WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS

Surviving the Assassin Academy as a Professor

Translator: Touch

Editor: Grass

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Chapter 56: The Bell Rings Over Snow-Covered Ruins (1)

Some things in the world are fair to everyone.

Things such as death, loneliness, the passage of time, or the snowfall in the heart of winter.

No matter how wealthy or powerful a person is, the snow does not avoid their head.

As the first snow fell over the ruined grounds of Hiaka Academy, the dust and debris scattered everywhere were covered in a white blanket.

I made my way through the memorials in Zones 0 and 2, where the assassination war had taken place.

They were places that had nothing to do with me, yet I still went.

The memorials were beginning to be dismantled. It had already been two weeks since the battle ended.

It was time for the academy to heal from its wounds and rise again.

Next, I headed to the cemetery.

At the center of the cemetery stood a massive monument.

On it were inscribed the names of all those who had died in the assassination war against Kreutz.

There were many… Far more than I had expected.

As I walked by, tombstones appeared in my vision. I walked slowly among them, reading the names carved into the stones.

‘Gustafson, the Mage Department’s finest blacksmith, departs to repair Heaven’s gates.’

Portraits and floral wreaths were solemnly placed upon some graves as people wept aloud before them.

‘Professor Chris, proud owner of a dashing beard—we will carry on your research and thesis.’

I read the words engraved on the headstones.

‘Homern, who volunteered every week despite his ailing health and brought laughter to many, departs early due to Heaven’s shortage of angels.’

There wasn’t any particular reason why I was taking a walk here.

‘Yuria, our little angel who had just learned to walk — you left too soon, but may you now fly freely with your newfound wings where you are.’

I just… wanted to read them.

‘Here lies Senior Professor Lamuan of Defensive Magic Studies, having protected the cadets to the end.’

‘Hoban, the coward who cried even from the prick of a needle—we will never forget how you ran into the flames to save your friend.’

‘Rena, who worked hard to enter the academy, yet quit to care for her older sister.’

‘Ophelia, who always felt sorry for being a burden to her younger sister.’

‘May both sisters find peace and happiness in heaven.’

⋮

My mother passed away when I was about ten.

I had no father, so I was placed in the care of some relatives. But they were far from kind.

What I remember most is how the cold floor often had mice scurrying across it.

I was always crouched down, taking as little space as possible. When Uncle came home, I had to make myself invisible.

I remember wandering the snowy streets, the bitter cold gnawing at me as the melted snow seeped through the holes in my shoes.

But amidst all that, there was something I found fascinating: the scenes I saw when I glanced through the windows of nearby houses.

Warm-looking homes, piles of gift boxes, a Christmas tree sparkling with pretty lights, the TV that was always on—though I couldn’t stay long near the windows of those family homes, the scenery allowed my imagination to run wild.

What was happening in there? What kind of children and parents lived there? What could be inside those big boxes?

Time passed quickly as I crouched by a wall and indulged in those fantasies.

And I didn’t hate it. I wasn’t even jealous of them.

If anything, those moments made going out on walks during Christmas a bit more enjoyable.

I wondered—could I someday create something like that?

Could I share such a warm home with someone by my side?

I didn’t know why these thoughts were returning to me right now.

The people who died had nothing to do with me. I couldn’t have prevented their deaths either.

Death came in an instant, but the loss lingered forever.

Even so, the ones left behind had to keep living. And I knew what the survivors needed to keep that motivation to live on.

“Adele.”

“Yes, Professor?”

“I have some private research to conduct. Don’t come looking for me for the next two weeks.”

The faculty had announced that classes would resume soon, after focusing more on recovery for the past couple of weeks.

It was only natural. Many buildings had collapsed throughout the academy, and many lives had been lost.

The professors were told that if they wished, they could begin preparing for the final exams two weeks from now.

I intended to prepare for that.

And my exam would involve just one topic:

The Holy Day.

It was essentially the Christmas-equivalent celebration of this game world. However, instead of being the Christian holiday from Earth, it was a holiday that celebrated the birth of the Holy Mother.

…If I sell all the magic tools I seized from the enemy assassins, the budget should barely cover it.

I needed to make preparations. I had to buy a lot of materials, invest a lot of time, and understand and implement some revolutionary Illusion Arts.

What I was about to build had to be grand, long-lasting, and flawless, with no visible defects.

Above all, with the academy still in chaos, I had to perform my duties as a professor while preparing to build it.

It was going to be a busy two weeks.

『 World Forgery: Form Forgery [Fundamental Particle] 』

It was all about to begin with a single, tiny point.

