The Villain is Too Good at Sniping

28. Banshee (2)

The door burst open. The wooden door, which had been creaking, fell to the ground.

Kyle, who had broken the door with his body, had already lost his composure and drew his sword, charging at the man in front of him.

However, the man, who had revealed himself as “Eltus,” remained unmoved, as if he didn’t notice Kyle’s approach.

It was as if they were in different spaces, and the man showed no interest in Kyle.

Kyle’s momentary sense of unease subsided, and he swung his sword. The sword slash cut through the man’s shoulder.

The sword slash that flew towards the man’s shoulder smoothly passed through his body. Kyle’s eyebrows trembled belatedly.

Pfft…

The man disappeared, as if he had been an illusion from the start. Kyle’s sword was stabbing into thin air.

On the other hand, the bound maid was still intact. As Kyle cautiously approached her.

“Don’t interfere.”

The maid, who had regained consciousness, grabbed Kyle’s wrist.

Although she had clearly lost consciousness, the maid stood up as if she were dusting off her body, shaking off the rusty chains that had bound her. The chains turned to dust and disappeared.

“…….”

The Grand Saint Cathedral. In that place, still shrouded in darkness, Kyle and the maid stood facing each other.

Kyle couldn’t understand the situation. What was reality, and what was an illusion? He couldn’t distinguish anymore.

The maid facing him floated in the air. Her face, hidden by her hair, was invisible.

The maid’s figure, floating in the air, flickered. Her dark red hair turned blue, and she transformed into a completely different being.

“We’ll borrow this child’s body to take revenge. We’ll burn that rotten Arsen to the ground.”

That figure was one Kyle knew well.

…Lara Stillheid. Now, her body was possessed, a tragic student.

“…Is it revenge?”

“It’s not exactly revenge, but purification.”

Kail stood facing her, while Lara Steelhaiden gazed down at him calmly.

“You’re going to borrow someone’s body to burn Arsene? You know that won’t leave anything behind, right?”

“How do you know that?”

Kail looked at his watch, which seemed to be broken and not functioning. That’s why he couldn’t understand what Sion had sent him.

In the end, Kail bowed his head.

From now on, he had to move forward on his own. He couldn’t rely on Sion’s help forever.

“Evil will eventually be punished. Past events are just that – past.”

“But Eltus Van Zigheim hasn’t been punished yet.”

“So, you’re going to take revenge yourself? By taking the bodies of innocent students?”

“No.”

Lara Steelhaiden shook her head. Her calm and cold tone gradually turned neutral.

“It’s not me, but ‘us’.”

It was an enigmatic answer. Kail reflexively looked at Lara Steelhaiden. Behind her, numerous shadows fluttered.

Their faces were unclear, but they all wore the same uniform.

There were men and women, dressed in butler and maid attire. Among them were children who seemed to be around the same age as Kail, who had just entered Arsene.

“Arsene won’t change. It’s already rotten to the core. Arsene needs purification.”

“No, that’s not purification. You’re taking the bodies of innocent students, that’s not it.”

Lara Steelhaiden, still possessed, gazed down at Kail. Kail looked up at her, but there was no fear in his eyes.

“That’s not purification, but just venting your anger.”

Snap—

The sound of Lara Steelhaiden grinding her teeth was heard.

“What can you do? You just entered the school, what do you know, and what are you trying to do, interfering with us?”

“You don’t know what’s going on in this Arsene.”

“There was no one who could defy the previous butler. In secret, kidnapping and brainwashing experiments took place, and no one stopped them. Everyone conformed to the present and overlooked Arsene’s injustices.”

“Many people were sacrificed. Those who died were buried in the gray zone, and on top of that, a research facility was built. No one was interested in us, and we died without receiving anyone’s help.”

Lara Steelhaiden raised both arms, and numerous hands appeared behind her.

“As a result, we were born. If we have a sin, it’s that we lived by hiding. We want to take revenge, to atone, but we can’t.”

