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174. Seized Justice (1)

It was the longest 30 minutes of my life.

Trying not to lose my sanity while wrestling with thoughts of death was exhausting, but what worried me the most was the situation above.

The thoughts creeping from the hand of hell gnawed at my reason like a demon.

If I had diverted my attention even once, I would have been completely swallowed by that hand and dragged into the Netherworld.

Those thoughts pull forth the weak parts of a person and guide them to the Netherworld.

It wasn’t so much about dragging me forcibly as it was more about coaxing me in a bad direction, training me for the afterlife.

That’s why, even if I was buried under that hand, I wouldn’t immediately fall into the Netherworld. It truly felt like I was experiencing the mindset of a deceased person caught between life and death.

What that hand was showing me was quite simple.

It was trying to dazzle me with the dark sides of my life based on everything I had lived through until now.

At first, it seemed surprisingly easy. Since coming to this world, I hadn’t really experienced any trauma strong enough to break me mentally.

`In fact, things have been going rather smoothly. When I think back on how I almost went insane at first, it now seems like nothing.`

Having cleared this world multiple times, I had less to fear than before. It felt as if the dark sides had lost their weight due to the smoothness of my journey.

I easily became close with Jenny and Luska, with whom I had initially conflicted, and I found a straightforward way to significantly reduce the erosion rate of that damn curse, so I had nothing to be scared about.

I even managed to grow stronger by using that curse to my advantage.

`Some people ended up badly, but… compared to my past life, this was a heavenly daily life.`

I had good friends who appeared in the blink of an eye and was living an absurdly chaotic life.

Since I had imagined such a life at least once before, actually experiencing it turned out to have no downsides.

Aside from the trouble with Lyra’s curse, it was the best life.

‘Well, speaking from the current perspective.’

In such a country, enduring 30 minutes was a piece of cake.

I thought there wouldn’t be any dark sides, but… I had forgotten.

‘My past life.’

‘Even if things are good now… there were one or two dark incidents back then.’

Ten years of playing Devil Arc.

That period was distinctly a time of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure compared to now.

At least, it didn’t flow according to my thoughts as it does now, which made me sad more than once.

I had played the same game for ten years to find solace from that.

I don’t know if it was a reward for that, but the sadness from those times was a glaring element amidst the hellish grip.

`People inevitably immerse themselves when bad memories resurface. I’m no exception to that.`

That grip maximized that immersion. Because of that, I was almost drawn into the Netherworld with my sanity about to vanish within not even 30 minutes.

`Losing my sanity meant death.`

It felt like it was whispering that to me.

Wasn’t that time more of a human life than this one?

What you’re doing now is merely an escape from reality.

Even if this isn’t fake but reality, won’t calamities that suit that time come crashing down?

‘Well, if it’s not the case, there’s no way it’s called ‘reality.’’

If it’s really no different from that time, do I have the confidence to live in this world?

That was what the hellish hand wanted to say to me.

Before that, I had received a similar request.

– If something happens to me, I ask you to look after them.

Could I really be responsible for those girls in place of that protagonist?

I needed to answer that question, but my mouth hesitated from fear.

Ultimately, just as I was about to be devoured, I opened my eyes for a moment.

It was the same energy that revealed Mary’s horns and wings. Judging by the spread, it seemed there was an intense battle ongoing.

`Mary is taking risks to fight for me, and here I am thinking I can just check out?`

In that moment, my mind snapped back into focus.

With many who believed in me this time, I couldn’t just be dragged away like this.

[30 minutes have passed.]

[All conditions for the class change from ‘Outlaw’ to ‘Spirit Caller’ have been met.]

[Would you like to proceed with the class change?]

YES / NO

Even though the system window popped up on its own, that damned hand wouldn’t let go of me.

Just before being dragged away, I stretched out my arm with all my strength and pressed ‘YES.’

[Processing class change.]

“Ugh!”

As always, I felt a headache from the effects of the class change.

My whole body weakened, and I was about to be dragged into the Netherworld when—

[Class change completed!]

[You have changed from ‘Scammer’ to ‘Outlaw.’]

As soon as the class change was completed, a gigantic crow grabbed my body with its claws and took off into the sky.

