Chương 87: Chapter 55:"Countdown to World Destruction"

Due to the continuous incidents, we hadn't slept for over a whole day. Naturally, we can't fight like this. After setting up camp and holding a strategy meeting, we decided to leave the command to Barton-sensei and Dreet-san, and take a nap in the tent immediately. If we don't get even a little sleep now, our stamina won't last when the time comes. My mind is restless, but I tell myself that and try to get some sleep. I also have to rest and recover the consumed magic power.

Alice next to me seemed very tired, and fell asleep soundly soon after lying down. She has been awake and working hard for much longer than me, who was knocked out in the basement of the laboratory, or Milia, who was turned to stone and unconscious. It's no wonder. Whispering "Good work" softly, I closed my eyes. It was late at night when I woke up with a start, feeling an abnormal surge of magic power. Looking sideways, Alice and Milia seemed to have sensed it too, and got up together.

When the three of us went outside, many other people were already outside. Everyone was looking up at the sky. A terrifying abnormality was happening up there. What is that—! The lower part of Edel was wrapped in intense emerald green light. If you see it, you can clearly tell. That enormous magic power is filling up there. Eventually, a beam of light was released from there. Illuminating the moonlit night sky, the maximum light pierces straight through.

That is the direction of the Capital— When I thought so, it had already reached beyond the horizon. Just when I thought it flashed roundly for a moment chika, the next moment, a dazzling light erased the darkness. Like when an atomic bomb fell— The sight of a dark green mushroom cloud soaring high into the sky burned into my eyes. The roar arriving a little later shakes the atmosphere greatly. Eventually the cloud disappeared, and silence returned as if nothing had happened.

We were forced to realize, whether we liked it or not. The Capital was destroyed. In an instant. It was a shock that slammed us, who were trying to stand up against Edel together, to the brink of despair at once. After all, it means that if he feels like it, he can easily erase Sacris entirely. Many despaired, some fell to their knees, and some trembled. Some even started screaming or trying to run away. It was unavoidable.

At that moment when panic was about to set in, Inea-sensei roared with a voice full of spirit.

"Calm down!" Those who were trying to run away stopped moving abruptly. To calm everyone down, Sensei spoke in a dignified tone, as if addressing everyone there.

"Certainly, that was tremendous power just now. If we are targeted by such a thing, Sacris will not stand a chance. But then, why didn't they fire until now? Why was there a need to prioritize the Capital?" The surroundings begin to buzz. Voices saying "That's true" could be heard. Sensei continues without breaking her calm tone.

"It's simple. They couldn't fire. Think about it. It's that much power. It must require considerable preparation time to fire." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Sensei's keen eye, which saw through even Spacetime Magic, shines here too.

"Assuming it took until now from the resurrection of Edel to prepare, there is a grace period of a little more than a day until re-firing. We just have to make a move by then. There is hope!" Receiving the powerful words, everyone seemed to regain some fighting spirit and calmness. The situation has become more severe, but these are people who gathered prepared for a tough battle from the beginning. As long as hope remains, they can still recover.

I thought Sensei, who regrouped the unit that was about to fall apart, was truly amazing. Furthermore, to give everyone concrete hope, Sensei announced the strategy we discussed here.

"We will divide the unit into two." One is the Sacris Defense Team. They will fight to protect the town in this camp. And the other, the key, is the Edel Infiltration Team. As you can see, almost the entire perimeter of Edel is covered with a strong barrier. Entry seems almost impossible. However, only near the multiple gates, the barrier is not deployed.

"Therefore, a few elites will run through the sky and aim to enter by breaking through the gate. While the Defense Team protects the town, if the Infiltration Team succeeds in entering and takes down Edel, we win!" Voices of Ooh rise here and there. It seems it was worth talking about the strategy here now before morning comes.

"The Magic Soldiers circling the sky have good visibility even in the dark night. Attacking in a hurry now is disadvantageous for us." But it is also true that there is no time. Inea-sensei thought for a moment and presented a realistic revision plan.

