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 [Chapter 127]

[Your Heart is Heard (3)]

Yokohama was the only city in Kanagawa protected by a Cocoon.

That was why Kaguya, who could be called a symbol of Japan, could visit Yokohama with minimal escorts at the drop of a hat.

It was such a safe city with many cultural facilities.

"I thought it was an unremarkable neighborhood, but most of the infrastructure is gathered around the station. How many department stores are there around the station..."

"Three."

"Really? Shopping must be fun. Then our princess, where should we go?"

Han Seo-hyun and Choi Ye-jang were there.

Choi Ye-jang who got off at Yokohama Station soon bowed like a gentleman and held out his hand to Han Seo-hyun.

"...Follow me."

"Yes, I'll do that."

Princess, huh.

Momentary disgust rises.

She who stared at that hand for a while barely composed herself and took his hand.

A smile spreads on his face.

But Han Seo-hyun avoided his gaze and walked forward recklessly.

"...The department store has a nice view too, maybe because it's a city with the sea."

"It's Kaguya-nim's favorite place. The brands here are trendy, and you can see the sea."

Marui City Yokohama.

The two people who got off on the top floor of the building had different reactions.

Choi Ye-jang greatly admired the sea visible through the glass windows.

Meanwhile, Han Seo-hyun was focused on guiding the surroundings.

Han Seo-hyun who had visited Yokohama several times led by Kaguya's hand was less impressed.

"Nice. I can go on dates with you in a place like this."

Choi Ye-jang says turning his back to the sea.

Han Seo-hyun gently nodded.

Nevertheless, Choi Ye-jang smiled as if satisfied with just that.

"Let's look at what's on each floor starting from the top."

"Okay."

"Tell me if there's anything you want. Since we came all this way, I want to give you at least one gift."

"I'm fine."

Choi Ye-jang's kind gaze.

Han Seo-hyun refused while killing her emotions. She didn't want to receive gifts from someone she had no feelings for.

There's nothing as heavy as that.

"Why? I want to give it to my fiancée."

"...Alright."

"Yeah, is there nothing you want?"

"There isn't..."

But she had to accept his offer after hearing the next words.

Nevertheless, she had nothing she wanted to receive from him.

"Really nothing at all?"

"...Anything is fine."

"Then I'll really choose as I please?"

"Sure."

While waiting for the elevator to arrive, Choi Ye-jang fell into thought.

His gaze that scrutinized her from top to bottom soon lingered on the bracelet on her hand.

"Come to think of it, you're still wearing that bracelet."

"..."

A ripple passed over Han Seo-hyun's face. Then she hides the wrist with the bracelet with her hand not wearing a bracelet.

Choi Ye-jang who didn't miss her change in expression narrowed his eyes.

He opened his mouth again.

"A bracelet without any decorations... It doesn't seem to suit you at all, Seo-hyun."

"..."

"Yeah, let's go look at bracelets. There's probably a bracelet that suits you well somewhere here."

"..."

"You'll wear the bracelet I gift you, right?"

As if testing.

Choi Ye-jang asked her with a gentlemanly smile.

Han Seo-hyun couldn't open her mouth.

"Why no answer?"

Choi Ye-jang tilts his head.

Han Seo-hyun quietly looks up at him, reading the color in his eyes.

It's the color of suspicion and desire.

A low-grade color that makes her want to turn away dyes her world.

─I don't want to.

I don't want to.

She who was about to spit out what she wanted to say soon lowered her head seeing the color filling her vision.

Because the more she saw that color, the more she felt the shackles binding her.

There was only one answer she could give.

She must fulfill her duty as a direct line.

"─I'll... do that."

"Why are you so pretty? You listen to me so well too."

Don't touch my hair.

She inwardly got annoyed at her hair getting messed up and endured his touch.

She reminds herself.

That she is Sirius' direct line.

"Ah, the elevator's here."

Soon after, the elevator arrived.

Choi Ye-jang gestured to let her in first.

Just then.

"Didn't you hear something just now?"

Choi Ye-jang's hand trying to guide her stopped in midair.

Han Seo-hyun's footsteps stopped too.

She who hadn't heard anything listened for sounds around.

Thud thud

Something could be heard.

A sound like knocking on the glass window.

It wasn't a sound from inside.

The sound was coming from outside, not inside─.

