179. Apostle of Gluttony
179. Apostle of Gluttony
"What the hell?"
A massive roar. Thick dust. Sticky Demonic Energy.
A vanished mountain peak. Landing lightly atop it, I downed a Potion and narrowed my brow.
"...That wasn't me."
Beating the bastard into the air and slamming it down with Falling Star—that part was me.
But this result wasn't my doing. I didn't even want it.
It had barely been a minute since I'd resolved to fight while protecting the kids. There's no way I'd go on a rampage like this.
In the first place, with my current strength, I couldn't even produce this much power. How could a mere Tier 6 like me erase a mountain peak?
The one who caused this was the Apostle.
It seemed to have detonated its Demonic Energy along with everything it'd devoured at the moment of impact.
Right now, human femurs, radii, and skulls are crunching under my feet. The concentration of Demonic Energy has thickened too.
Did it know I'd follow up with more hits?
Did it instinctively realize that a few more blows might kill it?
If so, it meant it retained not just the instinct of Gluttony, but at least a sliver of combat intelligence.
"Not exactly the same as 400 years ago..."
I picked at my ear, which was starting to ring, and moved.
As for students killed by that explosion just now—there were none, for the time being.
However, there were three students with fatal injuries who wouldn't last the day.
I approached them first and slathered Potions over them. Then I grabbed each one by the scruff and hurled them down below.
The Potions would mend the bones broken by the fall, but the Demonic Energy wouldn't be purified.
Still, if they had the will to live, they'd keep breathing until this battle ended.
If they gave up on their own, well, nothing to be done about that.
I rewrapped my bandages. I tore off the annoying sleeves to make it sleeveless, and boldly ripped my pants into shorts for easier movement.
I roughly gathered my loose hair into a single tie, and took off my already-torn bra too.
"...Being a man really was better."
If I were a man, I'd have just ripped my top clean off.
Grumbling, I checked my body's condition.
As expected, both shoulders were wrecked. My left elbow was hanging by a thread, and my right ankle was already flopping.
Even after drinking a Potion, it didn't heal.
I wasn't attacked by the Apostle.
I just wrecked myself by overusing techniques.
Dark Moon and Falling Star.
Techniques Arisa had favored.
I knew what they were but didn't know their names—until I found the book she left behind, which detailed quite a few important things, including the names and the distribution of power.
So I tried them once... but with this body, it's too much after all. Sure, part of it is that the bastard is absurdly tough, but my body is too weak.
"Figures, for a chimpanzee—only knows how to use pointlessly brutish techniques."
I downed a higher-grade Potion than the one I'd taken before and walked toward where the Apostle had been slammed down.
I couldn't see ahead properly, but given how quiet it was, it seemed to be reabsorbing the Demonic Energy it'd detonated and focusing on recovery.
In fact, the concentration of Demonic Energy—dense enough to choke even me—was gradually thinning.
Of course, I had no intention of letting it recover in peace.
If even a little more time passed, Monsters that had fed on Gluttony's Demonic Energy would swarm in to protect the Apostle.
Counting only the Monsters in this vicinity, there were at least several dozen. A perfect number to slaughter the students sprawled unconscious on the ground.
And it would get really annoying for me too.
So I had to kill it as fast as possible.
"Eurasia's side... should be fine, right?"
Stella was there too, so nothing would go wrong.
Even if Stella's Mana ran dry.
If it was Eurasia, she'd protect the kids somehow.
I trust Eurasia.
Tap-tap—
Confirming my ankle had reattached, I kicked off the ground.
*****
The professors scraped the bottom of their Dantians, pouring Mana into the barrier to break through the Demonic Energy barrier.
Their Realms were by no means low.
To become a magic professor at Karelai Academy, one had to complete at least the 6th Circle.
In fact, the professors gathered here were all ones who had completed the 7th Circle.
But the barrier remained intact.
The analysis had long been finished. They knew exactly what the barrier was rooted in.
So now, all that remained was to pour Mana into the barrier's foundation, like filling a bucket with water.
But that bucket was far too enormous.
Even with nearly thirty professors pouring Mana into it, it wasn't even half full.
And that wasn't the end of it.
Dozens of Monsters were swarming in.
Over a hundred beasts had become Monsters.
Tiny flying insects, bugs that had burrowed and hidden underground, bugs that had hidden inside trees.
Tree roots, pitiful wildflowers, fallen leaves, flower petals, the wind.
Everything was killing humans.
Why?
Those gathered here couldn't know what caused this phenomenon, but they knew one thing.
Everything around them, except humans, was humanity's enemy.
In that situation, the students fell into panic.
