The Undead Wyvern was surprisingly nimble despite its massive size.
Unlike before, when I swung my sword this time with mana infused, the Wyvern swiftly flapped its wings and retreated.
‘Keen reflexes there.’
Had it stood still like before, relying on the strength of its bones, I would’ve cleaved the d*ath Knight riding it in two. Alas.
Grrrrr-
The Wyvern let out a low growl while flapping its wings.
Then, without hesitation, it began to exit through the hole it had broken into.
“Wait, it’s leaving?”
I hadn’t expected the Wyvern to exit the building so decisively.
This gave me a brief moment to ponder.
Fortunately, no casualties occurred from when the Wyvern crashed into the building, although a few people seemed injured from the debris.
“Everyone, stay calm! Head towards the entrance!”
Looking down, I saw the situation among the students being managed fairly smoothly.
At the center of it all was Professor Amillion, shouting loud enough to raise the roof. Thanks to him, the students appeared to be following instructions well even in this emergency.
Not seeing Yuria, I presumed she had already left to assist Erika outside.
‘She’ll be fine, right?’
Initially, I planned to stay close to the students and protect them, but things seemed under control. The professors at the Academy responded faster than expected, and Erika seemed to be handling things well outside as well.
After confirming the situation below, my worries eased a little.
“Who are you?”
Sliiiing-
For a brief moment, while observing the Wyvern’s departure and the chaos below, I had let my guard down.
In that blink of an eye, someone had pressed a sword to my neck.
The mana wrapped around the blade emanated a sharp, cutting energy along with a subtle pressure.
None other than Cassius St. Claire held the sword to my throat.
Following him, a few professors leaped into the air.
“Here’s fine. You should focus on protecting the students.”
Tiiing-
I flicked Cassius’ sword away with my finger.
Chances are, Cassius perceives my voice as female due to this masked face.
“…Are you on our side?”
Without resistance, Cassius sheathed his sword and asked.
“At least I’m not on the same side as that Undead Wyvern.”
“I saw you swing your sword at that thing.”
“Then get moving and protect the kids already.”
“…”
Cassius hesitated, probably sensing the situation below was under control by Professor Amillion and didn’t need reinforcement.
Given how stable it looked, I agreed.
“There must be a line of Undead blocking the building’s entrance. The more of us near that area, the better.”
“…What?”
“There’s no time to explain. Just keep the kids safe, alright?”
Pshaaat-
With that, I shoved Cassius aside and leaped toward the hole the Wyvern had created.
Upon exiting, the Wyvern and its d*ath Knight rider awaited, charging toward me as if on cue.
Impressive agility for its size, I must say.
Probably due to its skeletal frame devoid of flesh, it approached with speed several times faster than a regular Wyvern.
Keiiing-
Adjusting my sword as the Wyvern extended its claws to grasp me mid-air.
‘Not bad on the strength, too.’
Surprisingly quick and yet packing immense force disproportionate to its skeletal form.
The Wyvern, seemingly surprised when I repelled it, hesitated and retreated rather than continuing its assault.
Hoooww- Hoooww-
“Whoa.”
Bathed in the soft moonlight of the dark night, the wing-fluttering bone-made Wyvern hovering in the air made quite the dramatic sight.
With the moon peeking through the Wyvern, it was almost picturesque.
“Don’t you have any fire breath or something?”
Grrrrr-
The Wyvern growled as if understanding my question.
I half-expected it to unleash some sort of attack, but alas, nothing came.
Instead, it flapped its wings more vigorously, readying another charge.
“That’s a bummer.”
True, even live Wyverns typically don’t use breath attacks.
But hoping for such from undead is probably asking for too much.
Squeeeee-
The Wyvern darted toward me once more, this time charging headfirst rather than extending its claws.
Its mouth wide open as if attempting to tear me apart.
‘Good to go.’
I thought, observing the flying skeleton.
Big, fast, strong, and with sturdy bones.
Kwaang!
The clash of the Wyvern’s sharp teeth against my sword produced a tremendous, echoing sound.
Perfect for my second Undead pet after Green.
A sly smile crept onto my face without realizing.
Simultaneously, the Wyvern’s teeth that touched my sword shivered slightly.
Though masked, the Wyvern’s reaction made it seem as if it knew I was smiling.
Or maybe it was just reacting to something else entirely.
*
“Ahh, when are they coming?!”
Kwaaang!
Erika swung her sword irritably.
