Humanity Salvation Academy Episode 3 'VS. Kyoka-en!' Outro

【Previous】

outro.

Black and scarlet, darkness and radiance.
A vivid cross was carved into the sky.

The students of Humanity Salvation Academy witnessed the sight. It was a scene that even inspired awe.

Incidents occurring one after another—

The storm, the arrest of the student council president, the announcement of an emergency student general meeting. And now, this bizarre sight that had appeared in the sky.

The series of events felt like the end of something... it even evoked a premonition of the apocalypse. It was ominous. And in fact, some students had realized it. The fact that the student council officers who had been wielding authority over them... the general affairs officer and the secretary, Nanzen Sosui and Jakko Hachiyo, had both been expelled.

And at the edge of the academy.
Inside the dim disciplinary prison.

"............"

Lying on the cot, resting his cheek on his hand, Rushana Kondo stared. Beyond the small window fitted with iron bars in the semi-underground prison. He was just quietly staring at the faint light leaking through from there.

Rushana could not see the scene outside. However, the stalwart man... having realized something, and without changing his expression or letting out a sound, he stared at the faint light in the small window. He was just staring, quietly—.

◆

Two trails, one black and one scarlet, passed through her body. Kyoka-en let out a silent scream. Her hands and feet stiffened as if splayed out in an 'X' shape... and immediately after, her dress of thorns shattered.

A cross-shaped spray of fresh blood erupted from her chest, and after a moment that felt as if time had stood still, her hands and feet went limp. Immediately after, Kyoka-en began to fall.

"...Tch."

Twisting her body in mid-air and gliding, Kyuse Yumedono clicked her tongue lightly. The falling Kyoka-en had not yet been expelled. And beyond that... falling helplessly was Ho-omaru.

Ho-omaru was falling headfirst, watching the figure of Kyoka-en falling just like him. A single streak of fresh blood flowing from Kyoka-en drew a crimson trail.

Thank goodness, she hasn't been expelled... Ho-omaru thought. And... if I fall like this, I won't get away unscathed... if I land the wrong way, perhaps... he was thinking such things.

The ground was approaching. Ho-omaru tried to prepare to land. However, there was no strength left in his body. He closed his eyes. And surrendered himself to fate...

Gently, his body was caught.

“...?”

Houomaru opens his eyes. He sees Sakurabo's face. Sakurabo, expressionless and machine-like, not even blinking, was catching Houomaru's body. Sakura then collapses, his bones snapping and breaking throughout his body, acting as a cushion for Houomaru. Houomaru rolls onto the ground, having taken absolutely no damage from the fall.

“Sakurabo-kun...!”

Houomaru groans as he rolls. He slams his arm into the ground to stop his momentum. He lifts his head and looks at Sakura. On Sakura's messily broken chest, a blood-stained amulet was flickering. The amulet spoke gently.

“It is alright. He has not been expelled. We just barely managed to make it.”

“Managed... to make it, you say...?”

Houomaru said in a trembling voice. Before his eyes, Sakura was sinking into a pool of blood, not moving an inch. His face twisted in anger. As if to restrain him, the amulet—the Hanka Shii Chugu—spoke.

“Let us leave this matter for later. It is not over yet.”

◆

Yumedono Kuse walks quietly with his sword in hand. Ahead of his gaze, Kyokauen is groaning something while struggling in a pool of blood.

Kuse stood by his side. Looking down with a sharp gaze, he said,

“Do you have any last words?”

He declared coldly.

Kaen has a demonic look on his face, half-submerged in blood. His crimson eyes roll and look up at Kuse. A trembling finger is slowly raised, pointing at Kuse. The corners of his mouth twist as if in a sneer. His mouth begins to move, opening and closing. No sound comes out. But Kuse reads it from the movement of his lips.

“Be cursed.”

“...I see.”

Kuse holds his left hand forward and raises the sword in his right hand to align with it. The tip is pointed at Kaen. A thrusting stance. Quietly, as if soaking in, power spreads through his body and into the sword.

“Farewell.”

The sword is swung down.

...or so it should have been.

“...What is the meaning of this, Hououmaru?”

The sword was not swung down. A hand, weak and trembling, gripped Kyusei's right arm. It was Hououmaru. Hououmaru's face twisted in pain, and he spoke, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

“No... I don't want this... I don't want to be expelled...”

“............”

Kyusei glanced at Hououmaru without a word. Hououmaru's grip on his arm gradually tightened. A quiet light began to dwell in the eyes that stared up at Kyusei. The strength of his grip continued to grow.

“I don't want that.”

Hououmaru said it once more.

“............”

Kyusei looked at Hououmaru out of the corner of his eye. Hououmaru stared back, unblinking. Eventually, the tension left Kyusei's arm... he let out a huff... Hououmaru's face lit up... and Kyusei lowered his arm, saying, “...Very well.”

“Thank goodness...”

Hououmaru slumped down weakly into the pool of blood. And then,

“Alright...!”

“...?”

Kyusei watched with a puzzled look as Hououmaru began to crawl toward Kyoukaen's side.

“Hey.”

Kyusei called out to stop him. Hououmaru ignored him and took the arm of Kyoukaen, who was no longer even stirring. As he pulled himself up, he draped Kyoukaen's arm over his shoulder. Then, he wrapped his arm around Kyoukaen's waist and tried to lift him up, only to stand and immediately collapse in a tangle.

“What are you doing, Hououmaru?”

“What do you mean, what am I doing...”

Gasping for air in the pool of blood, Hououmaru replied,

“I'm taking him to the infirmary... isn't that obvious?”

Are you sane?

I am sane... that's why.

Houomaru, still face-down in the pool of blood, looked at Kyuse with a troubled smile.

Hey, Kyuse-kun... do something about this.

Kyuse's eyes widened for a moment, like a startled cat.

Are you... sane, you fool?

Houomaru

Yeah.

He nodded while still face-down in the pool of blood. Kyuse sheathed his sword, placed a hand on his chin, and stared intently at Houomaru's face. Houomaru returned the look with a smile.

Before long... a sigh. Then, Kyuse's voice: 'Very well.' 'You did it...!' said Houomaru. Kyuse crouched down and slid his right arm under the bodies of Houomaru and Rokuon, who were lying side by side.

Whoa...

Houomaru let out a cry. It was a strength one would never imagine from Kyuse's slim frame. Kyuse lifted both of them effortlessly with just his right arm and hoisted them onto his right shoulder.

Ah...

Kyuse didn't even hesitate to get his uniform soaked in blood, all to grant his wish. On his shoulder, Houomaru felt Kyuse's strength. And then... feeling the softness, body heat, heartbeat, and faint breathing of Kagami Rokuon, who was being carried alongside him, he closed his eyes in relief.

Um, excuse me.

Hmm...

Kyuse raised an eyebrow and looked toward the source of the voice. There lay a body collapsed like a doll, with an amulet flickering above it.

Please take him to the infirmary as well. I'm begging you.

Kyuse furrowed his brows. From his right shoulder, Houomaru pleaded.

Kyuse-kun, please... I'm begging you.

"Houomaru, you are..."

Kyuse started to say, then sighed again. He walked over to Sakura... and this time, hoisted her onto his left shoulder. The amulet flashed.

"I am grateful."

Houomaru...

"As I thought, Kyuse-kun is a good guy."

She whispered with a beaming smile, and immediately after, fainted as if her strength had been exhausted.

【To be continued in Episode 4】

"Humanity Salvation Academy" is scheduled to be updated Monday through Friday at 7:30 PM (tentative).