Volume Three: The Academy Runs Wild - Dream Awakening

"Ah... ah... ouch... it hurts!"

"Hey! Miss, you didn't—"

"Get out of the way! Don't... worry about me!"

Haoyue impatiently chased away the passerby who seemed to be offering help but whose eyes were gleaming with ill intentions. She used Snow Moon to prop herself up and continued running forward.

No, it was less of a run and more of a stumbling walk.

"It looks awful... Hang in there!"

The legendary sword, Snow Moon, which had slain countless enemies, had now become nothing more than a crutch. She breathed painfully, her chest clenching with each breath, and she had to desperately suppress the urges rising from her stomach. With each step forward, every muscle in her body ached, and her lower body was in excruciating pain.

"Stop... joking... huff... huff..."

Large drops of cold sweat dripped from her forehead, several unhealed wounds were torn open again, fresh blood flowed down her fingers and thighs, her vision flickered, and her head felt dizzy as if she had heatstroke. Every muscle in her body screamed in protest, her mouth was filled with the taste of blood and acid, and her biological instincts kept telling her to stop, to rest. Even so, Haoyue did not slow down.

"Little... Ye!"

It's all my fault, all my fault.

Why did they become lax?

The thought of her favorite person's current state breaks her heart.

I don't even have the courage to imagine what she might become.

The idea of "I will accept you no matter what you become" now seems like a joke.

If you can't even protect the one you love, how can you talk about accepting anything?

It's utterly ridiculous.

What's even more ridiculous is that no matter how anxious they are, they don't know where Haoyue Lianye is right now.

At first, it was still possible to trace the bloody footprints on the ground, but the traces quickly faded and disappeared.

The current Haoyue is completely like a headless fly.

This was the first time she had ever so desperately wanted Givinia, who was skilled at investigation, by her side.

Sharp barbed wire was inserted into the skull.

Just like electrodes attached to the cerebral cortex in brain science experiments.

An unprecedentedly intense feeling of something foreign in my body; my brain felt like it was boiling with pain.

However, this suffering is precisely the key to unlocking the truth.

The bright red filled my field of vision, and when I came to my senses, I found myself in a first-person perspective.

This is from "my" perspective.

Why?

Why, even though it's my perspective, even though it's a memory, can I see crimson runes swirling around the edges of my vision?

Through the pale red veil of light, I saw the surrounding scenery.

I'm going upstairs.

The wooden stairs creaked as I walked on them.

"Hiss..."

The sound of panting escaped his mouth, but it had an eerie hoarseness.

This is practically like the situation when the Rakshasa True Word goes out of control!

How so?

Moreover, if we're talking about things getting out of control, it's nowhere near as bad as what happened in the capital.

The field of vision was only a pale red, and the height remained unchanged.

Creak, creak, I finally reached the second floor and stood in front of the bedroom door.

There were thumping and banging sounds coming from inside. Was Haoyue setting something up?

He gripped the doorknob, faint runes appearing on his wrists, and his fingernails grew long and sharp.

"Hiss..." Sniffing.

Sniffing the air through his bloodshot nose, he smelled the alluring scent of a virgin.

The power of the Rakshasa True Word is absolute ferocity, but its manifestation is not limited to mere combat.

Any behavior that displays that brutality is possible—

Fear.

Looking at this memory, I felt an unprecedented sense of dread.

The bed sheets were soaked in blood.

The bright moon, its steps faltering.

I suddenly knew what was going to happen next.

Please, don't--

With a loud bang, the door was rudely pulled open.

The room was exquisitely decorated, with curtains, incense, new bedding, and dim, comfortable lighting.

The beautiful figure, dressed in alluring lingerie, stood with her back to me, seemingly fiddling with something in a hurry.

"Really, Xiao Ye! Didn't I tell you to wait a moment...?"

A flawless body.

Every part is so exquisite that one hesitates to touch it.

Marvelous.

That's fantastic!

It's precisely because of things like this that there's value in destruction.

Stop, stop, stop now!

Claws reached for her shoulder.

"... Xiao Ye?"

She finally turned around.

Her coquettishness turned into blankness, and her blankness turned into shock.

She quickly backed away, trying to avoid it.

That's certainly impossible.

