Chapter 156: Drug Incident at the Academy (11)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 156: Drug Incident at the Academy (11)
It is enough.
Lilac, who had been ready to swing his sword immediately, and the Chairperson, who had hesitated for a moment before hardening her resolve to resist—both had sufficiently met the passing grade.
Ironically, one of the essential abilities for a hero tasked with saving people is deciding what to give up.
One cannot always reach the best possible conclusion where everyone is saved and everything ends with a smile.
Insufficient manpower, unfavorable circumstances. Sometimes there are hostages, or perhaps the villain is simply too powerful.
In such situations, the virtue of a hero lies in accepting the inevitable criticism and deciding what to protect by choosing what to abandon.
And they lived up to my expectations, showing the will to choose the second-best option when the best was impossible.
The others were the same.
Professor Cathy and Ha-ni both looked grim, but none of them had lost their will to fight.
Now that I’ve confirmed your resolve, there is no need for you to dirty your hands.
It is still too early for you to feel despair. I shall become the “Best” that you could not choose.
At first, I considered using the mark on my right hand since the opponent was a demon, but the others had already seen that mark. I didn’t want to risk being identified.
Therefore, I would use the shadow.
Having gorged on a massive amount of life force through reinforcement, the Dragon’s Shadow reclaimed its original form and descended upon the world as a radiant darkness.
Simultaneously, the Dragon’s Shadow, having devoured all light and mana in the vicinity, discovered new prey and its eyes began to gleam.
It seemed quite intrigued.
[How unsightly. I do not like it. Therefore, I shall impose a sanction.]
Yes, you’re hungry, aren’t you? You may eat your fill. It’s been a while since you’ve had a meal, Black Shadow.
Predation.
The Power of the Black Shadow, which devours anything it can digest, began to consume the hardened demonic energy overflowing from them. Subsequently, the Touch of the Devil within my robes began to plunder their contracts.
I felt a wave of dizziness as too much Innate True Qi was drained in an instant, but thanks to the expanded total volume of my soul, I wasn’t gasping for breath like before.
Both heroes and demons stood frozen, staring up at me in a daze at the spectacle I had created.
Hmm, this is fine as it is, but it feels like it lacks a bit of flair, doesn’t it?
The moment I thought that, as if reading my mind, the Black Shadow digested the consumed demonic energy and used it to manifest a new shadow.
Massive dragon wings made of black shadows unfurled from my back, and with a single flap, dark red particles scattered through the air.
Oh, this is actually pretty cool.
Scanning the surroundings, it seemed the other cadets whose bodies had been overtaken by the contracts were mostly taken care of.
It was time to begin the performance in earnest.
[Now this is somewhat worth looking at.]
It was important to maintain a cool attitude, as if I hadn’t particularly intended to save them.
Slowly manipulating the wings, I landed on the ground and looked past the Chairperson and the fighting cadets toward the demon.
The creature stood with its mouth agape, seemingly unable to grasp what had just happened.
Well, I hope someone asks me something. The atmosphere will be ruined if I just start explaining everything like some exposition bot.
“…What have you done?”
Oh, as expected of Lilac. We’re perfectly in sync.
[I believe I told you. I did not like it. Thus, I merely imposed a sanction.]
But you know, if I answer too honestly and kindly, it ruins the mastermind vibe.
“…Are they all dead?”
…Now what kind of novel nonsense is this? I kept them alive specifically so you guys wouldn’t spiral into a dark, angst-filled depression.
[And if they were, what would you do? …Is what I would like to say, but do not worry; I did not come here to test you today. They are all alive.]
Well, among them, there might be a few whose brains or organs are a bit fried because I was too late, but for now, they’re all breathing.
At the word “alive,” color began to return to most of their faces.
“That’s a lie…!”
However, there was one who screamed as if the very idea was unacceptable.
“You plundered the contracts themselves to nullify them?! There’s no way such a thing is possible! Are you saying you’re a noble of the Demon Realm? No, are you a Demon King?!”
…Was it really that difficult? I don’t know either. It wasn’t me who did it.
[Do you believe that because something is impossible for you, it must be impossible for others? You are not only unsightly but foolish as well.]
