"Simon, um..."
"What is it?"
She twisted her feet, her voice shy. "The glasses looked good on you earlier."
"Really? Haha, thanks."
The two of them headed to the cafeteria. It was crowded since it was lunchtime. They waited at the end of the line, had a leisurely lunch for about an hour, and even enjoyed dessert at a cafe to treat themselves.
"The chocolate frappe was so delicious..." Kamibarez said, her face wreathed in smiles.
Simon thought she seemed particularly cheerful today. Usually, she was conscious of those around her and tended to be quiet, perhaps to avoid making mistakes, but the chattering Kamibarez at the cafe was a new side of her.
’Ah, maybe it’s not new?’
Come to think of it, he had seen this excited side of Kamibarez once before. The night he first met her for the group assignment, when they went into the Forbidden Forest together, she had been just as animated.
"We have about thirty minutes until the next class," Simon said, looking at his wristwatch.
She smiled brightly. "Then, shall we head to the lecture hall early?"
"Sounds good."
The two of them walked slowly, strolling through the campus.
"Simon, I have something to ask you."
"What is it?"
"Um, it’s about the social club I joined... There’s a group of first-years I hang out with."
"Yeah."
"We’re really, really close. Everyone seems so happy to be part of this group. But... if two people in the club... um... start to like each other..." She looked up at Simon, her face turning red. "Will the group be able to retain the same vibe as before?"
"...Hmm?"
"Ah, I mean! I’m asking for a friend...!"
Simon scratched the side of his head. "This is embarrassing. I’ve never dated anyone, so I don’t know for sure, but... I think a change in the vibe is unavoidable, isn’t it?"
"Y-You think so?"
"When two people start dating, they subconsciously prioritize their partner over their other friends. The others will start to be a little more conscious of the couple, and it won’t be an atmosphere where everyone is on equal footing anymore."
Her face stiffened slightly as she clasped her hands together.
"Still, a person’s feelings aren’t something you can control," Simon said, stretching his arms wide. "I think it’s a natural thing."
"Ah, yes! You’re right!"
The two of them continued to chat as they headed toward the ‘Mana Projectile Firing Range’ where their Hemomancy class was held. Just then, Kamibarez gasped and started rummaging through her skirt pocket.
"What’s wrong?"
"Ohh, I left my notebook at the cafe!"
"I’ll go get—"
"No, it’s okay! I left it, so I’ll go get it quickly! You go on ahead to the lecture hall!" she shouted, then quickly ran off in the direction of the campus cafe.
Simon decided to wait for her and sat down on a nearby bench.
A gentle breeze blew, rustling his hair. It was so peaceful that he exhaled a deeply.
’This reminds me of the old days.’
Back in Rete, he would lie in the grassy fields and stare blankly for hours. Just like then, Simon tilted his head back and looked up at the sky.
Simon blinked, a flicker of confusion crossing his mind.
The sky was tinged with red. When he opened his eyes wide, he saw a reddish membrane stretched across it, staining the heavens the color of blood.
’A barrier? I heard Kizen had a defensive barrier.’
But this was the first time he had seen it so clearly. Simon furrowed his brow.
’But why is the barrier suddenly visible to the naked eye?’
A sense of unease. Or perhaps... a premonition.
Suddenly, the hair on his entire body stood on end as an inexplicable anxiety began to creep in. There was no basis for it, no reason. Just an instinctive gut feeling that something terrible was about to happen.
Just as Simon was about to get up—
’BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM—‘
An explosion roared—a sound unlike anything he had ever heard. The concussive force slammed into him, a brutal headwind that sent his vision spinning before throwing him to the dirt.
His ears went numb, a high-pitched ringing filling them. He was dizzy. A huge vibration shook the ground, making it impossible to keep his balance.
With great effort, Simon pushed himself up and raised his head.
A black cloud of smoke billowed where the Mana Projectile Firing Range had been. The building he would have already been inside if Kamibarez hadn’t forgotten her notebook was being blown to smithereens.
’...What is this?’
The scene was so surreal that his mind struggled to process it.
The ringing in his ears wouldn’t stop.
Another explosion erupted on the opposite side. The building behind the Venomology Hall. The Magic Engineering Hall.
’...Meirin!’
Simon shot to his feet, but before he could move, the explosions continued. This time, a blast came from the dormitories, then another from the first-year academic hall.
