Academy’s Genius Swordmaster

275. Iril (1)

#275

It was dusk. The early summer sunset was melting over the sea of trees. Adeshan’s voice suddenly resounded in Balzac’s mind while he was flying.

[This is the 4th Field Commander. Please report Balzac’s situation.]

[No change. I’m flying west.]

Balzac answered after hearing the transmission. He was flying while transforming into a giant bat with a wingspan of 4m. There was nothing unusual, so there was nothing to report.

[Has confirmed. If there is anything unusual, please contact me right away.]

[That’s right.]

The conversation ended with Balzac’s answer. He grunted as he looked at the scenery unfolding under his wings.

“Damn it, how long do I have to go?”

The sea of trees went on and on and there was no end in sight. The water surface, made up of branches and leaves, rippled whenever the wind blew. It was Paradise Forest, known as the smallest forest on the continent.

The smell of damp vegetation tickled his nostrils. Balzac was accompanied by about thirty gloomy birds, such as bats and ravens. All were vampires like him.

They were in the process of performing their mission as the lead chasing team chasing Abel, who was capable of fast flight and could hide his presence. The subordinate who was flying right next to him opened his mouth.

“Aren’t you glad you got the right direction? It’s great to extend the range to such a long distance.”

“joy. It’s weird not being able to.”

Balzac snorted. He lowered his gaze and looked at the blood needle hanging in his neck. Abel’s bloodstained needle was still pointed westward.

They were fortunate enough to bring the target within range of the bloodline after hours of pursuit. Balzac’s excellent blood handling skills increased the blood needle’s detection range by several times. They were flying for another hour or so.

“Everyone stop.”

Suddenly Balzac stopped. The bewildered subordinates flapped their wings and applied the brakes. The subordinate I spoke to earlier tilted his head.

“Why is that?”

“The needle started to circle. I missed it.”

“yes?”

The subordinate who asked the question widened his eyes. A spinning needle meant that the pursued target was dead or out of range. There was no way he would die suddenly, so in this case it was right to see it as the latter.

“It can be. It is impossible without even moving in space.”

“It looks strange to me. wait and see.”

Balzac frowned. No matter how you look at it, the situation was unnatural. The range he had amplified was not lost as long as the target did not leave the continent.

It was clear that there was some trick. He slowly began to look around. A landscape with no difference was unfolding. The sea of water was still green, and the green horizon was still in sight.

“hmm?”

Suddenly, Balzac’s gaze turned downward. A lake, neither large nor small, caught my eye. I didn’t even notice it because it was right underneath.

The reflection of the sky was clearly reflected on the calm surface of the water. His eyes, which had been staring at the lake suddenly, narrowed slightly.

“That’s…”

Something was strange. In contrast to the spotlessly clear sky overhead, grayish-white clouds drifted in the sky reflected on the water.

I didn’t see it wrong. The compass was still spinning. The vampire who inherited great blood soon drew a conclusion. he ordered his men.

“Everyone enters the lake.”

“yes?”

“Just in case, pay attention right before you touch the water. I will go first.”

“Please wait!”

Balzac concluded his words firmly. He suddenly folded his wings and began to dive. The hurried subordinates closed their eyes and followed him.

with a plop! It was the moment when Balzac’s body was completely submerged in the lake. Suddenly, the world flipped upside down and his head broke through the surface of the water.

Chow ah! Balzac took flight, scattering spray. Above her head was the same lake as the one she saw when the twilight sky came in below her feet.

There was no smell of grass in the dry air. Before long, the vampires who had followed him tore up the surface of the water. Their eyes widened wide as they witnessed a completely unexpected scene.

“What the hell is this?”

Paradise Forest had turned into a desolate field. The strong and dense forest disappeared completely, leaving only a few trees that had turned white from leaves to trunks.

Nearly everything in sight, from the short grass to the strewn branches of the muddy sand, was tinted with a ghostly, pale white. Go oh oh… the sound of the wind reminiscent of a homecoming and the mist flowing on the ground added to the gloomy atmosphere. someone shouted

“Look over there!”

