“My fellow freshmen!”
Lorraine stood on a crooked wooden crate, looking down at the dense crowd of freshmen below.
“Are we really going to just stand by and watch them snatch our school badges without doing a thing? Are we truly just lambs to the slaughter?”
“No!” Lorraine answered her own question, gripping her staff tightly. “My friends, my comrades, we are the pride of our families! We are the rising sun, the future, and mages with dignity!”
Suddenly, she raised her staff high above her head.
“Now, raise your staffs! It’s time to show those arrogant second-years what we are capable of!”
The moment her words fell, a burst of aqua-blue light exploded from the crowd. Irene raised her staff high, sending a Water Bullet trailing behind it as it shot into the night sky.
The freshmen erupted.
“Beat them up!”
“That's for stealing my badge!”
“What's so great about being second-years?!”
Shouts rose one after another as staffs were raised like a forest, colorful sparks dancing wildly at their tips. In truth, most of the freshmen could not cast proper magic yet, but the sheer momentum was more than enough.
Lorraine jumped down from the wooden crate and glanced at Irene, who gave her a wink.
“Move out!”
...
How did things turn out this way?
A few hours ago, Lorraine and Irene had been dodging and hiding in the woods with seven or eight others. Four pillars of light had been swaying in the distance. At first, Lorraine had gloated, thinking that guy deserved his misfortune.
But as time passed, her own side could no longer hold out.
The second-years swept back and forth across the academy, eliminating the freshmen batch by batch. One by one, the pillars of light went out. Every time Lorraine's group evaded a sweep, they would lose a person or two, only for new additions to replenish their ranks. Their numbers fluctuated, but in the end, they were targeted anyway.
The ambush came fast and hard. About five or six second-years flanked them from both sides. Lorraine led the group deeper into the forest, with the resentful curses of the freshmen constantly echoing behind them.
By the time they finally shook off their pursuers, only four people were left in the group.
Lorraine, Irene, and two other freshmen—one crying, the other cursing.
Lorraine heard them.
Lorraine had always been able to hear them.
The voices deep in their hearts, the silent screams they could not voice.
“Why is this happening...”
“I was so close to learning that spell...”
“I don’t want to be eliminated like this.”
“I won't accept this.”
“I won't accept this.”
“I won't accept this.”
Looking at the four conspicuous pillars of light in the distance, Lorraine suddenly thought of that annoying guy. What would he do if he were in her shoes?
“Irene,” Lorraine said, looking at her.
“Hmm?”
“We’re not running anymore.”
By the time they found Celine, the Holy Maiden, Lorraine had already made up her mind. Although Celine was also a freshman, her healing magic was highly advanced. Several injured freshmen surrounded her, their wounds healing at a rate visible to the naked eye.
“You want to gather everyone?” Celine asked.
“Yes.”
“And then?”
“Fight back.”
Celine nodded.
Lorraine’s ability to win people over was indeed impressive; this was likely a trait befitting the heroine of the original game.
In the end, more and more people gathered. Dozens of freshmen banded together. Although most of them could not even form a proper Fireball, just standing there as a dense crowd was already too much for any lone second-year to handle.
According to the plot of the original game, Lorraine would join forces with Celine, the Holy Maiden, to unite the first-years. Eventually, in the chaotic battle, they would run into Alicia and the young princess, who were with the second-years. The clash of the four of them would spark the beginning of their future bonds.
Unfortunately, the reality was that Alicia—our Miss Grape—had already been casually knocked unconscious by Erich, and was probably lying in the infirmary right now, biting her pillow in frustration.
...
“Three on the left!”
Following Lorraine's command, a group of freshmen rushed forward, using both staffs and fists. The lone second-year was only halfway through chanting a spell before being tackled to the ground by the mob of freshmen.
“The badge! The badge!” someone shouted excitedly.
“Don’t fight over it! Follow the rules!”
Celine stood at the rear of the group, her healing magic covering several injured freshmen in the front row.
“Keep going,” Lorraine shouted. “Don’t stop!”
The freshmen howled and charged forward.
A swarm of ants could bring down an elephant. The second-years' single-target spells were indeed powerful, but chanting took time. Faced with the overwhelming surge of freshmen, their casting rhythm was completely disrupted.
The freshmen's morale soared to an unbelievable height. Some began to spontaneously use the clumsy magic they had just learned to harass from a distance, others drew fire from the front, and some flanked from behind. The coordination was laughably crude, yet it was surprisingly effective.
Irene cast another Water Bullet. Her Water Bullet was one of the few spells among the freshmen that could actually be used in combat; although its power was mediocre, it was cast quickly.
“There's more ahead!” someone shouted.
Lorraine looked up.
In the distance was the Silver Circle Society's wooden cabin stronghold, where four soaring pillars of light converged.
Those were Erich's pillars of light.
Lorraine heard the voices again—the roaring of exploding spells, and the burning, fire-like... malice.
So many people were cursing, shouting, and venting frantically.
Only one person was surrounded in the middle.
“Lorraine?” Irene tugged at her sleeve. “What’s wrong?”
“Tell me,” Lorraine said with a smile, “if we charge over there right now, what kind of expressions will those second-years make?”
Irene smiled too.
“It’ll definitely be a sight to behold.”
Lorraine raised her staff.
“Everyone...”
Dozens of freshmen stopped in their tracks at the same time and looked at her.
“Head toward the pillars of light!”
A greater chaos was about to begin.
Rate on N.U.
