How to Survive as a Trash Extra Villain

Chapter 122

…This place was hell.

【Fire Bee.】

The fiery bees that shot from delicate fingertips exploded the heads of the charging lesser demons.

A red sky, a red earth.

Red blood, red flames.

It felt like my mind was going insane.

“Haah! Hah!”

The caster of the magic collapsed with a thud.

My entire body felt as heavy as lead.

“Hey, you.”

I crawled toward a knight of the Elidore family’s elite guard.

His leg had been blown off by a deep green beam, and half his body was blackened by demonic corruption.

I shook his shoulder with difficulty.

“Get up…. Please, get up….”

But there was no way he would rise.

His eyes, wide with terror, held no trace of life.

“Anyone, please.”

I felt like I was going to die.

I wanted to collapse and lose consciousness right then and there.

But I forced myself to lift my head and look around.

A red sky, a red earth, red blood, endless waves of demons, and knights who had fallen fighting them.

This was hell.

“Anyone, please….”

Even so, Luri had a reason she couldn’t give up.

The purest, yet selfishly desperate reason in the world.

“Help Martin…!”

“Guh!”

Blood spurted out.

It was none other than Teacher Hectia.

She had taken the full brunt of a green beam of destruction fired by Brahmus from afar.

She didn’t look remotely fine.

Though she held her signature red greatsword, she was merely clutching it.

“Te-Teacher Hectia….”

“Luri of Elidore, is it?”

Teacher Hectia answered without turning back.

She, too, had reached her limit.

“Run… away.”

To where, exactly?

“With Martin….”

From this hell… to where?!

[Annoying… human…]

Clank. Clank.

The sound of chains echoed through a world filled with pained groans and the squelch of flesh.

Dozens of chain bundles lunged from multiple directions to bind Hectia.

By chance, Luri was within their range.

“Go…!”

Finally, Platinum Numbering No.1, the strongest of the Platinum Knights, Hectia, let go of her red greatsword.

Instead, she gently pushed Luri with her hand.

“To somewhere safe…!”

As Luri was shoved back, she saw it.

Hundreds of chains binding Hectia’s entire body.

By a paper-thin margin, Luri escaped their reach.

“Urgh!”

Bound entirely, Hectia was wrapped in chains that emitted an unholy green corruption instead of her fiery red aura.

Her pained expression became despair for those who witnessed it.

‘Teacher Hectia… lost.’

What now?

Even someone as great as her had fallen.

‘Gilbert’s group…’

They had long since been taken out.

Elisha, Bord, and Mary were swept away by the green beam.

Even Gilbert was pierced by Brahmus' spear and pinned to the Academy’s clock tower.

Lina, trying to save Gilbert, was flung to the edge of the barrier by Brahmus' gesture and collapsed.

‘Prince Kazaks!’

Kazaks, Muller, Shuga.

They tried to rally the cadets to hold back the swarm of lesser demons, but the sheer numbers were beyond human endurance.

‘Princess Adela! Emperor Anette!’

They were nowhere to be seen.

Who they were fighting or where, it wasn’t clear.

Only the corpses of the Shadow Knights and Defardly Knights were occasionally visible.

‘The teachers…!’

Gone.

No one was left.

Archery professor Faris was struck by Brahmus' axe, his fate unknown.

Exploration professor Jewel was last seen crushed under Brahmus' foot while drawing his attention.

Even herbology professor Villemon was caught in the green beam of destruction while healing the wounded.

‘It’s… impossible…!’

These were at least Gold Knights!

And there were hundreds of them at Imperium Academy!

Young Luri couldn’t help but think of one person.

‘Oh, Father…’

But Marquis Arnold was not here.

Another person came to mind.

‘Grandfather.’

The Star Child of the Peacemaker.

Since childhood, he had been a cheerful friend, and even as he aged, he hadn’t changed much.

Luri had only understood his mission and deeds to save the world intellectually.

Now, thinking back… he had been considerate of young me.

‘Martin.’

But as her first love, Martin, began to share his mission… Luri started to grasp the weight of that duty.

‘Martin.’

Ever since she fell in love with the boy named Martin, Luri had been consumed by one worry.

She wanted to stand by his side.

She wanted to become stronger.

‘Martin.’

But how.

‘Martin.’

Arrogant.

‘Martin.’

Foolish.

‘Martin.’

Ignorant she had been.

This place was hell.

Someone as mediocre as Luri could never survive here.

[Now, it’s been a while… a Platinum Knight to devour…. I wonder… what it tastes like…!]

Teacher Hectia, bound by chains, was being pulled toward Brahmus' maw.

From her body, faint but fiery mana surged.

[Ha! Still resisting! Let’s see… how long you can keep it up!]

‘Martin!’

After wandering like a madwoman, Luri finally found him.

Martin.

His body was covered in wounds.

He looked like he could die any moment, and it was a wonder he was even breathing.

Seeing his pitiful state, Luri felt tears well up, but there was no time to grieve.

“We have to escape…!”

She grabbed Martin’s arms and pulled, but he wouldn’t budge.

Exhausted, Luri collapsed.

[Kyaak!]

[Kreeeee!]

At that moment, lesser demons began charging again.

“Haa, haa!”

Luri sprang to her feet.

‘I can’t back down!’

She thought her heart had no mana left, but somehow, she squeezed out a little more.

What followed was a brawl.

She fired spells, then grappled with demons that got close.

For the first time, she sustained real wounds.

Their claws and teeth dug into her body, and she felt like crying.

