Ever since that day, Margaret Illenia had one lingering question.
How did Vanitas Astrea find her?
She had been hiding in a secluded forest. A place even the common citizens of Illenia struggled to navigate. And yet, an eight-year-old boy—a foreigner, a re visitor—found her, saved her, and guided her to the refugees.
It was as if he already knew his way around Illenia.
And yet, she never dared to ask.
When they reunited after ten years, the boy she rembered didn't seem to recall her at all.
——You are?
Those were his words that day. The bright, lively boy she once knew had beco soone sunken and cold.
But yesterday, he had called her sothing different.
——Princess Illenia.
It wasn't a secret that she was once a princess. But it wasn't sothing of great importance either.
Yet coming from Vanitas, those words carried weight.
Could it be…?
Margaret had long suspected that he had been avoiding the topic, pretending not to rember saving her or eting her that day.
After all, there had been monts in the past where she had caught him watching her.
Tis when she was mocked for her rigid, unconventional swordsmanship—the very style she had admired from the Illenia Knights as a child.
And then, on one particular day, Vanitas Astrea had simply appeared.
——You think you people are any better?
His words cut through the whispers of the knights who ridiculed her.
A man from the Magic Departnt, already well-known in their first year for his childhood achievents, now standing in defense of soone he supposedly had no connection to.
——Clowns tripping over their own shoes but laughing at soone else's misstep. Tell , does it feel good to stand together and sneer at soone who's actually doing sothing, while you cower behind tradition and diocrity?
Perhaps she couldn't bla the rumors that spread about her and Vanitas. Their supposed "special relationship" had been a common misconception during their second year.
He had never addressed it. Neither had she.
But when asked, Margaret always made sure to clear it up. 'We're just acquaintances. No, actually, we aren't even that close.'
Sothing that went like that.
"...."
Margaret glanced at Vanitas, who stood against the wall with his arms crossed. Around her, knights and mages fixed their gazes on the horizon. So, experiencing their first Red Moon suppression, held looks of unease. The veterans, however, remained composed. For Margaret, this was her sixth.
Yet, amid the tense atmosphere, Vanitas was different.
"...."
He wasn't watching the distance. He wasn't preparing like the others. Instead, his gaze was lowered with his finger tapping absently against his arm.
——Everyone, look up!
A streak of crimson cut across the sky as the moon bled into the night.
"...."
Still, Vanitas didn't lift his head.
Margaret's attention never left him. As others marveled or braced themselves for what was to co, she watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled sothing out.
"Ah."
Margaret's eyes widened in realization.
She had seen that object before. Just a few days ago, Karina had handed Vanitas sothing before he sent her away. So kind of heirloom, perhaps. She could still recall their exchange.
——Before I go, I'd like to give you this, Professor.
——What is it?
——It's a protective seal. I crafted it myself. Even if I'm not here, I want to help you in so way.
Margaret watched as Vanitas stared at the seal for a mont, as if he was thinking of Karina to give him strength before slipping it back into his coat pocket. Then, he took out his pocket watch.
"Ah, so that's how it is…."
She had suspected it before. Vanitas, who always maintained a cold and distant deanor, acted a bit differently around Karina. Whenever he spoke to her, there was a certain gentleness in his tone. As if he was careful not to hurt her in any way possible.
Perhaps it was sothing imperceptible to others with how subtle it was, but Margaret couldn't help but notice it whenever she saw it.
"...."
Her lips pulled into a small smile.
Perhaps that was what Vanitas needed. Soone unburdened by the past. Soone who didn't have to carry old wounds, who could embrace the person he was now.
She could never be that person for him.
It was clear. From the mont they had ascended the wall, Vanitas Astrea had never once looked her way.
"...."
Even so, he had been kind and professional to her. Maybe distant, but never cruel. They had played League of Spirits occasionally together, exchanged words in the university halls, ate lunch together with the faculty, and so on.
But beyond that, Vanitas had always been busy.
He had never truly looked her way.
"...."
Margaret turned toward the distance.
The knights and mages stood tense, gripping their weapons as they held their breaths, watching the silhouettes approaching. So were nervous, others were resolute. anwhile, the veterans braced themselves.
At that mont.
——♬♫♪♩
"Huh?"
"Ah?"
A wave of confusion spread as heads turned toward the sound.
"...."
….Vanitas Astrea was singing.
* * *
There was a specific strategy developed by players once the moon turned red and the clock struck midnight.
I had spent the entire ti reconfiguring and double-checking the necessary circuits for the battle ahead. Maybe it was just my natural tendency to be overly cautious, but it never hurt to triple-check.
"...."
However, in my focus, I almost missed the timing when I accidentally pulled out the protective seal Karina had given instead of my pocket watch.
In my defense, they were the sa size and shape. Maybe it was my fault for habitually stuffing things into my right coat pocket without thinking.
Regardless, back to the strategy.
When the clock struck midnight, the timing had to be perfect.
Even the smallest fraction of a second mattered. That's where the strategy ca in.
If the final syllable aligned exactly with the activation sequence, the timing would be flawless.
The problem?
A song had to be sung by the player in real ti, and the song happened to be a well-known track from a Western artist in my old world.
I had considered whispering it out of sheer embarrassnt, but that would only invite questions and distractions. The last thing I needed was people pestering for orders while I was trying to concentrate.
That couldn't happen.
So, to drown out any interruptions, there was only one option left.
I had to sing loudly.
