Chapter 566: The Collapsing Preliminary Round
[I was born from hell—]
[The sky burns with heat, houses turn to ruins, despair envelops everything, and dusk marks the end of the road.]
[This is the source of war, the primal impression deep within the heart, where only "I" can survive.]
[Life dissipates, shockingly simple. Family, friends, nameless neighbors—all without exception, until the end, they struggle in fear, their final breaths revealing a look of resignation before they cease to breathe.]
[But no matter what, I cannot accept it. Disputes and natural disasters are different; why does such tragedy occur? Why can no one save anyone? No, ultimately—why does the world allow this hell to run rampant?]
[I raise my eyes to the heavens and sigh deeply; if, once again, I were to gain life, this time, in this instance, I will—]
The headache intensified, finally ringing in my mind like a warning bell.
On this particular day, feeling unusually numb, I woke up two minutes earlier than usual.
At that time, I had yet to realize that today would be the final day of declaration.
————
"Ugh…" The girl at the same table covered her mouth, and from her expression, it was clear she was struggling against feelings of nausea. Only Akinami Shirano knew that the cause of her queasiness stemmed from everything but herself.
In the empty school, ambiguous seating, blurred memories, classmates moving like zombies.
After witnessing Leo walk into the wall and vanish yesterday, her original sense of unease had only intensified, ultimately evolving into the disheveled state she found herself in now.
[We are born from hell.]
[Please do not forget the profound meaning behind this.]
Whispers echoed in her ears as Akinami Shirano leaned over her desk, taking several deep breaths before she barely managed to regain her composure.
"Water." The boy at the same table handed her a bottle of mineral water, the cap already thoughtfully half-twisted open. The girl took a sip and immediately felt much better.
"Thanks, Sakatsuki."
"No need to thank me." Sakatsuki observed Shirano's somewhat frail face, intrigued, and said, "What's up? You look like that…"
"Could it be…?"
"Pfft!" She turned and sprayed a face full of water at Shinji, ignoring his frantic expression. Shirano's face flushed red; even she, with her taciturn nature, could panic at times. Yet, Sakatsuki was not satisfied and pressed on.
"Who's the father of the child? Ah, no need to explain; I understand. A lonely night, an accident, a passionate youthful joy, a charming young father, and an innocent child…"
"So I told you to shut! Up!" Shirano gritted her teeth and lunged at Sakatsuki, covering his mouth tightly, fearing he might blurt out something outrageous. But suddenly, she felt a warm, damp sensation in her palm. She recoiled as if electrocuted, embarrassed to find the boy had licked his lips, his eyes filled with teasing mischief.
"Ahem, no more jokes." Teasing the girl raised Sakatsuki's enjoyment level. He smirked and pointed at the window ledge. "There's still some time before the morning assembly; why don't you take a break?"
"..." Shirano shot him an annoyed glare, stood up from her seat, and leaned against the window, her chest rising and falling. It was hard to tell whether it was more discomfort from her body or embarrassment from her emotions.
Gazing out the window, she tried to soothe her spirit with the expansive view, but at that moment, she spotted an unexpected figure.
Below the teaching building was the school's playground, where the morning assembly for each class was about to begin. Students should have been obediently staying in their classrooms, yet a familiar silhouette stood on the playground.
"Isn't he… the one who reported to Leo yesterday?" The girl blinked in confusion and whispered, "What's he doing standing there before class?"
"Oh?" Sakatsuki's eyes lit up at her words, and he looked toward the playground as well. "Interesting, has it already begun?"
???
Just as Akinami Shirano was puzzled, she saw the man on the playground clasp his hands together, a peculiar light forming in his grasp. At the same time, Sakatsuki's voice, tinged with amusement, rang out.
"Just a reminder—be prepared for impact."
Boom!
The window shattered, sunlight refracting through the shards, which flew like butterflies. The calamity struck so suddenly; a chaotic storm erupted, the once gentle air became agitated in an instant, coalescing into a heavy blow that struck the towering teaching building.
The clash of stone against stone created a deafening sound; despite the noise, they remained unscathed. However, the eggs wrapped in stone suffered, each one flung out amidst screams, feeling as if the egg whites and yolks in their brains were being scrambled.
"Ahhhhhh!"
In classroom 2-A, only one person's anguished wail echoed, as Matou Shinji tumbled from his seat during the violent shaking of the building, landing hard on his rear. He barely opened his eyes, only to find the most detested boy calmly seated in his place, one hand supporting the staggering Shirano while the other embraced the already-prepared Draco, holding them both in a carefree manner.
—At that moment, Sakatsuki and the little red dragon looked down from their elevated position at the injured figure on the ground.
What's going on? The little bro can't handle it.
"You… you guys!"
Ignoring Shinji's pitiful cries, Sakatsuki turned his gaze away, surveying the unscathed teaching building, a glimmer of platinum light flashing in his eyes. "As expected of the preliminary round venue; it's quite sturdy."
"That man's computer spell (Code Cast) is already akin to an A-rank grand magic in the real world," Draco remarked. "As a result, aside from shattering the glass, the building itself remains unharmed."
"Sakatsuki… everyone seems a bit strange. They're clearly injured, yet it's as if they can't see us. What on earth is going on?"
But evidently, these two were reacting too early. Just as the commotion from the attack on the teaching building subsided, the sounds of flesh being pierced mixed with the screams of victims echoed through the hallways and neighboring classrooms.
—It was as if the moment the teaching building was attacked, the peaceful life at the academy was shattered, exposing the cruel essence of the Holy Grail War.
"Slap."
Looking toward the hallway, a bloody handprint suddenly smeared against the window by the door, startling Shirano into a shiver, while Shinji let out a pathetic scream.
"Is someone in the hallway?!"
Sakatsuki frowned slightly, taking the lead as Shirano clutched his shirt, and together with the two trembling yet still trying to act tough Shinji, they stepped out of the classroom.
At the door, a student, bloodied and with a hole pierced through his side, knelt on the ground, a trail of blood leading down the hallway. At the end lay large patches of flesh and blood, suggesting the hell this student had endured.
"...Run… run away fast…" The weak voice echoed like a ghostly whisper in the bloody corridor. "It's a violator, the violator is coming this way…!!"
"Ugh… ugh waaaahhhhhh!"
Faced with such a horrific scene, Shirano and Shinji screamed, while Sakatsuki observed everything thoughtfully, nodding in understanding.
"I see, it's a plot straight out of a manga."
Without any intention of fighting, the boy took Draco's hand and walked directly toward the infirmary. As his leisurely steps continued, the broadcast from Tsukihama Academy followed closely behind:
[Zzzz… An urgent announcement for all candidate Masters.]
[The entrants for this round are zzzz… returning to the preliminary venue to commence slaughter.]
[All candidate Masters… please take immediate refuge, take immediate refuge.]
[Emergency evacuation.]
The white-haired boy and the girl in the red dress vanished at the stairwell, their exit seemingly marking the curtain's rise. When Shirano finally awoke from her fear, what she saw was a warrior clad in thorny armor emerging from the neighboring classroom, a grotesque spear in hand, with the body of a deceased student hanging from it!
"Muhahaha! The things I love should be enjoyed immediately, don't you think, Master!"
The gray armor soaked in blood, the mere presence of this man… or rather, some kind of humanoid existence, made it hard to breathe. He flung the chunks of flesh hanging from his spear aside and looked at the trembling Shirano and Shinji with eyes filled with malice and madness.
"It wouldn't be good to leave these delicacies uneaten, would it?"