faced Vangelis.
And Vangelis, who wielded such a spear technique, was strong.
The prestige of the Anniston family.
She lived up to her reputation as the top cadet of the 46th class.
‘No, she’s even stronger than what’s been said.’
The two reasons Theresia had managed to hold her own against such a formidable opponent so far were:
‘If Senior Vangelis had connected at least 30 strikes… I would have lost.’
The first reason was that the exchanges between Theresia and Vangelis had never exceeded 10 strikes.
2 people, 4 people, 5 people, 7 people, 10 people, and so on.
The cadets that Yulia sent up from the first checkpoint arrived in staggered groups.
Because of this, Theresia only needed to withstand up to 10 strikes from Vangelis.
The rules set by Vangelis worked in Theresia’s favor.
And the second reason.
It was Theresia’s own surprising improvement.
‘The sparring sessions with the others have paid off.’
The training to bypass Poppy’s shield and aim for his rear.
The practice of parrying Arin’s rapid strikes.
The drills to catch up to Yuri’s speed, which now surpassed her own, had brought about remarkable improvement.
The few months of sparring with Yuri’s friends had propelled Theresia far ahead, more so than the solitary year she had spent stabbing her spear into the empty air.
This change was noticed not just by Theresia, but also by Vangelis, who was facing her.
Vangelis shrugged slightly.
“To be honest, there was a perception that the 49th class was below average compared to previous classes, so I didn’t take you very seriously… but I guess the top is still the top, huh? I thought ten strikes would be enough to overpower you, but it seems I’ll need at least twenty.”
Theresia’s lips twitched slightly at her words.
“Well, I think I could hold out for at least thirty strikes. Maybe even more.”
“Even if your skills exceed my expectations, that’s a bit arrogant.”
Vangelis frowned slightly as she gave her assessment, while Theresia wore a faint smile.
“Arrogant, huh…”
Was it because she had grown by nourishing herself with the time spent with that kid?
To think that she would hear such words as well.
Theresia found the situation a little amusing.
And her senior’s assessment of her being arrogant didn’t really bother her much.
She suddenly thought of Yuri’s face.
“Yuri… I wonder if he’s doing alright?”
Yuri, who had been forced into a quest at her request and practically abducted.
Theresia wondered what Yuri, who was likely confined in the Demon King’s castle, was doing while waiting for her at this moment.
“Maybe I’m thinking of Yuri too much, but it feels like I can actually hear his voice.”
Theresia was smiling faintly, but then her face abruptly stiffened.
“…Wait.”
Her ears perked up.
—–“Teshaaa-!”
She heard a faint, echoing voice from afar, and her eyes widened.
“Tesha?”
There was only one person in the world who called her that outside of her family.
‘No way… That can’t be right.’
Theresia forced herself to relax her expression.
After all, the person who called her Tesha couldn’t possibly be here in the Cradle.
She convinced herself that she had misheard.
And then, right at that moment—
“Teetttsshaaa—!”
This time, the voice was louder and clearer.
It was unmistakably calling “Tesha,” echoing around her.
Theresia’s face went rigid.
‘This is impossible!’
She tried denying it again, but this time, not only she but also Vangelis heard the sound.
“Tesha? What does that mean?”
“…?!”
It was undeniable confirmation.
When Theresia and Vangelis turned their heads towards the direction of the sound…
At that moment, a black-haired boy was racing down the U-shaped alley at an incredible speed.
And the Black Sword Corps members noticed his presence as well.
The black-haired boy’s appearance seemed unexpected to them too, as the expression of surprise was evident on the Black Sword Corps members’ faces.
But only for a moment.
The Black Sword Corps then opened up their human barrier.
Their role was to prevent the cadets from passing through the checkpoints, not to stop those returning.
Thanks to the barrier being lifted, Vangelis and Theresia could see beyond more clearly.
And there…
“Teshaaa!”
It was Yuri, running with a cheerful expression as if overjoyed to see her.
Thududududu—
From the U-shaped alley Yuri had just emerged from, dozens of people poured out in pursuit.
“Woahhhh!”
“Don’t fall behind!”
