The Seven Saintesses of Efnel were the great pillars supporting both the academy and the Holy Federation. It was known that they awakened when the essence of a Saintess took root within a female student or graduate of Efnel, and they stood as the direct counterparts to the Dark Alliance’s Legion Commanders.
However, unlike the Legion Commanders, who operated with a freewheeling independence unbound by affiliation or status, the Saintesses were the very core of power, the living representatives of their nation. The moment one awakened, she transcended all worldly power structures, reigning over humanity as a demigod with only the Pope above her.
Each of the seven Saintesses wielded a unique authority. Among them, Flema, the Saintess of Purification, was granted the power of the ‘White Flame’—a trinity of healing, attack, and defense. But she held another, more secret ability, one known only to the Pope and a select few in Efnel: the Saintess of Purification could transcend her physical form. She could function as a spiritual entity, capable of possessing another’s body if her own was destroyed.
Armed with this power, Flema resolved to bring Kizen down from within. She succeeded in inhabiting the body of Francesca Belmont, a woman who had grown weary of her long life as a teaching assistant. Through Francesca, Flema gained access to her host’s power, knowledge, and ability to wield Jet-Black. She used that knowledge to conduct classes and then successfully poisoned Professor Lang, who had trusted her implicitly. Minor obstacles like Kajan had appeared, but they were of no consequence. She had lain in wait, meticulously preparing her plan over a great length of time.
The plan was flawless. She had killed Lang to trigger the Night of Erebus, an event that ensured all of Kizen’s professors would be absent. She then molded Francesca’s persona into a woman of unshakable conviction, convincing everyone of her desire to "remain at Kizen and continue teaching to uphold Lang’s final wishes." It had been simple. Her triumph was the result of immersing herself deeply in their culture. She learned that necromancers were overly sentimental about death and that a person’s last will held more influence than anything else in their society.
Every piece had fallen perfectly into place.
And yet, a tiny variable—a mere speck of dust—had emerged. Simon Polentia and Kajan Edvalt. The two of them had neutralized the Desolator bomb and reached this very room. But there would be no more variables. Once she eliminated them and activated the ‘Prima Materia’, it would all be over.
[Burn in the flames of eternity.]
White fire surged from her fingertips like a tidal wave. Simon and Kajan hastily rolled aside, the heat washing over them. The conflagration resembled a terrifying, blazing monster, yet the objects it touched remained perfectly unharmed.
However.
"Aaaargh!"
The flame had only grazed his arm, but Kajan collapsed, crying out in sheer agony. For him to react so violently, the pain had to be unimaginable.
[To think such a power exists. This is a nightmare.] Even Pier’s voice trembled.
An overwhelming power, the ultimate counter to all necromancers and undead. This was the authority of the Saintess of Purification.
[Now I see what you are, Simon Polentia.] Francesca—no, Flema, the entity possessing her body—smiled. [I was puzzled when an Ancient Undead appeared in the Forbidden Forest. To think you were a Legion Commander.]
Simon offered no reply.
[But you’re just a baby Legion Commander,] she taunted. [It might be a different story in ten years, but this stage is far too grand for you now.]
He couldn’t deny it. It hadn’t even been six months since he’d become a Legion Commander, and he was facing an active Saintess. He was hopelessly outmatched.
"Still," Simon muttered, his grip tightening on the hilt of his greatsword, "I won’t know until I try."
She laughed, amused, and turned her back, heading for the magic circle table in the center of the command and control room.
"Argh! Simon, you have to stop her!" Kajan shouted, writhing in pain. "She’s going to activate the ‘Prima Materia’!"
At his words, Simon instantly kicked off the ground with a burst of Jet-Black and charged. But with a single gesture from Flema, a massive wall of White Flame erupted, splitting the room in half. Simon skidded to a halt.
[Just watch from there,] she sneered, opening a Subspace. She withdrew a cube that pulsed with a dazzling, prismatic light.
Simon stomped his left foot down hard. ‘Open Gate!’
A Subspace portal tore open on the other side of the flames, and six blades shot out at once. However, with a searing ‘whoosh’ sound, white fire erupted around her like a shroud, effortlessly deflecting every blade.
He was shocked. His attack had been blocked so effortlessly.
Flema offered a cryptic smile and activated the table. Its center slid open, and a brilliant crystal rose from within—the barrier stone that protected all of Kizen. She snatched it, hurled it to the floor, and slotted the ‘Prima Materia’ into its place.
[An artifact that endlessly creates grotesque monsters based on the user’s power,] she explained, her voice dripping with contempt. [You people have tormented the Holy Federation with this for a long, long time.] She placed her hand on the artifact. [Now, it’s your turn to suffer.]
A torrent of White Flame surged from her hand, engulfing the ‘Prima Materia’.
"Damn it! Stop!" Simon roared.
[Hahahahahaha!] The effect was immediate. Across the numerous screens in the command room that monitored the Kizen campus, pristine white monsters began to appear. They resembled featureless porcelain dolls, with pure white bodies and limbs devoid of any distinguishing characteristics.
Wings sprouted from their backs, and their faces bore eyes, noses, and mouths that were nothing more than black, empty holes. They varied wildly in size and shape: some walked on two legs, others on four; some had arms longer than their bodies, while others were colossal behemoths stretching over twenty meters long.
The students, still in their classes, seemed oblivious.
[Watch the great chaos with your own eyes, baby Legion Commander,] Flema declared.
Just then—
’—Ah, ahem.’
