The Genius of Cloning in the Academy City

Chapter 58: Polaris—Someone Set Violet Ablaze. (2)

The girl, who seemed to be the leader, treated me extremely roughly.

Being forcefully lifted by my hair was an unpleasant experience.

“Do you know Martin?”

“Yes.”

“He’s our friend. That’s why we’re here to teach you a lesson.”

“Ah, I see.”

Martin?

Was it that blond delinquent who bragged about his sister being the head of the freshmen oversight committee?

I remembered how he used to leer at Daphne with perverse eyes.

Was this retaliation for that?

“What? ‘Ah, I see’? Are you joking?”

-Smack!

She slapped me, apparently finding something offensive.

Ouch, another hit.

At this rate, my face was going to swell up like a pufferfish.

[The subject’s pain perception is distributed and dulled across their clones—Dulling rate: 5%.]

These bastards, I noticed faint traces of mana flowing as they hit me.

If I didn’t have the ability to distribute the pain to my clones, I would have been wailing and crying.

“Your name’s Violet, right? Do you remember what you did?”

I searched my memory.

“You stole my wallet and took my phone, didn’t you?”

“The second time we met, you even stripped me. Though, you left the clothes behind instead of taking them.”

Ah, I should’ve beaten him more thoroughly back then.

I had been too lenient.

I never thought what I did would come back to haunt me like this.

Inside the barrier, I could see Daphne, unable to do anything and looking distressed.

She was stomping her feet in frustration, but she couldn’t approach because the gang members were tapping the barrier with their swords.

She seemed utterly exhausted, likely focusing all her energy on maintaining the barrier.

The leader tapped my head lightly with her index finger.

“You’re worried about that bitch, aren’t you? See, this is what happens when you don’t stay in your place.”

How had they managed to drag her into this?

“Trying to act noble, huh? She followed us all the way into the alley when I begged for help, saying my friend had collapsed. What a naïve idiot. Acting all high and mighty because she has some innate ability…” Ȑᴀ₦ꝋ𝐛Ě𝘚

The girl started talking on her own without even being asked.

Finally, my questions were answered.

If it was Daphne, she’d definitely have helped someone in need without hesitation.

These trashy people had exploited her kindness!

“When she tried to run while maintaining the barrier, we just hit it with sword energy, and she got too scared to move. Hey, how long have we been hitting her?”

“About two hours? The thing’s so sturdy it wouldn’t break.”

They laughed uproariously.

Daphne didn’t look well. Her innate ability prevented visible injuries, but she looked terribly fatigued.

She must have used up a lot of mana.

Judging by how the barrier trembled every time they hit it, its state didn’t look stable.

It might not last much longer.

“What do you want from me?”

“What do we want?”

The leader gestured with her hand, then stepped back.

One of her subordinates took out a smartphone and showed me the screen.

“Here, see this?”

The screen displayed multiple photos of a girl wearing only underwear.

That girl… was me.

When I reacted in shock, the group burst out laughing.

Some of them… I noticed now… were filming me live with their smartphones.

“You idiot, do you get the situation now?”

So this was why they had stripped me?

At least there weren’t any other marks on my body.

“How many of them are there?”

“Twelve total. All Polaris students. Their skill level is unknown. Their weapons are all bladed. That leader over there… do you see the magic wand she’s holding?”

“Pfft! Why are you already so scared? People might think you’ve been violated or something.”

The guy shoved the phone with my photos on it into my face, sneering mockingly.

“Martin and his sister are really pissed off, you know. If you don’t want these to spread all over school…”

Martin’s sister? So she was behind this?

The more I listened, the more absurd it became.

According to them, I would have to record an ‘apology video’ and comply with a series of ridiculous demands.

“Rugilinn! No, you can’t! Everyone, this is my fault. Please, let me do it instead…”

Behind me, Daphne burst into tears. Judging by her demeanor, she might drop the barrier and kneel any moment now.

