Damn Academy

251 – Shadow City (10)

The rain was so heavy that it was hard to open one’s eyes.

About thirty art club members covered their heads with their robes and silently walked out of the mansion.

The corpse of the Doppler that Damian had discarded had vanished as if it had evaporated into thin air.

Hailey asked, “Who cleaned it up?”

Zenia raised her hand and said, “I did. It would cause unnecessary commotion if there was a body in the street, so I buried it.”

“Good job.”

Their goal was to leave quietly, unnoticed by both humans and Dopplers. To achieve that, they had to avoid creating a situation that would provoke the Guardians. That was the only way for the art club members to ensure their safety.

After finishing the headcount, Hailey said, “Shall we depart?”

“Just a moment.”

Damian signaled for them to wait as he spotted a figure approaching through the rain.

Two patrolling Guardians were walking from a block away.

Damian quietly relayed a message to the members. “Don’t scream.”

He drew his sword and strode forward alone. Grabbing one Guardian by the hair, he thrust his sword into their abdomen. To an unsuspecting observer, it would appear to be an indiscriminate act of murder.

The Guardian next to him transformed into a dark Doppler and lunged at Damian. But that creature was also swiftly cut down by Damian’s hand and thrown over the nearby house wall.

When Damian returned, the art club members were covering their mouths. All of them were wide-eyed in shock, finally realizing how dangerous their situation had been. The Dopplers had infiltrated deep into human territory.

“Let’s go.”

Following the directions of Damian and Hailey, they began to head toward the port.

They were on guard for another Doppler disguised as a Guardian at the checkpoint, but contrary to their expectations, the checkpoint was completely empty.

Zenia found it strange that things were going so smoothly. “Where on earth have the Guardians gone?”

All the shops on the street were closed, and the streets and stalls were wrecked, debris littering the ground. There were no signs of life. It was unclear whether it was due to the fierce wind and rain or if another incident had occurred that they were unaware of.

A loud noise came from the intersection, and Hailey raised her fist to signal for a stop.

At the point where the alley turned, they checked for anything passing through the intersection.

Clatter—clatter—

In that quiet intersection, an empty cart rattled past them, making the sound of empty cans.

The carriage had lost its door, and two of its wheels were missing. The Vintera, with no one aboard, blindly charged forward, dragging the broken carriage along.

“…It seems there’s been a carriage accident.”

Damien said.

“I hear more sounds. It doesn’t seem to be just one.”

Hailey listened quietly. The distinct clanging sound of the Vintera was faintly audible. Hailey craned her neck to check beyond the alley.

Dozens of Vintera were visible.

They were charging in unison, as if in a race.

Thud, thud, thud, thud.

The heavy iron masses ran in a pack, causing the ground to tremble.

The Vintera zipped past the members of the art department, showing no sign of acknowledgment, appearing to have no intent.

“Why are the Vintera flocking together like that?”

*

A man with his hair slicked back with thick gel was gazing out the window from a corner of the ballroom. Beside him stood a young woman in a dress, holding a glass of wine.

“Stop, stop!”

“Tie up the Vintera. Hurry!”

“Pull them in with ropes!”

Outside, carriages were being overturned, and horses and Vintera were tangled together in chaos.

Watching the Vintera moving about recklessly in the courtyard and the Guardians trying to restrain them, the noblewoman burst into laughter.

“Pfft, ha ha ha!”

With injuries piling up and the rain drenching them, the Guardians looked utterly pathetic. Yet, the nobles consumed the scene as mere entertainment to alleviate their boredom.

“Miss Olson, the Guardians will hear you.”

“So what if they do? Those Guardians must have come to this strange land with grand dreams, never imagining they’d end up as servants to the nobles.”

“It’s truly unfortunate that it has come to this.”

“David, is your carriage part of that mess?”

“Sadly, yes.”

“You don’t look sad at all. I don’t understand. Why do the nobles have to use such foolish dolls to pull their carriages instead of horses?”

“Because they require more management, are slower, and the maintenance costs are enormous.”

“Isn’t that strange? They should be using horses even more then.”

