Chapter 77: Magic (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 77: Magic (1)
San Hana.
It was the name All-Power Meain Poison had used when she was disguised as a cadet. I’d forgotten it since I hadn't had a reason to use it lately, but hearing it again after several years hit me loud and clear.
‘The ones who called All-Power here are...’
Sure enough, it was Ryozo and Abel. Just looking at their genial faces made it obvious.
I flashed them a faint smile. Then, assuming a solemn demeanor, I stretched out one hand.
“Joaquin Graduate School will—”
I declared before the crowd.
“—open a new horizon in the hero realm.”
For a brief moment, a sudden silence fell over the room.
The reporters hurriedly brought their cameras up to their eyes. From among the crowd, Meain Poison nonchalantly walked away.
Her presence meant that he had also accepted the professorship. Truth be told, I hadn't held out much hope when I made the offer. It could be awkward in many ways for him to accept so readily.
‘Lucky me.’
I pulled my gaze away from the flashing cameras. A ray of sunlight pierced through the misty clouds. It was gloriously bright—as if the world itself were blessing our fresh start.
With a quiet smile, I stepped down from the podium and approached my two wives.
*
Episode: Magic
The world had gotten better.
After the 2nd Human-Demon War ended, the victorious humans expanded their territory all the way into Gehenna. Usurping land was one of the victor's rights, after all.
The demons had to swallow their pride and watch the encroachment helplessly.
Demons were inherently loyal to the law of might, and standing behind humanity was none other than Kang Geomma.
Obey the strong without talking back. That was the law of the Demon Realm. The elderly elders of the Demon Realm meekly followed Kang Geomma's orders.
Perhaps because of this, they accepted the installation of an internet network without a peep.
South Korea, an internet powerhouse, took the lead. Humanity launched a massive construction project in Gehenna. The work, which began five years ago, progressed at a rapid pace.
Today, it had closely approached the desired blueprint.
Internet networks were laid out across eighty percent of Gehenna. Times change; change was the stepping stone for evolution.
But such rapid change was more than shocking for some—it was downright unprecedented. Balor Joaquin, for instance, felt that way.
“Whew...”
He was still living in the depths of Gehenna. Unlike before, when he had been half a ghost, he could now exert a certain degree of physical force.
Operating a smartphone, for example, was well within his capabilities.
That wasn't a mistake. He and a band of squirrels... were currently watching a broadcast on a smartphone inside a pit in Gehenna.
“...It's changed too much. Way too much.”
The broadcast was about the ‘Establishment of Joaquin Graduate School.’ Having missed the live stream, Balor and the squirrels were skimming through summary Shorts.
“Hey, you bastard!”
Lycan glared fiercely at Balor as he sprinted inside a hamster wheel. The smartphone and the wheel were connected by wires.
“You're using me! Me, Lycan! As a battery!”
As mentioned earlier, internet lines were laid out. However, power plants required far more labor and were built only in the heart of Gehenna.
Balor didn't even spare Lycan a glance. He sat cross-legged, huddling heads with the squirrels.
“Research into magic is an unavoidable predicament for present-day humanity,” said Smart Chipmunk, the strategist. It had already been several months since he began sharing joys and sorrows with Balor. They were practically family now.
“However, if they were to teach magic at Joaquin Academy, the voices of opposition might grow even louder.”
“Hear, hear!”
The squirrels chimed in one after another.
“If they make a sudden pivot like that, even existing students will get fed up and drop out!”
“To make progress without destroying the fundamentals, a new educational institution is essential! As expected of Sword Demon-nim!”
“Hmm... Indeed.”
Just then, the smartphone screen went dark. Everyone's gaze naturally shifted.
“You little brats—!”
Lycan approached, gasping for breath. One might expect the Corps Commander's fury to send chills down their spines, but the squirrels merely gave him dubious looks.
“If running that little bit exhausts you...”
“...then it's time for you to pass on.”
“Ah, alas for bygone glory...!”
Playful laments burst out. Fire ignited in Lycan's eyes. Moments later, he charged at the squirrels on all fours. The squirrels threw up their arms and scattered in terror.
“Save the squirrels!”
“The strategist is a chipmunk, you idiot!”
