"Run Away!"
Simon grabbed Kamibarez's hand and ran.
At the same time, a chilling sound of tearing echoed behind them.
Kuuuuung! Kuuung! A black cross struck the ground repeatedly, creating a large pit.
Simon's eyes widened in shock. '...
A priest is using pitch black magic?' He felt that the situation had become much more serious.
It wasn't just that a priest had infiltrated Rock Island. '...
There is a traitor within Kizen!' Simon had two reasons for this thought.
First, pitch black and divine powers were opposing forces, meaning only one could be used at a time.
Second, that priest was using pitch black magic instead of divine power.
This meant that the person was not an outsider but someone who had been active within Kizen.
Most likely, it was a spy from the Divine Federation stealing information from Kizen.
There were no people praying to the gods in Kizen.
So that priest must have been deep in the forbidden forest, where no one ventured, offering prayers.
Unfortunately, Simon and Kamibarez had witnessed this scene.
In other words, one clear conclusion could be drawn: 'If caught, they would definitely be killed!'
Squeak! Squeak! The black crosses rained down indiscriminately.
Blood splattered on Simon's arms and thighs, and a sharp pain surged through him.
"Huff! Huff!" Gasping for breath, Simon's eyes widened.
Suddenly, he saw something slithering towards him from the front.
"Be careful!" Simon shouted, bending his waist.
A black chain made of pitch black magic shot out, narrowly grazing his hair as it passed.
Straightening up, Simon looked to the side.
"It's okay...!" She was getting further away.
"S-Simon!" Her legs were caught in the chain.
The two reached out desperately, but they missed by a hair's breadth, flailing in the air.
Soon, she was being dragged into the darkness at a terrifying speed.
"Kuh!" Simon gasped and rushed forward.
When he got closer, he found her unconscious after hitting a tree, bound tightly by the black chains. 'Kamibarez has been caught!' Gritting his teeth, Simon looked back.
A robed priest was slowly approaching.
The darkness of the hood was so thick that he couldn't see the face.
The baggy robe made it impossible to guess gender or body type.
There was almost no information to be gleaned from appearance.
At that moment, the priest raised his left arm.
Tadat! Immediately, Simon stepped on the pitch black ground and hid behind a tree.
The chains that rushed towards him collided with the tree and bounced off.
Woong! Woong! Woong! It seemed that the priest was quite skilled, as this time, dozens of crosses unfolded in the air simultaneously.
To manifest the cross symbolizing the priest with the power of pitch black magic that represented the necromancer was something Simon couldn't even begin to describe.
As the priest's palm faced the ground, the crosses poured down all at once.
"Ugh!" Simon pulled a skeleton's shortsword from the void and dashed forward.
The crosses struck the ground like tombstones.
And at an unavoidable moment, a black trajectory rushed towards Simon's side.
Clang! Simon immediately swung the shortsword to deflect the cross.
A tingling sensation shot through his wrist as the shortsword shattered into pieces.
Chwaaa! This time, chains flew in from both sides simultaneously.
Simon quickly lowered his body to avoid them, almost kissing the ground, and grabbed a stone lying on the floor. 'Grant pitch black!' Woong! As he poured pitch black magic into the stone, turning it black, Simon raised his upper body and threw it with all his might.
Squeak! Simon watched the stone fly with a desperate heart. 'Hit! Show your face!' Perhaps not expecting Simon to counterattack, the priest turned his head a moment too late.
The edge of the hood on the right side was slightly torn, but unfortunately, that was all.
"......"
Though he couldn't see the face, Simon felt a deep anger emanating from the priest.
More crosses rose into the air.
As Simon tried to get up to evade, the range of the crosses extended beyond his head.
This was unavoidable.
"Hoo."
Simon closed his eyes in resignation and raised his arms.
And then, 'Now!' A massive greatsword appeared from behind the priest.
Kwaaaang! With a deafening sound that could tear ears apart, the priest's body was pushed back.
In an instant, Simon managed to surround himself with pitch black magic like a shield, avoiding being split in two, but all the crosses that were being cast scattered or fell to the ground, leaving ashes behind.
[Hehehe! Are you alright, boy?] A figure emerged, spewing ominous blue flames from its pupils.
Standing over two meters tall, with an intangible cloak fluttering behind, and a pure white greatsword in hand.
The sudden appearance of an ancient-level undead seemed to visibly fluster the priest. 'Pier!' [Stay back! This opponent is still too much for you!] Pier raised the massive greatsword beside his face.
Simon nodded obediently. 'Please!' [Hahaha! I can't believe it's been so long since I've fought! Here I go!] Pier stepped forward.
The ground shattered as his body surged like a bullet.
The priest formed a pitch black shield in front of him.
Zzzzzzzzzzz! As the shield and greatsword clashed, the air screamed and the ground flipped.
Trees around them were uprooted.
This was no battle Simon could intervene in.
Letting go of any lingering thoughts, he turned and ran towards Kamibarez.
Thanks to Pier's surprise attack, it seemed that not only the crosses but also the chains had been canceled, as she was freed from her bindings and collapsed on the ground.
"Kam!" Fortunately, she appeared to be only unconscious from the shock and not seriously injured.
Simon quickly lifted her up.
Time and again, he felt that her body was worryingly light.
Kuuuuung! As a large rock fragment fell beside them, Simon increased the distance.
The terrain around them was changing with each clash between Pier and the priest. 'Pier! How is it?' [Ugh! It's not easy!] Pier's voice trembled. [This guy! He's absurdly strong with just pitch black magic! He might be a professor level!] No matter how ancient the undead was, having just been released from its seal, its power was significantly diminished.
Above all, Pier was a manager of the legion, not originally a combatant.
