Mimics. These uniquely nad monsters were native only to the Frigod Autonomous Region. With an appearance that was an unsettling mix of ape and human, they had long, gangly limbs and abnormally elongated heads. These vaguely humanoid creatures possessed a bizarre obsession: an overwhelming compulsion to imitate humans.
It began with hunting. The warriors of the native Gahal tribe would ride into the forests to hunt Mimics for sport. In those days, the creatures were clumsy, their long limbs making them poor runners. The warriors would stack the corpses of the slaughtered Mimics into mountains as a testant to their bravery.
Then one day, during the height of the Mimic hunts, an entire party of warriors vanished without a trace. A search party found nothing, and the hunts were temporarily suspended.
Not long after, the true horror began.
The Mimics erged from the forest and invaded human territory. They mounted stolen horses, fired bows with human-like precision, plundered villages, and burned hos. They even adopted the Gahal’s own ritual, piling the corpses of their human victims into mountains and dancing around them in triumph.
Faced with this sudden ’human hunt,’ the Gahal people who fard outside the fortress walls were forced to retreat inside. The Mimics claid the villages and vast pastures, and their imitation of human behavior grew more disturbingly accurate. They began to cultivate fields, raise livestock, and butcher the animals for at.
The Mimic population exploded. And the next human behavior they chose to imitate after hunting was war.
Having observed the Gahal tribe’s own internal conflicts, where factions fought over fortresses, the Mimics began a war to claim those sa strongholds for themselves. By the ti the Gahal tribe finally ceased their civil war and united against the new threat, they had already lost six fortresses. It was too late. The Mimics now wielded human weapons and had even mastered human combat techniques like swordsmanship and spearmanship.
The Gahal tribe lost most of their lands and fortresses, and now, only one of their original forty strongholds remained.
---
That night, five large war carriages, pulled by skeletal horses, thundered through the forest, their wheels rumbling over the uneven ground.
"That concludes the briefing," the TA at the front of the carriage announced, bowing politely.
A heavy silence fell over the students as they checked their weapons and undead.
"Monsters that imitate humans?" a student sitting opposite Simon scoffed. "How can they just let sothing so dangerous run wild? What if they beco a dominant species in the North? What the hell is the Shahed Kingdom doing?"
"Hey, leave Shahed out of this," a student who was clearly from Shahed shot back, scowling.
"I’m just saying they’re damn incompetent."
"What did you just say?"
"Allow to explain," the TA interjected, quickly diating. "The Frigod Autonomous Region has prohibited any internal interference from the Shahed Kingdom, including military deploynt. For Shahed to act, they require the approval of the Frigod Tribal Council, but the Gahal tribe is refusing all offers of support."
Due to their bloody history, the tribes of Frigod were extrely reluctant to allow Shahed soldiers onto their land.
"However, scholars believe that due to the Mimics’ nature, they won’t expand their territory as long as there are no humans nearby to imitate. The Shahed Kingdom and the Tribal Council recomnded abandoning the fortress, but the Gahal tribe, with only their last bastion remaining, refused to forsake their holand and have sworn to fight to the end."
"...Hmm."
"That is why our Professor Grelion, who is from the Frigod region himself, made them a proposal," the TA continued. ’We are not the army of the Shahed Kingdom; we are necromancers from Kizen. We will dispatch students, not soldiers. All we want are the corpses of your enemies. Grant us that, and we will fight alongside you.’
’So that’s how it happened,’ Simon realized, nodding slowly. By sending students from an independent organization instead of a national army, they were cleverly circumventing the Gahal’s rules. And since they asked for nothing but monster corpses, the strategically overwheld Gahal tribe had finally agreed to accept aid.
"That’s ridiculous," a male student with a scar beside his mouth said, crossing his arms. "Kizen students hold warti command authority within the Alliance. They’re more of a threat than any army."
"They must have been desperate," another student chuckled.
Despite the looming battle, a sense of composure settled over the second-years. The conversation quickly shifted from the fate of the Mimics to the real prize: how to obtain a Guardian, the ultimate Dullahan material. The Mimics revered the Guardians, a superior monster species, as their ’kings.’ If the Mimics were on the move, the Guardians were certain to appear on the battlefield.
—All personnel, attention!
A thunderous voice bood from the communication crystal inside the carriage.
—We are about to break through the enemy encirclent and enter the last fortress of the Gahal tribe!
The students’ joking expressions turned serious.
—You are not participating as students, but as combatants! Each and every one of you is a powerful weapon that Kizen has painstakingly forged! I will not give you individual orders. Move freely, as equal necromancers!
