Chapter 219: Seven Stars Cultural Festival (5)
The boy in the monkey mask burst into shrill laughter, clutching his stomach. His face was hidden behind the mask, but based on his physical appearance, he couldn’t have been more than ten years old.
He grinned broadly and appeared to speak. I couldn’t hear his voice from this distance, but I could read his lips clearly.
He had said, “Well, now that you’ve found me, there’s nothing I can do. Let’s. Play. Tag. With. Me.”
I frowned. “Tag?”
Before I could question him, the boy faded away from the rooftop like smoke dissolving into the air. I bit my lip hard, staring at the roof.
Damn it. Is he part of the Beast Skin Group? No, no way. Something is different about him.
I replayed the image of the boy swinging his legs lazily atop the high rooftop. Automatically, memories of the final exam flickered through my mind, but I shook them off. Right now, whether he was a member of the Beast Skin Group or not didn’t matter.
The boy had said, “If a human heart bursts, that’s the real heart-shaped firework.”
A chill crawled down my spine. I suddenly recalled Professor Kane’s words. He had mentioned an incident in Valhalla City where a boy had wiped out a massive criminal organization overnight.
I turned around. “Professor...”
Professor Baldwin asked, “What’s wrong with you? You’ve been acting strange since earlier.”
“Do you know about the incident where the large criminal organization in Valhalla City was destroyed recently?”
She nodded heavily, feeling the shift in atmosphere. “I know.”
“What was that group mainly involved in?”
“Human trafficking... and distributing illegal magic devices.”
“What kind of illegal magic devices?”
“Explosive magic devices restricted to military use.”
Military-grade explosive magic devices required high-grade mana stones to manufacture, and all three nations strictly regulated their creation and distribution. Most people would never even see one in their lifetime.
The ominous feeling in my gut grew even heavier. Grinding my teeth, I stared up at the place where the monkey mask had vanished. Since the boy wanted to play tag, he was probably still somewhere in the academy. One couldn’t play tag if the “it” was incapable of chasing them.
“Professor Baldwin,” I said.
“Speak.”
“Someone has infiltrated the academy.”
Her eyes widened sharply. “What? Did you see who?”
“A boy wearing a monkey mask.”
“A monkey mask? The Beast Skin Group?”
“I’m not sure yet.”
A single animal-masked intruder wasn’t enough to assume anything.
“What do you plan to do now?” she asked.
“I’m going after him.”
There was no way I could let an unknown intruder run loose inside the academy grounds.
“Understood. I’ll assist—”
Interrupting her, I shook my head quietly. “No. There’s something else I need you to do.”
After explaining my request to Professor Baldwin, I kicked off the ground in pursuit of the monkey mask, hoping and praying that my suspicions were wrong.
***
I returned to the annex rooftop where I had initially spotted the boy. Standing where he had been sitting moments earlier, I slowly scanned the surroundings, wondering where he was. Of course, he wasn’t visible. Nor was there any trace of mana or dark mana. But I did find a small slip of paper lying on the ground.
“A note?”
When I opened it, the handwriting looked like a child’s scribbles, crooked and chaotic.
Where could I be right now-ooow?
Main building rooftop.
Central plaza.
Cadet cafeteria.
Ri
The word under option four was smeared with red stains, which made it unreadable. However, the bloodstains on the note carried traces of dark mana. The traces were faint, but I was sure of it.
I decided to try something. Ashen Flames flickered at my fingertips. If the stains weren’t real blood but purely dark mana, then they could be burned.
With a hiss, the red smears evaporated into gray smoke. The writing hidden beneath became clear.
4. Right behind you☺
I ducked instantly as a red blade slashed through the air where my neck had just been.
A breathless laugh rang out behind me. “Hahahaha! You actually dodged that?”
Following the blade, sharp crimson spikes erupted from the floor, lunging upward. It was a surprise attack so sudden that I barely had time to react, much less draw my sword. I stomped down sharply and threw a punch at the rising spikes.
Berald Combat Style: Mountain Breaker.
With a thunderous crash, the blood-red spikes shattered like brittle glass.
The monkey-masked boy clapped, giggling. “Heeeh, impressive!”
I narrowed my eyes at him.
He continued, “Heeey! Are you curious who I am? Huh? Curious? Who could I be?”
I let out a slow breath, glaring straight into the monkey mask. Watching the monkey-masked boy bob up and down playfully, I let out another long, weary sigh. Even with his face hidden, that distinct mix of mischief and blood-tinged aura made his identity obvious.
