It truly seems there’s no viable way to cross.
Ret and In-ju were deep in thought.
There was simply no way for the female students to traverse the gap by rope.
While carrying them across presented a fallback, even that seemed like an insurmountable challenge.
This time, I decided against offering any advice.
It was merely a gut feeling, but moving to the building’s rooftop felt deeply unsettling.
Having experienced that dream, I was reluctant to replicate the actions within it.
“How about we look for another way?”
At my suggestion, So-yi eagerly nodded her head.
“Right, let’s go another way.
I really can’t cross there.”
With no other recourse, In-ju seemed to deliberate for a moment before finally speaking.
“Then let’s think of another method.”
A sigh of relief escaped So-yi’s lips at In-ju’s words.
Another method, she thought.
Perhaps, instead of traversing the rooftops, a more traditional approach of navigating the alleys to directly breach the school grounds might prove more suitable.
Just then, the void crackled with static, and Han Se-na’s voice echoed through it.
“Are you preparing to move to the rooftop?”
“Teacher, a problem has arisen.”
In-ju’s declaration prompted a flustered Se-na to respond.
“A problem?”
“There’s a hitch in our movement.
We need a way to head to the academy via a route other than the rooftop.”
An alternative route was imperative, as reaching the rooftop was clearly not a simple option.
“How about moving underground?”
No sooner had Se-na spoken than So-yi readily agreed, as if she had been anticipating the suggestion.
“That sounds good.
It connects to the academy underground, right?”
“Should I call it a subway?
They say there used to be a subway, but it’s not operating now.”
A subway, she mused.
It was likely an underground shopping complex, linking this bustling downtown area to the academy’s vicinity.
So-yi nodded, a look of satisfaction spreading across her face at Se-na’s explanation.
“Yes, we’ll do that then.”
“But you must be careful.
You never know where the Homunculi might be hiding.”
The probability of Homunculi lurking beneath was significant.
Descending underground would by no means diminish the inherent danger.
Urban warfare inherently favored the defenders, a fundamental principle of combat.
However, their current predicament was distinct.
They were on the offensive.
Forced into an offensive stance, swiftly overpowering their foes would be paramount above all else.
“Understood.
We’ll move quickly.”
With Se-na’s final instruction, they all began to descend into the subterranean passages beneath the shopping complex.
They proceeded cautiously down the stairs, adhering to the basic tenets of urban combat.
Fortunately, the building they had occupied appeared free of Homunculi.
Footfalls echoed—
Maintaining a heightened state of alert, they immediately entered the subway.
Given their careful movements, it was unlikely they had been detected.
Upon reaching the subway level, a long corridor stretched before them, leading to the ticket gates.
Having been abandoned for what felt like ages, the darkness ahead was absolute, rendering even an inch of visibility impossible.
Only the faint, scattered glow of exit signs punctuated the profound silence.
I rummaged through my pocket, retrieving a flashlight.
Though I had brought it merely as a precaution, its utility in this moment was undeniable.
Surely, even the Homunculi wouldn’t have been deployed in such oppressive darkness.
“Is it really okay to go this way?”
“Of course, it seems better than trying to cross with a rope earlier.”
So-yi’s response to Ret was laced with mockery.
She forged ahead, navigating the unseen path with surprising ease.
Apparently stung by her words, Ret followed close behind.
We immediately head towards St. John’s Academy.
They moved steadily along the lengthy passage, confident that continuing onward would lead them to their destination.
Suddenly, I, who had been leading the way, halted.
A peculiar sensation permeated the air.
‘I feel like I’ve felt this sensation somewhere before.’
“Wait a moment.”
When I stopped, So-yi, who had been walking ahead, also stopped.
“What now?”
Despite So-yi’s grumbling, I spoke with a steady, unperturbed tone.
“Something’s off.”
“What do you mean, ‘off’?”
So-yi continued to grumble, yet a distinct premonition settled over me—a sense that proceeding further would be ill-advised.
Just then, Ret spoke up.
“You’re right.
I hear a sound from somewhere.”
“A sound?”
Ret’s words made So-yi flinch involuntarily.
A faint, almost imperceptible sound seemed to emanate from the depths.
A movement in this otherwise silent subway? It was unsettling.
“You’re just trying to scare me again.
I hate scary stories…”
So-yi’s words trailed off, leaving an abrupt silence.
She uttered nothing further.
In that tense moment, In-ju ignited a flame in his hand.
Fwoosh—
Flames erupted from his palm, casting an eerie glow.
As the fire illuminated their surroundings, the horrifying truth became visible.
Clinging to the ceiling above were countless small Homunculi, each emitting a high-pitched ‘Beep-beep’ sound.
“Damn it.
How can there be so many…”
Speechless, So-yi could only stare up at the ceiling.
They were mine-type Homunculi, clearly deployed for explosive detonation.
This realization struck a chilling chord: entering the subway had been a grave error.
“When I say so, run.”
In-ju’s voice remained strangely calm as he spoke.
The others swallowed nervously.
Ret, without hesitation, grabbed both my waist and So-yi’s, tucking us under his arms.
“What, what are you doing?
Grabbing a lady’s waist!”
“Is that important now?
