Chapter 218
s8euGThe sky was being torn apart.V3SuLT
ZW18ofPTerror was descending.Zzik
h3wHgThe byproducts of fear blanketed the entire island.ZpW
Pl8u98SA gigantic demon.mrE4f
0eoNcbAnd around that demon, hordes of creatures were falling like rain.KHXb0
X7jXe3KChaos engulfed the Academy.RHDaB
tsk“Ah, no…!”qpP
LjnXR7“It’s a demon! A demon has descended!”LGuHcK
a2ASome collapsed on the spot, praying to the gods. Others fainted.Ho4
trBL“We have to run! Run!”5rZNj
iD2fa“Defend the Academy! Buy time for people to escape! Kill the beasts!”HJpjUxb
jACPSome chose to flee, others chose to fight even in fear.w57Hj
FTfiygJ“What is this…?”JVz
UIxUTUJace Vines, saint of the Dragon God Cult, was among the latter.dEzM
IYWYLHfAfter seeing the fireworks turn into a magic circle and become corrupted, he understood immediately.vX7
pHbE“A demon is descending upon the Academy…!”Pw3Pf
PZCOThat massive peacock could only be the 65th demon, Andrealphus.yFkhV
1nxAMNaWith the rector absent, there was no way to stop it. So Jace opened a transport circle to the Dragon God Cult, intending to request help from the cardinals.muvnfF
IW5“…Blocked?”RO0Nmal
8CEThe transport circle didn’t work. It wasn’t a failed spell—someone from the outside had blocked it.kofyk3L
5tvwS56Only then did he notice something he hadn’t sensed before due to the demon’s overwhelming presence—a semi-transparent barrier isolating the Academy from the outside.Tj9UzLR
8PPJace pressed his lips together. That meant there was no escape.twSu
MaUThe only hope was that someone outside noticed the anomaly and acted—or that they defeated the demon themselves.SKnsqXm
BT4Either way, they had to fight.vYH2Zxj
V9FY“Priests.”Lek
dDz3yau“Yes, Saint. We’re ready.”On60ux
6R4h“Aren’t you afraid?”2bkaesM
zbpPn6j“Yes, we are. But as followers of the Dragon God, how could we retreat before a demon?”anaI
JGIAmo“We will show that the Lord of Magic is great.”NsJWl5J
c9f7TAJace took a packet of holy water and advanced. The priests followed him.kRZ2
IGtu‘At times like this, I should’ve collected my debt from Fernan first.’RvSAeUr
tGwWThat way we’d both win.kZPWi3
BzNbThe image of that rich older brother, always handing out money, crossed his mind.wP1
YvIJEJkBut now, there was no choice.1L6
BBJXmmO“Priests, help evacuate the people from the monsters.”8M9ZBJ
sB35“Yes, understood.”gzgVo
CKF5TxfThey knew they couldn’t face a demon, so they dispersed without protest.W9CQ
5RKqLj───!ot7XX
FKFOAt that moment, the descending peacock’s leg staggered.yNB
JYJiZA slash. A cut so sharp it made the demon scream in pain.FA1
VpOtfKAnd Jace remembered something the Pope had told him.Pqwg
fCk2“There’s someone at the Academy who finds everything bothersome. His talent is extraordinary, but he lacks the will to use it.”RVoo
YctXXIf that person was here, maybe there was still hope.CCer
mHbJace ran toward the origin of the slash. There, he recognized familiar faces.LkaJ
xCQw“Professor Grad? Senior Luina?”olbINaM
7gDjgUq“Jace Vines?”jwtz
RKZZ9“Jace?”wSSId
DLKbTheir gazes met. No more words were needed.2wes
IZu“I’ll support you.”fMSez5
CbrNpT“Handle it.”c2NP
c5vnN6“I’m counting on you.”7lus9Ob
4CVaEMeanwhile, the peacock had finished emerging from the plane.NLd5w
cYUC— Who dares?vmIGl
vpfOKXZA deafening screech shook the Academy.jfQkj
8evvjC— Who dared to wound my beautiful body?NkHh53
DxIIBuPThe hundreds of eyes in the magic circle suddenly turned to Grad.Zf8EToP
aRtXoyIThe pressure was so intense that Luina and Jace groaned under its weight.UEd
3qJ“That’s right. It was me.”qMtFShG
HLABut Grad stepped forward without hesitation.O1jy
9ZJxHe raised his aura—a red steam boiled and clashed against the demonic energy.PFKSf
LM4zCrackle—48H9
iaas4owThe space around them distorted. Grad lifted his sword and swung it down.Kwp8Z
qCqLuina reinforced the blow—a red slash followed by a blue one extended forth.z2h5i
QWcE──!zCo
MBlEdyEThe peacock’s feathers flew. Its massive body tilted.pOs4eq
NVdBvKZThe feathers, though demonic, gleamed with a beautiful luster.w5Dm
