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I headed towards Class A’s classroom.

I immediately entered and stood in front of Stella’s desk.

“There should be something here…”

I rummaged through all the probable places—my bag, her desk, the locker.

I felt a pang of guilt, but there was a reason for this.

Just a few days ago, Stella had been alone in her classroom after capturing an Akandis executive.

School was already out, but she was still doing something by herself.

[What’s that?]

[Huh? Oh, it’s nothing!]

[What are you hiding? Is there something I shouldn’t see?]

[Don’t mind me!]

‘Something’s fishy…’

As I persisted in asking her, she reluctantly revealed the object.

[What’s that skull-shaped ornament?]

What Stella showed me was a small decoration shaped like a skull.

It looked like something you’d hang on a bag, but it was seemingly insane.

[So, this is… Ah! I bought it at a recent accessory shop.]

[Buying something like this… you have a unique taste, huh?]

[Aha, right? That’s why I was thinking of throwing it away.]

At that time, I brushed it off as nothing, but the shape resembled the ‘Corrupted Skull,’ a sacred relic from the game.

“I found it!”

As expected, she still had it! Last time, it had transformed due to magic.

I discovered the skull emitting a dark, ominous glow from inside Stella’s bag.

“But what do I do now…”

In the original story, the Demon Race used this as a power-up boost energy.

After using it, how do I stop it now that Alastor is dead?

“Should I just smash it?”

If left alone, it could be misused, which wouldn’t be good.

Just as I was about to slam the sword I placed on the ground—

“What are you doing right now?”

A middle-aged man entered through the front door of the classroom.

Isn’t that… the Vice Principal? I’ve seen his face before.

However, since he doesn’t play a significant role in the original story, it was practically our first meeting.

“Didn’t you hear me say to evacuate the academy?”

“…What brings the Vice Principal here…?”

“Don’t answer back to me.”

“…”

This guy’s attitude… even if I feel like punching him, I can’t hit the Vice Principal. Is he a discrimination-supporting commoner?

His overbearing personality seems to make him a troublesome opponent.

I tried to leave the room with the skull in hand.

“Well then, I’ll head outside.”

“Wait a moment.”

The Vice Principal noticed the skull in my hand and called me to a halt.

He then glared at me as if interrogating me.

“That item… where did you get it?”

“Eh?”

Why is he interested in the skull?

Well, it does emit an ominous aura, so it’s not surprising he’d find it strange.

“I just found it lying around. I thought it might be the source of this situation.”

“…”

The Vice Principal seemed to fall deep in thought, closing his eyes for a moment, then extended his hand towards me and said,

“Then I’ll take that. I’ll discuss its handling with the faculty later.”

What’s with this indescribable sense of unease?

The way he looks at me, speaks, his actions… Am I overreacting?

His eyes… they feel like they’re treating me like a bug.

Knowing I had dipped my toe into the underworld for a while, I could understand.

‘This man… has something up his sleeve.’

“I happen to know someone in the 10th grade. I’ll deliver it directly.”

“…”

Upon hearing my words, his expression hardened.

An unusual tension filled the air, and for some reason, my hand moved toward the sheath of my sword.

“Understood. Deliver that item to the 10th grade.”

“Pardon?”

“Do as you wish.”

Feeling slightly uneasy about this, but maybe it’s a stroke of luck.

I gave a slight nod and exited the room.

*

After Nova left, Baphomet muttered softly.

He had been tailing Nova after receiving information.

“Is that guy… the one who killed Alastor and Lilith?”

With the visible amount of magic power, nothing extraordinary appeared.

Yet, he didn’t lower his guard against Nova.

“Those two are the weakest among the Seven Executives, but… that doesn’t mean just anyone can take them down.”

Lilith, judging by her pure combat strength, seems to be nothing special.

However, that doesn’t matter when she possesses a powerful authority—[Ideological Fallacy].

Just by looking into her eyes, an enemy can lose their mind.

Alastor, too, had the ability to control monsters capable of annihilating entire nations at will.

He even had the dangerous power to forcibly summon the souls of the dead and turn anyone under his command, with a few restrictions lifted.

“According to the information received, it seems the seed has already been sown, so there’s no need to rush.”

Thinking this, Baphomet pulled out a black branch with thorns.

“Since the 10th grade has arrived, this is no longer useful.”

The ominous energy emanating from it entered his body.

“Well, I can kill him anytime, so I’ll spare him for now.”

*

‘I don’t want to… please stop…’

I repeatedly experienced the same event in my dreams.

Shia, Serena, everyone I knew was killed.

