"Yukino, let's hurry and follow them!"
Haruno called out loudly.
"Okay," Yukino replied softly.
Snow suddenly began to fall from the sky above the high-rise, and soon the entire rooftop was swallowed by swirling white flakes.
Under Yukino's control, the snow gathered rapidly at the edge of the roof like nimble little spirits.
The flakes kept merging together, piling up and shaping themselves until they formed a long, winding slide that stretched all the way down from the building.
Instead of being impressed, Hiratsuka-sensei scratched her head and complained awkwardly.
"Yukino, why did you make a slide? We're not children anymore, you know?"
Yukino glanced at her with an expression as cold as the snow around them.
"I just thought it would be more convenient. You can climb down on your own if you want."
After saying that, Yukino walked straight toward the slide and sped down without hesitation.
Haruno grabbed Shizuka Hiratsuka by the arm and giggled.
"Shizuka-chan, don't be shy. There's nothing embarrassing about using a slide. Come on, let's go together!"
"Ya—"
Yumiko almost let that nickname slip out on instinct.
Maybe it had become a habit after calling him that so many times in private.
"Ahem… My lord, I'm going now."
She quickly corrected herself and summoned her contracted monster, Hong.
Tsk!!!
Hong's back instantly hardened, and bones burst out from its body, spreading outward like a pair of skeletal wings.
A thin layer of flesh membrane quickly stretched over the bony frame like a living veil, forming a pair of enormous, wide, visually striking wings.
Its two arms expanded and bent into shapes resembling seats.
"Yui, come on."
Yumiko extended her hand and called to Yui softly.
Then she sat down firmly on the seat to the left.
"Is this… really necessary?"
Yui's voice trembled, unable to hide the fear in it.
"Don't worry. I won't let you fall."
Yumiko's confidence gave Yui a little comfort. After a moment of silence, and after a fierce internal struggle against her fear, she finally gritted her teeth and carefully sat down on the other side, looking as tense as if she were walking on thin ice.
Hoo—hoo—hoo!
The wind suddenly roared.
The giant bone wings beat once, stirring up a violent updraft, and the surging air current rushed upward at once.
The whole scene looked bizarre yet spectacular, carrying a strange kind of elegance and calm.
But for Yui, what she truly feared was not falling.
What frightened her most was the terrifying appearance of the creature beneath her.
Even though Yumiko had sworn to keep her safe, that still couldn't erase Yui's instinctive fear of the crimson figure.
Still, since Yumiko had said so, Yui had no choice but to sit there, trembling slightly as the wind howled and the snow danced around them.
As graceful as an angel.
But when it came to true elegance, Kaguya stood apart.
Off to the side, Kaguya quietly watched Yukino and the others sliding down with a faint smile on her lips.
"Hayasaka, let's go down too," Kaguya said softly.
She took a gentle step forward along the edge of the slide.
Surprisingly, her foot did not step into empty air, nor did she leap outward like one might expect.
Instead, she landed steadily on a smooth, transparent path of ice.
The ice was polished like a mirror, shining with a mysterious glow.
The next moment, that frozen path stretched outward like a crystal staircase, quietly winding its way downward into the world below like something out of a dream.
Kaguya moved along it with a figure as graceful as a willow swaying in the wind.
Each step she took was elegant and unhurried, her noble bearing more striking than ever.
Hayasaka followed closely behind.
Her steps were firm and steady, revealing her complete trust in Kaguya.
Under Kaguya's control, there was no need to worry about slipping.
Each time their feet landed, the ice beneath them automatically connected and froze into place, giving them solid support.
And every time they lifted a foot, the ice instantly melted away and separated cleanly, never hindering their movement in the slightest.
Meanwhile, on the other side…
...
As the sound of the explosion gradually faded away, everything around them sank into a deathly silence.
Inside the barracks, the commander and the soldiers who had fully expected the ghost realm to collapse under the bombing were now staring fixedly at the surveillance screens like ants on a hot pan.
They anxiously waited for the reports coming in from the helicopters overhead.
"Sir, despite the direct impact of the bombs… the ghost realm is completely unharmed!"
The reporting soldier's voice trembled with disbelief.
Anyone hearing him might have thought he had just witnessed the end of the world.
The moment he heard that report, the officer's face turned gloomy, as dark as a sky buried beneath storm clouds.
He muttered to himself in a low voice,
"Was the blast yield still not enough…?"
His tone was full of frustration and despair.
Then another voice suddenly shouted in alarm.
"Sir! Someone is standing on the roof of one of the affected buildings!"
The urgent cry exploded through the barracks like thunder.
The officer froze for a second, his eyes widening in shock.
"What?! There are still civilians who haven't evacuated? How did your evacuation team handle this?!"
His anger erupted like a volcano. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his face flushed red with fury.
He looked like he was one step away from dragging everyone around him into court-martial territory.
The commander knew very well that if someone died in this bombing operation because of an evacuation error, the consequences would be catastrophic.
At that moment, the pressure on his shoulders became even heavier.
But then the soldier's next report left him even more stunned.
"N-No, sir! They're still alive! Oh my God! They jumped from the top of the building—it was the twentieth floor!!!"
This time, the officer flatly refused to believe it.
"How is that possible? No one survives a jump from that height!"
He assumed someone had leapt to their death, and his heartbeat instantly sped up. Sweat began to bead across his forehead.
