Chapter 97: Sepia Rivayden 7
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 97: Sepia Rivayden 7
The weapon Loki pulled from his Pocket Dimension looked like a simple cane, but it was a sword-stick—a tool that could sharpen into a deadly blade at his whim.
"You all know, right? Even if it looks like this, it’s a sword."
"Of course. We won't let our guard down again."
"We'll show you the clear difference between a second-year and a first-year."
By now, there wasn't a soul at the Academy who didn't know Loki’s cane was actually a sword. Naturally, Darun’s subordinates were well aware of the sword-stick's existence.
"Pfft! You won't let your guard down again?"
A voice dripping with ridicule reached the ears of Darun’s men, who were trying to steel their resolve. They turned toward the sound to find Loki casually twirling his cane with one hand.
"If someone heard you, they’d think the only reason you haven't landed a single hit on me yet was because you were being 'careless.' Hehe."
— Thud!
Provoked by Loki’s taunt, one of Darun’s subordinates lunged forward, kicking off the ground. His speed, enhanced by an artifact, was on an entirely different level than before. The man swung a greatsword, pouring all that momentum into the strike.
"Try dodging this too!!"
The greatsword tore through the air, hurtling toward Loki’s head.
CLANG—!!
Contrary to the man’s expectation that Loki would dodge again, Loki didn't move. Instead, he swung his sword-stick directly against the incoming greatsword. The sound of the collision echoed across the Academy campus.
"Sorry, but I’m way stronger than you!!"
The man spoke with a smirk, intending to overpower Loki with sheer brute force. However, that smirk and his confident expression began to crumble pathetically after only a few seconds.
I’m being pushed back? In a contest of strength?
Even with the artifact’s help, he was losing. Cold sweat began to bead on the man's forehead. Watching Loki annoyingly dodge every attack until now, he had assumed he would win hands down if they ever locked blades.
"I didn't quite catch that. Say it again. Who’s stronger?"
In stark contrast to the man, who was gripping his greatsword with both hands and straining with everything he had, Loki was pushing back the heavy blade using only one hand on his sword-stick.
Pride, ego, dignity, and mental fortitude—everything began to shatter. He had even thrown away his pride and borrowed an artifact just to maintain his grades. As the man’s spirit wavered, so did his greatsword.
Loki didn't miss the opening and swatted the greatsword aside.
— Clack.
The greatsword hit the ground, leaving the man completely defenseless.
If he thrusts now, I’m dead!
The sword-stick struck him right in the solar plexus, but it didn't feel like a blade. It felt like being hit by a massive blunt instrument.
"Gah...!"
The man collapsed, clutching his chest from the impact.
"Blegh...!"
"I couldn't possibly bring myself to swing a blade at a senior, now could I?"
As the man crouched there, vomiting, a mocking voice drifted down from above. The sword-stick was far sturdier than most masterwork blades, and if Loki wished it, it could be sharper too. But if he didn't, it remained nothing more than an incredibly hard cane.
"If I leave you like this, you might try to attack me again. I guess I have 'no choice' but to subdue you."
Sensing something terrible was about to happen, the man tried to surrender, but Loki’s cane was faster.
— Thwack!
— Thwack!
— Thwack!
Loki began to rain blows down on the collapsed man with his cane.
"Ack!"
A scream escaped the man’s lips with every strike. Loki’s hand only stopped when the man could no longer make a sound.
"Beating up—I mean, subduing a fallen senior... it makes my heart ache a little. Hahaha!"
Another man, who had been watching for an opening while Loki beat his comrade, finally moved.
Now!
Holding two daggers, the man used an artifact to turn himself invisible. He approached Loki from behind, making as little noise as possible. Loki seemed oblivious, poking his fallen comrade with the cane and muttering, "Is he still alive?"
I'll end this right now.
Having successfully taken Loki’s back, the man swung his daggers without hesitation.
— Whoosh.
Loki was no longer where he had been a split second ago. The daggers sliced through empty air.
When did he—?! I didn't feel a thing!
As the man panicked, an ominous voice whispered from beside him.
"If you're going to hide, at least make it convincing. It was harder pretending not to notice you than it was to actually spot you."
Loki was someone who spent his days hiding himself with illusions, only to get scolded by Professor Elicia. Such amateurish stealth was something he could sense without even trying. Before the man could even turn his head, Loki’s fist slammed into his face.
"..............."
The man collapsed to the ground without even a scream.
"""...................."""
Only then did Darun and his remaining subordinates realize something was horribly wrong. They had come in a group to intimidate him during the deal, but this wasn't enough. To catch that monster, they should have brought several times more people.
"No way! Could it be?! I’m just asking because I’m curious, but you’re not all cowering back there after talking so big, are you?"
After that, the man who prided himself on his fists was knocked out by Loki’s fist. The woman who prided herself on her archery was taken down after Loki pulled a bow out of his Pocket Dimension.
"Hmm. Is about half of you left? Come on! Everyone, put some effort into it! Otherwise, your master might abandon you, you know?"
Having neutralized more than half of them in an instant, Loki scanned the remaining group. As the archer woman fell, struck by an arrow, Darun’s subordinates finally understood.
"He’s toying with us... He’s fighting us in the very fields we’re most confident in."
