Stars were massive, yet paradoxically, they were also tiny points.
After stabbing several points with my sword, I yanked it hard as if pulling on an invisible thread.
The moment I twisted my wrist like turning a key, the points I had marked instantly connected.
The lines connecting the stars formed a constellation.
The constellation became a single sword strike, slicing through the monster's body.
Due to the monster's elasticity, I couldn't cut deeply, and its regenerative abilities prevented me from delivering a fatal blow. I had to be satisfied with the fact that I could temporarily sever the exposed paths.
Watching the monsters topple one by one gave me a certain sense of accomplishment.
My mentor, the hero Sela, had been gradually reducing her assistance until she simply stood back and watched me handle them alone.
I noticed her in the distance, sheathing her sword and applauding.
"Wow, that's really impressive. You're on par with active heroes."
With a whoosh, I swung my sword through the air a few times before quietly sliding it back into its scabbard.
It was time to move to the next location.
"Senior, where to next?"
"We need to head closer to the Wall and deal with those. There have been a lot of Wall-related issues lately. Are the families in charge of managing it not doing their jobs?"
At the end of where she pointed, I could see monster bodies so large that buildings couldn't fully conceal them.
There were even bird-shaped monsters crossing the sky—it felt like experiencing the end of the world.
CRASH! RUMBLE.
When a monster's body collided with a building, the structure collapsed helplessly.
The monsters were terrifying even at human size, but seeing one modeled after an elephant was absolutely horrifying.
BWOOOOOOO!
Its massive trunk raised toward the sky before letting out a piercing trumpet-like sound.
"At least that one has an animal form."
That comment didn't make me feel any better.
I was overwhelmed by the thought that since breaking a large monster's core would be difficult, I'd prefer to just kill it by cutting its outer layer if possible.
But that didn't stop me from moving forward. Heroes don't pick their battles.
"You know, right?"
Hearing her voice, I answered calmly.
"Yes, first priority is human lives, second is containment."
"Correct."
After hearing that, I charged straight down the direct path ahead.
There were too many monsters. I knew we had to be prepared for countless monsters rushing in from the moment the Wall opened, but this seemed beyond what we could handle.
No matter how skilled, there's a limit to what one person can resolve alone.
*
"Evacuate this way!"
"Y-yes!"
Following the servant's guidance, I ran quickly.
Being a guest of the Ramiris family had its advantages in situations like this, but my anxiety was growing, making my chest tighten.
After boarding the car as directed, it sped away in the opposite direction of the collapsing Wall.
I bit my fingernails.
My body ached, causing me to grimace involuntarily.
I felt nothing but anxiety, unable to predict what the Strange One might do next.
"...Ugh."
I let out a small groan and squeezed my eyes shut at the jolting impact.
The servants sitting in the passenger seat and beside me were no different.
The man in a suit next to me, visibly tense, carefully asked:
"Are you alright? You're a friend of our young lady, correct?"
"...Yes."
"We're heading to a bunker established separately by our family. Don't worry. There are separate floors, so you won't encounter the family head. Please make yourself comfortable."
"Thank you."
I had nothing else to say, so I simply nodded.
The interior of the luxury car was filled with its distinctive sophisticated scent.
But as a guest, I couldn't even lean back against the seat, sitting stiffly upright instead.
Facing this situation made me realize that students with high grades are called for hero apprentice training in emergencies, regardless of holidays.
Seeing Strange Ones running rampant was extremely troubling, but there was nothing I could do now except worry.
As we drove along the road, suddenly there was an impact.
CRASH! The car hit something and I felt my body lift off the seat.
Since I hadn't been leaning back, my face slammed into the front passenger seat.
I expected it to hurt when my face hit, but the pain was far worse than I'd imagined.
"Kuhuk!"
When a major accident happens, you don't register what happened or what's going on—just a loud noise overwhelming your ears.
The car was completely crushed.
So deformed that front and back were indistinguishable, the engine exploded, sending hot waves of heat against my body.
"Huh, ugh."
It felt like my internal organs were twisting.
My stomach churned and flipped.
I felt like vomiting.
I opened the crumpled door and threw myself out.
At the same moment, the car exploded.
"...Huk, j-just a moment..."
There was nothing here just a moment ago.
We were supposed to be driving in the opposite direction from the monsters.
So why are there monsters here?
With a thud, I collapsed on the ground and propped myself up with my arms to lift my head.
There was a deep purple monster staring at me with glowing eyes.
I recognized this monster.
I had seen it before.
The monster that had devoured my arms and legs multiple times.
"Ah, aah... w-wait... please..."
The monster was looking at me with glowing eyes.
It seemed uninterested in the burned corpses, just tilting its head while staring at me.
I felt my breath catch.
I trembled, completely unable to figure out what to do.
No solution came to mind.
My legs, which had been able to walk until just moments ago, were now crushed between seats, leaving me unable to stand.
And at that moment, a beak approached me.
No, don't. Don't do it.
The uniform of the Academy that trained heroes stood out to others.
It was like a badge showing I would soon use my power to protect humanity.
If others saw me now, they might say the future looked bleak, and I couldn't argue.
At least there was one fortunate thing—there were no people around since we were on the way to the Ramiris family bunker.
But unfortunately, all the attendants who had been in the car with me were now dead.
I couldn't protect them. The attack was so unexpected that I couldn't even react, just crawling on the ground.
"Grrrr..."
The monster stood still, staring blankly.
It seemed to be contemplating what to do with me.
Or perhaps it was waiting for orders from a Strange One.
And as if confirming my thought, a Strange One appeared behind it.
"Hey, still alive?"
My eyes widened at the sight.
The Strange One approached me with a smirk.
After tormenting me and letting me go, the Strange One coming back for me filled me with hatred.
"Besides, you've been following my instructions well?"
"...What?"
"When I told you not to meddle."
With those cold words, her foot lightly crushed the hand I had extended.
I couldn't help but wince.
I knew Strange Ones were powerful, but I never expected one to attack so frequently.
It was difficult to estimate just how much power they possessed.
Were they already showing their late-game strength now? Did they possess everything from the beginning?
"W-what do you want..."
Barely managing to keep my head from falling, I trembled as I raised my gaze.
The Strange One crouched down while still stepping on my right hand.
Then she just stared at me.
"Just because."
"..."
Just because.
A truly Strange One-like response.
Probably boredom. Probably loneliness.
Unable to endure such a life, she was trying to fill it with someone else's screams.
I was terrified at the thought that the monster might start biting off my limbs again.
But the Strange One didn't do that.
"Really, just because."
She was simply telling me not to be afraid, seeing my fear.
Her red pupils embedded in black eyeballs pierced through me.
When I flinched and lowered my gaze, the Strange One seemed to enjoy my reaction and giggled.
"Cute. Really cute. Stay hidden like that. Don't step out, don't meddle, just stay still."
She patted my head one last time before leaving.
I was abandoned on the ground.
Being abandoned by a Strange One could be considered fortunate, but in this remote location with legs that couldn't stand, I had no idea what to do.
Perhaps I should hope that someone from the Ramiris family would find me on their way to the bunker.
After lying face down on the ground waiting for help for a while, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
"...Ah."
Could she be testing whether she could find me immediately?
It wasn't an impossible theory.
Considering how she found me in this remote location without difficulty, it seemed quite plausible.
So I trembled.
Unable to stand on my two legs, I buried my face in the ground and swallowed my tears.
I'm scared.
So, so scared.
If the Strange One and her monsters could find me, then relying on anyone would be a mistake.
"...Someone, please save me..."
At this rate, suicide might be the better option.
Because there was nowhere for me to escape to.