Chapter 151
151. Human or Insect (2)
“Ugh!!”
A terrible scream echoed, coming from the outdoor training area at the Academy Plaza.
Usually, it’s a place where students fight to test each other’s abilities, but now it had turned into a chilling arena of struggle.
The evidence was clear; the floor and outer walls of the training ground were all damaged.
The arena for magical duels is usually built quite sturdily. Given that it was devastated, one could tell just how fierce the battles had been.
“Ahhh!!”
“I won’t let you go!!”
The sounds of pain and screams filled the air again. Those desperately fighting for their lives were the Royal Guard.
Their opponents, overwhelming them, were Jenny, Mary, and Luska.
They were repaying the humiliation they suffered before with a rematch.
“Let’s stop now.”
“No way! I’m not done yet…!!”
Jenny Chain Silver vs. Lenka Usran.
With a power that had grown even stronger, Jenny completely subdued Lenka. Even Lenka, with her typical impassive expression, looked shocked with wide eyes.
She only managed to control 50% of the Silver Age before, but now she was at 60%.
Unable to withstand the significantly enhanced cold, Lenka became frozen.
“Ugh! You cowardly deserter… how dare you…”
“Shut up and stop whining…!”
Luska Mad Eye vs. Hulk Mangelo.
Luska succeeded in her revenge as well. She realized that Hulk couldn’t control his own strength.
Targeting that weakness, she struck hard, but Hulk’s body was extraordinarily tough.
Remembering their last match, Luska recalled that he had a physique strong enough to cover for that.
However, Hulk, having his movements deciphered, was unable to hit Luska, who transformed into a stronger version of herself in shock.
Achieving “Divine Beast Transformation,” Luska dodged all of Hulk’s attacks and inflicted serious wounds.
With a powerful strike, she completely brought Hulk down.
“Stop it! Don’t do this!!”
Mary Ryudshiel vs. Lavenda Brench.
Though it was a duel between two short girls, Mary overwhelmingly dominated.
Lavenda couldn’t even compete with Mary, who had become adept at handling mana compared to last time.
Wrapped by Mary’s spirits, Lavenda was roasted by ‘Lightning.’
“…”
Having subdued her opponent, Mary kept her mouth shut with a cold expression. The usually lively Mary appeared serious when the situation called for it.
But it wasn’t just Mary. Though she had avenged herself, a shocking truth awaited afterward.
“You’re all already dead.”
Mary spoke in a dry voice. One could see it in their gradually crumbling physical forms after their defeat.
Lenka Usran. He was originally an ordinary boy living in a village but lost his life due to the cold and hunger. Then he was revived with the help of some magic.
Hulk Mangelo. He was an excellent soldier from the Papias Kingdom, but he was already deceased, also revived by some magic.
Luska couldn’t help but click her tongue at the fact that he hailed from Papias.
Lavenda Brench. She, too, was a dead person, and the story was similar to the rest.
She had been killed by the Demon King during the great war against demons, having her flesh torn off by insect monsters serving the Demon King.
“Ugh! Winter… don’t come!”
“Ahhh! In this world… I don’t want to live anymore…”
“Remember. You must never… let the Demon King live…!”
One by one, they left their last words as their bodies began to dissolve into particles.
Each face bore hatred, sorrow, and anger as they turned to dust.
It was the moment for those grotesquely transformed during the fight to finally find peace.
After the strenuous battle, Luska asked the remaining two, “Are you alright?”
“No. I’m not okay.”
As if waiting for that moment, Jenny sunk down to the ground.
Having unleashed all her mana, her body felt limp like a worm.
Mary, too, was equally exhausted. However, unlike the openly grumbling Jenny, her mood was different.
“….”
Mary silently stared blankly at the place where the corpses had disappeared.
In a serious contemplation rather than her usual noisy self, Luska and Jenny looked at her strangely.
“Mary, why does your expression look like that?”
“Uh? It’s nothing.”
When Jenny asked, Mary forced a smile.
“Should I heal you?”
Then, returning to her usual demeanor, she cast healing magic on the two.
*
“The Royal Guard, are already dead people?”
As I returned to the academy, I was spilling information about the Royal Guard to Nebia and Angela.
They already knew about mana techniques, but when I revealed the hidden background behind it, both saints gasped.
