Extra Pages: The Author's Odyssey
Chapter 52: Major Incident [ 4 ]

With Lucas's quick reaction, the arrow struck the Fallen Human's left shoulder, causing a brilliant explosion of light. The secondary explosion purified the Fallen Human's arm, causing it to disintegrate.

The Fallen Human, now enraged, turned toward Lucas, his eyes burning with anger. Before he could utter a word, Lucas nervously greeted him with a hesitant "H-hii."

Adrian seized this opportunity to dash toward the Fallen Human with his remaining strength. With a burst of mana, he initiated his ultimate technique, The Great Sonata.

The first move of The Great Sonata was a swift and precise strike, like a lightning bolt. Adrian's sword glowed with an intense blue light as it sliced through the air, aiming for the Fallen Human's chest.

The Fallen Human, despite losing an arm, displayed incredible agility. He managed to dodge Adrian's initial strike by a hair's breadth. The two opponents engaged in a high-speed dance of blades and evasion.

Adrian continued his relentless assault, his swordsmanship reaching its peak. He launched a barrage of strikes, each one faster and more powerful than the last. The air crackled with energy as their weapons clashed, sending shockwaves through the room.

The Fallen Human countered with dark magic, firing projectiles and summoning shadows to obscure Adrian's vision. It was a battle of speed, precision, and magical prowess.

Lucas, watching the intense battle unfold, knew that this was a fight for their lives. Adrian's determination to protect those in the Artifact Room was unwavering, and he fought with every ounce of his strength.

As the duel raged on, the Artifact Room became a battlefield, with shattered displays and artefacts caught in the crossfire. The other students who had initially sought refuge now watched in awe as Adrian faced off against the formidable Fallen Human.

Adrian knew that he couldn't afford to lose. He had made a promise to protect those around him, and he intended to keep it, even if it meant risking his life in this deadly encounter.

The battle reached its climax as Adrian unleashed the full power of The Great Sonata, a dazzling display of swordsmanship and mana manipulation.

Adrian's final strike came with unparalleled force. He executed a breathtaking spin, creating a whirlwind of energy around his sword. With a thunderous impact, his blade met the Fallen Human's, and a blinding explosion of light erupted.

The shockwave collision sent shockwaves rippling through the room, knocking over nearby artefacts and shattering glass displays. The Artifact Room seemed to hold its breath as the battle reached its climax.

And then, in an instant, it was over.

The Fallen Human's body disintegrated into countless particles of light, vanishing into the air. All that remained was the echo of their battle and the lingering glow of Adrian's sword.

Adrian stood victorious, his chest heaving with exhaustion. He had defeated the formidable Fallen Human and protected those in the Artifact Room. The other people watched in awe and relief, knowing that they owed their safety to his incredible skill and determination.

As the dust settled, Adrian lowered his sword, its radiance gradually fading. He turned to Lucas, his expression a mix of weariness and triumph.

"We did it," he said, his voice filled with both relief and gratitude.

"Yes, we did," Lucas said with a relief smile on his face.

***

"Geek!"

Isabella, who just regained consciousness, was emptying her stomach with her face pointed down. From her small mouth, vomit continued to fall. The food she had yet to digest dirtied the ground, while pale yellow liquid stacked up around it.

Isabella continued to vomit, as though she was coughing out blood. Looking at the horrific scene, I could practically feel her pain.

Adrian who had drunk a Healing potion walked toward her, there were no more cuts on his body, but his clothes were still ripped.

Adrian pat her back But Isabella hit his hand away fiercely. Adrian reluctantly backed away.

"Leave her be I'm sure she will be fine."

I said so thoughtlessly. In reality, things would turn out that way.

But it seemed Isabella took my indifference as an insult.

"You, you... GuGeek

Her bloodshot eyes stabbed me. Did she want something or someone to blame? It was understandable. After all, she nearly killed and I don't know why he is so strong in the origami novel.

"... You."

"I'll head out first."

Adrian tried to say something. For some reason, Adrian's face was stiff. But ignoring it, I turned back. I also needed time to reflect.

The Fallenn human strength was far greater than what I had set.

I couldn't understand why.

