Chapter 42: Chapter 40 – Rule 18: The Leader Thwarts the Villain’s Plan (4)
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I think of the bold protagonists in various media.
Those who remain resolute in critical moments and easily overcome any adversity.
Such characters have often influenced the persona I put on as the Disciplinary Committee Leader.
Naturally, my true self was different.
I was a coward.
Crushed under the weight of my responsibilities, I was anxious every day, constantly pushing myself to fulfill my duties and achieve my goals.
But I don't think that's a bad thing.
On the contrary, I believe that as a coward with a facade, the fruits of my tireless efforts will eventually lead me to a happy ending.
So, I give my all.
Even if thoughts of it being too late try to creep into my mind and cause self-loathing, I focus on doing what I can right now.
I rushed to the junior whose side had been slashed by the beast's claws.
Bending one knee, I checked on the kid.
"Leader…"
"Don't talk."
The junior looked at me with a pale face, struggling to catch her breath. Air whistled through her teeth. Her eyes, barely open, looked ready to close at any moment.
'The wound is deep.'
Inside the torn uniform, blood flowed from the side she was clutching, like water from an open faucet.
I immediately pulled out my radio.
While smartphones were useless, the radio worked fine.
"Send a medical drone to my location immediately! Hurry!"
I pressed down on her side to stem the blood loss, but it was far from effective.
Still, I couldn't give up.
I had to minimize the bleeding until the medical drone arrived.
That was what I could do.
My breathing grew labored.
'Calm down, control your expression.'
I urged myself to calm down.
A Disciplinary Committee Leader shouldn't show signs of panic.
"Cough!"
The junior coughed up blood, but even then, she let out a hollow laugh as if something was funny.
"Heh… Leader… it hurts…"
"I told you not to talk."
"I'm fine… you don't need to help me anymore… go help the others…"
Others.
The mention of others sent a cold sweat trickling down my face.
It wasn't just this kid.
At this very moment, many students were being targeted by Han Seo-jin and were in mortal danger.
If I stayed here like this, I might miss the chance to save others.
Was this the best choice?
Was I acting rationally?
More importantly,
'Why… didn't I foresee this disaster?'
Would the situation have been better if I had been more cautious from the start?
Would things have been different if I had been a bit wiser?
…No.
Now was not the time to dwell on self-reproach, regret the past, or agonize over things.
It was time to resolve this situation.
"Hang in there. The drone will arrive soon and provide first aid. Just a little longer, just a little longer…"
Ordinarily, a medical drone should have arrived instantly. It was delayed.
It must have gone to help other students.
One second passed.
Another second passed.
"..."
The junior no longer seemed to have the strength to speak. Her eyes gradually closed.
"Don't close your eyes!!"
I shouted without realizing it.
But the ensuing silence only emphasized the powerlessness of my words.
The pretense of being the Disciplinary Committee Leader no longer mattered.
Seeing the subordinate I was responsible for closing her eyes drove my mind to the brink of despair.
Maybe it was the sense of responsibility.
"Leader…"
The junior managed to squeeze out a voice with a smile.
"Thank you… for everything…"
"Shut up."
"..."
"...?"
While I was pressing her side, her hand slipped away weakly.
I glanced at her face. She hadn't fully closed her lifeless eyes, just staring at the sky.
My breath caught. My heart felt like it was drying up rapidly, sinking into an abyss.
My bloodied hands remained pressed against her side to stem the bleeding.
My mind screamed to go help other students, but my hands wouldn't move.
I clung to the faint hope that I could still save her, pressing her side.
The medical drone would arrive soon, and all it needed was to administer first aid.
Even if her heart had stopped, I could use my lightning magic for CPR.
But…
"..."
I couldn't shake the thought that it was already too late.
Reality set in.
I shouldn't stay here like this.
I was the Disciplinary Committee Leader.
I had to strive for maximum efficiency in fulfilling my duties.
This indecision was unacceptable.
My entire body felt like it was freezing.
But slowly, I began to loosen my grip and let go of the junior.
At that moment,
"It's okay."
A gentle hand placed mine back on the junior's side.
Another hand touched my chest as if to reassure me.
A black-haired female student stood beside me.
I looked at her.
A first-year student with ruby-red eyes and a mischievous smile, gazing at my junior.
"Lee Se-Ah…?"
A red aura blossomed from Lee Se-Ah's hand, forming a small analog clock.
It was a shape she crafted with her magic.
Hwaaa!
Magic power, like flower petals, swirled around Lee Se-Ah, enveloping my junior's side.
