I Refuse the Tragic Ending

The projectiles were not aimed exclusively at the pillar. Some were heading toward the students surrounding Lilith, while others were positioned to cut off Kael’s escape routes. The enemy had recognized that something was happening around the formation and had decided to eliminate the people responsible before they could finish their work.

It was a sensible decision.

Unfortunately, it was also an enormous inconvenience.

”Protect Lilith!” Seraphina ordered. ”Do not let those attacks reach her!”

The remaining students immediately responded.

Several raised their weapons, while the few who could still gather mana attempted to form defensive barriers. Their efforts were far from impressive after the exhausting battle, but they had no intention of standing aside and watching their last chance disappear.

Kael moved first.

He stepped into the path of the nearest projectile and swung his sword.

The blade struck the incoming darkness at an angle, redirecting it away from the pillar. The spell shot past him and exploded against a ruined section of the battlefield.

A second projectile followed almost immediately.

Kael twisted his body and attempted another deflection.

The impact sent a sharp vibration through his arms. His feet slid backward, scraping against the stone pavement, and pain shot through his shoulders.

He managed to redirect the attack, but the effort nearly forced him to release his sword.

”Two down.”

A third projectile approached from his left.

Kael turned, but his movement was a fraction too slow.

The dark energy grazed his shoulder.

Pain erupted through his arm as the impact sent him staggering sideways. His sword nearly slipped from his grasp, and he had to force himself to remain standing.

”Grayford!” Seraphina called out.

”I’m fine!” He answered, although the burning sensation in his shoulder suggested otherwise.

He had bigger problems than a bruised arm. Two more projectiles were heading toward the students surrounding Lilith.

The senior students attempted to intercept them with the last of their magic. A wall of ice rose from the ground, followed by a burst of wind intended to push the attacks away.

The first projectile shattered the ice wall.

The second tore through the wind barrier.

Neither attack slowed down enough to give the students time to escape.

”Get down!” One of the senior students shouted.

The students immediately threw themselves to the ground. However, the projectiles continued toward Lilith, who remained beside the pillar with both hands hovering over its glowing runes.

She could not abandon her task.

The formation’s energy flow was becoming increasingly unstable, and the corrupted energy she had introduced into the boundary circuit was beginning to spread through the runes.

If she stopped now, the pillar might fail to complete the adjustment.

If she continued, she would have to trust the others to protect her.

It was not an ideal situation.

Then a familiar white figure dropped from above.

”Qiu!”

Quinn landed directly between the incoming projectiles and Lilith.

The little spider’s bluish markings flashed brightly as it raised its front legs.

A thick web shot, spreading across the narrow space between the pillar and the approaching attacks.

The first projectile struck the web. For a fraction of a second, the strands held. Then the dark energy began eating through them.

Quinn’s markings flickered as it struggled to reinforce the web with its mana. The strands stretched, thinned, and finally snapped.

The projectile continued forward.

Quinn immediately fired another web.

This time, it attached itself to two broken stone columns on either side of the battlefield. The spider pulled with all its strength, stretching the web across the projectile’s trajectory and changing its angle just enough to send the attack crashing into the ground beside Lilith.

The resulting explosion scattered dust and stone fragments across the area.

Lilith flinched but remained standing.

”White spider!” She exclaimed.

”Qiu!”

Lilith knew it was Kael’s familiar. She saw him carrying it. Although she didn’t expect it to be so capable, it even helped her.

The little spider landed on her shoulder, its legs trembling slightly.

Kael glanced at his familiar.

’Good job, little guy.’

He had known Quinn’s webs were useful for restraining enemies and traversing difficult terrain, but he had never expected them to help redirect dark magic.

Unfortunately, Quinn’s contribution had only dealt with one of the two projectiles. The last attack was still approaching.

It was also the largest.

The dark caster had apparently concentrated a greater amount of mana into this particular spell, making it significantly denser than the others. Its surface twisted with dark energy as it rushed toward the last pillar, leaving a trail of distorted air in its wake.

Kael’s face fell.

’You’re kidding me.’

He could attempt to deflect it, but his arms were already trembling, and his mana reserves were nearly depleted. After redirecting several attacks, he was no longer confident that he could withstand another direct impact.

Even if he succeeded, the resulting force might throw him into the pillar.

That would defeat the entire purpose of protecting it.

He needed another option.

Then he noticed something.

The pillar’s markings were no longer pulsing randomly.