The short daggers she wielded struck something with a sound of shattering, causing a pile of Skeletons to collapse.
But soon enough, as if the individual bones had lives of their own, they began to reassemble.
The head-intact Skeletons effortlessly put themselves back together.
“Phew.”
When the Undead Wyvern crashed into the building, I immediately realized.
Neither Yuria nor one of the Leaders might come to assist.
Indeed, communication ceased shortly after.
Still, I expected someone to come out and help quickly, given everyone inside was likely aware of the situation.
Clonk-clonk-
“Ugh. I’m not built for battles like this.”
Erika’s swing missed the Skeletons this time.
Due to a d*ath Knight, wielding a heavy sword, blocking her attack.
While the shock sent the d*ath Knight flying far off, Erika’s fighting style wasn’t suited for such engagements.
Her specialty lay in stealth and tracking—silent, discreet tasks.
That’s not to say she lacked combat ability, but she was vulnerable in one-against-many situations.
She was confident in one-on-one fights, though.
‘Why isn’t anyone coming?’
Erika resisted the urge to chase after the flying d*ath Knight and break off its head, staying put instead.
If she left, Skeletons and d*ath Knights would likely flood into the building.
That would put the students, currently rushing towards the entrance, in direct confrontation with them.
The thought of what might follow wasn’t pleasant.
Regardless of personal feelings towards nobles, she didn’t wish for people to d*e.
“Agh, why is everyone so slow!?!”
As Erika, agitated and raising her voice, was about to swing at another cluster of Skeletons—
“Did we come too late?!”
Tshhhhhhh-
“Ahhh.”
Perhaps not the voice Erika hoped for, but it was a welcome relief nonetheless.
An icy chill ran through her as skeletons in front of her began freezing one by one.
Catching sight of where the voice had come from, Erika noticed someone in a similar dark guild uniform walking leisurely towards her, hood up.
The casual pace amidst such chaos was instantly recognizable.
It was Yuria.
“Oh, you came quickly?”
“We need to evacuate students. The escape route must be cleared.”
“Why’d you have to come here? Tell them to use another exit.”
“There are no other exits.”
“That makes no sense.”
Yuria shrugged at Erika’s incredulous statement and pulled up more mana.
Despite Yuria’s freezing a cluster of Skeletons, more kept coming endlessly.
Not only that, the d*ath Knight that was previously frozen broke free of its ice prison and moved on its own.
“Tough customers, these?”
“You need to freeze them better. This is what happens when you rush it.”
“Heehee. Still, I’ve frozen more Skeletons than Erika has managed to cut down so far, haven’t I?”
“…”
Erika had no counterargument for that.
Indeed, in one-against-many combat scenarios, a wizard’s effectiveness was unmatched.
Especially when it was not just any wizard but a member of the Prisis family, specializing in ice magic.
Whooshhh!
While Erika bit her lip in frustration, a massive surge of mana emanated from Yuria’s hands.
Far stronger and denser than her previous attempt earlier.
Erika instinctively stepped back, waiting for Yuria’s magic.
“Be careful!”
“I’ve already moved back, you know.”
Tshhhhhhhhh!
Whether she heard or ignored Erika’s response, Yuria had already unleashed her mana surge.
The area in front of Yuria immediately began to freeze rapidly.
The cold was far more intense this time.
So sharp and penetrating, it felt more cutting than just cold.
Tshhhhh!
‘Wow. Cheating, much?’
It was like standing in the midst of a snowstorm.
Yuria’s ice mana froze not just the Skeletons and d*ath Knights approaching but also the ground and surrounding trees.
And the radius was no joke.
“Hmph. I think this should be enough, right?”
“…”
Erika didn’t bother replying to Yuria.
The area ahead—about a kilometer radius—was completely frozen.
It looked, at least on the surface, devoid of moving enemies.
“Seriously ridiculous.”
“What? What’s ridiculous?”
“Nothing, never mind.”
“Shall we prepare the evacuation route?”
“…”
Watching Yuria gather mana again, Erika scowled.
While she did use spells herself, the kind of magic Yuria employed was far beyond her reach.
‘This is why talent-monsters are…’
Recalling that Yuria was of the Prisis family, Erika took off, leaping into the night sky.
“Where are you going?”
“To help the Leader. And also look for the Vice Chancellor or someone. Can’t find them nearby.”
“Ah.”
Leaving Yuria behind, Erika quickly darted off.