.

.

.

.

.

.

“Time to swap out players, Mary.”

“Friend…”

Mary, astonished to see me resurrected, appeared before me.

I jumped down from Aisha’s back to land below.

In that moment, a vibration surged from my feet up to my thighs.

“Ouch!!”

“Friend!

Damn it, I completely forgot that my thigh was injured.

Since it was a penetrating wound from an arrow, it would take time even to heal with the Drop of Eternal Rain.

As I let out a groan, Mary hurriedly cast a healing spell.

I said to her, “You did well.”

“Yeah…”

Fortunately, having released my Demon King mode, I could use magic without issue.

But maybe it was due to the intense fear… the healing magic was weak.

“It’s okay. It’s done now.”

“But in this condition…”

Just then, Luthis spotted me and confidently lifted Rozaria.

“You’re alive, Spirit Caller boy! The curse’s power feels stronger than before. I shall punish evil with the power of this Holy Sword!”

As he ordered, spirits rushed towards me in droves.

Even the spirits Heidern had been fighting joined in to capture me, swelling their numbers.

While Mary desperately fired elemental magic in an attempt to defend…

– Kyaaaah!!

Everything froze at Aisha’s roar that drifted through the sky.

Mary’s magic was also surprised and fizzled out, while both Heidern and Tariel jumped back in shock.

And the spirits charging at us froze in place as if waiting for the hibiscus flowers to bloom.

Their once sharp resolve evaporated, and they collectively fainted and collapsed.

“Just one roar and… Radon, what in the world is this Spirit?”

Seeing this, Heidern asked, astonished.

“I just recently acquired this one. Her name is Aisha, and she is so powerful that I couldn’t properly summon her, but now she can exert about 65% of her strength.”

“Aisha?”

“But don’t relax just yet. The high-level spirits haven’t fallen yet.”

I could stop them with a single roar, but those with higher power were still intact.

So I asked Heidern, “I hate to impose, but could you handle those guys? That crazy one is mine to deal with.”

“But that person is the knight commander! He is not an easy opponent!”

Is he serious?

Seeing a flow and dialogue like this typically seen in cartoons actually happening made me chuckle in absurdity.

What do you think would happen if I chatted like this in front of the enemy and then got backstabbed?

The enemy wouldn’t kindly wait for that.

“An opening has been spotted!”

See?

Luthis, with the posture and gaze of a predator tracking prey, had already approached between me and Mary.

The title of knight commander wasn’t given lightly; his speed rivaled that of bullets.

With that stance, he swung Rozaria, intending to strike us both.

Whoosh—

But just before he swung, he froze.

A large feather flew through the air like an arrow, piercing his wrist and causing Rozaria to drop.

“Ugh! It reacted to my speed?”

Aisha’s speed was far from ordinary among high-level spirits.

Thanks to that toughness, it could even take the position of a mid-boss in Chapter 5.

In the gap, I delivered a punch to his face.

“Ugh!”

Luthis rolled on the ground for a moment after being hit, but soon stood back up and regained his stance.

I felt great satisfaction at being able to smack that infuriating face even for a moment, but I hadn’t even begun yet.

Before starting, I tossed a Drop of Eternal Rain at Mary.

“Huh? What’s this…”

“It’s like a recovery potion. Just sprinkle a drop on Uncle Tariel’s wounds.”

“But you’re hurt in the thigh too.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

– Kyaah!

Recognizing my intent, Aisha flew over and carried me on her back.

For someone struggling to move my legs, ‘flying’ was exactly what I needed.

“Oh…”

Seeing that, Mary looked dumbfounded, as if she regretted worrying in the first place.

“How cowardly to fight from the sky. But I shall not yield to evil!”

Even witnessing me fly, Luthis didn’t look the least bit intimidated.

He abandoned Rozaria, which had fallen to the ground, and instead raised the Great Sword on his back to aim at me.

“Evil? You’ve been doing nothing but make me speechless since a while ago.”

I scratched the back of my neck and descended right in front of him.

Seeing me lower myself, Luthis became wary.

“Why did you suddenly lower yourself to my eye level? Do you still have compassion left in you, despite being evil?”