“Is that what matters right now?!”
A small commotion flared up in the abyss.
“It's a complete zoo.”
Balor Joaquin let out a hollow chuckle. It was a familiar sight by now. As always, he watched while chewing on mugwort and garlic.
‘I feel like I'm trying to turn into a human from garlic and mugwort.’
Balor Joaquin had been able to eat food ever since his body regained a bare minimum of form. Though his body didn't strictly need meals, Smart Chipmunk had suggested it.
—If you consume food from this realm, wouldn't you regain your original form faster?
You know that urban myth, right? The moment you eat food from the underworld, you truly become dead. Whether that principle applied here was unknown.
—I don't think there's any harm in trying.
Chipmunk was truly smart. Intellect shone as sharply as the tips of his pointed ears.
Following that advice, Balor ate only the mugwort and garlic that grew in the Demon Realm. Everything else made his stomach turn so badly he couldn't force it down...
‘To think my body is actually returning just from eating mugwort and garlic.’
Balor clenched and unclenched his fist. The blood drained from his palm for a second, then a faint pink hue spread across it.
“At this rate...”
In a month at the earliest, it might be worth attempting a cross over to the Human Realm. Even if he failed, the mere hope of possibility made the future look bright.
Balor grinned, flashing his teeth. His chest swelled with anticipation. The bitterness of mugwort and garlic was nothing—he could chew them with delight.
“Haa, haa...”
Lycan slumped his shoulders, standing atop a mound formed by the bodies of the defeated squirrels. Catching his breath, Balor suddenly asked him:
“By the way, I haven't seen Metatron-nim at all lately. Did Leon return to the Demon Realm or something?”
Living in the Gehenna pit naturally led to introducing himself to Metatron. At first, he hadn't believed that this middle-aged man with graying hair was the Archangel Metatron.
Only after listening to the backstory over a long time did he accept it. The middle-aged man was indeed the leader of Grigori and its most radiant wing.
“Guess you haven't heard,” Lycan said, wiping his forehead. “That gentleman left for the Human Realm.”
“The Human Realm?”
“Word is, Kang Geomma invited him.”
“...No way.”
A pair of forepaws popped up from among the fallen squirrels. Smart Chipmunk squeezed his way out from the pile.
“He must be going to take up a professorship at the graduate school.”
Thwack!
“Gaaaaah!”
Even amidst this, Lycan cracked Chipmunk on the crown of his head for showing off his intelligence.
*
As a side note, I like the smell of a new house.
Some might find it unpleasant, but to me, I imagine this is what excitement smells like.
I was standing right in the center of the newly built graduate school training hall. The walls and facilities gleamed with a fresh polish.
It was spacious enough for multiple people to clash with their armaments. In the old facilities, making slightly larger movements meant risking interference with one another.
‘Roomy.’
While enjoying the new-building smell for a moment—
Kiiing.
I turned my head toward the resonance of a sword. Leon was unsheathing Balmung. I spoke up.
“Do we really have to go this far?”
“This is a facility for graduate students. As involved parties, we need to inspect it. If anyone's going to get hurt, it's better that it's us first.”
Not entirely wrong.
Even if it was a graduate school, it was still an institution for nurturing the next generation of heroes. The exercise of physical force was inseparable from it.
As such, testing the performance of the 'Subspace Barrier' was essential. If I were present, stable deployment wouldn't be an issue, but...
‘I won't be at the graduate school every single day.’
By its nature, the graduate school would likely rely more on students' autonomy rather than instructors' direct commands.
So we had to verify whether the 'Subspace Barrier Deployment' functioned properly. Since new students were arriving in a week, we needed to be sure before then.
‘That makes sense, but...’
Why does it feel like an excuse to fight me?
I cast my eyes toward a corner of the training hall. Spectators were watching us: members of the Dragon Clan and graduate school officials.
Among them, my gaze kept drifting to a middle-aged man with his hair neatly styled back. Maybe because I was used to seeing him looking so unkempt, his clean-cut face felt unfamiliar.
‘Now I see who Leon takes after.’
Metatron. He, too, was here as an official, having accepted a professorship at Joaquin Graduate School.
