Joint Combat Practice 2 (6)
“Hehe, hehe… !”
The condition of the Ofilis tube was also not normal.
Ed and Clarice jumped off Merilda’s back and quickly checked the state of the rose garden. Clarice’s legs went weak.
The bodies lying around were half maids and half students.
“right… Ugh… .”
Clarice, pushed to her limit, could barely hold back tears. She grabbed Ed’s elbow tightly and blocked her mouth… She forced her trembling steps to move.
The Ofilis Hall was located much closer to the dragon than the Trix Hall. The moment disaster struck, they were unable to deploy proper defensive magic.
The outer wall was almost completely hollow. There were clear signs that the scales had gone through.
The interior was also miserable. The lobby and hallways were covered in blood. Not only Clarisse, but even Ed, who was always calm, couldn’t help but gulp.
“High-level defense magic circle… It’s activated… .”
Ed repeated this as he looked up at the ceiling in the central lobby.
If this is a wide-range attack, its power is limited. Although the scale attack was powerful, it would not have been strong enough to break through high-level defense magic.
this is… It is a sign that a defensive magic circle was implemented, albeit belatedly, after the first attack. This means that there are survivors inside.
The saint’s room is on the top floor, and the room that manages the defense magic circle is on the way up. It was worth stopping by quickly since the route wouldn’t be wasted.
Ed went up the stairs of Ophelis Hall, holding the arm of the saint who was wiping away her tears with her sleeve.
Then, I quickly turned around in the middle floor and ran down the hallway of the management office where the maids lived. It was creepy because there were corpses scattered all over the place, but I gritted my teeth and ignored them and moved on.
And when I entered the deepest part of the management office… Soon, a maid was seen sitting on top of the defense magic ceremony, panting. He was a survivor.
When I got closer, I saw that gorgeous outfit… It’s the maid’s.
“Mr. Bell… !”
“Huh, ugh… .”
As Ed shouts, the maid, covered in blood, slightly raises her head. She grits her teeth and tries to raise her body, but she collapses again and falls down.
It has four or five huge scales stuck on its shoulders and abdomen. It is already a fatal wound.
The dragon’s scale magic attacked without any time to respond. As soon as Belle Maia noticed the incident, she rushed to the management room and tried to activate defensive magic first, but the dragon’s attack was a little faster.
The dragon’s blow, which broke through the outer wall and butchered the people inside, must have been painful.
In the meantime, Belle staggered to the verge of death and entered the deepest part of the management office… High-level defense magic was unleashed for any possible survivors.
“this… Unbelievable… .”
The sight of Bel Maia struggling to raise her head, dripping blood. Clarisse covered her mouth with both her hands and swallowed her breath.
Bel Maia, seeing the two, forced herself to move… She took out a bundle of keys from her belt. She didn’t seem to have enough strength left to pick out the key and take it out, so she dropped it on the floor and collapsed into Ed’s arms.
There was no strength in my body anymore. Ed closed Bellemaia’s eyes with gritted teeth and carefully laid her body on the floor. He then picked up his bundle of keys and guided Clarisse’s arm.
“Ugh… Ugh… .”
Clarisse was already at the limit of her mental state. However, thanks to Ed somehow maintaining his composure, he was able to move his body at least.
They crossed the hallway side by side, ran up the stairs again, and reached the saint’s room on the top floor.
With hasty movements, Ed inserted the door keys one by one and turned them all. Only after a long fight with crackling, crackling noises did the door open.
With a squeak, the most luxurious private room in the Ofilis building comes into view at a glance. This is the saint’s private room.
Ed entered the room with Clarisse, slammed the door shut, and then lowered the lock. After that, he made the saint sit on her bed.
Ed placed his hands on the saint’s shoulders and spoke with direct eye contact.
“Brace yourself, saint.”
“eww… Ugh… Ugh… yes… yes… .”
“Once the high-level defense magic has been activated, you won’t be caught in the aftermath of any magic as long as you stay in the room. You will be swept away by a direct hit or magic that exceeds your limit… Let’s hope that doesn’t happen. “First of all, there is hardly a safer place on campus than here.”
Ed said and stood up.
“I still have a lot left to find out. There are many places to visit. So please wait here. “You must never leave Ofilis Hall.”
The moment I said that and was about to take my hand off Clarisse’s shoulder, Clarice held my hand tightly and pulled me towards it.
“ah… not… bar… Outside… danger… .”
Tears flowed non-stop. Still, Clarice held her breath and continued speaking with difficulty. They told us to stay here together because it was dangerous outside.
Clarice was just so afraid. It was an extremely harsh ordeal for Clarice, who had lived her entire life in the solemn world of Holy Emperor Capital. If I were left here alone, I felt like the fear would become uncontrollable.
