Aftermath - Eledale Academy

The battlefield was silent, the smell of blood and rotten fleshed wafted across it. It was a tragedy, multiple people died because of one fatal flaw—a bypass.

Someone managed to remove the protection on some players. No more simulated pain. Only the raw, visceral agony of mutilation—and death.

Among the fifty that were eliminated and supposed to come back, only twenty managed to return. Some wept. Others screamed. A few remained frozen, too stunned to react. What had been a trial to assess their combat capability had turned into a massacre.

Friends, and family member died during that day. Leaving the management stunned, even Vectus himself.

Today was scheduled to be an announcement for who passed the exam, but it was then scheduled the week after, letting the students mentally rest.

Lilith stood among them, her hands trembling. Blood—some of it not her own—clung to her skin.

Luciel was alive, barely.

Vectus then stepped forward, going towards Luciel’s unconscious state. Softly, he tapped Lilith’s soldier, whose eyes were blank and in pain.

“Are you fine young lady…?” he asked, concerned for her well-being.

But she only stared blankly into his gaze, muttering not even a single word. Just aspirated gasps, and a trembling voice returned.

Him being a reasonable human-being, did not bother asking her further—Instead, he used his skill in Magic, healing Luciel almost instantly. As expected from someone who has slayed a legendary dragon.

Moments later, Luciel stirred, cradled gently in her arms. His eyelids fluttered open, his hands trembling as if trying to grasp onto reality. A soft, raspy whisper escaped his lips.

“Lilith…” he muttered to her.

In an instant, her eyes sparkled, hugging him dearly. She cried on and on, worried that he might not come back ever again.

“You dummy…” she sniffled, “I thought you died…”

“I’m a tough nut, okay?” he softly chuckled.

“Now’s not the time to laugh!” she pouted, but was then quickly replaced by a soft smile. “Welcome back…” she added.

“I’m back…”

Just then, Cedric began to wake up—clearly in a messed up mental state, considering the physical trauma he went through when he fought Mireille. Unlike Lilith that immediately hugged Luciel, Anneliese slapped Cedric, rambling on and on why he risked himself for her.

And just like that, the gloomy atmosphere—turned into a wholesome one. Laughs shared between the survivors, and fellow scholars that wanted to comfort those students that went through the trauma.

But a question lingered among the administrators.

Who was responsible for such action?

It was not clear cut, as Arvan already mangled the body of the perpetrator—so not much info can be taken from it.

It seemed like it was just a matter of time to know who did the attack…

For now, the surviving students were escorted to their dormitories—guarded closely, shielded from any further harm.

As the students settled into the safety of their rooms, and the Academy trying to forget the past the incident, someone deep within the academy premises, a lone figure stood by the window of his dormitory.

Arvan sighed, staring at the horizon, the glow of dusk reflecting on his cold, blue eyes. He clenched his fists, still unsatisfied with the plan he executed.

“Not flawless… losing that pawn wasn’t worth it…” he muttered, voice low with frustration.

He rambled on and on within the premise of his room, thinking of plans to kill Luciel specifically. His steps echoed as he paced around his room, his thoughts slowly turning bitter.

“Why are you with Lilith… why… why… why…” His mutters grew harsher, edged with resentment. “The girl I liked the most back then… but always seemed to be close to you… I’ll take everything from you… Tsukiyama.”