"Hoo…."
So, with a deep breath, I stepped forward and opened my mouth.
"3…. 2…. 1…."
The clock struck twelve.
"I just woke up from a dream~"
I had done my fair share of stand-up singing in bars, clubs, hotels, and so on while infiltrating as a musician. I wasn't particularly good, but I had studied techniques enough to pass. The problem was, this body wasn't the one I was used to. The diaphragm was different. The voice box was different. Vanitas Astrea's voice was deeper than my original one.
"Wherever you go, that's where I follow~"
Still, I kept singing. Not to show off, not because I had any real talent, but because I wanted to live. I wanted to survive this mission and claim my quest rewards.
So I sang my heart out.
——♬♫♪♩
I ignored the incredulous expressions around . They were probably questioning my sanity, wondering why this stern, calculating, and commanding professor had suddenly broken into song.
"If the world was ending, I'd wanna be next to you~"
To them, it was probably terrifying.
"I'd wanna hold you, just for a while~"
Honestly, the lyrics were cringe. Under normal circumstances, I'd be dying of embarrassnt. But this was the song with the most precise timing needed for the strategy to work. If even a miniscule of a second was delayed, the demons would be able to breach past regardless.
To put things into perspective, I wanted everything to be flawless.
And really, now that I think about it, why should I care about perceptions?
——♬♫♪♩
I'm Vanitas Astrea.
"Right next to you~"
In the distance, layers upon layers of massive magic circles flared to life, overlapping perfectly on top of each other. I had spent the last three days setting this up, pouring my mana into it whenever I had a free mont to prepare for this exact mont.
As the final syllable left my lips, I snapped my fingers.
"Collapse."
Flick—!
The demons that had surged forward, breaking through the ground at the specific locations under my magic circuits' coverage.
They never even had the chance to react.
Boom———!
They perished instantly under my Grandmaster spell.
* * *
Speechless.
That was the only way to describe the reaction of everyone present.
No one could utter a single word. Goosebumps crept up their spines. It wasn't just the shock of hearing their professor sing, but the gravity of what had just happened.
The magic circuits had been carefully placed. Every formation, every layer, had been set in locations where the demons had no chance to run, breach, escape, or push through.
Even after five minutes, not a single demon had broken past the barren, cleared land.
Everyone simply stood there on standby, frozen, eyes wide with horror and disbelief.
"So, are you just going to stand there?"
But the silence was soon broken by Vanitas Astrea, who continued manipulating the circuits.
"Go. Suppress them. I've wiped out enough of their initial wave for you not to struggle, even with your poor coordination."
"I…." Commander Albrecht swallowed hard before steeling his expression. He turned forward and gripped his sword tightly.
"Move! Go!"
His voice rang out like a battle cry, snapping the knights and mages out of their daze.
At that mont, screams echoed from below as horses galloped forward, knights charging like a cavalry. anwhile, the mages stood atop the walls. Their voices rose in unison as incantations filled the air. Magic circuits flared to life, and spells lashed out toward the advancing demons.
Surprisingly, the mages were a lot more synchronized than Vanitas had expected. They spoke their chants in perfect unison.
——O light that burns away the abyss, sever the shadows that crawl upon the land. Bring forth the dawn of annihilation—Solar Flare!
A blinding explosion of golden fire erupted across the battlefield, swallowing the enemy ranks in a sea of flas.
More magic followed. Ice, wind, fire, water, shadow, and earth—each elent intertwining as spells rained down upon the demons. On the ground, knights maneuvered their horses, outpacing and outmaneuvering the swarm of demons.
"Wow…."
Even Commander Albrecht was taken aback. In his twenty years of suppressing the Blood Moon, never had he witnessed cavalry used so effectively against demons. This was the first ti he had seen horses integrated into frontline combat against such creatures.
The sight was breathtaking. Part of him longed to charge into battle alongside them, but as commander, his duty was to remain at his post.
"...."
His gaze shifted to Vanitas Astrea. Beads of sweat ford on the professor's forehead as his fingers danced. It looked as if he was orchestrating the battlefield like a grand chess match. Unlike the mages unleashing their spells in real-ti, Vanitas relied on pre-embedded spells—God only knew when he had even prepared them.
Commander Albrecht exhaled, watching the spectacle unfold.
"Insane…."
Indeed, Vanitas Astrea wasn't just talk.
* * *
"You have to admit it, Clevius," Johanna said as she rode forward, slashing through demons in her path.
Slash—!
"Admit what?" Clevius frowned, cutting down another enemy.
"Vanitas Astrea's changed. No, Senior Vanitas."
"The hell…?"
Slash—!
Clevius scowled but didn't respond imdiately.
In truth, he couldn't deny it. The strategy wasn't unfounded. It had been two hours since the battle began, yet thanks to the horses, their stamina remained strong. "That spell… no, that singing," Johanna muttered, almost in disbelief. Then, with a sigh, she added, "God, why does his voice sound so good?"
"...."
She sounded like a fangirl at this point.
Boom! Boom!
So horses had fallen to demonic attacks, but whenever a knight fell on the ground, mages covered their retreat while fresh mounts were cycled in.
But how long could this last?
The Blood Moon wasn't a single night. It was a two-week suppression event. There weren't enough horses to maintain this pace forever.
And to those who rembered, an unsettling thought lingered in their minds.
Just like what happened that day with their seniors and peers if things went awry.
"...."
….Would Vanitas Astrea abandon them too?
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