Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner-Chapter 359: Episode

Sasha was in the glass tower now overrun by zombies, and she was in danger. He didn’t know exactly what was happening inside that sealed building, but Simon couldn’t just stand by.

"I’m breaking through the barrier."

"That’s impossible," Kajan said, shaking his head. "This barrier is the same type that surrounded the city of Pentamonium. It’s no exaggeration to say it’s one of the most powerful barriers that can be created with black magic."

"With the power of a Lord Commander, I can break through."

Simon opened his subspace and summoned Pier. Since this was an off-campus trip, Pier had been on standby in case of an emergency.

[Mwahaha! So it has come to this!]

Simon threw on his robe to cover his school uniform, then donned Pier’s Bone Armor over it. Finally, he took up Pier’s beloved sword, the Greatsword of Ruin.

’The real thing feels completely different.’

He had briefly used Dick’s greatsword during the siege, but it was nothing compared to this.

Simon raised the sword above his head and took a deep breath. Kajan, Serne, and Prince all took a step back. Simon entered the familiar ritual, focusing his concentration to a razor’s edge.

’As if cutting through space itself—’

His arms naturally lowered.

’—the sensation of slicing through!’

With a deafening crack, the high-level barrier that Kajan had spoken of with such certainty tore open, a gaping wound in its shimmering surface.

"......Incredible." Kajan’s mouth fell slightly open, his surprise evident.

"Hehehe." Serne, on the other hand, was licking her lips as she watched Simon.

Feeling a slight chill, Simon lowered the greatsword. "Alright, let’s get inside before it closes."

[Let’s go! Go!] Prince urged, leading the way as the others followed him through the breach. Just as Serne, the last one, stepped through, the barrier sealed itself shut behind them.

’Please be safe, Sasha.’

Simon pulled down Pier’s helmet and strode toward the first floor of the glass tower.

The inside was a war zone. The lights were out, as if the mana supply had been severed. Sofas were torn to shreds, their stuffing strewn across the floor like snow. Picture frames and potted orchids lay shattered, and bloodstains painted the walls.

"This was more than a simple zombie attack," Kajan observed, wiping a drop of blood from a wall. "If even the necromancers guarding Pentamonium’s tower were breached, it means there’s something else in here with them. Let’s move carefully."

"Right."

Simon went to check the magic circle elevator first, but it was covered in deep zombie claw marks. The damage was too severe to be repaired.

[Looks like we’ll have to take the stairs,] Prince said, clicking his tongue.

There was no time to hesitate. The group left the lobby and headed for the staircase. It was a massive spiral, with an open center, winding its way up toward a ceiling that seemed impossibly high.

With a hardened expression, Simon said, "Let’s go."

---

Glass Tower, thirty-seventh floor. Inside a special hospital room.

A small girl in a patient’s gown was curled up, trembling.

’Everything had happened so suddenly. When alarms blared throughout the building, the adults had descended into a panicked murmur. She’d heard phrases like ‘the safe fiftieth floor’ and ‘full evacuation.’’

’—"I’ll be right back. You wait here!"

’That’s what the researcher had told her. Sasha, who always did as she was told, waited in her room. But no matter how long she waited, the researcher and the other adults didn’t return.’

And then she heard it.

A terrifying cry from outside the door, followed by the wet squelch of footsteps. It was not a normal walk. It was a shambling, unsteady gait, punctuated by the ’thump, thump’ of a body losing its balance and hitting the wall. Each impact made Sasha jump.

’What if it comes in?’

She curled up like a frightened rabbit, shivering uncontrollably. She even held her breath, terrified the sound might give her away.

’Please go away. Please just pass by.’

She closed her eyes and prayed.

’...Kami, Simon.’

’THUMP!’

Sasha gasped, clamping a hand over her mouth. This time, the sound had come from the door of her own room.

’THUMP! THUMP!’

It was trying to get in. She felt the blood freeze in her veins, but mercifully, the monster didn’t seem to understand how to open a sliding door.

Just as Sasha mustered the courage to approach it...

’Screeeech!’

The zombie accidentally shoved the door open with its body and stumbled inside.

Covered in crimson blood, it opened its mouth wide and lunged at her.

"Aaaaaah!"

She wrapped her arms around her head and curled into a ball.

And then...

’Thwack!’

The sound of flesh being pierced echoed in her ears. A warm droplet splattered on her cheek.

Trembling, Sasha lifted her head. A thick branch, extending from her own shoulder, had skewered the zombie through the chest.

"Ugh."

