Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Four Heavenly Kings: Line (1)
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“…”
The spirited Daisy couldn’t even open her mouth in the face of the Heavenly Demon Death Beam’s overwhelming power and hurriedly assumed a defensive stance.
KABOOM!
A massive clump of energy struck her head-on, sending Daisy flying in the opposite direction from which she’d charged.
“Ooh…”
The students, who had been cheering wildly just moments ago, fell silent with short gasps of awe at the Heavenly Demon Death Beam’s sheer power.
Impaled against the wall, Daisy didn’t revive this time and stayed quiet.
I walked toward her, step by step.
“Ugh…”
Only faint groans escaped her lips.
I knelt down in front of her.
“This is the difference between you and me.”
“Guh… This is cheating…”
“Hey now, cheating? It’s my ultimate move, my ultimate move.”
Even as we bantered, I carefully checked her over, worried she might be seriously hurt.
“Ughhh… It hurts like hell…”
Fortunately, sturdy Daisy didn’t seem too badly injured even after taking the Heavenly Demon Death Beam.
“So, do you need to go to the infirmary?”
Last time I smashed her, I’d skipped class under the pretext of taking her there, but pulling that trick again would be tough.
If I ditched class again to drag her to the infirmary, complaints would flood the department office for sure.
Lying on the filthy floor, Daisy rolled her eyes around to check her condition.
Then she cautiously spoke up.
“I think I’m good without going.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. After sucking up that energy, my durability feels stronger?”
“That’s badass…”
“Help me up.”
“Sigh, what a handful.”
Grumbling under my breath, I still extended a hand to Daisy.
She grabbed it and sprang to her feet.
“Ooh, she’s revived!”
“You’re alive, Daisy!”
As expected of the popular Daisy— the students sent her enthusiastic cheers.
I handed her off to Marley for support and climbed onto the podium to start class.
Since I hadn’t prepared any lesson plans, I racked my brain thinking about what training to run them through.
But it seemed this world didn’t like me playing the mild-mannered professor role.
Rumble rumble rumble.
Just as I opened my mouth to speak from the podium, a massive roar echoed, shaking the building.
“Earthquake?”
“What’s that…?”
The students plunged into chaos from the sudden quake.
Proud students of the Republic of Korea had all experienced earthquake drills at school at least once—hoisting bags over their heads and ducking under desks.
But unfortunately, the Empire’s students hadn’t received such basic training.
I shouted, channeling my inner middle schooler and recalling the coping methods I’d learned back then.
“Line up single file and head outside! Hurry!”
The swordsmanship department students varied in skill, but they were all athletically gifted.
Scrambling in confusion at first, they moved with crisp discipline once given clear orders, filing out the door.
If we got out safely like this, I’d be the hero professor who saved his students.
Smirking in satisfaction, I started feeling something off as the shaking dragged on for nearly 20 seconds.
‘Do earthquakes usually last this long?’
From my spotty memory, quakes usually came in short bursts multiple times, not dragging on like this in one go.
If this wasn’t a natural earthquake, then what was happening?
I figured it out quick.
Had to be a Demon King’s Army raid.
Academies getting hit by the Demon King’s Army was practically ‘common knowledge’ in this world.
I grabbed Marley and Daisy as they tried to flee the building.
They had the skills to survive even if the whole place collapsed anyway.
“Hang back for a sec.”
“What’re you talking about?”
“I think this is a Demon King’s Army attack.”
Daisy, who’d been about to head out hand-in-hand with Marley, froze.
“What? It’s not just an earthquake?”
“Normal quakes don’t last this long.”
“I guess not…?”
Daisy apparently didn’t have much experience with earthquakes.
Thankfully, she and Marley stuck around, listening to me.
“So what’re we doing, staying here?”
“Catch some Demon King’s Army goons.”
“You think they’ll come here?”
“Yeah, guaranteed.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“The Demon King’s Army shows up, and the protagonist doesn’t get to meet them? They’ll sniff me out no matter where I go. Let’s not drag the students into it—handle it here.”