“Dragging around the Vintera shows that they can handle that level of extravagance.”

“Ah, a display of ostentation.”

“That’s right.”

“It’s really ridiculous. Just look at how they risk getting struck by lightning, dragging that Vintera around even on a rainy day.”

“With thousands of Vintera in the city, the odds are just a fraction of a fraction. As long as it’s not me, I don’t care what happens in this city.”

“Were there really that many Vintera in Claridium?”

“As far as I know, yes.”

The Guardians were still struggling to prevent the Vintera’s bizarre behavior.

While two nobles watched from the window, the situation continued to deteriorate.

The rainwater, which had barely been enough to wet their feet, quickly rose to their ankles, splashing around. The newly arrived nobles, having just stepped down from their carriages, expressed their displeasure as their dresses became soaked.

A man took a sip of white wine and said, “It’s strange. This is high ground, so there shouldn’t be any standing water.”

“Maybe they’re not managing it well enough. By the way, did you catch that masked intruder who broke in earlier?”

“No. From what I saw, he just seemed like someone who took a wrong turn. The Guardians were so preoccupied with the Vintera that he slipped away without any resistance.”

“If you’re going to take money like that, at least do your job properly….”

Bang!

The sudden loud noise interrupted their conversation. Their gazes immediately shifted elsewhere.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

It was the sound of someone pounding on the main gate leading to the courtyard.

Over the wall, the black heads of Vintera swarmed. They were things that hadn’t been visible just moments before.

And those Vintera were striking the gate as if they intended to break it down. The sound of their blows was far heavier than any human foot or fist. The Guardians, who had been wrestling with the Vintera in the courtyard, also stopped what they were doing and fixed their eyes on the gate.

“What’s going on…?”

“Let’s go downstairs and check.”

As they descended, they found other nobles who had been enjoying the banquet gathered by the window, watching the situation unfold in the courtyard.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Finally, the gate shattered into pieces, and the swarm of Vintera began to pour in like a flood.

Gasps of amazement erupted. The nobles felt no sense of seriousness and instead delighted in the unusual spectacle.

Laughter and chatter erupted from all around.

The Guardians, unable to handle the rushing Vintera, simply let go and stared blankly.

One Vintera lay down in the center of the courtyard, and those that followed piled on top of it one after another.

Watching the Vintera stack up like a sandcastle, the nobles clapped and cheered.

Thus, a massive mound made entirely of Vintera was formed.

The nobles watched the spectacle, marveling and cheering.

No one bothered to inquire about the purpose of this extraordinary phenomenon. To them, it was merely a surprising event, a show for entertainment.

The performers hired to enliven the ball took the opportunity to step outside and danced around the Tower of Vinterra.

The cheers grew louder. The once dignified atmosphere of the ball had transformed into a festive uproar.

The nobles clapped and whistled with excitement.

David, craning his neck from the back of the crowd, shook his head.

“Another mad wizard throwing money around, I see.”

“Oh my, isn’t this the first time Vinterra has done something like this?”

“Yes, it’s happened a few times before. I don’t know who’s behind it, though.”

Then David frowned as a strange smell assaulted his nose.

“By the way… isn’t there a sweet smell?”

“What sweet smell?”

“I don’t know. It smells like rotten caramel.”

The woman pretended to sniff the air.

“Hmm… it does seem like that. Is it the smell of Vinterra? Or maybe it’s from the performers?”

“Maybe, but… wait. What’s that?”

He suddenly pointed at something odd he had noticed.

In a corner of the courtyard, an unnoticed drain was bubbling and overflowing like a spring.

The backflow of the sewage slowly crept in like a tide, turning the courtyard into a green lake as the filth seeped into the fabric of their clothes.

No one suspected this was a harbinger of disaster.

The nobles, oblivious to their wet feet, simply clapped and laughed.

*

At the dock, the Golden Swallow was moored.

Seeing the intact ship, Hailey let out a long sigh of relief.

The crew, having pushed through the rain, were quite exhausted. Hailey greeted the captain, who was waiting with Damian.

“Is everything ready for departure? What about the crew?”