"So. The execution of the operation will be slightly ahead of schedule, at sunrise tomorrow morning. Everyone, rest your bodies well until then!" Saying so, Sensei concluded. People who had despair pasted on their faces until a while ago now returned to their respective posts with faces that regained hope in their chests. Some went into tents to take a nap. Some went to lookout. Alice, who was next to me, spoke to me.

"Inea-san was cool, wasn't she?"

"Yeah. I didn't know Sensei had such charisma." Sometimes I was told she had business, and training was cancelled. I heard it was because she was teaching swordsmanship to the Swordsman Corps. But even if her face is known to the Swordsman Corps, it should be extremely difficult to unite everyone, including other strangers. Sensei did it splendidly. I can't believe she is a person who usually lives a retired life in the dojo.

"As expected, Sensei will have to stay on the ground."

"That's right." I nod to Milia's words. This time, Sensei was supposed to be assigned to the Sacris Defense Team. She volunteered to take the role of uniting the unit, leaving the battle with Clam and Tor to us. I really wanted her to come to the sky as a great war potential, but there is no guarantee when the unit will fall into a situation like before. Besides, Tor will surely throw a large force here. Because he said he would erase it with overwhelming force.

Even if we win, it's meaningless if the town to protect doesn't remain. While we are away, Sensei was our reliance. Alice and Milia returned to the tent, and I tried to follow them. Looking up casually, the blue moon shining faintly in the night sky was drawing almost a perfect circle. It will probably be a full moon tomorrow. But there, I felt a strange discomfort. A trivial difference—that I probably wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't happened to gaze at the moon on the night of the forest exercise. Wait.

Isn't the moon slightly bigger than when I saw it before!? At first, I doubted my eyes. I thought it was impossible no matter what. But it was unmistakably true. Once I noticed, it was obvious. The moon was gradually, seemingly imperceptibly. But surely getting bigger. Don't tell me— I looked at Edel floating in the sky. Enormous active Magic Element constantly emitted from Edel.

That, which continued to cause magic pollution enough to make any living creature unable to live in the Lasil Great Plains, had been dissipating into the atmosphere until now. Now, it all had a certain directionality and was quietly rising high into the heavens—as if being sucked into the moon. I finally realized. The biggest trap Will had set. Edel itself is a decoy. Even if he can rule the world with such a thing, it won't be destroyed. When he said he would destroy the world, he meant it literally!

—That shelling was the final trigger. A human drowning in power and lust for domination wields forbidden power. By pulling that trigger, ironically, they are destroyed by a greater power. And that involves the whole world. Truly a nasty script typical of him. It's too much. Isn't this too much...! Once, the Magic Empire Edel was destroyed by a meteorite he attracted and dropped. But if you think about it, there was no need to bother attracting a meteorite. Because the biggest and closest meteorite—is right there.

A country was destroyed by a small meteorite. If you want to destroy the world, you just have to drop a bigger one. It was a simple answer. A hateful, simple, and helpless answer. He dared to leave the moon. For this moment! I glared at the blue moon. It was quietly but surely counting down to world destruction. —At this pace. It will reach the gravitational sphere in a day or two. The Moon falls. The World ends. I no longer knew what to do. The scale is too different.

It was a level where I passed despair and conversely didn't feel real. What a guy. Will. What a thing he... If there is only one thing I can do, it is to stop Edel as soon as possible. Only that. If I cut off the supply of Magic Element emitted from Edel, maybe the fall of the moon will stop. I have no choice but to bet on that possibility. With a tragic determination in my chest, I entered the tent. Seeing the peaceful sleeping faces of Alice and Milia, I feel like crying. If the moon falls. The two of them.

Everyone— I might not be able to... protect the world. I realized the overwhelming power of the enemy again. And I was made to realize the smallness of my reach. I couldn't sleep anymore. It was a night where I was just crushed by helplessness.