Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: 7. Is the Back of Your Head Safe? (8)
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# 61
#11 Their Circumstances: Aris Lil Retia's Circumstances
"It's time!"
"Damn it, break throuuuugh!"
As if this moment were the last of my life.
I concentrate the mana spreading through my entire body into one point and compress it.
"The kid's getting scarier by the minute."
Professor Muam grimaced as he watched me.
But there's no choice. Why? Because from now on, a silver devil will creep up behind my back!
"Dieeeee!"
"No, even so, yelling 'die' at a professor is a bit much, isn't it...?"
Professor Muam slightly furrowed his brow and extended his hand, gathering water into a blue orb.
-Kagagagagagang!
The red flash collided with the blue orb, and a massive roar echoed through the entire first-floor corridor.
"Kyaaang!"
"Nooooo!"
At the same time, pained screams mixed with "thud thud thud" sounds began coming from the end of the corridor.
"Why doesn't anyone ever get used to getting hit by that!"
"Damn it, less talking and more breaking through!"
The "thud thud thud" sounds grew closer and closer.
"Please, just let it slide this once? There's not even any student council officers here!"
"Ah, true. If the student council kids were here, even I might've had a bit of trouble."
In stark contrast to my desperation, Professor Muam was utterly relaxed.
Damn it, someone who's never been hit by that thing can't possibly understand our pain!
"Pleeeeease!"
-Right on, Aris!
-Goddess, help her out too!
-No way! Last time that happened, I got hit along with her!
I tried asking the ever-cheering goddess for some power, but she refused immediately.
As expected, the fact that I didn't reverse-summon her last time and let her get hit by the devil too had a big impact.
"I have no choice either!"
I pour everything into my spear.
Not just the scattered mana in my body—everything, even my soul, into this one strike!
"As expected, the students at this academy are all a bit off..."
If he got hit once, he'd understand why.
Oblivious to that, Professor Muam simply did his job.
"Damn iiiiiit!"
The student council, our greatest force, had vanished overnight.
At first, I thought they'd run away, but according to Professor Niserwin, the entire student council was still in the academy.
They were even staying here, handling their meals and studies!
The moment I heard that,
I realized the student council had screwed something up, and Professor Niserwin had dealt with it.
They're probably forcibly confined somewhere in the academy right now.
Thanks to that, our chances of breaking through had plummeted!
"Haaaaap!"
Once the devil descends, no more attacks are needed.
That's why I unleashed a strike with everything I had, and the result was...
"Th-this can't be!"
"Uwaaaah!"
As I watched the blue orb slowly crack, a thrilling ecstasy pierced through my entire body.
"I did it!"
"...or so I thought!"
And that ecstasy vanished in a flash, replaced by terror flooding my whole body.
"P-please spare me..."
"Sis promised not to kill you, right?"
The silver devil smirked and raised her hand, but I'd already squeezed out every last drop of strength in that attack.
No way I could escape now.
"Then, please hit me as lightly as possible."
All I could do was beg like this.
"Huh? I'm the type who saves the tastiest for last..."
I look around. No one. Just me.
"I-I'm not tasty..."
"No, in this academy, you and the goddess you're contracted with have the best flavor. I, Arcadia, guarantee it!"
I got guaranteed something I never wanted guaranteed.
In short, she meant I'm the most satisfying to hit, so she'd drag it out.
"Nooooo!"
"Yes, thrash around like that! The more you do, the tastier it gets!"
My legs gave out, unable to stand properly, so I crawled along the floor trying to flee, but I couldn't make any progress.
All I could do was watch her sadistic grin and wait for the devil's mercy.
It was right then.
"Uwaaaah!"
"Run, just keep running!"
"Demon spotted ahead!"
Screams echoed as a group in pajamas descended from the second floor.
But even from afar, any Yuglasia student would recognize them as the student council.
"Huh? Already here?"
Seeing the devil's eyes sparkle, I realized.
Ah... I'm saved.
I'm no longer the last meal!
"What a shame..."
Seeing the devil lick her lips at me, I was certain I'd survived.
"Hmm... Well then, sis, let's play more later?"
No thanks. Even if the world ends, I won't play with you.
As her tiny fist drew closer, I vowed that to myself—and with one solid hit, I drifted into blissful rest.
And the next day.
I learned from Professor Niserwin the fate of the student council—who'd saved me not as princes on white horses, but as pajama-clad sandbags.
And... grateful that I could go to school, I resolved to live on.
#12 Their Circumstances: A Certain Student Council President's Circumstances
"Alright, the advance team moves out first."
I cast a simple light spell and begin descending the dark stairs.
Is this really attending an academy, or exploring some ancient secret ruin? The academy is that messed up.
If not for Lisen's brave attempt revealing this was the rooftop?
How long would we have been scouring the ceiling for an exit?
No, before that.
What was Professor Niserwin thinking, remodeling the rooftop like this?
Did he anticipate we wouldn't come to school?
If so, why not treat us a little more humanely to prevent this?
But what can we do.
