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Chaos.

That was the most appropriate word to describe the current situation at the Demia Empire Academy. The academy’s assault, which began immediately after Gilbert’s improvement ceremony speech, caused a level of chaos no one could have anticipated.

Explosions erupted everywhere, and buildings crumbled. People fled in panic, dodging debris, and horrifying screams echoed from all directions.

“All cadets, assist in evacuating the civilians!”

The academy professors, who were on-site to control the parade, shouted belatedly, but they were overwhelmed by the chaos. Some cadets who managed to hear the professors’ cries helped evacuate the spectators, but the sheer number of people made proper control impossible.

Fortunately, the academy’s automatic defense system activated, and colossal mechs in autonomous mode appeared. However, the invaders’ skills surpassed the defense system. One by one, the autonomous mechs fell, and the situation grew increasingly dire.

Boom!

“Help me!”

“Ahhh!”

The number of casualties skyrocketed due to the mech battles and collapsing buildings. Even the academy cadets and professors couldn’t intervene in the mech fights bare-handed.

But standing by and doing nothing was against their pride. Protecting civilians was their mission. They had to buy at least some time for the academy to prepare for the assault.

“We hold out until reinforcements arrive. Risk your lives!”

“Form ranks!”

They drew their swords to protect the cadets and civilians. Though small compared to the mechs, their goal was to buy a little time.

At that moment, the professors resolved to sacrifice their lives.

At the forefront, one professor gripped his sword, ready to charge. Behind him, other professors lined up. Their eyes were filled with determination. As a mech in autonomous mode was cut down by the invaders, they rushed forward without hesitation.

It was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

[That’s enough.]

Thud!

A mech blocked the professors’ path, like moths to a flame. Through the heavy noise and dust, the silhouette of the academy’s public mech became visible.

The professors easily recognized the owner of the voice amplified by magic.

The academy’s supreme swordsman, unhesitatingly called the Empire’s Best Sword.

Briana Tepeo Malchirab.

She appeared, leading the mechs.

[The enemy numbers close to a hundred. Engage immediately with the mechs!]

At Briana’s commanding voice, the professors quickly stepped aside. Their reckless actions were meant to buy time until reinforcements arrived.

If the awaited reinforcements were the academy’s strongest force, then their actions were a waste of time. They split into two groups—one assisting with evacuations, the other rushing toward the mech hangar.

Meanwhile, Briana, who had arrived just in time, clenched her teeth as she sighed in relief. Her gaze fell on the body of an academy cadet crushed under debris, unable to evacuate in time.

Had the cadet sensed their impending death? Or was it the pain of their grotesquely twisted limbs?

The cadet’s face was horribly contorted. The sight of a young life, full of potential and dreams, ending so pointlessly, was painfully etched in her mind. The red bloodstains seemed to cling to her vision, refusing to fade.

Naturally, memories of young soldiers who had died in past wars resurfaced. The same despair and self-reproach for being powerless washed over her again.

Unforgivable. Gripping the control stick as if it might break, Briana let out a near-scream and charged toward the academy invaders.

[It’s Briana! The Empire’s Best Sword!]

[Don’t let your guard down! We must maintain numerical superiority!]

The invaders, realizing who had just bisected a mech in one strike, halted their destruction and surrounded Briana.

Their reason for attacking the Demia Academy was a noble goal—to change an unjust society. Mindless destruction and terror were not their aims.

Though there were a few sacrifices along the way, they were necessary for a better society. The oppressed, trampled by the privileged, were far greater in number.

Killing Briana, a top member of that privileged class, would bring them one step closer to the society they sought. Their eyes gleamed with hope for the future.

Hostilities clashed head-on. Though outnumbered, Briana seemed to have the upper hand.

Despite her anger, she remained calm in battle. She knew better than anyone that letting rage consume her would lead to swift defeat.

Briana skillfully swung her greatsword, severing the leg of an enemy mech. She wanted to finish off the toppling mech, but she dodged backward, anticipating the barrage of fire that followed.

As expected, dozens of mana bullets rained down on the spot she had just occupied.

Boom! Crash!

The explosions swept the area, and Briana narrowed her eyes.

Earlier, she had noticed that the mechs the invaders piloted were armed beyond the academy’s standard models. Operating even one mech required an astronomical sum.

Yet somehow, the invaders had nearly a hundred mechs, all superior to the academy’s standard models.

Even the academy’s standard mechs, used by one of the continent’s top institutions, outperformed ordinary mechs.

But these surpassed even those… Briana’s mind grew tangled.

However, her priority now was to quickly resolve the situation.

[We must kill Briana before the academy counterattacks! Don’t give her a moment’s rest!]

