We could only hold our breath in silence as the girl spoke her name once more.

“...Atyura Arlensmith...”

Arlensmith. Then it’s just as I thought—she’s the first homunculus created by Nereid.

The moment I recalled that—

“What are you doing in a place like this, young lady?”

Perhaps he meant to protect her. Ilga began walking toward her. Void reached out, grabbed Ilga’s shoulder, and roughly pulled him back.

“You idiot! Don’t go near her!”

“Wah!? Huh?”

Oujin leaped over the fallen Ilga, bent his knees slightly beside me and Void at the front, and placed his right hand on the hilt of his weapon.

Riona spoke quickly.

“Be careful. That girl’s a homunculus.”

“...Huh? But she looks nothing like the homunculi we’ve seen before...”

Exactly.

The homunculi we fought before didn’t have white sclera in their eyes. Their eyeballs were entirely red and eerie. It was clear at a glance that they were monsters. They wore no clothes, were entirely nude, and lacked any sexual characteristics, not even genitalia.

But this one before us—

Her eyes were indeed red like rubies, but they had white sclera and looked no different from those of a lightly pigmented human. Her clothing was adorned with lace and frills, making her resemble a modern noble lady from the Republic. And her chest was unmistakably that of a woman.

Could such a homunculus already exist in the Republic? If she were to infiltrate human society, we’d never be able to tell her apart.

Seneca murmured in a trembling voice,

“I-Is that really the same kind of homunculus...? She just looks like a human to me...”

Her confusion was understandable.

But Team Three knew the name Atyura Arlensmith. The only one who should bear that name was the daughter of the deceased magical alchemist, Nereid Arlensmith. The fact she was alive left no room for doubt.

I kept my eyes on Atyura and shouted to Seneca behind me,

“No doubt about it! Don’t freeze up! If you’re the commander, then issue commands! Decide now!”

After a brief hesitation, Seneca declared,

“—Retreat. Team Three, can you cover us?”

“Yeah.”

Considering the power gap between us, it was the right decision. It’s far too soon to face her. Even if we could win, it would come at a cost.

Still, knowing that doesn’t make it easier. That same despairing escape is about to begin again.

Of course, we didn’t need to be told—we would be the rearguard. We had newly equipped weapons, so we wouldn't show the same disgrace as last time.

At least, that’s what we thought at the time.

“...No... I won’t let you leave...”

Atyura reached out her hand, her palm glowing with magical light. But before it was fully raised, I had already stepped in close and low to her body.

—If I can kill her, I should.

“—”

I could see Atyura catch her breath as she met my gaze directly.

“Hah—!!”

I drew my wakizashi. I aimed for her legs. If I could take out her legs, we’d at least gain time to escape.

It was a makeshift sword-drawing technique combined with rock-slicing, but by the time my blade reached Atyura’s legs—she was no longer there.

Even though I’d perfectly caught her off guard the moment she averted her gaze.

“—！”

She dodged—!?

Impossible! She’s too fast! That’s beyond any living creature’s reaction speed!

Her presence was in the air.

As I looked up, I saw Atyura’s lower body in midair, knees bent. But there, Void also leaped up and tackled her. He had predicted her evasion direction based on my movements and had set up an ambush.

What a terrifying kid. I’m glad he’s on our side. His battle instincts are no worse than Blythe’s in his prime.

“Monster!”

The Bundi Dagger’s blade slashed down at her head.

But even that—

“...”

Atyura deflected the blade with her glowing right hand, spinning from the recoil to land on the ground. Oujin, who had aimed for her at the moment of landing, had his blade stepped on by the sole of her shoe as she leapt once more into the air.

“Tch!”

Her red eyes weren’t on us. They were on our Teammates, who had begun to flee. Atyura’s lips moved faintly.

“Wait...”

I rushed toward Atyura’s back and leapt, thrusting my blade at her—but she didn’t even look back. She merely reached behind with her left hand and stopped the tip of my blade between her fingers.

The tip was stopped. It didn’t move even a twitch.

“What... is that...”

This is absurd! How can someone block an attack like this?!

Unless she has perception skills on par with Riona’s... If that’s the case, Atyura is far more dangerous than the homunculus Lili defeated.

I let go of my wakizashi and drew my shortsword, shouting,

“Quit dawdling, run! —Riona, lead everyone out!”

“Huh...?”

“Lead them!”

“Ah, uh, okay!”

Something was off. But now wasn’t the time to worry about it. Riona snapped out of her daze and ran, pushing at the backs of our Teammates.

“Go! Hurry!”

As our Teammates and Riona ran with their backs turned, Atyura chased after them, having discarded the wakizashi on the ground.

She must have assumed the slowest wouldn't make it. Bernald, alone, turned back and thrust the spear he had drawn from his back at Atyura.

“Hah!!”

But Atyura ducked while running, sliding under the spear, then slipped through the space between Bernald’s legs. Without even looking back, she resumed chasing the fleeing students.

Bernald shouted this time,

“Ilga!”

“I got it, Bern!”

Just before Atyura’s hand could touch the back of a fleeing student, Ilga alone turned and slashed horizontally at her neck.

“Haaah!”

“...”

Atyura flicked the blade up from below with her fingertips and passed under it, leaving Ilga behind and chasing after the rest. She clearly wasn’t planning to let a single one escape.

Ilga turned and cursed,

“Why won’t she stop!?”

Void, Oujin, and I passed the stunned Ilga, eyes wide with shock, and chased after her—but we weren’t going to make it. She’d catch up to the Teammates first.

Seneca shouted,

“We won’t get away! Teams One to Four, turn and counterattack in sequence!”

Monica and the remaining members of Team One turned around.

Seneca continued giving instructions.

“Team Five, escape with Riona at the lead, and report this to Instructor Ituka—”

But before she could finish speaking, Atyura slipped through the gaps in their formation, caught up with the retreating Teames Two and Four—or rather, she overtook them with her glowing legs and cut in front of Team Five at the head of the line.

Her skirt fluttered as she descended softly.

“Uh...ah...”

Letis, who had been running with Riona at the lead, turned pale and fell on her backside as she tried to distance herself from Atyura.

Atyura slowly turned around.

And just as she had when we first encountered her, she brought her feet together, placed both hands on her stomach—

“...I am Atyura Arlensmith. Please... just listen before you call anyone...”

—and bowed her head quietly.