“…You read too many novels, don’t you?”
Daisy clearly didn’t grasp the protagonist’s law yet.
I met her skeptical gaze with confident eyes.
“100 percent. If I’m wrong, I’ll call you sis.”
Daisy’s reluctant expression broke into a grin.
“Deal. No backing out later?”
“Yep.”
Daisy plopped down on the floor, grinning ear to ear at the thought of me calling her sis.
Meanwhile, the building kept shaking.
With an earthquake this intense and the structure still holding, they must’ve done solid seismic design.
Empire quality, as expected.
As I admired imperial engineering—
Whooooom.
A massive aura surged up from the ground.
“What the fuck.”
“Something’s… coming up.”
Even the lounging Daisy sensed it and jumped to her feet; a faint grimness flickered across Marley’s face.
I felt a quiet joy at being able to read her expressions now, drawing my real sword and taking stance.
Vrrrrrr.
The sound of a chainsaw grinding rang out, followed by a hole bursting open in the floor.
What erupted from the hole was a monster with a shovel instead of a chainsaw blade.
“What the hell, that’s freaky…”
Daisy blanched at its grotesque form, instinctive revulsion making her step back a bit.
“Kekekek…”
Classic small-fry demon laugh from Shovel Man.
I marveled at the gaping hole revealing the floor below.
This was pretty high up by this world’s standards, and it had tunneled all the way here.
Not like it was a missile or anything.
With a spinning shovel mounted in front of his face, he scanned us swiftly and began his introduction.
“I am Line, one of the Demon King’s Four Heavenly Kings! Heh heh, foolish humans—surrender at once!”
Polite enough to give his name and kindly suggest surrender before the fight.
Any proper villain should’ve ambushed us sneakily, yet here he was, all innocent.
I clicked my tongue and eyed him.
If even the demon was courteous with introductions, the self-proclaimed hero couldn’t stay mum.
“Nice to meet you. I’m the hero, Laden.”
His sleazy grin faltered.
“The hero…?”
His flustered reaction suggested he wasn’t targeting the hero specifically.
Just bored and raiding the academy, huh.
“Yeah, the hero. Y’know, the one who kills the Demon King.”
“Hah, mental health among today’s youth is a real concern. A lunatic who thinks he’s the hero.”
Instead of some pompous lecture, I opted for a simple demonstration to convince him.
Fwoosh.
Purifying Flames ignited in my hand.
A Four Heavenly King should recognize them, at least.
“Is that… the real deal?”
As expected, Line recognized the Purifying Flames and froze.
He’d already accepted I wasn’t the hero, but it’d still spook a Four Heavenly King.
“B-but even if you’re the hero, alone!”
Line steeled himself and took stance.
I signaled Marley and Daisy with my eyes.
Hit him together on my mark.
“I’m a hero too.”
But Marley misread it and lit her own Purifying Flames.
Purer than mine, even.
“H-heroes… two of them…?”
His fired-up expression twisted weirdly.
Daisy, who’d been watching his reaction with amusement, grinned mischievously and slyly took Marley’s hand.
“I’m a hero too.”
She ignited more Purifying Flames.
“…”
Triple Purifying Flames blazed; Line’s eyes bulged in shock.
He’d come to raid the academy on a whim, only to find—not one, but three heroes.
Hard to stay sane in that situation.
“…Insane…”
Muttering curses and rolling his eyes, he suddenly spun around, resolved.
“Hmph! We’ll meet again, heroes. Tactical retreat!”
He bolted back into the hole he’d come from.
Daisy, smirking confidently at the unexpected move, yelled urgently.
“Demons should fight fair and square! Running away like a coward?”
“Hmph, it’s a strategic retreat.”
“You sneaky bastard!”
“You’re the sneaky ones ganging up!”
“Mm.”
Daisy fell silent, apparently out of retorts, as Line leaped back into the pit.
Sharp situational awareness for a demon.