""─...""

The two people who turned their heads towards the direction of the sound lost their minds for a moment.

It couldn't be helped.

"Th-that, what is that..."

A voice full of trembling.

Choi Ye-jang asked while shaking.

She couldn't give any answer.

She felt the same.

Thud thud

Far beyond the glass window.

A huge form standing on the sea was in front of Yokohama's Cocoon.

It was a giant with a cow's head and only one arm.

And small black forms swarming around the monster.

They could instinctively realize what it was without needing to ask.

Monsters.

Thud

The monster with a cow's head knocks on the Cocoon.

The Cocoon which is usually transparent revealed its hemispherical shape from the impact.

The beast pounded on it several times.

Thud thud thud thud thud thud

The sound of the Cocoon shaking felt like blood draining from the whole body.

Soon─.

─Crack crack

The Cocoon cracked.

Han Seo-hyun's legs gave out and she collapsed the moment she saw that.

Choi Ye-jang was also seized by fear of the monster while his legs trembled.

Muoooooooo

The monster with a cow's head cries.

To her, it sounded just like laughter.

No, though it was hard to see from far away, it seemed the beast was clearly laughing.

It raised its arm.

The two could instinctively realize what it was trying to do.

"D-don't─!!"

Choi Ye-jang screams loudly.

But as if mocking his scream, the beast finally struck the cracked area strongly with its raised hand.

""...""

The Cocoon collapsed.

The army surges.

☆

It's just a large-scale mana imbalance.

I thought it would end if we just killed the monsters.

But Eun-ha who took down a monster that sliced open a passing citizen's stomach realized this wasn't a simple mana imbalance.

"...The Cocoon collapsed!?"

"Yes! I saw it from above so it's certain!"

Eun-ha couldn't help but shout unknowingly.

Jung Ha-yang who looked down at Yokohama from a high place while in Hoshimiya Kaede's arms said with a serious face.

"Fortunately, it seems it didn't completely shatter. After one side collapsed, the Cocoon restored itself."

Jung Ha-yang reported.

A huge monster swung its arm and shattered part of the Cocoon.

However, fortunately it didn't seem to have completely shattered.

It just temporarily couldn't withstand an unbearable impact and scattered.

But we can't be relieved either.

A large-scale mana imbalance occurred due to the Cocoon scattering once.

Moreover, monsters entered from outside while the Cocoon was restoring. Even if they came from the sea, the fact that they penetrated this far means there must be quite a lot...

Crows fly overhead.

They're Japan's unique monsters.

They existed as if covering the sky.

"Kyaaaah!!"

A crow-type monster watching the situation from the sky suddenly descended and snatched a fleeing citizen who lowered their head.

Revolver Shot

Eun-ha quickly fired thorns made of mana towards the monster flying away.

The crow falls with a fluttering sound.

At that moment, Cha Eun-woo caught the falling citizen with protection magic.

If the monsters came from the sea... We can't think the ship we came on is safe.

Fortunately, other kids should be safe somewhere in the city due to missions, but they might get scared and return to the ship.

Eun-ha fell into thought while stabbing a monster that still had breath.

Monsters invaded.

Surely many monsters must be swarming on the coast.

It would be dangerous for friends or other students to head to the coast in such a situation, though he might be fine.

"Ariel. From now on, go around and convey my words to the academy kids."

"Okay. What should I tell them?"

"Tell them to stay away from the coast as much as possible. That's where the monsters' invasion route will be."

"Okay!"

Eun-ha who conveyed the message to Ariel looked up at the sky.

The beasts that filled the sky above were expressing hostility after he killed one earlier.

Soon they flashed red eyes and flew at Eun-ha in a flock.

Eun-ha didn't avoid.

He just stood compressing mana twice into the black thorn.

There's no need to avoid anyway─.

─Taking the Blame

One More Time

Kang Si-hyeong who ran out from behind and held out a huge shield towards them.

The shield that gradually widened its diameter using mana as nourishment covered Kang Si-hyeong.

And a green pillar that rose to the sky centered on him.

Magic combined with the gift <Howling > made the monsters' attacks focus on Kang Si-hyeong himself.

Along with that, Cha Eun-woo's support magic assisted him being pushed back by their attacks.