The invaders’ leader shouted through the comms, pressuring Briana. They knew time was not on their side. Their chairman had emphasized that the Demia Academy assault operation must deliver maximum damage within a short timeframe.

If they could eliminate a key academy professor, it would hold significant meaning. And with Briana, one of those key professors, right in front of them, eliminating her became their top priority.

Ultimately, both sides agreed on one thing: eliminate the opponent with full force.

Without a starting signal, they clashed. The sound of metal clashing and magical explosions filled the air without pause.

***

How much time had passed?

Though numerous mechs lay fallen around her, even more remained standing.

“Huff…”

Briana gasped for breath. Compared to her days on the battlefield before enrolling at the academy, the situation was far better, yet her stamina was draining too quickly.

Had she grown dull from academy life?

Of course not. She glanced at a half-collapsed building. There, a small group of cadets who hadn’t evacuated in time was hiding.

Briana had discovered them purely by chance. The invaders, intimidated by her relentless combat against overwhelming odds, had momentarily paused. In that brief lull, the artificial spirit of her public mech detected the cadets’ signals behind her.

Though startled by the sudden signals, Briana had no time to evacuate them. The lull was fleeting, and the battle resumed immediately.

The flow of the battle changed. Realizing the cadets were behind her, Briana couldn’t perform high-speed evasive maneuvers as before.

Even if she moved, the risk of the cadets being caught in the invaders’ indiscriminate bombardment was too high. As an academy professor, she couldn’t abandon her students. Her only choice was to hold her ground.

Was this the end…? Briana gritted her teeth. The mana battery of the public mech and her own mana reserves were nearly depleted. Maintaining a magic barrier to protect the cadets had drained her excessively.

Moreover, the mech had sustained massive damage. The invaders, realizing Briana was holding her ground, had begun a concentrated assault, bombarding her relentlessly.

Mana depletion and mech shutdown.

Briana sensed that this would be her grave.

“But I can’t go down like this.”

A vow-like statement escaped her lips. Blood surged from her overexerted mana core, but she forced it down. If she gave up, the cadets behind her would be as good as dead.

Why had she come to this academy?

Wasn’t it to prevent more meaningless deaths on the battlefield?

She couldn’t bear to see cadets, still untrained and unable to pilot mechs, die like this. Her grave alone would suffice.

She sent a message to the cadets via the artificial spirit. She would draw their attention, and they should escape in the gap.

Previously, she had waited for reinforcements, fearing the cadets might be caught in an explosion. But now, there was no other option.

Briana steeled herself and took a deep breath. Though facing death, her heart was as calm as ever. The only concern was whether the cadets would escape safely.

But all she could do was buy time. She could only hope they would survive. The sense of helplessness was overwhelming, but she shook her head and focused. If she fell too quickly, their chances of survival would plummet.

Briana assessed her current state before charging. All built-in weapons were depleted. The mech’s parts were barely functional, and movement was a struggle. The situation was dire.

But one thing remained—the massive iron sword in the mech’s right hand.

For Briana, who had become the empire’s best with just a sword, having a blade to wield was enough.

Finishing her preparations, Briana signaled the cadets and charged forward.

The invaders, thinking the battle was nearly over, were startled by her sudden move but didn’t lower their guard. They immediately opened fire, filling the air with a dense barrage of shots.

Piercing through the barrage with her sword, Briana cut down the nearest mech and shouted.

“I am Briana, the Empire’s Best Sword! Come at me all at once!”

Her fierce yet desperate cry, amplified by magic, echoed in all directions. The invaders, though frightened, didn’t stop their advance.

But this was a battle that couldn’t last long. Even Briana, in a half-destroyed mech, had clear limits. Eventually, under the relentless bombardment and sword strikes, the mech’s leg gave out, and Briana collapsed.

She struggled with the controls, but the mech wouldn’t rise. The cockpit’s front screen flickered, signaling the mech’s critical state.

In the dark cockpit, Briana finally realized the end was near. Her long journey would end in this cramped cockpit.

But she felt no fear or regret. Only the hope that the cadets had escaped safely and concern for her students remained.

Especially Gilbert, with whom she had hoped to walk the path of the sword.

But it seemed her journey ended here.

It was regrettable, but there was no point in clinging to the inevitable.

She sincerely hoped Gilbert would reach that place.

With that wish, Briana closed her eyes.

But.

Winter Sword – Iaido

Winter Sky Cleave

At the moment she let go of her lingering attachment to life, a golden surge of mana split the sky in two.

Briana’s eyes widened at the familiar golden mana seeping into her vision. Before her stood a mech in an iaido stance, sword drawn. The familiar posture made her smile faintly.

It seemed her journey wasn’t over yet.

 

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