Everything was burned to ash.

Buildings, nature, the world—it was all destroyed.

And in the end, the last person remaining:

“Stella…”

“You’re here? Nova!”

I looked at Nova with a bright smile.

My face and body were drenched in blood, wearing an ugly grin.

“I’ve been waiting! This is a magnificent sight, isn’t it?”

“Stop this already! Please, I’m begging you.”

“No way, I’ve wanted to do this for a long time!”

“Why… why…?”

“Me? I hated the God who kept sending me to other worlds, but more than that, I hated all those who leaned on me, the ones who stabbed me in the back despite my trust.”

As I reflected on this, a refreshingly delightful expression broke out on my face.

“So I killed them! Everything that bothered and tormented me.”

“Stella… please.”

“If you don’t like it, just kill me! Isn’t that simple?”

I spread my arms wide and told him.

“I can let you die, because you’ve never betrayed me.”

Nova didn’t say a word in response to my declaration.

Seeing that, my expression turned cold.

“Is that… your answer?”

And once again, that scene unfolds.

I drew out a knife and faced Nova, who offered no resistance…

‘Please, stop it!!’

“Then just die.”

Thud!

Nova collapsed weakly as my knife pierced his heart.

I coldly watched him die.

“This world… should just disappear.”

Magneto (magnéta)

[Star of Death]

As I reached my hand up,

A gigantic star was formed from the heavens above.

Dileo (délĕo)

[Annihilate it.]

With that command, I lowered my hand. The star fell to the ground.

Literally, I erased this world—or rather, this star.

‘Please, I wish it would stop…’

Even if this isn’t reality, it’s too much.

[Do you really think this isn’t reality?]

What?

In the void, where the stars had obliterated everything, someone spoke to me.

“What’s wrong? Are you that Demon Race girl?!”

Looking around, I saw no one.

The voice echoed in my head like an internal monologue.

[This isn’t an illusion This is already a past that has occurred many times… and a future that will happen…]

“What do you mean by that…?”

[You simply can’t remember… or perhaps you don’t want to remember?]

This can’t be reality; there’s no way I would do something like this…

[Wasn’t this exactly what you wanted to do all along? Am I wrong?]

Desperately, I denied everything.

“I’m not! I never intended to do anything like this…”

But… why… why can’t I deny it until the end?

At that moment, I realized whose voice was ringing in my ears.

[Hahaha! No need to deny it… I know your heart completely. And of course… I am you.]

“No… I absolutely didn’t intend this…”

This isn’t reality; yes, it’s absolutely just a bad dream. So…

“Let’s just forget everything.”

*

Erica, nervously, asked Shia.

“Is there any change?”

“No… it still doesn’t seem like they’re recovering.”

“Why!? Everyone else has nearly recovered!”

“According to Nova, they were attacked directly by the Demon Race… but I’ll keep trying.”

Even though Shia had already exhausted her divine power from sweating numerous times,

She continued to cast her mental recovery spell.

Only then did Erica, seeing Shia, apologize.

“I’m sorry… It must have been hard to recover everyone else.”

“There’s no need for you to apologize. I want to restore them no matter what.”

Just then, an old man approached them.

Seeing him, Erica was taken by surprise.

“Oh, Master of the Magic Tower!”

Erica’s exclamation shocked Serena as well.

“Stella’s Master!?”

“Are you all unhurt…?”

The approaching Rockpelikan checked Stella’s condition and fell silent.

“Step aside for a moment.”

When Shia moved back at his command,

Rockpelikan placed his hand on Stella’s head.

“…This is!”

“Have you discovered something?”

“Stella is going to be alright, right? You can heal her, right?”

In response to Erica and Shia’s questions, Rockpelikan opened his mouth heavily.

“There was a record in the old texts that had the same symptoms as those who fought the Demon King of Lust.”

“…What does that mean?”

The next moment, his words were shocking.

“The consciousness of those who fell under her hypnosis never returned.”

At that declaration, everyone present cried out.

“That can’t be true!”

“No way, that’s a lie…”

“Oh come on… you’re joking, right?”

Shia even grabbed him by the collar and screamed in despair.

“Stop lying!! Stella couldn’t…”

In that very moment, a massive column of Black Aura erupted from the academy.

“■■■■■■!”

A grotesque wail burst forth from within the column, loud enough to tear at our ears.

“Ugh… what’s happening all of a sudden!”

Emerging from inside the black column, everyone present couldn’t believe their eyes.

“What the heck is that…?”

In the sky floated an enormous whale, unlike any that could be described, adorned with horns.

 

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