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146. The two are XX Cure (3)

A sudden commotion caused an emergency across the entire Academy.

During the election, the Royal Guard staged a rebellion and attacked the Academy.

In order to suppress this, the faculty members needed to step in, but since they couldn’t use magic, they were merely ordinary people.

Could the students possibly stand against the overwhelmingly powerful Royal Guard?

Not only the Royal Guard needed to be resisted.

[Territory Reset]

The barrier surrounding the Academy began to tremble slightly before resetting in a strange manner.

The barrier trapped everyone within the Academy.

In this urgent need for evacuation, no one could leave.

Without the authority of the principal or vice-principal, it was simply impossible.

“Things have changed a lot while I was away.”

On the roof of Dantia Pavilion, built on Scholars’ Hill, a man was touching the magic circle that served as the origin of the barrier.

He handled it skillfully, as if he had dealt with the barrier meant to protect students from intruders many times before.

“I used to be full of passion for life, but now I don’t feel any passion at all.”

He was an old man wearing a pitch-black hood. His face was completely uncovered, revealing his neatly sticking out white hair.

The man responsible for the 7th League of Doomsday: Demora Crevasse.

His former position was the principal of this Aligieri.

“Ah, it brings back memories.”

Thirty years ago, during the dark age shrouded by a great war. The educational policies of Aligieri back then were radically different from today.

Students were treated as mere tools, regardless of gender. Upon graduation, they were destined to be dragged into battle, leaving no room to instill the concept of youth.

It was a matter of life or death in that era, which lasted for ten years starting fifty years ago.

‘That harsh training was a form of consideration.’

It was necessary for them to endure hell.

Yes, there was a justification for violence and oppression.

It was perfect for honing mental and physical strength.

As a result, the passion to survive and struggle for life ignited.

“What in the world is Aligieri, which feels completely devoid of heat?”

Did he expel himself just to create something like this?

‘How laughable.’

I heard the current principal’s name is Keten Jodiatz.

I had wanted to see his face just once, but it seems he has been summoned to the Magic Federation along with the vice-principal.

The reason was information sharing regarding some unidentified demon.

‘Was it that demon which crippled the King of Talema back then?’

A mysterious demon appeared suddenly. Demora had also heard the news.

The demon that easily brought down the leader of a military nation.

The mere existence of such a monster proved that the war was not over yet.

“Aligieri is rotting.”

There still exists a colossal evil. There’s no time to feel youth or anything.

“Indeed, I cannot be absent!”

He manipulated the barrier again to change its properties.

At that moment, monsters that had been waiting outside began to invade through the barrier.

That said, it was impossible for the students to go outside.

Isolation also allowed for the enemy’s invasion.

‘I want to seize the Archive right now and establish a new educational institution, but…’

Only the principal can access the Archive. Currently, he wasn’t the principal, so he couldn’t even see it.

Controlling the barrier now was only a revival of old know-how.

It was possible because they had already learned how to manage it.

“How long can they hold out?”

The faculty members could only guide evacuations.

The students had to fight against the suddenly invading monsters.

It was clearly an act of terrorism, but Demora didn’t think so.

Instead, it was education. By undergoing trials, it was a stepping stone for growth.

Isn’t it educational, no matter what anyone says? And there are results to prove it.

Those students who graduated under such conditions later became truly great.

Even now, they are working while honoring him.

‘Speaking of which, she’s coming to mind.’

Even though she wasn’t a student, there was a remarkable talent he had witnessed upon his appointment.

A monster that easily took first place at the Tactical Banquet held during the Magical Banquet.

Rayla Bludiya. And her current name is… Rayla Chain Silver.

It was regrettable that she wasn’t an Aligieri student.

‘If she had come under me, she wouldn’t have died….’

Demora used mana detection to assess the situation.

The students were engaged in combat with the monsters, and the faculty members were evacuating and guarding those uninvolved in the battle.

A few students were facing the Royal Guard, and one instructor was confronting Instructor Jason.

They were surprisingly holding out better than expected.

However, now that he was here, those efforts would surely be in vain.

‘And there’s Aisha, whom I secretly infiltrated.’

It was clearly a more advantageous situation for them.

The atmosphere felt so easy that simply lying back with legs stretched could let everything unfold by itself.

“…?”

At that moment, he sensed something from behind. Demora knew without looking back who it was.

An unidentified student appeared on the rooftop of Dantia Pavilion. The striking contrast of his white hair and blue eyes was impressive.

“Don’t worry. I was once the administrator of this institution myself.”

Demora spoke casually instead of showing any sense of urgency.

It appeared he had come to Dantia Pavilion to find a way to escape.

“Cutting off roots that have yet to grow is merely an educator’s misguided act. So there’s no need to be scared.”

“….”

The student said nothing.

Was he frozen in place at the sight of him? But he didn’t seem to be holding his breath or fidgeting nervously.

A strange unease lingered in the air. Demora narrowed his brow and looked at him.

“Hm… it seems he’s not someone I can just pass by.”

“….”

