Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: Aftermath (4)
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Is what I just heard really true?
Ivan stared at the council president, unable to hide his trembling eyes.
"Wh-what do you mean? You knew?"
"Exactly as I said. We already knew about the demon race's invasion."
Ivan was momentarily speechless at the council president's utterly nonchalant response.
'Is he out of his mind...?'
The demon race.
The very demons that every being on the Skyana continent regarded as mortal enemies!
And yet, he claimed they had turned a blind eye to them even now?
After swiftly assessing the situation, Ivan summoned his weapon in an instant and began channeling his aura.
If what he said was true, this went far beyond merely calling for the president's resignation.
The other councilors realized it too, as several leaped from their seats, drawing weapons alongside Ivan.
"We can no longer recognize you as council president. If you've truly collaborated with the demons, you're a clear traitor to humanity."
At the same time, a barrier of multicolored light unfolded around the council president.
"Student Council President. You'll need to explain that statement in detail."
Pafnir, the chief delegate who had extended his hand to erect the barrier, dropped even his polite tone as he addressed him.
Watching this, Ivan sneaked a glance at the composed Yeon Je-seong and sneered inwardly.
'To confess to being a collaborator in front of the Executive Council, the pinnacle of Academy City's military might! How arrogant, Yeon Je-seong!'
Not just himself and the G2 and G3 groups.
Even the G1s observing from the upper seats were grasping the gravity of the situation and beginning to channel their energy.
In the worst case, nearly every councilor here was now hostile toward him!
'With this much firepower, no matter how much of a council president he is, he won't escape unscathed!'
Those present were the student council presidents at the apex of each academy among countless students.
As core forces in Academy City, if they all joined forces, they could take down even the council president with ease!
>
In that moment, Ivan's mind raced with visions of victory, his happy delusions spinning wildly.
'First, I need to capture him and interrogate him. Find out how and where he made contact with the demons.'
At the same time, a perfect scenario unfolded in his head.
A long-reigning dictator fallen to corruption.
And a hero rising against him!
After a fierce battle, the hero defeats him and ascends to the presidency!
That brilliant name—
'Ivan, Total Student Council President!'
Muttering the sweet title to himself repeatedly, Ivan bellowed loudly and began hounding him.
"You knew about the demon invasion? Does that mean you're a filthy collaborator!"
The justification was on their side.
The councilors were all watching the president with serious expressions.
Right now, he represented Academy City and the collective will of all its students!
Basking in public support, Ivan pressed on with even greater fervor, his face smug with confidence.
"Know this: your filthy actions have endangered the one million students of Academy City!"
A vile, despicable wretch.
A traitor who betrayed humanity to side with the demons.
A torrent of malicious insults poured from Ivan's mouth, until the vice president, who had been standing silently beside the council president, finally unleashed her killing intent and shouted.
"Urgh...!"
"You dare with that gaping mouth of yours...!"
Immediately after, a dense wave of killing intent surged toward them from beyond the barrier.
Mere killing intent.
Faced with it directed at him, Ivan scoffed and channeled his energy higher.
At best, it was one form of external arts.
Having experienced countless killing intents, he knew it was mostly bluff.
It might momentarily freeze the body, but channeling internal energy would dispel it easily—a cheap trick.
No different from the petty techniques used by the weak.
Thus, Ivan chose to confront the incoming killing intent head-on.
'Foolish! Such a petty trick won't affect me at—!'
But his arrogant thoughts were short-lived.
His face paled as the killing intent crushed his own energy, forcing him to stagger back a step.
"Gh, heuk...!"
As he floundered, gasping for breath, the vice president's voice boomed in his ears.
"Do you really want to die, you scum?! A demon collaborator? How dare you spout such nonsense at the council president...!"
With her enraged momentum, the councilors beside Ivan raised their weapons in unison.
"That's far enough! If you harm Councilor Ivan any further, we won't stand by!"
"What is this commotion in the sacred council chamber?!"
"Remember that your actions only lend more credence to Councilor Ivan's claims!"
Was it because of the vice president's power?
Gritting their teeth, the councilors refrained from attacking rashly, contenting themselves with heated words.
As everyone in the chamber channeled energy while glaring at the vice president...
"Enough."
A heavy voice instantly dominated the entire council chamber.
"......!"
"Heuk!"
"Mana...!"
"What is this...!"
In an instant, the various energies rising throughout the chamber were swept away all at once.
"This is......"
No, they hadn't been swept away.
'They were devoured by vast aura. And recovered back to him at a speed we couldn't even perceive.'
Pafnir, the most sensitive to energy here, alone noticed what had just happened and broke out in cold sweat.
