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Chapter 303: The Day The Star Met The Sunset

The first-year students who entered the gate looked around with displeased expressions.

- Goooo...

Inside the gigantic gate that encompassed the entire academy, an unknown white noise and hazy smoke filled the air.

"Hyaaatt!"

The first-year students hesitated to advance in such a gloomy atmosphere. Ruby, who was at the forefront, swung down the sword she held with all of her might.

- Kugogogogo!!

The dense mist blocking the way split in half as Ruby\'s sword struck, gradually revealing the path ahead.

"A-Amazing!"

“As expected of the Hero…”

Some students who saw the feat of power were astonished and praised Ruby with astonished expressions.

"Gasp, gasp..."

However, instead of responding to their praise as usual, Ruby only breathed heavily and stared ahead.

What a pain.

The ‘Curse of Vulnerability’ caused her to gasp for breath just by using this little force. Combined with the \'Curse of Honesty’, Ruby had become the most honest version of herself throughout her life.

Therefore, if she were to open her mouth and respond to them now, she would undoubtedly say, "Isn\'t it laughable that you guys casually babbled such words without even knowing you’re actually walking into hell?"

On top of that, even though she was from the demon race and had a considerably long lifespan, Ruby was well aware that things could gradually become more dangerous on days when she had penalties. That was why she kept her mouth shut and adopted a strategy of speaking only when necessary.

"So, uh, where are we... going?"

"Oh, Ms. Olivia."

Olivia approached Ruby, who was sweating heavily after she swung her sword.

With black glasses and a distinctive ponytail, Olivia was proficient in handling paperwork to the extent that Ruby had chosen her as her aide.

"We\'re going to destroy the \'core\' of this gate."

"The core?"

"Yes, we have to destroy it to resolve this situation.”

After Ruby spoke with a smile, Olivia tilted her head and asked another question.

"But how do you know about that, Hero?"

"Actually, I saw this situation in a dream before."

"...Huh?"

Olivia still looked puzzled by Ruby’s serious answer.

"Could it be... was it a divine revelation from the Sun God?"

When she asked again, Ruby simply smiled without saying a word.

Well, I didn\'t lie.

What she said was entirely true.

Ruby couldn\'t lie because of the Curse of Honesty.

However, it was not a divine revelation from the Sun God...

Ruby, who muttered in her mind, calmly smiled and looked at the students following her.

...It was actually the Demon God who whispered to me in the dream.

But what she said about destroying the core to resolve the situation was also entirely true.

Now, I should gradually choose the ones that are useful.

However, her intention was not to do good as a hero.

I\'ll just leave those who suit my taste. This is a good opportunity to get rid of the trash.

It came from meticulous calculations stemming from pure malice.

"Ms. Eurelia. Are you okay?"

"...Don\'t worry about me."

Let\'s see, Eurelia... that child will stick with me once her faction disappears. It would be a waste to kill her.

Thus, Ruby\'s ruthless selection began within the advancing group of students inside the gate.

"Gasp, gasp..."

"Lenya, are you okay?"

For the Horizon sisters... let\'s keep only the elder one. The younger one undoubtedly has potential, but she\'s too far from unleashing her light.

Once she had quietly decided the sisters’ fate, she encouraged everyone with a serious expression and then continued her selection.

Lecane Luna Silvermoon is... interesting, but not really my taste. Olivia, of course, stays, and also…

Only after she had processed the selection of 2/3 of the students in her mind, Ruby wore a satisfied smile.

- Uuuung…

"Ah! Look over there!"

And the gate\'s core began to appear in front of them.

"Look at that. I was right, wasn\'t I?”

Enjoying the unfolding events, Ruby opened her mouth and pointed to the core, which glowed black in the distance.

"Everyone, aim for the core!"

The students\' eyes lit up as they raised their weapons and began casting magic circles.

"On the count of three, all together, target the core! We all need to combine our strengths!"

After encouraging them, Ruby slightly raised the corners of her mouth and started counting.

"One..."

