The Savior of the Academy

Two slashing arcs collided in midair.

The clashing cuts canceled each other out and unleashed a massive shockwave. I let the blast shove me backward as I sheathed my blade, never taking my eyes off the fake Seong Yujin.

The fake Seong Yujin likewise retreated from the shockwave and sheathed his sword.

He seemed to step into a footwork pattern — then suddenly appeared right in front of me.

...He used Charna.

I had never realized how thoroughly irritating that ability was until I was the one on the receiving end. He was about to use Vagina Draw. Reacting normally would be nearly impossible, so I activated Charna myself.

My vision slowed. I watched his Hwaryeonbido explode out of the charged Onahole Scabbard with ferocious force.

...He already used Charna once when he killed that guard. Not good. Compared to him, I'm one stack short.

I clicked my tongue inwardly and answered his attack.

Blades accelerated by Onahole Scabbards crossed.

Kaaang!

Neither blade gave an inch.

Strength, agility, reaction speed — all identical to mine?

Crackle-crackle-crackle.

Crimson lightning erupted from his blade. I hurriedly put distance between us. Ordinary lightning I could tank and counter, but lightning amplified by Hwaryeonbido was more than I wanted to eat raw.

The fake Seong Yujin drove into me like a gale, drawing and striking in relentless succession.

I ignored Makina and focused on dodging.

If our stats are identical... I have to conserve stamina and mana. Whoever tires first loses.

Dodging was not easy. Endless slashes from Vagina Draw, paired with extreme quick-draw swordsmanship through Charna. The only reason I was still managing was that I knew the timing of Charna by heart.

...Why the hell is this bastard attacking so recklessly?

Because he was a fake and therefore mindless? No. Because he was a fake, he would genuinely want to kill me and take the real one's place.

What if his specs aren't actually identical to mine?

Laplace was involved in this. If it was Laplace, he would have pulled every dirty trick available.

Damn it. The longer this drags on, the worse it gets for me.

While I bit my lip, the fake was swinging his sword with pure delight.

"Hahaha! Stop running already! Scared of a fake when you're supposed to be the real one?!"

Every time he swung, red lightning crashed down. Boom! Boom! Boom! Thunder rolled, and academy students began gathering around us.

"Why the hell are they fighting here?"

"Shouldn't someone stop them?"

"If we try and catch a hit, we're the ones who lose. Just go get a teacher."

The academy students muttered among themselves as they watched. The fake Seong Yujin clearly didn't like the audience — he swung his blade toward the students.

"You're in the way, you maggots!"

"Kyaaaaaah!"

Academy students were swept away by his slash. Bodies were cut open; blood spilled across the ground.

His focus shifted to the students, and a gap opened. A perfect opportunity.

Close in with Charna.

Shlick-shlick-shlick-shlick-shlick.

I drew and sheathed again and again. The Onahole Scabbard's opening frayed and gaped wider. The sword strikes grew faster and faster.

"Y-you bastard...!"

His face twisted. He was catching every single one of my cuts — by chaining Charna. By now he had used Charna more than ten times. Clearly the stack limit didn't apply to him. In exchange, each use of Charna seemed to put strain on his body.

My arms feel like they're about to fall off. Time to end this.

I swung the Hwaryeonbido — glowing red-hot from the continuous draws — at him at absolute top speed. Even I could barely track the cut. He tried to dodge with Charna, but his body, overloaded with accumulated strain, briefly lost its balance and staggered.

Shhhk!

I carved through him.

"You fucking—!"

Cursing, spilling entrails, he collapsed to the ground.

I didn't let my guard down. Ignoring the pain that felt like my arms were about to drop off, I sheathed Hwaryeonbido and prepared the next draw.

The fake Seong Yujin used Complete Recovery. I had been waiting for that — I activated Heavenly Mind and wrenched my physical capabilities higher.

The fake Seong Yujin, mid-rise, stared at me with eyes gone round. His pupils trembled.

"W-what the hell was that technique just now?"

"A technique I made just to kill you."

In the world of The Savior of the Academy, I had never once used a Yeongcheon Style Extreme Technique. That was why the fake Seong Yujin had no idea what it was.

"...Don't bullshit me. A talentless hack ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like you could never improvise a technique like that..."

Crackle-crackle.

I unleashed the lightning. Crimson bolts began electrocuting his body. He gritted his teeth and reached for my throat. I swung my sword and took his head off.

Doesn't feel great, cutting off a neck that looks exactly like mine.

I rubbed my own neck as I stared down at the fake Seong Yujin's head. Complete Recovery, like Charna, might still be usable multiple times.

Fortunately, he didn't get back up.

Only after seeing the notification windows did I finally look away from the fake Seong Yujin's corpse. He was definitely dead.

Ryu Hana...

I scanned the surroundings — and froze.

The corpses of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠academy students the fake Seong Yujin had slaughtered in his rampage lay scattered around us, and academy teachers who had gathered at some point now surrounded me, staring as if they wanted me dead.