The moment she registered how gruesome it was, another branch shot out of its own accord and—’thwack!’—pierced straight through the zombie’s head.

Panting, Sasha got to her feet. The spot where she had been sitting was now a nest of branches and leaves.

’I have to close the door.’

She crawled to the entrance. Trying to be as quiet as possible, she pulled the door and peeked into the hallway.

A mistake. She locked eyes with the zombies shambling outside.

They swarmed toward her.

’Ah.’

Terror seized her, and she froze, trembling. She was so shocked, so scared, that her feet felt rooted to the floor.

[Aren’t you being a little too dramatic?]

A voice echoed in her mind.

[You’re a bigger monster than they are.]

It was her own voice. Her power running rampant, awakening as a saint, becoming a giant tree, being rescued, becoming a test subject for Pentamonium. She had endured a lifetime of hardships in a few short months. To survive, her brain had erased most of those terrible memories.

But those rejected memories had formed another personality in the depths of her subconscious.

[Fight.]

Urged on by the voice, Sasha placed a hand on her chest, feeling her heart pound. The adults had forbidden her from using this power without permission, but she had no choice.

She activated the permanent magic circle engraved on her chest.

With a series of sharp hisses, branches erupted from her body, skewering over ten zombies at once. A jet-black energy flickered on their surfaces.

"Hah!"

Sasha swung her arm. The branches changed direction, shattered a window, and hurled the impaled zombies outside. She could hear their cries fading into the distance.

A fat zombie, three times larger than the others, came charging at her along the wall. She sent her branches lashing out, but they failed to penetrate its thick hide.

Sasha immediately grabbed one of the branches firmly and closed her eyes.

’Enchant’

The branch turned as black as coal. The enchanted wood pierced straight through the fat zombie’s torso, pinning it to the wall.

’Kieeeeeeeek!’

The zombie thrashed in agony. Sasha placed her hand on the branch again and closed her eyes.

Amazingly, a ‘curse’ was forming in her palm.

’Daphne’

The curse flowed through the branch and into the zombie’s body. Just like on Sasha, tree trunks and leaves began to sprout wildly from its flesh.

’Kegh! Keeeeeeeeek!’

The trunks grew larger, while the zombie’s body withered away like a husk. It struggled desperately to break free, but Sasha’s will was just as desperate.

Finally.

"Hah... Hah..."

The fat zombie was gone. In its place stood a single, large tree.

Sasha collapsed, sweat dripping from her face.

[Well done, very well done. Keep doing that,] her other personality whispered.

The pressure was too much. "G-Go away!" Sasha shouted. "Stop trying to tempt me!"

[Tempt? I am your true nature. Stop pretending to be good. You’re a murderer.]

A voice like a snake’s tongue slithered in her ear.

[Remember when you lost control and became a giant tree? You killed all the villagers.]

’No. I didn’t kill them!’

[Oh, really? Are you so sure?]

’Stop it!’

The other personality laughed.

[Alright, alright. Let’s talk about something else. You want to go to Kizen, don’t you? You want to see Simon?]

At the question, Sasha’s face flushed hot. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

[But you barely have a connection with him. You met once on a mission. He’ll forget all about you soon enough.]

Fear gripped her at those words.

’Th-Then...’

[Simon is Special Admission No. 1 at Kizen. If you want to be someone who can stand by his side, you know what you have to do, don’t you?]

Just as she clenched her small fists...

’Thump. Thump.’

Footsteps echoed from the end of the hallway.

Having banished her other self, Sasha jumped to her feet in alarm.

’Are there still more zombies?’

But what appeared was a person. It was a portly man wearing a black feathered cloak.

"There you are. You’re Sasha, right?"

She hunched her shoulders, wary. "Wh-Who are you?"

"My name is Evangeline, a necromancer from Kizen. The researchers asked me to come and rescue you."

"Ah!"

Sasha’s eyes widened. Kizen! That’s where Simon and Kamibarez were from! This was someone she could trust.

Her guard crumbled, and a wave of belated relief washed over her, bringing tears to her eyes.

"There, there."

Evangeline approached with a gentle smile. He placed a hand on her sobbing shoulder and spoke kindly. "I’m here now, so you can rest easy."

"What about Simon?"

"The student from our school? He’s safe, so don’t you worry."

"I’m so glad! I’m so, so glad!"

Sasha finally broke down, burying her face in his chest and crying her eyes out.

And then...

Evangeline, who had been gently patting her back with a kind smile, now wore a chillingly cold expression.