The section Lilith and the other students had reinforced was glowing steadily, while the remaining runes flickered in response to the incoming spell.

The formation was changing.

’Come on, Lilith. Tell me you’re almost done.’

”Just a little longer!” Lilith shouted, as though she had somehow heard his thoughts.

She pressed both hands toward the runes, carefully guiding the corrupted energy into the boundary circuit.

”The formation is beginning to recognize the hostile signature, but the circuit is still unstable! I need everyone to keep the mana flow steady!”

Seraphina immediately understood the danger.

”Everyone who can still channel mana, maintain your output!” She commanded. ”Do not let the circuit collapse!”

Several students gritted their teeth and continued feeding their remaining mana into the formation.

Their hands trembled.

Sweat trickled down their faces.

One student nearly collapsed before another caught him and helped him maintain contact with the boundary circuit.

Nobody had enough strength left to sustain this for long.

The dark caster seemed to realize the same thing.

Its expression twisted into a cruel grin as it watched the massive projectile approach the pillar. It did not care how many students stood in its way. It did not care how many spells they had already redirected.

This attack would end the battle.

The caster extended its arm, forcing even more mana into the projectile.

The dark energy expanded.

The air shook.

The remaining students stared at the approaching spell, their faces pale.

Kael tightened his grip on his sword.

He could not allow the attack to reach Lilith.

He could not allow it to destroy the pillar.

And he certainly could not allow all their efforts to end here.

”Quinn!” Kael called.

The white spider immediately turned toward him.

”I need you to slow that thing down!”

”Qiu!”

Quinn jumped from Lilith’s shoulder and landed beside Kael.

The little spider’s markings flickered as it began gathering mana. Its abdomen swelled slightly, and a fresh strand of web emerged from the magic circle appeared in front of it.

Kael glanced at the web, then at the approaching projectile.

He had an idea.

It was not a particularly comfortable idea, but comfortable ideas were in short supply.

”Make it as thick as you can,” he instructed. ”Then anchor it to the ground behind me.”

Quinn immediately obeyed.

A massive web spread across the battlefield, its strands attaching themselves to broken pillars, scattered stones, and cracks in the ground.

Kael positioned himself in front of it.

The web stretched behind him like a giant net.

Seraphina watched their preparations with growing concern.

”Grayford, what are you planning?”

”Something that will hopefully keep me from flying into the next district!”

”That doesn’t answer my question!”

”It will have to do!”

Kael returned his attention to the incoming attack.

The dark projectile was almost upon them.

He took a deep breath and settled into his familiar rhythm.

Four counts to inhale.

Two counts to hold.

Six counts to exhale.

A thin layer of mana gathered around his sword.

He could not overpower the spell, and he could not afford to absorb its full force. His only chance was to redirect its trajectory while Quinn’s web reduced the speed and absorbed part of the impact.

It was a dangerous combination.

But it was better than standing still and hoping for a miracle.

The projectile struck.

Kael swung his sword.

The impact nearly tore the weapon from his hands.

Pain shot through his arms as the concentrated dark energy collided with the blade. For an instant, the projectile continued pushing forward, forcing Kael’s body backward.

His boots scraped across the ground.

The web behind him tightened.

Several strands snapped immediately, but the remaining webbing held, preventing him from being thrown into the pillar.

Kael gritted his teeth.

’Move!’

He adjusted the angle of his blade.

Instead of resisting the full force, he guided the projectile sideways, using its momentum to pull it away from the pillar.

Quinn’s web stretched further.

The dark energy veered off course.

For one glorious moment, Kael thought they had succeeded.

Then the projectile began to break apart.

Its outer layer exploded into a storm of smaller fragments, scattering in every direction.

Kael’s eyes widened.

’That was not part of the plan!’

Several fragments shot toward the pillar.

Others scattered toward the students.

The web could not intercept them all.

”Everyone, take cover!” Seraphina shouted.

She rushed toward the nearest group of students, raising her sword to knock aside a fragment that threatened to strike one of the injured seniors.

Several other students threw themselves behind the remaining stone structures.

Kael attempted to turn, but his arms were too numb to move his sword properly. He could only watch as the fragments rushed toward the pillar.

Then the pillar flashed.

A brilliant pulse of light erupted from its markings.

The fragments struck the invisible barrier surrounding the students.

Instead of passing through, they collided with a sudden wall of force.

