Chapter 225
H0LI“Specialist? What a joke. How dare you say such words in front of me?”mQM
dQYAndrealphus had completely changed his appearance.cPeuAO
WF4mHis size, once ten meters tall, had shrunk to just over two. The bird form vanished, transforming into an extremely handsome human.l3beR
yeKqzUpThe first attack had failed, but that wasn’t the only reason for his transformation.Zdy0vv
0nAZy6Having a size closer to that of humans actually gave him the advantage in combat.f8UnaAo
IgMtwHe took a deep breath, puffing out his chest. And as he exhaled, his breath turned into a hurricane.pdz
TVZWhooooom—8u9Z2
RsLwA storm of wind blades swept toward the humans.FBJ
AfXcThat was only the beginning.Vc8L
2CASwAndrealphus was a master of magic and illusion.8mV
GgSFEach of the hundreds of eyes he possessed acted as a catalyst for spellcasting.JQQ7Px
MppB0leEyes opened across his arms and hands.Eqf
SBTqSome summoned flames, others lightning, wind, rocks.jeo3
8FtK3gDIt was a spectacle of rapid-fire spells and explosions: a true magical storm.8ClW3KS
DnmMuOThe power was enough to leave not even bones behind.PRWQt
Rgv2EdHowever—z2Pw1wd
b8UwSlash!LXrs
qPR5XPMFrom within the storm, a red-tinged sword burst forth.7EF8
yOBMiIts path sliced through space itself, severing Andrealphus’ neck. His body and head separated, fading into an illusion.K4r4U
U3pujO4“It’s not hard to predict what ugly creatures think.”POif99z
nWWKHe reappeared about 50 meters away, mocking Grad.rNn
jpcfB“Die.”Laci
tRnI7As he extended his hands, the earth rose and clapped together like two palms.vAuqm1j
8ZULBoom!fmc
IEx8OhuGrad was launched upward with the rubble, and black lightning struck him from above.XxH
TsxCrash!2SLT
VU9zxsiThe knight withstood the pain and charged forward. His aura and the lightning clashed, canceling each other out.JQ5iSrX
ywSisVA“So, you do have a trump card.”6uyjV
nuXsThe distance between them vanished in an instant. Wind blades flew at him, but all were deflected.kQgUhx
KW3KSlam! Another slash tore through the barrier—and Andrealphus—at the same time.5xZL
8DZ78Xe“I told you, the thoughts of repulsive beings always fit in the palm of my hand…”FvV
tX3ZThirty meters farther, Andrealphus reappeared, quickly crossing his arms. A wave of red aura stopped just in front of his face, shattering his shield. Five of his eyes shut simultaneously.9Ir
TEOThat moment of hesitation allowed Grad to close the distance.hxihon
DlVWhen Andrealphus raised his hands, Grad threw sand in his face.xTJWFbt
kfZQ1kG“Tch…!”qrK
UWOrEnAThe eyes shut reflexively.YpJWCKL
Pk0CSlash!azba
SHTkGSlHis neck was severed once more. This time, Grad predicted his next position and swung again, but it wasn’t like before.vJw5hEK
gLvqO“How disgusting… your actions are the most revolting.”5d2wc
BKH“How disgusting… your actions are the mo—”izx7
wmyH2E6“How disgusting… your actions are the m—”KMwC2H
4mVQOEchoing voices, dozens of copies, illusions or clones. All surrounded Grad from above.77wFE
YBKIP5h“Hmph.”1F65Pxr
kS46Grad didn’t flinch and pushed his aura to the limit.aT1mZB
PHFiyVrrrm—SMlDCy
xU2OJHis sword vibrated, roaring with power.oZO8
SGAHe released all his energy in one blow.zsnr
oXedzkfHis style was brutal, unlike Altrierc’s refined form—rough, raw, violent.rIlc
5ind3YAnd for that very reason, more destructive.GnKo
