If inhaled, it quickly causes one to lose their mind and go berserk.
Something like rabies or the rage virus, perhaps. Either way, it was a headache-inducing situation.
The people who hadn’t yet escaped from the Enigma Auction were still targets that needed protection.
This incident wasn’t illegal or anything—it happened at an ordinary auction house.
The people on-site were simply innocent victims caught up in the chaos, entirely blameless.
But the moment they inhaled the gas and started going wild, they turned into enemies we had to deal with.
And not only were we not allowed to hurt them, but we also had to subdue them quickly before more victims piled up—a very tricky condition indeed!
“Ugh… Hurry! Get outside! You can’t breathe in any more of this gas!”
“Waaah! Run!”
“I’m dying! I’m dyiiiiiing!”
Alice swiftly subdued a man who had lost his mind and gone berserk with a sleeper hold.
Without hesitation, she raised her voice and began guiding people toward the exit.
However, perhaps because more and more people inside the auction were losing their minds and going wild,
the confusion only grew worse, and the number of victims kept increasing.
“It’s dangerous! We need to hurry and help Alice!”
Even from afar, the seriousness of the situation was painfully obvious.
Sabrina, her face pale with shock, dashed toward Alice in a panic.
Well, she probably would have dashed off if I hadn’t thrown myself at her waist to stop her.
“What are you doing, Yuria?! At this rate, Alice will—!”
“…!”
Sabrina barely managed to steady herself and avoid falling over, then looked down at me with bewildered eyes, clearly wondering what I thought I was doing.
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No matter how capable Alice is, it’s clear she’d be overwhelmed once people inside started going berserk.
So logically, we need to lend her some strength to calm the situation. That’s probably what Sabrina was thinking.
But that was a judgment made knowing one thing and missing another.
I pointed toward the other Pixies near Alice as if to say, “Look over there.”
“Guh, guh-geub…”
“The gas mask… the gas mask…!”
“Hey, snap out of it!”
“Ugh! Could it be these people have inhaled too much gas?!”
There, Pixies knelt on the ground clutching their throats,
or collapsed in place gripping their heads, overcome by intense headaches.
Since they had been standing near the crowded exit, continuously shouting without pause,
they had naturally been exposed to the gas leaking out from the auction hall.
Even Pixies, who could resist most drugs or magic with ease, couldn’t endure this?
Then there was no way Sabrina, who only had a slightly tougher body, could withstand it.
Perhaps she realized this fact all too well.
Sabrina bit her lip, sweat dripping down her face as she silently trembled.
“Guh… Alice, sis…!”
“….”
Still, her thoughts weren’t wrong.
A gas that caused people to lose their minds and become aggressive upon inhalation was spreading from inside.
Dozens, hundreds of innocent civilians caught up in this mess needed to escape through the narrow exits.
In such a precarious situation, relying solely on Alice to handle everything?
It was definitely overwhelming. Hell, even if Raven or Victor were here, it’d still be tough.
Having to protect people while they indiscriminately attacked everyone around them?
Unless you were exceptionally skilled, calming this situation would be closer to managing a disaster than anything else.
‘Well, if there’s a silver lining… gas attacks happen to be something I’m particularly good at countering!’
Alright. That’s enough situational analysis for now.
While no one’s paying attention to us, let’s wrap this up quickly.
Having made up my mind, I released Sabrina’s waist and stood up.
Then, making sure only she could see, I lifted my mask slightly and placed a finger lightly over my lips.
Sabrina knew I could use telekinesis.
This gesture meant I wanted her cooperation: hide my identity and ensure no one interfered.
“…I got it, Yuria! Hide behind me!”
“…!”
Fortunately, my intentions seemed to get through.
She nodded vigorously, clearly understanding.
Then, glancing around cautiously, she positioned herself as a shield to block any prying eyes from spotting me.
This way, even if someone looked over, they wouldn’t find anything suspicious.
After double-checking that no one was watching, I finally unleashed my telekinesis after so long.
Extending invisible hands connected to my body, I pulled the thick, hazy smoke downward to the floor.
‘I don’t need to solve every problem. If people stop inhaling the gas, they’ll be able to escape quickly.’