***

With a single swing, a thin blade cut through the air. But from the tip of the blade, an unidentifiable white magic power undulated, shooting out in all directions and obliterating all monsters.

A clean execution.

Sia took back her sword and turned around. Her hair fluttered in the gentle breeze. Dozens of ordinary people, who watched her attack, were left speechless. In their eyes, an unshakable respect and admiration could be seen.

"You can rest assured."

"Captain!"

A coarse voice interrupted Sia's sentence. Sia was slightly surprised.

The man who ran over quickly dropped a bombshell.

"A Fallen human appeared at the Artifact Room!"

"... What?"

"You should head over immediately... What? What?"

But soon, he tilted his head and focused his hearing on the transceiver in his ear.

"... Ah, yes."

"What's wrong?"

"Um... She has been taken care of. Three Students from Nova happened to be at the there..."

"Oh? That's great. Who were they?"

"Adrian, and... Ugh!"

Before he could finish, a violent gale rose, blinding him momentarily. By the time he opened his eyes back up, the Hero who had decimated dozens of monsters was gone.

Running at the speed of light, Sia arrived at the Artifact Room.

Sia's arrival at the Artifact Room was swift and determined. Her eyes scanned the area, assessing the situation and making sure there were no lingering threats. The room had been turned into a chaotic mess, with shattered glass displays and panicked civilians.

As she began to restore order and reassure the visitors, she noticed Lucas stepping out of the room. His presence caught her attention, and she quickly approached him.

"Hey, you there," Sia called out, her voice firm but not unkind. "What happened in there? I heard something about a Fallen Human."

Lucas turned to face her, his expression a mix of exhaustion and relief. He pushed a strand of hair away from his forehead, his gaze meeting Sia's.

"It was... chaotic in there," Lucas began, his voice still trembling slightly from the adrenaline. "A Fallen Human attacked the Artifact Room, and I was with a few other students. Adrian, Isabella, and myself managed to... well, defeat the threat."

Sia's eyes widened slightly at the mention of Adrian. "Adrian? The same Adrian who's best all of the records of Nova Academy? He was there?"

Lucas nodded. "Yes, he was. He played a crucial role in taking down the Fallen Human. Without him, it could have been much worse."

Sia's expression softened, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. "I'm glad to hear that. Fallen Humans are no joke, and having Adrian there is fortunate. But I also heard that you played a part in this. Is that true?"

Lucas shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. "Well, I did help. I had a bow, and I managed to hit the Fallen Human's arm. it's blow its arm and he has weakened the threat and gave Adrian an opening to finish it off."

Sia nodded approvingly. "That's brave of you. You took action when it mattered most. We should report this to the Hero Association and ensure that the Artifact Room is properly secured in the future."

Lucas agreed with a nod. "Yes, I think that would be wise. And thank you for coming to handle the situation."

Sia offered a small smile. "It's my duty as a Hero. But remember, you also played a part in protecting the people here. Your actions mattered."

As they continued to talk, Lucas felt a sense of validation and respect from Sia, something he hadn't expected. Their conversation turned into a discussion about the responsibilities of Heroes and the importance of teamwork.

After talking a few moments Lucas said.

"Then, I'm off."

Lucas left the Artefacts Room completely.

Sia observed him walking away for a moment.

"Who is he?"

Quite daring for a young Student. But Lucas...? I wasn't familiar with the name.

The inside of the Artefacts Room was a mess. The tiled floors were full of signs of battle, and an ominous magic power still lingering in the air proved the existence of the Fallen Human.

***

A curved telephone pole and a car sticking out of a window, in this strange place that couldn't possibly be normal, I managed to grab a bench for myself. Heroes were busily running around cleaning up the situation, but I was in a bit of a panic myself.

The story had changed. If this world was the world within my novel, this couldn't have happened. Of course, an oddity known as 'Lucas Darkhart' had already intervened, but his role had been minimal. Everything had also been fine until now.

I most certainly had not done anything that could have affected...

Of course, I did something to Gorge and his two friends but it's not related to this at all.

Suddenly, a streak of thought flashed across my mind.

"...Ah, that's right."

I had forgotten until now.