Chapter 184

This is a nightmare.

Seijis wished he could close his eyes. The scene unfolding before him was too similar to the landscapes in his memories.

The disaster, which he could only expect to see five years later, was happening right now in the Inspection Bureau’s Command Center.

“Activities of the terrorists are being detected across the entire Western District. The current situation is—”

“We’ve received contact from the Federal Command!”

The older director and staff were tirelessly gathering information.

Data came in like waves and directed itself toward the monitor hanging in the center of the Command Center.

The map of the Western District was stained with red blotches reminiscent of the skin of a measles patient, marking the locations where terrorist activities had been witnessed.

“What’s the situation with the academies in the Western District?”

“…Polaris Comprehensive Academy has been completely burned down. We’re currently checking on the students, but it’s difficult to access the site.”

At that moment, a staff member came in with new information.

“A terrorist organization has released a statement. One of the broadcasting stations has been occupied, and some operations are ongoing via online streaming.”

“Check it out!”

Upon the director’s command, a news feed appeared on one of the screens. A soldier in a black mask came into view.

-…We are the Ariel Group.

Hearing those words, the Scholarship Officer felt the pieces of the puzzle in his mind fitting together one by one.

The information provided by his older sister. The unidentified girl staying with Irene on the outskirts of the Central District.

She roamed in disguise, wearing a wig or mask, yet had an oddly familiar air about her.

‘Even Kalia and Daphne were there. I wondered why I met people I was supposed to see years later now.’

The unidentified armed mercenaries that crashed into the incident on 12th Street in the Central District, the Ariel Group.

‘As I recall, Orion Solstice has been in a vegetative state for years. I’ve never heard he left behind a guard unit for his daughter.’

The knowledge he possessed collided with the nightmarish scenery of the present, triggering a shocking realization.

“Could it be? No way… What the hell is going on?”

Sophie El, who was standing beside him with her arms crossed, approached as she noticed her brother’s shocked expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“That person is the one! The girl you mentioned… Remember? She’s the Immortal Witch. I’m certain!”

“That lunatic? What are you saying all of a sudden? You yourself said she wouldn’t start her activities for several years!”

“The situation is similar to that time. Simultaneous terror attacks occurring in all regions. It definitely looks like her handiwork. I don’t know why, but it’s likely a plot by the Violets.”

The Scholarship Officer’s face stiffened. Sophie quickly spoke up as she sensed her twin brother’s agitation.

“Calm down. That person may not be who you thought. Perhaps your actions have altered the future. And that Immortal… wasn’t she a psychopathic killer?”

She pointed at the masked terrorist, who was giving a speech on the screen.

“But that person looks a bit different from what you described, doesn’t it? From what I can see, they seem very sure of their purpose. Let’s figure out what their objective is. They say there are almost no civilian casualties.”

Thanks to Sophie’s words, the Scholarship Officer managed to regain some composure. The terrorist on the monitor switched the feed as they claimed to show evidence.

“…This is.”

As the scene changed, Seijis’ expression wavered slightly.

*

After the assassination and destruction operations went smoothly, the Witch’s Hammer project was now in its final stage.

One of them was hunting down the remnants.

Some of the Violet operatives withdrew after the battle, but others lay in ambush at key positions, ready to smash anyone coming to provide support.

“I’ve arrived! Let’s tend to the injured and secure the scene… Kraaak!”

“Hehe! Let’s capture the prisoners and kill anyone who resists!”

The enemies panicked and fled as the Violets ambushed them with sniping and mortar attacks.

Thanks to us destroying any helicopters or vehicles that appeared beforehand, there were almost no reinforcements coming.

In fact, the very reinforcements that were to be sent had already fled somewhere!

“There they are! It’s Magnavis! Capture them!”

– Tutututung! Tutung!

A truck roared down the middle of the street.

We pursued the armored vehicle adorned with the Magnavis symbol, which rushed past us.

The armored car resisted with a remote-controlled machine gun, but it was futile.

“There! Missile launch!”

– Kwaaaang!

As a Violet targeted the enemy and pressed the button, a guided missile flew down the road. The armored vehicle that was hit instantly turned into a sea of flames.

“Remnants neutralized!”

After finishing the facility destruction operation, the Violets scanned the area and attacked the reinforcements.