Then, a miracle happened.
Like a video playing in reverse, the blood that had spilled onto the ground surged back into the junior's side.
The flesh rejoined, the skin regenerated, and finally, the wound was completely healed.
Fwoosh.
Only then did Se-Ah's magic dissipate.
"Huh?"
Life returned to the junior's eyes. She looked around in confusion, clearly unaware of what had happened.
I was just as dumbfounded.
"Tada! Problem solved, just like that!"
I felt the strength drain from me, making me want to collapse.
"Well, maybe not 'just like that.' It is my unique ability."
"What…?"
Still in a daze, I stared into Se-Ah's red eyes.
"It's kind of private, so I can't tell a stalker like you what it is!"
It wasn't healing magic.
What was it?
Time reversal?
Causality inversion?
Was it some impossible ability like that?
Or something else entirely?
I had just learned that Se-Ah had a unique ability.
Se-Ah placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled her usual sly smile.
"Senior, your problem is that you try to handle everything on your own. You'll burn out quickly that way."
"..."
I had no strength to respond to Se-Ah's playful reprimand. Then, she revealed her clear red eyes again.
"…Your Disciplinary Committee is doing quite well. Even among my peers taking the evaluation, the committee members were bravely fighting. Maybe it's the duty of the Disciplinary Committee? Oh, and it's probably also thanks to you taking down so many of those nasty skeletons?"
Se-Ah smiled mischievously.
She was trying to reassure me.
"Well, our Volunteer Club is also doing its part, you know?"
Spreading her hands to either side of her face, Se-Ah spoke in a light-hearted manner.
"We're all about helping those in need!"
I could easily imagine the mischievous grins of the Volunteer Club members as they helped students.
"…I see."
Whatever the case, there was no time to waste.
I confirmed that the junior had regained consciousness and then stood up.
"Se-Ah, thank you."
I left it at that for now. I'd properly thank her later.
"You're welcome~. Shall we get going? I think you have someone else to deal with."
"Please take care of this place."
"Sure thing."
With a faint sense of relief, I gave Se-Ah a light high-five and left the area.
I enhanced my body to its maximum capacity and dashed towards the center of the barrier, where Han Seo-jin was located.
I wanted support from other committee members, but it was difficult with Seo-jin's minions swarming around.
I had to face Seo-jin alone.
Finally,
I reached an expansive area with ornate structures.
Whoosh!!
"...!"
A mysterious, sharp wave of water surged at me like a blade.
Sensing the threat instinctively, I quickly leaped back to avoid the attack.
The water fell and seeped into the ground.
And ahead,
someone stood in front of a structure in the open space, staring straight at me.
A skull mask.
A black robe.
A magic staff.
All appearances I had seen in the game.
"Han Seo-jin."
I could hear the breath of one of the Six Sinners, Han Seo-jin.
"Leader."
A mechanical voice that was neither male nor female.
A modulated tone.
"You knew from the beginning that I didn't come to this academy with pure intentions."
…I didn't know.
I only realized it later.
Whatever the misunderstanding, it didn't matter at the moment.
"Stop this nonsense immediately."
I suppressed the emotions boiling inside me to avoid getting too excited, but some still seeped into my voice.
"Sorry, but I can't. I have something I must achieve."
I pulled the brim of my cap down to hide the vein throbbing on my forehead.
This person was a precious junior I had cared for and seen as a promising member of the committee.
That's why I felt even more furious.
"Goddamn bastard…"
I swore in a calm tone.
I could interrogate Seo-jin later about why she enrolled at Ahsung High School, why she joined the Disciplinary Committee, and why she did all this.
For now, I had to focus on ending this situation.
Can I capture Han Seo-jin with my abilities?
I don't know.
But whether it's possible or not isn't important right now.
I needed to confront Seo-jin as soon as possible.
And I wanted to.
"I will execute immediate arrest and punish the offender severely."
Reciting the official line of the Disciplinary Committee according to the school rules, I gathered my magic power and infused the Iron Dragon's Staff with lightning magic at maximum output.
Seo-jin also channeled magic into her staff. The magic stone embedded in the staff glowed with the same purple hue as Seo-jin's eyes.
"A filthy criminal like you deserves even harsher punishment."
My muscles tensed.
I gripped the Iron Dragon's Staff tightly.
I bent my knees slightly.
Leaned my upper body forward.
Whoosh!
I charged at Seo-jin with all my might.
To read until the final chapter. p atreon.com/casca02