HgnUhetThousands of aura fragments exploded outward, obliterating all the clones.ofB
99L7nBoom!XxEPeMM
ORcX“There you are.”Yt6wnfq
Y6qjGrad lunged at the one survivor holding a shield.ZnxWz2
hU8But that was the trap Andrealphus had laid.aKX8
LhTUZX“Welcome.”z6bcyxa
MpFlfHis chest opened, revealing a massive eye.tDE
v8buTNdGrad turned his gaze away—but toward another trap: a third eye appeared on the demon’s forehead.DxwGd
pFp3yA wave of demonic magic surged over him. For a moment, Grad felt a strange emotion.vEb7
I25“Kh…!”nqo
22e5But he shook it off immediately.Z83AN
ayC33Z“W-What…? How?”S6l
tjPIWcAndrealphus was stunned.kDq
mj7hueRHis human form was meant to ambush Aint, to fight at equal size—but most of all, to seduce.loU9l2l
H6VBeauty was his greatest weapon. Through illusions and charm, he had enslaved countless humans a thousand years ago.zwW
yzXxAnd yet—tLMPls
h4zLt“…What did you do to me, you damn pretty boy?”Ibw3n
wowofvIt didn’t work?qAwRL3i
Lnw89Desperate, he tried to seduce the others.DTVgy
EQI“Andromalius wasn’t like this.”kTZI
tsB6yBut—3dLQ
gJ8— Kyuu?oc66vTs
8rR85gNot one of them fell under his spell.rF3gt
s8E“Ridiculously handsome. God will punish you by making you grotesque. And no, that’s not envy.”lo92qxN
sgWViZNo one was fooled.vVXRv
nAXGZThe iron knight, the “ugly hunk of scrap metal,” could never understand beauty.v8i
rNrXHis natural enemy, Aint, was immune to his magic.ygY
9cQgESGrad had an unshakable mind.5T4P
b6L8pVThe mage, however, truly disturbed him.WE1RlT
DNh“What the hell are you?”hBs0t
Qzoxu“Me?”NAQX
26PrThe mage smiled.o7j
ZMUqC“I am the representative of the Dragon God, sent to purify all demons.”KiD2
MKbC9m“The… Dragon God?”sTEhl5
10kgzfNIt couldn’t be.8UgVHE
BpkSlash!S9sQ
HoTA red slash exploded before him, nearly shattering his shield.ydWx
h11ik18“Damn you…!”G7cT
yclBefore he could finish cursing, another slash split him in two and hurled him to the ground.NbM0
Sc4ou6B“Ughhh!”DnUyQi1
5hZThe demon coughed up blood, his body covered in wounds. The enemy’s energy was devouring his magic, preventing him from regenerating.WwRv
RkTzCkb“W-Wait!” he cried, desperate.K65E
aaGbX5“A draw! Let’s call it a draw! I’ll withdraw right now!”DaQgt
lq6“…What are you talking about?”gwwI
NcgZ“Garbage. As always.”4ViCL
UBrAint raised his sword.Xev3aZ
5fR“Demons and corrupts shouldn’t be allowed to speak.”LhzCfH6
tGIDd“No, wait! Let’s make a deal! I can’t die like this…!”G7B
9xIxjJSlash!zbHN
eAJd7The demon was cut in two.SwWTWR
vTmq***VlO3LI
uAY“No, wait! Let’s make a deal! I can’t die like this…!”Bxq
tBUmw8zThe demon’s scream shook the entire Academy.JOXeg
I1JCrSlash!YpId6dW
Lg2y0Immediately, a slash that tore through space itself unleashed a white light that devoured everything around it.Kmo4jdy
KUbuZo“Well now.”6BDW4Z
kYwGTSizzle.3kuIqy4
CWzTDlProfessor Dominique groaned as the light bit into his magic, devouring it.53sbKw
a67OwCrack— His half-twisted neck snapped back into place.097
hB5K5“Now that Andrealphus is dead, won’t you at least let me go?”yViGN
6Qr0“If you give me around ten billion gold, I’ll consider it.”A7zU
N7WBSxe“A student extorting a professor—the academic authority has truly collapsed. If the First Emperor who founded the Academy could see this, he’d weep in the underworld.”Upp23Z
7zfr3DTHis physical state couldn’t even be described as normal.Cft