I raised both hands to show I had no intention of fighting. Using Heavenly Eye, I checked on Ryu Hana's condition.

Ryu Hana is on the rear mountain.

A fake Ryu Hana lay collapsed in front of her. She had won as well.

I looked up at the sky.

The trial was over.

The dungeon should collapse, and we should be thrown back outside... That was how it was supposed to work. But the dungeon showed no sign of collapsing. The sky above was simply clear and bright.

???

I was dragged into the principal's office in restraints.

Academy teachers radiated murderous intent all around me.

"Everyone, calm yourselves."

The old man seated across from me spoke. He was a slight figure with a face full of wrinkles and a white beard. His back was bent, yet he carried a gentle kind of charisma.

Kang Ju-seok.

The founding principal of Maruhan Academy.

"Principal. This man is a wanted terrorist. The bounty on him alone exceeds five hundred million. More importantly, five students are dead."

"The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠deaths of five students are a tragedy. But we must still examine the facts properly. The one who killed those five students was not him — it was his doppelganger. The recovered corpse is proof of that, and we have multiple witnesses as well."

"...Even so, the fact that he is a wanted terrorist does not change."

I checked my restraints.

Handcuffs on both wrists. Not ordinary cuffs — magically treated, hard to break free of.

Escaping with a spatial transfer scroll wouldn't be a problem. Even cuffed, I can summon a scroll and tear it.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

The real problem was the principal and teachers watching me. Any suspicious move and they would stop me immediately.

"What is your name, young man?"

Kang Ju-seok asked me.

"Seong Yujin."

"Seong Yujin. You look remarkably young. Barely any difference from the wanted poster issued a few years ago... Our uniform suits you well, though your actual age must be higher."

"......"

"I will give you a chance to explain yourself. For what purpose did you enter the academy, and what exactly are you and that doppelganger?"

"And if I exercise my right to remain silent?"

"That is fine. Keeping your mouth shut is your freedom; there is little we can do about it. But do not forget this. Five students are dead. We are barely holding our temper right now."

The atmosphere was lethal.

The thought that I might get tortured crossed my mind. In the future, maybe not — but in this era, it was entirely possible.

"...I'm a Devil Hunter. I entered the academy tracking a demon."

I opened my mouth.

I poured out lies. I was confident I could sell them. The one who killed the students was the doppelganger, not me. With witnesses present, they couldn't pin the student deaths on me.

"......"

They fell silent at my lie, sinking into thought.

The principal's office door opened, and a young teacher entered.

"Principal. We reported him to the Hero Association and investigated his identity. There is no information of any kind regarding his identity."

"...When does the Association say they will arrive?"

"A large-scale Gate just opened in Pyongyang. The Association requested that we detain him, citing the need to handle Pyongyang."

"How convenient... Is Pyongyang that serious?"

"...They said that if they fail, Pyongyang itself might disappear."

"......"

The people in the principal's office fell silent for an entirely different reason.

Principal Kang Ju-seok let out a deep sigh and issued orders.

"Teacher Park — there is a small storage shed near the Sword Dance Department, is there not? I want it used as a cell. Clear out whatever is inside. Teacher Oh — I need the Magic Department's assistance. Prepare a binding formation in the shed and set up barriers around it. Teacher Yoon — go to Administration and recruit watch personnel. One teacher and two staff members... three-person teams rotating every eight hours should be appropriate. Bear with it for a while, everyone."

"Yes, Principal."

At Principal Kang Ju-seok's orders, the teachers moved in crisp coordination.

Only the principal and I remained in the office.

"If what you say is true, then the doppelganger was a servant of the demon you are hunting. May I ask which demon you are after?"

"Laplace. I'm hunting the master of the Eighth Legion."

"...As I thought."

"As you thought?"

"A few years ago, on the day you carried out that terrorist attack in Seoul, I heard testimony that you fought Laplace and brought down giant monsters. The Association's position is that without you, Seoul would have been half-destroyed."

"More competent than I expected."

"I am grateful to you. Without you, the Republic of Korea would have reeled far more severely."

"If you're grateful, how about taking these cuffs off."

"That is a separate matter from the fact that you did commit terrorism. I suspect you had your reasons... but your methods were wrong."

"......"

I shut my mouth. Principal Kang Ju-seok's resolve was firm. No matter what I said, he was not going to release me.

The trial is over. If I wait a bit, we should be thrown out of the dungeon.

Uncomfortable as it was, I just needed to endure a little longer.

I ended up locked inside an academy storage shed.

"...There was a guard's corpse in the trunk of the car you arrived in. Why did you kill him?"

Principal Kang Ju-seok asked me in a sharp voice.

"He was being controlled by a demon."

"...And I'm supposed to believe that?"

"I told you the truth. Believe it or don't — that's your call."

"......"

"I'll give you one more. A demon is hiding inside the academy."

"...Where is this demon hiding?"

"Let me out and I'll go look for it."

Principal Kang Ju-seok stared at me for a long moment, then shook his head and left the shed.