How to Survive at the Academy
chapter-120

Joint Combat Training 2 (6)

“Hi… Hiiik…!”

The state of Ophelis Hall was far from normal.

After leaping off Merrill’s back, Ed and Clarice quickly surveyed the rose garden’s condition. Clarice’s legs gave out beneath her as she took in the sight.

There were bodies scattered all around—the dead were half maids, half students.

“Ugh… Eugh…”

Pushing herself to her limits, Clarice barely managed to hold back her tears. She gripped Ed’s elbow tightly while covering her mouth, forcing her trembling steps forward with great effort.

Ophelis Hall was much closer to the dragon than Trix Hall. When disaster struck, they hadn’t been able to cast proper defensive magic.

The outer walls were nearly punctured through. The marks where scales had penetrated were clearly visible.

The interior was a devastating scene as well. The lobby and corridors were drenched in blood. Even the typically composed Ed couldn’t help but gulp back a breath at the sight.

“The high-level defense magic circle… it’s been activated…”

Ed muttered as he looked up at the ceiling of the central lobby inside.

Such a widespread attack would have limited power. The scale attack was strong, but not enough to break through a high-tier defensive magic circle.

This meant… after the first onslaught, someone had managed to activate the defense magic circle, albeit belatedly. There had to be survivors inside.

The saint’s chamber was at the very top, and the room managing the defense magic circle was on the way up there. The path wouldn’t take much time, so they could quickly stop by.

Ed, holding back his own tears with his sleeve, took the saint’s arm and led her up the stairs of Ophelis Hall.

On the way up, they veered towards the corridor where the maids’ quarters were located. More bodies lay scattered in between, a chilling sight, but they clenched their teeth and ignored them as they continued on.

Entering the deepest part of the administration office, they finally found a maid gasping for breath, collapsed over the magic formation—the survivor.

Closer inspection revealed the elaborate attire of the head maid.

“Bell… Miss Bell…!”

“Haah… Kuugh…”

Hearing Ed call out, the bloodstained maid barely lifted her head before collapsing again, unable to rise.

Several large scales were embedded in her shoulder and abdomen. They were fatal wounds.

Bell Myer had rushed to the administration’s office to trigger the defense magic as soon as she sensed the anomaly, but the dragon’s attack had been just a bit faster.

Despite the agonizing pain from the dragon’s scales that had pierced the exterior and slaughtered those inside, Bell had dragged herself to the deepest section of the administration office and managed to invoke the high-level defense magic, hoping to protect any possible survivors.

“This… can’t be…”

Clarice covered her mouth with both hands and swallowed hard at the sight of Bell Myer struggling to keep her head up, blood dripping from her wounds.

Bell endeavored to move, reaching for the key ring at her waist. Whether she no longer had the strength to sift through the keys or not, she simply dropped them on the floor and collapsed into Ed’s arms.

There was no strength left in her body. Ed grimaced as he closed Bell Myer’s eyes and gently laid her down. Then, he picked up the key ring and took Clarice by the arm.

“Uuk… Huk…”

Clarice was on the verge of a breakdown. But thanks to Ed, who somehow maintained his composure, she was able to keep moving.

Side by side, they crossed the corridor and raced up the stairs to the top floor, to the saint’s room.

Frantically, Ed inserted keys into the lock, trying each until the door finally opened with a click and a clack.

The door creaked open to reveal the most luxurious private room in Ophelis Hall—the saint’s private chamber.

Together they entered the room where Ed promptly shut the door and lowered the bolt. He then seated the saint on the bed.

Ed placed his hands on the saint’s shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

“Steady your heart, Your Holiness.”

“Uh… Huk… Yes… Yes…”

“The high-level defensive magic has been activated. As long as you stay in this room, you’ll be safe from most magical effects. Direct hits or extremely powerful magic may breach it, but let’s hope that doesn’t happen. For now, there’s no safer place within the Academy.”

Ed stood up after saying this.

“I still have a lot to investigate. There are many places I need to go. So please, wait here. You must not exit Ophelis Hall under any circumstances.”

As he tried to remove his hand from Clarice’s shoulder, she suddenly gripped it tightly.

“No… don’t… it’s dangerous outside…”

Her eyes, the source of endless tears, conveyed heartbreak. Still, Clarice swallowed hard and managed to convey her request for him to stay, as the outside was dangerous.

