CHAPTER 15 – DOWNWARD BREACHING

LYSANDER FARADEISS

Our brilliant elven Vice President guided us back to the archive room and approached a bookshelf at the room's very edge. She gently tilted a book, causing the shelf to smoothly slide to the side, revealing a concealed cache filled with an assortment of antique and modern weapons, reminiscent of a classic movie scene.

Kate, the red-haired dragonoid, made her way to the armory shelf and selected a greatsword with a handle resembling a motorcycle's grip. Charlotte, the brown-haired dragonoid, opted for a .50 caliber sniper rifle and elegantly flicked her twirly hair. Gaeun timidly retrieved a magic wand adorned with a star and wings on its tip.

"I never imagined the student council had their own private armory hidden away," I remarked in amazement.

Hiraya, now armed with a seemingly ordinary pistol and a holster attached to her flawless left leg, explained, "It's essential for student council members to have access to these for our own protection."

"An anti-armor sniper rifle. For protection. Right," I mumbled, a bit skeptical.

Hiraya handed me a pistol identical to hers, offering it as a precaution. "Here, you might need this."

"I'm no stranger to fighting," I responded, disregarding her gun and opting for an antique katana from the armory. Hiraya appeared somewhat taken aback by my choice of an outdated weapon, but her face lit up with a smile.

Our Vice President turned her attention to the three dragonoid girls and delivered her final words. "Good luck, girls. I'm counting on your safe return."

"You've got it, Vice Prez!" Kate declared, hanging her broadsword on her shoulder.

"Thank you for your kind wishes, Vice Prez," Charlotte said with a curtsy, her sniper rifle in hand.

Gaeun, clutching her magical wand, stammered, "Um, I'll give it my all, and I-I'll protect everyone."

With that, the three dragonoid girls, the Student Council's private army, left the room and headed off to their respective assignments.

"Are you really sure they'll be okay?" I asked, my concern evident.

Hiraya sighed, a touch of unease in her voice. "I'm quite worried as well, but I have faith in them. They're aspiring cadets who plan to enroll in the Imperial Forces Academy after high school. They have received rigorous training."

"Imperial Forces, huh..." I murmured, mulling over the significance. At this point in time, the Imperial Forces were the armed forces of the Empire of Alterra, consisting of foot soldiers with the requisite training to become officials upon graduation. It was a concept that would evolve significantly during the upcoming war against the dragonoids, five years from now, when the Imperial Forces would develop the magic Wings of Light and transform their regular soldiers into skysoldiers to combat the dragonoids.

"What about you, Lysander?" Hiraya inquired, her curiosity evident as she tilted her head. "You're not a part of the student council, so I don't feel right ordering you around."

"I'll ensure your safety," I assured her. In reality, my motivation was more about staying close to her, to observe and understand what transpired in the past timeline, how she became a Dragon Lord, and the secrets of the future Daybreaker. I was driven by a desire to unravel the enigma of her transformation.

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Hiraya's face suddenly flushed, and her elven ears turned as red as strawberries. But she quickly regained her composure and wore a smug grin. "I can handle myself, but if you're insistent, you can be my private knight."

I stood up straight, clenched my fist, placed it over my chest, and offered a mocking smile. "At your service, Madam Vice President."

"I appreciate your trust," Hiraya chuckled. "But for now, we must rescue Greg."

"The President?" I inquired.

"Yes, his last known location was in the Public Address System Room, which is right below us. We both know it's been taken over by the terrorists," Hiraya explained. "We need to secure his safety first so he can lead the other students in this crisis."

Hiraya paced around the student council room, her heel tapping the floor as she formulated a plan. "There are likely guards stationed right at the entrance of the P.A. Room, ready to open fire on anyone who enters. We'll need a more explosive method of entry." She drew a semi-circle on the floor with her foot. "Lysander, I need you to cut through here, all the way along this path. We will do a downward breaching."

I understood Hiraya's strategy, and I smiled in agreement. I enchanted my katana with light magic, causing the blade to glow brightly. "Laser Sword," I intoned. "I'm ready when you are."

"Do it," Hiraya instructed, brandishing her pistol as she prepared for the entry.

I wasted no time and activated my "Lightspeed Accel." My shoes were enveloped in trailing light, enabling me to move at superhuman speeds. With my Laser Sword, I sliced a precise semi-circle, cutting through the concrete floor until it could no longer support our weight.

The ground shook beneath us, and suddenly, we were on a plummeting platform. As we descended, a scream, a sickening splat, and the sound of bones being crushed echoed through the air.

"Gyaaaah!"

Blood splattered in all directions, and when the makeshift elevator came to a halt, we found ourselves at the entrance to the Public Address System Room. Before us lay two terrorist dragonoids, their bodies reduced to bloody, crumbled remains due to the impact of the fallen platform.

Time seemed to slow as I surveyed the scene. Before us stood eight individuals, six of them dragonoids with crimson eyes and a pair of horns adorning their heads. The remaining two were human hostages, President Gregory and another girl clad in our high school uniform.

"What the hell!?" one of the dragonoid terrorists exclaimed.

Without hesitation, Hiraya sprang into action. She lunged forward with a flying kick, delivering a devastating blow to the terrorist's face, before rapidly firing two shots that found their mark in the shoulders of two dragonoid terrorists. Both of them crumpled to the ground, writhing in pain and soaked in blood.

Unfortunately, three more terrorists remained, pointing their submachine guns directly at the Vice President and unleashing a barrage of bullets in her direction. The sound of consecutive gunshots made deafening echoes inside the room.

"Timeclutch!" I called out, and in an instant, everything in my field of vision shifted to black and white as a side effect of my lightning-fast movements. I stretched my hand out and caught all fifty-three bullets hurtling towards Hiraya, holding them in place with my time manipulation abilities. With my katana, I swiftly cut through the terrorists' bodies like a hot knife slicing through butter.

As I released my time manipulation, a gruesome tableau unfolded. The three terrorist dragonoids were reduced to chunks of flesh, their blood splattering across the room.

President Gregory and the other student present were in a state of sheer panic. Even Hiraya appeared taken aback by my abilities. They all stared at me with a mixture of horror and fear, their eyes reflecting the shock of witnessing such a display of power.

"Kyaaaah!" The girl student cried out in fear.

Hiraya quickly reassured her, saying, "It's okay now. We're here to save you."

The bloodied President Gregory managed to stand up, visibly shaken. "V-Vice Prez?"

Hiraya nodded, offering some relief. "You're safe, at least for now. But we're not out of the woods yet. There are still around fifty terrorists occupying the school." She retrieved her pistol from her belt and handed it to the student council president.

President Gregory accepted the weapon, strapping it to his back. "So, what's the plan from here on out?"

Hiraya explained, "I've devised an evacuation plan for this situation, but it will take time to get everyone to safety." Her gaze shifted to the room's radio equipment. "The empire's armed forces won't arrive in time. It appears we may have to deal with these terrorists ourselves."