Academy – The Past

“Now!”

As I gave the signal, the holy sword in my hand became enveloped in a brilliant light.

‘This time, I’ll cut him down.’

I had to end this with one strike.

Swoosh-Kwa-jijijik!

The magic flying toward me collided with the protective barrier surrounding my body and vanished.

Having shaken off the interference and finally reached my target, I swung the holy sword with all my might.

Kwaaaaang-Schlick!

The horned monster’s head was cleanly severed and sent flying.

The calamity that united the demon tribes and waged war, plunging humanity and all other races into the terror of annihilation.

The name people screamed in fear.

Demon King Lucifer.

-Thud.

That most vicious being lost its head and collapsed before my eyes.

“Did we… do it?”

“Leo, you did it!”

A sharp-eared woman’s cheer came from behind.

If Cornelia the elf hadn’t distracted them with her spirits, I wouldn’t have been able to land the final blow. Our perfect teamwork was only possible after fighting together for so long.

“Hah… Is everyone alright?”

I shook the blood off my holy sword and looked around.

“Huff, huff… Except for my mana being nearly depleted?”

Marcus was panting heavily, barely supporting himself with his staff. As our mage, he’d fought fiercely to block the Demon King’s magic aimed at me.

“I’ve used almost all my prepared arrows. All my spirits have been unsummoned too. Agh… My leg isn’t right after taking that magic hit earlier.”

Beside him, Cornelia was checking her wobbling leg. She’d clearly been injured when directly hit by the Demon King’s magic during battle.

I worried if it might be serious, but…

“Tch, this is embarrassing. Me getting hit by that trash magic. Should I go smash the corpse?”

“…”

Seeing her complain energetically, it seemed healable.

I looked back at the Demon King’s corpse.

The motionless body lying stiffly, and the severed head beside it. The Demon King’s eyes were wide open as if he couldn’t believe his own death.

Fortunately, there seemed to be no signs of movement.

“Did we really defeat the Demon King?”

Though it was a goal we had to achieve eventually, I’d only ever imagined it as something beyond my reach.

Memories flashed through my mind.

The day I awakened as the Hero, meeting my companions, the terrifying day we fled after being defeated by a Legion Commander, the day I finally took revenge and claimed my first Legion Commander’s head.

And facing the Demon King today.

Every day threatened our lives, like walking on knife’s edge. After such an arduous journey, we’d achieved our goal.

“Well done!”

-Whoosh.

Someone rushed from behind and wrapped their arms around my waist. I felt a large, soft sensation against my back.

It must be the Saint who’d stayed in the rear for safety. Cornelia wouldn’t hug me unless she’d gone mad.

Turning around, I saw the black-haired Saint in nun’s robes as expected.

“Leo, are you hurt? Let me heal you immediately.”

The Saint began healing my wounds with holy power, making them vanish without a trace.

“I’m fine. You’re not badly hurt either, right?”

“I’ve already healed most injuries with holy power. You truly worked hard.”

“You did well too. This wouldn’t have been possible without your perfect support.”

“It was only my duty.”

I gently stroked the Saint’s soft hair.

Finally, she and I could…

“Ugh, getting lovey-dovey right after defeating the Demon King? Heal me too.”

A sarcastic voice interrupted. Cornelia was making a jealous face.

Probably jealous of the Saint and me. Cornelia had never been in a relationship.

Given her terrible personality despite her looks, any men who approached soon fled. Romance would remain difficult for her.

“Haha, why so tactless? Think how much they’ve suffered. How long they’ve waited for this day.”

Marcus laughed while scolding Cornelia.

“Ugh, just kill this single woman already…”

“Sorry, but I’m just too happy.”

I laughed too at Cornelia’s grumbling.

Despite her complaints, she’d always supported our relationship.

“I worried so much about us failing against the Demon King… We barely made it, but we did.”

“With Leo’s strength, the Demon King’s fate was sealed.”

“After all our growth during this journey, how could we lose? Especially you – you’ve improved beyond recognition.”

I felt awkward at Marcus’s praise.

“That’s all thanks to you being such a good teacher.”

Without Marcus’s help, I couldn’t have properly used magic. Without his sacrifices, I might have given up to despair countless times.

“We’ve all grown. Remember how those Legion Commander bastards kept attacking to eliminate threats to the Demon King? There wasn’t a day I didn’t regret joining the Hero party when facing death.”

Cornelia trembled, recalling demon attacks.

“Oh, you felt that way? Well, it’s over now.”

-Crash! Thud!

At the sound of collapsing debris, I looked around to see the ceiling and walls full of holes from battle, furnishings destroyed beyond recognition.

The Demon King’s castle, pushed to its limits, was collapsing.

“We should start heading ba-“

-Sssssk.

An unpleasant sound made me instinctively look at the Demon King’s corpse.

-Kwaaaaang!

A black storm suddenly erupted from the corpse before abruptly calming.

Where the winds subsided stood-

“You insects…”

The Demon King, head reattached to his body.

“…”

The unbelievable sight froze my thoughts.

-Ssss.

But the Hero’s energy within me cleared my confusion, enabling quick judgment.

‘Get a grip.’

Quickly assessing, I saw the head wasn’t properly reattached-just barely held by demonic energy.

“He’s not fully healed! Attack quickl-“

“Wretched creatures… You think I’ll end like this? I’ll take you with me!”

-Grrrboom!

All the Demon King’s remaining demonic energy gathered in his hand, forming massive black energy.

‘Am I seeing right?’

Even his soul was being sucked into the energy. Clearly planning mutual destruction through eternal annihilation.