Ultimately, the reason the situation had worsened was that more people kept inhaling the gas and losing their minds.
If I could suppress the gas and prevent new victims, that alone would significantly reduce the damage.
Those controlling the crowd must have noticed the change almost immediately.
Alice, who had been seriously directing people, widened her eyes and whipped her head around.
Probably, amidst the chaos of gas spreading everywhere, it suddenly sank to the ground.
She must’ve wondered who did it—but thankfully, it didn’t seem like she realized it was me.
In the end, perhaps she gave up trying to understand the cause in this urgent situation.
Alice shouted loudly at the panicked crowd being driven mad by those who had lost their minds.
“Everyone, please calm down! The gas has settled! It’s safe now! Follow the guidance and head toward the exit!”
Hearing her voice, the confused crowd finally noticed the thick smoke settling on the floor.
Even those who had been violently pushing others to escape first seemed to calm down and followed the order to leave through the exit.
Thankfully, there were no further disruptions.
With the help of the Pixies who had regained their senses, the evacuation process neared its end.
At this pace, all the unaffected people would soon escape.
As I guided the thick gas out through the windows along the floor, a sudden scream erupted from inside.
“Aaaah! Blood! I need blood!”
“Huh?! Wh-what the heck is this person?!”
The black shadow that burst out from among the pushed-aside crowd was a girl with long, jet-black hair reaching her waist.
She looked about high school age. With her whites showing and drool dripping down her chin, she didn’t look normal by any stretch of the imagination.
The black-haired girl leapt out from the crowd and pounced on Alice like a wolf.
Caught off guard, Alice could only raise her arms to block the attack and roll backward.
“Alice, sis!”
“Guh… I’m fine! Pixies! Get the rest of the people outside the auction!”
“Grrr!”
Alice reassured the worried Sabrina with a loud voice.
Meanwhile, she forcefully restrained the girl who was trying to bite her.
As expected, Alice’s physical prowess was overwhelmingly superior among her peers.
Even if it was a surprise attack, once it came down to a battle of strength, there was no way she could lose.
But to me, currently suppressing the gas with telekinesis, the black-haired girl’s face looked familiar.
Though I’d never seen her in person, she felt oddly recognizable—because she was a character from the original story.
‘That person… the Disciplinary Committee President of the Academy?’
Now that I thought about it, Tamamo, the student council president of the Academy, was at the auction.
So it wasn’t strange for the Disciplinary Committee President to be part of her group.
Wait, but if the Disciplinary Committee President lost her mind like this…
Does that mean Tamamo, the magical genius, was in a similar state? That would be quite troubling.
As I was feeling increasingly flustered by the chaotic turn of events,
the Disciplinary Committee President, held down by Alice in a sleeper hold, desperately clawed sharp talons from her hands and swung them wildly.
“Kyaaaaaah!”
“Dangerous…! Ugh, really! Why is someone who can use magic succumbing to gas like this?!”
The fiery black talons were none other than magic.
They looked hot but weren’t actually heated—instead, they were a type of darkness magic designed to maximize cutting power.
Terrified, Alice kicked the Disciplinary Committee President away to create distance.
The aimless talons ended up slicing through the floor and walls, showcasing their terrifying power.
Indeed, the Disciplinary Committee President of the international academy, which gathered talented students from around the world,
was a formidable opponent—even if she was currently under the gas’s influence and rampaging, Alice couldn’t afford to let her guard down.
If she had her usual dual blades, Alice would have the upper hand.
But in this situation, where only the other side could use magic, Alice was at a significant disadvantage.
‘Should I help Alice? No, releasing the gas now would only increase the damage. It’d be better to quickly vent the gas outside the building. For now… I have no choice but to trust Alice.’
Deciding on my course of action, I quickly expelled the gas flowing out of the auction through the windows.
First, I’d deal with the gas somehow, and then figure out whether to help Alice or what to do next.
I silently cheered on the Pixies confronting people staggering out of the auction, drooling and disoriented.
Among them were demi-humans and even Pixies who had lost their minds—but somehow, please pull through! I’m counting on you!
But what exactly was this gas, and what were the others doing right now?
The situation was utterly infuriating.