Balzac looked back in the direction his subordinate was pointing. His eyes widened wide. A huge castle rose in the distance in the field.

The outer wall of the fortress with dozens of spires like thorns was white, not much different from the surrounding landscape. It was recognizable even without additional explanation. What the Allies had been looking for throughout the war was right in front of them.

“…the head office.”

muttered Balzac. The blood gauge needle, which had stopped spinning before I knew it, was pointing to the castle. It seemed highly likely that the leader and Illil were there. His expression darkened.

It was good to find it, but it seemed that it was not easy to attack. The Pale Castle looked stronger than any structure Balzac had ever seen. the subordinate asked.

“Do you enter?”

“…no. We hide our presence and proceed with the search.”

Balzac shook his head. He remembered Adeshan’s words not to fight pointlessly during the chase. After all, the first goal was to secure the location of the hostages.

[Track. I found the headquarters of Nebula Clazier.]

Balzac immediately sent a telegram to Adeshan, but no answer came back. It seemed that communication with the outside world was cut off after crossing the lake.

Should I tell you directly? It was the car he was trying to appoint a subordinate to act as herald. A man’s voice echoed from beneath his feet.

“You’ve come all the way here.”

“hmm…!”

I didn’t feel any presence at all. Balzac hurriedly lowered his gaze. A middle-aged man was looking up at himself with his hands behind his back.

“It was nice to take a walk in the garden after a long time. So, do you like the scenery?”

“You bastard…!”

Balzac’s eyes widened. He was a familiar, yet unusual man. Her hair was pale white like the light of the stars, and her eyes were tinged with scarlet, reminiscent of a sunset. The face that gave a sharp impression resembled Ronan’s like a parrot.

Balzac hurriedly checked the blood needle. The needle, which was pointing at the Pale Fortress, changed its position slightly and was aiming at the middle-aged man.

The meaning was clear. Balzac, who was silent for a moment, opened his mouth.

“Chief.”

“Oh, you know that?”

Abel shrugged his eyebrows. A drop of cold sweat ran down Balzac’s temple. I could instinctively feel that I would never win.

[Everyone retreat.]

Balzac sent a telegram to his men. A look of bewilderment appeared on their faces. I had to stay calm. Balzac took a deep breath and opened his mouth.

“…Where are the hostages?”

“hostage? Ah, if you’re talking about that child, he’s resting in that castle.”

Abel raised his thumb back and pointed at the citadel. Balzac clenched his fists. Indeed, it was as expected.

It would have been a perfect finish if he could return safely. The men couldn’t bear to leave Balzac behind.

those idiots Balzac was about to give the order to retreat again. match! Abel, who had been silent all along, clapped his hands.

“Okay, now that your curiosity has been answered, it’s time to die. It’s been a long time since I’ve been a guest, so it’s a pity.”

“what?”

Balzac’s eyes widened. At the same time, Abel snapped his fingers. Chow ah! A huge hemispherical force field covered them.

“What is this!”

“It is the protection of the stars!”

The vampires burst into embarrassment. The transformation into a flying beast was released one by one and began to return to its original form. A few people belatedly tried to enter the lake, but the stationmaster was already filling up the surface.

“The escape route is blocked!”

“Even the original solution won’t damage it…!”

It was the blessing of the stars he had seen before. The subordinates applied or drank Ronan’s blood to their weapons and then attacked, but the field was not scratched. The level itself seemed to be different, perhaps because it was from a religious leader.

“Damn it…”

Balzac twisted his lips. Things were not very good. As he sorted out what he could do in his head, he growled lowly.

“I don’t have a choice. fight.”

Balzac, who had canceled his transformation, cast a shadow over his body. A huge beast made of shadows appeared. It was a skill that was burdensome, but now it was not enough even if I put all my effort. The agitated vampires’ eyes suddenly calmed down.

