Episodes 125. Fallen Rose

All of the Teacher's pageblug activated and prepared to face the thing that coming.

"So, what's our plan?"

"We have two options: either I take myself and the other two away from the crowd, or we evacuate the people around." Haran offered her plan despite the apparent pain in her chest.

"Wait! Why do you have to go too?!" Xander narrowed his eyes in shock.

Tasya who was just there, now looked suspiciously at Haran as well.

"Heh (sneering), alright, I'll explain..." There is no burden in trying to explain it all. "Both I, Sophia, and Dahlia... are affected by CODE magic."

"CODE magic?!" Even Erika, who was with Haran, was shocked.

This information seemed to have been hidden by Haran from the start. She didn't want anyone to know she was affected by such cheap magic.

"How to explain it? It's a kind of special magic possessed by only a few people, and I'm sure the person who has this magic got it from someone else." As she said that, Haran thought of Rasyid's face receiving something mysterious from that old granny.

"Magic that's not elemental?!" Samuel added a question. "Is this magic like the kind that will be upgraded soon?!"

"(Shaking head)... This magic is not just any ordinary magic; it has nothing to do with Anitya at all." As she said this, some doubt still accompanied the teacher.

"From your tone, it seems you don't fully understand this magic." (Xander)

Smiling disdainfully, Haran looked down on the prince. "This world of magic is still full of mysteries, just like this immortality technology."

"Don't tell me..." Xander recalled his fight with Rasyid the previous night.

He remembered how his magic had no effect on that man at all.

From this thought alone, Xander realized the root of all these problems.

Sophia and Dahlia...

Xander remembered the names of the two students; they suddenly changed after Rasyid's arrival, especially Dahlia, who was supposed to like the student council president but suddenly turned to become Rasyid's girlfriend. Puzzle pieces started to form, and he immediately turned to Haran.

Was Haran also affected by the same magic? She had indeed been seen close to that man these past few days.

As he pondered this, Xander recalled last night's incident.

Flying shoes...

He knew who created them, but he still didn't know it was already a prototype.

"What do you want to ask me, Xander?" Haran noticed the prince's questioning eyes.

"No-nothing... It's just, do you also have that magic (CODE magic)?"

"Heh (shaking head)..."

Haran knew why the prince suddenly asked that. The shoes she made clearly had a CODE Magic core, but it wasn't from her, it was from someone else.

To be honest, I didn't even realize it at the time; I only just realized it when my chest started to hurt and forced to obey someone's desires. (Haran)

"By the way, why did you choose us, not your friends from 3rd-year magic class?" Tasya now took her turn to ask.

"Almost all of them are researchers; I don't want this problem attracting their attention." Haran looked down and stared at the school terrace floor. Especially that one, Zarbeth Paniati. That was the name Haran least wanted to know. If she found out, Haran might be labeled a traitor.

....

"It seems this Q&A session should end now..." Haran clutched her chest more tightly. "This pain is too much for teenagers."

With the teacher's command, the five of them left the terrace and went to where the two students were.

....

A tense atmosphere still pervaded the school.

Dahlia and Sophia, who were beginning to feel overwhelming pain, not only that, but also a sense of anger, were taken to the school clinic for examination.

Students and teachers still didn't understand what was happening.

In a panic, the teachers tried some medical treatments, but nothing worked. They also tried some modern technology machines to ease the pain, but the results were still zero.

In the corner near the door, an old woman watched the two students with sharp eyes and folded arms.

"Is this your doing, Nova?"

With a gloomy expression, Zarbeth watched the two students. She still remembered about Nova sending spies to this school, and she believed this was the work of those spies.

"If only CODE magic never existed..." Tears of regret started to fall from her cheeks. Though not directly involved, Zarbeth felt very guilty for what her friend had done. "If only you hadn't chased after your husband's dream that was just to fulfill someone else's wish..." Zarbeth held back the next sentence. "...That was just the wish of an ancient person. He had been dead for over 700 years, but why were you so stubborn to realize it?"

In the midst of an old creature's sad drama, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed loudly.

The steps sounded tack! with great calm but full of determination. Among the many footsteps, Zarbeth recognized one of them.

"Haran, what do you want?"

As she said that, Zarbeth turned toward the door beside her. At that moment, she immediately saw the elegant adult face with long black hair and glaring red eyes.

Zarbeth realized Haran was acting a bit. She knew the woman was enduring pain but didn't want to show it.

"What do you want by coming here?"

"Let me take both of them away from here."

"Why?"

When asked, Haran fell silent, still trying to find a reason. If it were someone else, they might not have noticed, but Zarbeth had been with Haran since this school was founded. Small lies would be easily detected between them.

"It seems lying to you won't bear any results."

"Can't you explain the reason?"

"No, but I'll still take them." Haran brought her chakram closer to the old woman's neck.

*Ctang!

But very quickly, Zarbeth parried and deflected the woman's weapon. Her oak staff with a dragon head-shaped tip glowed and was gripped firmly by the old woman.

She assumed a ready stance.

"If you say that, then I'll say the same. I'll still hold them until you explain."

Haran sneered and looked down on the old, self-righteous woman.

On the other hand, Zarbeth already knew what would happen next.

"Come out, you all want to beat me too, right?"

After shouting, two men and two women revealed themselves with activated Pageblug.

Seeing the four teachers, Zarbeth sharpened her eyes and gripped her staff tighter. She became even more convinced that the spy was indeed her.

"So it is like that, huh?" Zarbeth was a bit disappointed with Haran for betraying.

Or-

Unfortunately, her thoughts were interrupted by something. The old woman felt something different from Haran. Her eyes were immediately fixed on the woman's eyes.

When she looked, Haran's eyes showed no light at all, and she seemed to act not of her own will.

The old woman's hair stood on end even more after seeing that, and it seemed the four teachers hadn't yet realized the woman's true state. She was completely controlled by someone's emotions.

"You four, stay away from Haran! She's already-" Zarbeth tried to warn the four teachers, but something happened before she could finish her sentence.

SLASH!

Haran swung her chakram backward and attacked Xander, who was nearby. The swing hit Xander's hand holding the rapier.

Instantly, his hand, still holding the weapon, fell to the floor, leaving Xander staring in shock.

Xander, who became Haran's first victim, hadn't reacted at all, but it didn't last long.

"GYAHHHHH!" Xander clutched his severed hand, feeling immense pain even though he had been severed several times before. This time, the pain was very different; the pain he was experiencing now was fatal.

"Xander-!" Before Erika could react, Haran instantly darted and swung her chakram at the woman's neck.

"I won't let you!" Realizing the great danger, Zarbeth quickly raised her staff and tried to activate a spell.

*WHOOSH!

Haran's body froze and didn't seem like it could move anytime soon.

"Run!" Not wanting to waste the opportunity, Zarbeth ordered everyone to leave the place.

Xander could still run normally, but Erika had to be carried by Samuel as they moved away because the woman was unconscious.