The dark energy splashed across the barrier’s surface, spreading like ink across glass before being pushed backward.

One fragment after another was rejected.

The barrier trembled.

The pillar’s markings flared brightly, and the corrupted energy within the boundary circuit surged through the runes.

For the first time since the battle began, the formation did not merely let the enemy’s magic pass through.

It rejected it.

The remaining fragments scattered harmlessly across the ground outside the protective boundary.

Silence fell over the battlefield.

Kael lowered his sword, breathing heavily.

He had no idea whether he should feel relieved or offended that the pillar had finally decided to do its job after he had nearly broken both arms protecting it.

Then Lilith laughed.

”We did it!” She exclaimed, although her face painted with exhaustion. ”The formation recognized the hostile signature!”

Seraphina stared at the glowing pillar.

”Does that mean...?”

”Yes!” Lilith answered, nodding eagerly. ”The barrier can now distinguish the enemy’s dark magic as a hostile intrusion. As long as the circuit remains stable, it should reject attacks carrying the same corrupted signature!”

A wave of relief swept through the students.

Some dropped to their knees. Others simply sat down where they stood, too exhausted to celebrate properly.

They had spent the entire battle fighting an enemy whose magic could pass through their defenses. Now, the very barrier that had been failing them had finally become their strongest protection.

Kael let out a long breath.

”That’s good news,” he muttered. ”Because I was running out of ways to hit those things with a sword.”

Lilith gave him a sideways glance.

”You were planning to keep doing that?”

”I hadn’t exactly come up with a better option.”

”That’s ridiculous.”

”You’re welcome.”

Before Lilith could respond, a low rumble echoed across the battlefield.

The dark caster had not moved.

It stood several dozen meters away, staring at the pillar with an expression of disbelief.

Its magic had been rejected.

The formation it had been attacking for so long had suddenly turned against it.

The caster’s fingers twitched as it gathered another spell.

A concentrated mass of dark energy formed above its palm.

”Let’s see you stop this!” It snarled.

It hurled the projectile toward the barrier.

The dark energy struck the invisible boundary.

A pulse of light spread across the pillar’s markings.

The attack disintegrated.

The caster froze.

It tried again.

This time, it formed three projectiles and launched them simultaneously.

All three were rejected.

The dark energy scattered into harmless wisps before it could reach the students.

For the first time, the caster looked genuinely unsettled.

Its greatest advantage had disappeared.

It could no longer attack the students through the barrier, and the undead remained trapped beyond it.

Worse, the formation had begun redirecting its energy more efficiently now that it no longer needed to absorb the full force of every incoming spell.

The caster had lost control of the battlefield.

Kael noticed the change immediately.

”Looks like Lilith’s plan worked,” he said.

”Of course it did!” Lilith replied, although her trembling hands and exhausted expression suggested she was far from comfortable with how close they had come to failure.

Seraphina approached the pillar, studying its markings.

”How long can it maintain this state?”

Lilith’s excitement faded slightly.

”That depends on how much energy the pillar has left and whether we can keep the circuit stable. I wouldn’t recommend testing its limits.”

”Then we won’t,” Seraphina said firmly.

She turned toward the other students.

”Everyone, remain inside the barrier. Do not pursue the enemy, and do not waste your remaining mana. We have secured our position, but the battle is not over until the undead stop advancing.”

Her words brought everyone back to reality.

The caster remained a threat.

However, its options had narrowed considerably.

It could continue attacking the barrier, but its spells would be rejected. It could attempt to approach the boundary physically, but the formation would treat its corrupted body as a hostile intrusion, just as it did the undead.

Alternatively, it could retreat.

The dark caster seemed unwilling to accept any of those possibilities.

It raised both arms, and the surrounding darkness began gathering into a swirling mass.

Kael’s expression grew serious.

’Don’t tell me it’s planning to overload the formation.’

Lilith noticed the gathering energy as well.

Her face paled.

”That idiot!” She exclaimed. ”It’s trying to force too much corrupted energy into the barrier at once!”

”Can it break through?” Seraphina asked.

”Not if the formation remains stable, but an attack that large could overwhelm the circuit before the pillar rejects it. We need to keep the energy flow steady!”

Seraphina immediately turned toward the students.

”Everyone who can still channel mana, reinforce the circuit! Do not let the flow fluctuate!”

The students responded at once.

However, the caster was already releasing its spell.