They were only first-years. No matter how much the continent's prodigies had been gathered, first-years. Seventeen-year-old students couldn't handle this.
The professors were no different.
An era of peace.
An incomplete peace—nothing more than an armistice—but ultimately, they had lived in an era of peace. Many of the professors who had lived through such an era had battlefield experience so faint it was practically nonexistent.
Thus, even possessing power they could wield, not a few professors were crushed by fear and failed to use it properly.
But they didn't stand idle.
Because they wanted to live, because their livelihoods were on the line, because their pride was wounded, because professors had to protect students, because of those damned Monsters.
Everyone did their best for their own reasons.
Among those professors, the ones with extensive battlefield experience took command of the overall situation and stood at the very front, subjugating Monsters.
Among the students too, those belonging to Signia Class were fighting Monsters with everything they had.
And one step ahead of those humans.
A blonde girl was slaughtering Monsters.
Whoosh—!
The Eustetia sword with its vivid cherry-blossom pattern flashed. Monster blood scattered.
"Behind Eurasia—"
Slice—
Before Stella could finish speaking, Eurasia's sword had already swung. The neck of a Monster another professor had missed flew through the air.
Then a Monster's arm that had shot up from underground was split apart as if finely shredded. Before its blood touched the ground, blue Sword Energy burst out in all directions. The limbs of Monsters targeting students were cleanly severed.
And onto the Monsters left with only their torsos, writhing—other students' magic, blades, fists, and feet slammed down mercilessly.
Without watching that Monster die, Eurasia kicked off again.
The professors struggling to break the barrier. She cut down the Monsters charging at them.
The priests working to purify the Demonic Energy spreading everywhere, the priests healing injured students, the high-ranking priests producing holy water.
The Monsters threatening them were also gruesomely sliced apart by Eurasia's sword.
In this place turned into chaos, there were of course other professors too. They too were casting magic, swinging swords, thrusting spears, throwing punches.
But Eurasia was killing Monsters overwhelmingly faster and more brutally than those professors.
"Eurasia... y-you're not hurt anywhere...?"
"Yeah. I'm fine."
Drenched in Monster blood, Eurasia roughly shook out her tied hair and caught her breath.
Watching her from the side, Stella involuntarily shuddered.
She had never seen Eurasia make that kind of expression before.
Had she ever even seen Eurasia swing a sword seriously? Had she ever seen her make an expression so steeped in killing intent?
Not even once.
And it was the same for Pina.
Eurasia, who held her whenever Eliarnes cursed. Eurasia, who always bought delicious things and gave kind smiles to everyone.
That Eurasia now seemed... like a different person.
Her eyes, which had always held such clear, refreshing light, were now veiled with a sinister gleam. Her lips, which never seemed to know how to fall, were twisted roughly.
On her slender jawline, muscles stood out from clenching her teeth hard, and in the hand that always stroked her hair, she held a sword caked with Monster flesh.
It was frightening. Terrifying.
Surely, this was Eurasia moving to protect her, to protect them, to protect people.
Eurasia would never cut her.
She would protect people.
Surely that was true.
And yet.
Pina was afraid of Eurasia.
Not because she held a sword, not because her expression was murderous, not because she radiated killing intent.
It was instinctive terror.
A primal fear.
The spirits were trembling in fright.
As if a predator stood before them.
"...Sorry, Pina. It's scary, isn't it."
As if she'd sensed Pina's inner feelings, Eurasia smiled bitterly and tried to move away.
"...Pina?"
But Pina grabbed Eurasia's hand tightly and shook her head side to side. At that moment, light burst from Pina's fingertips and seeped into Eurasia's body.
Her wounds healed cleanly.
But the speed was far too fast.
Pina felt a moment of puzzlement.
But there was no time to hold onto Eurasia and ask. Monsters were swarming in again.
"Thanks."
Smiling faintly, Eurasia flicked the Monster flesh stuck to her sword and touched her temple.
At the tips of her pale, slender fingers.
Something hard and rough was felt.
Something that did not exist on humans.
Something that should not exist.
Something that, in this world, only Demons possessed.
Therefore, something that must never be discovered.
Black, ominous, and hideous.
A half-formed Demon's horn.
Eurasia.
Touching the small horn sprouting from her left temple, she chewed her lip.
It had grown in a full fifteen days earlier than expected.
Why? She didn't know. It didn't matter.
There was no time.
If she was exposed to this ominous Demonic Energy any longer, the suppression of her Demonic Energy might break.
If that happened.
The one who always smiled by her side, helped her, believed in her, and stood by her no matter what.
Eliarnes Eustetia.
Her lady.
Her master.
Her most precious person would be in danger.