zHWHalf of his body was covered in white frost, and his whole form was riddled with wounds, large and small.6yJB0Q
vfkqc“This isn’t what I expected. I thought I’d be praised for killing a demon.”NoO3
ML1“Maybe you’re right.”PMZ76
Ui70Dominique’s breath came out as icy mist. The frost covering his skin had already frozen his insides completely.0fu
D7tWere he not a demon, simply speaking in such a state would’ve been impossible.hqK
yMWeAr“As always, Professor Rosalia, you’re ruthless.”LTI
Sp8He collapsed with a dull thud. One of his legs, completely frozen, shattered into pieces.tUg
wU77“In the end, we were once colleagues, teaching students together.”B38
TnK“Your mouth never rests for even a second.”CfHqqFH
ycdEbPiShould she freeze his tongue too?h0t13cU
iUrkQ“I don’t consider a demon a colleague.”PC3
3sKsS“You should abandon that prejudice that humans and demons can’t be comrades. Didn’t the Pellenbergs and demons get along well in the past?”2U3XcX0
m3dDominique smiled, looking at Fernan.CZaEa
HKF8R“If you’re trying to sow discord, at least use something more recent.”nJp3
TYa“A thousand years ago is recent to me.”dBnSWc
YxqY“You should consider our perspective. Humans live only a hundred years; do you really expect to manipulate emotions with something from a millennium ago?”TrrO1KZ
0btrhuS“True. I’ll keep that in mind for next time.”yKt
sn2oQ“Next time? What a funny comment.”vN8h2
PrdxpThere will be no next time, professor.ZBsl9rx
1PoGOBut Dominique ignored Fernan and continued.eUBu1
BPeyI“However, the Empire has seen demons join forces with humans from outside many times. Ah, now things get complicated.”SlJMdW
mt1The frost covered him completely. From his feet to his neck, his whole body except the head was frozen.2D2mLq
4IYmXThat was the reason Fernan and Rosalia still talked with him rather than killing him immediately—he couldn’t escape, and might spill useful information.NKu
GMG“You mean Colomo, for example?”VQ0V1N
Ys6“Seems like it’s no longer worth listening.”I80NVx
OWm2f4nFernan bent down, meeting the eyes of the petrified Dominique.Jt9iXQ
MRCTh“Fine, I’ll ask anyway—besides you, have any other demons already descended?”FOe2sB
Iuy“Do you know the phrase ‘what you fear becomes reality’?”bRlKDX
0u4“I see.”WRu2l
RzlLFernan’s tone and expression changed.9l4
ogS“Then die.”Uejv
4be“Hehe… not even being treated like a professor anymore. What a pity. If I hadn’t sacrificed part of my flesh to summon Andrealphus, I wouldn’t have fallen so easily.”sGXG
1LG9“Regret always comes too late.”LfqvA
jIAR“Cruel. After all, we had a bond…”qbP
ppuIzXRosalia’s frost reached him, freezing even his head.xrtagZQ
11NPzILuina cut him in two, turning him into a shattered ice statue.4U6
07TysProfessor Dominique’s body disappeared, disintegrating into black dust.wms
5CibG“……”EWzo8m
FY8Fernan felt an indescribable wave inside.jKBo
jICSince the first day he obtained the prophecy book, a vision had haunted him—his own ruin.YHpi6z
hFyWA future where he allied with demons, betrayed humanity, was rejected by his father, and cast out with nothing.WOr4
q3OumyAAn unthinkable, intolerable fate.9Ha9X
565L89hThe more he understood that it had all been an elaborate trap by demons or corrupts, the deeper his fury grew.oE07RhE
J2QzsQHow dare they?JDKL
CMfzwmPWho dared?4gIWZwc
