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“Did you find her?”

“No… nowhere at all…”

Shia and Stella were wandering around, searching for Stella, who had suddenly gone missing.

Knowing Stella’s condition, they couldn’t help but worry even more.

“Could it be… she went to see Nova?”

“But what if she meets someone else and has a seizure in the process!”

“That’s… true… Let’s keep looking.”

In the end, having found nothing, the two returned to the infirmary.

They thought maybe she would come back, but of course,

Stella was nowhere in sight.

“What should we do now?”

“Given the situation… should we go to the hospital?”

“Can we just rush out like that? We’re not privileged like Stella…”

“What does it matter what might happen to Stella? If she’s not here, I’m going!”

Seeing Shia resolve to head outside, Serena fell into deep thought.

Stella, who was chosen as a candidate for the next hero party, had privileges,

In contrast to Shia, who came as a high-ranking diplomat from another country,

Serena was merely a low-ranking noble from a baron family, so she couldn’t act freely.

Now, having left the Silver Magic Tower, if she broke the rules, she would face disciplinary actions without any protection.

To revitalize her powerless family, high performance at the academy was crucial.

That’s why Serena never skipped classes and worked hard.

If she just walked out of the school casually, it would surely tarnish her credentials.

“I, I…”

Yet, the face of a girl appeared in her mind.

Stella, who always came to talk to her whenever she was alone,

The image of her happily sipping the drinks Serena made kept spinning in her head.

Just this once, she justified her decision and opened her mouth—

“I’ll go too…”

“Ahhh!!”

Suddenly, a scream echoed through the academy.

Startled by the scream, the two hurried into the hallway to see what was happening.

“What was that?!”

“What do you mean? What’s going on…”

As they stepped into the corridor, what Serena saw was

a humanoid monster making weird noises surrounded by something black.

“Where did that thing come from?!”

“Um…? Wait, stop right there!”

Before Serena could unleash a magic bullet with her staff, Shia held her back.

The magic bullet that Shia interrupted flew off in the wrong direction.

Seeing the magic bullet explode against the wall beside him, the monster screeched in shock.

“What are you doing?!”

“That’s not a monster!”

“What do you mean… That looks like a monster to me…”

“Wait… Is everyone seeing that as a monster?”

While Shia seemed lost in thought, she pulled out Gohei.

In an instant, a spectrum of colors radiated from Shia at the center.

[I, the wielder of the great Divine Dragon’s power, reveal the truth by the right of Cheonseon-nangrang.]

“Eh? What’s that…?”

“P-Please save me…”

As the light faded, what caught Serena’s eyes was a trembling female student crouching down.

“No way… that monster just now… was that person?”

Seeing Shia nodding, Serena’s face turned pale.

“Ahhh! I’m so sorry!!”

‘If this goes wrong, I’ll definitely face disciplinary actions!’

Shocked that she nearly harmed someone important, Serena rushed to the girl, bowing repeatedly.

“This powerful mind control… isn’t ordinary magic…”

It didn’t forcibly take away the other’s consciousness.

It cleverly made one perceive humans or objects as something else.

Among unique abilities in the mental realm, the top-tier skill: ‘Divine Descent.’

Training her mental power for manifestation had allowed Shia to discern it.

“For a moment there, I looked like a monster too.”

Just as they were thinking things had calmed down, screams erupted throughout the academy.

“No way… is it happening elsewhere too?”

*

“I can’t believe this…”

Thud!

With a sickening sound of something being pierced, a final scream echoed.

The monster, stabbed by a knife, thrashed in agony.

Soon, it crumbled into dust.

“You handled all those monsters… Are you really human?”

A single stab found the monster’s vital point, and with one swing, it was cut down.

Not just any monsters, but elite creatures that once brought a whole kingdom to ruin.

With enough corpses left to build hills, they were chopped down by just a single knife.

“Is that all?”

As the girl holding the knife walked casually forward, Alastor felt a chill.

‘Scary.’

Having lived as a demon for thousands of years, had he ever encountered such a strong human?

No, he had once, many years ago; he felt the same sensation now.

The calmness emanating from an overwhelming powerhouse, those eyes seemed to know everything.

“Could it be…!”

Alastor superimposed the girl before him with someone from his past.