“The Archbishop of Madness, what are you doing here?” I asked.
“Huh? Archbishop of Madness? Who’s that supposed to be?” The boy hopped in place, pointing frantically at the monkey mask on his face. “Look, look! I’m wearing a mask, see? A mask!”
I clicked my tongue, frowning. “If you’re trying to imitate the Beast Skin Group, give it up. You’re nothing like them.”
The monkey-masked boy blinked at me. “Huh? Beast Skin Group?”
He then burst into roaring laughter, clutching his stomach. “Hahahahahaha! Don’t tell me you’ve been calling the Church of Eternity the Beast Skin Group?”
“Church of Eternity?”
What the hell was that supposed to be? Was that the true name of the masked bastards? And how the hell did this guy know more than me, the one who had regressed?
Since the wolf-masked member of the Beast—no, the Church of Eternity—was hundreds of years old, this organization wasn’t a future development altered by my regression. It had definitely existed for ages. And yet, I was not aware of it. I had never heard the name Church of Eternity before. It didn’t even spark any sense of familiarity.
The boy replied, “Haa! Beast Skin Group, huh. That name actually fits those guys pretty well.”
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the monkey mask aside. Underneath it was exactly who I expected: the Archbishop of Madness, Seto.
He raised a hand in a friendly little wave, like greeting an old friend he genuinely missed. “Long time no see, Dale Han.”
“Can’t say I’m glad to see you.”
“Ehh? How can you say that after all this time? Do you know how long I’ve been looking forward to meeting you again?”
“Really?”
I absolutely hadn’t been looking forward to it.
Seto grinned, his voice dripping with teasing malice. “Hehe. Want to know more about the Church of Eternity? Should I tell you? If you play a game with me and win, I’ll tell you everything about them.”
“A game?”
Seto spread his arms wide, smiling brightly. “Yep! A super fun, suuuper entertaining game!”
“What is it this time? Want to put a gun to my head again?”
“Come on, we already did that. Repeating games is boring!”
“Then what?”
“Hehe. Today’s game is...” He pointed toward the academy’s central plaza and exclaimed, “Tada!”
A mad smile twisted his lips, and his red eyes gleamed. “Today, we’re playing Minesweeper! Or, well, more accurately, let’s call it Bomb Finder, shall we?”
I glared at him.
He continued, “I’ve hidden a bomb somewhere in the central plaza. If you find it in time, then yay, everyone lives! But if you don’t....”
Seto doubled over, shaking with laughter. “Boom! Everyone’s hearts burst in the most beautiful heart-shaped firework display!”
I kept silent.
“So? Doesn’t it sound fun?” he said.
Fun, you say...
I finally asked, “Why’d you only gather couples?”
“Hm?”
“If all you wanted was a crowd, you could have used any rumor.”
Seto shrugged casually. “Oh, that? The bomb I planted in the plaza, I tweaked it a bit. Now there are a looot of gaps.’”
“Gaps?”
“Yep! Instead of a nice round explosion, it shoots out like spiky shards. Meaning, if two people are stuck together, only one will probably die. Maybe both, if they’re unlucky. And really, isn’t it way more entertaining to blow up couples instead of random people?”
Seto spun in place, arms stretched out as if dancing. “Just imagine it! Right in front of their eyes, their lover goes ba-boom! Hot, sticky blood splattering everywhere, covering their body while they scream!”
He panted, cheeks flushed in ecstasy. “Isn’t the thought just delightful?”
That told me everything I needed to know about what kind of monster he was and what I needed to do next.
He looked at me with a grin. “Heehee! Then let’s start the game! The first clue is—”
I cut him off, saying, “I’m not playing.”
“Hm? What?”
“Your game just sounds boring.”
Seto blinked at me, stunned into silence.
I continued, “Let me get this straight. If I don’t find the bomb in time, it’ll go off, right?”
“Yeah, and?”
“And you just explained what happens when it goes off. Dozens of cadets get wiped out.”
“Exactly! So?”
“So, why the hell should I care? Am I supposed to babysit every idiot who gets themselves killed?”
Seto actually backed up a step, visibly rattled. “Wha—? Huh? Wait. That’s not... That’s not how this is supposed to go.”
I stared at him. “Anyway, I’ll propose a game this time.”
“A game?”
“Yeah. It’s boring if we always play yours. The rules are simple.”
I drew my sword. Ashen Flames spiraled up the blade. “From now on, I’m going to try and burn you to death.”
With a cruel twist of my lips, I leveled the sword at the Archbishop of Madness. “Let’s see if you can survive.”
