- Crack, crackle...!
The ice spears hovering in the sky ripped through the air and crashed into the ground.
- Rumble, rumble...!
The Hero Party watched in horror, their faces went pale.
If that attack hit them, it was obvious what would happen.
“Who... who can still move?”
“I-I
“Neither can I...”
“Damn it.”
They had already exhausted much of their strength trying to stop Aishi’s rampage that had started hours ago.
Their key members were also unable to perform at their best, their minds shattered from recalling the truth.
Fortunately, there have been no casualties so far. But if those sharp ice spears hit them directly, the outcome was clear.
“Hyaaaah!”
Understanding this, Arianne quickly leaped forward.
Moments later, her large shield spell protected the entire Hero Party just before the ice spears struck.
- Crackle, crackle...!
“Ugh...”
In terms of defensive magic, she was even more proficient than Irina.
But everything had its limits.
- Crack, crackle...
Cracks began to slowly form in her shield.
- Crackle, crackle...
“Impossible...”
Despite not giving up and reinforcing the barrier, Arianne looked up and shook her head.
“This... is my limit...
“Everyone... run.”
“...”
“I-I’ll try to hold her off...”
As a defensive mage, Arianne was not supposed to say such things.
- Crackle, crackle...
“Go now! I’ll buy time...!”
She knew this better than anyone, but she still screamed at the top of her lungs, pouring all her remaining strength into the barrier.
“...Ugh.”
When the ice spears combined and began to grow into a massive structure, she finally fell silent and slumped to the ground.
“Aishi, why... Why are you doing this...”
“Watch out!”
“Ugh...”
Just before Arianne was crushed, Vener hurriedly carried her away and tried to flee the harbor.
“That appearance... looks like a demon? But why Aishi?”
“Could she be... the Demon King?”
“That’s impossible! Just a few days ago, she was her playful self!”
Following them, the panicked Hero Party retreated, chattering in fear.
Now, a huge mass of ice cast a shadow over them.
“A-Aria?!”
Someone screamed in alarm as they fled, noticing Aria collapsing in the rear.
“Ugh...”
Aria, who had been helping those who fell behind, had stumbled and fallen herself.
“S-Someone help!”
“What is this?”
It wasn’t Aria’s fault. At that moment, several others also began to fall.
- Crack, crackle...
The ground of the harbor was freezing rapidly, trapping the ankles of those running.
“No, no... I don’t want to die...”
“Run! Don’t look back, just run!”
Those whose ankles were frozen in place either fell into despair or shouted for their friends to flee.
The ice and cold climbed from their ankles to their legs.
“What should we do...”
“It’s too late...”
“What?”
As the students tried to turn back, Alice’s words stopped them, causing confusion.
“A-Alice! Don’t lose hope!”
“It’s not too late! If we hurry, we can save them! I’ll go right now...”
“...It’s too late for all of us.”
Alice responded again with a fearful expression.
“When the barrier breaks... w-we’ll all be caught... every single one of us...”
Finally understanding the situation, the students turned their terrified eyes to the massive ice formation that had completely enveloped the barrier.
“Let me go. I’ll try to hold out...”
“I’ll stay too. Let’s do this together.”
Vener and Arianne, who had been retreating with the students, stopped and started heading back inside.
“We’ll help too...”
“D-Don’t come...”
It was too dark to see who he was, and Aria, unaware of his identity, warned him as sharper and more numerous ice fragments fell on her.
There was no time to swing his sword. The fragments had already reached her.
“Ahhh!!”
“Ugh...”
Desperately, the man charged at Aria and shielded her with his body.
- Crack! Crack! Crack!
The ice fragments struck the ground with a chilling sound, encasing them in a spherical ice prison.
“...”
The Hero Party stared blankly at the man who continued to protect Aria in his arms.
.
.
.
.
.
“A troublesome... person has arrived...”
Aishi muttered coldly, looking down.
“...”
The five main heroines, Isolet, and Lulu, who had teleported in after hearing the news, stood blocking Aishi’s path.
- Shhhh...!
- Crack, crack...!
Gazing disapprovingly at them, Aishi turned her attention to Ruby, who was emitting ruby-colored demonic energy in front of her.
- Roar...!
Sky blue and ruby-colored energy engulfed the entire harbor, soaring upwards like a giant butterfly spreading its wings.
“As you have relinquished your position as the Demon King, your power will continue to wane.”
“...”
“Do you think you’ll be able to protect everyone like this in the future?”
“Shut up.”
In the midst of that scene, Ruby glared at Aishi with a murderous look.
“Eye bastard, it’s your doing.”
“Who, me? Whose eye?”
“Bastard...”
“I don’t know anything abou– Ugh.”
Aishi covered her mouth with one of her hands as she smiled mischievously, but suddenly, she stumbled and her expression twisted.
“...Pointless resistance.”
“...?”
“Stop... stop resisting.”
With a frown, she muttered under her breath.
“Well, I admire your effort, so I’ll retreat for today.”
She smiled again, encasing herself in ice.
“Look forward to the final battle of the second semester, the ‘Academy Siege.’”
“Wait...”
“Well, you’ll probably be too busy with the Hero’s funeral. Hah, hahah...”
She laughed, scattering snow everywhere before disappearing.
“...”
Ruby, clawing at the spot where Aishi vanished, bit her lip and turned away.
- Roar...
The entire harbor city of the Western Continent was covered in ice.
“Hmm.”
Ruby, breaking into a cold sweat at the chilling sight, started walking slowly.
“I have something to say! As the former Demon King, let me...”
She tried to speak humorously to her group but stopped in her tracks at what she saw.
“B-Brother.”
“Cough, cough...”
Frey and Aria, who had been rescued from the shattered ice sphere, were surrounded by the group.
Frey, clearly in bad shape, was holding Aria, stroking her head with a trembling smile.
“My dear Aria... you’ve been through a lot, haven’t you?”
“Ugh, ugh...”
Blood flowed from his mouth and the stump where his left arm used to be.
“I’m sorry... for everything. My sweet little sister.”
“Brother...”
Frey’s left arm was completely severed.
“Help... help him... Someone, please...”
“...”
The Hero Party members, watching in shock, collapsed into the snow one by one.
“Frey!!”
The main heroines, staring with lifeless eyes, watched Ruby, who urgently cast healing spells on Frey while running towards him.
- Whoosh...
Along with the unexpected winter wind, Frey’s remaining time was slipping away.