Chapter 210

"Busujima-senpai..."

The surviving students heard the calm, resolute voice as if they had found their pillar of strength.

Busujima-senpai, the leader of the Kendo Club at Fujimi Academy, had previously won the National Youth Kendo Championship. The students had followed Busujima-senpai to the rooftop, as her powerful swordsmanship was well-known. She led them, knocking down the dead bodies with nothing but a wooden sword.

The sound of the dead bodies echoed through the roof door, which had been blocked with heavy objects. The creaking of the wood and the groaning of the undead grew louder as their bloody faces started to appear through the gaps.

"Ahhhhh!"

"The door is going to give in!"

"No, no, please, no!"

The frightened students screamed as the dead bodies started pushing through, and with nowhere else to run, they were trapped.

The girl with pink twin-tails burst into tears. "Ahhhh! It's all your fault for yelling so loudly! You attracted those monsters here! Now they're going to kill us all!"

The girl with long blonde hair collapsed on the ground, her legs weak from fear. "No... I don't want to die!"

Busujima Saeko rushed towards the barricade, gripping her wooden sword in both hands. Without hesitation, she stabbed at the head that had pushed through the opening.

A sickening squelch echoed as her wooden sword pierced through the undead's skull. Blood sprayed across her clothes, staining her with crimson. She turned to her terrified classmates.

"Don't just stand there! We can't escape. If they get through, we will all die!" she commanded.

The students, driven by the instinct to survive, moved forward, pushing the boxes with trembling hands. The blonde girl pushed with all her strength while shouting hysterically, "I haven't even been in love yet! I don't want to die!"

"Who has? Damn it, I'm a congressman's daughter! I refuse to die like this!" the girl with pink twin-tails sobbed.

Despite their efforts, the undead continued to push through, chewing the wooden barricade to pieces. It didn't take long for the boxes to be torn apart.

Busujima Saeko gritted her teeth, knowing there was no way to hold them back any longer. "No choice! Everyone, run!"

The barricade finally shattered, and the undead poured through like a flood, snarling and groaning.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

The students screamed in despair, stumbling back in fear.

"Busujima-senpai!"

Busujima Saeko swung her wooden sword with all her might, breaking through the heads of the advancing undead. She managed to down three of them within seconds, but the fourth swing splintered her wooden sword.

It was over.

Just as the students fell into utter despair, a blinding golden light descended from the sky.

The air vibrated with an otherworldly hum.

The undead, caught in the light, were instantly reduced to ash. The light spread out, covering the entire rooftop, yet it wasn't blinding. Instead, it felt soft, gentle, calming.

Fear melted away in an instant, replaced by an overwhelming sense of tranquility.

People throughout the entire city witnessed the divine light descending from the heavens, forming a halo that spread across the clouds.

Busujima Saeko stood stunned. She watched as every undead in front of her melted away, their remains vanishing like snow under the sun's warmth.

"What just happened?"

The blonde girl blinked, confused. "What... those monsters, they just vanished?"

The girl with pink twin-tails, still trembling, covered her chest with her hands. "I'm not scared anymore..."

The surviving students, covered in tears, looked up to see a gentle light from above.

"What's going on?"

"This light... is it a miracle?"

"The monsters are gone!"

As they marveled at the strange phenomenon, a voice echoed from above. It was unlike any sound they had ever heard. It was a voice that redeemed their souls and gave them hope.

[People in the end times, listen to my words.]

[Stand in the light and be a hero, but know that standing in darkness brings only ruin.]

[Courage shines when everything else fades. Even when facing despair, courage is the beacon that will lead you out.]

[My name is Barbatos, the god of justice, wind, and hope.]

[I will bless the righteous and bring hope to the kind-hearted.]

[God loves all, but it is not blind love. Hope and freedom do not belong to those who do evil.]

[Innocence and kindness are treasured by the heavens, embrace them with all your heart.]

[With courage, hope, and kindness as your weapons, salvation is yours to grasp.]

The voice didn't travel through the air, but resonated directly within their minds. At that moment, fear and despair were swept away entirely, leaving only peace.

"God! A god has appeared! It's a god!"

"A miracle! A real miracle!"

"Is this really the end? Why now, why the end of the world?"

"No, I don't want to die. I want to live. Blessed by the god of wind, I must survive."

The divine words brought out all kinds of emotions. While fear had been washed away, the human heart still harbored desires and resentment. Those who realized they might not be deemed worthy by the gods had their true nature revealed.

"If gods are supposed to love humanity, they should love everyone! How dare they choose?!"

"Barbatos? That's a name from demonology! One of Solomon's seventy-two demons! It's not a god at all, but a devil!"

"This Barbatos is a devil trying to deceive us!"

"The apocalypse is the devil's doing!"

Such bitter voices arose, but they fell on deaf ears. Even if the gods heard, they wouldn't care. The ones speaking were not those who would receive divine salvation.

As the divine voice faded, the golden light slowly receded.

On the rooftop of Fujimi Academy, as the light disappeared, a tall, heroic figure in a knight's uniform appeared. Her golden hair shimmered in the sunlight, and her blue eyes held a stern gaze. In her hand, she held a luminous sword that seemed like something from a fantasy tale.

The surviving students stood there, stunned by the appearance of the girl. She seemed almost like the King of Knights summoned by magic.