Listening to Grelion’s speech, Simon peered out the window. He could see a black sea of monsters, watching them with bated breath.
—Combat pairs are assigned as designated by Professor Aaron! If a single soldier deserts, I will personally see to their expulsion! The entire group of any deserter will receive a failing grade on the Dullahan evaluation. You are responsible for your comrades!
The windows of the war carriages slid open with a ’clank’. Students began preparing their black magic, while others summoned creatures from their subspaces for ranged attacks. Simon summoned a Skeleton Mage and had it stand ready.
—If you cannot survive a battlefield of this scale, you will be nothing but cannon fodder in a real war against the priests! All students, survive by any ans necessary!
"Yes, sir!"
’Kiii! Grrrk!’
The monsters began to swarm the carriages. The skeletal horses galloped faster.
"Ready," Simon commanded.
As the leader of the rearmost carriage, No. 5, it was his duty to direct their defense. At his word, magic circles flared to life. As the monsters closed in, Simon yelled, "Fire!"
A deafening roar erupted as a rainbow of black magic and curses shot from the windows, sending the creatures that tried to latch onto the carriage tumbling to the ground.
"Direct hit!"
"So satisfying! Die, all of you!"
The exhilarated students unleashed a relentless barrage. Simon’s carriage opening fire was the signal for the others to begin their assault. With more than ten students per carriage, the combined firepower was imnse.
---
As Simon fought alongside his Skeleton Mages, he heard footsteps thumping on the roof. He reacted instantly. "Lorraine, you have command!"
"Where are you going?"
"Up top!"
Simon vaulted out the window, landing nimbly on the roof of the moving carriage.
’Two of them.’
A Mimic with a sword and another with a long spear stood before him. Simon beckoned them forward with a casual flick of his fingers.
The spear-wielding Mimic lunged, its form displaying genuine human spearmanship. Simon dodged by arching his back, then channeled Jet-Black into his foot and kicked the center of the spear’s shaft.
The weapon flew from the creature’s grasp with a loud ’clang’. In a single fluid motion, Simon spun, kicking the sword-wielding Mimic in the face and sending it flying off the carriage. He then snatched the fallen spear from the roof and impaled the last Mimic, pinning it to the wood.
He tossed the spear aside and dusted off his hands. ’Good. At this rate, we should be fine...’
"Aaaah!"
The carriage lurched violently as a massive, pitch-black monster ramd it head-on. Simon was thrown from the roof.
"Oh, no! Simon!!" Toto’s desperate shout echoed behind him.
He was plumting toward the swarming horde below.
’...Focus.’
A fire ignited in Simon’s mind. His perception expanded, ti seed to slow to a crawl, and his judgnt sharpened to a razor’s edge. His fingertips reached toward the receding carriage.
’Cloud’
A turquoise rope of energy shot out, latching onto the carriage. Channeling Jet-Black into his legs, Simon kicked off a Mimic’s head and landed gracefully on a nearby tree.
—Keeeeeeeh!
Instantly, the Mimics on the ground sward the base of the tree, while countless others continued their pursuit of the carriages.
’Bone Armor’
Simon calmly opened his subspace and equipped his Bone Armor. He grabbed the cloud-tether he had attached to the carriage, holding on until the tension reached its absolute limit. ’Now!’
He leaped from the tree, his body shooting like a bullet toward the carriage. He slamd into the monsters at the rear with a trendous crash.
The impact sent monsters flying in all directions. Simon broke through the horde and landed with a flourish back on the carriage.
"Perfect!" he exclaid.
"That’s our Student Council President!" ca the cheers from inside the carriage.
Simon looked up. ’They’re going all out from the start over there, too.’
A great whoosh of fla erupted nearby. Hector, transford into a Corpse Dragon, was bracing his own combat carriage with two massive feet, breathing torrents of fire that reduced the monsters to ash. Other students, including Aseraz, had also climbed atop their carriage to join the fight.
"Are you okay, Simon?" asked a worried Lorraine, who had climbed onto the carriage roof.
"I’m fine! What about the others?"
"Everyone’s safe!"
"President! Lorraine!"
Just then, Eshe leaned precariously out the window.
"We have a problem! It’s Toto!"
Sothing was clearly wrong. Tears welled in her eyes.
"What is it?" Simon asked, his voice sharp.
"Toto jumped out of the carriage to save you! He must have thought you fell! What are we going to do?!"
Lorraine’s expression turned grim, but Simon was already in motion.
"Eshe! Where is he?"
