Chapter 43
Chapter 43
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Midterm Exam (2)
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"How...?"
A knight faculty student muttered those words in a trembling voice as he stared at the completely shattered massive kite shield.
It was a family heirloom. A treasure that symbolized the house, one that had proven its performance on battlefields over many long years.
His father had bragged with some exaggeration that it could block a falling meteor, but even setting that aside, there was no doubt it was reliable equipment.
And yet.
"Hey."
The person who had turned it into scrap metal with his bare fists scratched his head and spoke up.
His tone was thick with irritation.
"Is that all you got? For real?"
Those weren't words you'd expect from someone who had single-handedly, without any weapons or armor—just his bare body—knocked out dozens of students.
Most Elpante students had some confidence in their own abilities. Even professors couldn't guarantee victory against dozens.
And this guy had done it alone.
In no time at all.
On top of that.
Even to the eyes of knight faculty students who specialized in physical enhancement, it was clear the opponent hadn't used even a sliver of his abilities.
It meant the pure difference in their 'trained' physical specs was on that level.
Considering that physical enhancement abilities generally multiplied basic physical capabilities several times over, this guy's 'true strength' was, to put it simply...
"You... what kind of monster are you...!"
Bottomless.
"Bullshit."
But the opponent just scoffed in response.
"You're the ones who are too damn weak."
Liru Garda scoffed and lightly kicked the student's head.
With a thud, the student's body rolled backward across the ground.
It was violence that felt excessive for a midterm exam where you just needed to take their necklace and be done, but Liru felt no emotion about the act itself.
Wasn't it natural for the weak to get beaten by the strong?
Before any pointless guilt, she was just endlessly irritated.
'Not a single useful one among them?'
Ever since fleeing to the Empire after the tribal alliance's 'civil war,' her time here had felt like being locked in a prison.
She'd gotten this student status she'd never had before and was poking around places where she could fight.
But battlefield. Combat. Life-and-death struggles.
To someone whose life could be summed up in those words, this academy was far too peaceful.
'At my age, you should've killed at least two or three people by now, normally.'
The tribal alliance's harsh surroundings made survival impossible without becoming an exceptional warrior from the start.
By comparison, the Empire's people were all soft, indecisive, and pathetically weak.
How could she not be annoyed?
Just look at how they were getting steamrolled without her even using any spells.
"..."
Except for one guy.
She recalled the one person who could keep up with her speed.
His name was definitely...
'Da... Da... what was it?'
Unfortunately, Liru's memory wasn't great.
Anyway, that guy.
The one who saw through the fact that her power was sorcery right away.
"...Hah."
Sorcery was a special power permitted only to a tiny elite within the tribal alliance.
Not just in the Empire—even there, only a handful had seen it used firsthand.
For him to spot it immediately meant one of two things.
He could use sorcery himself.
Or he'd met someone who could.
And fulfilling even one of those...
Made him more than qualify as someone Liru deemed 'worth picking a fight with.'
Especially considering why she and her clan had been chased out of the alliance.
"Ah, if only I could run into that guy. I'd love to throw down once."
"Doing something like that without reason would get you expelled from the academy on the spot, Liru Garda. Since you're in exile, wouldn't it be wiser to keep a lower profile?"
She flinched and turned at the voice casually using her real name.
It was someone she'd never seen before.
Impeccably worn uniform. Jet-black longsword. Silver hair, red eyes. Name tag reading 'Elnor' on his chest.
Student Council President. One of the people she'd heard knew her identity in advance.
And above all.
'...So there was at least one decent one.'
Liru smirked satisfactorily after gauging his approximate strength.
He wasn't Student Council President for nothing. Someone worth risking her life against.
He seemed a bit weaker than her, but close enough to push her to the brink.
"What you're doing has already crossed the line by a wide margin. But as someone overseeing the event, I can't just let it slide. I was busy with a requested task, yet you got me summoned here."
"So what're you gonna do about it?"
Liru chuckled and raised her fist.
"Gonna kick me out or something?"
She half-hoped he would.
She wanted him to draw that sword and charge at her with intent to kill, as requested.