The world around him was enveloped in black smoke, transforming into a thick, choking darkness. The once-bright sky was blotted out by ash. Heart-wrenching screams tore through the air. Flames erupted from collapsing buildings, and students fell, bleeding, to the ground.
"Oh..." Simon’s pupils trembled.
’What is this? What in the world is happening?’
Meirin? Dick? And...
’Kami!’
The thought of her sent a chill through his entire body. Simon ran like a madman. The smoke made him cough, his head spun, but all he could think about was running.
There was a friend nearby, a friend he might be able to save.
As he wandered frantically through the smoke, his eyes widened.
"Kami!"
Kamibarez was collapsed on the ground, bleeding from her forehead. Her skin was a discolored, grayish hue, and she was coughing weakly.
"Are you okay? Snap out of it!"
"Si... mon?" Thankfully, she opened her eyes. "Wh-What is happening? Suddenly there was an explosion..."
"I don’t know either! But it’s dangerous here! Can you walk?"
She nodded and struggled to her feet. His only thought was to get her out of Kizen. Simon grabbed her wrist and pushed through the smoke.
’What happened? Is this real? What in the world...’
They heard the sound of tearing flesh.
An excruciating pain pierced through the adrenaline. Blood gushed from his mouth.
"Simon!!!" Kamibarez screamed.
Simon looked down. Something Jet-Black, seemingly forged from darkness itself, was sticking out of his chest.
It was a cross.
He had been impaled. All the strength drained from his body as he collapsed to the floor. Kamibarez burst into tears, kneeling beside him.
"Simon! Simon!! Are you okay? Please! Please! This can’t be happening! Simon!!!"
Through the world of smoke and ash, someone was approaching. Simon desperately turned his head toward the sound of footsteps.
Simon’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Hair as red as blood and a black scarf fluttered amidst the flames. It was a woman in a black suit.
[Curiosity killed the cat.]
[You all should have left Kizen back then.]
It was so. ‘Damn it.’ It was so.
’Francesca... Professor...!’
Francesca was the Priest. She was the spy. She had killed all these students!
He had to stop her. He had to tell someone. Kajan, Lorraine, the professors, Nephthys. He had to tell them...!
He could feel the strength draining from his body. His consciousness faded, his blood-soaked vision blurred. Above a sobbing Kamibarez, he could see countless black crosses materializing in the sky.
’Run.’
His voice wouldn’t come out.
’Run, Kami.’
The crosses fell. With a sickening thud, Simon’s vision went dark.
’Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.’
He could hear the ticking of a clock in his ears. He was still conscious.
When Simon lowered his gaze, he saw the artifact from Nephthys, hanging from his necklace, pulsing with a brilliant light.
The pain vanished, and the emotional turmoil subsided. In an instant, Francesca, Kamibarez, and the sight of a burning Kizen all dissolved, leaving Simon adrift in a world of stark black and white. A tall woman with flowing silver hair stood before him, her arms outstretched. Around her, countless clocks ticked, suspended in the void. Her face was cast in shadow, and though he felt he was seeing her for the first time, she seemed hauntingly familiar, as if her features were a faint echo of someone he knew.
’Lady Nephthys?’
That was the last thing he saw before his consciousness faded to black.
"Simon. Simon."
"Simon, wake up! You’re going to get in trouble."
A sharp gasp tore from his lungs as Simon’s eyes shot open. The first thing he saw was Kamibarez, her own eyes wide with concern as she sat beside him. A tremor ran through his lips.
’What the hell is this?’
He frantically scanned his surroundings. A lecture hall. Nearby, Dick and Meirin were taking notes. All the other students from Class A were present and unharmed, the air filled with the quiet scratching of their quills. A cool breeze drifted in from an open window.
The scene was a jarring, peaceful antithesis to the nightmare he had just witnessed.
’Everyone’s... alive?’
A profound thrill, mingled with overwhelming relief, coursed through him, leaving a tingling sensation in its wake. Was it all just a fever dream? No, it couldn’t have been. It had felt too real.
His eyes fell upon his Venomology textbook on the desk. He raised his arm, his gaze locking on his wristwatch.
’Oh...’
It was so. He had returned. He was back, hours before the catastrophe. Glancing down, he saw that the artifact from Nephthys hanging around his neck was completely shattered.
—"You’ll understand when you truly ‘experience death.’ For now, just know that."
