Chapter 1300: Lure
When Mash claimed to be unaware of the class's expedition, she had been telling the truth. Still, this didn't mean she and the other girls were unaware of the dangers they would subject to while attending school at the Clock Tower. They had all received special training and, in many ways, it was this reason that led to girls like Astrid and Zoë being even more cautious than they otherwise would have been.
Sakura understood that her status as an Imperial Princess would quickly be discovered by their enemies so she and Mordred had received the strictest and most comprehensive explanation of what to expect and how to determine whether or not they were in danger. There would be no end to the number of people that would want to exploit them for benefits so they needed to be aware of any potential dangers at all times.
Currently, though they were unaware of it, Sakura was directing her group toward the area where Astrid's party was located. They had developed a system of silent communication alongside their Companions so all five groups were aware of what was happening. This allowed them to quickly congregate toward each other as the Companions each had a detailed map depicting the layout of every chamber and passage that had been dutifully mapped by Da Vinci's micro-golems over the last month.
While the preceding month was to allow the students a chance to familiarize themselves with each other, the primary reason behind the delayed Baseline training was due to the fact that Da Vinci was still collecting information. She understood Vahn's nature well so, even without him telling her to do so, she had been secretly investigating the interior of the Clock Tower and using her flea-sized micro-golems to piggyback onto students venturing into the Spirit Tomb. Once they were inside, they could use the raw materials and magical energy to reproduce so, by the time a month had passed, her golems had mapped most of the Vein Corridor and Great Heart regions of the dungeon-like structure.
It was only once a comprehensive network was established, allowing the Companions to easily communicate with each other, that the children were finally allowed access to the interior. After all, there were bound to be a few people seeking trouble and, with 'accidents' happening inside the Spirit Tomb on a near-daily basis, it was easy to cover things up. This meant the students of the Department of Unified Thaumaturgical Theory were in the greatest amount of danger while inside the Spirit Tomb, at least from the perspective of their enemies...
By the time a few minutes had passed, most of the teams, many following the direction of their Companions, were actually very close to each other. This was entirely unknown to the group that had been pursuing Sakura so, once the latter had her group stop to take a rest, a young man with stylish clothing and three other students, two males and a female, entered into the chamber.
Acting as if he was surprised to encounter the trio, the man raised his brows before smiling as he said, "To think we would have the pleasure of encountering one of the famous groups belonging to the Empire! I believe your name is Miss Sakura, is it not...?"
In a casual and disarming fashion, the boy attempted to walk over toward Sakura, Irene, and Kana as the trio behind him fanned out slightly. This seemed to be a natural movement at a glance but, if you were observing them closely and interpreting the meaning behind their actions, it was easy to understand that they were trying to cover the exits.
Before the boy could get any closer, Sakura manifested a sword out of thin air, giving the youth pause as she stated in a plain tone, "State your name and purpose. If you've come here seeking trouble, prepare yourself...!"
Sakura wasn't the most talkative girl but, when it came to a situation like this, she wasn't going to even try to put on an act. She had learned about how monstrous some of the Magi belonging to the Association were so the boy would need a very good excuse if he wanted to avoid a very long stay in the hospital.
Though he put on a mask of shock, complete with an awkward smile, it was obvious that the boy was actually more afraid than he let on. Still, he did his best to keep up the act as he stated in the same disarming manner as before, "Whoa, whoa, there is no need for such hostility! I'll admit that we were following your group but it was primarily due to our curiosity. The students belonging to the Empire's class are a popular topic within the Clock Tower so I just wanted to come and see for myself what kind of people were accepted into the class...!"
Despite the boy attempting to deescalate the situation, Sakura noted that he didn't state his name. At the same time, Momo's fur was sticking up a bit and, though it wasn't very intimidating, they were barring their fangs towards the boy performing a gesture of surrender. This was all she needed to understand that the boy was lying as, in order to better protect their partners, even the earlier generation Companions were able to read a person's biometric data to determine if their partners were ill or if their enemies were lying.
Without any hesitation, Sakura activated her [Cantus Bellax], forming a shroud of vibrant violet mana around her body. This was enough to get the boy to take a few steps back and, realizing his ploy wasn't having any effect, his demeanor quickly changed as he grimaced and stated, "You do not stand a chance against me. Unless you want this play to be your burial ground, you'll listen to my offer and behave. Don't make me have to hurt that pretty face of yours, little miss Princess...!"
Though Sakura was much stronger than even adult Magi, her inexperience put her at the slightest of disadvantages in this situation. She didn't actually want to hurt anyone so she had waited until the boy finished speaking before moving. This allowed his allies to activate some kind of magic circle that quickly spread through the room but, with her speed, their attempt at trying to trap the group was ultimately futile.
