CHAPTER 24 – MAGGIE

JOHNNY WOLVESBANE

After the meeting with the five high school students, Madam Corasell seamlessly transitioned into a conference attended by the principal of Tasty Town's Magic High School, the Magic Education Secretary, and the Colonel of the Magical Police Force. She assured me that my assistance wouldn't be required at the moment and encouraged me to explore the school freely, promising to call when it was time to depart.

While wandering through the school corridors, I unexpectedly encountered Lysander Faradeiss, a silver-haired high school prodigy. He approached me and asked, "Are you Johnny Wolvesbane?" His initiation of the conversation caught me by surprise. Initially, I had perceived him as a distant campus heartthrob who seemed disinterested in the world around him. It served as a reminder not to judge someone based on appearances.

Confirming my identity, I extended my hand, saying, "Yeah, and you're Lysander Faradeiss. Nice to meet you!" Lysander accepted the handshake with a genuine smile, contradicting my initial assumptions.

As we conversed, I noticed that Lysander's demeanor was much more relaxed than during our previous encounter. This created a sense of familiarity, making me feel at ease in his presence. Expressing my admiration, I mentioned, "You're the one who took down the rogue Dragon Knight, right? That's truly awesome!"

Lysander chuckled and explained, "Well, as my Vice Prez mentioned, I had military training."

Impressed, I couldn't help but share my enthusiasm, saying, "Man, you're incredible. If only I had the magical prowess like yours, I'd love to apply to Erudite's Academy. I dream of becoming one of the Erudites Twelve in the future."

Lysander, seemingly touched, clenched his fists, and with a reassuring smile, he looked into my eyes, saying, "I'm sure you'll be one of them in the future. Just believe in yourself." He tapped my shoulder and added, "Well, I gotta go. I still have classes. Nice chat."

"Yeah, nice meeting you, Mister Dragon Knight Slayer." I replied, offering a fistbump. Lysander hesitated for a split second before reciprocating, then hurried away, darting down the corridor.

It felt invigorating to connect with someone who exuded the aura of a powerful mage in battle. Following Lysander on my social media account seemed like a wise decision. Perhaps, I mused, we could evolve into best buddies, and he might even impart his military magic expertise to help me grow stronger.

As I strolled in the opposite direction down the corridor, lost in these thoughts, I encountered a high school student with long black hair, sporting a mustache and beard that gave him an almost teenage Jesus appearance. However, I recognized him immediately.

"Wait, I know who you are... You're this high school's student council president, right?" I remarked. "I saw you earlier, in the principal's room."

"That's right," the President affirmed. "Since you're not a student here, you can just call me Gregory."

"Oh, nice to meet you, Gregory!" I greeted, extending my hand.

Gregory gripped my hand, but his demeanor shifted, and he cast a haunting glare my way. "Listen, let's go straight down to business. You and Madam Corasell are here to investigate about Neo Arcadia, right? Well, we happened to catch one sympathizer—a traitor within these campus walls."

"W-Wait, you caught one of the terrorists?" I exclaimed.

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"Ssshhh…" Gregory hushed, his eyes darting around cautiously. "Only me and my men know this secret. Follow me."

Intrigued and slightly uneasy, I followed Gregory as he led the way, navigating through the corridors with a silent determination. The air thickened with secrecy, and my curiosity heightened, wondering what hidden truths lay beneath the seemingly normal facade of the magical high school.

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We descended into the underground portion of the school's gymnasium, navigating the labyrinthine sewers until we emerged in an open-air vacant lot. The space was cluttered with discarded equipment, stacks of old tires, malfunctioned electronics, and unused drainage pipes.

To my surprise, about fifteen other magic high school students occupied the field. They were all tall and robust, armed with swords and guns. Their intimidating presence made them resemble more of a high school mafia than ordinary students, and their suspicious glares suggested they were ready to spring into action at any moment.

"Don't worry. He's with me," Gregory assured his cohorts. Thankfully, the student council president's presence seemed to ease the tension.

"You guys are quite a scary bunch," I commented to Gregory. "Even high school students have private armies."

"It's a necessary measure. Here in rural Tasty Town, the empire's police won't always make it in time. Just like when the terrorists attacked. Some matters must be taken into our hands," Gregory explained with a smile.

We maneuvered through the labyrinth of discarded items until we reached an open field, revealing a horrifying scene. A woman with black complexion and hair was tied to a chair, her mouth gagged with a dirty cloth. Her crimson dragonoid eyes reflected sheer fear, and her student uniform hung in tatters, exposing some of her bruised skin. She was drenched in her own blood, and bruises marred her body.

Even in her sorry state, I recognized her. She was the first love of my life.

"Maggie," I muttered, suppressing the rising tide of anger by clenching my fists.

"Oh, so you indeed know her," Gregory sneered menacingly. "We searched her phone for her contacts, and we found your name. It was quite a coincidence that you came here for an investigation, huh?"

"You animals! What did you do to her?" I cried out in horror.

"Just a little slappy-slappy, and some kinky time here and there," Gregory nonchalantly shrugged, slowly advancing toward my ex-girlfriend. "But it doesn't matter, right? I mean, she's a dragonoid. She's a terrorist."

Gregory slapped the face of the defenseless dragonoid girl, prompting her to cry out in pain.

"Don't touch her!" I yelled, my anger boiling over. I attempted to lunge at Gregory, but I was forcibly restrained by his army of students. The helpless situation intensified my frustration and desperation.

Gregory aggressively pointed at the head of the unfortunate Maggie. "This spy was responsible for Neo Arcadia's invasion of our school. She surveyed the grounds and signaled to her allies that the coast was clear for invasion. Good thing we were ready for their attacks, or else a lot of innocent lives would have been taken by these terrorist scum."

"I don't know what she did, and you might be right about her being a terrorist, but that doesn't mean you can torture her!" I cried out, my voice filled with anguish.

"Terrorists don't deserve any rights. They trample human lives because of their stupid ideology of taking over the world. Heh!" Gregory shook his head with sarcasm. "These lizards were considered as slaves twenty years ago. They should have stayed as humans' pets."

Gregory extended his hand, conjuring a purple magical circle containing a curse. With a swift incantation of "Hex!", the purple aura engulfed Maggie's body, rotting each and every cell.

"Mmmmph! Mmmmmph!" Maggie writhed in pain, her muffled screams echoing as her eyes bled, and her nose unleashed greasy snot. The sight was horrifying, and a deep sense of helplessness washed over me as I witnessed the cruelty unfolding before my eyes.

"No! Stop! Don't do that to her!" I cried out desperately, attempting to struggle against the students holding me back.

"This is how the terrorist scum is supposed to be treated. Hahaha!" Gregory laughed callously, reveling in the brutality.

Anguish and rage surged within me. The only thought in my mind was to end the torment inflicted upon the poor dragonoid girl. Maggie was a kind and caring woman. We once dreamed of a future together. Despite our differences leading to a past breakup, I still cared for her.

As Maggie's body began to deteriorate, the gag on her mouth loosened. With her final ounce of strength, she managed to utter my name. "...Johnny... Help me..."

A searing pain entered my chest, an unbearable burning sensation. The drumming of my heart echoed loudly, and it felt as if my chest would burst. Gritting my teeth, I drew in a deep breath until my lungs were full, then shouted at the top of my lungs.

"Activating Vesryn Pulse!"