There were thirty people at first, but as a few more joined, the group now numbered nearly forty, all screaming and chasing after Yuri.
Yuri finally passed through the human barrier that the Black Sword Corps had opened.
“Tesha! I’ve come to rescue you!”
At Yuri’s bold and cheerful shout, Theresia took a step back.
It was a natural reaction.
“Catch him! Run with all your might!”
“Damn it, stop right there!”
“If we just catch that bastard… Why the hell is he so fast?!”
“Just wait till I catch you. I’ll break your legs first!”
…Rescue?
…How in the world does this look like a rescue?
Theresia’s face turned pale.
Anyone who saw the murderous bunch clinging to Yuri’s back would have the same reaction as her.
Look, even Vangelis was stepping back in shock.
At that moment, when Theresia froze in surprise—
“Just run!”
Smack—
Yuri, who had sprinted over, grabbed Theresia’s wrist and started running.
Yulia’s time pondering her next move grew longer.
Moreover, the number of black and white pieces on the chessboard had equalized at some point.
Yulia wore a restless and frustrated expression.
‘Am I still not good enough to beat my brother?’
Her early advantage had completely disappeared, and no matter how hard she racked her brain for moves, new obstacles kept emerging, ruining her plans.
Furthermore, the time she needed to come up with her moves kept getting longer, while Fritz continued to make his moves effortlessly.
There was only one meaning to this.
‘If this continues… I’ll lose.’
At this rate, defeat was inevitable.
Her only choice was whether to admit defeat now or at the end.
But even so, Yulia did not give up.
She knew better than anyone that holding on any longer would just be stalling for time, but she continued to move her chess pieces.
To see if there was a tiny escape route she hadn’t considered.
Smack—
When Yulia placed her piece, Fritz asked nonchalantly.
“So, when is this variable of yours going to show up?”
“…….”
At that question, Yulia glared at Fritz.
‘He obviously knows the variable I mentioned isn’t about this chess game.’
Even so, Fritz had brought it up to mock her, and Yulia knew it all too well.
Despite his sister’s sharp glare, Fritz was unaffected.
In fact, he smirked even more.
“If you don’t have any more surprises, let’s just end this. It’s getting boring. Yaaawn!”
Pretending to yawn obnoxiously, Fritz moved his king one square to the side.
Smack—
At the same time, Yulia’s eyes shook.
‘All paths… are blocked.’
With just one move of his king…
With that single move, no matter what piece she moved, Fritz’s next move would lead to checkmate.
It was as if every move in the game had been a setup for this moment, a perfectly prepared victory.
And for Yulia, it was a complete defeat.
With a sigh, Yulia’s face relaxed.
‘Still… it’s a relief that I managed to send quite a few up.’
There were seven left besides herself.
Only the weakest were left behind, so the battle against the Demon King should be manageable.
That is, if those who made it through could do their part.
“I’ve lo—…”
Finally, with a resigned expression, Yulia was about to declare her defeat.
Rumble—
“…Huh?”
Suddenly, a rumbling noise reached Yulia and Fritz, drawing their attention.
And from afar, Yuri and Theresia appeared.
They closed the distance at an incredible speed, rushing past the Black Sword Corps, and arrived at the spot where Yulia and Fritz were standing.
Theresia shouted in surprise when she saw the S siblings still standing there blankly.
“Wa-Wait, Yuri! In front… in front!”
“Hey, move! What the hell are you doing in the middle of the road?!”
Bang!
With a booming yell, Yuri rushed between Fritz and Yulia and kicked the table where the chessboard was set.
Crash!
Theresia, who was running with Yuri, stepped on the scattered chessboard and continued running.
After the two had passed.
Whoosh—
The gust they caused blew away the dust, naturally drawing Fritz and Yulia’s gazes to the ground.
The two stood in silence.
“…….”
“…….”
The chess pieces they had been carefully moving were now scattered messily.
The fiercely contested board was overturned, with black footprints stamped all over it.
A completely flipped game.
Fritz, staring at it blankly, spoke in a dazed voice.
“…Was this the variable you had prepared, Yulia?”