Clarice was simply too scared. Having lived her entire life in the solemn world of the Holy Empire, this ordeal was too cruel for her. Being left alone here seemed like an unsurmountable fear.

“Your Holiness, To address the situation, I must…”

*KA-BOOOOM!*

An explosion from outside, accompanied by shaking, made it seem as if the room was suddenly bathed in light.

Clutching Ed, Clarice looked up at his face as tears streamed down uncontrollably.

Ed patted her back a few times but soon again grasped her fragile shoulders and pulled her away from his embrace.

The tear-stained face was pitiful, but that didn’t mean he could just stand by and do nothing.

“Look outside, Your Holiness. Just waiting here…”

…won’t solve anything.

Before he could finish his thought, an unusual sight caught his eye from the window. It was a magical circle soaring high in the sky. It was neither conjured by Belvbrock, the Holy Dragon, nor by Lucina Obel, who was defending against the dragon. The direction wasn’t even towards the battlefield but rather towards a deep alley near the faculty building.

*RAT-TAT-TAT!*

*THUD.*

Rushing to the window and flinging it open, Ed stuck his head out as the entire formation of the magical circle came into view. It was beyond a simple magical structure—it appeared to be applied to a completely different field.

“Ed… Senior Ed…?”

Clarice called out to Ed with a moisture-laden voice, but he did not respond. His eyes fixated on the pattern in the magical circle, he quickly sprinted back to a corner of the room.

Ed knew the layout of this room well—as of Act 4 in “Sylvia’s Failed Sword Saint,” he had the chance to enter the top floors of Ophelis Hall.

He pulled out a sliding bookshelf in the corner. It was filled with holy scriptures, magic books, and reference texts, mostly concerning theological studies.

Ed leaned down and swiftly pulled out books on holy magic techniques from the lower section, carrying them to the central table. He started flipping through the pages swiftly.

“Senior Ed…?”

Clarice called out a second time, but to no avail; Ed’s mind was racing, his ears unable to register her voice.

He frantically searched through the pages for several minutes until his hands finally stopped on a specific page.

Laying it open on the table, he then took out another book from his pocket. It was a tome of incalculable astronomical value, the great mage Glokt’s “Introduction to Saintly Wisdom.”

Flipping through this book, he compared and contrasted specific pages with the previously opened tome on holy magic.

After some time, Ed wearily sat down on the antique wooden chair beside the table.

“It’s… yes…”

I seem to understand now…

He muttered under his breath, the quivering in his voice subsiding somewhat.

“Was it… not twisted from the start…?”

“Senior Ed, did you realize something…?”

“What if… this was all ‘proper’ to begin with…?”

—Bang!

Ed, having composed his thoughts, suddenly stood up and hit the table. The saintess asked him, watching his actions.

“Senior, have you figured something out…?”

“Listen carefully, my lady. No matter what happens… if things seem dire, do not hesitate to ask for my help…”

“Yes…?”

“That’s to say…”

—Roaaaaaar!

What followed happened in an instant.

Just as Ed was about to explain something, the breath of Sung Changlong struck the defensive magic of the Ophelius Hall, a consequence of the battle raging outside.

The formidable mass of magic power couldn’t be stopped, even by Obelira. The only option was to twist the direction of the force and deflect it in various ways.

Among the deflected strands, one struck the Ophelius Hall.

—Crash! Boom! Boom!

Ed’s reflexes were quick to react.

The building had reached its limit. If it were to collapse… taking the safest stance was imperative.

Gathering magic, Ed scooped up the saintess and dove onto the bed. They bounced off the soft mattress, and then the ceiling began to collapse.

—Collapsing sounds!

Debris from the building rained down.

* * *

—Drip, drip.

Awakening to the sensation of drops falling on her nose and cheeks, Clarisse struggled to move her stiff body, barely managing to sit up.

“Gasp…!”

Mouth covered with trembling hands, her body shook uncontrollably.

In the remnants of the collapsed building, she saw Ed propping up the debris with his magic.

A steel rod used in construction was impaled through his chest, thicker than any usual spear.

The liquid falling on her cheek… was blood flowing from the wound in Ed’s chest.

“No, this can’t… this can’t be happening…”

Ed fell to his knees as if he might collapse entirely; trying to say something, he was still supporting the debris, then he managed to speak.

“Rescue… me…”

“No… Senior Ed… this… can’t happen… no…”

Tears streamed down.

Clarisse tried to press down on Ed’s wound with her slender hands, but his blood wouldn’t stop gushing out, staining her white hands red.