Civilians panicked, ducking or fleeing, but our Violet Network accurately identified the enemies, causing no major issues.

“Still, be careful. How many times have you been shot while trying to pry open a door with a knife and ended up face down?”

“If we don’t do it this way, we might hit the wrong people.”

While small skirmishes continued throughout the area, the eyes of the Corps Headquarters shifted elsewhere.

A massive facility with a gigantic donut-shaped dome was covered over a research facility.

“Project Facility, engaging in combat! Engaging in combat!”

“That Chairman is incredibly strong! Uaaagh! There’s Vanguard here too!”

– Tatatatang!

Over three platoons’ worth of troops had gathered here and were causing havoc.

Fortunately, the Chairman and his subordinates showed no signs of moving elsewhere to cleanse us, as they were too busy doing so.

“The intruders are on the run! Pursue them!”

“Kyyaaaah! My body is being torn apart!”

The problem was that it was nearly impossible to inflict even a scratch on those guys. Even though a few elite troops could swarm and beat them up, there were too many of them here.

“Is that the Chairman’s bodyguard?”

“It could be an important facility!”

The result was catastrophic. After just ten minutes of fighting, a platoon had vanished. Feeling the crisis, the Violets had to hide to stir up chaos.

“Ugh! Terrorists! Run!”

“The operation is almost finished! Just hold on a bit longer!”

“What about the bombs?”

“Used them all up when we blew up the academy! Just throw some flammable liquid around.”

While the Violets were causing chaos, in a quiet area of the Western District lay a large research institute.

“Alright, we’re ready. Ready to shoot?”

“Yes! Instructor! You just have to press that button.”

After my remark, Instructor Frederick awkwardly held the camera for filming.

After quickly subduing the research institute, we decided to capture the malfeasance of these guys on film.

By chance, when the instructor asked if he could help, I requested him to hold the camera.

“By the way, where did you get those weapons… I thought you were just a clumsy guy…”

“I’ll explain the details when we get home!”

We didn’t just prepare one camera. We had webcams set up at every location where filming was necessary.

Each webcam was linked to online streaming sites and the control rooms of broadcasting stations.

A Violet in the Corps Headquarters pointed at the screen with admiration.

“Look here! The speed of the chat is insane!”

The Violet’s broadcast was already being watched by millions online. It hadn’t been shut down yet.

⌞It’s not a concept, right? Is this a terrorist streaming real-life?

⌞Such a attention seeker, tsk tsk, what revolution?

⌞I knew the clan would act like this.

⌞Is it manipulated?

⌞If they’re bold enough, they should unmask themselves.

The chatroom was still filled with doubts and questions. But once we displayed our evidence, it would soon change.

A Violet at the broadcasting station raised one arm for signaling.

“Alright, let’s start the connection!”

– From now on, we will show the evidence of the garbage committed by the Magnavis Clan. People with weak stomachs are advised not to watch.

The broadcast screen switched from the studio to a secret laboratory of Magnavis.

The once-clean research institute interior was a mess.

As the camera turned, scientists knelt beneath the muzzles of the Violets, stained with bullet holes in the white walls.

-Everyone must be wondering. Why is this terrorist bothering these smart and kind people?

The scene transitioned to the victims tightly bound in a hospital room. The Violets were releasing people’s bindings.

-The reason is simple. These clan idiots were deceiving and kidnapping innocent people for human experiments! In numerous hidden facilities, including this one!

New horrors began to appear on the screen. As scenes filmed live inside the research institute appeared on the monitor, the faces of the broadcasters were twisted.

Corpses left after dissection, patients dragged in by human trafficking organizations.

People screaming while being injected with strange drugs in real-time.

-As if that wasn’t enough, they built a large facility underneath Polaris Academy. The goal is simple: large-scale psychological manipulation experiments on academy students!

Pre-recorded footage before the explosion replayed. Particle accelerators, interviews with kidnapped researchers.

-Moreover, they didn’t stop there; they actually murdered academy students. The entrance ceremony welcome and freshman welcome parties. And for a long time that we are unaware of. This is testimony from the Student Council President.

The video shown was of Croscelle speaking before he died.

-In fact, I chose the welcome party personally as a means to weed them out, but essentially, it was part of an observational experiment… The dead were ultimately used for some important matters; instead of being upset, you should be grateful.

Was it such an absurd scene that the anchor beside me asked,

“Is that real?”