“Saint. To solve the problem, I have to figure out the situation… .”
―Quaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Another explosion sounded from outside the window. There are also earthquakes. Light streamed in from outside the window as if a light had been turned on.
Clarisse stayed in Ed’s arms and looked up at his face. Tears flowed out in heaps.
Ed briefly patted him on the back a few times… Soon, he grabbed Clarice’s slender shoulder again and pulled her out of his arms.
It was sad to see a face full of tear stains, but I couldn’t just sit still like this.
“Saint. Look out the window. Just because I’m waiting like this… .”
… It doesn’t solve anything.
As he was about to say that, a strange sight outside the window caught Ed’s eyes. It was a magic circle rising high in the sky.
It was not manifested by the Holy Lance Dragon Velbrok, nor was it manifested by Lucy or Obel, who were blocking the dragon. In the first place, the direction was not towards the site of the battle, but towards a deep alley in Gyo-dong.
―Tap!
-Drurling.
Ed ran out, opened the window, and stuck his head out the window. The overall shape of the magic circle seemed to come into view at a glance. It went beyond a simple magic formula and was applied to a completely different field.
“to… Mr. De… ?”
Clarisse called out to Ed in a voice full of moisture. But Ed had no answer. He clearly saw the shape of the magic circle in his eyes and then ran back into the corner of the room.
In the first place, Ed knows the structure of this room well. This is because there was an opportunity to enter the top floor of Ofilis Hall at the end of Act 4.
I pulled out the sliding bookshelf in the corner and took it out. It was full of all kinds of Bibles, magic books, and reference books. Most of them were books about theological considerations.
Ed bent down and took out books on magic. Then he brought it over to the center table, placed it on the table, and began flipping through the pages.
“Senior Ed… ?”
He tried calling it a second time, but the voice didn’t reach Ed’s ears, whose brain was already working to its limit.
I flicked through the pages for a few minutes, desperately searching for something, and eventually, after a while, my hands stopped at a specific page.
He throws the page open on the table and takes out another book from his pocket. It was a rare magic book with astronomical value, ‘Introduction to Aspects’ by Archmage Glokt.
This time, I flicked through the book, looking up the contents here and there, stopping at a specific page and reading it alternately, comparing and contrasting it with the book on sacred law I had just opened.
After so long… Ed flopped down on the antique wooden chair next to the table.
“This… okay… I think I understand… .”
He whispers quietly. The half-trembling voice also subsided to some extent.
“In the first place… It’s twisted… Wasn’t it… ?”
“Senior Ed, is there something…?” .”
“From the beginning, this was just… If it was an ‘affair’… ?”
-bang!
Ed, who soon finished organizing all his thoughts, hit the table and stood up. The saint asked after seeing that.
“Senior, did you notice something…? ?”
“Listen carefully, saint. Whatever happens… If you feel like you can’t do it, be sure to ask me for help… .”
“yes… ?”
“therefore… .”
―Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
From then on, it all happened in an instant.
Just as Ed was about to explain something more, Seongchangryong’s breath struck the Ofilis Pavilion’s defensive magic. It was the aftermath of a battle taking place outside.
Even Obel could not block a mass of magic power of that mighty scale. In the end, there is no choice but to twist the direction of force and bounce it around.
One of the many strands that bounced off… It ended up hitting the Ofilis Pavilion.
―Cugung! Googoo googung!
Ed’s reflexes responded quickly.
The building is already at its limit. If it’s going to collapse… I had to take the safest position possible.
Ed, gathering his magical power and holding the saintly woman in his arms, almost dived onto the bed. I felt my body bounce on the soft bed, and then the ceiling began to collapse.
―Kwagwagagagagagagang!
The rubble of the building rained down.
* * *
―Drop, drop.
I opened my eyes to the feeling of something liquid dripping from the tip of my nose and onto my cheek.
Clarice could barely move her whole body as she screamed, trying to raise her upper body.
“… Huh… !”
I just grabbed my mouth tightly with both hands… She trembled endlessly.
In the rubble of a collapsed building. The sight of Ed, who was using his magic power to support the wreckage, came into view.
In his heart… There was an iron pole that would have been used as a building material. Its thickness was thicker than that of most short spears.
The liquid that was dripping down my cheek was… It was blood flowing from Ed’s chest.
“Oh, no… no… .”
Ed knelt down like that. She seemed as if she would collapse, but then again, supporting the weight of her remains, she tried to say something to her saint.
“nine… th… second… under… .”
“no… . Senior Ed… This… No… . No way… .”
Stubborn tears flowed out.
Clarice tried to press Ed’s wound with her slender hands, but there was no sign of Ed’s fresh blood flowing out. He was only staining his pure white hands red as blood continued to flow from the cracks between his fingers.
