I Became the Academy's Disabled Student-Chapter 332: A mess (3)

Among unique abilities, there are cases where the characteristic of "inheritance" is present.

It refers to the phenomenon where the uniqueness of an individual is transferred to another entity.

It is an extremely rare trait, even by worldly standards, and typically manifests as "bloodline inheritance," passed down to descendants.

The three major families' unique abilities have the inheritance trait.

Geobhwa, Changhae, and Taesan.

They inherited their uniqueness as descendants of their progenitors.

Therefore, it is understandable that Ihayul manifested Geobhwa.

Although Ihayul is from an orphanage, it is possible that one of his ancestors belonged to the Geobhwa bloodline. In fact, the Geobhwa family had connections with such lineages.

“...Taesan?”

The manifestation of Taesan was not understandable.

The presence of Taesan emanating from the summoned spirits around, and the life force being sucked into Ihayul’s hand, caused the Amak squad members to blink in surprise.

“Changhae...?”

Even more perplexing, he was simultaneously using Changhae as well.

The members of the Man-Gyeong and Chang-Pa squads, urgently working to treat Ihayul with healing fluids and freezing magic, gaped in disbelief.

There had never been a precedent where the unique abilities of the three major families manifested simultaneously.

In theory, this was impossible.

These were vast and distinct unique abilities. Abilities that not only coexist but also inherently oppose each other.

It is impossible for such overwhelming uniqueness to fully reside in one body.

And if it did? It would crash against each other constantly until they exploded in the end.

Even if somehow forced in, one would live with the threat of self-destruction for their entire life.

Yet, Ihayul was manifesting all of them at once.

And still, he didn’t explode. It seemed like they had carved out separate domains... No, they were sharing the same domain and circulating smoothly without issue.

This was an illogical sight. Everyone stood stunned in front of this reality, which was far beyond reason.

“Don’t take your eyes off him—!”

It was then. A booming voice pierced through their foggy minds.

It was Lee Jiyeon’s command. She held Ihayul’s right hand, carefully transferring life force, while glaring at the squad members whose focus was wavering.

She too was in shock, but right now, Ihayul’s life and death were far more important than anything else.

“This isn’t the time to think! Keep your guard up!”

“...! Yes!”

“Eh! ...Huh? We’re not manifesting Taesan...”

The squad members, startled, quickly regained their composure.

Among them were also members from the Geobhwa and Changhae squads. They had instinctively responded to her commands, their bodies reacting to the overwhelming authority of her voice.

Lee Jiyeon turned back to Ihayul, biting her lip unconsciously.

‘The recovery is slow... These burns, these injuries... The wounds are too severe.’

Despite her constant infusion of life force into his right hand, there was no significant improvement.

It wasn’t just Lee Jiyeon. Elia, Baek Arin, and a dozen other healing superhumans were all doing their best, but it still wasn’t enough.

“The emergency treatment has reached its limit. We need to transport him to the facility for further treatment.”

Elia’s voice trembled, but her hands moved with ruthless precision, applying the healing magic without a single error.

Nodding, Lee Jiyeon reached out. Boom! The ground under Ihayul and those around him was lifted entirely.

“Elia, Arin. Please continue healing while we’re moving him.”

It was too dangerous to transport Ihayul directly. It would be much safer to use purification magic to cleanse the ground and carry him away that way.

“Yes, we’ll be careful to keep him stable.”

“...Leave it to us.”

“All units! Return to the frontlines!”

At Lee Jiyeon’s command, the forces from Taesan, Geobhwa, and Changhae moved in perfect unison.

Some were slower to react.

It was Hong Yeonhwa. She had been so stunned by Lee Jiyeon’s shout that she couldn’t regain her senses in time.

“...Yeonhwa.”

Rather than scolding her, Lee Jiyeon placed her hand on Hong Yeonhwa’s shoulder. Hong Yeonhwa finally looked back at her.

“Ah, Sister... Damn, what do we do about this...?”

The usually bold red eyes were trembling pitifully. Unlike her usual self, Hong Yeonhwa was filled with anxiety and frustration.

‘I shouldn’t have let him go.’

Hong Yeonhwa hadn’t trusted the information that the necklace had provided.

So, she hadn’t stopped Ihayul from going. She thought stopping him would be an excessive violation of his freedom.

This was the result—the horrific sight in front of her.

His right arm, blackened like before. His left arm, which had been an artifact, was gone.

Injuries that could only be described as near-death...

If Hong Yeonhwa had held him back that day, this wouldn’t have happened—

“Yeonhwa, he’s still alive. He’s not dead.”

“No, no, but those wounds...”

“It’s okay. He’ll definitely survive.”

Lee Jiyeon grabbed both of Hong Yeonhwa’s shoulders and met her gaze.

“How many people came to his side just now? Manifestors of Taesan and Changhae, and Elia as well. How many more facilities and people are inside the defenses? Do you think we’ll just let him die there? No way.”