At extremely close range, there wasn't even time to use the Moon Rune; the speed difference was too great.

Please stop!!!!

With just a light sweep, she flew out and landed heavily on the floor.

"Xiao Ye --woo!"

Was she trying to awaken her beloved's consciousness? But her words were cut short as sharp claws covered her mouth, pinning her delicate body beneath them.

"Waaaaah--waaaaah!!!"

Tears welled in her eyes, and she writhed desperately, but she could not resist this absolute power.

If she really wanted to, she could forcefully use her ability to fight back.

However, my state is not the complete berserk state of the past, but rather a very preliminary berserk state.

In other words, although it lacks rationality, it lacks the incredible defensive power it possesses when it goes completely berserk.

Was it because they were worried about seriously injuring me? Or were they afraid that a reckless counterattack would worsen my berserk state? That's why they didn't use runes.

Ignoring the tears in her eyes, I placed my other claw on her body.

No! No! No! Stop it!!!!! Stop it!!!!!!!!!!!!

No matter how much you scream in your heart, what has happened cannot be changed.

What followed was like a long nightmare.

It was like an endless storm.

Torn clothes were scattered everywhere.

Her arms and legs were broken to prevent her from moving around.

The sharp-toothed creature tore off a large chunk of flesh to taste it.

Separate her legs, which were tightly clenched together.

With sharp claws, with condensed Killing Intent—

Stop!!! Stop ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

Tear. Fill.

Penetrate.

Even though blood was flowing freely and the place was a complete mess.

And it doesn't stop.

It's just endless tearing, filling, penetrating, tearing, filling, penetrating, tearing, filling, penetrating, repeating, repeating, repeating...

No... please... stop it...

Watching from a first-person perspective, I'm on the verge of a breakdown.

The girl beneath him was in an even more miserable state.

The tears have all dried up.

Strict control and tight bites to prevent bleeding.

His body was covered in bright red blood.

His whole body was convulsing uncontrollably.

He merely used runes that shimmered with silver light to repair his body in a short interval.

However, the speed of repair cannot keep up with the speed of destruction.

This is what I've done.

It was her, it was them, who kept it from me—

Scene changes.

The first-person perspective has been transformed into a third-person, top-down view.

After dinner, Haoyue, Xiao Wu, and Givinia sat around the dining table, talking about something.

"Is it really okay to send her to the kitchen to wash the dishes?" Xiao Wu asked, frowning.

"The kitchen is very close by. If she goes berserk again like she did with Black Crystal, we'll find out immediately. This will also be the best time for the three of us to discuss our strategy," Givinia replied.

"..." Haoyue remained silent.

Wait, what does this mean?

Like that time with the Black Crystal?

What happened during the battle against the Black Crystal?

When I woke up, Xiao Wu only said that they had taken me back while I was unconscious.

Could it be that, when I was severely injured by the Black Crystal—

Givinia, holding a small notebook, said as she read the contents, "The search for the Serpent's Egg has yielded some results, but it will certainly take some time before the official operation begins. Rakshasa True Word won't completely spiral out of control during this time."

"Even with Ling Ye's assistance, the progress is still not ideal... Bright Moon, Bright Moon?"

"... Um?"

"What 'hmm'? You look a little off." Xiao Wu looked at Haoyue in surprise.

Givinia leaned closer to examine Haoyue's face. "Indeed, I've noticed you've been acting a bit strange these past few days, a bit... haggard?"

"Looking haggard? Do you? You're overthinking it, you idiot." Haoyue turned her face away and said impatiently, but her voice trembled slightly.

"..."

Xiao Wu and Givinia simply stared at her, their gazes growing increasingly serious.

Scene change.

"Are you fucking insane?!"

"Keep your voice Xiao Wu, Miss Saki, don't let A Ye— "

"Tsk!"

In the dimly lit room, Xiao Wu's lips trembled incessantly, her fists clenched so tightly they almost bled, whether from anger or sorrow, it was unclear.

Before her stood the bright moon, finally willing to reveal the truth.

Having removed her cheongsam and underwear, completely naked, she finally agreed to show the two men the pain she had suffered.

Her body was covered in gruesome wounds, like a curse branded onto her fair flesh and onto Xiao Wu's retina.

