Chương 246: Chapter 28: “A Town Dominated by Madness and Chaos”

[POV: Alice Luckin] After parting with Yu, I immediately returned to my aunt's house. At a time like this, my aunt was out and not home. I hurriedly explained the situation to Aln, who was resting his wings in the garden.

"Alun. Search for Auntie from the sky! I'm going to Milia's place!" The clever Aln nodded as if to say 'leave it to me' and flew off into the sky. Thank you. I'm counting on you. And I headed to Milia's house at full speed. The capital's army attacked suddenly without any warning. Yu seemed to know the circumstances of why those people came, but... in the end, he left without saying almost anything. Again. All alone. What. How reserved. I really wanted to tell him that. I wanted to stop him until the end.

I wanted to help too. I know Yu is incredibly strong in battle. But just because of that, trying to do everything alone is no good. Absolutely no good... Because. You are not strong enough to endure loneliness. And even if you could endure it, such strength doesn't suit you. At first. I was a little scared. Even during the Colosseum incident. Seeing you kill enemies mercilessly, I thought you were scary after all. But you know. Having been with you this long, I understand. Yu is...

actually a very delicate, sensitive, and kind person. Maybe something very terrible happened in the past. That's why you just can't be honest. Even earlier, you worried about me so much. Being all alone doesn't suit you one bit. That's why I feel like I shouldn't leave you like that. I feel like I shouldn't leave you alone. I have a bad feeling. Like Yu is going somewhere truly unreachable. That is the scariest thing.... If only he would rely on us more. True, we might not be able to fight shoulder to shoulder.

But just talking is fine. Letting it out is important too. We could have thought of a strategy together. We could have shared our feelings. Hey. Isn't that what friends are!? Idiot. Yu, you idiot! That's right. Aren't we friends! Even if you intend to be just an "acquaintance", aren't we already splendid best friends! Aren't we!? And yet. And yet... I wasn't relied upon. I couldn't be reliable. Because I'm a hindrance. No. Surely that's not all.

In a more fundamental part, Yu doesn't rely on anyone from his heart... Not being able to rely on anyone when it's truly painful. That's pitiful. That's too painful. My vision blurred. Tears were about to spill. No good. Crying at a time like this. I shake my head to distract myself. Without sorting out my feelings, I observed the surroundings. Everyone I meet is fleeing in great panic. It's a complete panic state. It was so peaceful until yesterday. What happened and why did it become like this?

I wish it were a dream. If there were no such incident. If I could spend school life as usual with Yu and cheerful Milia. It was while I was running, lost in thought. Suddenly feeling something terrifying, I stood frozen. Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. I feel tremendous Magic Power from over there. It was too immense, I could only express it that way. The direction opposite to the Lasil Great Plains—exactly where the army is.

Where Yu should be fighting! No way. Yu...! Before I knew it, I was trembling and couldn't move from the spot. A torrent of light enough to fill the entire town area is coming straight towards here. If we get hit by something like that, none of us will stand a chance.

"What... is that..." Words leaked from my mouth potsuri. At the scene too far from reality, even the fact that I was about to die seemed like someone else's affair. But—the attack that was supposed to swallow the town stopped just before it. I come back to my senses. I could tell even from here. Light and light are colliding. Something is opposing it. No, there is only one person like that. Yu is fighting hard. Yu...! Powerless me could only pray. Large shadows, one, two... six—is that, possibly, Dragons!?

Six Dragons fly in simultaneously. It was a scene like a fairy tale or something. They unleashed breaths simultaneously. The balance collapsed. Suddenly, a massive explosion occurred. The rumbling of the ground and roaring sound were deafening. And, the giant arrow of light. Disappeared to the other side of the sky as if moving away from the town. Silence returns again. What happened...? Were we saved? Is Yu safe? Dragons are crashing one after another. I was staring at that scene as if sucked in.

At that moment, I heard the sound of something breaking nearby. My consciousness turns to the ground with a start. A woman's scream and a man's groan can be heard. Not just one place. I can hear it here and there. What now. What is it!? Houses started catching fire one after another. Everyone is already panicking, running around without understanding anything. People are being attacked. The ones attacking are people from the same town. People who should have been trembling just like us until a while ago.

I felt like I was going crazy too. Thoughts spinning round and round in my head. I don't understand.

"Hey... this is strange. What is happening... What's wrong with everyone!?" Before I knew it, from grown men to women and children, everyone had started rampaging as if mad. The people rampaging all have lifeless, hollow expressions and don't look sane at all. I started running anyway. My legs hurry. Is Milia safe!? On the way, a bloodied woman staggered towards me. Finding me, she collapsed right there. I crouched down to her and called out.