*

Artificial Spirit Aisha.

Her first appearance will come soon in Chapter 5 of the Magical Banquet.

There, Aisha, who infiltrated as an audience member, will attempt to assassinate a high-ranking official invited by the organizers.

Artificial spirits differ greatly from ordinary spirits and are often recognized as human.

This aspect is the flaw in her assassination attempt.

Even a monstrous protagonist failed to notice, and due to her unexpected ambush, the protagonist inadvertently unleashed his true power.

‘What a coincidence that scene is projected onto a cursed magical device.’

In the main story, the Academy hangs by a thread due to the disturbances caused by those swayed by Enviel, who remains alive.

If only he had remained hidden, such a crisis wouldn’t arise.

‘Let’s put an end to this for sure.’

Aisha’s early appearance might actually work to their advantage.

Without her, the frustrating plot unfolding here would dissipate by more than half.

Roots should be uprooted before they can grow. Moreover, I have two saints by my side.

The opportunity to bring her down is now.

“It seems the web operation worked.”

Angela, who secretly snuck out from the cave, said with triumph.

Nebia and I had also exited to the back of the cave with her.

The cave had been completely blocked, but thanks to Muto, who found a thin wall, we could create a hole.

“Hmph! Why don’t you take a shower with the light we set up there?”

Nebia joined in the provocation mentally.

Since it seemed like a reasonably effective operation, I wanted to join in as well.

Having roughly memorized Aisha’s patterns from the game, I anticipated her charge.

I sent out ‘Phantom Doubles’ in the forms of Nebia and Angela, timed to her charge.

Just as expected, she fell into the trap we had set inside.

The fishing line strung like a spiderweb originated from Leviathan, making it hard to cut, and their sacred magic would be fatal for the spirit.

‘If she’d launched a feather bombardment rather than rushing, we would have been in danger, but…’

She had already used up all the feathers for bombardments.

With a limited number of 200, I could track that quantity through ‘Magic Eye.’ Reloading would take ten minutes.

“It’s like setting a bug on fire. With this…”

Boom!—

Just as I was about to feel relieved, the ground trembled.

It was a moment when I swallowed a dry gulp, realizing it had erupted inside the cave.

Boom!—

Was there an explosion inside? The rocky layer that formed the cave collapsed in an instant.

Water from the cascading waterfall above began to spill down this way.

A temporary rain began to pour. Then, from the debris of the collapsed cliff, a gigantic crow emerged.

“Is it unscathed?”

“I can’t believe it.”

Nebia and Angela gaped, thinking the sacred magic hadn’t worked on it.

In truth, it looked fine at a glance, but it wasn’t unharmed.

No matter how strong it was, being a spirit, it couldn’t remain unharmed when accepting the holy power of the saint.

-Cough…!

Of course.

Black blood burst from Aisha’s mouth that looked ethereal.

Ordinary spirits don’t bleed, but Aisha is an artificial spirit based on humans.

Her physical structure shares similarities with humans.

“It seems she used a seismic strike to collapse the foundation.”

“Can something like that even be possible?”

Angela asked incredulously.

Honestly, I didn’t want to admit it either, as it meant she still had such monstrous strength despite being hit by sacred magic.

“She definitely took a hit from the sacred magic.”

“Is one blow not enough?”

That doesn’t mean it’s hopeless.

While she might excel in raw power, we also have enough means to win.

-Roar!

『Evade!』

The moment Aisha opened her mouth, Muto shouted loudly.

It seemed Muto’s prediction was right as a beam of curse shot from her mouth.

Fortunately, I had followed Muto’s instructions and dodged to the side, so there was no damage.

However, unfortunately, they were in a more advantageous position.

“I’ve taken off!”

Soaring into the air with mighty wings, she created a gust of wind.

The strong gale was powerful enough to uproot nearby trees, lifting our bodies into the air.

“My body…!”

“We’re too high!”

We had risen high enough to see trees from a distance.

For someone with acrophobia, it might be enough to faint.

『You fools! You must keep your wits about you!』

As Muto said, we shouldn’t flail around in midair.

Having lost the ability to stand on the ground only makes us prey for Aisha now.

Thanks to this, Nebia managed to catch Muto’s tail.

『Hey! What are you doing grabbing that!』

“Just guide us toward those two!”

It’s funny that the saint grabs the tail of the spirit, but Muto could move freely in the air.

This allowed all three of us to gather again midair. It felt like we were floating with a black serpent-shaped tube.

Thanks to Muto serving as a cushion, we landed safely.

『Damn… my waist…!』

“Hang in there!”

Nebia complained, but the dangerous situation hadn’t changed.

They would surely realize we didn’t fall and attack again.

“It’ll soon be ten minutes. Then the feather bombardment will continue.”

“And it’s difficult to approach due to those wings.”

We should lead her to attack first.

For now, she was targeting me and Nebia. One of us would naturally become bait.

“Don’t worry. I have a good plan.”

Thus, the scheme spontaneously emerged in my mind.

*

– So she’s still alive.

Aisha, soaring through the air, found them.