"So, you're just going to... just let her abuse you like this!?"

"... If we don't do it this way, what else can we do?"

"Of course, you can totally--"

"No, Miss Xiao Wu, it would be more accurate to say that Miss Kogetsu's choice was correct."

"Correct? Being played with until it's completely worn out all night, and that's considered correct?"

"Think about it carefully—what would have happened if Haoyue hadn't silently endured it but instead fought back or ran away?"

"Well..."

"A hasty counterattack could very well escalate the mild berserk state into a full-blown berserk state! If we run away, the berserk A Ye will lose his target, which will further escalate the disaster! Compared to these two outcomes, enduring a whole night of pain is indeed the best choice!"

"This... tsk... damn it!"

Xiao Wu angrily slammed her fist on the wall, frowned, her eyes flickering, and then seemed to have made up her mind.

"Then how about this," Xiao Wu said seriously, "From now on, I'll take your place every night!"

"..."

"Think it through. I have an extremely strong and continuous self-healing ability, much stronger than your so-called 'healing moon,' and because of the training I received as a child, my pain tolerance is also much higher!"

"..."

"Right? It would be much more suitable for me to do it! If it were you, you would eventually break down completely!"

"..."

Haoyue gently placed her hand on Xiao Wu's shoulder.

"Thank you, Xiao Wu. You're such a kind person."

"What do you mean by 'good person' or 'bad person'? You..."

"But I refuse."

Then the conversation shifted.

"Varied--"

"Xiao Ye is my lover, and I want to personally bear everything she has given me."

"Are you an idiot? You're still saying things like that at a time like this!"

"Of course, there are other considerations too. What do you think we lack most right now?"

"... time."

"That's right. So, if you, who are familiar with the situation at the Central United Academy, are in charge of Xiao Ye's side, and I, who am new here, am in charge of the search, then how much will the efficiency decrease?"

"This..."

"I appreciate your concern, but if your good intentions cause the Rakshasa True Word to go completely out of control, it would truly be a loss. So, leave it to me."

The scene changes again.

It has switched back to a first-person perspective.

He effortlessly burst into the bedroom.

Making hoarse, hissing sounds, he approached the delicate body that was already waiting on the bed.

She noticed me.

She turned her head and smiled gently at me.

The smile, imbued with sorrow and repentance, was so deeply moving.

"Ah, Xiao Ye, good evening."

"... As expected, it's the same today."

"If it's Xiao Ye, I'm willing to accept anything from you..."

"However... if this continues, I'm afraid my body won't be able to hold on..."

"It's getting harder and harder for me to stand up, sometimes I can't see anything, and my limbs suddenly stop responding to my commands."

"I really wish I had a body like Xiao Wu's..."

"But it's okay, as long as Xiao Ye is safe."

"As long as you're safe, I don't care what happens to me..."

"I'm sorry, it's all because of my incompetence, our incompetence..."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

"So, come on, it's okay..."

She was like the distorted Virgin Mary in apocryphal texts, simultaneously being violated by a monster and comforting it, opening her arms to accept everything about me—

The world was plunged into misery.

Their spirit and will were crushed by the overwhelming weight of despair.

Consciousness was overwhelmed by white.

They can't even escape reality.

"This is the reality you wanted to see."

This is the truth...

"Absolutely no falsehoods, no deception of the young or old."

It's true, it's all true. I was kept in the dark the whole time, and I didn't even know I was doing anything wrong.

"The transaction is now complete. Your wish—"

The person named ▇▇▇ is face to face with me.

This was the first time I saw "his" face clearly.

The white hair, reminiscent of old age and frailty, flickers before my eyes.

A foreign object was stirring restlessly in the empty socket of the left eye.

"--It's achieved."

It's done, it's done, it's done.

The delusion will eventually end, and the fool will eventually awaken.

"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"

Bringing despair from dreams into reality.

Switching between the table and the text.

Human-demon switching.

Switching between static and dynamic states.

Switching between good and evil.

Crimson runes surged forth from the sky.

A chilling madness was eroding his brain.

The crimson fury consumed everything.

In the desolate park, a young girl struggles amidst a sea of scarlet.

He simply watched all of this silently before disappearing into the void.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It truly heals the soul.