"Why?"
They drew closer. Wein cursed under his breath as he gazed outside—not only was the mist creeping in, but a powerful presence was watching them all.
He took a few steps back, his hand slowly reaching into his pocket for something. Behind him, Loraine unsheathed her rapier.
"Is there more?" someone else asked. They braced themselves as tension filled the room, the lingering mana in the air becoming perceptible to everyone present.
Wein finally grasped something inside his pocket and carefully drew it out—a revolver. He adjusted his grip on the trigger.
Mana surged through his body as his core rapidly distributed energy, reinforcing his muscles. His blood flow accelerated. He could feel the overwhelming presence outside drawing closer. He thought it would be an easy fight—until the mist shifted.
Half of his view was obscured by a torn curtain, but that didn't stop him from noticing movement within the fog. Silence lingered, only to be broken by a question.
"Do you see anything?" Glen asked, his spear at the ready, eyes locked onto the outside as if he could already sense the presence.
"I think it's the wind," Wein replied, confirming his suspicion. To investigate further, he leaned slightly to his left, adjusting his angle to maximize his field of view.
There were no other signs of movement, but the continuous fluctuations of mana sent a chill down his spine.
Even a platinum-tier mana core could feel fear—what about the others? Wein wondered. He removed the revolver's cylinder, checked each bullet carefully, then snapped it back into place, spinning it before cocking the hammer.
The tension escalated. Then, the second sound of shattering glass rang out. The curtain was yanked down, the window completely destroyed. Seeing that he was standing in the path of flying shards, Wein swiftly stepped back.
The others instinctively braced for battle, shielding themselves from the razor-sharp glass. Those aware of the imminent danger had already gathered below.
Wein's first bullet hit the massive figure, but the creature seemed unfazed. The others remained still, awaiting an order.
The entity noticed the attack. It slowly tilted its head toward Wein, who stood atop a table.
The first thought that crossed his mind was how eerily similar this creature was to one from Resident Demon 2—towering, muscular, like that infamous purple monster from a Hollywood blockbuster.
Its gaze was emotionless. The magician's hat perched atop its head only added to the eerie tension. It clenched its fists and raised them, preparing to strike.
Its thick black-and-white coat was sturdy enough to repel bullets. Wein considered drawing his sword but wanted to test what would happen if he shot its head.
The first punch struck. The ground trembled, drawing the attention of everyone in the vicinity. Dozens of crew members rushed in, weapons in hand.
This gave Wein a slight sense of relief—the battle had begun. He straightened his stance, one hand behind his back while the other aimed the revolver at the four-meter-tall behemoth.
Arrows whizzed through the air, closing in on their target. Sherlyn and her archers had gathered their strength.
Loraine propelled herself forward, twisting midair, her rapier's sharpest point aimed like a needle toward the giant.
Meanwhile, Glen circled around, his spear thrusting into the creature's massive calf. The beast howled in pain, lashing out with reckless kicks.
Wein waited for the perfect moment to pull the trigger. His sharp eyes locked onto his target—the creature's head. It remained steady.
This… is the right time!
He took a deep breath, holding the air in his lungs. His heartbeat was steady—no hesitation, no tremor in his fingers. In this world, hesitation meant death, and Wein had faced it far too often to allow even the slightest mistake.
His index finger rested on the trigger.
The movement felt natural, as if the weapon were an extension of his body. A smooth press… then a swift pull.
Click.
For a moment, the world held its breath.
Then—
A deafening crack split the air. The revolver spat fire as the bullet tore from its barrel. The gunshot rang out, reverberating off the shattered stone walls. Wein remained still, unshaken. Only his eyes tracked the bullet's trajectory with deadly precision, as if time had slowed for him.
A small red hole bloomed on the giant's forehead. Blood splattered, trickling down.
Wein expected it to collapse. But as he waited, the creature remained standing.
It shifted its head slightly, its glare now locked onto Wein.
Its eyes turned crimson. The bullet hole hadn't penetrated all the way through—meaning the projectile was lodged inside.
Wein briefly wished his bullets could explode, like a certain anime character's slingshot in that thousand-episode series.
But this wasn't that world.
The creature roared, grabbing a massive table and hurling it straight at Wein.
The spinning table soared through the air. At just the right moment, Wein leaped aside to dodge. As he moved, he extended his revolver, taking aim at the behemoth once more.
His finger squeezed the trigger a second time.
The hammer struck. A spent cartridge clattered to the ground, but the bullet traveled even faster—puncturing the creature's head once again.
Milliseconds later, the recoil jolted Wein's hand. If he hadn't balanced his stance properly, the shot would have thrown him off.
He landed, his right hand stinging slightly, but the others had already taken advantage of the distraction. Though the second bullet hadn't finished it off, it had slowed it down.
The table crashed against the reinforced walls of the academy. Fortunately, the headmaster, Claudia, had fortified the property with protective magic.
?
Wein's vision blurred. Darkness crept in from the edges, swallowing his sight.
He couldn't feel his body—his limbs refused to move, and his right hand no longer registered the weight of his weapon.
He struggled, but it was futile. Then, suddenly—
A scent.
The aroma of water and fresh air caressed his back. As his sense of balance slowly returned, Wein wondered—
Where am I?
His hearing returned next, but the sounds of battle were gone. Instead, distant booms rumbled through his body, from his feet to his head.
He could move again—except for his vision, which remained shrouded in darkness. He calmed himself, enduring the unfamiliar blindness.
Then—footsteps.
The sound echoed. He was standing on a surface that made noise with every movement—like a rooftop.
The footsteps drew closer. Then, something touched his arm, sending a chilling sensation through his heart.
His eyes slowly opened, but his vision remained blurred. The darkness receded.
Seconds passed before he could finally see. The first thing he noticed was the Blood Moon. The second—the terrifying night sky.
Realization struck—he was standing on the academy dormitory's rooftop.
His body shifted as he struggled to regain his balance. Panic flickered in his mind.
Oh no, that's really high… How did I get up here? Who brought me here?
He took a few cautious steps forward, realizing there was nothing but empty air behind him. Below, the mist from earlier had settled.
Scanning his surroundings, his eyes darted back and forth. Then, in the corner of his vision—
A figure.
It appeared, then vanished, then reappeared.
The chilling wind cut through Wein's skin. A wolf's howl echoed in the distance, sending shivers down his spine.
"I see you."
A voice, laced with laughter.
"But you don't see me."
It mocked him—then laughed again, utterly amused.