Succumbing to the Dark
I rushed out of the training grounds, spurred by the relentless, deafening explosions. The sight that greeted me was nothing short of shocking. The lecture halls of Estrada Academy were engulfed in raging flames, the buildings teetering on the brink of collapse.
What on earth is happening? Line and Micaris should be in class right now. And where is Ronia? A deluge of anxiety washed over me. Praying with all my heart that they were safe, I sprinted toward the academy.
The lobby was a chaotic sea of fleeing students, every single one of them gripped by sheer panic. I grabbed a passing student by the shoulder. His face was completely drained of color, white as a sheet.
"What happened? What's going on?" I demanded.
"A Demonic Human has appeared!" the student shrieked, trying to shake off my grip. "One of the academy students succumbed to Corruption! You need to run, now!"
He slapped my hand away and bolted into the crowd. A Demonic Human? Wait. It finally clicked. The corruption of Forne Gillette. No wonder his name had sounded so familiar. He was that squinty-eyed character, after all.
How could I have forgotten such a crucial event? Have I been getting too complacent lately?
Forne Gillette was a man who allowed himself to be consumed by Corruption for the sole, pathetic reason of wanting to possess the original heroine. Just to grasp a flower he could otherwise only look at, he threw away his humanity.
In the original novel, Forne throws the entire academy into utter chaos to abduct the heroine. He uses the confusion of the disaster to kidnap her.
And the reason I had overlooked this was simple: Forne's transformation into a Demonic Human wasn't supposed to happen until the middle of our second year. In other words, there was absolutely no reason for it to be happening now.
Could this be because of the mid-term evaluation results?
In the original timeline, Forne made it all the way to the semi-finals. But because I interfered, he was knocked out in the quarter-finals. I never imagined my presence would trigger such a massive butterfly effect.
Did I ignore the original heroine too much because I was solely focused on the villainesses?
I had been incredibly foolish. The original heroine was the focal point of this entire world's narrative, yet I had completely overlooked her. I thought reforming the villainesses would solve everything. I was wrong. My actions had accelerated the growth of Lutera and Winston. The heroine, Line, Ronia, and Micaris had all changed. Even Lutera's personality had shifted.
Failing to anticipate these ripples was entirely my own blunder. I had grown arrogant, blinded by the simple fact that I had read the original novel and knew the future.
Please tell me the kidnapping location hasn't changed too.
My mind was racing. No, focus. I was the only one who could resolve this. Opportunity often comes disguised as a crisis, and this was my chance. A chance to slay a Demonic Human and secure a noble title. I had already laid all the groundwork: the realm of a 6-Star expert, the backing of a ducal house, and even the favor of the Crown Prince. If I took down a Demonic Human, a title of nobility would surely be mine.
I began to frantically recall the details of the original novel. The place where Forne Gillette took the kidnapped heroine was...
The abandoned Theology Lecture Room.
The academy semester was drawing to a close, and the theology classes had already concluded weeks ago. For someone like Forne, who needed a place to lay low before making his escape, that abandoned room was the perfect hideout.
If I'm too late, Micaris or Line could be in serious danger. I sprinted toward the Theology Lecture Room.
The moment I arrived at the Theology Lecture Room, only one word escaped my lips.
"Damn it."
I couldn't help but curse. Forne Gillette wasn't here. Had the kidnapping not happened yet?
Micaris and Line should have evacuated safely. Since they were in their lecture halls, they would have received the warning before anyone else. The one I was truly worried about was Ronia. Being in the dormitory, she would have been the last to hear the news.
I sprinted through the academy corridors, my eyes scanning for any trace of a red line. If a Demonic Human was nearby, they would appear as a massive, pulsing mass of crimson.
Please, please let them be safe!
Adrenaline surged furiously through my veins. Then, suddenly—pitter-patter. A torrential downpour began to lash against the windows.
For a split second, my eyes drifted to the rain streaking down the glass. To make matters worse, the roaring storm outside drowned out all other sounds, making it impossible to hear anything clearly.
Seriously, of all the times to have terrible luck.
I began searching the classrooms one by one, like looking for a needle in a haystack. From the first floor to the fourth, every room was empty, the students and professors having already evacuated.
Boom! Another explosion reverberated through the building. Was it Forne? I bolted toward the source of the noise faster than I ever had before.
And the scene that met my eyes was...
Disheveled hair. A battered, bloodied body. It was Micaris, held by the scruff of her neck by Forne Gillette. Nearby, Seri Verdia was bound tightly against the wall.
"You absolute bastard..."
The sight was more than enough to make me lose all reason. Blood rushed to my face, my veins bulging with fury. A white-hot rage boiled within me, twisting my insides. It was a savage, primal anger unlike anything I had ever felt before.
Every fiber of my being screamed in unison, a deafening chorus of wrath. My heart, my brain—everything was shouting at me to tear that bastard's head off right this instant.
I gripped the hilt of Aeterna at my waist with all my might and roared.
"FORNE GILLETTE!!"
There was no trace of human emotion left in him. No sympathy, no mercy, no compassion. He was a Demonic Human who had discarded his humanity—a hideous, grotesque monster. Only one thought filled my mind: to kill him. That was it.
"Right on time, aren't we?" Forne sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "And here I was, just about to snap this bitch's neck."
"..."
The Aura within my body surged violently, refusing to settle. The very air trembled under the weight of my unrestrained emotions.
Outside, the rain poured relentlessly. Just as the raindrops coalesced into streams on the windowpane, a trickle of blood seeped from my tightly clenched lips. I had never felt a rage this consuming.
"Let Micaris go," I growled.
"I don't think so. Don't you think it's time you learned what it feels like to lose something precious?"
