The Extra’s Academy Survival Guide - Chapter 283

Lucy. I have something to tell you.

I think I’m about to die.

I’ve struggled to survive in this unfair world, but this is the end of my journey. By the time you regain your senses, I will have likely already left this world. So, I think this will be my will that I leave to you.

I understand how you feel. You have already experienced the pain of loss, and you are well aware that it isn’t a type of pain that can be easily overcome.

So, the first thing I want to say to you is that I’m sorry.

However, I don’t want the last thing I tell you to be a meaningless apology.

Survive, Lucy.

No matter what the world becomes, grab your life and hold onto it. Even when the cold winter seems like it will never end, spring will certainly come. Even if the world seems to be settling into darkness forever, the morning light is bound to be bright.

There is no such thing as an ‘end’ in reality.

Even if everything seems to have ended happily, or even if everything seems to have ended in tragedy… The reality of life is that it continues. In my short life, that’s the answer I came to.

I’ve made a lot of choices while running frantically to survive in this unfair world. If I had made different choices back then…there might have been a different ending.

Somewhere in another world, there may have been a me who was able to overcome all of the hardships, reaching a happy ending.

Or he could have met a more horrible and painful death than me.

Whatever happens, no matter how unfair this world may be, that fact will never change: we still have to survive.

I’m sure you’re sad, but you can’t give up on your life. Clench your teeth and do whatever it takes to survive. Even if there seems to be no answer in this hellish world, or even if it all seems pointless… Survive.

Even now, on the verge of death, I am unwavering in my belief.

If you keep holding on… There will surely be a moment where you feel lucky to be alive. That is why you must survive.

* * *

“Help me. I need your help.” Lortel was blunt. Even so, it was fairly obvious what she was going to ask. “Did you see the faces of survivors staying here as you came in? The moment they saw you…they started to gain a new hope.”

Lucy was quiet.

“I heard you borrowed the power of the phoenix ring, but that you were still one of the people who could fight the Holy Blue Dragon Velbrok. If you can just defeat Yennekar for us and convince her…”

Lucy wasn’t someone who belonged to Lortel’s world. However, there was no way that those outside would know of that.

“…I haven’t completely recovered after using the ring yet,” Lucy said. “I haven’t recovered all my magic power yet. But even aside from that, I don’t know if I could face off against a high-ranking elementalist that has the heart of Velbrok.”

Lucy lowered her head as she spoke realistically. She continued, “But most importantly, my main goal is…returning to my original world.”

It was difficult to say given the atmosphere, but it was something she needed to address. Lortel belonged to that world, but Lucy belonged to another.

Their interests didn’t coincide.

Lortel was trying to defeat Yennekar and leave the island. Meanwhile, Lucy was trying to somehow return to her original world. There were no similarities between their two goals.

There was an awkward silence.

In the first place, Lucy and Lortel were not on good terms. They didn’t really come in contact with each other often.

Still, Lortel began, quietly, “…You know, Lucy.”

Lucy had been observing countless worlds with countless possibilities. Knowing that fact, Lortel wanted to ask her a question. However, her lips trembled when she tried to say the words. She lowered her head as she looked down.

Lucy seemed to know what Lortel wanted to ask but was unable to.

‘Did the Ed you know survive and live happily?’

Lucy nodded her head. It was hard to tell what expression Lortel had on her face. Was it a smile of relief? Or frustration over her own situation? Maybe she was crying…

It wasn’t just Lucy—even Lortel herself was surprised by her reaction.

Lortel couldn’t show weakness. Even at that very moment, there were too many people whose lives were at stake, with only Lortel’s judgment and decisions keeping them alive.

Lortel closed her eyes gently as she asked instead, “So, how can you go back?”

She was being considerate towards Lucy. However, Lucy couldn’t say anything. After all, she had no idea how to even return to her original world.

According to the theory of Celestial magic that Zellan and Ed spoke about, this whole incident wasn’t supposed to be possible. That was because magic power between two different worlds couldn’t interact with each other.

Lucy closed her eyes gently as she fell into thought. The reason something that couldn’t happen actually happened… It didn’t take long to come up with a guess.

Just like two hands were needed to clap, the connection occurred because someone in Lortel’s world tried to observe Lucy.

Aside from who did it and for what purpose, if she wanted to escape from this world she would first have to reach out and ask to be saved. Ed Rothstaylor would likely try to observe the countless flows again to save her.

However, in the endless possibilities, it wouldn’t be easy to find the world that she had drifted into.

That was why she needed to send a rescue signal.

‘Here I am.’

She would have to call out to Ed Rothstaylor, who was searching for her. Like someone who drifted out on a deserted island, they need to make a fire.

She would have to shout out to Ed. ‘Here I am. Save me.’

However, that required a massive amount of magic power. She would have to gather Celestial Magic power and search for Ed, just as he was looking for her.

But she was lacking in magic power at the moment. Even though she knew how to use Celestial Magic power, she didn’t have a way to make up for the lack of it. It may be possible if she slowly recovered her magic power over time, but that would take too long.

The observer Glockt left behind was only able to observe the flow of possibilities that were nearby. If she stayed there and recovered her magic power for years, the range of possibilities and worlds she could observe might become too large.

So… Where would she be able to find magic power to use right away?

At that moment, she remembered.

