Chapter 11: Field Trip(4)

The second floor of the lodging facility was in ruins. Walls were shattered, the floor was littered with debris, and the air was thick with dust. Luciel stood amidst the chaos, his body battered and his breathing ragged. Across from him, the C-rank enemy loomed, his broadsword gleaming with malevolent energy. The man smirked, his confidence unshaken despite the fierce resistance Luciel had put up.

"You're tougher than I expected, kid," the man said, his voice dripping with mockery. "But you're still out of your league."

Luciel didn't respond. His body ached, his mana reserves were dwindling, and his movements were growing slower. But his eyes burned with determination and rage.

The enemy lunged, his broadsword slicing through the air with terrifying speed. Luciel barely managed to dodge, the blade grazing his side and drawing blood. He countered with a burst of light, but the enemy deflected it effortlessly, the force of the impact sending Luciel crashing through three different walls. His body ached and his consciousness was already slipping, but he held on. 

The fight dragged on, each clash more brutal than the last. Luciel's mana usage grew more intense, his control over it sharper and more precise. But it wasn't enough. The C rank enemy was relentless, his attacks growing more ferocious as he sensed Luciel's weakening state.

Five minutes into the fight, Luciel made a critical mistake. He overextended, leaving himself open for a split second. The enemy seized the opportunity, his broadsword slamming into Luciel's chest with devastating force. The impact sent Luciel flying through the air, his body smashing through the floor.

He landed hard on the first floor, the impact sending a shockwave through the room. Dust and debris rained down around him as he struggled to his feet. His body felt like it was on fire, every movement sending waves of pain through him. Aria and the group were startled by the sudden appearance of Luciel, even other professors were surprised that someone was still alive on the second floor.

The system notifications flooded his mind, but he barely had time to register them before overwhelming pain surged through his body. Luciel's body underwent a rapid transformation, his cells rebuilding themselves from the inside out; even his bones seemed to harden. After a few moments, the pain that had been consuming him vanished, replaced by a euphoric sense of power. His mana flowed freely, like a dam had burst, and his senses sharpened to an almost supernatural degree. 

For a moment, everything went still. Then, as the dust began to settle, a surge of energy erupted from the debris, turning it into powder.

A system notification appeared in his mind:

[Awakening Completion Rate: 100%]

[Divinity Stat Increased by +10]

[Angelic body awakened!]

Luciel rose from the debris, his body glowing with an otherworldly light. His wounds had healed, his mana reserves were replenished, and his aura was stronger than ever. He didn't hesitate. Before Aria or Arthuria managed to reach Luciel to check if he was okay, he smashed through the ceiling, returning to the second floor in a flash of light.

The C-rank enemy barely had time to react before Luciel was upon him. Their clash was a blur of light and steel, the force of their attacks shaking the building to its foundation. The clash ended quickly as it began, and the final outcome was that the C rank enemy smashed flying through the whole building. Along him vanished half of the west wing of the building.

Luciel stepped back to the first floor, ignoring all the looks he was getting. He walked through the collapsed building and arrived before the C rank enemy, who was lying unconscious outside the building.

He walked over to the unconscious enemy, his footsteps echoing in the sudden silence. Without a word, he placed his foot on the man's neck and applied pressure. There was a sickening crunch, and the enemy's body went still.

Luciel exhaled, his body trembling with exhaustion. He sat down on the dead man's chest, his mind racing as he tried to process everything that had just happened. The fight had pushed him to his limits, but it had also unlocked something within him—something powerful and primordial.

As he sat there, waiting for reinforcements, it wasn't long before a sudden, overwhelming aura blanketed the entire premises, so intense that it felt like the world itself was collapsing on itself. Luciel was sure that if the aura was focused on him, he would die from the crushing weight of its pressure. Luciel looked up just as bolts of divine lightning struck the ground, obliterating the remaining attackers in an instant and reducing the remaining parts of the building to ashes. Even Vlad Crimsonveil, the S-rank villain, was reduced to ash, his blood magic useless against the sheer power of the attack.