“Looking back, I was so frightened. I haven’t even tried it yet.”

“If we decide quickly, we might be able to catch it…”

They quickly regained their composure. Due to the situation, they had forgotten about it for a while, but like Balzac, they were nobles of the night who had lived hundreds of years.

The light in his eyes that had faded flashed again, and his sharp fangs began to spray life. The vampires, ready for battle, were about to attack.

“You don’t have to try. Mosquito friends.”

“what?”

“Because it’s already over.”

said Abel. Suddenly, Balzac noticed that a sword was in his hand.

‘When was it picked?’

I didn’t even see anything kicking. clap. The lead Abel turned his back without a word. The vampires, unaware of the situation, rushed in unison.

“Kyaaaaaagh!”

“Wait a minute…”

Balzac was about to shout something. Hundreds of red lines were irregularly drawn over him and other vampires.

“ah?”

Balzac’s eyes widened. An eerie sense of déjà vu crept up. The feeling of being sliced by an invisible sword had never been felt before in a battle with Ronan.

“okay. This is normal.”

Abel murmured. After touching the wound on his cheek once, he started walking towards the castle again. The vampires stopped in mid-air due to the belated pain. The lines drawn over her body were getting clearer and clearer.

Suddenly, the faces of some people flashed in my mind. Jarodin and Ronan, who couldn’t decide between the sexes in the end, are the irreplaceable brothers and the subject of respect, the Grand Duke of Shadow. And…

“Ophelia.”

Balzac muttered softly. Poo-! At the same time, the place where the sword had passed widened, and the body of him and the vampires collapsed as if they were exploding.

No matter how great the regenerative power was, there was no way to do anything if the body disintegrated into hundreds of pieces. The 30-man chasing party turned into hot blood and drenched the desolate garden.

“To be pushed behind by those things… I guess I need to pay attention.”

Abel clicked his tongue. I didn’t care because it was all over anyway, but I thought I needed to reinforce my strength at least for my pride.

The sound of footsteps grew farther and farther away, and then silence fell. The veil made up of the blessings of the stars disappeared after about an hour.

how much more time has passed A small bat lifted its head from the spot where the flesh was scattered.

‘I must tell…’

It was a bat with a scar on one side of its eye like a vampire. A blood needle hung from her slender neck. Pong! The bat, staggering and crawling, threw itself into the lake.

****

“Uh fuck it’s still filthy cold.”

“Pumpah…”

Ronan murmured. Sheeta nodded as if agreeing. A starry night sky stretched overhead. The bitter cold, like when Adeshan and I came together in the past, was seeping into his bones.

A polar light reminiscent of a pleated skirt shimmered in the far-off sky. My stomach felt nauseous, perhaps because of the aftereffects of moving through space. Looking around, I saw the entrance leading to Elcia’s lab had risen in the middle of the ice.

“Elcia. I’m here.”

Bang bang. Ronan approached the entrance and knocked on the door. No matter how many times the entrance was built with ancient technology, it didn’t seem like a building from the same world. Ronan, who was waiting with his arms crossed, tilted his head.

“Elcia?”

No response came back. It was a big deal when I didn’t have time. Did you even go out?

‘It’s impossible to cut through the door.’

If it did, it would lose its role as a place of residence. Ronan’s eyes, scratching his head, suddenly turned to the mechanism next to the gate. The numbers from 0 to 9 were shining neatly on the iron plate that was as polished as glass.

“Obviously… did you do this?”

Ronan remembered how Elcia used to open the door by pressing the numbers. He managed to retrieve his memory and entered the numbers one by one. What I saw once, I couldn’t forget it, so I thought it would be something.

It was the moment my frozen fingers entered the 24th number. Chunk! The door opened with the sound of a mechanism engaging. A staircase that looked like a monster’s throat appeared in front of me.

“…are you going in?”

said Ronan. Again, no answer came back, so he slowly moved down the stairs. Somehow, it didn’t feel right.