“Ah, ah…! It’s slipping away. The possibilities…! The things I obtained through trade…! The offerings for my master…!”
The face of the demon, which had been mimicking a human form, distorted grotesquely.
By the way, it’s been a while since I’ve seen a guy overreact this much.
I thought he would lose his mind and charge at me immediately, but surprisingly, the demon suppressed his emotions and turned toward me.
“…I do not know who you are. But I can guarantee that you are certainly not stronger than my master.”
When I nodded as if telling him to continue, he spoke while desperately clinging to his fading sanity.
“Let us stop here. I will make a concession. I will overlook the insolence and insults you have committed, considering them born of ignorance. No, I suppose you would feel it is an unfair trade if I simply ‘overlook’ it when you appear to have the upper hand.”
[And?]
“Half. Just half. Return half of the contracts, and I swear upon my True Name that I will end this here without a single act of retaliation. Furthermore, I promise to return everyone here without a single scratch.”
He nodded as if it were an incredibly reasonable proposal.
“Is this not a rational trade? If you knew who my master was, you would never be able to maintain such an attitude. So, let us stop here…”
Mocking the creature who believed he had been sufficiently persuasive, I cut him off sharply.
[I listened to see what you had to say, but this is utterly preposterous.]
“…Pardon?”
The demon, seemingly unable to process the fact that he had just been insulted, stood in confusion for a moment before beginning to tremble with rage.
“So you insist on seeing for yourself who my master is. You will regret this. Once you see this mark and grovel in submission, I will not offer such merciful terms again!”
I know who it is, you bastard.
Before I regressed, I watched that guy descend to the mortal world and die because he couldn’t even manage a reverse summoning.
Why are you acting so high and mighty when you’re just a lackey for the weakest of the Seven Demon Kings?
“Let us see if you can maintain that attitude after seeing this mark!”
The moment he tore his own shoulder, a bizarre crest was revealed.
And that was it.
…What? When I show my marks, demonic energy swirls and everything. Is that all he gets?
“It seems you are so terrified you cannot even speak. I told you it would have been better to trade while you had the chance.”
As I watched blankly, the guy started acting like a third-rate villain, having jumped to his own conclusions.
[Terrified? Me? Because of that pathetic crest?]
Astonishment washed over the chattering demon’s face, followed by a distortion of pure rage.
“What did you just babble?”
[Did I say something wrong? I was referring to that pathetic mark. Ah, I see. As expected of a dog, you find it hard to endure when your master is insulted? I will at least praise your loyalty.]
Demons are fundamentally creatures that live in a world rife with betrayal and backstabbing, but for that very reason, they have a habit of thoroughly submitting to powerful beings to whom they have sincerely pledged loyalty.
Now then, how will a demon react when his proud master has been insulted?
“…You do not know your place. How dare you… how dare you utter such blasphemy in this presence…!”
[Which of us is the one who doesn’t know their place? The fact that a mere grunt serving another demon hasn’t bowed his head yet is reason enough to die.]
“I never imagined I would have to show my full power in a place like this. But I cannot endure this unless I tear that mouth of yours apart…!”
Demons always enter battle while leaving enough strength to escape via reverse summoning.
Because of that, it isn’t easy to completely finish them off without divine power. However, the story changes if they commit their full strength to the fight.
While their danger and strength escalate, it also means they can be defeated without divine power if they are struck down.
If this guy dies, I can assume the additional distribution of the drugs will cease for a while.
Since the subject of the contracts disappears, there’s a high probability the contracts themselves will become void.
And since his right-hand man is dying, it goes without saying that I’ll be sticking it to the King of Sloth, who’s been sucking honey down in Hell.
He tried to release his demonic energy to strike, but because most of it was being devoured by the Dragon’s Shadow, he couldn’t even put up much resistance.
Then, he shifted the direction of his threats.
“You will regret this! O arrogant one! Do you think you can fight while protecting everyone here? You are the one who will be killing them!”
The demonic energy surged.
Indeed, at this rate, the fallen cadets I just saved would end up dead.
That is, if I were here alone.
[Don’t make me laugh.]
I turned my gaze toward the heroes.