Strength against the strong, speed against the fast, sniping against the snipers. As if to demonstrate the sheer gap in their abilities, he was crushing their spirits with both words and actions.
The subordinates who had already fallen were tied up in threads, looking utterly pathetic. The remaining men no longer had the will to fight. The only emotion left was terror.
"Toying with you? I have no such intention. It makes me want to cry that I’m being misunderstood like this."
"I'm so sad," Loki said. "This isn't toying with you. It's an experiment."
An experiment to test his body, which was growing rapidly thanks to the mask. And while he was at it, he was blowing off some steam. Most importantly, he was definitely going to give Darun a beating.
"You get to be hit by me, and I get to hit you. Isn't it a win-win for everyone?"
Despite Loki’s blatant provocation, Darun’s subordinates didn't snap or get angry. It wasn't because they were level-headed; they simply lacked the courage to charge at him.
"B-but surely... magic would be difficult for him, right?"
"Y-yeah! They said he can't use magic!"
Darun’s subordinates didn't even realize their voices were trembling. The thought of winning had vanished from their minds. Without even realizing it, their goal had shifted to simply not getting hit by Loki.
"You hold out as long as you can, and I'll f-fire a spell!"
"You want me to hold out against that guy?!"
"You're the tanker!"
"F-fine. I get it."
A man carrying a shield—different from the one before—was pushed forward. The shield looked high-quality, but the man’s expression was anything but.
"Yawn... how much longer do I have to wait?"
As Loki let out a bored yawn, a woman closed her eyes and began to chant.
"O Water, gather in my hand..."
Her voice shook, but thanks to her artifact, the power and speed of her spell were incomparable to before.
"It’s faster than earlier, I'll give you that."
BOOM!
When the woman finished her chant and opened her eyes, she saw the man with the shield collapsed on the ground, his shield shattered. As her eyes trembled, Loki looked at the dozens of water arrows she had created.
"Hmm... Ahaha! Thinking about Clara’s magic makes this look almost cute."
Shaking violently, the woman launched the water arrows at Loki. Loki dodged every single one with ease. During the practical exam, he had dodged multiple fireballs created by Clara. A single one of those fireballs was likely stronger than all these water arrows combined.
The woman’s mana was running low, but Loki didn't look like he’d be hit even once.
"And didn't you say it earlier? That I can't use magic?"
Anxiety flared in the woman’s mind at Loki’s words. No way... is he going to use magic too?
"O Blazing Flame."
The madman actually started chanting. Flames began to gather in his hand, growing larger. His chant was far faster than hers, and the magic’s stability was perfect.
"Does it still look like I can't use magic?"
"W-Water Shield!!"
The woman frantically activated her defensive magic. Water Shield. It was weak against physical attacks but effective against fire magic. With the artifact’s assistance, it should be able to block almost any fire spell.
Loki hurled the flame in his hand at the woman.
Whoosh.
Seeing the incoming fire, the woman poured more mana into her Water Shield to reinforce it. But for some reason, right before the fireball hit the shield, it transformed back into the sword-stick.
"Gah!"
Unable to dodge the sword-stick, the woman was struck and knocked unconscious.
"Ding-dong! Correct! Actually, I can't use magic at all."
* * *
Sepia watched with a dazed expression as Loki effortlessly neutralized all of Darun’s subordinates and began walking toward Darun himself.
— Step, step.
"Why?! Why are you going this far?!"
Darun, who had been scrambling backward to get away from Loki, fell onto his backside and screamed. Sepia listened intently. For once, she was thinking the exact same thing as Darun.
Seeing Darun like this was cathartic, but there was no reason for Loki to fight this hard. In fact, there were plenty of reasons why he shouldn't. Fighting was a net loss for him.
But Loki didn't answer. Instead, he turned his head.
"..................."
Because of the mask, it shouldn't have been possible to tell, but Sepia felt as though her eyes had met Loki’s.
"Miss Sepia."
"......Yeah?"
"How do you feel right now?"
"......Good."
The man who had insulted her, harassed her, and kept bringing up her village’s tragedy was now shivering in fear. Of course she felt good.
"That's all that matters then."
Loki said those words and resumed his walk toward Darun.
"......................."
The sun wasn't particularly strong. She wasn't sweating. She wasn't tired. There were no fire spirits nearby. She didn't have a headache either.
And yet, her face felt so hot she thought it might explode. No matter how much she fanned herself with her hands, her face remained flushed.
"It’s just because it’s so satisfying to see that bastard Darun get what’s coming to him. Yeah. That’s it. It’s definitely nothing else."
Sepia began to mutter excuses to no one in particular.
"Huh? Miss Sepia, did you say something?"
"It’s nothing!"
Loki shrugged at Sepia’s response and stopped right in front of the trembling Darun.
"Wait—"
— THWACK!
Darun tried to say something to Loki, but Loki’s cane slammed into Darun’s head before he could get a word out.
"Ah! You should have spoken sooner. My hand just moved on its own the moment I saw your disgusting face."
Loki scratched his head, poking the unconscious Darun with his foot. With a commotion this big, the Student Council would surely show up. Thinking of the Student Council reminded him of a famous proverb.
"Birds of a feather flock together, and the Student Council President is definitely on my side."