“No, why… like this… you can’t… die in my place… it’s not right…”

Ed continued to try and convey something. It seemed like a sequence of numbers.

“One… six… zero…”

Her attempts to stop the bleeding were futile. Without even a chance to wipe away her tears, Clarisse pressed down with all her might.

She had never been able to do anything for Ed. Overwhelmed by circumstances and rapid changes, she had been led by his hand, eventually leading him to his death.

This fact gnawed at Clarisse’s heart again. His once-vivid face, now lifeless and pale, incessantly haunted her.

Too many people had sacrificed themselves just to save Clarisse. None had the chance to figure out what to do.

She didn’t want Ed to die, not like this. He was still clinging to life.

But… the light of his life was fading fast.

Ed, with his last bit of strength, had repelled the rubble that fell from the rooftop. Without the magic drawn by Glast’s ring, it would have been impossible to endure in his current state.

And then… his strength ebbed away. His body slumped onto the saintess’s lap.

“Sob… hic… sob…”

In the room laid bare by the collapsing ceiling, the saintess cradled Ed’s head, weeping as his eyes dimmed and the color drained from his face.

“No… please… don’t…”

And just like that… Ed breathed his last.

The sky was filled with the roar of Sung Changlong. Lucy and Obel were at a disadvantage.

A strange magical formation that had risen from the corner of the faculty building was enveloping the whole sky.

Soon, the world seemed engulfed in light, as if welcoming death.

Holding Ed’s head close, Clarisse shed tears. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she repeated to herself…

And there was nothing left but to accept the end of her life.

* * *

It felt as if a curtain of darkness had been lifted.

Blinded by the sudden bright light, Clarisse had no choice but to squint.

She swallowed her breath.

—’Why is the saintess here…?’

—’Isn’t there joint combat training today? Maybe she’s here to check the rosters.’

—’Idiot…! The saintess had plans to welcome distinguished visitors from the Holy City today…! That’s why she’s absent from training!’

—’That’s right… but why come all this way…? Could she be here for that guy Ed…?’

—’Do they know each other…?’

—’Not sure… I’ve never seen the saintess and that guy talking.’

—’The saintess hardly interacts with others anyway.’

—’True that…’

Murmurs could be heard from every side.

The place was near the main entrance of Gloct Hall. Wooden tables meant for student breaks.

Sitting there, facing someone, was Clarisse. Directly in view was Ed Lorestailer, and seated modestly beside him was Yenica Fellover.

“……”

Clarisse couldn’t catch her breath, not fully grasping the current situation.

All she remembered was Ed’s body, cooling within her embrace just moments ago.

Yet there, Ed Lorestailer’s face showed only confusion as he closed the book he was reading and laid it on the table.

“Lady Saintess, you wanted to talk… about what?”

As he answered, Ed looked at Clarisse.

“……”

At that moment,

flashes of the blond man, propping up the building’s debris streaked through her memory. The iron rod that had skewered his chest, the blood gushing out… The man, growing colder yet determined to hold the weight to protect her, flashed in her mind.

Holding back tears that threatened to rise, Clarisse abruptly stood up, approaching Ed swiftly.

Then, she began frantically undoing the buttons of his shirt.

“……??”

“What are you… doing right now…”

Ed raised his arms awkwardly, not wanting to harm the saintess with any rash movements.

Next to him, Yenica stood up, her face as red as a beet, stammering incoherently, while the watching students froze in shock.

Without a word, the saintess unbuttoned a few of Ed’s shirt buttons, looking inside. But there was neither a hole from a wound nor any blood.

Yenica, flushed, leapt to her feet.

“Lady Saintess…! Even for you… in broad daylight, at a place like this… this is too much…!!”

Attempting to intercept Clarisse, Yenica was immediately brushed aside as the saintess released Ed.

Stepping back, Clarisse collapsed into her seat.

Was it a dream, a hallucination, or just a symptom of her exhaustion?

Clarisse pondered, lowering her head in thought, yet a sudden pain in her right arm caught her attention.

Turning to her wrist, she felt a sharp breath being sucked in.

On that delicate wrist… inexplicably remained what was once there.

The grip marks left by Ed as he carried her up the Ophelius Hall.

Memories of Ed, protecting her until his death, resurfaced vividly.

With Ed’s face before her, she stroked his face repeatedly, allowing tears to fall freely.

Naturally, the entire student body observing the scene… was left completely stone-still.