Along with Valerion, the Dragon Lord, Metatron was my trump card.
He had once been the pinnacle of angels, as well as the older brother of Kuarne, the most vicious Corps Commander. Despite being pulled between good and evil for thousands of years, he ultimately remained on the side of good.
‘Learning magic will dig up the darker aspects of human nature.’
The students needed someone to neutralize their inner darkness. And there was no one better suited for that role than Metatron.
“...!”
Sensing my gaze, Metatron gave a solemn nod. I nodded back, quietly expressing my gratitude once more.
‘I didn't expect him to accept right away.’
Metatron, like his son, harbored a sense of debt toward humanity. Because of Kuarne's hypnosis, he had briefly been an enemy of mankind.
Even so, Metatron accepted the professorship after only brief deliberation. He didn't offer any extra reasons, but if I had to guess, he probably wanted to spend more time with Leon.
As if aware of this, Leon stood with his shoulders stiff with tension. But pulling out Balmung for a simple test? The guy was practically dying to take my head off.
‘He's dying to look cool in front of his dad.’
Even though I'm an absolute orphan, I can understand.
Leon always wanted his father's recognition. Naturally, he'd want to put on a great showing for the dad who had just shown up as his professor.
‘Sure, sure.’
Times like this, I should be tactical and play along.
Ah, of course, I have no intention of actually losing the spar. I just mean I'll play along.
Rattle.
I flipped my shoulder bag upside down. Daixo Sashimis spilled out in a heap. Leon's cheek twitched.
“I'm not exactly in a position to worry about you, but wouldn't it be better for your safety if you pulled out a proper armament?”
Leon casually flicked Balmung up and down. Is a Hero candidate supposed to act so cocky?
“It's a new chapter. I have a few things of my own I want to test out.”
“Test things... against me.”
He looked thoroughly annoyed. When I refrained from teasing him further, Leon tightened his grip on Balmung. Immediately after, a haze of light gathered along the blade.
“You're taking this way too seriously.”
In this spar, Leon activated the 'Miracle Blessing.' Remembering the effect of Miracle Blessing made my stomach turn cold.
[Miracle Blessing]
: Please save the world from the Demon King.
Mm...
‘You really take your duties as a Hero way too seriously.’
I had to clear up any misunderstanding right away.
“I didn't mean I was half-assing it, just that I wanted to experiment. Since it's a graduate school, I'm trying to utilize magic in a fresh way.”
“I didn't say a word.”
Looks like he's genuinely pissed.
Leon lowered his stance, firmly shifting his center of gravity as if placing a heavy boulder upon his waist. He glared in my direction, eyes looking ready to shoot lasers.
I scratched my neck. Living life so earnestly must be exhausting.
[Subspace Barrier is being deployed.]
Thuuump. I stomped hard. Dozens of Daixo Sashimis rose into the air all at once.
[May the Blessing of the Hero be with you.]
The moment that voice echoed, Leon charged forward.
“Sword Control.”
The Sashimis shuddered, shedding their scabbards. The next moment, they scattered across the room in unison.
Simultaneously, I snapped my fingers. Snap. A strand of deep-blue electrical current reached out and touched the nearest Sashimi blade.
The electricity slicing through the blade instantly leaped to the next Sashimi, and then the next. I was transmitting lightning magic through the Blessing of Transfer.
In a split second, a web of lightning blanketed the entire training hall, taking over the space behind Leon as well.
Leon showed no sign of panic. Pivoting to the side, he swung Balmung horizontally toward my flank.
I snapped my fingers once more.
Slash!
Balmung's blade sliced right through me.
Or more accurately, through the spot where I had just been standing.
“...!”
The net woven from electricity. The moment current flowed through the streaks of light connecting Sashimi to Sashimi, I teleported. At the very spot where Leon had been standing a moment ago, particles of light gathered, shaping my form.
“This is...”
Leon couldn't help but let out a stunned gasp. With current draped across my shoulders, I turned around.
This was what I had wanted to test today.
Spatial teleportation riding the lightning that bounced sequentially between Sashimi blades.
The result born from all the Blessings and magic I possessed seamlessly intertwining. I proclaimed the name of this new technique before everyone.
“Thunder Fold.”