Then suddenly, another soldier shouted in excitement.
"Oh my God! Someone jumped down—they're flying! It's snow! A slide—no, it's ice! Stairs! They entered the curse realm!"
"What?!?"
The officer was completely thrown off by that chaotic string of words.
"Did the blast scramble this idiot's brain? What nonsense is he spouting now?"
He frowned and muttered under his breath.
But just as the commander was still trying to make sense of it, another soldier raised a telescope, pointed toward the distant building, and shouted in panic.
"Sir! Look over there!"
The officer's expression changed immediately.
Realizing something was very wrong, he snatched the telescope and looked toward the direction the soldier was pointing.
And through the lens, he saw an utterly unbelievable scene.
"???"
Before his eyes was the massive commotion caused by Kaguya and the others.
He fell silent.
The soldier wasn't losing his mind.
Everything he had reported…
was true.
"Ice, snow, stairs… These people are obviously no ordinary humans. They're superpowered beings."
The commander's face grew increasingly grave.
"Reinforcements from the Superpower Administration? Or people from some other organization?"
He racked his brain, trying to recall every detail of the operation.
But no matter how much he thought about it, he could not remember any mention of other superpowered individuals being involved.
"This area has been taken over by Potential Academy."
A strange, deep voice suddenly rang out beside the officer's ear like a clap of thunder.
The moment he heard the words Potential Academy, the officer trembled as if struck by electricity.
He immediately straightened his back and snapped into a perfect military salute.
"Yes, sir!"
The surrounding soldiers looked at one another in confusion, completely unable to understand his sudden reaction.
A few seconds passed.
"..."
No further instructions came.
Only then did the commander slowly lower his arm and wipe the large beads of sweat from his forehead.
Potential Academy was no ordinary institution.
...
...
Behind it stood a figure with power vast enough to shake heaven and earth.
And that voice just now…
Most likely belonged to that person.
"Attention all personnel! The operation is temporarily suspended. Hold your positions and rest where you are while awaiting further orders!"
The commander made his decision on the spot and prepared to report the current situation to his superiors in person.
These superpowered individuals possessed all kinds of bizarre abilities.
Compared to the members of the Superpower Administration he was familiar with, they were worlds apart.
"So this… is the strength of Potential Academy?"
Even after surviving hundreds of battlefields, in this moment he finally understood why people spoke of Wei Ming with such awe.
...
Inside the curse realm.
"The Lord said the only way to destroy the curse realm is to find the evil creature that created it."
Haruno analyzed the situation calmly and offered her suggestion.
"The three or four of us can split up. That way, we can keep things relatively safe while also improving the speed of the search."
But just as she was talking about safety—
"!!!"
Yui's expression suddenly changed.
The instant she raised her hand, a barrier of flowing air appeared in front of her.
"Graaak!"
A disgusting monster covered in pustules suddenly sprang out of the grass and slammed into the airflow barrier like a starving beast pouncing on its prey.
Its sharp claws and fangs tore wildly at the air, trying to rip the barrier apart.
"What kind of filthy thing dares attack my students?!"
Hiratsuka Shizuka instantly flew into a rage and shouted.
Then she threw a punch.
It was like a fire dragon bursting from its lair.
Flames roared forward with overwhelming force, like a blazing fist crashing down.
"Gaaah!!!"
The monster was not only blasted back, but its entire body was engulfed in flames.
It let out a shrill, piercing scream as it writhed on the ground, as if suffering through some kind of living purgatory.
At last, it burned away completely, turning into black smoke that gradually drifted off and vanished without a trace.
Seeing that, everyone felt a little relieved.
But even then, they kept their guard up, their nerves still taut as if they were facing a powerful enemy.
"I believe many of you here have personally experienced the curse realm incident at the academy before."
Hiratsuka-sensei paused for a moment, then continued,
"But this situation is even more dangerous. There's a strong chance that even more monsters will appear."
"Therefore, I think Haruno's suggestion is reasonable."
Her words made her approval clear.
Yukino also spoke up in agreement.
"The hospital is massive, and its interior is practically a maze. There are gardens, inpatient wards, outpatient areas, and all kinds of tall, complicated buildings."
"If everyone moves together like a flock with no direction, not only will the search be unbearably slow, but it will also make us an easier target and create even more danger."
Yukino's words rang like an alarm bell in everyone's heart.
"So I also think splitting into groups is the better option."
She swept her gaze across the others, as though waiting for more opinions.
"Even though this practical assessment is directly tied to everyone's performance evaluation in front of the Lord, don't put yourselves in danger just for the sake of better results."
Utaha's words landed heavily, like a warning bell striking deep into everyone's mind.
Eriri nodded rapidly, almost like a chick pecking at grains, clearly agreeing with Utaha.
"Mhm… The Lord definitely wouldn't want to see anyone here get hurt."
But after saying that, Eriri couldn't help feeling a little annoyed.
She glanced around at the people nearby.
For some reason, she kept feeling like they were all going to end up following Yumeko's path.
After all, once there was a first, there was no guarantee there wouldn't be a second.
And now there were already three people like that.
Especially lately, just hearing Utaha's sweet, clingy ways of addressing him had nearly made her ears go numb.
And when you added in all the commotion whenever they slept together—
It made her even more irritated.
That uncomfortable feeling simply wouldn't go away for even a moment.
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