The students holding cold weapons like swords and spears began slowly gathering their sword aura.

"Two..."

The eyes of the students casting spells sharpened.

"Thr—"

Ruby smiled brightly as she was about to finish her countdown. She imagined the events that would unfold with a blissful expression.

- Fuzz...

"...!?"

Suddenly, someone appeared in front of them.

"W-what is this?"

"Oh my gosh!"

As Ruby stopped counting due to the abrupt appearance, the students behind her retreated in bewilderment.

"...Sigh."

After a brief moment, Ruby, who stood tall and stared ahead, let out a short sigh.

"You finally came."

The one blocking their path was none other than Frey.

"..."

Surprisingly, he wasn\'t alone.

"...I will follow your command."

With lifeless eyes, Alice sharply twirled her dagger, staying close to Frey and staring at the new students.

- Crackle...

A faint light emerged from the \'Curse of Subordination\' pattern engraved on her shoulder.

"What are you... doing right now?"

As Ruby saw that sight and closed her eyes tightly, Eurelia, who was beside her, asked Frey indifferently.

"We don\'t have time, so I’ll make it short."

Frey quietly drew a sword from his waist as he responded firmly.

"This will be a practical training session."

Frey aimed the sword at the students and declared in a low voice.

"If you want to break the core, defeat me."

"What kind of crazy talk is that...!"

"Could it be that this whole situation is Frey\'s..."

Then, the students began to murmur.

"My loyal subordinate, Alice, will help with this training."

As Frey added that, all eyes turned to her.

"Isn\'t she… the one running for student council president this time?"

"Oh, you’re right. I heard she went missing."

Ruby frowned at the conversation of the students. Then she glared at Frey with a cold expression.

"...Ugh."

Feeling the glare from Ruby, Frey’s face turned pale.

"Well then..."

However, he soon shook his head to regain his senses and said with a forced, gentle smile.

"...From now on, use all means to escape from here."

"..."

For some reason, Frey’s appearance looks both threatening and precarious at the same time to the students.

So, the students who initially glared at him, wanting to kill him, gradually started to tilt their heads.

- Kugugugugu...!

However, soon, vibrations echoed within the gate.

"If you don\'t want to die, hurry up."

Frey declared once again as the space cracked throughout the gates. With that, the students started to move slowly.

- Whoosh!!

"Hi-hiik!!"

At the same time, Alice, who was under Frey\'s command and in a hypnotic state, began to rush at the students with a dagger.

"W-We need to subdue..."

"No! She\'s a formidable expert! If we confront her recklessly, our lives will be in danger!"

Some students raised weapons to intercept Alice, but Lenya\'s older sister urgently began to speak.

"T-then... if everyone rushes in to confront her..."

“If we act recklessly, she and all of us could be seriously injured. Provoking someone suspected of being controlled by Frey could lead to big trouble."

"Besides, even if we subdue her, there\'s a possibility that Frey himself will intervene."

As they withdrew slowly while discussing, the conclusion reached by the students was…

"...There’s no other option then."

"Let\'s get out for now."

"Bring reinforcements. If we bring all the professors, even Frey won\'t be able to do anything."

It was the 36th strategy¹.

- Ssk...

However, not all the students agreed.

"This is an opportunity..."

"..."

Lenya was at the end of the group, escaping from the crumbling space. While Eurelia was at the front, quietly separated from the group.

"W-we have to go."

And a moment later.

"Even I have to help. Even I have to..."

A pale-faced girl also quietly left the group.

.

.

.

.

.

- Czzzz…

As I watched the students getting further and further away, chased by Alice, I finally sheathed the sword I had been aiming at the students.

"Phew..."

I felt like my legs were going to give out.

In order not to show weakness to those kids, I spent too much mental energy.

Now, I just wanted to rest.

"...Grind."

But I couldn’t rest yet.

The situation was not over yet.

Although Alice revealing herself as my subordinate in such a dramatic situation caused a tremendous blow to her chances of becoming student council president, the threat of the \'gate\' still remained.

