Chapter 179: First Act 48: The Sun 5

"Over here...!"

"This way"

"Hey there's two more coming"

In the heart of the commercial district, where a relentless horde of monsters poured out from the ruptured black portals, chaos reigned supreme.

Knights valiantly fought to guide the remaining survivors toward the city square, but the overwhelming number of injured and the ceaseless onslaught of monsters had begun to take its toll.

Even the mages, whose primary task was to teleport people to safety, found themselves gradually succumbing to the tide of adversaries.

Amidst the frantic scene, a sudden calm seemed to emanate from a striking figure at the center of the chaos.

A beautiful woman with long, flowing black hair and radiant golden eyes stood gracefully, unperturbed by the pandemonium surrounding her.

Clad in an impeccably clean maid uniform, she moved with an air of elegance that seemed incongruous with the dire circumstances.

For reasons unknown to the knights and mages, the monsters inexplicably avoided the enchanting black-haired maid.

Suspicion lingered among the ranks, but as she was dispatched by the princess herself to aid in the crisis, they had no choice but to accept her assistance.

Gratitude began to swell among the defenders, particularly the knights who had struggled to protect survivors and mages from the incessant attacks.

With the arrival of the black-haired maid, their burden lightened considerably. As she gracefully walked alongside them, a protective aura seemed to envelop the group, causing monsters to divert their attention elsewhere.

"Thank you, Miss Maid~" expressed a grateful child, bowing her head before Analise as she carefully guided her toward the waiting mage, ready to teleport them to safety. A warm smile graced Analise's face as the child vanished in the teleportation.

"I'm sorry," came a voice from beside her. Analise turned to find Alex, his head bowed as he apologized.

"Oh no, please raise your head up, young Master Alex. It isn't your fault," Analise hurriedly reassured him, noticing his genuine concern.

"No... if only I insisted, you wouldn't be on this battlefield right now," Alex lamented, a sense of guilt evident in his voice.

Just a few hours earlier, Princess Christine and Alex had engaged in a heated argument.

The princess had ordered Analise to assist with the rescue missions, rather than sending her to the safety zone on the city square.

Alex found it absurd that the princess would entrust Analise with such responsibilities, considering her strength was comparable to that of an ordinary citizen.

Although Analise possessed an unknown source of power that seemed capable of deterring the monsters, there was an understandable hesitation to rely on it completely.

The unpredictable nature of this power made it challenging for anyone to trust it unequivocally.

Analise reached out, her touch a gentle reassurance as she placed a hand on Alex's shoulder. "Young Master Alex, please understand that I chose to be here. My purpose is to assist and protect, and I find great fulfillment in doing so. The princess made her decision, and it's my duty to follow her orders."

Alex, looking into Analise's eyes, could sense the sincerity in her words. Her commitment to her duties resonated strongly, and despite the chaos that surrounded them, there was a sense of calm determination in her demeanor.

"And please don't be sorry for me, Young Master Alex," Analise continued, her voice carrying an air of genuine contentment.

"At the end of the day, it was me who complied with the princess's orders, and besides, I like helping out. I don't know why monsters are avoiding me, but isn't it best to take advantage of this strange situation than be afraid of it? Hehe" she added with a warm smile.

Alex couldn't help but reciprocate with a bitter yet understanding smile. In that moment, he realized that Analise, despite her composed exterior, wasn't immune to the tension that permeated the battlefield. Her hands, ever so slightly shivering, betrayed a vulnerability that she attempted to conceal.

Alex paused for a moment, a contemplative expression on his face before he spoke, "I saw Aria back at the square."

Analise's eyes widened at the mention of Aria.

"The young lady? Is she alright?" she asked in a worried voice. Despite the perilous situation they were in, Analise's thoughts never strayed far from her concern for her beloved young master and lady.

"Yeah, she seems to be helping out the principal manage the people in there," Alex reassured her.

"I-I see... I'm glad," Analise replied, a mixture of relief and gratitude evident in her voice. The connection she felt to Aria and her devotion to the well-being of her master and lady remained unwavering.

"Knowing that, you still don't want to go back?" Alex inquired, gauging Analise's sentiments.

Analise pondered for a moment, her thoughts drifting to her responsibilities and the orders given by Princess Christine.

Despite the princess's influence and the imperial authority she wielded, Analise was first and foremost a maid of House Tellus.