Had she drawn up a plan in that short time? The atmosphere felt drastically different.

At least Angela was holding a fishing rod, which stood out.

But whatever the plan was, she exuded confidence in suppressing them by pure strength.

-First, Saint Nebia, you are my target…

Aisha designated Nebia as her first target.

The moment she locked onto her with her red gaze, she charged forward at lightning speed.

The description simply wasn’t enough.

It was as if a missile was being launched, with power and speed looming over Nebia, trying to pierce her with a beak.

-Fishing Line Control Lv6

Suddenly, Aisha’s trajectory altered.

-What’s going on?

It wasn’t intentional. Something had forced her to divert from her path, causing her to miss Nebia.

Aisha looked over her body and discovered fishing lines entangled around her everywhere.

-This is…!

The same fishing line that had tangled during the cave incident. It had framed her body haphazardly.

-You little…!

Aisha glared at Radon with a sharp gaze.

The boy waved his hands provocatively. With a finger that said ‘Come here,’ Aisha’s temper flared.

Normally, she would want to shoot a beam, but since her body wouldn’t cooperate, she couldn’t accurately aim.

Plus, due to the internal injuries she’d sustained in the cave, moving was also difficult.

In situations like this, simply rushing straight ahead was more convenient.

-CAW!

With a shrill crow-like cry, Aisha charged and cleaved Radon’s body in half.

However, again she felt no sensation of piercing a person.

It was indeed a ‘clone,’ but there was something different this time.

-Bonk!

Having anticipated it, she immediately shot a beam to obliterate her surroundings, but… her body wouldn’t obey her again.

-Cough!

In the place where the clone vanished lay a mass of the fishing line and a single ‘Trap Card.’

Aisha became tangled in the fishing line again and couldn’t move due to the trap card.

Of course, she could move again within two seconds.

Yet that fleeting moment was an opportunity for her opponent.

-Damn it… huh!?

As Aisha began to move again, she tried to cut through the fishing line.

But once more, she felt something constraining her movements.

Was it the line wrapping around her again? No, something was stronger than that.

“Got you!”

Angela was wildly pulling on Leviathan.

In that state, she kept Aisha from moving.

As the descendant of a divine beast and Yohan clan, she possessed tremendous strength.

-Ugh!

Caught off guard by an unexpected maneuver, Aisha couldn’t fly.

But Angela, whose skill with Leviathan wasn’t fully developed, also wore a troubled expression.

“That’s a crazy amount of mana consumption…!”

How on earth did Brother Radon manage this?

How did he pin this ball of rice and swing it like a mace?

A flurry of thoughts flooded her mind, but Angela focused solely on her one goal— to disadvantage Aisha.

– Don’t interfere!

As Aisha struggled, she aimed a beam towards Angela.

It was the perfect opportunity to hit her since she couldn’t move.

Then it happened.

『Where do you think you’re spitting that filthy thing!』

Suddenly, a massive snake appeared and clamped down on her beak.

『Damn it, her power is no joke.』

Aisha’s strength indeed surpasses Muto.

But if there were no way to counter, Muto wouldn’t have intervened like this.

-Uhh!

『Can you keep it down!』

What was caught on Muto’s tail was a white bottle.

With a few drops of the ‘Tears of Eternal Light,’ it was dropped onto Aisha’s red eyes.

-KRAAAAAK! My eyes! My eyes! MYYYYYYY!!!

Shrieking in agony from the injury to her eyes, Aisha began to howl.

For humans, it would be painful enough, but for the spirit Aisha, it was fatal.

It was akin to pouring hot chili sauce into her eyes.

『I’m out of here.』

Muto, looking like he’d reached his limit, released Aisha.

But Aisha had no time to retaliate.

Both saints had already finished their preparations.

“To the deity we pray…”

“Grant us the power to purify all things…”

With chants on their lips and making gestures akin to a holy sign, a pristine magic circle formed around them.

It was a holy power incomparable to what they had faced in the cave.

Realizing that Aisha shook off her daze…

“Nowhere to run!”

-Cough… damn it!

By now, Leviathan had returned to Radon’s grasp, and the boy struck with a black lightning-infused blow.

Screams erupted as Aisha soared towards them.

[[Eternal Sunshine]]

The vast sacred magic created by the two saints. The overwhelmingly brilliant power purifies all curses.

Nine tails and waves made of sound combined to form a white pillar.

Finally, the sacred magic formed a shape reminiscent of a sword and struck down towards the ground.

Swoosh!—

A massive light slash engulfed Aisha, extending beyond the forest.

Trees were obliterated root and branch, tearing the very terrain asunder.

Soon, a ravine split through the woods, and from the sky, it would look as if the map had been split in half.

“Gasp…”

“Ha…”

Seeing Aisha finally fall, they exhaled heavily.

“….”

“….”

The eyes of the two saints met.

After averting awkwardly for a moment, they exchanged smiles.

Snap—

Then, through a high-five, they proved each other’s spirits.

Surviving as the Academy Scammer.

 

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