“Is that true?”
“I found out while dealing with that slave guy earlier.”
“But where did that slave go?”
“Well, he suddenly ran away in the midst of the fight.”
[Decay Rate Decreased: -4%]
[+400 Credits]
“…”
Upon hearing this, Nebia was staring at my face intently.
She seemed to sense a certain discomfort in my tone, but she didn’t press the issue.
In fact, she simply scoffed, looking relieved.
“However, I’ve never heard of such a thing. A spell that resurrects corpses…”
As expected, Nebia had no idea. There was no way Jason would disclose such sensitive information that could have been used against Nebia.
“So, does that mean all of the Royal Guard, including that Markray, are…?”
“No, Markray and the slave. And Jason is an exception.”
Those guys are not corpses but living people. Among them, Markray and Jason contributed to their revival.
‘RE-UNION.’
A ceremony bestowed upon the Royal Guard alongside mana manipulation that brings the dead back to life.
The very concept of resurrecting corpses is quite sinister, but an absolute law exists in this world.
“It’s impossible to bring back the dead.”
An ethical barrier that humans must never cross.
Even though it’s known to be fruitless, many try repeatedly throughout the ages.
For various reasons. Some wish to resurrect their beloved, or to bring back great figures of historical achievement to lead the world.
But the purpose of ‘RE-UNION’ was not for any of those. It was vastly insufficient to fulfill the aforementioned reasons.
It is indeed possible to bring corpses back to life. In fact, the required remains for the spell could be just a few scraps of flesh.
However, they have no memories of their past life.
While they are revived, they don’t know who they are. No matter how saintly they might have been in life, all those memories fade away, leaving only a cold shell of ice.
And at worst, they can resurrect in a regressed form, akin to a wild beast.
But that’s not the only downside. The resurrected corpses must regularly receive mana of a type similar to their own genetics.
For if the mana that forms their body is entirely consumed, they will turn into dust and disappear.
Thus, not only corpses are used in the resurrection ceremony. Mana stolen from innocent people alongside their lives is absolutely indispensable.
“To bring back the dead in that manner….”
“It’s hard to call it resurrection. Once all memories and emotions are lost, it’s far from perfect.”
The saints’ reactions, as expected, were unfavorable.
Angela was furious that others were being mockingly toyed with, while Nebia criticized its inefficiency.
“No, but I think it might be possible to regain memories.”
“Really?”
The two saints wore intense skepticism over my claim.
It wasn’t entirely incorrect. After all, some fragments of memories from their former lives might indeed return.
“They say the memories come back momentarily when they die again.”
“….”
When they are at risk of turning to dust from expended mana, that’s when they recall the memories from just before their death.
The memories, having gone through so much to return, are nothing but traumas of death. Ultimately, they can only relive that nightmare and perish in bitter wails.
The Royal Guard would undoubtedly experience the same fate.
“So, returning is just…”
“Completely pointless.”
What good would recalling memories do when the body is already disintegrating? Moreover, since those memories are useless, they can’t even pass on knowledge from their past lives.
As they dissolve, the Royal Guard will loudly lament the reasons behind their deaths.
The grievance over their demise resurfaces with the memories, causing them to lose their sanity.
“Look over there!”
In that moment, Nebia pointed to the sky upon hearing something.
The sky seemed to be brightly changing colors, and I exhaled in relief.
The barrier protecting the academy had been restored.
*
“Ugh!”
Just barely escaped, Jason spat out blood from his mouth.
He had completely fallen apart. It felt like someone had hit him in the back of the head while he was engrossed in something important.
Lyman stepping in front of him was just a decoy, and the true objective was to strike him with that mace.
In that moment of hesitation, an attacking blow from Adela had left him in this state.
“That woman…!!”
Adela Merhenna. The factor he failed to kill back then, that insect.
All of this was Radiant’s fault.
If only he hadn’t stopped him from killing that woman, or if he hadn’t kept restraining him at every turn, and if he hadn’t taken his love away…
‘Professor Stella…!’
Everything was because of that guy. It was Radiant’s doing.
Then another thought emerged.
“Ah… Radon Crawler.”
That brat who suddenly popped out while trying to kill Saint Nebia and took control of the Blood Parasite.
His sudden betrayal was something Jason still couldn’t comprehend.