Before she could say anything else,

I pretended to agree to their demands.

“I just have to do as you say, right? I’ll do it right away. Just let Daphne go.”

“Is that so? Then stand up. First of all…”

“Wow, you’re really going through with it? Hahaha, what a loser!”

I glanced back at Daphne, who was sniffling.

I blinked several times in a row, signaling her to stay still, and subtly nodded my head.

Did she understand?

She read my signal with a perplexed expression, hesitated, and then gave a small nod.

The leader and her lackeys surrounded me, watching as if they were enjoying a spectacle.

One of the male students pulled out a smartphone camera.

Being turned into an object of ridicule didn’t bother me as much as the sight of their malicious faces—it made me want to spit on them.

“Alright, now do exactly as I say…”

I raised my arm.

Forming my right hand into the shape of a gun, I aimed it at the guy holding the smartphone. Then, I opened my mouth lightly.

“Bang!”

“What the hell are you doing…?”

What else? Signaling the attack!

Three whistling sounds rang out, and bolts from a crossbow struck the male student’s palm and arm one after another.

“My hand! Agh… AAAAHHH!”

Realizing the pain too late, he clutched his arm and screamed.

One of the bolts had pierced cleanly through the smartphone and his palm. Perfect.

While the group stood frozen in shock, unsure how to respond to the sudden turn of events, a squad of Violet clones, all wearing masks, stormed into the building.

“Charge! Charge!”

Bolts fired at their arms and legs.

The gang members were thrown into confusion by the sudden coordinated assault.

Three of them were incapacitated as bolts lodged into their limbs.

Unfortunately, not all of them were subdued.

Regaining their senses quickly, the rest drew their weapons and began deflecting the arrows.

Amidst the chaos, No. 5 quietly retreated. As particles of mana shimmered, a replicated set of clothing formed and covered her body.

Now, it was time for the others to take over.

“Hey! Duck!”

The leader pulled out a long staff taller than herself and lightly tapped it on the ground.

A white magic circle appeared around her followers, then disappeared.

The bolts flying toward them sparked against the white light and ricocheted away.

However, while they focused on defending, a group of Violet clones armed with riot shields used the opportunity to push into the building and engaged them in melee combat.

The rear assault team arrived first. Securing Daphne was the priority.

“Ram them!”

No. 12 and 23 charged at two male students with their shields, slamming into them.

These were the ones who had been tormenting Daphne, repeatedly hitting the barrier to prevent her from resting.

As the two boys flinched from the impact, eight more Violet clones surged in behind them, stabbing their arms and legs and striking their heads with hammers.

“Argh! AAAHHHH!”

“My leg!!”

As the gang members were incapacitated, I ran toward Daphne.

“Are you okay? We’re here to rescue you!”

“Haah… I’m… fine…”

The barrier disappeared, and Daphne staggered as she came out.

She barely managed to stand with our support.

Now that I got a closer look, she was on the verge of running out of mana.

If we had been any later, it would’ve been a disaster.

She was so exhausted that she couldn’t walk, so we sat her down nearby to rest.

While ensuring Daphne’s safety, the other assault teams charged at the gang.

“Block them! Block them, damn it! Aaaah! Aghhh!”

“Ahhh! Get off me! Stop it! Stop it!”

The gang’s resistance was fiercer than expected.

They blocked with shields and lunged with swords and spears, causing casualties on our side as well.

Compared to the opponents we had faced before, they had some skill.

Still, sheer numbers worked in our favor, and we began to overpower them.

“Urgh… Ack!”

There were 34 of us here, including No. 5, who had been present from the start.

We had depleted all our mana and even consumed mana potions to gather this many clones.

The gang, now surrounded, struggled desperately, but they didn’t last long before collapsing to the ground.

The only one left was the leader girl with the wand.

We surrounded her.

“…Move!”

“Uwaaah!”

