Arknights, but the sickly pretty girl starts

And now, the entire academy is burning.

They had been in chaos and attacked each other, but the moment they saw hope, they united.

They began to cast spells and integrate everyone's power. Sparks were collected, and under the guidance of Viviana and Brent, these sparks turned into brilliance.

They are not the Golden Rule Guards. No matter how many there are, they cannot replace the other nine Golden Rule Guards. However, nothing is absolute.

Standing atop the tower, Frémont smiled faintly. He had seen it all, of course. He had seen the coronation ceremony atop the tower, the burning Ludwig University, and finally, the students standing together. These dusty faces, each holding their own magic units high, were working together to activate the true [Curtain]. It was sheer folly!

Frémont stretched out his hand—like a tuner, blending all these chaotic spells into one with his fingers.

In front of everyone, golden light enveloped everyone, and the concentrated power repaired the curtain. It was the brilliance of everyone working together, and even the black flames of the Witch King could not corrode it.

With the light and fire of everyone, Ludwig's students worked together and, under the guidance of Viviana and Brent, finally suppressed the black flames overflowing from the ground.

"...Teacher, is this what you wanted to see?" At this moment, a crack appeared behind Frémont, and Ermengarde finally returned. "A veil... No, this is no longer a veil. What kind of magic is this? I've never seen it before."

"Who knows? I just re-wrote it according to those idiots' ideas." Frémont laughed. "These fools, idiots, a bunch of idiots, worked together to weave this magic. Perhaps we should call it the Wall of Fools."

"Teacher, I picked this up when I came here just now." Ermengarde took out a sign. It was the sign of Ludwig University that had fallen to the ground earlier. Now, it was shining brightly under the golden waves that covered the sky.

"We did it! We did it!"

"We successfully suppressed the Witch King's flames!! We are heroes!"

"Long live Ludwig University!!"

"I'm not dreaming... We actually suppressed the Witch King's flames. Will we be written into the school history?"

"Your vision is just that low! We will go down in history, not just the school!"

The students cheered. They had indeed achieved something their predecessors had failed to do, but perhaps this wasn't so surprising. Because Originium techniques themselves were different from the so-called bloodlines of the gods and people. They weren't innate powers, nor were they defined by bloodlines. They were systematic and constantly evolving. There was no such thing as "older, stronger"; even though it had only been about twenty years, the ever-changing techniques still destroyed old traditions.

This is the key to their magic being able to combine with each other, and it is also the reason why they can suppress the Black Flame of the Witch King.

The Witch King's magic has been studied for twenty years - it is no longer the most advanced theory. It is based on the past and is destined to be defeated by the future.

Perhaps the Witch King will be defeated, perhaps Ludwig University will disappear.

But the technique itself is invincible.

"Stop arguing! All of you, get out of here right now! This isn't the place for you youngsters!" At that moment, Frémont suddenly appeared in the crowd, shouting, "One or two of you, are you so happy just because you defeated an old-fashioned technique? You've learned nothing? Get out of here right now!"

"Professor!" Flemont's appearance immediately sobered these people up. Indeed, after helping Brant suppress Blackfire, they should have left. Although they had indeed accomplished a miracle, after all, these people were just students.

With great passion, they have done the best they can.

"Yes! Professor!"

After calming down, they also realized that they could only be a drag on the battlefield.

"You should leave first. As long as I'm here, the Witch King's power won't be able to spread to the outside world." Brant also spoke. "And... Your Excellency the Elector, you should also..."

"The candle will eventually go out. It's good enough to choose a more meaningful moment." However, at this moment, Viviana couldn't leave. "I still have things to do. I need to find my friends. I won't leave at this time."

"……you……"

"Viviana, I will be responsible for getting these students out safely." At this time, Ermengarde finally arrived and said, "Miss Noa is in your care."

"Come on, Miss Ermengarde. Please protect yourself and these young people. You have a future...that people like me can't even dream of."