“Hey.”

“What? You called me ‘hey’?”

Seeing Luthis panic over my casual retort was just too funny.

Just by responding informally once, he looked as if he had taken a punch.

“You know, can we stop with the ‘evil’ and ‘justice’ talk? Every time I hear it, my ears start ringing.”

I wasn’t joking; I would go insane if I heard it one more time.

It’s not just cringe-worthy; his hypocritical attitude was outright nauseating.

However, as expected, he scratched my nerves again…

“Hahaha! As expected, your common sense doesn’t apply to someone who doesn’t know justice. You’ve blindly believed in evil and lost your mind!”

The one losing their mind is you, idiot.

Hearing him say that with a confident expression only intensified my rage.

But this nonsense ends here.

Hadn’t I just said? I haven’t even started yet.

“Crazy bastard.”

“Hah! So what… Ugh!!”

Just as Luthis was about to make that expression again, he suddenly covered his left eye with his hand.

He looked as if he was suffering immense pain, as if his eyeball had been stabbed.

Seeing this, I leisurely sneered.

“What’s this all of a sudden…? It feels like my left eye is going to split apart…!”

His face contorted in pain as he was about to make that incredulous expression.

Realizing intuitively that this was my doing, Luthis sharply shot back, “Did you do this?!”

“Hehehehe!”

“I’m asking you! This is your doing, isn’t it?!”

“Well, maybe?”

“Just as I thought, a woman without justice… Argh!”

This time, he covered his right eye and wriggled in agony.

He hadn’t made that infuriating expression, but that was because he had chosen the wrong words.

“Hey. Say that again.”

“You’re like someone just… Argh!!”

Luthis was cut off mid-sentence and completely covered both eyes, the pain overwhelming him.

He screamed, “What the hell did you do?!”

“Haha. Now you’ve finally taken on a form I like.”

“Answer me!!”

“It’s nothing much. I just placed a curse on you once.”

“A curse?”

It was the curse I cast when I punched him in the face just moments ago.

With physical contact, I could place the curse. I didn’t need a fishing rod to punch him.

“You can’t make that noble-looking expression anymore. Also, you can’t utter the nonsense about the justice and evil you preach. If you do, you already know what’ll happen, right?”

“Gah…!”

Luthis’s eyes trembled as he understood instantly.

Whenever he wanted to make an undesirable expression, his left eye would hurt, and when he uttered those words, his right eye would feel like it was being pierced by needles.

But he didn’t seem to lose hope as he spoke, “No matter the curse, you’re still a student. You can’t possibly… huh?”

“It’s useless. You just wasted your power handling Rozaria until recently.”

“What? That can’t be…”

“Did you not know?”

Rozaria absorbs power significantly from those who aren’t fit to wield it, so one would learn that just by touching her, right?

Could it be due to the influence of mana manipulation?

Anyway, I didn’t miss the opportunity to watch him shiver.

“What happens if you continue to break the rules? Curious?”

“What do you mean…?”

“Your eyes will bid farewell to your body forever.”

“…!”

His emotions hit peak levels.

He looked like someone who had lost their limbs and plunged into a state of helplessness.

[Erosion Rate Decreased: -70%]

[+7000 Credits]

Of course, that was a lie.

I simply wanted to see his despairing expression, shouting about nonsensical justice.

“Then how about I—”

“Hey, hey! Be careful.”

“Huh!”

“I just told you what would happen if you misspoke, didn’t I? Act appropriately.”

“Don’t! That’s the driving force of my life! Return it at once!”

That guy who had been so confident was now begging shamelessly.

To him, I said, “So you’ve been shouting about your tastes in justice! How about it, huh? Give it back?”

What a ridiculous predicament he was in.

He’s just that kind of person.

Acting all tough while stepping on the mosquito, but when he accidentally punches his friend in the face, he justifies it by saying, ‘it can’t be helped! Understand!’

This is the antidote for those kinds of people.

“Expression seized! Justice seized! Evil seized!”

“Huh!”

“And your life is seized too!”

No sooner had my words ended than a gigantic snake lunged at him, baring its fangs.

Surviving as an Academy Scammer.

 

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