“Yes!”

A Clone No. 891 stepped forward, dragging a middle-aged researcher. As the camera focused, the terrified, bruised face of this guy clearly came into view.

“Now, tell me clearly what you are doing here!”

“Ugh… We were experimenting on the adaptability of subjects’ magical power and their brain reactions…!”

“So, did those people volunteer? Or not?”

“Th-That! Yes. We deceived them! We lied that it was a vitality experiment and gathered patients! We even bought refugees from outside the city! From gangsters!”

I slapped him.

-You all heard it, right? These guys tormented the powerless and unjust. Like lab rats!

The Violets bound the researchers and pushed them into the room. I was planning to turn these bad guys over to the Inspection Bureau.

While we sent out vivid footage of the inside of the research institute, Instructor Frederick followed along with a somewhat vacant expression. After the Clones had wreaked havoc in the laboratory, Frederick’s expression remained unchanged.

“How horrifying… Please tell me our students aren’t here.”

“It won’t be. I checked! And you’re too loud. Shh!”

-This is not a manipulation! It’s a real-time situation. So, Inspection Bureau, hurry up! The addresses of secret research facilities are now public. Send the rescue team quickly!

A Violet at the broadcasting station shouted excitedly, raising her fist.

Meanwhile, the camera aimed for the center of the laboratory. Here, a place couldn’t be breached even with my abilities awaited us.

A super strong alloy door combining barriers with engineering technology stood in front of us.

“This seems to be their security area!”

I didn’t know what it was, but it certainly seemed significant. I dragged a researcher with me and put his face against the security verification device. As the iris verification finished, the door slowly opened.

-This is the area of their security.

My voice trembled with anticipation.

-Dear citizens of Rustroom and millions of viewers. What you are about to witness is…

My voice got caught in my throat.

As soon as I entered the room without any identification, I vividly felt what it was like to have my blood freeze.

This, what the hell is this?

*

What unfolded before the Violets was a horrific sight created by the fusion of sophisticated ether engineering and science.

The unfiltered, vivid scenes were transmitted through the camera and broadcasted to millions of witnesses without censorship through the broadcasting station and streaming site.

First, on one side, there were numerous massive test tubes lined up endlessly.

Inside, extracted brains floated. Each brain was attached to intricately extracted nerves and eyeballs from the whole body.

The eyeballs in the tanks continuously rolled around, exposing their struggle for survival.

On the other side, people with extracted brains or those fused with monsters and parts of their bodies were lying on the experiment tables.

Some of them were still writhing.

However, what shocked the Violets was something else.

In one corner of the lab, dozens of tiny, frail bodies were lined up, bound to operating tables.

They looked no older than ten years.

Some of the children’s small skulls were ruthlessly opened.

Wires and electrodes were sticking out like snakes from their exposed brains. The electrodes connected to a machine in the center.

Incomprehensible graphs and signals flickered on the surrounding monitors incessantly.

“Oh God…”

The camera shook slightly as Frederick’s scarred face, which had kept its composure through the horrific sight, twisted in sorrow.

The children were in pain but still breathed.

The world bore witness to this.

“What kind of insane bastards…”

Kalia unconsciously cursed. Daphne, reminded of the Violets’ story, covered her mouth to stifle a scream.

Levi, shocked, vomited on the floor, while Lucian muttered,

“So… could it be that Violet had a similar experience?”

The viewers watching the broadcast gasped, and the flood of chats pouring into the stream suddenly ceased as the Scholarship Officer gritted his teeth.

While the world watched in horror as their thoughts stopped at the dreadful scene, the Violets’ gaze landed on a girl.

A girl with short, striking blonde hair had wide-open eyes filled with a terrible mix of pain and empty confusion.

“That’s… me?”

Violet shook her head.

She was merely a girl resembling her eye color and hair color. Other than the yellow hair and red eyes, there was none of her resemblance.

Yet why did she feel it was similar?

The girl’s gaze turned toward Violet. The blonde girl with red eyes whispered softly.

“Mom…”

The little girl weakly murmured. A single tear slid down her soft cheek.

Violet felt dizzy.

Suddenly, she realized she had unknowingly reached out her hand to the girl.

The little girl weakly grabbed Violet’s gloved hand with her slender, small hand.