“....”

“You know how much healing magic has developed lately. Missing limbs can grow back. Do you really think we can’t save him?”

Truthfully, Lee Jiyeon didn’t know. Ihayul’s state was indeed serious, even considering all the healing available.

“Right?”

“...Yeah.”

That wasn’t the reason for her hesitation.

“Focus, Yeonhwa. This is the middle of the battlefield. We need to return to the inner defense.”

“...Ah, right... Okay.”

Hong Yeonhwa, still not fully in control of herself, nodded reluctantly at Lee Jiyeon’s determined gaze.

Once Ihayul was moved inside the defense line, immediate surgery began.

Transporting him to the association’s headquarters or Siyoram was the best option, but Ihayul’s condition was so critical it was uncertain if he could even survive the trip through the gate.

Therefore, the intensive treatment was being carried out in a temporary facility set up at the farthest rear of the defense line.

“Ha...”

A day had passed since Ihayul’s rescue.

Those who rushed to save him had completed their mission, but they couldn’t leave the battlefield.

“There are a lot of them...”

Atra muttered, sitting on top of the city walls. In her view, monsters were pouring in like a tide.

Though a day had passed since the rampage began, there was no sign of it slowing down.

They were pouring in even more aggressively now, with higher-ranked monsters appearing more frequently.

Just a few hours ago, even a rank 3 monster appeared.

Fortunately, it was just a giant monster with a high physical level, so heroes like Atra were able to take it down quickly.

But because of that, she couldn’t stay by Ihayul’s side and had to constantly move between the battlefield and his location.

“Yeah. It’s just swarming like hell.”

Riana, who sat next to her, sighed deeply in agreement.

If Atra was handling the high-ranking monsters, Riana was managing the spirits, handling one of the frontlines herself.

She was also keeping Ihayul’s spirits in check as they tried to go wild, temporarily managing them.

Thanks to that, they were both exhausted by the accumulated fatigue after just one day.

In truth, the physical exhaustion wasn’t the issue.

After all, she had once fought on the frontlines in the African magical realm. She wasn’t weak enough to be completely drained in just a day.

But the two sitting on the city walls had both been mentally exhausted over the past day.

“...What do we do about him?”

The cause was not physical exhaustion, but the emotional toll.

More specifically, it was the burden placed on their hearts by Ihayul.

Both of them had seen Ihayul’s state when he was brought in yesterday.

-......

Atra had fainted on the spot, and Riana had also lost consciousness, only to be forced awake by the spirits’ call.

When she regained her senses, she wanted to faint again, but given the situation, she had no choice but to get up.

“Phew...”

Atra sighed for what felt like the hundredth time, washing her face with cold water.

Ihayul had said he wasn’t in danger.

That was nonsense. Ihayul had crawled into the most dangerous place and had ended up near death, sprawled on the floor.

But he was still alive.

And again, he was badly injured! Despite the assessments of his life or death, Atra had no doubt that he would survive.

Once he wakes up, she would definitely scold him for what he did.

‘...’

Just as she was about to think further, Atra scanned the battlefield in front of her.

Even though monsters were pouring in like that, it wasn’t a dangerous situation.

It was all because of the thorough preparations in place.

Looking at the defenses alone, it was more solid than the African magical realm’s frontline.

It was Ihayul’s preparation.

Atra’s disciple had cleverly mobilized the association in advance.

She had heard that originally, this disaster was supposed to happen in an instant, not over a long period.

Considering that made her shiver all over.

Immediately, space occupation was blocked by barriers.

If that had spread into the world unchecked, how much larger of a space would have been claimed?

If monsters, pouring out without any defenses, appeared all at once, how catastrophic would that have been?

Just imagining it made her dizzy.

It would have been like a new magical realm springing up inside the inner world.

While the expansion of the magical realm was still being blocked, a new one would have formed right in the middle?

It was unimaginable.

The peaceful era everyone talked about would have been crushed in an instant.

Ihayul stopped that catastrophe.

This was an achievement. He deserved not only praise but also awe and respect.

Ihayul had saved countless lives.

Though the term "countless" might sound vague, he had saved the well-being and future of more people than anyone could count.

Once Ihayul regained consciousness and recovered, should she still scold him...?

“Then, I should scold him. He almost turned us all into widows.”

“...?!”

“It's an achievement worthy of a hero's respect, but as for Ihayul... he almost ruined our lives. He should receive praise where it’s due, but he also deserves a good scolding.”

Riana, with a fatigued expression, twisted her hair.

“At the very least, he should have asked us for help. Instead, he went alone into that place, trying to solve everything by himself.”

Atra followed Riana’s gaze. Boom! The black sphere, still in a state of rampage, released ink-like energy.

Monsters flooded out. As the number of monsters rapidly increased, both women’s faces contorted in frustration.

‘...Yeah, she’s right.’

Atra nodded inwardly.

