* * *

    Hong Seti narrowed her eyes as she stared at the sewer.

    There was no sign of confusion or fear in her bright blue eyes, shining in the darkness.

    After all, she was way too familiar with this darkness.

    This space was not that different from the ‘farm’ where the South Korean government raised her, her sisters, and other livestock.

    Seti, who easily saw through the identity of the sewer, swallowed a sigh.

    This wasn’t Manchuria or beyond the Dimensional Portal, and yet they dared to cause trouble at an academy monitored by the U.S. and Australia so openly?

    It would have been nice if the government were that foolish. However, South Korea wasn’t an easy opponent to deal with.

    In the end, the most likely suspect was the Priest of the Church Ava had mentioned.

    She couldn’t figure out how someone was able to create a barrier of this level… but he was someone who had already masterminded a terror attack once, so there was still the possibility that he could do it again.

    As Seti wandered through the sewer, lost in thought, she suddenly stopped in her tracks as she sensed a presence from beyond.

    Holding her breath and listening carefully, she heard footsteps—two sets, not just one.

    She instinctively began to draw up her mana. An ominous premonition ran down her spine.

    “So, about that, Junior…”

    Moments later, two male students emerged from the other side of the sewer.

    Two boys in familiar school uniforms. One of them was a face Seti was pretty familiar with.

    He was the type of guy who was handsome enough to be called a prince by the female students who didn’t know the truth about him.

    The son of the traitor, Jeon Yunseong.

    He was holding a sword he had obtained from who knows where, an imperial knight’s sword, and talking with someone she couldn’t identify.

    “Junior, you say? Senior, you can speak to me casually.”

    “Is that okay? I am indeed older, but… you, Junior, are the representative of the new students.”

    The man had a somewhat servile smile.

    Judging by his uniform, he seemed to be in his second year… but something about him felt off. It was hard to pinpoint, but it felt like she should keep her distance from him. ????А??ＢЕ????

    Seti didn’t step forward and instead began to retreat in silence. She had no intention of joining those two anyway.

    “…Who are you?”

    The second-year senior caught sight of her before Jeon Yunseong.

    From that distance? Seti bit her lip slightly.

    The man’s gaze was fixed precisely on her. Was he using some sort of magic to pierce the darkness?

    “Uh… are you a first-year junior?”

    Seti didn’t respond and simply glared at him. The man became slightly flustered, scratching the back of his head.

    “I know it’s awkward to meet in a place like this, but there’s no need to be so hostile.”

    “…”

    “I’m a second-year student named Arthas, and you know him too, right? Jeon Yunseong.”

    The second-year senior, who introduced himself as Arthas, took a step forward and kept talking.

    “You’re not a ghost or something, right? If you’re a living human, can you answer me?”

    At that moment, Seti finally figured out the source of her unease: his demeanor.

    Even though they had fallen into an unidentified sewer, he seemed to be overflowing with composure.

    And it wasn’t just a matter of whether he was a smooth-talker or not. His expression, muscles, and aura… none of them showed any signs of tension whatsoever.

    “Uh, excuse me…?”

    As he took another step, Seti narrowed her eyes. Should she fight him or flee?

    She didn’t contemplate for long and chose to back away.

    Although Seti desperately wanted to fight and discover his identity, she couldn’t afford to waste her strength in this place.

    It would have been different if she had her hammer. However, even if she borrowed the strength of God, it would be difficult to fight here, especially with the chances of Jeon Yunseong getting involved.

    Just as Seti made a decision and activated her Flying Kick technique, a sudden bright light burst forth from behind.

    The dense white light made it feel as if the sunlight and moonlight were mixed together.

    Seti was stunned in an awkward pose before she turned around.

    As her pupils contracted for a moment to adjust to the light, a blonde girl appeared with two large orbs of light floating above her shoulders.

    “…Soe Miri?””

    “Seti! I finally found you.”

    Finally?

    Just as Seti’s delicate eyebrows furrowed in surprise, Soe Miri continued.

    “Yeomyeong has been desperately looking for you. Shall we go join him first?”

    “Miri, what do you mean…?”

    Just as Seti was about to ask her what she meant, Jeon Yunseong spotted her and interjected between the two.

    “Miss Soe Miri?!”

    He leaped over the sewer and rushed past Seti to arrive next to Soe Miri.

    His footwork was similar to those of the Flying Kick technique; no, they were nearly identical to the Feather Step from the Flying Kick technique.

    “How did you end up here, Miss Soe Miri? Are you okay? Are you hurt? Please let me know if you’ve been bitten by a Beastfolk zombie. That second-year senior has potions…”

    Just as Jeon Yunseong was about to go on a spiel, Soe Miri replied coldly.

    “I’m fine, so there’s no need for worry.”

