**Chapter 101: An Unusual Occurrence**
Rest, having rescued a trio of Magic Department students, reunited with the captain, Yuglut, who had been acting independently. As Rest arrived, he found Yuglut engaged in a fierce battle with a colossal serpent. The massive snake, as thick as a telephone pole, sported translucent, insect-like wings that allowed it to soar through the air, launching attacks at Yuglut.
“SHAAAAAAAH!”
“Hmph!”
Yuglut deflected the serpent’s fangs with his spear. He attempted to deliver a counterattack, but the serpent retaliated by spewing a stream of venom from its maw.
“Damn it… this is troublesome!”
While activating wind magic, Yuglut swung his spear to shake off the toxic spray. Though he seemed to be on the defensive, he was actually protecting an injured student and Nakua, a priest from the academy, who lay behind him. If it were just Yuglut alone, he would have skillfully dodged and countered, but the presence of the injured made it difficult for him to retaliate.
“**Wind Cutter!**”
Rest quickly assessed the situation and unleashed his magic. A barrage of sharpened wind blades, enhanced by multiple spells, sliced through the air, severing the wings from the serpent’s back. Without its wings, the serpent plummeted to the ground with a resounding thud.
“SHAAAH!?”
“Gotcha…!”
Yuglut immediately seized the opportunity, thrusting his spear downwards. The tip pierced the serpent’s head as it lay on the ground. The creature thrashed its thick tail against the earth a few times before finally succumbing to its injuries, lying still.
“…Rest, is that you? Thanks for the help.”
“No, I’m just glad you’re safe.”
Yuglut withdrew his spear and turned to face Rest, raising an eyebrow at him for acting alone.
“What happened to Danira and Thomas?”
“They’re tending to the injured and have retreated to the entrance of the plains. More importantly… did you notice the distress signals earlier?”
“Yeah… I saw them while fighting this snake. There were several signals coming from deeper within the plains.”
Yuglut’s expression twisted in annoyance as he poked the serpent’s corpse with the tip of his spear.
“…This monster should have been much deeper in the plains. I can’t fathom why it’s here.”
“So… what do we do now?”
“This must be an unexpected situation for the academy as well. We should retreat to the starting point first…”
“Wait…!”
Rest shouted, abruptly turning to look deeper into the plains. There were no immediate signs of disturbance; at least, not within his line of sight.
“Seriously…!?”
However, a chill ran down Rest’s spine. His magical perception, expanded to its limits, detected multiple presences approaching.
“What’s wrong, Rest?”
“…Monsters are heading this way. Not just one or two, but a horde.”
Additionally, he sensed the presence of students participating in the Magic Hunt Festival, possibly being chased by the monsters.
“We need to leave here quickly… I’ll hold the rear guard, so Yuglut, please carry the injured.”
“Wait! If we’re going to hold them off, I should—!”
“You have greater strength. There’s no time for debate; hurry!”
“Damn…!”
Yuglut grunted in frustration but gathered the injured and stood up.
“This is a captain’s order. Do not push yourselves too hard; make sure to return alive!”
“Understood… go!”
“Let’s meet outside the plains!”
With a speed that seemed impossible for someone carrying others, Yuglut dashed across the plains. Nakua hurriedly followed behind him.
“…Sorry, but I can’t just back down easily, either. Captain.”
Rest murmured, watching Yuglut’s retreating figure. The monsters charging toward them were relentless, threatening to spill out of the plains.
(The entrance to the plains. Viola and Primula are at the operations tent…!)
If the monsters broke through and chaos ensued, both of them would be in grave danger.
(There’s also my father-in-law there as a guest, and the academy’s faculty includes the captain of the knights. They shouldn’t fall to just any monster, but still… I want to minimize any danger to them.)
“I don’t know what’s causing this chaos, but I’ll thin their numbers.”
The monsters were now close enough to be seen. Rest focused his cold gaze on the distant shadows of the enemies, channeling his magical energy.
“**Stone Bullet!**”
And then… he unleashed his magic, firing it with the speed of a sniper rifle, exceeding the speed of sound.