* * *

War was terrifying because it could destroy even the most solid foundations that people believed would last forever.

“Huh? W-What did you just say? Are you kidding me?!”

Like Kendrake, who believed his family’s company, Drake & Guns, would last forever—even into his great-great-grandson’s generation—only to receive the news of its closure.

“You call that an explanation?! What about my father?! What are we supposed to do if you can’t even protect the company?!”

As a defense contractor, Kreutz had targeted it for destruction.

“I need my meds, damn it!!”

Or there was Kaiser, who stood before the funeral portrait of an old friend he’d grown up with in the same neighborhood—a friend he never got to share his secrets with, but had always intended to, once his tightrope walk was over.

Kaiser pursed his lips.

That friend—who worked at the Zone 2 magical munitions factory—had died in a fire.

Hoban the Coward.

They always exchanged dumb jokes, laughing together.

He had always been a timid boy, so why would he run into a burning building?

Kaiser silently dropped to his knees.

What had he even done so far?

Balmung was running with all his might, panting breathlessly.

A sudden surge of ghouls had appeared around the memorials and graveyards—something he suspected was orchestrated by Kreutz. Worst of all, it was happening in the areas closest to civilians across Zones 0 through 3.

Someone had to act fast and save the people.

But the warriors and mages were slow to respond, hindered by their limited mobility.

To make up for the lack of manpower, Balmung requested support from the Disciplinary Enforcers.

« Ghouls spotted on 14th Street, south! »

« T-There’s a lot of them! Requesting backup! »

But it was an urban zone, which posed a problem for a sniper. The classic drawback: snipers couldn't operate freely in cities or dense forests.

« This is Balmung from Team 3. Confirmed! I’m on my way! »

So all Balmung could do was run like there was no tomorrow.

“KRAAAGH!”

“Aaaah! R-Run!”

The ghouls attacked civilians indiscriminately, smashing buildings apart with their massive arms.

Amidst the chaos—

“Mom!”

“Aileen!!”

A child fell down, having lost her mother’s hand. Behind her, a ghoul lumbered closer, raising the same enormous arm that had torn through concrete walls like butter.

Balmung quickly positioned himself, steadying his breath, and aimed 「Siegfried⚉」, his rifle, at the monster.

Slip!

His foot slipped on the snowy road.

“Tch!!”

He managed to regain balance mid-slide and refocused, locking his target through the scope.

BANG—!

The darkness-infused bullet traced a black arc through daylight and struck the ghoul’s head.

Splat!!

The shot was clean. The ghoul toppled backward.

“T-Thank you, Cadet!”

“Please, get up! It’s dangerous here. Head to the evacuation point!” Balmung urged.

But it wasn’t over. Telepathic transmissions continued to flood in, reporting an endless list of streets and buildings infested with ghouls...

For the next few days, the monster infestation showed no signs of stopping.

But on a certain evening, the incident reports finally began to slow. The exhausted combatants found a moment to breathe.

Was the ghoul outbreak finally ending?

Unfortunately, that hope soon crumbled to dust.

Thump—

Mana rippled through the air as the ground began to tremble.

“Ugh…” Balmung clutched his chest and glanced around.

“Hey! You okay, Balmung?” a nearby disciplinary officer asked, concern etched into his voice.

“It’s… demonic energy,” Balmung muttered.

“Demonic energy?”

A malicious miasma was spreading through the area, and not just from one, but two distinct sources.

Balmung, sensitive to mana, recognized it immediately.

“What are you talking about? I don’t feel any—”

It was then.

« I-It’s dangerous! There’s— Tzzzzt… Crackle! Tzzzt, zzzt… »

A foreboding transmission crackled through their minds.

“This way!”

“G-Got it!”

A chill ran down Balmung’s spine. As he rushed forward with the enforcers, something enormous and unreal revealed itself in the distance.

A Ghoul Lord—a massive monster, composed of dozens of ghouls entangled together like pieces of a single grotesque entity.

The towering beast, over eight meters tall, loomed before them in the dead of night.

“Uwaaaah!”

“R-Run away!”

The moment it appeared, it began demolishing every building in its path. Even the enforcers’ full-force charge proved useless.

BOOM!! CRASH!!

Buildings crumbled beneath its every blow.

“Die—!” Balmung shouted, finally catching his breath as he activated his Level 7 ability: 『Compressed Dark Lightning』.

BANG! Bzzzzzzzt—

A cannon-like projectile laced with black lightning tore through the air. It zigzagged through space and crushed the Ghoul Lord’s skull.

