"Excuse me."
"...!!"
The woman flinched, her shoulders jerking as she turned toward me, eyes wide with surprise.
Got you.
The moment I saw her face, I knew I was right. She was the same woman who had bumped into me earlier this morning—and the same one I’d just seen hiding suspiciously in the bushes.
For a second, tension drained out of my body, and I let out a small sigh of relief.
Thank goodness.
She wasn’t a ghost after all.
Still, even though I confirmed she was human, an uneasy feeling crawled up the back of my neck. Something about her expression felt... off. Pale face. Trembling hands. Eyes darting around like a cornered animal.
"Hey, are you—"
"Mmph...!"
"...?"
She suddenly covered her mouth with one hand, panic flooding her features. Her body trembled as if she was trying desperately to suppress something.
"What’s wrong?" I asked carefully, taking a step closer.
But she didn’t answer. She just kept shaking her head violently, eyes wide, muffled sounds escaping her throat.
And then—
"BLEEEEGH!!"
"Ahhh!"
She lurched forward, pulling her hand away as a torrent of blood spilled from her mouth, splattering onto the ground. The sharp, metallic smell hit my nose instantly.
"Hey—! Are you okay?!" I shouted, instinctively rushing to her side.
Her knees hit the dirt, her face contorted in agony. She gripped my sleeve weakly and forced out a hoarse whisper.
"Run... away!"
"...What? What did you say?"
"I said run away!!" she screamed, voice cracking.
Before I could even process her words—
Beep.
"...?"
That sound—mechanical. Cold. Out of place.
I glanced around, searching for the source.
And then—
"Damn it...!" the woman hissed.
Before I could react, something slammed into me from the side.
The world spun violently as I was thrown backward, slamming into the ground with a bone-rattling thud.
And then—
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion erupted, followed by a surge of mana that roared through the air like a raging storm. The shockwave hit me before I could even react.
"Ugh...!!" I groaned, the impact knocking the breath out of my lungs.
Something—someone—had shielded me from the brunt of the blast. The force still hurled me across the room, crashing me against a wall, but at least I was still in one piece.
My ears rang. My vision blurred. For a moment, everything was just a haze of dust, heat, and the metallic taste of mana burning in the air.
"What the hell...?" I muttered, forcing my body to move. My head throbbed as I blinked the dizziness away, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
And then I saw her.
A woman—lying sprawled across me.
"!!!"
For a split second, my mind went blank. Then the realization hit.
Did she... shield me?
That must be it. That’s why I wasn’t torn apart by the explosion.
"Hey! Are you okay?!" I shouted, shaking her shoulder gently.
No response.
Her body was limp, her breathing faint. She was completely unconscious.
"Damn it..." I hissed under my breath. Panic kicked in as I quickly checked her pulse—it was weak, but there.
Her clothes were scorched and half-burned, and a deep cut ran across her temple, blood matting her hair. Even someone with zero medical training could tell she was in serious condition.
"I need to get you to the infirmary—now."
I carefully lifted her onto my back, wincing as pain shot up my arms. She was light, but my body still ached from the blast. I steadied myself and started toward the door—
Thud.
A low, heavy sound came from behind me.
I froze.
My stomach twisted as a terrible thought crept in.
Wait a second—wasn’t the next episode supposed to be about monsters attacking the academy?
...No way.
Thud!
Another impact echoed through the air, shaking the ground beneath my feet.
I turned around, my eyes trembling.
And then I saw it.
The academy’s protective barrier—once shimmering faintly in the air—shattered like fragile glass.
A moment later, a massive hand broke through the outer wall, claws scraping stone and steel.
Then came the rest of it.
A towering face, green-skinned and twisted with rage, forced its way through the opening.
"WOOOOOAHHH!!"
The roar shook the entire courtyard.
"...An ogre?" I muttered, disbelief freezing me in place.
It wasn’t just any monster. It was a high-rank creature—something that shouldn’t even appear within miles of the academy.
"Why is it here...?!"
But before I could make sense of it, the situation worsened.
Behind the rampaging ogre, shadows poured through the breach—scores of monsters with sharp fangs and hungry eyes. Wolves, goblins, trolls... a whole horde.
"Damn it!!"
I spun around and bolted, clutching the unconscious woman on my back.
"WOOOOOAHHH!!"
The ogre’s thunderous roar chased me down the corridor, shaking my bones.
If I got caught—if I slowed down even for a second—I’d die.
No question about it.
The ground quaked with every step I took, and just as I rounded a corner—
WEEEEE! WEEEEE!
The emergency sirens blared throughout the academy at last.
But by the time they went off, most of the students were still frozen in confusion.
"What’s going on?"
"Is that... an alarm?"
"Did a fire break out?"
Their cluelessness made me want to scream.
I sucked in a shaky breath and shouted with everything I had.
"Run!"
A few students turned toward me, startled.
"What? Who’s that?"
"Why is he yelling—?"
"Just run, you idiots!" I barked, pushing past them.
Finally, a few sharp ones caught sight of the blood on my uniform, the fear in my eyes, and the massive silhouette in the distance. They didn’t ask questions—they just started running.
And a moment later, everyone understood why.
"WOOOOOAHHH!!!"
The monsters flooded through the shattered wall like a living tide, their roars echoing through the halls.
"KYAAAA!!"
"Why is there an ogre here?!"
"Save me!!!"
Screams filled the air as panic erupted. Desks crashed, spells misfired, and students scattered in every direction.
The once peaceful academy descended into utter chaos—
—and I could only grit my teeth, running as fast as I could, knowing that this was no mere coincidence.
The "monster attack episode"... had just become reality.