"You! Pull yourself together!"

"H-Help..." The woman with tears in her eyes breathed her last. I gently closed the woman's eyes. I felt like screaming and crying. Why. Why did it come to this? What did we do!? But. I have to do something. Something...! I stand up. Desperately looking for someone who looks like they can do something. If it's people from the Swordsman Corps or Magic Corps, they should surely be able to help. There is a male swordsman standing over there. The crest of the Swordsman Corps. Found one!

"Soldier-san! People suddenly started rampaging over there!" When I saw his face as he turned around—I felt a chill. This person is not sane either! I felt like something glinted at the tip. I instinctively pull back.

"Kyaaaah!" The sensation of something gouging the flesh of my shoulder. I felt heat before pain. Something lukewarm flows down. It was my blood. Looking forward, blood is clinging heavily to the naked sword. I shudder. If I had pulled back just a little later. I would have been slashed deeply. The soldier who lost his reason re-adjusts his sword to the upper stance and swings it down. He intends to kill. Feeling terror that made me cower, I squeezed out my courage and readied magic.

"I'm sorry!" Roar. Thunder.

"《Delsing》" I shoot a pair of lightning strikes from both hands. The lightning magic, which excels in speed anyway, hit the opponent splendidly and paralyzed him. The opponent convulsed bikun and collapsed on the spot.

"Haa... haa..." Checking my slashed shoulder, I desperately regulate my ragged breathing. The wound isn't that deep. But no way. Even soldiers... I feel despair. Could it be, there are no decent allies anymore? Anyway. I can't mope around. Just when I was about to leave the place, I was suddenly grabbed from behind. Wall— I am slammed roughly headfirst against the wall of a house. Who...!? Without time to check, I was rubbed against the wall again and again. And I am grabbed by the collar and lifted up.

"Ah... ah..." Our faces met. The soldier I should have defeated. With foam blowing from his mouth, he is showing the whites of his eyes at me. You, certainly... how!? I can't... breathe. What, brute strength...! Not normal...! I struggle desperately. Trying to remove the grabbing hand, it dug firmly into my throat and couldn't be removed. Painful. No good... I'll be killed. Help— When my heart was about to break. Yu's face fighting desperately even now floated in my mind. Milia's face floated. If I die here.

Surely the two will be very sad. Such a thing. I can't forgive it! Y-You! Don't underestimate... me...! I stop struggling uselessly and concentrate magic power in both arms to the fullest. The opponent who has lost his sanity doesn't notice the rising magic power at all. Pressing my palms against both ears of the man, I hammered lightning magic directly into his head. No matter how tough, it stands to reason that one cannot move if they take damage directly to the head.

The man convulsed his whole body and couldn't move this time for sure. Having a narrow escape from death, I collapsed on the spot. My head is spinning. My favorite clothes were torn from the shoulder and messed up. Calming down a little, severe pain attacked me. Since the sword that slashed me had fallen nearby, I use it as a cane and manage to stand up.

"This..." I absolutely cannot accept this. Unforgivable. Making a mess of my favorite town. Of everyone. Who is it. Who did this. Who is it! I inhaled deeply. My heart about to whine. As if inspiring my heart about to cry, I shouted.

"I won't lose! Like hell I'll lose!" I'll live. Survive with everyone, and make a place for Yu to return to. When I shouted with all my might, strangely my heart calmed down. My resolve hardened. First I have to take Auntie and Milia's family and escape! Hurry!

"Hey! Don't block the way!" Firing lightning magic repeatedly, I forcibly break through the mob turned rioters. My specialty is fire magic, but I didn't feel like using it when the town is burning like this. Reaching the Noble District, the road changes to a paved one. The streetlights installed on the sidewalk also became gorgeous. This place was also full of chaos. Some people lost their sanity, turning into a hellscape of agonizing cries and fleeing.

While feeling sorry, I kicked away the people standing in my way to the extent not to kill them, and ran straight to her. Milia. Just a little more. Let's escape together. We'll give a harsh blow to the guy who did this. And, when I saw the place where her house was—. The resolve that barely supported me crumbled. Because. Because...! Milia's house was in flames.

"You're lying, right?" Burning. Ah. Her house is burning. Lie. This is a lie. It must be a lie.

"Milia! Show yourself! Milia!" Come out. Please! No response returned. What returned instead was the sound of the ceiling collapsing with a loud cracking noise.

"Milia! I'm here! Here! Let's escape, together...! Hey!" No response. All I could think of were worst-case predictions. No. No! I don't want that!

"Miliaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"