Kail just listened to Lara Steelhaiden’s words.

The being in front of him was not a single entity. It was a mass of vengeful spirits who couldn’t rest in peace.

Kail looked at Lara. He faced the hundreds of vengeful spirits embedded in her blue eyes.

“Even so, your method is wrong. It won’t work that way.”

Kail stood up. Still holding his sword, he approached Lara Steelhaiden.

“There are students at Arsene who are suffering because of your actions. What sin do they have? You’re repeating the past.”

“There’s no other way, is there? While the villain who committed evil is still alive, how can we turn a blind eye? There’s no one else who can punish the villain.”

“No, there is.”

Kail shook his head.

“So, spare the other students.”

“What’s going on?”

“There might be people who are unfairly sacrificed, just like you said. Maybe right now, someone is suffering.”

“That’s why you’re stopping us? That’s a contradiction.”

But—

Kyle interrupts.

“I can promise you one thing. Not everyone is just a bystander. Just look at the friends who came with me; they’re fighting against you, aren’t they?”

“Maybe we’re just beginners, just like you said. We don’t know what’s ahead, and we’re just reckless, just like you said. But because of that, there are people who were saved. From Chanelia’s observatory to Titania and Aden’s observatory, there are students who were injured, but not a single one died, and that’s the proof.”

“Look, there are people trying to prevent tragedy from happening right now. Even if it’s just a small power, it might be necessary for someone, just like you did.”

“Of course, it might not seem like it right now. It might be too small to make a difference, and it might crumble like a sandcastle in an instant.”

Kyle stands in front of Lara Steelhyden.

“But there were people who worked hard regardless of the outcome.”

For example, there were students who challenged Serin Anett during the entrance exam.

“There were people who were startled by the sudden screams and came out.”

When the screams first started, there were people who opened the door and came out. The result might not have been good, but their intentions couldn’t be considered malicious.

“There were people who willingly sacrificed themselves to get me this far.”

Like Sion El’heart and Airi De Sugamon, who summoned spirits on the dormitory roof.

“As a result, I’m standing here, facing you.”

Kyle speaks humbly.

“Of course, there might be people who didn’t receive any help. There might be people who need help right now. We can’t save everyone, but at least we can save those within our reach.”

“…….”

“If there’s an evil person trying to harm someone, there’s also a kind person trying to save them. It might not seem like it right now, but eventually—”

Lara Steelhyden looks down at Kyle with an emotionless, dry gaze. Kyle, on the other hand, looks up at her with a warm, gentle gaze.

“Maybe, one by one, we can change this Arsendo that you resent.”

……The illusion disappears.

The Grand Saint Cathedral returns to its original form.

Kyle still stands facing Lara Steelhyden, his sword still raised. He maintains eye contact with Lara.

The main body of Vanshee, which was invisible until now, flickers like a will-o’-the-wisp. But instead of attacking it, Kyle calmly puts down his sword.

Lara still stands like a doll without emotions. However, a single tear flows silently from her lifeless blue eyes.

“Then…….”

“…….”

“I’ll keep watching.”

Those were his last words. The faint, flickering aura slowly disperses and eventually disappears.

The ominous, unsettling atmosphere that had been lingering also disappears. Kyle watches as Vanshee disappears.

He feels a sense of relief and a hint of doubt.

All he did was say what he could, speaking sincerely to the spirits without any embellishments, just like he had spoken to the souls.

……!

At that moment, Lara Steelhyden, who had been swaying, collapses. She still hasn’t regained consciousness.

Elin is half-unconscious, and Esili and Aria rush in late.

Ding!

A message from Sion arrived. Kyle sat on the floor, reading the message.

[Sion: You did well.]

A short message with just one sentence. But to Kyle, it was the most reassuring words.

As soon as he read the message, all the tension in his body dissipated. The physical strain he had been maintaining finally relaxed.

