I couldn't believe they'd come so soon. The wall had just started to crack, and even a Strange One shouldn't be able to reach us this quickly.
Yet despite knowing this, I found myself running forward, afraid and worried about applying normal standards to these abnormal beings.
Ignoring my teacher's instructions, I rushed to the classroom and flung the door open.
"...Kanna!"
"Ah...!"
The moment I called out, our eyes met.
I could see her violet eyes trembling.
She's terrified.
It hurt to see her so frightened because monsters had broken through the wall and news of Strange Ones invading had reached us.
The one fortunate thing was that Strange Ones couldn't move at impossible speeds.
It would take some time for monsters that broke through the wall to reach the Academy. As long as we intercepted any flying monsters, the Academy should be a safe fortress... or so we thought until that time when Kanna disappeared.
Everyone now knew that monsters could suddenly appear from empty space, possibly the work of Strange Ones.
Furthermore, if Strange Ones could find Kanna wherever she was, it meant they would follow her to the end and release monsters if their goal was to pursue her.
When they first captured Kanna, was it because she discovered the secret about the monsters and spread it around?
No, if everything she said was true, it started when she first removed the Totem.
If sending her back and then coming after her was to confirm they could find her properly, then this time they might be trying to capture her to continue erasing Totems.
What did the Strange Ones want?
What were they trying to accomplish by deliberately keeping Kanna alive and sending her back inside the Wall?
I thought Kanna might know, but there was no time to think about that now.
"Kanna, come quickly! If we hide somewhere with few people, we'll manage somehow!"
When I shouted, Kanna hesitated before picking up her bag.
"What if carrying your bag slows you down?"
"I-I'll leave it then."
Kanna said this as she pushed back her chair and rose from her seat.
The remaining students and the teacher from the faculty office rushed out in a hurry.
I was sick of these Strange Ones attacking at random.
It was infuriating how they invaded at unexpected times and places, as if they couldn't stand to see us living peacefully.
Of course, maintaining that peace was our job as heroes.
"Yoon Ha-min! Yoon Ha-min, this way...!"
Mrs. Lucia was looking for me from the opposite end of the hallway.
But if I followed her, I worried Kanna would end up in the same situation as before while under the teacher's supervision.
So I pretended not to hear and took Kanna down the stairs, practically sliding down them.
Kanna seemed concerned about this, turning her trembling eyes toward me.
"Um, didn't the teacher just call you...?"
"Right now, getting to safety is more important."
As we ran, I felt a vibration in my chest.
While leading Kanna, I pulled out my Device from my blazer's inner pocket.
Seeing it was the teacher, I frowned.
It seemed impolite to keep ignoring her calls, so I touched the screen.
The moment I answered, the teacher's voice pierced my ear.
["Yoon Ha-min! I saw you earlier—why did you just run off like that? I'd appreciate if you understood that acting independently is disrespectful to others as well."]
Her somewhat sharp voice made me flinch.
My steps faltered. The wall had only just collapsed.
There was no immediate threat to the Academy yet, so my pace slowed.
Kanna was following right behind me and, seemingly distracted, bumped into my back with a soft "Ouch."
A worry suddenly troubled me.
How many people would believe Kanna's story and trust her?
I could believe her because I'd seen the evidence and witnessed her actions.
But not everyone would offer such trust.
Some might welcome anything that helps humanity, but those would be the cold-hearted people who would reject her the moment she mentioned being able to serve as a Totem.
And I didn't know how much explanation would be needed for those who were suspicious from the start.
So all I could say was, "I need to protect Kanna."
I felt the frustration of having circumstances I couldn't explain, similar to how Kanna couldn't share what she knew.
But how much could I accomplish if I trusted no one and relied solely on my own strength?
I'm not an omnipotent being who always makes the right choices.
What if I tried to protect Kanna alone and failed completely?
Taking responsibility wouldn't be difficult.
But if Kanna were taken again,
if she suffered something even more terrible than before, could I bear it?
Still, I couldn't ignore my teacher's words as a student attending the Academy.
If everything went wrong because of this, I didn't know if I could handle the situation, let alone take responsibility.
Hearing the teacher's voice, I squeezed my eyes shut and said:
"Mrs. Lucia, I had to leave quickly to take Kanna somewhere safe. I'm sorry. Is there a safe place we can go? Not like the gymnasium where students were gathered last time with no escape route."
["Ah..."]
When I mentioned Kanna's name, the teacher sighed through the Device.
Last time, they had gathered everyone in the gymnasium claiming it was safe, without proper evacuation orders, and were unprepared for the attack. Students rushed out in a panic.
With no secondary evacuation site, students who left the gymnasium wandered aimlessly, resulting in Kanna's temporary disappearance.
The teacher, who couldn't ignore this fact, seemed to understand my concern.
Finally, she let out a deep sigh.
["Since Kanna went missing once before, we'll make arrangements to protect her with special consideration. Yoon Ha-min, you should work with Hero Sela, whom you met before."]
"...Understood. Where should I go?"
Making choices is one thing, but dealing with their consequences is another matter entirely.
Maybe I was still too young.
I wondered if I could accept the consequences if Kanna suffered because of my choices.
"Who is it? The teacher?"
Kanna asked from beside me.
I nodded in response.
"What did she say?"
"She says there's a place where they'll protect you."
"Me...?"
"Yes, she said we should gather somewhere other than the gymnasium this time."
Hearing this, Kanna nodded without showing any disappointment.
That was a relief. I was worried it would be overwhelming to see Kanna struggling, but that wasn't the case.
I took her back to where Mrs. Lucia was, left her with the teacher, and then picked up my Device.
"Hello, Senior. This is Yoon Ha-min. Where should I go?"
She was Sela, with her characteristic blue appearance.
Though her overall cold impression suggested she might exhale visible breath, there seemed to be a hint of warmth inside, as if she were already boiling.
Blue flames, as if burning souls, enveloped the sword in Sela's hand.
Despite rushing to the scene immediately after being called, she had already gone a step further and was fighting.
"Yoon Ha-min reporting!"
Even though we'd had a memorable conversation before, heroes meet so many people daily that I introduced myself by name.
She turned her head toward me, then looked at me intently with a sound of recognition.
"You got here quickly. Did you run?"
"Yes, I didn't want to keep you waiting, Senior."
"Wow, such nice words from my junior. This senior is pleased."
I gave a wry smile at her higher energy level compared to before.
"It's good you arrived quickly, but your response was a bit late?"
"Ah, there were circumstances."
"Circumstances? For a hero, this should take priority over personal matters. Maybe it's because you're still a baby?"
First-year Academy students were apparently considered babies by heroes.
No matter how skilled, they might not have the right mindset yet, but hearing that made me want to work harder—such is human nature. I found myself motivated.
Though I kept worrying about Kanna and my thoughts drifted in that direction, I had already entrusted her to the teacher and believed I needed to have faith. If I couldn't even trust that, there would be nothing I could believe in.
"Shall we start the monster extermination... and lesson?"
The Wall had collapsed in a V-shape. If you attack the bottom properly, the top will collapse with gravity, so this formation was natural.
As huge monsters tried to squeeze through the Wall, the V-shaped opening became U-shaped, looking like an open door.
Watching from a distance, Sela extended her sword forward with a whoosh, guiding the flames.
"Follow me!"
"Yes!"