"Behind the carriage! He just jumped without a plan!"
The area behind them was already swarming with Mimics, but Simon vaulted from the carriage without a mont’s hesitation, tucking into a ball as he crossed his arms.
With a sharp clatter, a swarm of skeletal bones shot toward him like arrows in mid-air, encasing his body.
’Bone Armor – Heavy Armor Type’
Instantly clad in thick bone armor, Simon slamd into the ground with a deafening crash, crushing the monsters beneath him.
"Toto!"
He charged forward, carving a path through the Mimics. With each swing of his arms, as if he were swimming through the horde, monsters were sent flying. The Mimics’ weapons glanced harmlessly off his heavy armor.
"Presideeeent!"
A sudden weight landed on top of Simon’s heavy armor with a dull thud. Startled, he looked up.
"E-Eshe?!"
She flailed her arms, struggling to find her balance, before finally steadying herself.
"Don’t look up from down there! It’s embarrassing!"
After taking a few steadying steps, she spread her arms, and her small curse dolls scattered in all directions.
"Light up the area!"
The ten curse dolls floating in the air erupted in a brilliant flash of light. The monsters flinched at the sudden, blinding glare.
"I can’t just leave Toto behind! I’ll support you, so keep going!" Eshe declared.
Simon was silent, seemingly lost in thought. After staring straight ahead for a mont, he suddenly spun around and started heading back toward the carriage.
"Wh-what are you doing!"
A startled Eshe pounded on Simon’s Bone Armor.
"Why are you going back already? I thought we were saving Toto!"
"We’ve done enough, Eshe."
Her expression hardened with disbelief.
"Enough? What’s enough! Are you saying we should just abandon him?"
A low growl drew their attention to a group of large, shield-bearing Mimics blocking their path. Simon paused.
"It’s not like that."
"It is! Don’t tell you think he’s dead! He might still be alive! We have to save—!"
Simon’s oversized armored hand shot out and seized Eshe.
"Ugh, let go! I’ll go by myself if I have to!"
"Toto’s a Kizen student, too. You said he went out to save , right? All he needs is to see that I’m safe, and he’ll find his own way back."
Simon shed the heavy armor and climbed on top of it. With its other hand, the suit of armor grabbed Simon and threw both of them into the air.
"Aaaaaaaaaah!"
The two of them soared through the sky. Simon twisted two fingers together. Left behind on the battlefield, the masterless armor disassembled into bones with a clatter and shot into the air. It quickly ford a new suit of Bone Armor around Eshe, and another around Simon. The armor’s ’attraction’ function allowed them to stay airborne longer.
"Simon! Eshe! Grab on!"
Lorraine, waiting on the carriage, threw a chain woven from pure Jet-Black. As they caught the end, she hauled them in.
The two landed hard on the carriage with a heavy thud.
"Hah... hah..."
"Nice one, Lorraine," Simon said, shedding his Bone Armor, his face etched with exhaustion.
Eshe still looked dazed.
"Then Toto is..."
Simon closed his eyes, concentrating. A mont later, he sensed a new vibration beside the carriage and allowed himself a faint smile.
"He’s coming."
With a big crash, a Death Worm controlled by Toto erupted from the ground next to the carriage.
"Huh?" Eshe uttered.
"I told you," Simon said.
It was a ss born from bad timing, but Toto was more than capable of saving a comrade and escaping that situation. Simon had only jumped from the carriage in the first place to signal that he was safe.
The monstrous worm’s mouth gaped open and hocked sothing onto the roof. Drenched in a foul-slling sli, Toto landed with a splat.
"Ah!"
Toto shot up, splattering the viscous liquid everywhere.
"You’re all safe!"
"You idiot!"
Eshe leaped to her feet.
"Are you crazy, jumping out like that? Who do you think you are, trying to save the President!"
"S-Sorry...!"
Simon and Lorraine exchanged a grin.
Aaron, who had been on the carriage roof holding a communication crystal, ca back down.
"Situation resolved. The students handled it on their own, Professor Grelion."
"Of course they did!"
Grelion, seated in the lead carriage, laughed heartily.
"That’s how students grow—by making a ss of things! You’re far too overprotective."
"I see," Aaron replied flatly.
After retrieving his skeletons, he looked up. On the carriage roof, the mbers of Squad 10 were laughing, their arms slung around each other’s shoulders.
Having finally broken through the monsters’ encirclent, they saw a massive fortress wall rising before them.
"It’s not over. Stay sharp," Aaron said, raising the communication crystal. "We are now entering the fortress."
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