When Lucy was pulled into the world, Ed Rothstaylor had thrown something at her. She hadn’t had a chance to check out what it was, but she held onto it the entire time. The situation had been so abrupt, she hadn’t thought of it.

“…Lucy?”

Lortel looked curiously at Lucy, who had her eyes wide open. Lucy put her hand in her pocket taking out a round, marble-shaped object.

“That’s…”

Lucy felt tears welling up in her eyes. Ed threw the most valuable thing he had at the moment he was separated from Lucy.

Lucy was a genius magician, but now that she had lost her magic power, she was someone who was only incredible in terms of her application of magic and knowledge. The fact that she had no magic power was detrimental to her. Because Ed knew that…

The remains of Tyrcalaques, which he cherished so much… He left it to Lucy.

The marble was full of the magic power of an ultimate rank spirit. It was such a large amount that most magicians would be unable to use it. But Lucy was different.

However, as Zellan said, it was just a consumable item if you didn’t process it properly. Unfortunately, the situation couldn’t be helped. Ed Rothstaylor decided that he would rather lose that precious relic than lose Lucy.

“Lucy…that’s…”

“I want to use the magic power in here. But…it’s probably going to be an issue because it’s too difficult to process…” Lucy spoke quietly. “If I can just unravel the flow of magic power tangled inside of it… It’ll be possible…”

Creak.

“It would be possible. But there is a minor problem.”

At that moment, the door to the room opened as someone came in. It was Elvira, who had been dealing with the situation outside.

“Once the magic power is released, it will run wild. You won’t be able to absorb it.”

Seeing her again, it seemed that Elvira had grown a little. She took off her alchemy bag and brought Clevius inside the room as well. She was a girl with excellent knowledge of alchemy and magic engineering. The moment she saw what Lucy had taken out, she recognized it right away.

Clevius came inside as he closed the door, standing behind Elvira, who sat down on the sofa. It seemed that they had something to say.

Clevius looked much more reliable and mature than Lucy remembered as he said, “Lortel, the situation outside is abnormal. The spirits are running wilder than usual. I think they have become cautious after finding us while we were searching outside.”

“…What about the survivors?

“Seeing Lucy raised their spirits, but because of the situation outside, they are feeling more anxious.”

He was no longer cowardly like before either. Given the situation, it must have been inevitable. It seemed that they had overheard the conversation Lortel and Lucy were having earlier. They didn’t bother to ask them any questions.

However, Elvira quietly said, “I think… Lucy and our interests may actually align.”

Lucy quietly closed her mouth as she looked towards Elvira.

“I don’t know exactly what you’re holding in your hand, but you want to use the magic power inside of it, right?”

Lucy said nothing.

“If you take out the magic power inside of it right away without processing it, the magic power will scatter and run wild. You won’t be able to use much of it.”

It was no different than using it like a cheap magic power stone. However, it was an expensive and rare item. It would be like smashing jewels with a hammer. Unfortunately, the situation couldn’t be helped. There was no point in hesitating.

“Given the quality… You need an intermediary to properly bring out the magic power inside of it. Of course, we can’t create such a thing in this environment, but…”

Elvira had an outstanding repertoire of knowledge on utilizing magic power. Even when she was attending Silvenia Academy, she was always a top student in that regard. Lucy could easily guess what she was trying to say.

“…Do you remember the first year class assignment test? When Ed blocked the incoming freshmen at the top of Right Mountain?”

At the time, Lucy was also looking at Ed from the top of the altar.

The Substitute Altar at the top of Right Mountain.

It was an altar with the power to draw out magic power in items and transfer it to the user. When Ed was unable to use magic power because of Glast’s Phoenix Ring, he had to align various magic power stones and utilize the altar to fight the freshman.

“…With the power of the altar, you will be able to fully use the magic power within that marble you are holding. But the problem is…”

Someone was guarding the altar.

At the top of Right Mountain, there was a girl who was constantly in tears. A girl who was trying to exterminate everything left on the island to make it a grave and sanctuary for the man she loved… An Elementalist devoured by darkness.

For a moment, the room was filled with silence. It felt like everyone was looking at Lucy. Lucy’s participation didn’t guarantee that everything would work out, but Lucy’s strength would be a great help to the survivors nonetheless.

“…If I have to, I will.”

As usual, Lucy didn’t hesitate or worry about her decision.

* * *

It wasn’t even winter, but it was snowing.

Coming down from the dark night sky, if you looked closely, you would see it wasn’t snowflakes but volcanic ash.

At the top of Right Mountain, in front of Velbrok’s still-beating heart…a girl lowered her head as she held Ed’s wand tightly. The girl had not stopped crying.

A volcano that erupted from the body of the ultimate fire spirit, Theorpis. The white volcanic ash that came from its body covered Right Mountain for years, covering the entire area like snowfall.

Even the greenery had turned white, making it look like a tranquil sanctuary. That island was where Ed Rothstaylor now rested.

The white-haired elementalist raised her head with tears in his eyes under the soft moonlight. Her face of despair and heartbreak was covered with volcanic ash, making her look like a feather-covered angel.

However, she wasn’t an angel. She was a devil that sat there in grief. A lost soul who tried to exterminate all visible life and stop time on the island forever.

“…There’s still life. Life that is hindering the peaceful rest of those who have already left this world.”

The Elementalist looked out across the island.

It was clear what she was getting ready to do.