If the opponent was truly a professor from Kizen, it would be a difficult battle.
'Something.' Simon bit his lip.
He couldn't afford to lose his father's undead like this. 'There must be a way...!' As Simon searched for a solution, his pupils suddenly widened. 'Pier! Get away from the priest! And create noise somehow to buy time!' [What?] 'There's no time to explain! Hurry!' Whether he trusted Simon or not, Pier distanced himself from the priest.
Then he swung the greatsword, causing the ground to erupt or split the air to create loud sounds.
From the priest's perspective, it might seem like a waste of energy, but this was the only way to survive right now.
And soon enough, "Over there! I hear sounds from that direction!" "It sounds like an explosion?" A light appeared in the distance.
Simon clenched his fist. 'Yes!' The guards had arrived, drawn by the commotion.
Just hours ago, they had been a source of fear, but at least in this moment, he couldn't be more grateful for them.
The priest, who had been pressing Pier, also noticed the guards' lights.
From his perspective, having more witnesses would only complicate things.
Ultimately, the priest ceased his battle with Pier and fled into the forest.
"Don't chase him, Pier!" Simon ran up.
Pier, panting with the greatsword still planted in the ground, smiled.
"Are you okay?" [I'm fine! But staying here might lead to more trouble.] "Yes, that's true."
The sounds of hunting dogs and the guards' lights were now right at their doorstep.
Pier lifted both Simon and Kamibarez. [Let's get out of here! Hold on tight!] Pier took off, the terrain around them rapidly shifting behind them.
Pier brought the two to a point where they could see the walls of Kizen after escaping the forbidden forest. [I can't go any further from here.] Pier said as he set them down. [It seems there's a wide-area detection magic in place, given the unpleasant smell.] Simon nodded.
Kamibarez was still unconscious and had not yet awakened.
"Thank you, Pier. I owe you my life." [Hehe! I can't lose a contractor so soon after getting one! Be careful going in!] "Yes, thank you."
Pier vanished into the darkness.
Since entering through the main gate would require explaining the situation to the guards, Simon decided to pass through the stable's tunnel, just as he had when he first set out.
Soon, climbing the ladder and clearing away the straw from the ceiling, Simon peeked out.
"Ah, you’re back?" Kevin, who was watering the horses in the stable, smiled upon seeing Simon.
"Has Dick come back?" "No, suddenly the guards were all over outside, so he hasn't come this way. He might be looking for another route around."
"I see. Thank you for letting me know."
Kevin pointed to Kamibarez, who was in Simon's arms.
"Is that girl okay?" "She was chased by the guards and pushed herself a bit. She's fine."
Simon flicked a coin from his pocket as a tip, just like Dick had done.
It was a tip to keep the secret.
Kevin smiled widely and bowed deeply.
As Simon exited the stable, he pondered where to go next.
Should he head to the central infirmary? But it was obvious he would be questioned about how she got hurt, and if he answered truthfully, it would eventually reach the ears of the professors and other related parties.
A midnight battle.
Even if that priest had seen his face, it was highly likely that Kamibarez had not yet seen it.
To avoid putting her in danger again, the person treating her needed to be trustworthy. 'A trustworthy person...' Going to Nephthys would be the safest option, but he had no idea where she was right now.
After much deliberation, Simon moved forward.
Kizen Male Student Dormitory 1st Building Night Duty Room.
"Hooaaam."
The dormitory manager, Lena, yawned widely, resting her arms on the desk.
"I hate night duty..."
Cleaning, laundry, cleaning, laundry.
Of course, her main job was managing the dormitory, but serving the noble young masters was something she could never get used to.
She glanced at a messy piece of paper and chuckled.
"Bringing female students to the dormitory for a three-on-three? Ugh, crazy idiots..."
The kids these days had no sense of propriety.
It was absurd that when she said she would report it to the responsible professor, they immediately threatened her by mentioning their family.
"Ah, I want to quit everything..."
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
What could it be at this late hour? Rubbing her eyes, she said, "Come in."
Clack! As the door opened, a male student entered, holding a female student in his arms.
Lena's eyes widened in shock.
"Again, another female student in the male dormitory! What is going on...!" As she shouted in excitement, she suddenly recognized the male student.
Moreover, his uniform was covered in dirt and bloodied wounds.
"Ah... S-Simon?" "Help me."
Simon said in a strained voice.
Lena hurried over and cleared the items on the bed in the duty room.
Simon laid Kamibarez down on the bed.
"What happened? You shouldn't have brought her here; she should be taken to the infirmary first...!" "The situation is a bit complicated."
Simon's expression hardened.
"I can't explain the details, but I can't take her to the infirmary." "......."
Lena, a fourth-year dormitory manager, had seen many things in her time.
In this notorious place, where 95% of high-paying servants fled within a month, she had endured for four years.
During that time, she had experienced all sorts of things and knew about the darkness of Kizen.
Students did anything to survive in Kizen.
Indeed, they would do anything.
It was very common for them to avoid going to the infirmary even with injuries to escape disadvantages.
She sighed deeply.
"Get out."
"What?" Lena pushed Simon's back.
Simon, flustered, said, "W-Wait a moment, Lena! I..."
"Get out! I need to treat the female student's wounds!" "Ah..."
As Simon scratched his head in confusion, Lena grabbed an emergency medical kit and placed it beside the bed, then quickly pulled the curtain to block Simon's view.
Moments later, the sound of Kamibarez's uniform being removed could be heard. "...... Haa."
Lena's sigh came from beyond the curtain.
"Honestly, it's burning. What happened? There are cuts on her knees, and this thigh wound is..."
Her voice turned cold.
"It looks like a cut from something sharp?"