Still, Luri endured with sheer grit and overcame them.

“Huff, ha.”

Luri tore off her necklace, earrings, and bracelet.

She had used up even the artifacts imbued with magic.

“Ah…”

Luri flinched, startled, as she saw the wounds on her body.

Her skin was slowly turning black.

Corruption and erosion.

The influence of demonic energy.

“Oh…”

It stung.

The pain was excruciating at first.

But in the end, she felt nothing.

‘I’m going to die.’

She was certain.

“Martin…”

She slowly reached out and shook Martin’s body.

“Get up…”

“Will shaking him like that make him rise?”

Golden boots kicked Martin’s thigh sharply.

Looking up, Luri saw Adela.

Her eyes widened at Adela’s state.

“P-Princess Adela, you…”

“What, got a problem with me?”

Adela’s entire body was drenched in blood.

Her posture was upright, her eyes clear, but her legs trembled, and her crossed arms shook.

Death shadowed beneath her eyes.

“How are you even moving?”

“Don’t talk like you’re any better, insolent Luri of Elidore.”

“You’re no different.”

To Adela, Luri looked like she could die any moment.

Adela could resist demonic corruption with her golden authority, but Luri had no such power.

Yet even that wasn’t surprising enough.

“…What a mess.”

Did they need to look around?

“The knight corps is annihilated, the Academy’s esteemed teachers are down.”

“Some were devoured.”

“Even the invincible Hectia has fallen.”

“And still no word from the outside.”

Did they need to wake him?

“Why are you trying to wake Martin?”

“We have to escape.”

“…It might be better to let him close his eyes here.”

“What are you saying?!”

That meant letting him die, didn’t it?!

Furious, Luri glared at Adela.

“….”

But she couldn’t say anything.

Adela’s eyes, tinged with madness, held resignation.

“There’s no way to turn this around.”

“….”

“Our deaths are only a matter of time.”

“….”

“Rather… rather than causing Martin more pain… I’m saying let him go peacefully.”

“….”

This was Adela’s love.

She could burn herself with a smile, but for the one she loved, her heart softened like she was handling a baby bird.

With no hope left, she wanted to spare her beloved a painful end.

“That’s nonsense.”

“….”

“It’s just taking time to break the barrier for support.”

“We can’t give up!”

“We have to wake Martin and escape somehow!”

This was Luri’s love.

Betrayed by her friend Helaine and saved by Martin from the brink of death, she wanted to save him.

Somehow.

Even in darkness with no glimmer of hope.

“….”

“….”

Adela and Luri’s gazes met.

Both had voiced their opinions, but the reality was they didn’t have the strength to move a single step.

They could collapse and die any moment.

“Both of you…”

“Martin! Are you okay?!”

“You’re awake!”

Martin opened his eyes.

What world was reflected in his eyes?

This red hell.

The ruined Imperium Academy?

The dead teachers and knights?

Or Hectia, bound and resisting demonic corruption?

“What… happened…?”

“Well…”

“Hmm…”

Luri and Adela couldn’t continue.

This reality was too devastating.

But even without their words, one thing was clear.

Martin’s eyes saw the red world… and the two girls who looked like they could die any moment.

The shock of seeing the once-proud Adela and vibrant Luri so battered was another blow to Martin.

‘I did everything I could.’

I had done all I could.

In the final moment, I even unleashed all my senses through Wild Instinct to resist, but I was struck down futilely by the green photon cannon.

‘I really tried so hard.’

Was it not enough?

To face this calamity.

Everything I had prepared.

‘Lies.’

It was so unfair, so infuriating, that I felt like crying.

No, tears were already falling.

Was this how I’d meet my end in this world?

Oh, what about Lilac?

What happened to Lilac?

“Martin…”

“….”

Luri and Adela could only watch him silently.

‘We can’t give up…!’

Lilac might still be alive.

Until the very last moment, let’s struggle.

“You two, take these…”

Martin’s hand twitched.

He meant to rummage through the magical pouch Nerjin had made inside his cadet uniform, but he was stuck like he was nailed down.

“…Hound Mode.”

The black bracelet on my left hand dispersed into mist, wrapping around my arm, and the Black Knight’s armor enveloped me.

This wasn’t the time to worry about prying eyes.

[Wearer’s condition is critical. Minimal movement assistance provided.]

It wasn’t my muscles moving, but the Black Knight’s armor moving my arm by reading my thoughts.

I pulled two items from inside the cadet uniform.

“Take them.”

In this situation, there was no time to ask why, so Adela took a blackened, unrefined hierophant, and Luri took a charred piece of charcoal.

“…?”

“…?”

If it weren’t Martin, they would’ve said something.

Adela, looking at the hierophant with a face that screamed how dare you give me such a shoddy item, asked after some thought.

“What is this?”

“You’ll know when you use it.”

“It’s called the Desert Hierophant.”

“…?”

They wouldn’t understand.

That’s normal.

The Nature Five were legendary even in civilizations far predating the Cosmos Empire.

Luri’s reaction wasn’t much different.

Her eyes, looking at the charcoal, seemed to say, is this how you see me?

“Um, Martin. This is…?”

“That’s… the Traces of the Flame that Illuminated the Primordial.”

Honestly, I don’t even know what it is.

Like my Diamond Bullet, Nerjin’s scroll, and Savo’s secret swordsmanship manual, it was an item from the Extra Privilege Item Shop.

A gift prepared by the system, by this world, for Luri.

“For now…”