She created magic with almost the same effect as the magic Kang Si-hyeong deployed earlier using the power of the gift <Resonance >.

"─Well done. Kang Si-hyeong, step back."

"Ack!"

And Eun-ha who watched the two's cooperation spoke with satisfaction.

The training on the sea paid off.

He soon swung down the blade dyed pale gold vertically as Kang Si-hyeong moved to the side.

Platina Cross

It's weaker than compressing five times.

However, the magic compressed twice eliminated the monsters that filled the sky above in one go.

"Whew..."

Eun-ha who saved the visible people for now sighed deeply feeling the mana imbalance far away.

I didn't expect to encounter such a thing in Japan.

Nevertheless, Eun-ha was clearly aware of what he had to do.

Eun-ha looked back at his friends.

They were looking with firm gazes.

It meant they would delegate full authority.

He couldn't not know those gazes.

"From now on, what we need to do is find the kids somewhere in the city and come under the instructors' control. If we find people asking for help while doing that─."

This is a foreign land.

Moreover, he and his friends are students.

Therefore, he and his friends have no obligation to protect this country's citizens.

But there are things one should do morally.

If it were Eun-ha alone, he would have prioritized himself regardless of what happened to people, but his friends weren't like that.

Therefore, as the party leader, he needed to know how to reflect members' opinions.

Above all, someone leading a party needed to set an example for them.

"─Let's save them within the range we can. But remember this one thing. Your lives are more important than those people's lives."

Friends answer firmly.

He who nodded changed his expression and called the party members as the party leader.

"Jung Ha-yang."

"Yes."

"Ha-yang, you prioritize finding paths with few monsters. And find paths for people to evacuate too."

"Okay, I'll do that."

"Yoon I-byeol."

"Ah, yes!"

"You look for people being attacked by monsters in the surroundings."

"...Okay, I'll try."

"Cha Eun-woo."

"Yes!"

"From now on, the kids' physical condition is in your hands. Focus on casting buffs or treating the injured."

"Okay, I'll do that!"

"Kim Min-ji."

"Yes."

"Assist me. Can you do it? And don't leave my side."

"This kid is manipulating people... Alright."

"Bong Gu-rae."

"Yes, honey."

"...I believe you'll do well without me having to tell you specifically."

"Hmm, I'll live up to your trust."

"Kang Si-hyeong."

"Yeah!"

"Just do like you did earlier. I believe you'll do well."

"Got it!"

"Eun-ha! What should I do?"

"...Ariel."

"Oh!"

"Never leave Ha-yang's side. Do as Ha-yang says."

"Huh? That's all? It's a piece of cake!"

"Kaede."

"Yeah."

"You too... I believe you'll do well without me saying specifically. If you have余裕, I'd like you to find academy students or instructors."

"I'll do that."

"...Eun-ha, what should I do?"

"Instructor-nim, you rest."

"Oh... okay. I'll rest then..."

The instructor who gave the mission in front of the store was not a very helpful person.

He was the type with talent for teaching rather than fighting battles.

Eun-ha who ordered the party members excluding him took the lead.

Now where should we go?

Smoke rises in the distance.

Buildings collapse and screams are heard.

Eun-ha watched that scene and quietly waited for the right time.

And soon─.

"─This noona wouldn't not do that."

A huge storm soaring into the sky.

The flames burning the city soared into the sky riding the wind.

What's falling sparkling from the extinguished sky is probably mana stones.

Eun-ha found the figure floating in the sky and raised the corners of his mouth.

It's <Empress > Shin Seo-young.

"Ha-yang, now you know where we should go, right?"

"Yes. I confirmed."

Though he didn't know how large the scale of this disaster was.

Eun-ha decided to do what he could for now.

☆

<Empress > Shin Seo-young.

There were two main reasons she deliberately caused a storm large enough to be visible.

One was to extinguish fires. The other was to draw attention to gather scattered students and instructors in Yokohama.

Her plan succeeded.

Many people gathered seeing her storm.

Soon people who all gathered in place regretfully viewed Yokohama's situation and announced a statement in the name of the Korean Academy.

"From now on, we declare we will undertake rescue operations!"

"Those who can fight will take up weapons, those who can't fight will devote themselves to healing the injured!"

To this, Kanagawa Prefecture's Mana Management Agency formally requested Korean Academy students to protect citizens.