Under the dark sky, among the countless flame walls that rose throughout the city, the grounds of <Scarlet Academy> were vaguely visible. The buildings revealed in the flickering crimson flames looked rough and crude.
Behind the city where the souls of warriors and flames were burning. This was the heart of <Scarlet Academy>'s grounds. In the distance, the faint sounds of screams and battle cries could be heard.
"What... what is this?!" "[Golden Witch] using a magic circle from the previous era...?!"
We were suddenly brought here, utterly confused.
Clatter―
Traces of the cleared Corruption Dungeon Gate. We stood among the black crystal shards containing a vast amount of ether.
"...!"
My heart felt like it was freezing in this sudden situation.
'Sigrun and <Gallhorn> aren't here. That means they targeted our party and Eir specifically with this activation?'
Could it be...?
I scanned the surroundings once more. Apart from Eir, who was captured, and our party, there were no other presences. A few <Scarlet Academy> students who had been patrolling the city had collapsed due to the black ether mist surrounding the area. And the source of the black ether was right in front of us.
I looked at the suddenly appeared 'figure' and muttered to myself.
The main antagonist with the strongest authority, second only to the [Dragon Crouching in the Abyss]. The [Priest of Corruption] was waiting for us in the middle of the northern slums.
"…" "…" "…" "…"
We were frozen, staring at the [Priest of Corruption]. The [Priest of Corruption] held the strongest in the north, [Crimson Trajectory]. And the ominous aura he emitted was unlike anything we had ever seen.
'Why is the [Priest of Corruption] here from the start?'
It didn't make sense. He had only awakened in this era recently. The [Priest of Corruption] was never the type to act recklessly without knowledge.
'Even though he's a boss who requires fully developed characters to barely handle, he was always portrayed as cautious.'
The <Ratatoskr>, who had been sealed for ages, had awakened recently. I couldn't fathom why they were moving so quickly.
'At this point, they should be investigating [Fate of the Three Heroes]...!'
Yet, the [Priest of Corruption] stood before us. The monstrous figure in the black robe held Eir with a hand enveloped in black ether.
Grrr―! Crack
The eerie sound of black ether digging into Eir's neck like a spider web. Despite this, Eir's eyes blazed with determination.
Eir resisted, trying to unleash her vivid crimson ether flames. But having cleared the event dungeon alone, she was too exhausted to produce any significant output.
"Ugh...! Grrrk―!!"
Despite Eir's defiance, The [Priest of Corruption] observed the ether color through his vertical yellow pupils, murmuring in a cavernous voice.
"Amazing. To think that ether with [Fate of Purification] would be born in the era we awaken. If we hadn't known, it would have caused a huge problem. And to think [Fate of the Three Heroes] would gather."
"...!"
A sense of distance. The [Priest of Corruption] was trying to grasp something. Reacting instinctively, I evaded his sense of distance.
"Hmmm..."
The [Priest of Corruption] turned his head slightly, looking directly at us. His slit pupils scanned Alvit, Rota, and Kara. The pressure in his gaze made them freeze even more.
"...Brown, orange, and blue-haired inferiors. Truly amazing. Was it really a prophecy?"
The [Priest of Corruption] nodded contentedly. Every gesture of the over 5-meter-tall lizard-headed giant was filled with sinister intent.
"Just as 'he' said 1500 years ago... Very good. I didn't waste time identifying [Fate] in ether."
Hearing his murmur, I felt chills run down my spine.
'How does <Ratatoskr> know about the fate of <Central Prism Academy> and the Five Colors...?! Who is this 'he'...?!'
They already knew the 'knowledge' revealed only at the climax of the original story.
"Hoo..."
I was breathless from confusion. A nauseating cold sweat trickled down my back, reeking of despair.
'Someone from 1500 years ago... already knew the original story...?'
1500 years ago. From a past in this world beyond my reach. The original distortion I didn't know about had already begun. Even with the mask of 'Clara', or chasing after the [Faded Spiral], the distortion from a distant past couldn't be undone.
<Ratatoskr> already knew everything and was acting accordingly.
"…"
No matter what mask I wore. Despair over the irreversible. At that moment, I instinctively sensed it and felt my mind becoming faint.
'Then, how can I protect my seniors... How can I save this world spawned from the game...'
A mocking voice from my past life, the selfish and sickly man, echoed in my mind.
-See, there were no problems living selfishly.
'No...!'
At that moment, Eir struggled, unleashing her crimson flames.
Flash――!!
Like a candle flame about to be extinguished, she flared up, desperately trying to escape the giant hand. She strained to grab the sword she had dropped.
"Ugh...!! Haaaah―!!"
Shuuuu―
But the crimson flames gradually faded under the restraint. Her outstretched hand futilely clawed at the air.
"Grrrk...! Grrrk...!" "…"
Eir's voice was low, like a wounded beast. Barely a whisper from her crushed throat, but she still stared defiantly at her captor.
"I'll... kill... you...!"
The [Priest of Corruption] chuckled dryly.
"Heh, amusing. You might defeat the followers, but that's impossible. But a little more time, and it might have been possible."
Flash――!!
From the four dragon wings sprouting from his back, black mist poured out. The mere presence of it shook the air and absorbed the ether from those standing.
Goooo――!!
The black mist spread, creating distorted cracks in the air. Familiar cries echoed from the honeycomb-like fissures.
Rooaar――!! Rooaar――!!
Several mature chaos insects, the bosses we had fought so desperately in the dungeon, descended from the sky. Their massive bodies trampled countless buildings, roaring.
The city, quiet from the collapse of the Corruption Dungeon, fell into chaos again.
Thud―!!
With a tremendous landing sound, chaos began anew.
Rooaar――!! Rooaar――!!
-Stop them from rampaging―!! -Evacuate the people―!! -Burn your life to the last―!!
Sounds of buildings collapsing around us. Students fighting desperately against the mature chaos insects. And in the middle of it all, stood a massive despair.
The mist emanating from the great wings of despair erased all hope from everyone's hearts. It absorbed the ether of many, simultaneously growing its power.
The black wings... Even blocked the moonlight.
Gooooo――
In the black mist, Bell, who had exhausted all her strength, lay on the ground with a pale face.
"This is... impossible..."
Thud―
Alvit and Kara had been sitting, trembling for some time.
"We need to... fight...!" "It's impossible... that's..."
Rota, on my back, grasped my neck with cold hands. Her thin hands trembled endlessly, spewing despair.
Tadadadak...
The sound of Rota's jaw trembling in fear reached me. It seemed she was convinced that her precious dreams, life, and time would all end here.
"…"
A certainty of death at 100%.
In the hopelessness, I looked up at the sky in vain. A situation where the original content was of no use.