LEQNIf Fernan had been there, he’d surely have said they should turn them into crafts and sell them.DdF02IJ
FAK— How dare you…!9vcDMl
xqZ20NyThe leaning torso snapped upright like a spring.HdcJX3y
1gR5UeThe peacock’s screech tore through eardrums.oBtGvX
pjrXpR— Do you know who you’re dealing with, you insignificant humans?uSh4KfZ
W71ZZ“With who? A stupid bird.”EAb
uSTqEGrad mocked.9kp
adR“Luina. I’ll face it head-on—find an opening.”wh1oq
uRmuT“Yes.”YuG
uwLxf5eBoth launched themselves from the ground, shooting forward like arrows.WtCgG
Ib9K86j“Here I go!”e7jqn
keBWABut something else went first.ayY
ZZp3A white flame.ILRHqQ
2ncaA spell from the Cult, created especially for high-ranked demons—“Holy Light.”h27J
sVvjVL6Waves of white fire enveloped the demon.Az3
H21— Pathetic. You think with this borrowed power you can bring me down?vIZ
TcHbAuN— Disgusting!mTDYVZv
oGUZO0Andrealphus spread his wings.k5hIfW
PFHRThe hundreds of royal eyes extinguished the flames just by looking at them.iO3g
MzCEZbThe wings, flapping, swatted away the slashes like insects.GIy
ZHf7jyThrough the gap that opened, Grad charged, an arrow straight for the demon’s chest.XtVf9m
Ue2aRZrThe beak descended to intercept him.QwK4
exHQThe peacock’s massive yellow eyes mocked him.gXPw
prci— Ridiculous.fn5i
DHjXNM─!FFA
G8c3Grad was blown back faster than he had charged.BB9
GwMgLLuina tried to capitalize on the moment and attacked the demon’s back.zJjvDL
w619b‘It’s too tough…!’9Eq9V
wSSUvShe barely managed to pierce a few feathers, leaving only a shallow scratch.J4O9NPq
ElQQ— It hurts, it hurts!UoC
I6RThe demon’s head twisted unnaturally to peck her.IoSW
jxZV3Luina blocked, but the force of the impact sent her flying.JjoaHw
XhMrF— How dare you!HP5p
wm3l3The gigantic claw came crashing down on her.upKV34R
v5qO8D— Die. Die. Die. Die. Die.QwL18
uojj6jBoom! Boom! Boom!Lv6ZU
sRPxThe ground shook, craters opened, nearby buildings collapsed, and dust filled the air.7bsFEL
5zhEo7v— Die!uAFiq
ZtyzThe demon’s beak opened, releasing a condensed mass of demonic energy.ovDBdz
9TomEThen—mtxKXwB
OJPlbSlash!O2rR
6Qe7eA blue aura sliced it to pieces.nk6fag
ATgThe blast scattered the dust.KUd
esqIn the center of the crater, Luina was still standing. Her sword pointed directly at Andrealphus.7CP2R8
v8EooE1— You still stand?dPCy
ig84U1Her armor was shattered, her body covered in wounds, blood trailing from her lips, her insides damaged.eV1
ILqTOAnd still, she stood.oVVtzVb
FvEXEiAHer breathing stabilized, her aura sharpened and cut through the demonic energy.cUapPX
H6OStaring at the peacock, Luina thought.Lol
jTA2qhp‘It’s strong.’fz1w
80sPNilShe was scared, but at the same time, she felt she could fight.0IGL
drVShe had fought Andromalius.DIRk
xRNShe had seen Kimaris fight her father and the Mercenary King.Awz
6UZFrom then to now, her level had changed completely.SWC
vGKL9But the same applied to the demon.4ZOdcIP
1QWaXlG“Your opponent is me!”fY3
uS1PbA red star plummeted onto Andrealphus’s back. It was Grad, completely wrapped in aura from head to toe.j0Z7
uoO4dw──!eNiGF
OeiThe impact was entirely different from Luina’s. Andrealphus’s body bent violently.DQYx
egoV— T-this… damn…!DpJC
1iaLqEThe demon fluffed its feathers. Hundreds of beams of demonic energy rained down like a storm upon Grad.1umo
XcJTouBoom, boom, boom, boom!KSEtZ0
AP4bBuildings dragged into the consecutive explosions crumbled.DHE
WPrThe ground exploded, and those caught in it screamed in horror.qOSLH
ZktWdZKBut that malicious darkness failed to accomplish its goal.xGBA
TDMAnMrWithin the darkness, a red light shone, and a counterattack struck the demon once again.c6J
XfBXOr─!Svj
MRXGV7uClash after clash.J0Vfh8V
v02bThis was no longer a human battle.dqLQ6
6WVx9yEach exchange flipped the earth and shattered the world.9oPgIV
AigSpace warped, the sky was torn apart.fEs7v
9lV“Senior, are you okay? I have potions—ah, you already have one!”CfPTQaQ
ve8vWhile Grad held the demon at bay, Luina drank one of the potions Fernan had given her.5WABC
qUUCvi‘…It’s overwhelming.’PazVUhv