The leader let out a shockwave, knocking us down, and began to run away.

We chased after her, quickly drawing crossbows and aiming for her legs.

-Ping! Ping ping!

“Aaaaagh!”

A high-pitched scream echoed through the dimly lit building.

“Get lost, damn it! Just go away!”

I could see a bolt embedded in her leg.

She swung her wand, firing mana bullets wildly in desperation.

Two or three Violets were knocked down, but over ten of us immediately tackled her and pinned her down.

“Aaaagh!”

“Now, let’s settle this with a nice conversation.”

These bastards weren’t just bullies—they had seriously taken photos of me in my underwear and threatened Daphne.

If not for the barrier, things could have gone far worse. I intended to repay them for everything they had done to us.

No. 5 approached the leader girl with a hammer in hand.

Suddenly, another powerful shockwave swept through the area.

Had we not subdued her enough?

When the girl raised her arm, an intense sphere of flame began to form in her palm.

We panicked and backed away immediately.

Infused with mana, the initially fist-sized fireball rapidly grew to the size of a bowling ball.

“…Die!”

In a final act of defiance, she hurled the fireball at us, sending us scattering in all directions in panic.

“Get down!”

“Run away!”

As I ducked to avoid the fireball and turned to look behind me, my heart sank.

I had forgotten something crucial.

The fireball was heading straight toward Daphne. Her terrified face was clear as day. It was too late for her to dodge!

“No… no!”

The Violets next to her instantly raised their shields and threw themselves in front of her.

The blazing fireball hit us directly.

A bright green light spread out rapidly but soon faded and disappeared.

-BOOM!

The explosion echoed through the building.

No. 5 immediately rushed forward and struck the leader girl’s head with the hammer.

She collapsed and passed out. Alarmed clones quickly ran to the site of the explosion.

Shield-bearing No. 45 had shattered into pieces from the direct impact of the fireball, and No. 27, who had been behind her, was burnt black.

Fortunately, Daphne was unharmed because we had taken the hit for her.

No, wait!

Daphne had collapsed unconscious.

She wasn’t moving.

“She… she’s not breathing! What do we do?!”

At No. 5’s words, I inspected her in panic.

She was breathing faintly, and I heaved a sigh of relief.

But what was wrong?

Why wasn’t she waking up?

We had clearly blocked the attack!

Blood started trickling from her head. Judging by the situation, she must have been hit by debris.

“A healing potion! Get a healing potion, now!”

We hurriedly pulled a healing potion from the inventory and injected it into her.

With no bandages on hand, we tore strips from our clothing and wrapped them around her head.

“Daphne’s hurt! What do we do? What do we do?!”

“A hospital… We need to take her to a hospital! But where? The infirmary?”

“Wait, let’s call… Irene! Call Irene!”

No. 17, her hands trembling, called Irene.

“…Violet? What’s going on?”

“Help us… please!”

The Violets carrying Daphne’s unconscious body rushed outside.

A moment ago, the area had been filled with chaos and noise.

Now, it was left with only the groans of injured gang members and the quiet sobs of the remaining Violets.

The Violets who stayed behind were restless.

“…She’s not going to die, right? No way…”

“No, she was given the healing potion. And she’s breathing. She’ll be fine.”

The shocked Violets fell silent.

As my racing heart calmed down, a torrent of questions bubbled up inside me.

Why did Daphne have to get hurt?

You’re the ones who started this fight.

At most, I stole a wallet.

That’s on me.

Shouldn’t I be the only one who gets hurt? Why?

Before I realized it, tears began streaming down my face.

No, maybe it was my fault. It was my mistake.

Yes, part of it was my fault.

If I had blocked better, maybe she wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Or I could’ve pulled her out of the line of fire earlier.

I should’ve taken her outside right from the beginning.

Why did I bother putting on an act like some ridiculous clown? Was I too careless?

Yes, it might have been my fault. Daphne got hurt because of me.

