Chapter 88

“So you’re saying that guy is a Corrupted?”

“Yes.”

“He really is a Corrupted.”

Crash!

The massive rock shattered. Fragments flew in every direction, but a translucent ice barrier stopped them.

“You! Who the hell are you? How dare you attack me?!”

Bairan, unscathed but completely enraged, shouted with murderous fury.

“Looks like you still don’t understand the situation.”

“What did you say?”

The three warriors protecting the desert nomads removed their robes and turbans. But their appearances didn’t resemble nomadic clansmen at all.

“You…! You’re not from the desert!”

“Of course not. I’m from Pellenberg, she’s from Bercheff, and the other from Vienderk.”

“Don’t give unnecessary information to the Corrupted, Fernan.”

“Fernan Pellenberg, you said?”

“And now you’ve given the Corrupted my name.”

“Enough, both of you. This isn’t the time to argue in front of the enemy.”

They were Professor Rosalia, Fernan, and Luina, disguised as desert guards.

One day earlier, they had infiltrated a nomadic clan in the southern Taklakan desert.

Although the clans were hesitant to allow an army into their camps, they agreed to cooperate due to the deep hatred they held against the monsters. And now, the time had come.

“How the hell did you get here?”

“Does it matter now? I don’t think so.”

Fernan shrugged. The rumbling of the ground, which had felt distant before, was now right upon them.

Bairan belatedly remembered that the two great knightly orders of Altrierc were charging in this direction.

“Damn it!”

Why, how, for what—none of that mattered now. With his life on the line, there was no time to hesitate.

“Shit…!”

Fweeeet—

Bairan whistled.

“He clearly blew air, but there’s no sound. It’s more like a strange energy, different from mana, spreading out in irritating waves.”

“He mixed in corrupted magic.”

“Interesting.”

Thududududu—hoofbeats and monster roars merged into one.

“Kill them all! Buy me time to escape!”

Dozens—no, hundreds—of monsters burst onto the sand.

“Shouting your plans in front of the enemy—is that stupidity or clumsiness?”

“Aren’t they the same?”

“Means he’s hopeless.”

A staff appeared in Rosalia’s hand. The magic crystal at its tip glowed softly. Ice spread from the arid ground, trapping Bairan’s legs.

“Useless trick…!”

But the ice shattered easily. Luina thrust her blade toward where Bairan stood, but he had already leapt back like an arrow.

And at that moment—

────!

Boooom!

Neighhh—

Groaaar!

The lances of the two knight orders clashed into the monster horde. It was only a brief pause, a momentary recoil to gain more force.

The Iron Knights and Wild Blood Knights tore through the monster lines like sharp knives slicing through fish.

Before the gaps could close with more monsters, Altrierc’s elite soldiers surged in.

“Impressive. Altrierc’s reputation is well deserved.”

Luina exhaled with genuine admiration at the knights’ charge.

“So, do you think Aint Armian and Ludger Schwaben can take down that fool?”

Rosalia showed no surprise that her magic had been broken. In truth, she hadn’t failed—she had let him escape on purpose.

She, Rosalia Vienderk, the youngest professor in Academy history, could’ve stopped him if she had wanted to.

“I couldn’t have defeated him.”

“Me neither.”

The power Bairan had displayed, even for a moment, far exceeded Fernan’s expectations. It was no wonder he had been the one leading the Monster Wave in the region.

“Not even I could guarantee victory.”

Rosalia lit a black cigarette as she spoke.

Being a professor at the Academy required many qualifications, but the most important was strength. And she was considered a future Archmage. If even she said she couldn’t guarantee it, then the Corrupted was truly dangerous.

“Maybe Professor Grad could.”

Physically, Grad was even more formidable. His hiring had been decided almost entirely based on his raw power.

“So he’s not an opponent for mere students.”

“But we have Armian.”

“Right, the power to break down corrupted magic.”

That was why Armian was called the natural enemy of demons—before the holy light he emitted, neither demons nor their servants, the Corrupteds, could use their full power.

“I suppose this was your idea.”

The strategy was clear: Rosalia and Fernan would block from the front, the Iron and Wild Blood Knights would flank, and the Corrupted would have no choice but to flee backward—where the Academy students waited.