Our opponent is the successor of the evil god who commands the silver devil.
All we can do is run like hell.
As Lady Aris said, just be content that in a year—no, half a year now—we'll graduate.
"President, over there..."
"Yeah, it's a door that screams 'trap' no matter who looks."
Maybe because it's the rooftop.
There was a wooden door on the floor that looked suspicious to anyone.
"But it's the first door we've found, so we have to check it, right?"
"Yeah. We need to escape somehow."
"Still, President, it looks way too suspicious."
"True."
It looks like a door to escape through, but is it really our way out?
What if it's a gate to hell or heaven?
"No choice. We open it."
But we can't abandon the only clue we have.
Professor Niserwin always sets obvious bait that we know is a trap but can't resist approaching.
"Who opens it?"
"I'll do it. If something happens, abandon me and run."
With a serious face, one student council officer approached the wooden door and gripped the handle.
Then, with equal seriousness, he told us.
"It won't open."
"Is it a pull door?"
"No, I tried pushing and pulling. Nothing."
He gripped the handle, pushing and pulling repeatedly, but the door didn't budge.
"Is it just decoration?"
"Could be some special mechanism like with blank paper. Try infusing mana."
"Infused mana—no reaction!"
"It's really just decoration?"
It looked like an antique door, but it wouldn't open.
"Wait, let's all think like Professor Niserwin."
"Abandon humanity?"
"Yeah, discard human feelings. Think purely with a heart full of malice."
We glare at the door, putting ourselves in Professor Niserwin's shoes as he toys with us.
"A door right here in plain sight. But it won't open. If you were Professor Niserwin, what trap would you set here to screw us over?"
"Isn't us racking our brains here exactly his goal?"
"No, would that devil settle for that little? Higher chance this is a real door."
"I think so too. Probably opens differently."
"Seniors, what if Professor Niserwin anticipated all that and just painted a door shape on the floor with a fake handle?"
"Can't rule that out."
As expected of the student council's elite—we tossed out a topic, and opinions flew.
"Think of things we'd regret later and bang our heads over."
"This door turns out to be an illusion spell."
"Or worse—we're all under Professor Niserwin's spell, dreaming this whole thing."
"We find out we're all dreaming together in our beds? What? Scary, but with Professor Niserwin, it feels possible."
Ridiculous nonsense like that.
Yet tied to Professor Niserwin, it seemed plausible, giving us chills all at once.
"Ugh... Should I pinch my cheek?"
"No, Professor Niserwin could make it hurt even in a dream."
"Yeah, like he developed a device with Black Anvil."
"Dreams should bring succubi from legends, but Black Anvil makes it convincing."
"Nothing's impossible with Made in Black Anvil."
What can I say—our fantasies of Black Anvil are growing huge.
But can't be helped? High chance this space was made by the Black Anvil clan too.
"Anyone with other ideas?"
I looked around, but no one else had opinions.
Was the "it was all a dream" hypothesis too strong?
"I thought of one more."
"What is it?"
The usually low-presence secretary—glasses aside, utterly featureless—raised her hand.
"This is between the 10th floor and rooftop. Assuming that's the exit, it'd be the 10th floor ceiling, right?"
"Probably."
"Even if we couldn't access the rooftop this semester, we used the 10th floor classrooms regularly."
Hearing it, yeah.
Rooftop off-limits or not, the 10th floor had special classrooms tied to classes.
"So, wouldn't a push-pull door be too obvious?"
"But it's Black Anvil?"
"Ah..."
One officer cut off the secretary mid-thought.
Black Anvil. Magic words.
Struck by it, the secretary shut her mouth, grumbled, then nodded in agreement.
"Should I retract it?"
"No, finish your thought."
She looked less confident from Black Anvil, but it was the most logical, so we listened.
"Then maybe it slides open sideways?"
"We pushed earlier—no dice."
"Not like that. Sideways."
Plausible enough—we rushed over, gripped the handle, and pulled sideways.
Clunk.
"Huh? Did you hear that?"
"For real? It slides!"
"We did it, Secretary Senior! Honestly, you and the treasurer had zero presence among the student council officers!"
"Yeah, we saw the treasurer for budget stuff, but you? Nonexistent. You finally did it!"
"Shut up, you lot! The vice presidents cause chaos daily, and we clean up—that's why we have no presence!"
Grumbling, she pulled the handle sideways; a gap slowly widened, faint light leaking through.
"We can escape now!"
"Don't let your guard down! Anything could pop out!"
Soon, space for one person to slip through opened.
And as the advance team leader, I went down first.
"You found it faster than expected."
Professor Niserwin sat at a desk, wearing a seemingly benevolent smile, waiting for me!
"Hey, close it! Abandon the president and shut it quick!"
The student council officers spotted Professor Niserwin and ditched me to slam the door!
"Don't close it! Don't you dare—come down here!"
Thus began a 20-minute fierce battle between those trying to open the door and those sealing it.
In the end, I kicked the asses of the traitorous officers and sent them before Professor Niserwin.