"I will kick you out. But not personally."
With that, Elnor pressed a switch he pulled from his pocket.
At the same moment, white light poured from the necklace Liru wore.
Before she could react, an aura enveloped her entire body, making her grimace.
'Holy power?'
It didn't feel malicious. Just a strong intent to 'teleport her out' of this plain.
And they'd put this blessing on every student's necklace?
'...Does the Empire have holy power users that strong?'
A blessing for targeted spatial transfer was high-tier.
Supplying it to every student in the plain right now?
It was absurd enough to think they'd dragged a saintess from the Papal State.
Of course, even a saintess couldn't fully withstand it.
This required at least a dozen archbishops for stable supply.
Anything less?
It'd just torture the users.
Especially considering 'holy power depletion.'
As she tilted her head in thought, a response came.
"Anyway, go cool your head. Fair competition is one thing, but barbaric brawls like yours are banned at Elpante."
"...Are all you Empire dogs cowards? Did your daddy teach you to act like this?"
To tribal alliance folk, these were top-tier insults.
Calling them cowards and slandering their fathers.
But Elnor just scoffed without reaction.
"I won't agree he's a coward. You have good eyes, Liru Garda."
He even seemed subtly pleased.
Their relationship with their father must be worse than she thought. Empire folk were weird.
But backing off empty-handed felt unsatisfying. At least plant some hostility for next time.
She thought of more provocations.
'Oh, right.'
Tribal warriors had one reliable pattern that always hit home.
"Well, I can't deny being a coward myself. Guess everyone around you is a retard too?"
"..."
Elnor's eyes narrowed.
Oh, reaction.
Liru grinned and continued.
"Got a boyfriend? If you do, I'll steal him right in front of you. See if you run away like a coward again—"
She shut her mouth mid-sentence.
"..."
Elnor said nothing.
But those eyes.
Those glowing red eyes.
They didn't feel human at all. The eyes of a 'monster.'
"..."
Liru involuntarily stepped back.
Shocking, even for her.
'...Did I flinch? Me?'
She who'd crossed hellish battlefields dozens of times.
Scared by just a glare.
From someone she'd thought she could beat moments ago.
〚Liru Garda.〛
Elnor's icy voice fell on her stunned self.
The atmosphere was different from before.
As if.
Something 'other' had possessed her body.
〚I'll let it slide once. Your position's unique, and you clearly didn't know better.〛
Liru stepped back again as Elnor approached step by step.
Overwhelming pressure made her breath catch. Her legs were starting to fail.
〚No second chances.〛
And.
〚No one. Will take. That man from me. Got it?〛
With that sticky whisper clinging to her ear.
Her body was 'teleported' out of the plain.
"..."
In the empty waiting room, she stared blankly at herself.
'...What was that just now?'
One thing was clear.
The Student Council President with that 'foreign entity' was someone she could never beat.
Not just a skill gap.
A difference in their very 'nature.'
One she'd never win against, even with a lifetime of training.
"..."
A feeling she hadn't had in ages.
She grinned ferociously.
Her body was drenched in cold sweat, but her mind was more exhilarated than ever.
There was someone here worth fighting. Someone she wanted to battle to the death.
In other words.
She could grow stronger through combat.
"..."
The shift happened right after mentioning 'boyfriend.'
Best to see it as her reverse scale.
A surefire way to start a fight.
So her task was.
'...The key's that guy.'
To 'conquer' him somehow.
Her eyes gleamed.
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[ Target 'Liru Garda' begins to take interest in you! ]
[ Target 'Elnor' unlocks a skill under your influence! ]
[ 'Possession - Fury' is added to the target's skillset. ]
[ The corresponding function is added to 'Skill: Guidance'! ]
"..."
Sometimes I want to grab the system by the collar and ask.
I literally did nothing—why are these popping up like crazy?
And besides.
'Possession?'
This manifests a fragment of the devil in the body, even if limited. The 'Fury' means that emotion was amplified to trigger it.
It's not something that opens from mild anger. Only when you truly want to kill the other person.
'...What the hell happened?'
That thought crossed my mind, but now wasn't the time to dwell.
