As they walked away, the silence began to feel different, like the kind that came after something terrible had already passed.
Julien led the way through the forest, although almost tripping over things on the ground every five minutes was eating away at his soul.
It's like the brightness just wants to be the center of attention. I can hardly think about anything else when I almost fall over something I can't see. There could be a surviving group right in front of us and we'd miss it in this visibility.
Every few steps, someone would glance sideways at an oddly bent tree or mark in the dirt, but there were no new signs to be found. Even more concerning, they heard no voices or screams. Julien hoped this wasn't because they were all dead.
Karis finally whispered, "How many groups are left?"
"Around seven," Julien replied. "Assuming they're all still alive."
The words landed harder than he meant them to. Mina looked down. Karis nodded but didn't follow up. Alec tightened his grip on his sword.
Julien didn't blame them. The bodies back in the last clearing weren't going to leave their impressionable young minds anytime soon. Not even he could shake it off completely.
They reached the edge of a large hill. A slope dipped down on the other side into yet another clearing. Julien paused at the top.
Gods, I'm starting to get sick of these clearings.
There was someone already standing in the clearing below. Just a single figure, waiting. Julien squinted at it, realising its proportions were all off. That isn't a human.
Its arms were too long, and its posture was too rigid. Thin robes clung to its body like wet cloth. A blank mask covered its face: white, smooth, no features except a small slit where the mouth should've been.
It turned to face them, looking Julien directly in the eye. Or at least that's what it felt like to him, even though the bright mana fog made it impossible to be sure.
The group froze.
It's not emanating pressure or mana, and I don't sense any hostility… yet.
The figure spoke. "More of you," it said.
The voice drifted through the clearing. Instead of being muffled by its mask, the sound reverberated around them as if the sound had bypassed the air entirely.
"Good," it added, after a pause. "I had begun to wonder if the rest would never arrive."
Julien inched forward slightly, but didn't descend yet.
"What are you?" he asked tensely.
There was no answer for a moment, and the system responded for him.
[Named Identified: Puppeteer (Lv. 80)]
Julien's eyes narrowed. So it's a Named. Puppeteer… I've never heard of that one. How come it can speak? Not even dragon-type monsters can do that.
The kids stayed behind him, waiting for him to do something.
Puppeteer. Names always hint at abilities...
The image from earlier flickered in his mind. The fifth-year boy, kneeling in the dirt with his sword across his lap. His chest split cleanly. The others, all cut down by his blade.
His breath caught.
No. He would never have willingly done that. Besides, the way they died was just too clean and precise for a student. Maybe an instructor could, but not someone who's still green.
He looked at the creature again.
"…You made him do it," Julien said slowly. "Didn't you?"
The figure tilted its head, just slightly. Then, "He resisted longer than most."
The forest seemed to hold its breath, waiting for what Julien would do next.
"So you were there."
The Puppeteer didn't answer, but it seemed to give off a rather smug aura.
"You forced him to kill them. And then you made him kill himself."
Still, no denial.
"Why?" he demanded.
The masked figure was silent for a long time. When it finally spoke, the voice was the same; level, devoid of warmth.
"To teach you something."
"And what's that supposed to be?" Julien growled.
"To see if you would notice."
Then everything shifted.
It happened with no warning. The creature didn't make a sound or movement. Not even a wave of power came over him.
But he felt a sharp yank inside his own mind. Julien's heart skipped a beat, realizing with horror what the Puppeteer was doing to him.
His fingers twitched against his side. Heat began to collect there, uncontrolled. The mana stirred in his veins. His mind didn't move, but his power did.
What--?
Fire, dangerously unshaped, came to life along his palm. Those flames weren't his own. They were burning too hot. He hadn't even been made to call the spell, yet it was already building toward release.
The worst part was that his hand had begun to point toward the others behind him.
Julien clenched his jaw. The control wasn't fully complete. It wasn't like a skill taking over his limbs. It was more insidious than that, like something else had crawled into the space between intention and action. But it didn't render him helpless--if he tried hard enough, he might be able to resist.
He forced his hand down. The fire stuttered and faltered, his will surging up and shoving the foreign impulse back. The heat completely snapped out and he stood still, heart racing.
The Puppeteer's voice hung in the air.
"You're stronger than expected," it said, a hint of interest creeping in.
The students were watching Julien now. Karis had moved a little away, uncertain. Mina looked like she wanted to ask something but didn't dare speak.
The Puppeteer turned its head, slowly. The motion felt deliberate, like it was studying him. When it spoke again, the voice drifted around them just like before.
"Let us try again."
Before Julien could react, it zoomed forward.
Not its body--its will.
Julien gritted his teeth as that same presence slipped beneath his skin again. This time, it came faster. It didn't just settle behind his movements. No, it overrode them.