What kind of insane control was this?
Aura, mana, divine power.
Every form of internal energy was absorbed in one fell swoop and returned to its owner as if nothing had happened.
And at a speed so fast that even skilled student presidents like them couldn't detect it.
'Could I replicate this exactly?'
Pafnir pondered it briefly before shaking his head dismissively.
'Not worth considering. Even a Dragon Lord would struggle with that level of control.'
The lords were the highest rank among dragonkin.
The dragon lords, divided by tribes, were called Dragon Kings by terrestrial beings.
He judged that even those Dragon King-level lords would find it burdensome to match what he had just witnessed.
>
'Just how much power is he hiding?'
Even using his draconic eyes unique to his race, nothing was visible as expected.
It meant the power gap was so vast that even draconic eyes couldn't pierce it.
Aware of this, Pafnir covered his pale face with his sleeve and thought.
'He can't possibly be a real demon collaborator, but if it were true... just imagining it is dizzying.'
As the one here who understood the council president best, Pafnir thought this and directed a tense gaze downward.
'So please, don't do anything foolish, Ivan.'
His look screamed: Screw up and you're dead!
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Meanwhile, as the energy filling the chamber was swept away in one go, a weighty voice echoed through the frozen councilors.
"That's enough, Vice President."
"But, President!"
The council president's gaze turned to the vice president, who was uncharacteristically defiant in her fury.
"...Sena."
"Urgh...!"
Quietly murmuring her name, the president waited until she fell silent before slowly turning to Ivan.
"My apologies. I'll apologize on behalf of the vice president's rudeness."
Even as he said it, without bowing his head in the slightest, his expression showed no regret whatsoever.
"So. You called me a demon collaborator?"
A chilling voice laced with menace rang out, and somewhere, the sound of someone gulping loudly echoed.
At the same time, the councilors who had been guarding Ivan scattered in an instant, fleeing back to their seats.
'Th-those bastards...!'
They had been ready to riot just before the hearing began!
And now, after one taste of the president's pressure, they tucked tail and ran!
Were they really proud councilors of the Executive Council?!
Ivan's eyes shook violently at their masterful survival instincts.
And the council president, watching him all the while, asked again.
"Hm? Did I mishear?"
>
A cold, emotionless blank stare.
Ivan desperately tried to read any feeling from his face but found nothing, finally answering.
"...On the contrary, that's what I want to ask you. Did you truly turn a blind eye to the demon invasion?!"
"Yes."
"Ha! No need to see more! Everyone, did you hear that? This vile wretch, despite his position as council president, sided with the filthy demons...!"
──Listen to the end.
Ivan couldn't continue.
An overwhelming killing intent, incomparable to the vice president's, had crashed down on him.
Thud—
"Ah, urgh..."
Unable to withstand it, Ivan's legs gave out, and he collapsed to the floor. Nearby councilors watched the two with eyes filled with fear.
But Ivan had no attention for them.
For him, just not wetting himself right there was praiseworthy enough.
After shuddering once, Ivan opened his trembling lips and spoke to him.
"Wh-what is... that..."
At the same time, the pressure bearing down on Ivan lightened instantly.
It seemed the council president had withdrawn his energy.
"It's true I allowed the demon invasion. However, 'turned a blind eye' is incorrect."
"What do you mean?"
Perhaps sensing Ivan's poor state, Pafnir reverted to polite speech and asked on behalf of the councilors.
"The demon invasion wasn't known only to me—it was also detected by the control AI. Otherwise, mere demons couldn't slip through Academy City's surveillance net."
The shocking revelation caused an uproar among the councilors.
"D-does that mean the control AI deliberately allowed the demon invasion too?!"
"Does the Board of Directors know about this?"
"How much did the Total Student Council know?"
"Was the recent gate incident also your doing, President?"
As questions poured from the councilors, Pafnir organized them and asked.
"For now, we understand the Total Student Council deliberately allowed it. But we want to know your intentions. To let demons into Academy City, the cradle of heroes? If your answer doesn't convince us, you'll need to prepare accordingly."
Pafnir forced strength into his eyes as he spoke.
As chief delegate, she had a duty to inform all students of the city as the Executive Council's representative.
If this spread, even the council president couldn't avoid dismissal.
"Mm. Don't worry. I didn't allow it lightly."
Nodding lightly to her sharp words, the president straightened his arrogant posture and faced the councilors properly, beginning his explanation slowly.
"First, the conclusion: I allowed it for the growth of Academy City."
"......?"
As the president tossed out the preamble, question marks floated above everyone's heads.