The Duke of Tellus, a close friend of the emperor, held a unique position where the imperial authority had little sway, their relationship more akin to that of friends and partners rather than subordinates.

After a brief reflection, Analise responded, "No... I'll help out as much as I can here." Her decision was fueled not just by the princess's orders but also by a deeper sense of duty and the desire to protect those she can.

Knowing he had no choice but to accept it, he resolved to do his best to protect her in case something terrible happened. His commitment to keeping her safe outweighed any frustration he may have felt about her choice.

"Then I'll do my best to protect you, young lady," Alex vowed.

Analise responded with a soft chuckle, "Fufu... please do, Mr. Knight."

Looking over her shoulder, Siena's eyes widened as she saw the very person she thought she had already killed.

"Y-you?"

"Surprise~! Didn't expect to see me right away, right? Hehe," Elaniel taunted, her wild smile revealing serrated teeth-like blades.

The darkness that shrouded her body seemed more menacing than ever. The four tentacles behind the beautiful Elaniel, now appearing darker than ever, emitted an ominous aura.

Elaniel could sense the heightened danger; a fatal strike from one of those tentacles would spell the end for her.

"How is it my new look?"

"Fucking disgusting...."

"Fufu, jealous much? Anyway thank you...." Elaniel said while bowing her head. "Thanks to you I can easily reach the top..."

Siena knew the situation was dire, but a strange mixture of emotions surged within her.

"Haha...." Siena chuckled in disbelief. It had been a long time since she had felt this—a genuine tension, a palpable fear. Throughout her entire life, she had been searching for this feeling ever since she became the strongest, yearning for a true and challenging battle.

"Kyaah..!!!" The young girl screamed as she found herself suddenly thrown out of the building, landing on the back of a colossal, bear-like monster. Despite the forceful throw, the creature's ample fat and large fur cushioned her impact, but the pain still seared through her.

"Run...," were the only words she heard from the lady who had saved her. The young girl had no time to voice her complaints as the colors of the world abruptly shifted to black and white.

Siena's blade swiftly left its scabbard, and Elaniel's manifested a sword, each of her whip-like tentacles transforming into a sharp, single-edged blade at the end. With a speed that would make dragons hesitant to blink, their weapons clashed.

Each clash resonated with power, turning the very space around them into a chaotic display of cracks and slashes.

Only a few seconds passed, yet parts of the academy alternately turned black and white with every impact of their blades.

The whole academy shook as the two formidable forces engaged in a battle that transcended the boundaries of the physical world.

...

"Ok, what the hell was that?" I muttered to myself, bewildered by the sudden burst of power that emanated from the white light.

It was only for a brief moment, but the intensity of that energy reminded me of the few transcendent beings I had encountered in the past.

Could it have been Siena...?

Tsk... this makes things more complicated.

"We should hurry and get back to the square," I suggested to the group. Initially, there were doubts all around, especially from the bishop, who appeared to be wiping beads of sweat from his face after the surge of white light.

Did he recognize it as Siena's power? Although Siena had a history with the church, the details were unknown to me. For now, my priority was to persuade the bishop to return to the square.

Surprisingly, I didn't need much persuasion.

The bishop nodded in acceptance, recognizing the urgency of returning to the city square.

It was our only hope for a safe escape from the academy's impending chaos.

With our current group, we could handle mid and even high-ranking monsters, especially with the new relic in Elania's hands.

However, victory was far from guaranteed, especially with demons thrown into the mix.

"Aria, can you use a wind spell strong enough to propel all of us back to the square?" I asked, urgency lacing my voice.

"Yes, but I'll run out of mana, though," Aria replied, concern evident in her eyes.

"Don't worry; I'll take care of the landing," I reassured her.

As Aria nodded her head, a bluish-green magic circle manifested beneath us, and gusts of wind concentrated around our group.

Ensuring that everyone huddled together, the winds lifted us before Aria released the spell.

Swoosh!!

Like flying bullets, we were easily thrown by the tornado-like winds, soaring through the air for a fleeting moment.

It was just enough for us to get close to the city square, where safety awaited.

As we hurtled through the air, everybody's eyes widened, witnessing black and white streaks in the distance.

Wherever these streaks passed, all things within a certain radius were sliced like minced meat.

I was certain that the white streak was Siena, though the other one was unrecognizable.

The speed at which they clashed made them appear as nothing more than hazy blurs in front of our astonished eyes.