Witnessing the combined magic of the students, Viviana thought once again of Noya. Would she have done better if she were here? Now, Noya was in that tower, she must be fighting too. She had to support her... She had to be her strength. That was the agreement!

Ermengarde led the students to evacuate, and after they did, others finally appeared. These people wore black or white cloaks with emblems on them. These people... were the sorcerers of the Queen's Tower. They surrounded the Sonata Tower, and Korra led them. They were there for a single reason.

"The Queen commands, Your Excellency the Law Guard, we will assist you in resolving the problem here."

"Alright. Use your Originium skills to perform with me." Brandt nodded, the black flames suppressed. "I will tighten the curtain."

"...Wait a minute, there are other people in the tower!"

"The only ones still in the tower are the remnants of the Witch King."

"No! Noah! Noah is still in the tower!" Viviana was really panicked this time. Once the curtain shrank, the entire tower and everything inside would disappear.

"Viviana, now is not the time to hesitate. This is the best opportunity to eliminate this threat."

"The price is the lives of innocent people! She entered this tower to save us too!"

"...It was her own choice to go deep into the battlefield."

Although Brent said this, he was also glad in his heart... Fortunately, Viviana was not in there.

He is the Golden Rule Guardian of Leitania. The sword and magic of the Golden Rule Guardian belong only to the Golden Rule and Leitania.

So even if he had to be hated by Viviana for the rest of his life... he had to make a choice.

"shrink!"

Chapter 43: It’s Raining

The curtain began to shrink, and Viviana wanted to step forward to stop Brandt's actions, but her actions were quickly stopped by the Queen Warlock beside her.

"Please consider the greater good, Your Excellency the Elector. Do not act in a way that would bring shame upon your family name."

"Shame? There's no reason for her to sacrifice herself for Leitania! She's not even Leitanian! Is letting an innocent person sacrifice herself for Leitania what you call putting the greater good first?! You took my father away, you took my past away! And now you want to take my friend away? There's still time, Brent! Please believe me! I will bring her back! Please!"

Viviana struggled madly. She couldn't accept it. She didn't want to accept it. For Leitania? But what reason did Noah have to sacrifice himself for Leitania?

"…I'm sorry, Viviana."

Brent lowered his eyes. He knew that after this, there was no possibility for him and Viviana to repair their relationship, but this was his duty - as a Golden Rule Guardian, his sword and magic existed only for Leithnia.

Loyalty and friendship are ultimately difficult to achieve both.

-

The outer walls of the Sonata Tower had begun to tremble as the veil contracted. This tower had been built by the Sorcerer King himself, and with the support of the magic he left behind, even the veil would be nearly impossible to destroy in a short period of time. However, the magic derived from the Golden Rule was still very powerful. According to Noya's estimation, in about two or three minutes, the outer walls would be annihilated, and finally the entire Sonata Tower would be obliterated by the veil. It was a decisive move, and Leithaniya's reaction was very fast...

Although he was still in it, Noah himself was not panicked at all. After all, strictly speaking, the real Golden Rule music was now in his hands.

This legendary magic core, arguably the foundation of the Leithania nation, now lay in her hands, transformed into a crown. If Noya said she wasn't curious, she'd be lying. For any sorcerer, this was a huge temptation. And now, she lifted it with ease, as if holding a bouquet of flowers. The crown was so light, it felt almost weightless. Within, countless golden threads intertwined, and she could even hear the faint sound of music.

She was now...holding Leitania in her arms.

Gerhard and the others didn't dare to breathe, just waiting for the reincarnated Witch King in their minds to make the judgment. They were not worried about the veil of the outside world at all - magic of this level would be vulnerable in front of the Witch King.

Two or three minutes... The possibility of analyzing the Golden Rule music within two or three minutes is very low, so the best way for me... maybe it is really as the teacher said, accept the teacher's gift in full and become the true successor to the Witch King.