Under the direction of Professor Cathy and the faculty, they were protecting the fallen in an orderly fashion, and Lilac was creating a barrier with the light of the Holy Sword to block the demonic energy.
[From where I stand, it doesn’t look like you’ll be able to kill a single person.]
“You vermin! Interfering the moment I look away…!”
[Vermin. Are you introducing yourself? I thought you didn’t know your place, but it seems you have a way with words. That was a very appropriate description.]
“Shut up…!”
Whether it was truly his final struggle, his momentum was unusual.
The demonic energy surrounding him was so dense that I would have had to endure some internal injuries to pierce through it without other artifacts.
It would be easy to solve using the Touch of the Devil, but I decided against it.
It’s a classic rule to leave the finishing blow to the heroes, after all.
[I believe this is enough. How long do you intend to just watch?]
Why should I exert myself when I don’t have to?
My eyes met the Chairperson’s, who had her Arrow of the Storm notched as she looked for an opening.
She looked ready to fire at any moment, but whether it was because she didn’t trust me or because she was worried about the aftermath of killing a demon, she was hesitating to pull the string.
Our eyes met.
If she didn’t fire, that was fine too.
When I looked at her with eyes devoid of any expectation, she finally aimed her bow at the demon as if she had no choice.
“Ugh…!”
Realizing that the arrow was dangerous, the demon tried to dodge in a hurry, but I hadn’t been talking to him for nothing.
The Dragon’s Shadow, which I had secretly let flow out, bound his limbs, making escape impossible.
You’re wondering why it’s so anticlimactic after he released his full power?
That’s just how it is.
It’s incredibly cliché for villains to brag about having a hidden trump card and then release it at the very end.
If you had something like that, you should have used it from the start. Or, if you weren’t sure of victory, you should have left yourself some room to run.
Why did you get so worked up just because of a little provocation, for a demon?
“Let go…! I said let go!”
Perhaps realizing he might actually die, the composure completely vanished from his face.
The warmth drained from the Chairperson’s face, replaced by a murderous intent.
The bowstring made of mana was drawn back to its limit at her fingertips, and the storm, compressed to its maximum, rotated with a roar.
The storm in the shape of an arrow was loosed. The moment the fiercely rotating compressed wind pierced the demon’s heart, the demon, having lost his core, shook his head in disbelief.
“You fools… do you think it just ends… when a demon who has released his true form dies?”
Well, yes.
When a demon dies, the surrounding area becomes land tainted by demonic energy. That’s why people rarely kill a demon who has released its true form, even if they are stronger than it.
Now it was my turn, and his turn, to work.
The Black Shadow devoured the demonic energy leaking from the demon’s heart, but it wasn’t quite enough.
Because I hadn’t grown the Black Shadow much yet, the undigested, overflowing demonic energy began to seep out in undulating waves.
But it didn’t matter.
There was no way he wouldn’t have prepared for this.
[Prove yourself. Hero.]
I had simply said those words while looking forward at the many heroes and cadets, but he lunged forward without hesitation.
Grasping the Holy Sword with both hands, he scattered the light of purification, burning away the overflowing demonic energy.
The sword swung.
The sight of the wicked energy crumbling before his Holy Sword without even being able to resist was quite beautiful.
“Whoa…”
Whose exclamation was that?
The sight of the purified demonic energy scattering like particles of light was both divine and beautiful, so it wasn’t hard to understand.
The moment the Dragon’s Shadow and the light of the Holy Sword collided, not a single fragment of the remaining demonic energy was left.
Only the demon, watching the scene, continued to deny reality, claiming this couldn’t be happening. I retracted the Black Shadow and fired a spear made of shadows at him.
The shadow swallowed the dying demon.
Hmm, since it ate both the demonic energy and the demon, the Black Shadow must have grown a bit.
It would be nice if this were the end of it, but well, the world doesn’t usually work that way.
[What is the meaning of this?]
The heroes were surrounding me.
Well, I knew this would happen.
As the Chairperson and the faculty took a hostile stance toward me, the cadets on the scene and the external personnel began to panic.
“I appreciate the cooperation, but no matter how I look at it, you don’t look like a hero.”
My description must have been circulated throughout the Academy because of the villainous acts I’d committed before.
I figured it would turn out like this.