“no… . why… like this… Something like this… I… Instead of me… Dying… No… . no… .”
Ed kept trying to say something. It was like some number.
“Day… six… ball… .”
The hand that presses the wound is fleeting. Without even having time to wipe away the welling tears, Clarisse somehow strengthened his hand.
Clarisse didn’t do anything for Ed. He was caught up in the situation, and unable to adapt to the sudden change, he was led by his hand, and eventually even made him die instead.
That fact eats away at Clarisse’s heart again. His lifeless face constantly stimulates my mind.
Too many people sacrificed their lives to save Clarice’s life. There was no time for anyone to do anything.
I never wanted Ed to die. He’s still breathing.
But… The light of life was already running out.
Ed used his last efforts to bounce off the debris from the building that was pouring down from the rooftop. If it weren’t for the magic powers drawn from Glast’s ring, it would have been completely impossible in its current state.
And then… As it was, the strength of my body was released. She flopped down on the saint’s lap and her body landed.
“eww… Ugh… Ugh… Ugh… .”
In a room where the ceiling collapsed and everything inside was exposed… The saintess hugged Ed’s head with her tears streaming down her face. Ed’s eyes are slowly becoming droopy, and the color is disappearing from her face.
“No… . no… please… . no… .”
like that… Ed passed away.
The sky is filled with the roar of Seongchangryong. Lucy and Obel are outnumbered.
A strange magic circle rises from the corner of the teaching building and covers the entire heaven and earth.
Soon, I felt as if the world was bathed in light. Is this how we face death?
Clarice cried as she hugged Ed’s head tightly. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I keep repeating that… .
I had no choice but to face the end of my life like that.
* * *
It felt like the blackout had been removed.
I can’t help but narrow my eyebrows at the bright light that suddenly stings my eyes.
Clarice took a deep breath.
― ‘Seo, what is the saint doing here…? ?’
– ‘Today is joint combat practice. You didn’t come to check the match-up… ?’
– ‘you idiot… ! The saint was planning to welcome distinguished guests from Seongdo today… ! So I missed practice… !’
– ‘Well, that’s right… But then why are you here… ? Could it be that Ed came to meet that man… ?’
– ‘Do you two know each other? ?’
– ‘well… ‘I don’t think I saw the saint and that man talking.’
― ‘To begin with, the saint does not have much contact with other people.’
– ‘That’s right… .’
Murmurs were heard here and there.
The location is near the main gate of Glokt Hall. A wooden table made for students to rest.
If you sit there and look across from you, the person that catches your eye is… Ed Rosstaylor and Yenica Palover sitting quietly next to him.
“… … .”
Clarisse couldn’t breathe. In the first place, the current situation was not even understood.
just… The image of Ed cooling off in Clarisse’s arms still remains in my mind.
However, Ed Rosstaylor in front of me… She had a puzzled expression on her face as she looked at the saint, closed the book she was reading and put it down on her table.
“Saint. Let’s talk… What are you talking about… ?”
Ed Rosstaylor was looking at Clarisse as he gave that answer.
“… … .”
That moment,
The image of a blond man standing against the remains of a building flashes through my memory. The iron bar piercing his chest and the blood gushing out… The image of Clarice supporting her weight while dying coldly to protect her is overlapped at once.
Holding back the feeling that threatened to well up in tears, Clarice stood up quickly. And then he approached Ed in an instant.
Then, out of nowhere, he unbuttons Ed’s shirt and starts unbuttoning it.
“… … ??”
“No, what now… Do you… .”
Since he couldn’t carelessly scratch the saint’s body, Ed raised his arms and asked in confusion.
Yenika, who was sitting next to her, shot a question mark with her ears turning red, and the students who were watching all of them froze.
The saintess unbuttoned a couple of Ed’s top buttons and looked inside, but there were no puncture wounds or flowing fresh blood.
Yenika jumped up from her seat with a blush on her face.
“Seo, saint… ! No matter how much of a saint you are… In a place like this in broad daylight… Something like this… !!”
The moment he said that and tried to stop Clarisse, she let go of Ed.
And then I took a step back… She flopped down in her seat.
Was it a dream or a hallucination? Was it simply because I was so tired these days that I saw nothing?
Clarice lowered her head as she thought about that, but… Soon he felt pain around his right arm.
At that feeling, Clarice lifted her right arm and checked her wrist.
I took a deep breath again.
On those slender wrists… I don’t know why, but it stayed that way.
The print of Ed’s hand that he held tightly while running up the Ofilis Pavilion.
The face that met a cold death while protecting Clarice blooms again as a vivid memory.
She swept Ed’s face in front of her over and over again… Tears were flowing.
Of course, all the students watching that… Everyone had no choice but to remain as frozen as stone.