“The students came for experience. Facing a Corrupted will be the best one yet.”

“And you?”

“I’m not particularly skilled in battle.”

“Luina.”

“At the Academy, we were taught that knights and mages must fight together. At least one knight should stay here.”

“I’m enough. How arrogant.”

Rosalia clicked her tongue but didn’t argue further.

“And you, Professor? Why are you here?”

“I can’t leave the students alone.”

“Did Professor Grad order it?”

Rosalia didn’t answer, but that was answer enough.

‘Do well, Aint Armian.’

Fernan looked in the direction the Corrupted had fled.

Maybe this was no longer just Aint’s stage—but for all the Academy students. Even so, this was the best Fernan could do: set the stage for Aint to gain experience and use it as a stepping stone.

‘And I also made sure Luina stayed here…’

In truth, Luina’s presence was the result of his request.

“I trust Professor Rosalia, but I thought it would be best if a knight stayed as well, just in case.”

“…Understood.”

“Then I’ll take care of finishing off the monsters.”

Luina ran toward the front. Each flash of her sword reflecting the sunlight marked another monster falling.

“You too, go.”

“Me too?”

“You said the students came for experience, and you’re one of them.”

“I’m too tired. Can I rest a bit?”

“Rest from what?”

“……”

Under the pressure of her gaze, Fernan had no choice but to raise his staff.

***

— He’s here.

Even if Gardner hadn’t said it, Aint could feel it too.

The approaching enemy tried to be discreet, but by moving so fast, he couldn’t completely hide his energy.

At least not from Aint or Gardner, both highly sensitive to demonic magic.

“He’s coming.”

Aint drew his sword. He took position and swung a vertical slash.

Slash!

The sand split, and the strike hit the Corrupted. With the shockwave, the figure that had been sneaking in was revealed.

“That stench…! It’s you! You’re that cursed blood!”

The instinctive repulsion and the corrupted magic being devoured by the light were enough for Bairan to instantly recognize who had blocked him.

And he also saw the others waiting.

“A trap? So you knew I’d come this way and waited for me!”

Damn it. Though he had dreamed of facing Aint Armian, he couldn’t feel joy.

If it were just Aint, maybe—but there were too many obstacles. And he couldn’t ignore Altrierc’s forces closing in from behind.

He had no time to waste here. Capturing Aint was important, sure, but what good was glory if he ended up dead?

Not even by surrendering his soul to the demon and gaining power had he escaped death.

“I don’t have time to play with you…!”

At that moment—

“Oh, you don’t? What a shame, because we’ve got plenty of time to play with you.”

Spears of wind burst out and attacked from blind angles. As he barely dispersed them with a wave of corrupted magic, a lightning bolt struck him.

And before its echo faded, a white flash hit him.

It was absolute frost that froze everything.

“Damn it…!”

“Hold still and freeze, filthy Corrupted.”

The owner of the cold was Ludger Schwaben, extending a staff with one hand.

“Miserable insects…!”

But Bairan wasn’t so easily broken.

Crrrk—

Black scales covered his body. From his back sprouted dozens of corrupted magic tendrils, like tentacles.

His freezing body flared with heat.

“It’s useless!”

Bairan’s roar echoed. The vibration, charged with magic, struck the students’ eardrums.

“Ugh…!”

“Kyah!”

Some groaned and collapsed, but Ludger stood firm.

“No, it’s not useless.”

Realizing he had to go all in, he poured all his mana into the spell. The ice ray intensified.

The Corrupted’s heat began to die, and frost crept over his body.

“Kuugh…!”

The mana drain was brutal, and Ludger staggered. Using ice magic in a blazing desert was extremely inefficient.

Even so, he pushed his mana heart to the limit.

Still not enough?

He recalled what Fernan had taught him in such moments.

He opened his subspace and drank a potion. His hands were already covered with rings and bracelets embedded with magic stones.

The artifacts shone intensely and began injecting mana. The nearly extinguished ice ray flared back to life.

But even so—

“You insolent worm!”

Ludger’s spell had failed to completely freeze the Corrupted. Bairan resisted and advanced slowly. Frost formed and cracked on his skin in cycles.