Stella looked at his astonished face, puzzled.

“What’s got you so surprised? Are you scared?”

Stella sneered at him.

“Could it be you… returned alive?”

“What are you talking about?”

Alastor mumbled in disbelief;

“No way… I clearly killed you back then…”

“Talking to yourself there… Just die already.”

As she gripped her knife in reverse, Stella prepared her stance.

She leaped, aiming to slice his neck in one swift move, but at that moment, her movements abruptly froze.

“I thought I’d never have another chance, yet here we meet!”

Though hidden by her mask, he could distinctly sense it.

Joy, exhilaration, and undeniable madness.

‘That guy’s aura has definitely changed.’

Stella remained vigilant.

And with that, she prepared to leap once more.

Magic power gathered beneath her feet.

‘Must kill right now.’

She couldn’t give the demon any time.

Determined, Stella moved.

The ground beneath her shook violently.

In the next moment, she reached close enough to his neck.

Just before her knife could touch flesh,

An explosive sound echoed through the vicinity.

Clang!

“!”

Just before she could decapitate him, a figure jumped out from behind and deflected Stella’s knife, immediately counterattacking.

Stella avoided the counter surprisingly well, dodging it by lunging back to avoid a strike aimed at her abdomen.

“What the heck is that…?”

Like a guardian for the demon, the figure slowly stepped forward.

Thud.

He stopped and looked at her.

Stella’s gaze became serious.

Revealed before her was a knight in black armor.

While his entire body was covered in armor, unlike the others who seemed cumbersome,

This one was exceptionally agile.

His notable equipment was a helmet.

A long red mane, reminiscent of a horse’s tail, flowed from the top of the helmet.

“Since that day you nearly killed me… I have been preparing.

To take revenge against you, who took everything from me…”

“What in the world are you talking about…?”

At that moment, a silvery glow emanated from within the knight’s helmet.

Whether it was the eyes or the irises, two beams of light glowed brilliantly.

“I prepared a soul to kill you.”

From Alastor’s grasp, a complex magic circle unfolded.

From that magic circle emerged a red orb, engulfed in dark flames,

which was pulled into the knight’s body as if being consumed.

“My summoning power is not limited by space; it can even summon those in hell…”

At that moment, a silvery glow radiated from within the knight’s helmet.

Whether it was the eyes or the light of the irises, two orbs shone brilliantly.

Those cold eyes turned to Stella.

‘So that’s why he felt so relaxed…’

“This being fought the Demon King Beelzebub, the glutton.”

“That’s… the Former Hero?”

“He was the strongest hero I’ve faced so far… though now, he’s just my possession.”

Just by being faced with him, one could sense he was a considerable threat.

Unable to use unique magic, Stella needed to tread carefully now.

She kept her eyes on the knight’s movements and readied her knife.

“Let’s see what you can do.”

BOOM!!

The knight charged straight at her.

His speed was unimaginable for someone in armor.

As he approached, he leaped right before her.

The airborne knight swung his great sword down towards Stella’s head.

‘So fast.’

However, Stella was already in combat mode.

She spun her body sideways 360 degrees, evading the attack.

The knight, having plunged the sword deep into the ground, immediately pursued her.

Without letting her catch her breath, his left hook was coming for her.

Stella was unbothered and fluidly rotated herself once more.

As his fist extended, she seized his wrist.

Like an alligator performing a death roll, she twisted his arm, ripping it apart.

Stella landed gracefully on her feet.

Thud!

“Impressive.”

There was no time to admire the tidy move.

Using the recoil to launch herself upward, she kicked with her hind hoof to strike his face.

Crash!

“?”

“However… your physical specs are different.”

Stella’s right leg was caught by the knight’s left arm.

“What?!”

Stella’s eyes widened.

While one of her feet was caught, the knight’s fist came soaring towards her face.

Whoosh—

She instinctively raised her arms to reinforce with magic.

Just as she expected a strong hit to her abdomen,

what she actually felt was the sound of metal clashing.

“How come you… why are you here?”

Stella’s eyes widened in shock.

She saw Nova’s back, who had unexpectedly jumped in and blocked the attack with his sword.

With crimson pupils glowing, Nova faced the enemy and declared,

“Don’t lay a hand on my girl, or I’ll kill you.”

 

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