SPLAT!!

The massive head exploded on impact, scattering into grotesque fragments.

But it was in vain.

Other ghouls swarmed over the broken cranium, filling it back in. The same happened with its limbs, despite the enforcers’ desperate attempts to hack them off.

“D-Damn it!”

“Our regular attacks aren’t working on it!”

“R-Retreat! Call the chief profes—!”

THUD—!

One enforcer was swatted away like an insect, slamming against a wall with a sickening splatter.

And that wasn’t the end of their problems.

The true crisis arose when the monster began to approach a hospital that served as a temporary shelter.

“Oi! We need to divert its attention!”

There were patients and civilians in that building—it had to be protected at all costs! 

Balmung fired another shot as soon as his mana was recharged, but it didn’t stop the monster. 

Just as its massive, house-sized fist lifted to strike down the hospital building…

BOOOOM──!

The Ghoul Lord’s body was suddenly split apart from shoulder to waist. Something had cleaved the eight-meter monstrosity clean in two.

What on earth could have done that?

As everyone stood stunned at the surreal sight—

“Snap out of it! It’s not over! The ghouls can still move as individual units!”

Balmung turned toward the commanding voice.

“Professor!” he exclaimed.

Charging in through the darkness of night was none other than Professor Dante Hiakapo.

No one knew exactly what had happened just now, but it was clear that he had delivered the devastating blow to the Ghoul Lord.

“Balmung! Go tend to the wounded!” the professor shouted.

“Y-Yes, sir!”

But then—it happened.

Balmung’s heart thumped hard in his chest.

The ghouls had only feigned retreat. In the distance, they were gathering again. Another Ghoul Lord was beginning to form—the second source of demonic energy.

 This time, it absorbed the corpses of fallen ghouls, growing far larger than the one before.

Even though it was still crouched and bent over, its incomplete form already rivaled the previous Ghoul Lord in size. If it stood fully upright, it would easily tower over 15 meters.

Only a chief professor-level mage could ever hope to confront such a monster.

“W-What is that?!”

Its sheer size left the combatants in shock.

“There’s no way! I-It’s over…!!”

“Retreat! Evacuate the hospital, too!”

Panic overtook the enforcers. They began to flee.

“Professor Dante! You must get out of there!!”

“Professor! Please retreat!”

Even Balmung tried to block Dante’s path alongside the others, desperately trying to get him to escape. Professor Dante—of all people—had to survive, no matter what.

“What are you all doing? Stand down!” the professor barked.

“P-Professor?” one of them muttered.

“Go tend to your own duties,” he ordered sharply.

“But… that thing is far too dangerous!”

Even as everyone else retreated far behind, Dante remained still. He raised his hand, the one holding his weapon, with a calm expression.

It was a simple, unremarkable longsword held in a reverse grip.

Dante closed his eyes.

“Take up the blade—” he declared in a cold, flat voice. It was an activation chant—one that awakened a god’s soldier.

“O Colossus.”

The very next moment, the air around them stirred violently.

The earlier attack that split the smaller Ghoul Lord required no incantation.

But this… this was something else entirely.

RUMMMMBLE—!

A colossal aura erupted from Dante’s entire body, shaking the ground beneath their feet. Balmung and the enforcers could only stare, wide-eyed.

Something unseen—but undeniably present—was exerting immense pressure across the entire battlefield.

Balmung, more sensitive than most, trembled.

The sky—no, the very world around him—felt like it was shifting.

At the center of it all was a single, enormous, invisible weapon.

But even as he sensed the invisible sword, Balmung questioned himself, ‘Is weapon really the right word to describe that thing?’

It was far too colossal, too powerful, too devastating to be called a mere weapon.

Calling it a calamity would fit it better.

Finally, it moved.

Like a divine sword swung by a celestial god to sever the head of a dragon, it cleaved through the atmosphere, shattered the world itself, and slammed down onto the Ghoul Lord’s skull.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!

CLANG!

The shockwave shattered every window in the nearby buildings. Snow spread across hundreds of meters. For a flicker of a moment, the blurred world of falling white particles transformed into something pristine and still.

The 15-meter Ghoul Lord was about to lift its head, to rise and face its enemies.

But its body was crushed in an instant.

Even a creature of that size was helpless in the face of divine retribution.

Its head collapsed first. Then its torso caved in, the grotesque flesh crushed and utterly destroyed.

In the end, the invisible blade obliterated the monster’s core—the very heart of its existence.

All of it... 

All of it happened with a single blow from a single professor.

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