Questions about Radon Crawler.
Malice towards Radiant Versern.
These two thoughts whirled around in his mind like a storm.
“Ugh…! Damn it….”
Not only was his mind in shambles, but his body was also wrecked. Adela’s powerful strike, strong enough to eventually become a professor, had left Jason covered in blood.
“If it weren’t for this holy sword….”
The holy sword ‘Palera’ given to him by the Layered Family. It was due to its potential that he was only in this state of severe injury.
It was indeed a remarkable sword, aged around 300 years, boasting tremendous mana. It felt as if the sword was alive, radiating its mana to protect its user.
Despite wielding such a prestigious sword, losing was inevitable because he was still inadequate and clumsy at controlling mana.
However, if he were to master it completely, no one would be able to rival him. Not Radiant, nor any other troops of the Empire could prevent him from going all out.
‘Just you wait… I’ll make sure to…!’
Somehow retaining his will, he arrived at Dantia Pavilion.
Demora Crevasse, a member of the 7th League, was likely manipulating the barrier here. He could closely follow behind Demora, slowly recovering his strength, and then strike again.
Thinking about it, those academy brats’ struggles would ultimately be futile.
As long as Demora Crevasse was around, no one could escape the academy, and only a painful death awaited them.
With his skills honed as a former principal, it would be an easy task.
“Hm? You are!”
Finally reaching the hill where the entrance of Dantia Pavilion was, he saw someone standing there.
It was Jason, responsible for the second year of the Combat Department, so I recognized that face.
“Why did it take you so long to arrive?”
Lyman Begilius. He was among the most notable in our class.
The reason was that the more one saw him, the more one couldn’t help but feel on guard. Additionally, the holy sword Palera felt uncomfortably like it was screaming.
But why was this guy at Dantia Pavilion?
“Could you have come a bit sooner? It’s already all over.”
“What, the hell do you mean it’s all over? A mere student like you can’t end anything!”
That’s right. No matter how much he claimed to be in Class A, a student was still a student. He was nothing but an insect with no power to turn the situation around.
“Pfft!”
Yet Lyman scoffed at that statement.
And he said,
“Don’t you see what’s happened to the barrier?”
“What?”
Injured, he hadn’t had the strength to look up at the sky as he ran. Now glancing up belatedly, his eyes widened in shock.
The barrier had returned to its original form. No longer were monsters pouring in.
That the manipulated barrier had been restored meant the user had interrupted the manipulation.
And it’s over? No way…
“If you’ve seen it directly, you should be catching on soon, right?”
“Don’t joke around! You’re all just the same kind of insect…!”
“What’s it like to be pushed around by those insects and end up like this?”
Grinding his teeth, Jason drew the holy sword. Though his body remained unhealed, cutting down a mere brat like that would be as easy as slicing a cake.
He rushed in lightly and swung slowly at Lyman’s neck.
Snap—
But an unbelievable event occurred. Lyman effortlessly caught the swinging holy sword with one hand.
No matter how injured he was, the movement of that sword would be hard to follow for a student’s eye.
“How…”
Creak!—
“…!!”
Creak!—
The area where Lyman caught began to crack along the blade. With a loud smash, Jason was punched in the face and rolled to the ground.
Had he just seen that wrong? Lying on the ground, Jason lifted his head to confirm the truth with the holy sword.
“Uh…?”
The blade was nowhere to be seen.
Except for the pommel and hilt, nothing remained attached.
And on the ground, familiar shards sparkled.
Was this truly reality?
Was it not a dream?
This couldn’t be happening.
In a daze, lost in thought, he heard Lyman’s voice.
“Oops. Was that perhaps someone’s keepsake? If so, I’m truly sorry.”
“The holy sword….”
Unable to criticize Lyman’s flippant remark, Jason merely groaned. Lyman, in an even more comical demeanor, said,
“But don’t get mad. I broke something I made, so there’s no issue.”
“What…?”
His hearing wasn’t entirely lost, so he could catch what was being said. It felt like a thunderclap on top of a thunderclap, but it wasn’t over yet.
“Oh, and this.”
Lyman tossed something hidden behind him onto the floor. It rolled like a ball, coming to a stop right in front of the sprawled Jason.
And at that moment, Jason found himself face to face with Demora.
Surviving as an academy scammer.
