ushernet Chapter 206
Chapter 206
The dazzling fireworks illuminated the night sky, painting it with vibrant colors.
These grand displays were made possible thanks to the extravagant fireworks Yujin had prepared, pouring all his personal preferences and resources into them.
It was a spectacular sight, befitting the finale of the Academy Festival. Everyone gazed in awe, admiration clearly etched on their faces.
“...Tsk.”
‘Just thinking about the budget wasted on those pointless things... Hah.’
However, one person couldn’t help but find the scene utterly revolting.
For Seol Hayeon, it was anything but beautiful.
She knew exactly how much of the budget had been sunk into those explosions for show.
“Grandma, what’s wrong? Did you have an accident?”
—Ziiiiik.
“No, still clean and dry.”
“......”
The situation she found herself in couldn’t have been more humiliating.
Here she was, a once-proud individual, reduced to having her “grandchild” check her diapers.
Of course, she was only pretending to have dementia, but the reality of this ruse was grating.
Everything annoyed her. Today was officially the worst day of her life.
—Crack.
‘What in the world is this torture? All day long, no less.’
Yet she had no choice but to maintain her act.
She had briefly considered revealing the truth to Haru and Winterler after Yujin had left, but what would that accomplish?
If she confessed, she’d just end up as “the old granny wearing diapers and calling Yujin ‘brother’ in a completely sane state of mind.”
No, that wasn’t an option. She had to endure this solitary, degrading battle.
Whether it was being dressed by someone far younger or having them check her diapers constantly, every moment felt like humiliation.
—Glance.
‘If only those fireworks were nuclear bombs... At least then, I could die with dignity.’
Her eyes drifted back to the window.
The fireworks lit up the night, their colors vivid and striking.
Her mind wandered, imagining the spectacle as something more destructive, something that could end this misery.
—Chill.
“......?!!!”
But then—
Her expression shifted sharply.
A sudden, visceral sense of dread gripped her, screaming through her sixth sense.
—Jolt.
“Grandma? Babies should stay tucked in and go to sle—”
“Quiet! Be quiet for a moment!!!”
Ignoring Haru’s innocent words, she threw the window open.
Her gaze fixed on the fading fireworks, her focus narrowing to the ominous threat she felt looming overhead.
Mutter.
“S-rank... No, higher...?”
Her face, flushed with humiliation moments earlier, turned ghostly pale.
Her instincts warned her—this was unlike anything she’d ever felt before.
This was on an entirely different scale.
A catastrophe—a gate beyond S-rank, one that could only be described as EX-rank—was descending upon them.
“——Paimon!!!”
“...Huh? What’s with the sudden yelling?”
“It’s coming! They’re coming!!!”
“What? I don’t feel anything yet.”
Her voice was drenched in fear, prompting Paimon to rush to the window.
—Creak.
“Wait, what’s happening?” Haru looked puzzled.
“Something serious. Get over here.”
“What now?”
Even Winterler joined, and the four of them crowded by the window, gazing at the sky.
The colorful fireworks bathed their faces in light.
“It’s beautiful, but... Wait, is the sky turning red?”
The light reflecting on their faces gradually shifted to an ominous crimson.
A foreboding scarlet hue.
Haru and Winterler voiced their confusion, but—
“...H-Hiiiii! It’s really coming!!”
“They said it would arrive soon, but how did it get here in just a day?!”
“I didn’t think it’d be this fast!!!”
Seol Hayeon and Paimon screamed in unison, their terror unmistakable.
Anyone who understood the implications would be just as frightened.
For example, Sybilla, a precognitive ability user.
She had spent a peaceful weekend until now, convinced nothing would go wrong.
“Huh. So far, so good—”
—Freeze.
“...What the?”
She felt it too. A wave of impending doom washed over her, and sweat poured from her lower body like a waterfall.
It was the return of the horrific future that had once broken her spirit.
—Wide smiles.
‘Thank goodness. If it’s those three....’
The strongest mind among hypnotists, Seo Yujin.
The strongest swordsmanship, Aika Ninomiya.
An A-rank magician proven to handle high-level gates, Alice Littonwood.
Everyone believed they could turn the tide.
—Hesitation.
‘...Wait. Why does Yujin look like that?’
But soon, they noticed something amiss.
Yujin, who always wore a smirk regardless of the situation, looked utterly terrified.
His katana swings were erratic, lacking his usual precision in analyzing patterns.
Yujin wasn’t fighting strategically.
He was simply panicking.
“Calm down... Hey, you there! What’s going on?! These things can’t be cut!”
“Help us! Yujin’s acting strange!!!”
“...President, fall back for now!”
Hearing Aika and Alice’s cries for help, the association’s awakened finally intervened.
Their goal was to remove Yujin from the battlefield, even if they had to drag him away.
The terrified young man offered no resistance as they pulled him back.
—Tight grip.
“I have to... I must protect them. No matter what....”
“......”
‘He’s clinging to that katana like a war veteran.’
Even as they escorted him, Yujin refused to let go of his katana, his white-knuckled grip hinting at the depth of his fear.
Though they couldn’t fully understand, the truth was clear.
This was the return of Yujin’s worst PTSD.
The nightmare of helplessly losing his loved ones was replaying itself.
And it had to happen on a day that had been one of his happiest in recent memory.
—Ding.
[The advanced skill ‘???’ soothes the target’s soul.]
[Chwimyeon-jjang reassures, “Don’t be scared. You’ve got me and your master, remember?”]
“Fight... I have to... If not me, then no one....”
The only reason Yujin was still able to stand was the support of Chwimyeon-jjang and the Saint, who stayed by his side.
But even their presence couldn’t fully dispel his panic.
The fear he was experiencing was far too profound.
‘What do we do?! We have to calm Yujin down....’
‘Should we call Ryu Suyeon? No, she’s only good for healing injuries. We need something to ease his mind....’
The two women by his side were just as distressed.
They desperately wanted to comfort him, but what could they do?
After all, Yujin himself was a master of mental fortitude.
Yet here he was, succumbing to his own trauma, leaving them paralyzed and uncertain.
Seconds ticked by, each one wasted in the face of a world-ending crisis.
—Tap. Tap.
[‘???’ chides, “Why are you so scared already?”]
[“Sure, I knew you were a crybaby and a coward, but seriously, this much?”]
“...Huh?”
Suddenly, a hand lightly tapped Yujin’s shoulder.
His dazed eyes turned to see the Saint smiling at him.
—Kneel.
[“There’s no need to fear. I didn’t bring you here for something as trivial as these creatures.”]
[“Besides, you’ve worked so hard. Watching you, I almost felt guilty.”]
[“Those who strive deserve results. That’s what I believe.”]
The Saint knelt beside him, her smile soft and full of kindness.
—Point.
[“So look.”]
She pointed to a specific spot, guiding Yujin’s gaze.
His eyes widened.
“That’s....”
—Scramble.
“Yujin! Don’t tell me the President’s forces deployed just for this....”
“Do you think I’d go through all that trouble for nothing, you idiot?!”
“You moron, did you think I’d just sit by?! Do you want to die?!”
“Don’t call Daddy bad names. Call him a rice cake instead!”
“Haru, stop calling everyone a rice cake!”
[“Look at how many people have gathered for you.”]