I'm busy too.
"You utter monster...!"
"How can something wearing human skin do that...!"
"..."
Listening to the abuse right in my face, I desperately want to defend myself.
So, about that.
Dragging one girl around like baggage with one hand, and the other on a leash, dragging her along.
"Treating people like animals...! Miss! Hero! Just hold on! I'll save you soon!"
"For our fallen friends too...!"
"...You had that many friends?"
I retort incredulously.
I've been ambushed over ten times getting here.
All your friends...?
"Anyone who attacks you is our friend!"
"Watch how you fought first, you trash!"
"..."
Yeah. No rebuttal.
The ambushes were effortlessly repelled by Eliya and Yuria. With a devil's vessel and hero candidate, what were freshmen to us?
Controlling Yuria's leash to keep her three steps away was harder than blocking them.
The problem is, to others, it looked like I suddenly leashed her, and she was choking and stumbling along grotesquely.
'...I was saving you idiots.'
It's not weird at all.
Absolutely...!
[Why are they so angry? I'm fine with it.]
No, even the person involved saying that doesn't help my case.
Her appearance is disastrously pitiful.
Eliya gave a wry smile as Yuria tilted her head with that text.
"Still, this time won't be easy."
Eliya narrowed her eyes, scanning the crowd ahead.
Previous ambushes were small-scale, but nearly 100 had formed ranks before us now.
Seeing them gather to beat just me felt odd.
'...All Eliya's fans?'
Stalkers are terrifying.
I'd expected this since teaming with her.
"Breaking through this many in combat is impossible. The sanctuary's right after—why now..."
Even Eliya, who'd handled prior attacks easily, admitted it outright. The numbers were insane.
Not just many—they balanced knight, magic, and holy faculties perfectly.
Breaking that with three people? Absurd.
"No. Actually, this is good."
"...Pardon?"
Well.
I'd been waiting for something like this.
Mainly to grow traits.
Training raises proficiency, but I had a trump card needing 'allies' and 'massive enemies.'
"..."
Of course, only viable if we could fight them. Our gap was heaven and earth.
But I had a way to close it.
With their perfect balance, only one way: overwhelming force.
"..."
I smirked and tapped the amulet.
Uncle. Wake up.
[...Huh? What? What's going on?]
Kaliban mumbled sleepily from inside the amulet.
Since my holy power wasn't enough yet, he spent most time sleeping here.
Unless I woke him, always like this.
I whispered to the amulet.
"Need a favor. Come out, please."
[...Dunno details, but sounds rough, huh?]
As Kaliban muttered, a white curtain unfurled nearby.
[ Spirit is summoned! ]
[ Skill: Mental World activates! ]
[ Buffs are shared with nearby 'party members'! ]
And here.
"Hey."
"..."
I look at wide-eyed Eliya and whisper.
"Sorry in advance. If you're really mad, hit me hard later. I'll take it all."
Even I think it's... extreme.
But necessary here.
Before she replies, I pull her into a hug.
One arm. Close to my body.
[...This punk. You woke me for this?]
As Kaliban chuckled dryly.
"..."
Eliya stiffened, Yuria's eyes widened beside us.
I grin at the suddenly silent crowd ahead.
"But hey, you guys."
Calmly, matter-of-factly.
"Who said you could take her back whenever you want?"
To their gaping shock, I grin.
"I never said you could have her."
"..."
"Shouldn't you get the 'owner's' permission first?"
Silence spreads. A bit more passes. Then more.
Eliya's face flushes deep red as ear-splitting roars erupt around us.
"Kill that bastard—!"
"I'll chew you up, you son of a—!"
Curses and yells drown in even louder fury. Students with weapons pour in.
Whoa, scary.
But the fiercer they charge, the better for me.
[ Crisis detected. ]
[ Judged as high injury risk. ]
[ 'Skill: Desperate Situation' applied at A-rank. ]
Alright then.
[ 'Skill: Mental World' activation confirmed. ]
[ 'Skill: Desperate Situation (A-rank)' shared with targets 'Eliya' and 'Yuria'. ]
Exactly.
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