Chapter 217
qMJXnHFThe full moon began to rise in the night sky.iEoNl
8rI─!dGCePU
Zki5Ba7──!wUa7
Rbym─!jGMq
kBMzCQThe fireworks exploded in unison, painting the night with beauty.S9mfK
j3hDdJ2The light filtered gently through the window, as two elves began to concentrate mana.eSJ
iRdhMUuuuuuung—O3plPsd
Uuzuh1The spirits, who had lost their reason, showed hostility toward Aint.eXC
Xk2XIn the midst of it all, the cause moved his disgusting tongue.OmLiLyP
D9FCB2P“Today, in this place, a demon will be summoned.”fyytvLA
SPFXYeOne that will devour and destroy the entire Academy.zxoi
IUkbn9i“And you will also vanish right here.”2rUDNh8
lG4NC0But don’t feel too lonely.FQF
UMl“Fernan Pellenberg, whom you cared for so much, went ahead and will be waiting for you.”1ppJ
Mz6YpCr“…What did you do to senior Fernan, professor?”fbaDS
wEteKW“I laid a trap for him. I knew Fernan wouldn’t be able to stay away, so I prepared another demon to receive him. He was a bit stubborn, but in the end, he showed up at just the right moment.”vv3F3
4RQqtDominique couldn’t hold back the laughter that escaped him.rvakt
oGF“Ah, forgive me. This is just too fun.”FtNN2l
DyGknoThe truth is, I suffered too. A lot, an awful lot.y8XbV
Zp2KSCN“I had to sacrifice my own fragments while preparing the summoning circle, all while instructing Carlo Deneb and dealing with the other professors. Every day was exhausting.”8uaB
GaG7o7But seeing the result, all that fatigue disappears as if it never existed.ltFO
sZz“The time has come for the grand finale, student Aint. Would you accept death peacefully?”IchR
cm1hAint gripped his sword tightly and responded.MLiK
JB4xLX“Shut up…!”gfJ
bdMUGG2Dominique’s body split in two. But both halves dissolved into dust.t7pe
T6x“How rude. Attacking in the middle of a conversation? Is that the true nature of the so-called heroes the humans of Armian believe in?”1mYfyH
5osTSuddenly, Dominique was behind Professor Nania and Aria.Uw95ym
bfDAVN“What the hell are you…?”Vu7IuL
bFl9if“That, I don’t intend to say.”roO
nKqTap—mUi2e
iUd0tjFHe gently tapped the ground with his foot. A surge of miasma activated a spell.jwQn8
anE3Z6Illusions of darkness enveloped Aint.uyU
CHgAlongside them came wind and waves, a strange energy mixed with nauseating miasma.m6a6
40inAint slashed through them, shouting.G0s
GZCQ“Aria! Wake up! Professor Nania!”D6a
H8cznTThere was no response.5Mbaq
VFYiMkA shining slash tore through the darkness.hVuYxn
AyPRf“I would love to kill you with my own hands, but unfortunately, I’m not in normal condition.”CRd
SDwwKWith the utmost courtesy and elegance, Dominique bowed his head.49cK2
sAm“So I’ll watch from a seat of honor the fall of the Armian Academy of the Empire.”WfFaUV
njmQEnjoy it to the fullest.y2US
dxe8PJHe vanished like an illusion.ZW9
c5wj“Where…!”TQk
gEvAint dashed like an arrow to pursue him. He wanted to.8og58ur
gR2v6“Impossible.”iin21RG
vUof“Kill Aint Armian…!”GAsE9RS
qTUBeyA blast pushed him backward. Inside the lab, the tools crashed everywhere.2iQ
KpFw6z“Aria…! Professor Nania…!”opL2NEY
okVXEO— If you try to defeat them without killing them, you’ll waste too much time. If the summoning is completed, the demon will appear! You must escape now!jB47AR