No matter how much of an achievement it was, throwing yourself into danger while leaving your loved ones behind should always be scolded.

And to do so with Atra in mind?

Ihayul was wrong for doing this, knowing her past of losing a disciple.

Atra turned her mind toward scolding him.

“Ugh...”

Riana sighed deeply and gestured with her hand, sending a message to the spirits, who immediately moved.

Atra stood up as well.

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Among the monsters that had poured out, there were quite a few high-ranking ones. She and her strike team would need to deal with the high-ranking monsters approaching.

“Hmm?”

It was then.

Dark clouds began to form in the already murky sky.

It wasn’t a natural phenomenon—it was too sudden and overtly ominous.

From the dark clouds, the air was charged with electricity. The clouds inflated, and the accumulated energy within them poured down like rain.

A heavy vibration shook the ground. Boom! Deafening thunder rang out, and dozens of flashes of light repeated in the sky.

Monsters caught in the lightning bursts were immediately incinerated.

Monsters that merely brushed past also suffered. Their lives stretched for a moment longer, but they were soon roasted and fell to the ground.

“Whoa, that’s insane. Who’s ability is that?”

“Was there such a powerful lightning mage? Who do they belong to? The association? Or an independent faction?”

“Wow, did you see that? A monster that looked like it was rank 4 just got roasted to a crisp. I don’t think Geobhwa could have done that.”

Around them, people were praising the strength of the lightning. The monster wave that had poured in was being wiped out by the lightning bursts.

“Support has really arrived. This would be amazing for large-scale combat.”

“...”

“...Atra?”

Riana, who had been muttering her admiration, tilted her head. Atra’s demeanor was strangely different.

An odd sense of discomfort. Or perhaps, it could be called familiarity.

Atra had no connection to anyone with such lightning abilities. She had never seen such powerful lightning output before.

But it felt familiar.

The lightning? No, it was the mana.

A sharpened sensation read the approaching energy quickly from afar.

Riana, who had received the report from the spirits a moment too late, raised her hand, but with no malice present, she lowered it again.

Then, a presence landed near them, just a bit away from Atra and Riana on the wall.

In an instant, a breeze swept by, carrying small bolts of lightning and blue hair fluttering in the wind.

The figure raised their head. The face became visible.

“...Huh?”

Blue hair and blue eyes. It was unfamiliar. The aura emanating from them and the wild energy felt unfamiliar as well.

The empty right arm.

“Uh, uh...?”

The face, the expression—it was familiar.

Just a few years passing couldn’t have caused her memory to fade. That face, so often appearing in nightmares, could never be forgotten.

“...Daera.”

Atra muttered that name, biting her lip. At the same time, she tightly focused her mana.

Mental manipulation, hallucination, delusion.

It was the first possibility that came to her mind. She inflicted pain to confirm it, stirred her mana, and sharpened her senses.

All the results pointed to reality.

“Ah...”

The reaction from the woman in front of them, Daera, was decisive. Her previously composed blue eyes became watery, and tears began to fall.

“S-sensei...”

The voice. It had changed, but it was still familiar. Atra could not believe the scene unfolding in front of her.

“Daera.”

“S-sensei, you...!”

At Atra’s murmur, Daera shouted and rushed toward her.

Her speed was like lightning, but Atra instinctively spread her arms to receive Daera.

“Ah, ahhh...! We really met! Ugh, really...! It’s really you, sensei...!”

Daera, sobbing in Atra’s embrace, burst into uncontrollable tears.

The huge sobs that erupted from her in Atra’s arms left her face blank.

It felt unreal. It was a dreamlike scene she had longed for ever since that day, but had thought would never happen.

“Daera... Is it really you?”

“Yes, yes...! It’s really me...! You know it’s true...!”

“Really... Really...?”

“Ugh, aaaaah...”

Atra couldn’t speak. She instinctively hugged Daera tightly as her vision blurred.

She couldn’t understand what was happening. But right now, she just wanted to confirm that this was real.

Atra lowered her head and buried her face in Daera’s hair.

It was warm. Not cold, lifeless body temperature. The feel of her hair was vivid.

Instinctively, she compared it with past memories.

The scent had changed slightly. It was sweet, like honey soaked in water.

It was familiar.

“...?”

It was Ihayul’s scent.

Atra held Daera tighter, burying her nose in her hair.

“......”

It was definitely Ihayul’s scent.

But it was too strong. Almost as if she had been naked for days, rubbing against something...

“Sniff... Sensei...?”

The tears still streaming from Daera’s eyes caught Atra’s gaze, revealing strange emotions.

It wasn’t quite the joy or reunion she expected.

“Not, it’s nothing...”

Atra blinked, once more wrapping Daera in her arms.

It was a much bigger embrace than before, but still, Atra’s height was greater, and she could still hold her.

She hid the tiny discomfort that surfaced on her face.

A reunion like a dream, so touching that it felt too impure to entertain any other feelings.