Although she had refused once, now, it was obvious... the situation was completely different.

She had to consider whether she could become the [Witch-King], or the [Second Witch-King]. She was not a Leithanian, and it was unlikely that she would get the support of the nobles. Probably only Viviana would support her. Even if her teacher paved the way for her, she did not think she could be a good king.

...Teacher...you really gave me a big problem...

Anyway... let's get rid of the curtain outside first. We can't let Mr. Black Key and these remnants of the Witch King die in a place like this, right?

Noah raised his hand, and the dice operated by the black key magic suddenly stopped in mid-air, and then fell to the ground one after another as if they had lost all their power. This angry attack was finally resolved lightly. Even in Noah's eyes, Franz's magic was too sophisticated, too focused on power, and full of troubles unique to the classical school. It seemed that he had never considered that no one would give him so much time to prepare in actual combat.

It's perfectly normal to be easily resolved...

In order to prevent this guy from continuing to hurt himself, Noah waved his hand and used mental shock to make Franz faint.

However, he may not be so harmless in the eyes of others. Anyway, this move makes the remnants of the Witch King seem even more fanatical. They can easily destroy other spells, and even a look or a gesture can make the spirit of an excellent warlock collapse. These remnants of the Witch King are more convinced that the warlock they worship is the reincarnation of the Witch King, and only the Witch King has the ability to completely destroy a warlock like this.

How to do it?

Or, what to do next?

Noah was still thinking, but soon she knew why Herhunzollon gave her the choice so easily, because the next moment, when the Sonata Tower was about to shatter, the ground began to tremble, and Brandt, who was maintaining the spell, shook slightly - a small crack appeared in the golden curtain.

A thousand-mile dam is destroyed by an ant hole - this small crack quickly expanded and gradually covered the entire curtain like a spider web.

The flames, which were once suppressed by the Wall of Fools, seeped out from the cracks again. This time, the flames from the Witch King's magic no longer emerged from the ground out of thin air, but the masked remnants of the Witch King emerged one after another. These warlocks sang the name of our king fanatically, and walked into the black flames one after another, chanting continuously before turning into ashes.

The tower that supports the sky, the irreplaceable and indispensable pillar of eternity—

Rise up!

Something was rising from the flesh of the earth.

That is a tall tower.

Red is visible in the black, spiral-shaped, sharp and strange.

It was like the long-lost Witch King's Tower had reappeared on earth.

Before everyone's eyes, the tower shattered the golden veil that symbolized the legend, rising from the earth like a living thing, piercing the ground and climbing into the sky. This moment was destined to leave a place in the annals of Leithania.

It seemed to be announcing that the Witch King had returned, the terrifying monarch, the evil sorcerer, he was back.

With hatred and anger, the devil is about to settle accounts with all his subjects who have rebelled against him.

The black flames engulfed everything, swallowing up the laughter and cries.

Thunder rumbled, and the thick clouds above were getting lower and lower, almost merging with the strange tower in front of them.

Some older apprentices recalled the history books they had accidentally read deep in the tower that had not yet been burned.

The book says that during the Battle of the Four Emperors, the Originium storm created by Herkunzoron tore through the sky above the battlefield and swallowed up an entire Gaul land fleet.

And to this day, in the same location, deep in the disaster cloud, there is still a terrifying hole, from which the restless screams of the undead echo.

Brent, who witnessed all this, had to admit that this was not the power that humans should have. He had never really seen the Witch King's full strength, but he didn't expect that at this moment... he was facing the limits of humans.

"Your Excellency, the veil can't hold." The Queen's sorcerers had to admit they couldn't suppress the tower, the tower that symbolized terror. "The students are fleeing, and we can't stop them. They've all seen the tower, and sooner or later they'll spread the news. Should we..."

"No." Although Brant would sacrifice something for Leitania, he also had a bottom line. At least he would not point his blade at the people of Leitania. "Draw down the curtain and focus on the Black Flame."