8BiAint agreed with Gardner. He raised his sword toward the window.hK2t8q0
D0z62I─!IqU
oQ24YfThe strike crashed against the glass, but the symbols covering the entire lab resonated in unison and repelled the attack.5cB7u
tuGThe rebound was so violent that Aint grit his teeth. He stumbled back, and in that instant, the two spirit summoners cornered him.GwXI
u4Jqo5f“Please…!”QcRsn
jFr3bHe narrowly dodged. But they were spirit mages—wind and water blocked all his movements, covering every possible angle.JmM
rUQInD“Hhh…!”4Be
ATzAint held his breath and swept with his aura. The spells attacking from all directions clashed and exploded.DdCQcC
CTbZEnduring the shockwave, he clenched his jaw.F8xPD
nG8mllt“What the hell is that guy? How could he manipulate Aria and the professor…?”Dd1i2
Uy4QphTEven if he was a miasma bearer, there were limits. That Aria had already fallen under mind control was one thing, but Professor Nania was different.pNH
1e4JKSJA top-tier mage anywhere on the continent.lkf
hVDEGSomeone like her had been subdued, while that man built a summoning circle and transformed the lab into a prison of this scale.lR3
yzoyAll of it without the rector noticing.uRX
tRj— …It’s possible. Because that guy isn’t just a miasma bearer.VnsMxR
YlFj“…What do you mean?”4N5R6
n2kP3— Now that I’ve seen him in person, he’s worse than I heard.SpcztJ
yTi32u— A demon.t8zJUc
ERwd— That guy is a demon! The 71st of the hierarchy—Dantalion!5spg
V5Ba“……!”NJx
uh7Gardner’s shout froze Aint in place.6Jh2jYs
XJaOWWu“Wait, so if they summon another demon, there’ll be two in the Academy…?”Shu
gturrThe color drained from his face.dWgnEoa
UcoMeanwhile, the two spirit mages charged at him again.2EB
dUgRy***Nzjh
TFdTSLast night of the festival.1przoN1
bPHBlR3The Emperor had left after the closing speech, and as always, the Academy concluded with a fireworks display.oNCf02X
bh8KBoom, boom, boom.QX55
HoBThe explosions lit up the Academy’s sky with more brightness and beauty than ever.kSkU
I0uAA“So pretty.”AH6AxZ
GeNl“Gorgeous.”XmXiM5x
eT7y“Yeah.”4AygL
V4s2lLuina was watching too. Sitting on a café rooftop with her friends, enjoying a hot chocolate.rlBBQZ
CEr9iXdShe would have liked to be accompanied by someone else at that moment. But he wasn’t at the Academy.6li
tKrm‘He said he’d be back soon…’eJNI
3IMeThe festival ended, and he still hadn’t appeared.utfJ4
4HEWtYShe had wanted to see the fireworks with him.fIJJi7
gePerJy“I wish I was watching this with my boyfriend, not you guys…”HLH219
yl77R“In this life, you’ve already lost, Bella. Accept it.”LTNyz
Qr3I“Don’t talk nonsense!”R2gUfb
2PyZw06“…Did that come out loud?”1Fw
jdajFu“Yes, even covering my ears I heard it.”q5yj
nLD“Liar.”iLK
bJVMy9ELuina’s face turned red.EuM9
7Pd“I’m really surprised. I never imagined you and Fernan would end up like this…”IlNb4J
e1MvV8k“That’s not true, Aina.”cWggHh
B4bLa“Yes it is, Aina. Let’s just say it’s not—for now.”RfmU
J7h9K“Was I too nosy?”2M0Hss
pSfI“I told you, it’s not like that!”iWF
6q5FVI───!quMoUJ
vZn1iQxThen the sky lit up again. Consecutive fireworks formed a silhouette.J32T769
2Dlsc“A Saintbird?”FGig8FL
JPi1A white bird with two pairs of wings. There was no doubt.NA4PIn8