Kajan’s words about the artifact echoed in his mind. ‘This’ was what he had meant? A frantic energy surged through him, and he couldn’t calm the frantic beating of his heart.
"Simon, are you okay?" Kamibarez asked, her expression etched with worry. "You look pale."
Simon said nothing.
The moment their eyes met, Simon felt his composure crumble. He wanted to scream. He wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her, to let tears stream down his face as he yelled at the top of his lungs.
’Run! You have to get out of here right now! Please! Please, just run!’
But he bit down hard on his lip, forcing the frantic words back down his throat. Not now. It was too dangerous. Something far more perilous than any explosion was standing right before him.
Steeling himself, Simon finally forced his gaze forward. He had to face her.
"The venom of the Caceus is classified as a hemotoxin," Francesca’s voice rang out from the lectern. "It destroys blood vessels and corpuscles, preventing coagulation and gradually draining the prey’s strength..."
There she was.
The architect of it all was standing right there. His heart thundered against his ribs, and a hot flush crept up his neck. ‘Is this what a detective feels when they finally corner the culprit?’ He fought the overwhelming urge to leap to his feet and denounce her as a Priest.
But how could he prove it? How could he possibly prove that she was a holy warrior sent to destroy Kizen in three hours?
’I have to calm down. I really do.’
He shifted restlessly in his seat, his leg trembling uncontrollably. Over and over, he imagined kicking his desk aside and charging forward to subdue her.
It was a foolish thought. If he started a fight now, the students, still moved by her earlier speech, would undoubtedly side with her. He had already witnessed her terrifying power in the Forbidden Forest. Without his Legion Commanders, he stood no chance against Francesca.
Hell, could they even win if every student in the room attacked her at once? It was madness. She was a ruthless Priest who had orchestrated a plan to blow Kizen to kingdom come. Any student who dared to challenge her would be slaughtered.
’Stay calm. If I die here, it’s really over.’
The artifact forged by Nephthys’s power was gone. A second chance was impossible. This was it—his one and only opportunity. He couldn’t afford to squander it on a reckless move. He had to think, to figure out how to avert the coming disaster.
His leg wouldn’t stop trembling. His mouth was bone dry.
’I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.’
Finally, with a long, steadying breath, he managed to regain a sliver of control. He reached out and poked Pier’s skull-shaped clone with his fingertip.
’Pier. Bring the entire Legion to Kizen. Now. Bring Erzebet, too. As fast as you possibly can!’
[Boy? You seem extremely distressed. What’s wrong?]
’I’ve found the Priest. I’ll explain later, just hurry!’
[Hmph. Understood. I’m on my way.]
The connection severed.
’Phew.’
The Venomology lecture droned on. Provoking her now would be suicide. He had to hold on, at least until the Legion arrived. With a trembling hand, Simon reached into his uniform, pulled out Kajan’s glasses, and shakily put them on.
Her face was unchanged. The scar on her cheek was gone. She looked exactly the same... the same...?
’Ah.’
In that brief, horrifying instant, Simon witnessed a sight straight from a nightmare. As Francesca addressed the class, a second face materialized on her own. Where her cheek should have been, a new set of eyes, a nose, and a mouth appeared. No, that wasn’t right. It wasn’t a new face, but the one beneath—she was wearing a biological shell, a Bio-Mask, and she had just turned her head within it.
He hadn’t been able to see it before because the shell was a perfect replica of her own face. But now, a crack had formed in the facade. And through that crack, the real Francesca—the one hidden beneath—was smiling. Staring directly at him.
Her eyes were wide, the corners of her mouth stretched into a ghastly, demonic grin—the very same one she had worn as she killed him. And there, on her cheek, was a faint, threadlike scar. The one he had given her.
A violent wave of goosebumps washed over him, but he fought desperately to keep his expression neutral. He endured. No matter how her gaze swept over him, he pretended to be just another student listening to the lecture. But inside, a cold resolve began to burn. He made a silent vow.
He would stop her, no matter what it took.
’Whew.’
The hardest part of the lecture was when her eyes landed on Kamibarez. She was undoubtedly high on Francesca’s kill list. Simon finally ripped the glasses off, terrified that if he looked any longer, he would lose control and lunge at her.
And so, the agonizingly long wait finally came to an end.
"Attention! Bow to the professor!"
"Thank you for the lecture!"
"Good work, everyone. I’ll see you all next week."