It was several minutes later that the professors, who had grasped the situation, arrived at the dormitory.

***

The ghost incident that occurred in the first-year dormitory finally subsided in the morning.

Thanks to the efforts of students led by Serin Anett and Kyle Ivanstear, only a few people were injured, and no one was seriously hurt.

By the time the professors and the dormitory staff, who were late to grasp the situation, arrived, the main culprit, Vanshee, had already been subdued.

It was said that they were delayed in responding to the situation because they were checking the facilities inside the student council building before the first class.

Things couldn’t have turned out this way. The damage was minimized because there were brave students who took action.

“Kyle Ivanstear, and Serin Anett.”

“Yes!”

The dormitory staff bowed their heads at the entrance of the Chanelia Hall. The passing students stopped in shock at the unfamiliar sight.

“Thanks to you, the damage was not severe. Thank you.”

“We just did what was natural as Arsen’s students.”

“Of course. However, you set an example for other students, so you will be rewarded.”

At that moment, Kyle suddenly raised his hand.

“Sir, what about Sion, who is not here?”

“The same applies to students who are not here.”

Kyle, Serin Anett, and the students who helped prevent the damage were rewarded. Sion Illeonhart, who was not present, was also the same.

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……And in the hospital room.

“Huh…?”

Lara Steilhaiden woke up to the chilly morning breeze.

“What…?”

Her body was bandaged all over, and her hands were covered with multiple bandages.

Lara Steilhaiden’s sudden movement caused the hospital bed to shake. When she lifted the curtain with one hand, she saw a white wall.

It was a pure white hospital room.

There were other students around her, all lying on hospital beds, but only Lara was conscious.

Her memories were hazy. The more she tried to recall, the more her headache worsened.

She had no idea why she was there or how she got injured. As she tried to operate her watch on her wrist, the hospital door opened, and a man entered.

“…Are you awake now?”

His face was someone she had met before.

“You’re definitely him, Sion…….”

“Illyeon Heart.”

“…….”

Sion Illyeon Heart, like himself, was a idol trainee. No, maybe even more so.

While he was just lying in bed with a band-aid on his forehead, Sion had a cast on one arm and two band-aids on his face.

“…What happened?”

“Well, it’s a long story, but to sum it up, you were possessed.”

“Me?”

Lara Steelhyden asked, taken aback by the sudden statement.

“Those students lying there, they’re all because of you.”

“Oh, that… Yes……?”

“Well, it’s not something to think about right now, so don’t worry.”

Lara Steelhyden only then noticed the ring on her finger. All her other belongings were on the table, but only this ring was on her hand.

“Thanks to that ring, I was able to regain my senses quickly.”

As Sion gazed at the ring carelessly, Lara quickly hid her hand.

“Why did you come to find me?”

“Just because.”

“…?”

“Just because I thought you might still be unconscious.”

That incomprehensible kindness made Lara feel only unfamiliarity.

“I’m fine. I just want to rest alone for a bit. I have a lot to think about.”

“Alright, alright.”

Sion neatly retreated. It seemed he had only come to check on her condition, just as he said.

The hospital room door closed, and Lara took out her hand again, leaning against the pillow for a while.

“…….”

For a while, she stared at the ring on her ring finger.

[Main Quest Complete: The Haunting of the Dormitory]

Reward calculation begins based on the number of survivors……

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Reward calculation complete

▶Gather 4 or more party members: Total party members 9 (Complete)

▶Clear within 5 hours: Time taken 02:47:12 (Complete)

▶Uncover the truth behind the haunting: Original Sin Banshee (Complete)

▶Number of 1st-year survivors: 257/257

▶Total deaths: 0

◇Basic Reward: All stat points +0.27

◇Additional Reward: Magic bonus +25.7% based on the number of survivors

◇Bonus Reward for Achieving Additional Goals: Talent experience +200

Comprehensive Evaluation: A

The popularity of ‘Lara Stilhaiden’ increases slightly.