lWZswThe feather barrier was too thick, and even the slightest movement from the demon came at her like a cataclysm.spfZfKA
20O3WjIt was a completely different level from Andromalius.YYHl
eoG7She finally understood why the rector never easily believed that mere students had defeated a demon—and why demons had nearly conquered the continent.zs73
j6TbfShe also understood that Andromalius had been summoned incompletely.74VoV
mVSmiLqShe had seen Kimaris face her father, the Mercenary King, but seeing it from afar and experiencing it firsthand were entirely different.r2UOGC
nyopeXFear.t42u10
mjZMXjEThey couldn’t win.ttF
FRsaAnd yet, she had to go.l7JzY0C
Em9fOnAGrad was fighting the demon. Even though he looked far calmer than her, anyone could see he was at a disadvantage.iLWTPf
6JXx07She had to press on. If she didn’t, the demon would soon be free to destroy the Academy—perhaps the entire Empire.qRI7
BpgOShe wondered why Aint hadn’t arrived yet, but he must’ve had a reason.gQd2uI
Y8TsThe Aint she knew was not someone who would flee from a demon.PQY
v8V9GSurely the demons had done something to stop him.DvB1r
awX‘Fernan.’oHV4Bp
HThhYR6Perhaps this moment could be her last, and thinking of Fernan wasn’t by chance.4AAygu
eZwSadly, he wasn’t there.w1YSCZd
e1U5xAOr perhaps, that was a relief—it meant he was safe.nD9t
bGgSNLHe wasn’t there, but the chocolate he had given her was.8PzDwmt
Q6e369oThe intense sweetness eased her fear a little.WU9C
zCBboShe took up her sword again.QLaB0t
3Tcmy3LShe pulled out holy water and poured it over the blade.P9F
jWaY5“Is that holy water? Did Senior give it to you?”Q9tw
BWQ7Luina nodded slightly.DmsXl
fa5YZ1She didn’t know if it would work, since even Holy Light had been dispelled in an instant, but she was going to try everything possible.y7oEFxs
2j7kiR“I’ll support you.”afj
Y9HmRJace Vines began chanting a spell.8ktsIRs
tV0q5HThe burning mana formed flames that rose to eradicate evil.IJWyd
wjTzQsE— How dare you burn my feathers! You don’t even understand the A of beauty!pDkyer
YcF1YscThe demon’s gaze shifted briefly toward Jace. Grad took the opportunity to strike the opening. And Luina launched herself into the attack again.A0RtGUT
E1blsBut her strikes were meaningless.MBCrO
xshIJAndrealphus’s feathers, skin, flesh, and bones were tougher than she had expected.sRY3E
PICTo cut what could not be cut, she had to focus everything.Cg0BKY2
sp5D‘Sharper.’Klxo
UrVJvShe remembered her father and the Mercenary King.iFoCAI
tr9VQThe way they had pressured even Kimaris.YrZki
XCFNcX1─!bGwmJ
y6qXVVJOnce again, she only managed a shallow wound. Luina was sent flying.rspVkg
v5iVs“Senior!”4FCKCyw
D8xsQuWJace caught her with a spell, cushioning the impact. She swallowed blood with another potion and hurled herself back in.zGMcf
adUoc‘Read the flow. Find the opening.’vR4r
wn5TvdShe recalled her fight against Katrina Altrierc.FTdqp
vwIZyAmid the storm of swords, she had learned to read the rhythm.s3FqH3Z
o4dZANow it was different—larger, more savage.bKmshzS
qqzBut the essence was the same.GU2
BuzpShe felt the flow, and following that line, she struck with her sword.78UoWp
7RnMSlash!TObMe4
eXXThe result was different this time.Qh6Wk2I
zlDIXBq— Gyaaaaah! Y-you… how dare you…!mhz
GfL3VdThe peacock’s feathers were torn.5UvVfCq
lPMmThe embedded eyes screamed as if shrieking, vibrating violently as they fell and dissolved into dust.5QG7j
MlV8CBut that single blow was enough to enrage Andrealphus.2Iz6
5WYCThe demon unleashed its energy.XkkH
ltYBA black storm swept over everything.yje
sVRl0N9— You will never die in peace! You will writhe in eternal suffering before dying! Forever!UJZ
IasHundreds of eyes opened at once.gPq7E
Y7BAll fixated on Luina.iKq1NC
9Rt6Znl──!Ol5apmE
BxxN2There was no physical impact.KxkB
1iMtolBut inside her head, a roar echoed.u4q7
1k0UORV“S…enior…!”esd
eiqoVJace’s voice faded.h1B
S7R4The red slash falling upon the demon blurred.HAQ
BZlAnd then, Luina’s world went dark.CmOz
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