If I couldn’t minimize the damage this gate would bring, the main quest and everything else would be meaningless.

"Phew..."

With that in mind, I raised my sword and looked down at the glowing core, and chewed my lips.

I’m scared…

Before the second wave comes, I have to shatter this core.

Only then could I fully deflect the damage from the gate.

I must not accept help from anyone.

Did I not commit such an act to the main heroines for this? This will be a practice for the Fourth Ordeal.

That’s what I should do...

Normally, I would have swung the sword without hesitation, but for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to do so at this moment.

- Uuuung...

The gate core vibrated as if mocking me.

I had to strike it now.

If I delayed even a little, I wouldn\'t be able to save those students trapped in Ruby\'s trap.

It would have also made it difficult to prepare the main heroines for the fourth ordeal and execute the plan to plunge my blade into Ruby.

Anyway, I had to do it.

"Heaaaaaaah!!!"

I closed my eyes tightly and forcefully swung my trembling arm that was shaking in fear.

- Hwik...

However, the sword slipped from my hand without much struggle and flew away.

Perhaps it was because my hands were too sweaty. Or maybe I had lost too much strength.

"Ee, ugeuk... ugh..."

My breathing gradually became labored. If I continued like this, I wouldn’t be able to save everyone.

That must not happen. Please.

- Srrk...

Before it was too late, I urgently grabbed the core with my left hand.

I put strength into my left arm, which has turned pitch black. I infused mana into the mana circuit in my whole body.

- Rustle, rustle...

Watching the gate core, which began to heat up due to the stellar mana, I suddenly started to rummage around my pocket quietly.

"..."

Shortly after, I retrieved a handkerchief adorned with animal drawings from my pocket and gently wiped my face, all while closing my eyes.

Just endure a little more. Just a little more.

Experiencing the pure joy I felt when I received the handkerchief as a gift for the first time and the warmth of the animals drawn on it, I prepared for the gate early termination penalty. However, at that moment…

- Step, step...

"...!?"

Suddenly, I could hear footsteps approaching in front of me.

"Wh-who..."

I wanted to ask who it was, but only a timid voice came out.

It seemed that my mental strength, which already reduced to 0.1, had once again reached its limit.

"Uh..."

"...!"

While trying to distinguish the person in front of me with such thoughts, I was startled and my eyes widened as I heard a sound reaching my ears.

"H-Hero."

Roswyn, in her miserable appearance, was standing in front of me.

... It’s already starting, huh?

It seemed that the early termination penalty had begun.

- Ssk, ssk...

It looked like it worked, and my arm seemed fine. That was a relief. It didn’t seem to be a physical pain penalty.

"Ugh, ugeuk..."

But suddenly, countless pain, sorrow, frustration, and despair surged throughout my body.

It seemed that the direction of the penalty began to take shape.

Now, what did this illusion have for me?

Was it going to stab me? Condemn me? Strangle me?

I’m scared… So scared that it might drive me insane.

My thoughts were chaotic. My body couldn’t move. My heart started pounding.

I couldn’t breathe.

"S—..."

Completely engulfed in panic, the trembling words that escaped my lips were…

"I-I’m scared..."

It was something I said in terror.

"S-Save me."

After that, everything went blank.

.

.

.

.

.

"Ah, ua..."

An indescribable fear appeared in Frey\'s eyes as he trembled and fell into a state of hyperventilation, his shattered left arm hanging limp by his side.

"S-Save me..."

"Ah..."

Next to the shattered arm lay the broken gate core, shattered by Frey. His sword silently resonated with the vibrations in the ground.

"Please..."

In that situation, Frey held a handkerchief to his face as if it were a respirator.

"Uh, uh..."

Upon seeing Roswyn, Frey started to tremble and slowly stepped back.

"He...ro..."

And the real Roswyn watched that scene with a pale face.

"I-I\'m sorry..."

It was the day when the star and the sunset, which had always diverged, met again for the first /genesisforsaken