Ch.3434. Academy Conquest

I’ve always thought that the emotion of love is truly noble.

Crossing numerous boundaries between life and death, I’ve met many people and seen the colorful stories they hold.

Among those stories, love was always a regular guest that never failed to appear.

‘I thought it was still a distant story for me.’

Innocently blessing and envying others’ love, I subconsciously thought such emotions would never come to me.

But after meeting that cold professor at the academy, I could understand the emotion called love.

Afterward, I fought alongside him to save the continent.

We overcame numerous crises with many people. Despite growing, grieving, raging, and finally reaching the end.

I failed.

‘If there’s a next time for you, then—’

What was the professor, who sacrificed himself for me, trying to say at the end?

You know what?

Actually, I was regretting at that time.

That I couldn’t properly pour out these feelings to you.

With just one person gone, my heart scattered like spilled water, going astray beyond recovery.

In the end, the world perished.

Leaving behind only a small girl’s somewhat trivial regret.

That was the end of the world.

Or so I thought.

I returned seven months ago.

While my parents were making a fuss about me entering Robern Academy as a first-year student.

Unfortunately, rather than the joy of reuniting with my parents after a long time, a different emotion was blooming inside me.

Again.

Once again.

I can meet Professor Deus Verdi.

How long has it been?

After his death, my life became miserably broken.

After everything ended and started again, I was grateful not for surviving, but for being able to meet the professor once more.

And now.

Honestly, I wanted to go see him right away, but for my purpose, I endured and endured.

Finally, like a farmer harvesting the fruits of sown seeds.

Today, I could finally lay my eyes on the long-awaited Professor Deus.

“Hoo!”

Mana infuses Aria’s fist. Having already reached enlightenment in her previous life.

Crash!

Aria breaks the glass window strengthened by evil spirits with her fist. Princess Elenoa Luden Griffin, watching from behind, could only stand with her mouth wide open.

Aria had already abandoned all the other students and was heading through the window.

*

It wasn’t a simple barrier.

Recalling the memorial service in Norsweden, souls from the surroundings would awaken and gather, and this was exactly the same.

Not only were the academy’s evil spirits gathered, but vengeful spirits from the surroundings and even monsters that shouldn’t exist were appearing one by one, blurring the boundary between life and death.

Just look at the giant worm-like creatures rising from the academy grounds.

These monsters called Sasikgwi were known as the demons’ punishment, living torture devices that chewed on living people for hours.

The situation had escalated far too much, but I knew the reason.

“Illuania, give me the axe and wait outside.”

“A-Alright.”

“The guards will arrive soon. Explain as I told you.”

Illuania bowed her head and left the barrier.

I took the axe brought for Findenai and was about to face the Sasikgwi when.

“I’m heeeere!”

Findenai’s energetic voice came from the sky. Surprisingly, she was sliding down the smooth body of a Sasikgwi, falling toward me.

Another Sasikgwi beside her opened its jaws wide and lunged at Findenai.

Findenai noticed beforehand and made a big leap, causing the Sasikgwi to attack each other.

She landed right in front of me, this wolf-like woman. She must have been on the roof, making quite a flashy entrance.

“Why are you so late? I wasn’t worried, but I thought you abandoned me.”

“There was a bit of an accident.”

Findenai glanced at my clothes, noticing traces of my encounter with the widow’s evil spirit in the carriage, and clicked her tongue.

“You just can’t go anywhere quietly.”

“…I don’t want to hear that from you.”

To think the day would come when I’d hear such words from a woman who caused nothing but trouble at the mansion.

Naturally ignoring my words, Findenai gripped the axe and smiled.

“Cool and heavy feeling. Not bad! Where did you get it?”

“I took one from the Verdi storage.”

It looked quite valuable; I wonder if Darius would complain if he found out?

“Ah, nice. So what should I do? Kill all of these things?”

Findenai confidently rested the axe on her shoulder and grinned.

That look strangely gave me a sense of security, and I nodded gently.

“We’re going into the academy. Clear the way.”

“When the master commands, I must obey!”

Findenai charged forward, her maid skirt fluttering. The dynamic movement might have revealed everything underneath, but she wore undergarments, so there was no embarrassment.

Like Findenai, Gideon Zeronia fell from the roof, swinging a flaming sword.

And Erika Bright landed, scattering golden mana.

The two began cutting down the Sasikgwi one by one, matching Findenai’s rhythm.

Through the barrier, evil spirits could harm humans more easily.

But the reverse was also true.

“Die! Die! Dieeeee!”

