“Dong, dong, dong...”
Early morning, southern campus.
A woman hurried down the corridor of the office building. Clasping her documents tightly to her chest, she broke into a light jog, muttering to herself.
“I'm going to be late! Ah, hurry, hurry, hurry...”
The sunlight reflected off the gold emblem on her instructor's uniform, flashing across the ceiling.
Finally, she rounded the corner to the office at the very end of the corridor. From behind the walnut door came Principal Ulrich's magnetic and gentle voice.
Oh no, she was already late!
She pushed the door open with utmost care and slipped toward her seat, not daring to make a single sound.
At this moment, the Principal had his back turned to them.
His steady voice put everyone at ease, as if everything had already been settled.
“We have many admirable students this term. If the Pope could witness such a grand sight, she would surely be proud of her decision back then.”
At this point, he turned around to look in the woman's direction and smiled. “Miss Dean, you must have encountered quite a few promising students as well, haven't you?”
“My apologies~ My apologies~” The newly seated Dean of Students smiled awkwardly. She knew perfectly well that Ulrich was subtly teasing her for being late.
Ulrich, however, didn't seem to mind at all. He simply nodded. “Autumn is also a season for viewing flowers. Every year, I take a stroll through the Aster Garden of Springleaf. It always brings back memories, and before I know it, I lose track of time.”
“Principal, my behavior violates the rules. You should discipline me according to the regulations,” she said.
But Ulrich only smiled, his deep purple eyes filled with kindness.
“Humans are the creators of rules, and of dogmas too. God created humans, but the world belongs to humanity.”
“If God were to see your contributions to mankind, He would surely smile upon you with love.”
Hearing this, the surrounding staff couldn't help but chuckle.
It was as if with Ulrich around, nothing could ever go wrong at the Holy Academy.
Handsome, gentle, and rational.
He was the epitome of a perfect human being.
Once the meeting concluded and everyone had departed, he looked up at the sky.
A knock sounded at the door. He lightly tapped his cane on the floor, and a man walked in.
A few white clouds drifted by, obscuring the sun.
“Ulrich.”
The newcomer was a knight clad in armor, his cloak bearing the emblem of a cobra coiled around a sword. His thick, reddish-brown beard and sideburns made him look like a majestic male lion.
A scar stretched from the corner of his mouth all the way to his ear, and his sharp eyes were like those of a falcon.
“Babarol, I still prefer punctual people. You are twenty-four minutes late this time.”
“We only meet a few times a year. Give me a break.” The man named Babarol sat down on a chair as he pleased, crossing one leg over his knee. The massive conference table suddenly seemed tiny next to his imposing, burly frame.
“The thought of having to see your face every day from now on makes me a bit uncomfortable. It reminds me of the old days.”
“You're still the same as ever, always teasing me.”
“Indeed.”
Babarol bared his teeth in a grin.
“I've never met a man as crazy as you in my entire life. It's truly terrifying. Tell me, now that you've summoned me, does it mean it has begun?”
Ulrich nodded. With his back to Babarol, his shadow stretched across the holy crucifix, morphing into a grotesque beast with claws and fangs.
“Let's begin tomorrow. Starcinder has been wiped out; this is our chance.”
He reached out and grasped the pendant hanging from his neck, his brow furrowed.
“I just want to know what the Holy Academy will look like tomorrow.”
“One day is all I need,” Babarol chuckled. “The trash at the Holy Academy is nothing. The Saintess? Laughable. A fledgling who has never experienced war can never appreciate the majesty of a falcon.”
“No, I still hope you will keep an eye on one person.”
“...”
Ulrich spoke as he walked toward the exit of the office.
“I don't know her name, but she killed Sheffield, Bulrosa, Chris, Yumel, and Brute... I'm afraid even a legendary general would find her troublesome.”
Babarol's eyes widened. By the time he registered the words, Ulrich had already vanished from his sensory range.
Naturally, he wanted to know just what kind of extraordinary figure this person—so highly “esteemed” by Ulrich—could be.
But he also knew that the vast majority of people at the Holy Academy would die in tomorrow's war.
Including that most dazzling Saintess, Sathya, who had created the myth of slaying a magical beast single-handedly.
“The Sacred Mutiny... has it begun?”
Babarol mused aloud.
No, rather than musing, he was filled with anticipation.
...
The bed in the infirmary was not warm.
Autumn nights had become exceptionally cold.
Tina curled up beneath the blanket, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. Even during the day, she felt as though she were trapped inside a freezing ice cave.
Her physical condition was not optimistic. To be honest, she had thought her Immortality would make things much easier, but reality always differed from imagination. Right now, she felt absolutely terrible.
After “transfusing” her blood to Sathya, she had been in a constant state of severe blood loss. That day, Velrose had carried her to the school infirmary.
On the other hand, Sathya was perfectly fine.
As expected of an abyssal magical beast... should she put it that way?
Thank goodness. Truly, thank goodness...
As long as Sathya was fine, nothing else mattered.
Over the past few days, many people had come to visit Tina.
They brought all sorts of things—fruits, food—but Tina only ate a little at noon, having the doctor take the rest away or leaving them near her bed.
Whenever someone came to visit, Tina would choose to pretend to be asleep.
That way, no one would try to talk to her.
This included Sathya.
Sathya came every single day, three times a day—morning, noon, and night—and sometimes even in the early hours of the dawn.
Tina kept her back turned to her, facing the window, so no one could tell whether she was actually asleep or awake.
That night, Sathya arrived as usual.
“Sister Tina, are you feeling any better today?”
“...”
“I know you don't have much of an appetite, so I bought some porridge. It's very warm. You should eat something once in a while.”
“...”
“Sister Tina, if there's nothing else, I'll be going. But if you want me to sit with you for a bit, I can do that too~”
Tina couldn't see her face, so she didn't know what kind of expression she wore.
She didn't dare to turn around and look.
Did Sathya know? No, everything must have been completely exposed by now...
Since Sathya didn't vanish, can I throw myself into her embrace?
Then, the System's voice would ring out:
【Sathya's Obsession: 406】
【Host, praying like this is utterly useless.】
【Sathya doesn't know anything.】
【You really are a fool~】
【Even now, what do you expect from her? She is covered in wounds, yet she still has to take care of you?】
【How is this life any different from before? You're only fit to be a corpse.】
Rate on N.U.