fag5pLTTo take away everything he had built?IThhVM
AZzRWunTo turn him into a ruined beggar?blz0
mv4op2YThat rage was his greatest drive.AtDQ
HAgkIhThe reason he so fervently supported Aint was always, ultimately, to avoid his own downfall.U5jlUc
dLUgUVTo take revenge on those who sought to destroy him.ufAyoB5
OuaCWhen he confirmed, through the prophecy, that he had avoided that fate, Fernan slept the best sleep of his life.YGt
1TntYbmAnd today, at last, he destroyed the author of that trap. He severed the final thread tying him to that future.32p3i8V
m0ISmyEuphoria.6fG
skmeXvJoy.NVq
pp9mGfgExhilaration.PzycCA
o6vGv0iNone of it could be put into words.N3bG
rqab“Your face looks weird.”zga5
kcEy7“What’s weird about it?”qLFH
g5sEc“Your mouth is smiling, your eyebrows are furrowed, and your eyes look on the verge of tears… Are you crying? Were you hurt?”cBdg5o
g8DIt was true. They say when happiness is too great, one cries? A tear rolled down his cheek. Yet he felt no sadness.2cU
kdG“I’m crying out of joy.”ULDL
Fgt0“Joy? Well, I suppose killing a demon is something to be happy about…”ikEM0h
CCvhuLuina, awkwardly, handed him a handkerchief. As Fernan was still lost in the wave of emotions, she wiped his face herself.orwE1Qv
b20pHtF“What a sight. But it’s not over yet. Don’t let your guard down. I’ll go check on the professors.”jLx
7QrEV50Rosalia, cigarette between her lips, entered the Ravidus Hall.Rfx
YnbqtoU“Maybe we should check on the other professors too.”pkCiYcK
duXm“Alright, let’s go.”aEs5TB
KDVDCAFernan calmed his emotions. His body was exhausted, the Academy in ruins, but he thought he could sleep tonight as soundly as that one time…SlwxN
c26zLeg‘Wait a second?’kRe71
eBPQXFoA chill ran down his spine.6GOKgP
4oQvvSAs if he had signed a contract, felt safe, and then remembered a poisonous clause hidden within.DVBz
VIf“No…! Wait! Let’s make a deal! I’ve descended this far, I can’t die this way…!”1hKf
ozWH6Am“Cruel. After all, we had a bond…”4pRH6
2OUWhy? Without knowing why, Fernan compared the ends of Andrealphus and Dantalion.p5LO
dXautsCOne had begged desperately.mfln
pwJThe other had accepted death calmly.GCL
OswYou couldn’t say which was “wrong.”3dK
uoDBut wasn’t it strange that a demon who had managed to descend would accept death so serenely?vWz156c
CAHn2PR‘Flauros.’JMDfk
xtIHe fought until the end to live.QrRkDg
QluvkF‘Kimaris.’DfUBXj
eufndktThe same. And Andromalius was no different.09gx
UHDrm“A fragment of himself as a sacrifice to summon Andrealphus…”8vFX9F1
9foQ6rHe suddenly recalled Aint’s words, about how Dantalion performed the summoning.j8NSmpI
Pk4rvaMAs soon as the idea struck, the dragon’s power stirred within him.jxR
jMvIyCFernan’s senses sharpened, his skin tingled, he perceived the invisible.0T4
Tk3VmVhAnd in the distance—fPhC
C3bP“…Ha.”zUz9TM
Qr9lQbHigh in the sky, he sensed a faint trace of demonic magic.t49epGI
T2kYHkIt hadn’t fully vanished, like Andrealphus’s had.f5Cfg
Qis“Damn demon… pretending to be dead to stab me in the back?”PRo
yf84h0“…What are you talking about?”xzYfL
uhILedC“It’s an avatar, Luina.”afVm9
s517qr“…Eh?”W5Kc
l6UHy5X“Professor Dominique was just one of Dantalion’s fragments.”0ZaKm
6uAYNow that he thought about it, he never actually said he was the main body.UTE6Dj
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