aUSk2“Ending the festival with the symbol of the Empire… pretty romantic.”GwkIwrR
ZfogK5“Yes.”Eq7Ilu
YYTfGT9“Wait… is that moving? Wow, these fireworks are next level!”jPKU
GDIEcEf“I heard Aria worked really hard on this.”0miY6v
zV9FgocShe hadn’t left the lab because she was using spirits. Now it made sense—she had created something like that.Jk07O4x
BWjXfc“The elf? When will you introduce us?”WyL
spjs8“When there’s a chance.”hGHP8Xa
oAv“You’ve been neglecting us lately. Always spending time with Fernan…”Znlsa
8mvThen—M14w
4H1“…What’s going on with that color?”BnVSrCn
fo4lThe Saintbird looked strange.X12frTZ
UqkIts pure white began to darken. Black, then red, and finally a mixture of both.dQK
XlBfy4The transformation began at the heart, spreading through the entire bird.MhuZo
uJnDkglKiiiiiiiiii—XvL5
RVWwZoA metallic screech, like nails on steel, forced them to cover their ears.zQ3Qy3s
2LhR“What is that…?”kNpuJTc
ydgG“It hurts…!”4llC3
7mt5UGuWhen Luina looked again, the Saintbird was gone.2Twcjj1
QtOThe Empire’s symbol had dissolved, and the spirits were reorganizing into another figure.WkrcJ
1S4gSz3“…A peacock?”km4ze3
KcfvnrLuina murmured without realizing.TDWE4
cA4TjAbAt that very moment—OabAnxW
cYO─────!wuj
vSXGBlack columns shot up across the entire Academy. They connected directly with the peacock in the sky.nC1Fqr1
v1MA black and crimson dome covered the entire campus.iid
HJ5An ominous energy spread rapidly.e0QkN
HR7pa“…Demonic magic?”jItI
UEN78dShe had felt it countless times while following Fernan.GebHc
wfIKRNiThat energy. A force that triggered instinctive repulsion, discomfort, and suffocating danger.OGCE6s
lnNYIkLuina’s skin prickled. Her instincts roared with a fierce alarm.JZqjZ
LarXd“…Something’s wrong.”Vuhc
dIzShe leapt from the rooftop.TLQyvS
ydZ“Luina, where are you going?!”FsVY8zw
yvIrnyR“For my sword! You all get to safety too!”Yb3Tw
t9eipqEven after grabbing her sword in her room, the feeling of unease didn’t vanish.0Tz6xc
GGTThe blackened sky was dyed blood-red, and the miasma was much thicker than before.yUBUSNb
o5Rh2BThis was different. Very different from the countless corrupt beings and monsters she had faced so far.LIYhj
ueVzkX“…A demon?”bwJ
k1jzX60Yes. It reminded her of those moments.Zle
oQEvBcWhen the 72nd demon, Andromalius, descended.QWMV
iSqlaWhen she faced the 66th, Kimaris.r6m
l7o‘What should I do?’O6EGB
YFK1j0The enemy was a demon. She had heard the rector left the Academy because his grandson was ill. Then, who could stop it?HXOjAU
QFZpLuina bit her lip.zfrGli
lSpbWL‘It’s not about whether I can or can’t.’aiy7gnO
eBOgPIt was something that had to be done.FcWy
vLWtlIf the Academy was to survive.vqGgc
0Y268If she didn’t want to see people massacred by demons.GHzuHop
ZNiKzp‘Aint! I must find Aint!’ftbbz
qT9Fernan was the first person to come to mind. But Fernan wasn’t at the Academy.WD05Kj
vUXz1MYSo next—A true opponent of demons.GYM48WR
52GSFor the first time, Luina broke the rules of Ravidus Hall and knocked on another room’s door. No answer. She forced it open, only to find a wall with a gaping hole.UYihTwA
W3nOuNQ“Ah…”zhyKt
BsI6Right. Aint had destroyed Ravidus Hall and was punished for it. He wasn’t allowed to return there for the whole semester.MVZ0V8p