This is a matter of life and death.”
Even as Ret vehemently argued, In-ju’s voice cut through the air with a shout.
“Run!”
He bolted forward, simultaneously launching a fiery arrow directly at the Homunculi poised to detonate.
I had heard tales of it.
Urban combat was perilous precisely because buildings transformed into formidable fortresses, concealing unseen infantry, landmines, and explosives.
It was said that the majority of infantry deployed in such conflicts met their end in urban skirmishes.
‘Would we suffer the same fate?’
Ret sprinted without a backward glance, In-ju matching his desperate pace beside him.
Booming explosions echoed as the mine Homunculi detonated with violent force.
Fortunately, some failed to explode, instead falling harmlessly, perhaps thwarted by In-ju’s flames.
“Run for your lives!”
I squeezed my eyes shut against the relentless barrage of explosions.
Ret, too, was running at full tilt.
All of them, desperate to survive, were scrambling to escape the subway.
****
“Mother, why are you calling…”
Seira answered Aira’s call with a smile, though a hint of apprehension lingered.
She was currently guarding the pharmacy, a crucial choke point.
According to intelligence, the most efficient route to the academy invariably led through this very establishment.
“Quickly, come back to the academy.
Leave the troops as they are, just you, Seira…”
Aira’s urgent tone instantly betrayed Seira’s growing bewilderment.
“But Mother, you said the Asteria guys would come this way…”
“No, it’s because there are guys coming to the academy right now.
Leave only the deployed personnel and come back for now.”
“Understood.”
Seira lifted her head, her gaze sweeping across her surroundings.
Outside, the Asteria forces were already making their approach.
Composed of both Homunculi and Awakened individuals, these were the typical formations of most Asteria units.
“Puhuhu… Still, I suppose a little fun wouldn’t hurt before I go, would it?”
Seira immediately cast her gaze downward.
There, traversing the central road, were a group of flustered “chicks” (TL Note: A slang term referring to inexperienced or naive individuals, often used disparagingly).
This was simply intolerable.
In a single, fluid motion, Seira leaped from the pharmacy floor, landing gracefully outside.
Before the terrified “chicks,” Seira stood alone, radiating an unnerving composure.
A smile played on Seira’s lips as she regarded them.
“Puhuhu… The rats have entered the sanctuary.”
Clack—
Two Homunculi instantly aimed their weapons at Seira, while two Awakened individuals stood before them, their faces etched with tension.
They were two young adults, a man and a woman, barely past their coming-of-age.
“W-what is that?”
“It’s a nun Homunculus.
It must be a pathetic Homunculus made by St. John’s Academy.”
The man, who had been speaking with such bravado, extended a hand towards Seira.
“I am not a nun Homunculus, I am Seira.”
Seira offered a polite greeting to the pair.
In response, the man merely offered a sneering smile.
“I never asked for your name.
I don’t know how well you’ll hold up, but you don’t look bad as a warm-up opponent.”
He instantly hurled a car at Seira.
Vroom—
The vehicle hovered ominously above her head, then descended as if in slow motion, poised to crush her.
“Puhuhu… Puhuhahaha… Interesting.
You must be able to control gravity freely.”
Thud—
With a mere gesture from the man, the suspended car plummeted towards Seira.
She remained motionless, as if already crushed, as the massive vehicle descended like a waterfall upon her seemingly frail form.
Thud—
The man slowly approached Seira’s seemingly lifeless form.
He turned his head, addressing the woman beside him.
“See?
Such a pathetic Homunculus is easily…”
Bang—
A sudden shot, and blood gushed from the man’s forehead.
He crumpled forward, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
A single shot, yet it had pierced his brain with deadly precision.
He had likely perished without suffering.
“Kyaaak!”
The female student shrieked in terror.
“I’m not someone who dies that easily.”
From the opposite side, another nun Homunculus emerged.
A centipede crawled into her body, and the moment it fused with the Homunculus, the same chilling smile that had graced Seira’s face before appeared on hers.
“Shall I introduce myself again?
I am Seira.”
“I’m not doing this!
I, I’m going back.
I’m going back to the Academy!”
Vroom—
Before Seira could utter another word, the female student launched herself into the air, soaring above.
All of Asteria’s Homunculi immediately opened fire on the female student.
“Now, everyone attack!
Don’t hold back, let’s turn her into a beehive!”
The Homunculi inside the pharmacy began to attack the female student in the sky and the Homunculus confronting her.
Like a riddled beehive, the female student was perforated.
Her face and legs were struck by a barrage of bullets, leaving her disoriented.
“S-stop!
Kyaaa!
S-stop…”
How fortunate it was that she was not a defensive Awakened.
She deserved praise just for making it this far with such a third-rate ability.
Flight ability, truly a relic of a bygone era, wasn’t it?
An ability to merely fly without any combat prowess was utterly useless.
Indeed, the male student’s ability seemed far more practical.
“Puhuhu… No one is permitted to enter the sanctuary.”
The powerless Asteria Homunculi were destroyed, and the female student plummeted directly to the ground.
Like a falling leaf, she slowly descended, relying on her flight ability.
Yes.
No one is permitted to enter the sanctuary.
[ Group F Annihilated ]