My raging Aura triggered a violent gale from Aeterna. The desks and chairs in the classroom began to splinter and shatter under the howling wind, sending loose sheets of paper swirling through the air.
"You know, I was raised as the hope of my family," Forne continued, a manic glint in his eyes. "But after coming to this academy, my perspective changed. I realized I was nothing but a frog in a well."
"I'm not here to chat with you. Let Micaris go."
"I already told you, I have no intention of letting her go. Now shut up and listen to me."
Forne shrugged casually and went on.
"I worked myself to the bone after entering this academy. But my family, my looks, my skills... none of it was enough to surpass the others. I envied you. A mere commoner, yet blessed with overwhelming strength—the kind of power that lets you grasp whatever you desire. If I had been you, wouldn't I have won Seri's heart?"
"If that's what you think, then you really are a pathetic idiot. Seri Verdia didn't reject you for some shallow reason like that."
"What?"
"You're just a greedy, hideous creature who threw away his humanity and became a monster just to possess a woman. If even I could see right through you, do you really think Seri Verdia didn't know? She saw right through your ugly desires."
"You... you bastard!"
His fingernails grew into razor-sharp claws, poised to pierce Micaris's throat. I instantly flexed the muscles in my calves and thighs, channeling every ounce of my Aura.
In a fraction of a second, I closed the distance, severed the right arm holding Micaris, snatched her away, and leaped back out of his range.
"Haha! As expected of Hound!" Forne cackled, clutching his bleeding stump. "This strength... this is what I envied! Truly, truly! Hahaha! Ahahaha!"
"Insane bastard..."
I had rescued Micaris, but she was in terrible shape. Hearing her wheeze, struggling to draw a single breath, made my blood boil all over again.
"You..." I spat, my voice trembling with cold fury. "I will make sure you die the most painful death imaginable."
"Go ahead, try it! Right now, I am a Demonic Human. No one can stop me!"
A suffocating tension filled the ruined classroom. It was hard to breathe. My vision narrowed until only Forne Gillette remained. The urge to tear him apart consumed me entirely.
Pitter-patter. Only the sound of the rain echoed in the silent room. The moment I swallowed hard, Forne lunged, striking me squarely in the abdomen.
"Cough!"
I hadn't even seen the red line. No, to be precise, I saw it, but my body couldn't react in time. Was the power of a Demonic Human really this overwhelming? I was at the 6-Star stage, just one step away from becoming a Sword Master!
"...!"
The agony was paralyzing; it felt as if my internal organs had been ruptured. Struggling to lift my head, I met Forne's gaze. He was a creature of pure malice and hostility, a monster eager to tear me apart and drink my blood.
"Aeterna!"
Boom! A fierce tempest erupted, engulfing Forne Gillette. I needed to blow him away to ensure Micaris's safety. Fortunately, the gale from Aeterna did its job, blasting Forne through the glass window and out of the building.
I gently laid Micaris down on the floor and quickly severed the bindings holding Seri Verdia. Then, without a backward glance, I leaped through the shattered window after Forne.
"This is exhilarating!" Forne laughed, standing in the courtyard. "During the evaluation, you felt like an insurmountable wall. But now, I feel like I can crush you!"
"The very fact that you think you stand a chance proves you're still out of your league," I retorted, clenching my fists until my nails bit into my palms, drawing blood. "I held back during the evaluation, but I won't make that mistake again. I'll finish what I started and split you in half."
The rain washed the blood from my hands, staining the ground beneath me a faint crimson. Pitter-patter. In this downpour, there was nothing but pure, unadulterated killing intent.
"Flowing Water Sword."
I immediately fell into my stance. Given his speed from earlier, I had to take this fight more seriously than any before.
"Is that the same technique you used in the finals?" Forne mocked. "It won't work on me anymore..."
"We'll see about that."
I held my breath. Silence fell, broken only by the steady drumming of the rain. Neither of us moved. We stood locked in a tense standoff, eyes fixed on one another.
Whoosh! Forne dissolved into a black mist, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. But I was ready. Drawing a fluid, water-like arc with my blade, I slashed at him. Yet, he dispersed into the dark fog, letting my sword pass harmlessly through.
"See? I told you it wouldn't work!" Forne sneered, reforming behind me.
If physical attacks didn't work... then I would have to use the magic I had prepared for this exact scenario.
"Dark Magic Missile."
Dozens of dark projectiles arced through the air, slamming directly into Forne.
"Argh! You can use magic too?!" Forne cried out in pain.
"I only recently picked it up," I replied coolly.
Seizing the opening, I unleashed a continuous barrage of magic missiles. It was dealing minor damage, but it was working. Under the cover of the spell, I closed the distance.
"Flowing Water Sword: Full Moon!"
Slash! My blade traced a perfect, circular path, severing Forne's left arm. With that, both of his arms were gone.
"Haha! Did you think severing my arms would win you the fight?" Forne laughed hysterically.
Squelch! With a sickening sound, both of his severed arms regenerated instantly.
"Hehe... a Demonic Human is far greater than you can possibly comprehend! Boundless vitality, uncontrollable magic power!"
His dark mana fluctuated violently, unleashing a shockwave of wind that slammed into me. For a brief second, even the torrential rain seemed to freeze in mid-air.
"Let's end this."
Whoosh! Forne dissolved into black mist once more, lunging at me. My path was clear. A brilliant, pure white light enveloped Aeterna.
"Magic Missile! Flowing Water Sword: Crescent Moon!"
Firing a volley of magic missiles, I lunged forward and executed a swift, crescent-shaped slash. However, the cut was too shallow.
The wound is too shallow! At this rate—
In that split second, Forne's arm elongated, piercing straight through my abdomen.