“Hoo!”

Gideon and Erika moved more passionately, as if avenging their past humiliations.

Then.

Surprisingly, a girl approached me, elegantly avoiding the Sasikgwi swarm that even Gideon and Erika couldn’t penetrate.

She wore the Robern Academy uniform with a red tie symbolizing first-year students.

Flowing black hair and features universally considered beautiful.

“Nice to meet you! I’m Aria Rius, a first-year student who just enrolled at Robern!”

A bright smile that starkly contrasted with the hellish surroundings.

“Aria Rius.”

I found myself repeating her name. An unmistakable name.

She was the protagonist of this game’s retry that I had entered.

“Seeing how you broke through the barrier, you must be really strong. Can I fight alongside you?”

Feeling momentary dissonance, I checked the direction she came from.

A window on the second floor was shattered, with students inside struggling to jump out or crying for help.

“Tsk.”

I clicked my tongue involuntarily.

The Aria Rius I knew was innocent, understood justice, and valued camaraderie with her companions.

Even if we hadn’t known each other long, she wouldn’t abandon her classmates.

I passed by her, gritting my teeth.

“If you’re a student, stay put. You’re not someone who protects; you’re someone to be protected.”

“Ah, yes! I understand!”

I left behind Aria, who was jumping with strange excitement. I had much to say and ask, but.

‘That’s not the priority now.’

Stabilizing the academy came first.

I walked down the bloody path Findenai had cleared.

The Sasikgwi were mostly dealt with, and the three who fought them were waiting for me at the building entrance.

“You’re here, damn late if you ask me.”

Gideon sarcastically remarked while fixing his red hair, making no effort to hide his displeasure.

“We’re going in. Everyone get ready.”

Ignoring him, I began gathering mana. Without souls to manipulate, this was when my basic skills as a spiritmaster would be tested.

Erika hesitated, then approached carefully.

“Um, during that time…”

“Save the small talk. We don’t have time for that now.”

At my words, Erika pressed her lips together, nodded slightly, then asked again.

“What do you think about this barrier?”

Now a more nutritious topic had arrived. I answered while wrapping mana around my hand.

“Evil spirits used a spiritmaster’s magic.”

“A spiritmaster?”

“Isn’t there a spiritmaster you summoned?”

“…Ah!”

Erika nodded vigorously as realization dawned.

“I see! So that’s how the evil spirits could create such a barrier with spirit magic. If the summoned spiritmaster died, her soul would have become a spirit too!”

“As the only victim who was murdered, she’s probably not cooperating willingly. It would be more accurate to say she’s being used forcibly.”

So this fight is simple.

“Find the spiritmaster’s soul, and it’s over.”

Then we can immediately dispel this barrier, and the unintentionally awakened and summoned evil spirits and monsters will disappear.

“I see.”

Erika tightened her white gloves firmly, seemingly ready for battle, when Gideon interrupted loudly.

“Wait! Let’s be clear before we go. Deus Verdi! Are you a spiritmaster?”

At those words, I frowned involuntarily and replied.

“Just get ready. You must know what kind of monster is at the main entrance?”

“…”

Seeing Gideon’s expression full of dissatisfaction toward me, I sighed and answered.

“Yes, I’m a spiritmaster. Satisfied? If you continue with this useless talk, I’ll make you a corpse first, idler. Shut up and take your position at the front.”

After my threatening warning, Gideon looked at me dumbfounded, then bit his lip and stood beside Findenai.

“Our master can be really scary sometimes.”

“Sh-Shut up.”

Findenai giggled mockingly while Gideon’s face reddened with humiliation.

Erika also carefully took her place beside me, and we entered the main entrance.

A one-armed warrior sitting on the first-floor stairs with his head bowed immediately caught our eye.

Slowly raising his head, his blue flame-like eyes radiated fierce hostility toward the intruders.

“Kiya, this guy’s still the same.”

As I expected, Findenai seemed familiar with the warrior, laughing casually.

So she must have lost her axe to him.

Though I anticipated this, seeing her confidence suggested she had already sized him up and thought she could handle it.

“He is a kind of earth-bound spirit.”

I began a simple explanation about the warrior.

“A warrior who still hasn’t put down his sword to protect numerous souls.”

At my words, Erika and Gideon flinched and looked at me. The two seemed to know what had happened on this land in the past.

“Unless we subdue him, we can’t go inside.”

Kigigik.

The sound of drawing a sword that seemed to drip with rust.

Emitting an ominous purple aura, the warrior slowly stood up.

And charged straight at us.