“Mom… it hurts… uh…”

Another round of murmuring followed, and Violet felt the strength draining from the girl’s hand grasping hers, trembling as she held on.

Heat spread through her body as dizziness engulfed her.

An open skull, wires, blood-soaked drills and saws. A nightmare.

It pierces her skull. What? The cold and merciless sensation digging into her above her eyes.

It spins fiercely as it touches her skin. It opens. It cuts. She loses herself. It stabs.

Near Violet, others held their heads.

“Ah, ah… it hurts…”

“No, no… I hate it…”

Before the shock spread to all the Violets, Frederick’s rough grip suddenly pulled her back to the present.

“Wake up, Violet!”

After putting down the camera, the instructor whispered.

“I don’t know what you’ve been through. But look. There’s no time for this here. Those kids are still alive. Can’t you see they’re breathing? We can save them! The world is watching. Wake up!”

Violet, snapping back to reality, took a few deep breaths. As the shock faded, rage surged within her.

*

While the Violets were pulling researchers in and providing emergency care to the children, the head of the institute was brought in front of the camera.

As the camera focused, the 444th research member of the laboratory growled roughly.

“Hey, you waste of oxygen! You see this?”

“Ahhh!”

Violet mercilessly beat the head of the research institute with the rifle butt.

“You, Magnavis brat! Madman! Scum!”

The director of the research institute, writhing in pain, shouted in desperation.

“…Ah! Damn it! What’s the big deal? They’re orphans anyway!”

“What…?”

Violet, momentarily halted in confusion, stopped beating him as the researcher, suffering in pain, desperately revealed his arrogance.

“Aren’t they kids without homes or parents? What’s the issue with using them? And do you think we’re the only ones doing these experiments? Everyone does! No clan among the four major clans hasn’t done illegal experiments! Why am I the only one singled out? No big corporation runs operations without human suffering!”

Hearing those words, Violet spoke.

“I see.”

Violet turned toward the lens and took a deep breath.

Another Violet held the camera instead of the instructor.

There must have been a script prepared, but now it all felt tiresome.

The girl suddenly shouted.

-You all saw it clearly. Those clan bastards aren’t just reflecting on their mistakes but making excuses instead!!

-Look at that! They’re kids! They’re in pain! Can’t you see they’re hurt? Have you ever had your head pierced? Does it hurt when you get shot? Have you ever been locked up, surviving on awful food? Do you know how horrible it is to have researchers torment you all day while you just sit idly? You scum!

As the sudden emotional outburst from the terrorist bewildered the viewers, Violet’s fury continued.

-Kidnapping and tormenting children! Beating them! Shocking them with collars! Is that fun? Do you enjoy torturing people? This is what you’ve done!

Violet, losing her rationality, declared passionately.

-Now you must understand why I did this. Watch closely! See what Magnavis has done, and the ending they will face!

Violet’s friends at the Cascadia villa gaped in amazement.

“Violet…”

Irene muttered her friend’s name with a complex feeling.

This is why our Ariel Group initiated a revolution. To dismantle the garbage that experiments on little children here in this academy city!

So hear me clearly. To the 3rd clan bastards! Restraid, Arciste! Luminexia! If you continue this, we will come for you the very instant!

Violet poured out the words she had held inside like a waterfall. She no longer cared whether the world was listening.

And to the trashy corporations. We won’t let this go. Especially those like Laplacian! You cannot escape Ariel Group! Hypocritical federal bastards! You are all part of it in the end!

Within Violet flowed magma-like rage. The image of the little girl holding her hand had yet to fade from her mind.

Listen well. Remember the cloud of mushrooms that bloomed at Polaris Academy! Do not forget this moment! If anyone dares to pierce a child’s head with a drill again, I won’t let it slide! Whoever it may be, I will completely erase them from the map of this academy city! I will make it happen!

Seething with rage, Violet aimed her gun at the director of the research institute.

-Take a good look! I will make you just like this!!

With a short scream, the crack of a gunshot echoed. Blood splattered on the lens.

With her head cooled, Violet paused briefly and watched the camera.

-…All clans, feds, remember this. If there are anyone abusing the helpless after Magnavis, we will come for you. Our revolution continues.

The broadcast connected to the laboratory ended. The world sitting in front of the screen fell into a brief silence.

As the Command Center quieted down, the Scholarship Officer pondered.

‘…Who are you?’

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