Then, Luciel noticed a figure flying in the air. He was very familiar with this person, but currently, he looked so different from his normal gentle appearance. The person who had arrived was Gabriel Augustus, but right now, he looked like the god of lighting as he hovered in the air, still minute amounts of lighting crackling around him.

Shortly after, Gabriel descended to the ground and checked on the students and professors. His face crumbled as he saw the number of students and professors who had died in this horrific attack. Out of the 113 students who had participated in this trip, only 29 survived, and out of the 13 professors, 4 sacrificed their lives. 

He walked to Arthuria and took him into an embrace, " I'm so glad that you are fine, my darling."

Arthuria seemed to be surprised by the emotion Gabriel was showing, but after a moment of hesitation, she hugged him back. Then, after a moment of silence, they separated, and Arthuria asked worriedly, " Where's Luciel? Is he okay?"

Gabriel smiled and pointed towards the Luciel who was sitting on the body in the distance. Arthuria was clearly as he rushed towards him with Aria, Professor Jadestar, and Gabriel following quickly behind. 

When Luciel heard someone rushing toward him, he looked up. Suddenly, Arthuria and the company paused; something was different about Luciel. His eyes, which had once been radiant blue, had turned into a pair of golden orbs that burned like stars. Also, his skin had become visibly paler, and all the imperfections on his skin had vanished. Also, there was a different kind of aura around him, blazing with the intensity of a blossoming star.

"Are you okay?" Aria asked hesitantly. Luciel simply nodded and staggered onto his feet, his expression down. He blamed himself for not being able to save more students. If he had the same kind of absolute strength that Gabriel had demonstrated, he could have ended all of this without even moving his hand.

Arthuria and Aria rushed to support him, as he clearly couldn't stand without support. None of them questioned him about his changed looks, clearly reading the room and feeling Luciel's melancholic feelings. 

Gabriel patted Luciel on the shoulder and said comfortingly, " Don't blame yourself for this; there was nothing you could have done differently." Luciel didn't answer; he simply nodded his head, but something had changed inside him without him even realising it. All the killing and blood he had seen today had numbed his emotions to a degree that was almost impossible even for an experienced assassin to reach.

Within minutes of Gabriel's arrival, the sound of approaching vehicles filled the air. A convoy of Union forces arrived on the scene, their vehicles emblazoned with the emblem of the Union. Medics, soldiers, and high-ranking officials poured out, their faces grim as they took in the devastation.

The medics immediately sprang into action, rushing to the injured students and professors. Aria, who was still bleeding despite Arthuria's earlier efforts, was quickly attended to. A medic applied advanced healing magic to her wound, stabilizing her condition before she was carefully loaded onto a stretcher and taken to a waiting ambulance.

"Stay strong, Aria," Arthuria said, her voice trembling as she watched her friend being carried away. "We'll see you soon."

Luciel watched silently, his golden eyes unreadable. He wanted to say something, to reassure Arthuria, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, he simply stood there, his body still trembling with exhaustion.

Other students and professors were also receiving medical attention. Those with minor injuries were treated on-site, while the more seriously injured were transported to nearby hospitals. The medics worked with practiced efficiency, their movements calm and deliberate despite the chaos around them.

Gabriel, meanwhile, was coordinating with the Union officials. "Secure the perimeter," he ordered. "I want a full report on what happened here. And make sure the survivors are taken care of—they've been through enough."

The officials nodded, their expressions serious. "Yes, Headmaster. We'll handle everything."

As the Union forces continued their work, the survivors were gradually moved to a safe location. Arthuria stayed close to Luciel, her presence a silent comfort. Despite everything, she knew they had to keep moving forward.

The events of the night would soon reach the news, sending shockwaves through the human domain. The attack on Celestia Academy's field trip would be seen as a direct challenge to the Union's authority, and doubts about their ability to protect the people would begin to fester.