The massive wave of dark energy surged toward the barrier, spreading across a wide section of the boundary.

The pillar’s markings flared.

For an instant, the last pillar seemed to shake.

Cracks appeared along its surface.

Several students cried out as the energy flowing through the circuit became unstable.

Lilith gritted her teeth and pressed her hands against the runes.

”Keep going!” She shouted. ”The formation is resisting it!”

The dark energy collided with the barrier.

The invisible boundary bowed inward.

Then the pillar’s markings pulsed again.

The corrupted energy was rejected, and the massive spell dispersed across the outer surface of the barrier before being forced away.

The pillar remained standing.

The caster’s attack had failed.

Its expression twisted with fury.

It gathered another spell.

Then another.

And another.

Each attack struck the barrier, only to be rejected by the formation. The caster was exhausting its own mana while the students remained protected inside the boundary.

Kael watched the enemy carefully.

He could see the change in its movements. The caster’s attacks were becoming less controlled, and the dense energy surrounding its body was beginning to flicker.

It was running out of options.

”Seraphina,” Kael called, ”I think it’s time we stop letting that thing decide what happens next.”

Seraphina glanced at him.

”What do you suggest?”

Kael raised his sword and nodded toward the barrier.

”Let it waste its mana. Once it weakens enough, we can finish this.”

Seraphina considered the proposal for a moment before nodding.

”Everyone, conserve your strength and maintain the formation. We will not engage until the enemy can no longer overwhelm us.”

The students settled into position.

Lilith continued monitoring the pillar, correcting minor fluctuations in the energy flow. The remaining senior students supported her, carefully maintaining the circuit without exhausting themselves further.

Quinn, meanwhile, crawled onto Kael’s shoulder.

”Qiu.”

Kael glanced at the little spider.

”You did well again.”

Quinn raised its front legs proudly.

Then it opened its mouth.

Kael immediately narrowed his eyes.

”No.”

”Qiu?”

”You are not getting another meal just because you helped save our lives.”

Quinn drooped.

”Qiu...”

”Don’t give me that look. I’ll consider it when we get back.”

The spider perked up immediately.

Kael sighed.

’At least one of us has enough energy left to worry about food.’

Several minutes passed.

The dark caster continued launching attacks, but its movements became increasingly sluggish. The barrier rejected every spell, and each failed attempt consumed more of its remaining mana.

Eventually, the caster lowered its arms.

Its breathing was ragged, and the darkness surrounding its body had thinned considerably.

It stared at the pillar with undisguised hatred.

Then its gaze shifted toward Kael.

The young swordsman stood near the boundary, his sword resting at his side. Although his body was clearly exhausted, he was still watching the caster with a level of attention that made it difficult to approach unnoticed.

The caster’s expression hardened.

It had lost to a group of students.

No, that was not entirely accurate.

It had lost because a supposedly weak student had interfered with its attacks, another had discovered the rules behind the stone formation, and a small white spider had helped buy them the time they needed.

The thought was humiliating.

But the battlefield did not care about its pride.

At that moment, something like a broken glass rang.

A student noticed something.

”Look above! The crimson sky is breaking!” He shouted.

Just like what he said, the crimson barrier had been tearing apart piece by piece. It didn’t take long enough for the blue sky to return.

Finally, the large-scale barrier disappeared.

Before the large-scale barrier disappeared completely, two figures in red robes appeared on each side of the dark caster and reported that some people from outside the barrier managed to break it.

The dark caster sent one final irritated glance at Kael before turning and began retreating.

Kael immediately straightened.

”It’s trying to escape!”

Seraphina raised her sword.

”Can we stop it?”

Kael looked at the distance separating them from the enemy, then at the unstable condition of his own arms.

”Not without risking another fight we might not survive.”

Seraphina’s expression tightened.

She clearly disliked the answer, but she understood the situation.

They had won because they had adapted to the enemy’s strengths. Pursuing it while everyone was exhausted would throw away that advantage.

”Then we hold our position,” she decided. ”Our priority is our safety.”

The caster disappeared into the woods.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

Then the undead beyond the boundary began collapsing.

One creature fell to its knees before dissolving into a cloud of dark particles. Another staggered, its distorted body breaking apart as the corrupted energy animating it dispersed.

The process spread through the horde. Undead after undead collapsed until the area beyond the barrier was filled with drifting wisps of darkness.

The sky was finally bright blue and the battle was finally over. For a moment, the students could only stare at the empty battlefield.