His entire right arm rose.
No--!
His fingers splayed open, and fire crackled to life in his palm. Like last time, it wasn't summoned by thought and shaped by intent. It simply existed, wild and hot and aimed at the figures standing behind him.
Julien fought to stop it.
His mind screamed resistance, and he shoved back with everything he had--training, instinct, memory, anything he could grab hold of.
But the fire kept building. His other hand twitched. His legs locked in place. Then his arm began to move.
It was slow, jerky, like his own body was fighting itself. The burning spell shifted with it. Tracking, and adjusting, before lining up with the group.
"Stop!" Julien forced out. It was strained, but he found that he could still somewhat control his words. "Kids! Get away from me!"
Mina flinched.
Karis stepped forward. "What's wrong with you?!"
The fire roared suddenly, then with a yell that was part rage and part desperation, he twisted his arm away and fired.
The blast tore to the left of the group, sending ash scattering in every direction. It missed them by meters.
He staggered, dropping to his knees panting.The weight vanished. The control was gone.
It almost made me kill them. Just what kind of a monster can do that…?
Julien stood upright again, his breath sharp in his throat. The others were safe--but his hand shook with the fear of what he almost did.
The Puppeteer tilted its head again. "I was a little closer, that time."
Karis was staring at Julien, stunned. Mina had gone pale. Alec's hand tightened around his sword.
And then the Puppeteer's masked face turned… not toward Julien, but toward someone else.
"…Let's see how the younger ones fare."
Julien saw the change an instant before it happened.
Little Julien stood still. His shoulders jerked and he brandished his sword at them.
The boy's eyes widened. "I--!"
Julien didn't wait. He threw himself toward him and shoved the boy back. But Little Julien didn't stumble. His feet shifted instinctively, and he caught himself.
Then he attacked.
Light flared on Little Julien's sword, and Julien barely moved before it struck.
A blinding flash of gold streaked toward him. Sun Slash, cutting through the air like a hot knife through butter. He ducked low, and unable to see its exact trajectory, it scorched past his shoulder and left his skin stinging.
Argh--! Now I know what it's like to be on the receiving end…!
The younger version of himself moved again, closing the gap with frightening speed. His blade shone, the now-visible ambient mana amplifying it until it really shone like the sun. Another swing was already approaching.
Julien dropped and rolled. The sword carved a shallow line across the trees behind him, burning white into the bark.
"Don't let me hit you!" the boy shouted. "I can't stop it!"
Another overwhelming flash followed. Julien's heel skidded across the dirt as he twisted sideways. The next slash barely missed him, and the light temporarily blinded him once more.
I've got to restrict his movements--I'll have to use Lava Bind.
He thrust his palm forward.
"Lava Bind!"
The ground at the boy's feet burst open. Thick ropes of lava flew upward. They lunged for his legs, then wrapped around them fast.
But Little Julien kept going.
With a grimace of pain, he forced one foot free, at the cost of burning it. He stood dazed for only half a second, then swiped down hard with his sword.
Another beam of gold split the bindings apart and they disappeared.
They're gone. Even if he is strong, that shouldn't happen. Are my abilities acting up again? Now is a really bad time!
The boy lunged. Julien twisted past him, seized his wrist, and slammed a fist into his ribs. It barely budged him.
Damn it. Ian's physical strength is practically non-existent.
Julien changed tactics. He dropped lower, pivoted, and kicked out--not hard, but purposefully. A strike aimed for the boy's unbalanced foot. The burned one.
Luckily, it connected.
Little Julien stumbled. His sword dipped, just slightly.
That's my opportunity.
Julien launched himself forward. One arm caught the boy's neck; the other hooked behind his knees. It wasn't elegant... it wasn't even proper technique... but it brought them both crashing to the ground.
They hit the dirt hard. Julien forced his weight on top of the boy and pinned his sword arm down with both hands.
Little Julien struggled, light flashing wildly along his blade. Another Sun Slash began to form.
"I'm not--trying to kill you!" he shouted.
"I know!" Julien yelled back.
The blade suddenly jerked sideways, catching Julien across his other shoulder. He hissed but didn't move.
He just held him tighter.
The pain was sharp and shallow. Nothing I'm not used to.
Another pulse of light surged from the blade, blazing hot.
Fire can't burn me anymore--but on the other hand, I'm vulnerable to light now!
But with no other choice, Julien let go of the arm and instead slammed his palm down onto the hilt of the sword itself. His fire met the light directly, causing a large explosion.
Both of them were thrown away by the impact, sending them tumbling into the clearing.
Julien hit a tree and slid down hard. His ribs throbbed. His vision flickered. Little Julien was down too, blinking and disoriented. The light had finally faded from his sword.