“They’re all on deck, waiting to set sail.”

Hailey exchanged a glance with Damian. He nodded and left the crew behind to ascend to the deck alone.

Immediately, the search operation began. She stood at the dock, looking up at the deck, but couldn’t see what was happening up there.

“Kiiaak! Kiiaaak!”

—

It was clear that a brutal slaughter was taking place, even just from the sounds, so there was no need to go up.

After a moment, the noise quieted down, and the sound of bodies being thrown into the sea could be heard.

Splash! Splash! Splash!

Three times, something was thrown into the water. It meant that three Dopplers had infiltrated, disguised as crew members. Hailey squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, as the situation felt too much like a nightmare.

Damien leaned over the railing and spoke.

“It’s okay now.”

In the midst of this, a familiar voice echoed from behind.

“Hey, guys! Hey, guys!”

Rosalyn, the senior who had been in charge of the art department, was running over, waving her hands.

She hurriedly joined the art department, panting as she spoke.

“Guys. No, to leave like this without any warning, what on earth is going on? And what is it that we absolutely must see?”

No one answered, quietly looking up at Damien. When he nodded, the members began to move.

The members draped in robes surrounded Rosalyn, grabbing her limbs and restraining her.

“Guys. Wh-what are you doing?”

Then, one by one, they began to punch Rosalyn in the abdomen.

“Guys? Ugh!”

In the silence, merciless violence continued.

Rosalyn screamed repeatedly, expelling what was inside her.

“Ugh, why….”

Finally, Zenia stepped forward, forcibly prying her mouth open to pour in a potion.

“Gah, ugh, I, I really, gulp, I really hurt you all….”

The potion slid down her throat, and within seconds, Rosalyn lost consciousness. It was a measure taken because persuasion would take time. Two members dragged the limp Rosalyn and brought her aboard first.

All preparations were complete.

When Hailey signaled, the members began to board the ship in an orderly fashion.

The rain showed no signs of letting up, and the thunder and lightning added to the ominous atmosphere.

Hailey checked the headcount and signaled to the captain that it was safe to proceed.

The horn sounded, and the crew began to raise the anchor.

At last, the ship slowly started to pull away from the dock.

And once again, a flash of lightning struck.

“Damien, Damien!”

Hailey called out to Damian. But her voice was drowned out by the thunder that seemed to shatter the sky.

He was gazing up at the cityscape.

“Damian!”

Hailey shook Damian’s shoulder. But he didn’t turn his head.

Flash.

Lightning struck again. Damian’s pupils were dilated wide. Sensing something strange, Hailey focused on where his gaze was fixed.

The sky over Claridium was relentlessly struck by lightning. Oddly, the lightning seemed to bend strangely, striking only one specific point.

“Senpai.”

“Yeah.”

“On the first day after coming to Claridium, Rosalyn senpai said… to be careful of Vinterra on rainy days, didn’t she?”

“Yeah. She did.”

“What was the reason for that?”

“Because it attracts lightning, she said to be careful.”

“…Ah.”

Damian sighed.

And once more, a thunderclap struck the city.

In that moment, a blinding light erupted. It was a light strong enough to envelop the entire city. Damian and Hailey instinctively shielded their faces with their arms, recoiling in shock. Hailey realized too late that it was an explosion.

The city center had exploded as if a volcano had erupted.

Seconds later, a powerful shockwave swept across the city, pushing everything aside and slamming into the ship they were on.

The waves surged violently.

“Ahh!”

Damian wrapped his arms around Hailey’s waist and clung to the railing of the deck to steady himself.

The hull struggled to maintain its balance, swaying uncontrollably.

From the sky, debris from the collapsed buildings rained down into the sea like hail.

“Are you okay?”

“Damian, be careful!”

They shouted at each other until their throats were raw, but nothing reached the other. The powerful shockwave had left their eardrums ringing.

Damian tightened his grip around Hailey, determined not to let her go. And from the swaying hull, he craned his neck to see the city again.

One side of the city was crumbling down like a landslide.

The once resplendent cityscape had finally revealed itself to be on the brink of destruction.