Then someone began laughing.

It was a tired, disbelieving laugh that quickly spread through the exhausted crowd.

They had survived.

Against all odds, they had survived.

Some students embraced one another, while others sank to the ground and covered their faces. A few simply lay on their backs, staring at the crimson sky without the slightest intention of standing up again.

Seraphina lowered her sword.

Her shoulders sagged as the tension finally left her body.

”Everyone, remain where you are and check for injuries,” she instructed, her voice softer than before. ”If anyone requires healing, report it immediately. We will regroup once the situation has been secured.”

The students obeyed, although several looked as though they might fall asleep before they managed to answer.

Lilith finally withdrew her hands from the pillar.

The markings continued to glow, but the energy flowing through them had become more stable.

She stared at the formation for a moment before releasing a long breath.

”I can’t believe that worked,” she admitted.

Kael approached her slowly, keeping his injured arm close to his body.

”Neither can I.”

Lilith looked at him.

”You were the one who kept the caster occupied while I adjusted the formation. If you hadn’t deflected those attacks, we wouldn’t have had enough time.”

”And if you hadn’t figured out how the barrier worked, I would have eventually run out of arms to swing my sword with.”

”That is not how it works.”

”It was becoming a serious concern.”

Lilith rolled her eyes.

Seraphina joined them, her sword still in hand.

”Both of you did well,” she said. ”Without your contributions, we might not have survived.”

Her gaze shifted toward Kael.

”Especially you, Grayford. I still don’t understand how you managed to redirect those spells.”

Kael looked at his sword.

”Let’s just say that I had a few things working in my favor.”

It was not a complete answer, but it was the only one he was willing to provide at the moment.

Seraphina studied him for another second before deciding not to press the issue. There would be time for questions later. Right now, she needed to make sure everyone was alive.

A small weight suddenly settled on Kael’s shoulder.

Quinn had climbed back into its usual position, its bluish markings glowing faintly.

The spider raised one of its front legs and pointed toward the battlefield where the caster had disappeared.

”Qiu!”

Kael followed its gesture.

The ruins were quiet.

Too quiet, perhaps, but there was no sign of the caster returning.

”You’re right,” Kael murmured. ”We should keep an eye on that direction.”

Quinn nodded proudly.

Then it tapped Kael’s cheek with one of its legs.

He stared at it.

”What?”

”Qiu.”

”No, I’m not buying you a feast for that.”

Quinn’s legs drooped.

Seraphina watched the exchange with a faintly bewildered expression.

”Is your familiar always like this?”

”Unfortunately.”

”Qiu!”

”See?”

For the first time since the crimson sky disappeared, Seraphina allowed herself a small smile.

The tension that had gripped the battlefield was finally beginning to ease.

Kael looked toward the remaining pillar.

Its markings glowed steadily, maintaining the barrier that had saved their lives. The other pillars had fallen, but the last one had endured, its weakened structure now serving as the final anchor of the formation.

They had won through a combination of swordsmanship, magical understanding, quick thinking, and a surprisingly useful spider.

It was not how Kael had imagined his academy experience would unfold. Then again, he had never expected the world to follow the original game’s storyline so faithfully.

He glanced at the sky. The blue sky looked very peaceful. Whatever had caused the catastrophe was still unresolved, and the caster had escaped before they could learn anything useful from it.

Their victory had secured their survival, but it had not answered the larger questions surrounding the incident.

Kael decided not to worry about those questions just yet.

He was exhausted, his shoulder hurt, and Quinn was already attempting to crawl toward the pouch where he kept its snacks.

For now, surviving the battle was enough.

”Come on,” he muttered, turning toward the others. ”Let’s get everyone checked before something else decides to ruin our day.”

Quinn chirped in agreement.

Then, apparently remembering the promise Kael had made earlier, it tapped his cheek again.

Kael closed his eyes.

”Fine. One extra serving when we get back.”

”Qiu!”

The spider’s markings brightened.

Kael sighed as he followed Seraphina toward the exhausted students.

’I really need to stop making promises during life-or-death situations.’

Behind them, the final pillar continued to shine beneath the blue sky, its light holding firm against the darkness beyond the boundary.

For the first time since the battle began, the students could finally rest.

They had survived the battle against a very strong opponent.

A moment later, the four instructors arrive along with Professor Vista and some teachers. They immediately examine the students and heard their words.