    “But still…”

    Jeon Yunseong tried to keep the conversation going, but Soe Miri brushed past him and approached Seti.

    Seti glanced back and forth between Jeon Yunseong and Soe Miri and asked,

    “…Are you really okay?”

    “Yes, I’m perfectly fine.”

    Though she said that, there was something strange in Soe Miri’s gaze as she stared at Seti. It was almost as if her eyes were looking elsewhere.

    “Seti.”

    Soe Miri grasped Seti’s arm tightly and spoke in a soft voice that only she could hear.

    “…You can feel Yeomyeong, right?”

    “…”

    “Follow that sensation in your heart. Just follow that feeling.”

    * * *

    The four of them somehow ended up walking through the sewer together.

    More precisely, it was Soe Miri and Seti leading the way, with Jeon Yunseong and the second-year senior following from the back.

    Though it seemed like they could have stuck a conversation, only silence filled the space.

    Jeon Yunseong kept sneaking glances at Soe Miri’s back and opened his mouth to speak, but he wasn’t able to start a conversation.

    After a while, only the sound of footsteps filled the sewer.

    The second-year senior, who had been watching Jeon Yunseong, suddenly spoke up.

    “Hey, Junior… I mean Yunseong, do you remember what I told you earlier?”

    “Ah, yes, I remember.”

    Despite the sudden question, Jeon Yunseong nodded.

    In fact, it would have been even stranger if he didn’t remember.

    How could he forget such a terrifying remark that this bizarre sewer might be a precursor to a Dimensional Portal that would swallow the academy?

    “I don’t have any evidence or anything to back me up, but I learned about a similar case back when I was in the Knights Order—a Dimensional Portal created with Black Magic.”

    “Hmm…”

    “It might just be me overthinking, but there’s still a chance.”

    “Certainly, if it’s not that, then this situation is hard to explain.”

    After hearing the response, the senior paused for a moment before speaking in a somewhat serious tone.

    “Yunseong, would you be interested… in helping me look for the traces of the Dimensional Portal?”

    “Excuse me?”

    “I just have a bad feeling about this. It would be a bit difficult for me to go all by myself, but with your assistance…”

    Knowing it was a bit of an unreasonable request, the senior trailed off at the end of his sentence.

    Jeon Yunseong didn’t respond immediately, instead gazing at the backs of Seti and Soe Miri as they kept walking ahead.

    When he suddenly fell silent, silence descended upon the sewer once again. Faced with the silence, the senior threw Jeon Yunseong a sharp glance from the side.

    After a moment, when Jeon Yunseong finally opened his mouth again, only a polite refusal came out.

    “…I’m sorry. That would be difficult, senior.”

    “…”

    “Even if what you’re saying is true, the adults will deal with it. There are U.S. military personnel stationed at the academy’s port, so it doesn’t seem like it’s our place to intervene.”

    Seemingly having understood his explanation, the senior nodded his head. However, immediately after, he muttered something too softly for Jeon Yunseong to hear.

    * * *

    A wolf’s howl, sharp enough to tear their eardrums, echoed loudly in the sewer.

    A howl that could have never come from the rotten vocal cords of a zombie.

    “Ah, come on… is there no end to these zombies?”

    The Saintess lamented as she reloaded her automatic rifle while Yeomyeong calmly placed the War Hammer and the wrapping on the ground, picking up his sword and shotgun.

    “It feels like you’re the only one being chased here…”

    “…Being popular is tough, you know? Did you not know?” S~ea??h the N?velFire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Perhaps the frivolous joke was a signal because an enormous amount of footsteps echoed from beyond the sewer almost immediately.

    Just the sound of the growing noise was enough to make a guess.

    Having made a similar judgment, the Saintess immediately prepared her blessing.

    “O White Ulthvatish, please grant us the power to defeat evil.”

    Her usual frivolous tone voice was nowhere to be found; her voice while praying was utterly reverent.

    In response to her prayer, a pure white light blossomed in the air, enveloping her automatic rifle and Yeomyeong’s sword.

    “It’ll last for about 10 minutes. If you weren’t a non-believer, it would’ve lasted 30 minutes.”

    The Saintess said as she aimed her gun toward the noise.

    “So, how about it? Want to convert now? I could even make you a Holy Knight directly under the Saintess if you wish.”

    “…Let’s end this within 10 minutes.”

    As soon as Yeomyeong finished speaking, the Saintess pulled the trigger.

    A bullet emitting white light illuminated the sewer and pierced through something in the darkness beyond.

    The next moment, light burst forth from the bullet.

    Under the momentary burst of light that engulfed the sewer, the figures rushing toward Yeomyeong and the Saintess revealed themselves.

    The wolf Beastfolk zombies they had seen just moments ago, and mixed among them…

    “…Fiends?”