I was always a burden, always whining and causing trouble, yet she always smiled and forgave me.

And now, because of my foolishness, she was hurt.

Yes. I was foolish and pathetic! I should’ve subdued them immediately to prevent any retaliation.

How could I leave them an opening? Even so, the main culprits were those bastards.

Looking at the gang sprawled on the ground in front of me, nausea welled up inside.

I grabbed the leader girl by the hair and slapped her awake. My frustration boiled over, and I screamed.

“Ah…?”

“Why! Why did you do it?! WHY?!”

“You… you crazy bitch! What’s your problem? What did I do wrong?!”

The shamelessness of the guy momentarily left me stunned.

What did he just say?

It felt like molten lava was surging inside my chest.

What on earth had he done so well to act like this?

My teeth clenched tightly.

At some point, my head cleared and I felt calm.

I think I finally understood what it meant when they said you become cold-headed when you’re too angry.

The Violets silently gathered the fallen gang members in one place.

They confiscated all their phones and sent them to the Violet lodging in the central region.

Chains and handcuffs were brought out to tie them up.

Once the restraining was complete, I began to ask questions.

There was so much I needed to ask.

“This… You were talking about that Martin guy’s sister, weren’t you? Am I right?”

“What? I don’t know…! I didn’t say anything like that…”

The gang leader faltered in his words as he observed my expression.

It felt like someone was pushing me from behind, urging me to act.

Fine, this is necessary.

Shouldn’t I teach these scumbags a real lesson, one they’d feel deep in their bones?

My head spun.

I wanted to cry.

I was so furious, so annoyed, I couldn’t hold it in.

But even in this rage, my thought process was unbelievably clear.

If only my mind was murky like muddy water, it would’ve been easier.

But everything I needed to do was so glaringly obvious that it made me feel uneasy.

The night air was cold, but it wasn’t enough to cool my anger.

I couldn’t just sit still any longer.

I pulled out a handful of recovery syringes that I had stockpiled in my inventory but never used.

“I’m going to ask you some questions now. I hope you’ll answer honestly. Got it? Tell me exactly who ordered this, where they live, and why they did it…”

“Go to hell, you crazy bitch!”

I swung a hammer at the tip of his finger.

“Arghhh! Stop! Ahhh!”

“See this recovery syringe? It’s not even midnight yet. We have plenty of time.”

I swung it again.

And again.

Harder each time.

I injected the recovery syringe.

Then I hit him again.

And injected it again.

The night was long, and the amount of information we exchanged wasn’t small.

There were plenty of people to question too.

And again, I swung.

Bang, bang!

I don’t even know why I’m doing this.

The night was long, and a lot could be accomplished.

The next day, I was finally able to meet the root cause of all these problems.

Maybe it was because of all the things I did last night, but I felt a bit mentally drained.

Unfortunately, if I could have met them and settled things that night, it would’ve been cleaner.

But when I visited, only their family was home.

If that had been the case, I wouldn’t have had to use these laughable and doomed academy rules to my advantage.

I sat on the desk in the clubroom—which was now used as an administrative office—and waited for a long time.

Soon enough, the door swung open, and a female student entered.

She looked me up and down with a suspicious gaze, and I could see sparks flying in her eyes.

Ah, so you know who I am.

No need for introductions, then.

She was a female student with a haughty air, her long blond hair tied up in a ponytail.

Her appearance was quite pretty, but her sharp, spiteful gaze completely ruined the impression.

And her current red-faced look only made her appear worse.

Not that I could say much, since I was the one who made her this way.

“Hello, Martina.”

“You, you! What did you do to my brother… to my brother?!”

Instead of answering, I pulled out a pair of work gloves and flung them at her.

I just felt like trying it once.

I hoped the flying gloves would smack her in the face.

Unfortunately, the bitch snatched them mid-air.

She’s quick too.

“You know who I am, don’t you? A duel, you damned bitch.”