Students began to file out of the hall. A few approached Francesca to offer words of comfort, which she accepted with a gentle, disarming smile. Bile rose in Simon’s throat at the sheer hypocrisy.
’First, I follow her.’
He had run through countless scenarios during class. One thing was certain: confronting her now would be insane. The professors capable of defeating her were all at the Mausoleum. With no proof, convincing TAs or other students would take too much time—time he didn’t have.
In roughly two hours, the bombs would detonate. She must have already planted them. Running to the Mausoleum and persuading the professors was a long shot, and even if he succeeded, a cornered Francesca would likely just detonate the explosives remotely.
’Stay calm.’
He was the only one who knew what was coming. The best course of action was to identify the explosives, figure out the detonation method, and disable them without her knowing. He needed more information.
"Simon?"
Kamibarez approached, her face clouded with worry. "You’re acting strange. This isn’t like you."
Simon lowered his voice to a whisper.
"Kami, a Priest is here."
The color drained from her face.
"They’re going to blow up Kizen in a few hours. Get Dick and Meirin, and anyone else you can convince, and get out of here."
Just then, Francesca exited the lecture hall. Leaving a stunned Kamibarez rooted to the spot, Simon quietly fell in behind her.
She walked slowly down the corridor. Simon muffled his footsteps, melting into the crowd of students.
’If she spots me, it’s over.’ She crossed the hall and descended to the first floor.
He had expected her to leave the Venomology building, but she continued walking, heading for the basement.
’I remember. The Venomology building’s basement.’
Every Kizen student knew that dangerous chemicals were stored there. And managing them was the duty of Kizen’s Venomology Professor—the continent’s leading expert. The pieces were falling into place. She hadn’t killed Professor Lang just to isolate the faculty during the Night of Erebus.
’As the Venomology Professor, she has unrestricted access to that basement. She used the explosives stored there. I’m sure of it.’
Her footsteps echoed clearly as she descended the stairs. Pier still hadn’t arrived, but he was out of time. Just as Simon started down the stairs after her, an arm snaked around him from behind, clamping a hand over his mouth and yanking him back with incredible force.
And then
The frantic sound of someone charging up the stairs sent a cold dread through him. A suffocating fear washed over Simon as Francesca appeared on the first floor, her eyes bloodshot, scanning her surroundings like a cornered beast.
’Th-That was too close.’
Pressed flat against the opposite wall, his mouth still covered, Simon held his breath. If he hadn’t been pulled back, she would have seen him for sure. She was just on the other side of the wall. He waited.
Just as she took a step forward, a group of students came clattering down the stairs.
"We have regular classes starting tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah. But they’ll probably skip this week’s Duel Evaluation."
"Are you new here?"
The sudden flood of students stopped her in her tracks. After one last frantic look around, she thankfully turned and descended back into the basement.
’I-I’m alive.’
Simon finally felt the tension drain from his body. But who had grabbed him? The grip was so powerful that he couldn’t move an inch.
"Quiet," a familiar voice murmured from behind him. "She’s still suspicious."
Simon clamped his mouth shut. They waited in silence for another minute until they heard the soft footsteps fading down the stairs. At last, his captor released him. Simon spun around.
"Kajan!"
Tears of sheer relief pricked at Simon’s eyes. In this suffocating nightmare where he could trust no one, the very person he had been desperate to find was standing right before him. He rushed forward, practically clinging to him.
"Kajan! Kajan, I know this is hard to believe, but you have to listen to me! I actually—!"
"I believe you."
Kajan raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence, then pointed to the shattered artifact around Simon’s neck.
"You saw the future, didn’t you?"
"I received an additional mission from Lady Nephthys." Kajan produced a pendant from his pocket, nearly identical to Simon’s. It, too, was in pieces. "My mission is to protect you."
He continued in a calm, steady voice.
"When your artifact is destroyed, this ‘brother’ artifact is designed to shatter along with it and transmit your location. I came running the moment I confirmed the damage."
"Oh!"
"Calm down. From this moment on, I will believe every word you say." Kajan lowered his stance, placing a firm hand on Simon’s shoulder, his expression deadly serious. "I promise you. No matter what terrible future awaits, if we work together, we can stop it."
A calm expression, a confident voice, and a trusting smile. Simon knew it instinctively.
"Tell me what you saw."
He could trust this man with his life.

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