A broadcast announcement echoed through the Kizen campus and the command room. Simon recognized the voice instantly.
’Meirin!’
Five minutes earlier. Broadcasting and Communications Building, fourth floor.
"What is all this commotion!" a guard demanded.
"Get back to your classroom immediately!" another barked.
A pair of burly guards blocked the entrance to the broadcast room. Meirin stood before them, desperately trying to push her way inside.
"Ugh, seriously! You blockheads!" she yelled in frustration. "I’m telling you, a Priest is here in Kizen! They’re planning a terrorist attack!"
The guards snorted.
"What kind of ridiculous dream did you have to be causing a scene like this?"
"Hey, this is Kizen," the other said dismissively. "Not even a Saintess could get through our defenses, let alone a Priest. Now go back."
’Argh, this is so frustrating!’ she thought, glancing anxiously out the window. She had managed to stop the initial explosion, but this was a plan Francesca had been preparing for over a year. It was naive to think it would end with a single bomb.
"Alright, fine. We’ll humor you," one of the guards sighed. "Who is this Priest?"
"Francesca Belmont!" Meirin shot back, gritting her teeth. "She’s been deceiving us all! Her true identity is a Priest of Efnel!"
The guards stared at each other, their expressions blank. Then, in perfect unison, their faces turned to ice.
"You’ve really crossed the line. It hasn’t even been that long since Professor Lang passed away."
"Spreading a rumor like that about Professor Francesca, of all people... That’s just wrong."
Telling the truth had only made things worse. Just then, one of the guards extended his arm. His core activated, and a baton of pure Jet-Black materialized in his hand.
"If you cause any more trouble, we’ll have no choice but to use force, even on a Kizen student."
"We’ll be reporting this to your supervising professor," the other added grimly. "Don’t think you’ll get off with a simple punishment."
’Haaah.’ Meirin sighed and glared at them. "So what if you use force on me? What are you gonna do, huh?"
"You little—!"
The moment the guard swung his baton, she slid her foot to the side, activating a magic circle she had already prepared.
’Dark Glacier.’
The guard she struck went flying, slamming flat against the wall. His entire body was instantly encased in ice, only his stunned face visible.
"You crazy bitch!"
The other two guards lunged, but Meirin was faster, her sky-blue hair whipping through the air. Before they could react, their legs were frozen solid to the floor.
"H-Hey, undo this!"
"Is she out of her mind?!"
She strode past them and slid open the broadcast room door with a clatter. A male guard, sitting in a chair and eating snacks, stared at her with wide eyes.
"H-Hey! What’s going on out—!"
Meirin swung her arm, and the guard was frozen in place, pressed against the wall. She smoothed down her skirt, sat in the chair, and took a deep breath.
"Hey! Are you insane?" the first guard yelled from outside.
"Ah, just shut up and stay put!" she retorted. "Punish me or give me detention later! Do whatever you want!"
She brought the microphone to her lips and cleared her throat. Honestly, she knew this was crazy. She was well aware that this stunt would earn her more than just detention, and a part of her was terrified that if nothing happened, she’d look like a complete fool. But it was better to take all the blame and cause a scene than to sit through class, helpless, while a Priest’s attack caused countless casualties.
Having made her decision, Meirin pressed the ‘ON AIR’ button.
[This is a broadcast from the control room!] Her clear voice announced, spreading throughout the Kizen campus. ‘What should I say?’ She had to be sensational, jarring enough to make them listen. She leaned in again. [A Priest from Efnel has launched a terrorist attack on the Kizen campus! This is a real situation! All students are advised to exit the buildings immediately!]
A low murmur rippled through the school buildings. The guard trapped in ice sighed in resignation, his expression screaming, ‘I’m a dead man.’
[I repeat! A Priest has launched a terrorist attack on the campus! Students in buildings are at risk of collapse, so please evacuate to the open grounds! Students in buildings with underground shelters, please move to the shelters. All other students—]
’WHACK!’
A sharp impact slammed into the back of her head, and she pitched forward, scattering snack crumbs everywhere.
"You fucking bitch! You really have a death wish, don’t you?"
Her uniform’s barrier had prevented any real injury, but the shock was jarring. A guard, his Jet-Black baton now discarded, had her left arm twisted behind her back and was pressing her neck down with his right elbow.
"Ugh!"
"You think we’re just a bunch of fucking pushovers who can’t touch a Kizen student? We’re necromancers, too!" he snarled, dragging her forcefully from the chair. "Someone, go get a professor or a TA, quick! I’ll handle this one—!"
’SMACK!’
With an impact even louder than before, the guard’s eyes rolled back into his head, and he collapsed in a heap.
"Whoo." Dick stood there, holding an enchanted textbook with a grin. "Am I late?"
"You moron!" Meirin spun around and yelled in frustration. "I got hit because of you! Why’d you just disappear without a word?"
"...Uh, um. Sorry. I don’t really remember what happened either," Dick replied, then pointed out the window. "More importantly, you need to finish that broadcast. The Priest’s attack has really started, just like you said."
Outside, the white monsters were closing in. Screams erupted from students across the campus. The remaining guards stared out the window, their faces etched with disbelief. It seemed they were finally grasping the reality of the situation.
Meirin took a deep, shuddering breath and turned back to the microphone.
[Broadcasting again from the control room! This is an emergency! The Priest’s terror attack has begun! Students, please stop your classes immediately and evacuate according to instructions! I repeat!]

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