The boy hadn't even considered for a moment that he wasn't a match for the young brunette so, a testament to his own lack of experience, he was unable to react by the time a hot sensation could be felt from his left leg. He then heard the sound of a barrier shattering before a crashing sound, followed by the croaking of a person gurgling on their blood, reached his ears. This caused him to instinctually turn around to investigate but, the moment he placed weight on his left leg, he tumbled to the ground hard and fast.
It was only after he ate a face full of dirt and grime that the boy realized his leg from the knee down had been severed. This caused a rush of adrenaline to course through his body but, by the time a blood-curdling shout of pain escaped his lips, a hard impact scattered his thoughts as his body was sent skidding across the ground. He then felt a weight on his chest and, after emitting a painful cough, he couldn't help but shout, "What the fuck is going on...!?"
As if to answer the boy's question, Sakura placed the tip of her sword which, if you looked closer, had neither a blade or a sharp point. It was purely a catalyst for her magic in the shape of a sword so, if not for her skill, strength, and speed, cutting with the dull edge would be nearly impossible. All of this escaped the boy's notice, however, as the loss of a leg made him believe the blade had one of the sharpest edges in the world...
Though only a few seconds had passed, there were now four students on the ground with varying levels of injuries. Sakura herself was struggling to prevent her body from shaking but, with more than two years of training, she wasn't completely unaccustomed to blood and gore. This gave her the wherewithal to stay focused on the task at hand so, once again, she stated, "You will tell me your name and the purpose behind your actions. Do not make me cut off your other leg..."
Sakura felt nauseous threatening another person in such a manner but she managed to hold the contents of her stomach as the rounded point of her sword touched the boy's collarbone. This seemed to return his senses to him and, realizing he had walked headfirst into a hard wall, he lowered his head in a subservient manner with both arms raised as he stammered, "Please, do not kill me! I was only sent to gather information...!"
Even with a leg missing, the boy still kept his identity a secret and, based on Momo's reaction, Sakura knew he was still lying to her. She remained completely silent, watching for even a slight reaction from his body as her [Instinct] told her he was up to something. Then, not fully aware of the foolishness of her actions, Irene muttered, "S-Sakura...is-isn't this going too far...?"
At nearly the exact same moment that Irene finished her question, the boy groveling on the floor attempted to tackle Sakura's legs but, never taking her eyes off him, the latter was able to easily evade the desperate action. This didn't seem to deter him, however, as he pulled out a crystalline orb that radiated a pristine white light and shouted, "Fuck you and your shitty Empire...!"
Extending his arm back in an obvious wind-up motion, the boy glared back at Sakura with hate-filled eyes tinged with tears and the light of desperation. This quickly morphed into a look of despair, however, when Sakura's body flickered out of existence before another hot pain wracked his body, this time emanating from the stump that now replaced his right arm. At the same time, the crystalline orb he was about to throw was contained with a black cube that Sakura had pulled out of thin air, sealing the unknown object safely inside.
After falling to the ground a second time, the boy held the stump of his arm, screaming madly as a chain of heinous curses escaped his lips. He not only tried cursing Sakura but her entire family and the Empire as a whole. This caused the shaking of her body to gradually decrease and, by the time the boy had tired himself out due to screaming and blood loss, a deep chill had begun to spread through her body.
Despite her relatively mature and kindly disposition, Sakura's primary affinities were Darkness, Ice, Water, and Space. This made it a lot easier for her to develop negative emotions so, hearing all of the terrible things the boy wished upon her family, the patient and kind smile she usually showed had faded completely. Even her serious and focused battle expression was nowhere to be seen and, though it wasn't visible to the naked eye, a terrifying violet light was glowing at the center of her teal-colored eyes...
Fortunately, before Sakura could do something she regretted, Momo came over to her side and began to gently pat her thigh. This brought Sakura back to her senses and, realizing the boy was on the verge of death due to blood loss, she forced a potion into his mouth. These were made by Paracelsus based on his research of various items given to him by Vahn. Though not nearly as potent as the originals, they were capable of even recovering lost limbs. The downside was that they used up a considerable amount of the person's energy so you would feel extreme fatigue after consuming a single dose.
Once she had treated all four people, Sakura turned to the pale Irene and Kana, saying, "They did not come after us with good intentions. Help me tie them up. It shouldn't take long for Professor Alpha to send someone down to retrieve them..."
Though they were still a little shaken by witnessing how fierce Sakura could be when action was called for, neither Irene or Kana hesitated to help tie up the bodies. They had grown up within the Magus community so they were well aware of the plots and schemes perpetrated by people who thought highly of themselves while looking down on others. If they had been the weaker party, it was all but guaranteed that they wouldn't have had a pleasant experience. Thus, while Sakura had now become a rather scary person to them, they were still grateful to have her on their side...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Imagine thinking you can scheme against Vahn and Da Vinci xD...','Do not piss off the silent and quiet types...','You were not prepared...!')
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