Bonus chapter thanks to @Gingerth3gr8 from Ko-fi
During the car ride with Teacher Isamaya a few hours earlier, I opened up about a potential threat.
“I might be attacked by the Indus.”
“What, what?”
“It’s more than a possibility; it’s quite likely. When that happens, don’t panic, Teacher.”
“No, no, no, Frondier, what are you talking about? The plan was to hide you and have us attack first.”
Isamaya exclaimed in confusion.
I said with a stern face, “One of their leaders holds a grudge against me.”
“It’s more than a grudge; I’ve destroyed one of his hearts.”
“One of his hearts… What, is he a monster? Does he have more than one?”
“Yes. Three.”
Isamaya gasped, her face one of disbelief.
Of course, I already knew that the Kraken wasn’t on the aerial railway. But it was good material to convince Isamaya.
“He talked about turning me into a sacrifice.”
“A sacrifice?”
“Yes. He said it was necessary for the revolution. That’s why he didn’t attack me when we met at the gym.”
I don’t know why Indus wants to use Frondier as a sacrifice. This isn’t the same scenario as the game.
But if all they needed was my ‘life.’
The Kraken could have attacked me enough at that time. Whether blowing off an arm, a leg, or piercing through my stomach.
However, the Kraken didn’t do that. Even while threatening me at a speed I couldn’t react to, he didn’t try to properly attack me.
To say it was just because of carelessness, given his cruel nature, it would have been more fitting for him to try and take at least one of my arms.
“So, I thought about it. The ‘sacrifice’ they talk about must be somewhat intact while still alive.”
“…So?”
“Teacher. If the necessary sacrifice is in the hands of the enemy, how would you use it without killing or harming it?”
When I asked Isamaya, she furrowed her brows.
The answer came quickly.
“…Kidnapping?”
“Correct. Once we arrive in Cropolis and they start their name card operation, they likely planned to kidnap me amidst the chaos of students and teachers.”
Moreover, if they hide among civilians and pretend to be victims of the name card, the students won’t easily attack. Kidnapping would be easy.
“But you’re here. You’re not going to Cropolis.”
“Yes. So, it would be best if I show myself.”
“…Show yourself? Hey, Frondier, you.”
Isamaya turned her head towards me. It was a dangerous act while driving, but not incomprehensible.
I said, “If I reveal myself, Indus will realize their plan has failed. Since I’ll be in their sight, they will immediately try to kidnap me. This way, innocent citizens in Cropolis won’t get involved or hurt. The field trip can proceed without any issues.”
“Are you crazy? Absolutely not. You’re a student at Constel. You expect us to just watch you get kidnapped? Stop talking nonsense.”
“There’s a reason I’m only telling you this.”
I looked at Isamaya.
Isamaya was furious. A student was offering up their life on a platter.
It was indeed the right mindset for a teacher at Constel, but not suitable for the current situation.
“A single student and the entirety of Constel’s students, along with the citizens of Cropolis. You know very well which is more important. You’re the most level-headed person in Constel.”
“…!”
Isamaya’s eyes wavered.
I smiled.
“And you don’t like me much, do you? I’ve been a cheeky student to you.”
“That’s completely—!”
“That’s a matter of personal feelings, not something that should cloud the facts. I know that very well. That’s why I told you.”
I know Isamaya’s character. She never lets personal feelings interfere with her Pro duties. Everyone wants to do that, but it doesn’t always work out. But not her. She can perfectly separate personal from Pro matters.
“So, if that situation arises, please contact the other teachers immediately. Indus’s operation won’t proceed in Cropolis. They were planning to use me to target the dean, so they might recklessly proceed with their plan, maybe even on the aerial railway.”
“…So, in other words.”
I nodded.
“We’re luring in Zodiac ‘Heldre’. On the aerial railway.”
* * *
I had already spread Menosorpo.
Even if I were to fall, I could fly using Mjölnir.
But Cain doesn’t know that.
Magic capable of flight in this world is extremely difficult. Even the ‘levitation’ that barely lifts you a few centimeters off the ground is challenging for first-year Constel students.
Magic is even more challenging for warriors than for magicians. Even Quinie, hailed as an all-weather jack-of-all-trades, can only use her fan to leap higher and farther.
The kind of free flight most people imagine is only truly possible for beings like Osprey or Elodie.
For reference, flying magic is slightly different depending on the school and element, but broadly it’s categorized into floating, wings, flight, and propulsion flight. While ‘flight’ has limitations in speed control, ‘propulsion flight’ allows the caster to increase speed as much as their capabilities permit.
“What are you—!”
As I hurled myself towards the cliff, Cain reflexively reached out. Her hand touched the hem of my clothes with astonishing reaction speed.
One.
Fizz!
Her arm separated, splitting into countless spider forms. I grinned.
As expected, the Cain before me was a dummy made of spiders.
While the dummy of Cain is indistinguishable from the real one to the eyes, the story changes when force is applied. Being a dense collection of spiders, it can’t hold together and disperses immediately.
“Ugh!”
The dummy that was Cain made such a sound and scattered into spiders in an instant.
Meanwhile, my feet completely left the ground, and I was just falling through the air.
‘What will you do, Cain?’
Cain is extremely afraid of revealing herself, not just because Thompson and Skyler are both in danger.
It’s because Cain’s very existence is a massive weakness for Indus.
‘But in current situation.’
The dummy can’t stop my fall. Another dummy rushing at me wouldn’t overcome the force of my fall and would just shatter.
So, what will Cain do now?
How important the ‘sacrifice’ is to you all.
Now it’s your turn to be tested.