“Disrupt it somehow…”

Everyone frantically grabbed weapons, but-

-Grrrumble…

The Demon King’s final move completed before we could react.

“Kuhahaha! It’s been fun together.”

“Go to hell.”

Cornelia spat a concise curse-the perfect response.

-Boom, Kwaaaaaaang!

A tsunami of demonic energy exploded toward us.

“Everyone evade!”

“Run!”

I urgently leaped backward.

But the Saint and Marcus, judging it too late to dodge, desperately created protective barriers with their remaining strength.

‘I should help…’

Stopping to assist, I tried channeling mana.

-Hummm

But no mana remained. Having used everything for the final strike, I was completely drained.

Normally I’d gather ambient mana, but impossible in this demonic energy-saturated realm.

My mistake for not planning ahead.

-Crash!

The makeshift barriers shattered instantly against the wave. Even at full strength, blocking this attack was uncertain.

“Leo, get away!”

“No, everyone will…”

-Grrrboom.

The massive wave’s shadow darkened my vision.

I stared at approaching death.

Would it end so meaninglessly?

“Damn it, I don’t know either!”

At the critical moment, Marcus rushed forward.

He created another barrier-far thicker and stronger than before.

“Just hold a little longer!”

‘Where’d that power come…? Could it be?’

He was clearly using not just remaining mana, but his life force.

“You’ll die doing that-“

“We’re all dead anyway!”

-Ssss

My outstretched hand to stop him began fading. Only one meaning.

“…Are you serious?”

“Thank you all. Leo, be happy with the Saint.”

Marcus had decided to sacrifice himself by warping us away.

“What? Are you insane?”

Marcus looked at Cornelia rushing toward his fading form.

“Cornelia, soften that temper and find love. You can’t stay single forever.”

“Still running your mouth till the end!”

“Ha, ha…”

I stared helplessly at Marcus’s fading form.

After everything, was this really the end?

Only happiness remained ahead.

And we had to send him off like this?

But was Marcus’s sacrifice insufficient?

-Kwaaaaaaaaaang!

Before the warp completed, the demonic wave shattered the barrier and engulfed Marcus. His form vanished without trace.

Then residual demonic energy struck me.

-Thud!

“Guhk!”

I lost consciousness as the corrupting energy consumed me while warping away.

**

“Gasp!”

I jolted upright, quickly realizing the recent experience was a past memory.

“Why that dream now…”

The Hero party had ‘almost’ defeated the Demon King.

But complacency after believing him dead led to fatal wounds from his final struggle.

We should have annihilated every cell rather than just beheading him. Though he might have regenerated even then.

All demons and Legion Commanders died when beheaded, making this particularly unfair.

Likely having exhausted everything, the Demon King’s castle and surroundings were obliterated by the demonic wave, and the Demon King vanished. His soul surely shattered.

Though Marcus’s sacrifice saved our lives, our fates were irrevocably changed by the corrupting demonic energy and the Demon King’s soul fragments.

I became female-not just ordinary, but an easily aroused body that felt pleasure from pain.

My heroic spirit of sacrifice twisted into a madwoman who enjoyed others’ suffering through sacrifice.

The invading demonic energy left only curses before disappearing, costing me the Hero’s power.

“Such a heavy price for one moment’s carelessness.”

How could anyone avoid mistakes? Fate was truly cruel.

This nightmare tormented me constantly after the war.

But since discovering sexual pleasure years ago, I hadn’t had such dreams.

Why dream of Marcus’s sacrifice now-

Suddenly, Jade throwing herself to save me yesterday came to mind.

‘Lena!’

That figure rising through pain to achieve her goal.

“What is this…”

Had I superimposed Jade over Marcus?

As the Hero, I’d saved countless people.

But rarely had anyone helped me-people usually wanted something from me.

This experience was truly unfamiliar.

But Jade shared no similarities with Marcus beyond helping me.

“Have I gone mad?”

Comparing that brat to Marcus-I must be insane.

Rather, the memories made me miss Marcus.

But since we’ve found a way… we’ll meet again at journey’s end.

“Hah…”

As my confusion subsided, I contemplated next steps.

As expected, we’d head to the Holy Kingdom.

The Hero must first have the Pope confirm their selection by the Goddess, then be officially appointed before all.

Moreover, the Holy Kingdom safeguarded the holy sword I’d returned.

Against demons, the holy sword was truly supreme-its mere swing scattering holy power, the natural enemy of demons.

With it, Jade would become sufficiently strong against monsters and demons.

“The Holy Kingdom…”

Naturally, I thought of the Saint at the Papal Court.

Her night-sky black hair, sculpted face that made me fall at first sight, and heart more beautiful than her appearance.

I’d never visited her after entrusting her to the Papal Court. How foolish.

Not once seeing her because she wasn’t the person I knew-proof of how stressed I’d been.

Now was time to face-no, overcome-the past.

-Knock knock.

As I steeled myself, Annie’s urging voice came through the door.

“Lena, if you’re ready, come out quickly! I have mountains of questions for Jade!”

“Yeah! Wait a moment. Just packing this.”

Annie seemed revitalized overnight. Her emotions changed quickly.

For the past week, Annie had been lifeless and depressed-avoiding me or turning away when we met.

I’d even worried she might drop out.

Truthfully… would it be too cruel to say I preferred her that way?

“Still, I want to make Annie cry again.”

Sex was good, but the sight of those who loved me despairing and suffering…

That drug-like experience flowing through my veins was irresistible.

What expression would Annie make if I sacrificed even more next time?