"...but...it doesn't work...we've already used all our strength."

"This round of attack is enough to destroy an entire vanguard of Casimir's knights," Brant said impartially. "Is this the power of the Witch King?"

"Herhunzolen's magic is difficult to eradicate. Legend has it that the way he uses Originium skills is fundamentally different from that of other magicians. In the battle of the Witch King's Tower, the spells of other magicians were all ineffective, only the queens could still play the melody." The queen's magicians can only find some fragments from the rumors of that year to explain the current situation, but this cannot solve the current situation. It is almost impossible for them to control the rise of the Witch King's Tower.

At this moment, finally... the clouds split open... without any sound, without any vibration, without any sign, a purple-black lightning bolt fell from high above.

Is that a sword?

A sword pierced through the surging black flames, penetrated all defensive spells, and nailed firmly into the wall of the Witch King's Tower. There was no explosion, no roar, but the appearance of this sword completely shook the inviolability of the Witch King's Tower. It penetrated the tower body, from the highest point to the lowest point, crushing the structure of the tower layer by layer. That sword... belonged to one of the two strongest people in this country.

"Herhunzoron's shadow will never again be allowed to be cast upon the land of Leithania."

"Especially, fakes."

Here appeared Helinmat, the ruthless authority, the black goat—she had easily shattered the Witch King's tower, but even so, she sensed something was amiss.

No... it was the feeling that was a little strange. As someone who had actually faced the Witch King, she always felt that her attack... seemed to have encountered no resistance at all, and it penetrated so easily. This really didn't seem like his work.

The tower had shattered and collapsed, symbolizing that the Witch King's tower had been shattered by her, and there should be no other situation.

However, the uneasiness in her heart never stopped.

"Ahem..." In the ruins, there were not many remnants of the Witch King who did not throw themselves into the black flames and did not have time to hide. Among them, Gerhard struggled to move the rubble that was crushing him. Then, he was grabbed by a hand. Helinmart lifted the seriously injured warlock with one hand, and scanned the traitor with cold eyes from top to bottom, and asked.

"Where did He go?"

That’s right, the Witch King’s tower was shattered, but inside the tower... the Witch King himself was not seen.

But she clearly felt it...it was indeed His breath.

"...Ahem...you're...mistaken..." Gerhard's breathing was like a broken bellows. His ribs had pierced his lungs. He didn't have much longer to live. "The Lord doesn't care."

"...You'd better stop saying nonsense. You don't have much time left." Helinmart said coldly, "Now, tell me everything you know, otherwise..."

"...My only regret is that you arrived too quickly, leaving me without an answer. My king...didn't give me one," Gerhard said with a smile. The blood at the corner of his mouth had already congealed. Helinmart was surprised to discover that his heart had been pierced by a strange spell at some point. His life force had long been severed, but he was still alive. Something supported his body, preventing him from being snatched away by death. "He...is not the Witch King...I finally realized that this is what I had been mistaken all along...I don't hope for the Witch King's return to this world. I simply hope that Leithnia can have...a better future..."

“…What on earth are you talking about…”

"He is not the Witch King."

Gerhard laughed.

"He will surpass the Witch King."

"Madman—" Even Helinmart frowned at this moment. In just a few seconds, the power of the magic had been exhausted. Gerhard gradually lost the ability to move his body, and his eyes lost their luster. In the end, the corners of his mouth were even raised.

"Come here, sort out everything in this ruin—" Helinmart shouted, "I want to see who this person is."

Noah...where is Noah now?

Viviana was finally released at this time. She immediately came to the ruins, trying to find Noah's trace... but there was nothing. She searched for Noah's trace almost frantically, but no matter how she searched, even using the help of Originium skills, she found nothing. Not only Noah, but even Franz was missing. As one corpse after another belonging to the remnants of the Witch King was discovered, her heart became increasingly cold and desperate.

...Could it be... those black flames?

Those Black Flame Generals...