    Massive creatures that seemed to have the body of a gorilla, with a few extra arms attached and a wolf’s head mixed in.

    Seeing the creatures rushing at them, the Saintess let out a hollow laugh.

    “I can’t believe this. First zombies, now monsters…”

    “Isn’t that a standard combination?”

    “Standard? Where on earth is that a standard?”

    Ignoring the Saintess’s incredulous reply, Yeomyeong charged at the zombies and the fiends.

    Adding the Surging Wave technique’s mana to the sword, he thrust the pure white blade into the fiend who had stepped forward.

    “You, die—!”

    The fiend was probably smarter than the monsters he faced in Manchuria, as it even opened its mouth to speak.

    Of course, Yeomyeong simply shoved his sword into the monster’s maw instead of responding.

    !

    Unlike that of the zombies, the monster’s blood was hot. Unfazed, Yeomyeong swung his sword again.

    Unlike the zombies, the fiend didn’t go down easily. Even after its head was split in half, it didn’t die immediately and still reached out with its arms.

    This wasn’t just mindless flailing; it was a cunning attack that aimed at his ankles and knees.

    If it could just knock him down once, it would immediately try to overpower him using its mass.

    Yeomyeong furrowed his brow, seeing the change in the zombies’ behavior.

    The struggle itself wasn’t the problem, but the interruption in his swordsmanship was.

    Every time he avoided the fiend’s attacks and tried to create distance, more zombies and fiends would surround him.

    However, their attacks never landed successfully.

    Every time Yeomyeong’s sword faltered, the Saintess’ cover fire filled the gaps.

    Just one additional rear support allowed him to wield his sword with more ease than when he was up against the hordes of zombies alone.

    They were at so much ease that the Saintess even had time to crack jokes.

    “Yeomyeong! We should save our bullets! Cut through them with your sword!”

    Yeomyeong complied. As if releasing the frustration he had been holding back, he gathered mana into his sword and swung it horizontally through the air.

    The Sword Aura unleashed after all this time stirred up the wind and split the sewer in half. Had it been a real sewer, the strike would have torn through the walls as well—a fierce and powerful blow.

    As the Sword Aura passed them, the fiends and zombies were split in half, their innards spilling out.

    “…Wow, it gets stronger every time I see it.”

    Ignoring the Saintess as she admired the bloody sewer, Yeomyeong took a deep breath.

    He was worried that the lingering Killing Aura in his heart might stir, but fortunately, there were no signs of it.

    “Saintess, don’t let your guard down. There are still many left.”

    Just as Yeomyeong said, the zombies and fiends were still pouring in from beyond the darkness. The Saintess replied while switching magazines.

    “, this somewhat reminds me of Manchuria.”

    “…Really? Not for me though.”

    “…You really have no sense; even if it’s not the time for it, you should at least play along.”

    “Do not lie. Are the doctrines of Five Gods I know wrong?”

    “What about the doctrine that says not to touch a woman’s body carelessly? Are you only a non-believer when butts are involved?”

    “…”

    Yeomyeong thought idly as he gathered mana again.

    There were still many fiends and zombies that he needed to kill, after all.

    * * *

    Follow the sensation in your heart.

    Following Soe Miri’s words, Seti moved her feet. Although she had no choice but to follow, she also realized that she sensed someone or something from beyond the sewer.

    There was no concrete evidence, but she felt a belief close to absolute certainty.

    And as if just to prove that belief, the evidence soon appeared.

    At some point, they reached a part of the sewer filled with the bodies of zombies.

    Though the others might not know, Seti was instinctively realized. It was Yeomyeong who had sliced these zombies to pieces.

    Seti increased her pace. She heard the grumbling voices of the troublesome second-year senior and Jeon Yunseong trailing behind, but she paid them no heed.

    To her, Jeon Yunseong was her object of disdain.

    At one point of time, she thought of him as a future comrade.

    Beyond jealousy and admiration, she had once considered him as a hero who would save her older sister.

    However, the day she learned the truth about him, not once had Seti considered Jeon Yunseong as an equal human being.

    One day… both the father and son of the Jeon family would have to pay for their actions.

    …Just as Seti had that thought and turned around the corner, the tingling feeling in her chest disappeared.

    “…Saintess? Yeomyeong?”

    On the other side of the sewer, she saw the Saintess and Yeomyeong sitting in a puddle of blood.

    “Huh? Seti? It’s Seti!”

    Catching sight of her, the Saintess smiled brightly as she got to her feet, brushing herself off. Yeomyeong also stopped cleaning his sword and turned to Seti.

    Filled with joy, Seti ran toward Yeomyeong.

    No, she was about to run.

    However, she found herself frozen stiff because Yeomyeong’s gaze, though not on her but on something behind her, had suddenly hardened.

    It was a look filled with hatred, one Seti had never seen before.