“What a monster…”

Ludger’s face twisted, and without realizing it, he let out a bitter laugh. His mana heart was pounding as if it were about to burst. His head throbbed with pain as he struggled to control the flow of energy from the artifacts.

A thin stream of blood ran from his nose.

His hands and feet trembled.

This was his limit.

And still, the enemy wasn’t frozen.

A true monster.

At last, Ludger understood why demons and Corrupted were called the true enemies of humanity.

The pain in his chest and head, the blood soaking his clothes—it didn’t wipe away his smile.

He hadn’t fully frozen him, but he had slowed him down.

That was enough.

Aint.

Almon.

Verian.

Alia.

They were students, but already surpassed many knights.

All of them charged at once, while the other mages began casting. A storm engulfed the Corrupted, and through its gaps, the swords pierced.

Clang!

As he watched the battle, Ludger tossed away the overloaded artifacts.

“With that, wouldn’t you say I contributed the most?”

“Undoubtedly, your spells slowed him down a lot.”

Professor Grad, who had remained hidden until then, appeared beside him.

“Your role was crucial. The timing, also perfect.”

Not far away, the presence of the knight order could be felt. And in plain sight—the Iron Knights.

They had seen Ludger’s magical prowess firsthand.

“But in the end, you rushed it.”

Flash!

A radiant light swept away the corrupted magic.

“Humans always remember the ending.”

Aint Armian, cloaked in a massive white aura, raised his sword. The scene evoked the image of the legendary first Emperor himself.

Everyone held their breath.

Ludger bit his lip.

“I should’ve held back and appeared at the end…”

“Even then, nothing would’ve changed.”

Beginning or end—the result would be the same.

He didn’t have the power to kill the Corrupted.

His magic wasn’t cold or piercing enough.

And that went for all of them. Even Aint—if not for the fact that he possessed a power that directly countered demons.

“Are you frustrated?”

“I’d be lying if I said no. But I didn’t come out empty-handed.”

Ludger stared at Aint’s radiant aura.

‘The swordsmanship of the Armians… when was it restored?’

That bothered him more than his own achievements being overshadowed.

‘And Fernan knew about it beforehand?’

That fox.

Ludger chuckled to himself.

“…This can’t be! I won’t die here!”

The Corrupted roared in desperation. His body deformed even further, and his magic turned wild.

But Aria’s wind cut him down.

Carlo’s lightning tore through him.

Aint’s flash accelerated his collapse.

And the blades of Almon and Alia left no opening untouched.

“You damn…!”

“I’m a professor. And for now, their protector.”

“Monster…!”

“Isn’t it an honor to be called that by a Corrupted?”

There were dangerous moments, but Grad always disrupted the flow at the critical second.

The Corrupted was hunted without mercy.

And while Ludger’s magic didn’t defeat him, it played a decisive role—it had weakened him.

“No… no… I can’t die here! Save me! I’ll give you anything you want!”

Bairan spat blood and pleaded, eyes overflowing with desperate hunger for life.

“You really think we’d trust a Corrupted?”

“I was just following orders! The demons… against the demons…!”

— Disgusting. Finish him. Corrupteds always lie. Not worth speaking to them.

Aint didn’t respond. He didn’t need to.

His sword would be the answer.

Slash!

The blade flashed.

“Ah.”

A thin line opened across the Corrupted’s chest.

“Gyaaaah!”

The wound split wide, spewing black blood. With one final scream, the Corrupted collapsed backward.

Aint stepped on his chest and raised his sword.

“Woooooohhh—!”

“Long live Aint Armian!”

“The Corrupted has fallen!”

The Iron Knights’ roar echoed across the desert.

“Stop! Don’t kill him! He mustn’t die!”

“…Ah, right.”

At Fernan’s belated shout, Aint quickly lifted his foot.

“…Uh.”

He scratched his cheek awkwardly.

‘Maybe it’s already too late?’

— Bah, it was pointless anyway. Corrupteds don’t confess anything, even under torture; they’ve got prohibitions etched into them.

— That fool doesn’t even know.

‘Still… I don’t want to fight with my senior over this…’

Aint took out a potion.

“What if I give him this? Will he recover enough to interrogate him?”

— You going to torture him?

— Would be fun to watch a Corrupted suffer.

“…Doesn’t seem like it.”

Aint let out a quiet sigh.