Fk4go‘If he’s being punished… with whom?’GcG
FcL19iNShe didn’t know the details of the sanction.x1xZ
BNgQbAll she remembered was that Professor Grad had said he supervised Aint for a time before she began training with him.JMiTb
93ZDSyIf that was true, he’d also know where Aint was afterward.JZQVf
rn5GUkIn a hurry, Luina rushed to the faculty building. Fortunately, Grad was there.ZzYJ
acobyiThey met, he too stepping out with sword in hand.ig7Tj1
SqFk1cw“Professor! That’s a demon being summoned! We have to find Aint! Do you know where he is?”yWa10W
79di“…A demon, you say?”zPym
HGJrvRProfessor Grad’s face hardened at the word.G7aVQ2j
XUELy“If you mean Aint, he was serving his punishment helping Professor Ladina Branchef. He should’ve finished a couple of hours ago…”wkSO37
YzTMIt was in that moment.QYnIxB
kleSug5It was hard to describe. But both felt it. Something had changed.V7Ow
owkHWith their senses heightened, Luina and Grad looked up at the same time.zX8r
JSkc88The Saintbird had vanished, replaced by a gigantic peacock drawn in black miasma.W6qdz
91MC0Its tail opened completely.F1aAm
noOUcNyAnd there appeared symbols.Z11KpQ
wew“……!”cNWC
hFaE9uQNo, they weren’t symbols.6c7g
bSIszThey were eyes.ojYb9
aenHundreds of eyes opening at once.2iDAeQ
s6cRj72Deformed, sinister, terrifying.c7OCgZh
64oZ2nAll of them looked down, toward the Academy.0dAq5
GUDz5jLMeeting the gazes of those trembling in fear and reverence.HGmTnb
IFS5wdq“……”ljEBf
s0YHZ7tJust receiving that gaze made Luina feel a crushing weight. Her heart pounded.18gEU
O8SAt that very moment—p3B
X7y────!GLL
GoPIK9AThe magic circle began to radiate a blinding light.WGTZ
xeVUSpace itself started to crack.3mGePI
G88wBMCrackkk—bWw
9RsQFrom the rift emerged the giant claw of a bird.lHUJ4ZR
e0RVtThe miasma, even denser now, left Luina with no doubts.7zY
H4Bux4A demon.1iK
zy95It was a true demon.KLga2
c3AHvA demon was descending upon the Academy.zNe
vRoy9lp“You were right, Luina.”9V0eyL
TUCThe Academy’s swordsmanship professor, Grad Xant, gripped his sword tightly.DUKgX
OJimHis red aura rose in waves like searing heat.48D5K
oXH21jWHe swung it.6YO
5SKB────!vno
L09A red flash split the air and struck the bird’s claw.3eAu6s
2ztGThe foot that was about to crush the land trembled violently.JrF77
7QdPQ3Kiiiiiiiiiek—wWa
jFHA chilling screech shook the entire Academy.uHHVT
PS0RQP6“Follow me, Luina Bercheff.”k6au
ohcoGrad marched forward with firm steps toward the demon.K650w
GJN“I don’t want to say something this heavy to a student, but I don’t think I can take that thing down alone.”pY7l7c
1cXHBO8I need your help.XEicz
Qqe946A“We can’t let everyone die. And I’m sure Aint Armian, when he sees this, will come immediately.”qgbI
VdI“Yes. Understood.”D4NdA
kgZFImXLuina nodded without a moment’s hesitation.JJI
k1ueWR‘I am a knight.’frvU
byNA knight doesn’t run, leaving the enemy in front of the defenseless.HEGE1E
EzPThe enemy is killed.ufQhpcO
AYAYzAnd if it can’t be killed, then time is bought so the others can escape.paW
g27YJn“It’s a demon!”tlewK
Gj9QnA9“Run!”Fk8R2Sd
GDaxThey passed by the screams of those fleeing in terror.x31
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