Disturbance During the Exam (2)

Why do demon possessors inspire fear in people?

There are various reasons, but the biggest one is that they’re dangerous.

A companion who was laughing and chatting just an hour ago might have their body stolen by a demon at any moment, going on a mad rampage. The only thing certain is the demon that seizes their body.

Who would want to get close to such a person?

Naturally, few would want to keep an unmarked time bomb nearby.

Their lethality is at a level ordinary people can’t endure – stories occasionally circulate about a trained knight being sliced apart by a ten-year-old child who didn’t even know how to fight.

Demons possess bodies indiscriminately. Even those with families.

Well, you probably get the picture by now. Most families of demon possessors don’t meet good ends.

Those who escape harm are usually just lucky enough not to be present at the time.

There are countless cases of people approaching demon possessors saying “I can’t abandon someone I was close with before they were possessed,” only to meet tragedy.

…When you witness that endless malice, the outcome splits into two possibilities.

Either the demon possessor dies, or the witness dies.

In most situations, it’s the latter.

But that’s not the only reason demon possessors are avoided.

“Aack! Ah, my b-bone! You fucking tin can! Damn you’re hard!”

“Orca! Evacuate quickly! That’s enough!”

“Hey! Are you sure that thing can be destroyed?!”

“…It’s nearly impossible. The Scarecrows are artificial lifeforms made from the professors’ magic power. They won’t stop as long as magic remains in their bodies. Moreover, they’re designed to activate if even one remains connected as a precaution.”

“Then shouldn’t we just disconnect them all?!”

“Everyone who could disconnect them already did! There’s a traitor among the faculty! So evacuate! They’ll shut down soon when they run out of magic!”

Ah, damn. Useless as fuck.

I liked the counseling teacher though.

Why is there not a single teacher I like? …Except the counseling teacher.

After all that grandstanding, now you’re telling me to run? I’d rather die.

“…So they’re being maintained by magic, huh. Easy then. Just break them.”

“Are you insane?! You saw how durable they are! They were designed so only Principal Veronica could destroy them! The principal is away on business now! No one can break them!”

“You all whisper about me like you know everything, but now you’ve conveniently forgotten? Fuck, I’m a demon possessor.”

“What does that have to… oh.”

“Moron.”

The second reason demon possessors are avoided.

Their resistance to magic.

There have been many attempts to stop demon possessors’ seizures with magic – from movement-restricting spells to sleep-inducing magic and other status ailments.

…If those attempts had worked, demon possessors wouldn’t be so avoided. You could just forcibly suppress them during seizures.

But nothing is more foolish than casting magic on demons.

Unless the demon willingly accepts it, mana-based attacks can’t affect them.

This holds true even for demon possessors who harbor demons and can use demonic bodies.

“Don’t bill me if facilities get damaged?”

“…Fine. I’ll take responsibility.”

“Now that I like.”

Orca always had to hold back during fights at the academy.

If the demon’s hand accidentally touched surrounding facilities and broke something important, she’d have to pay for all of it.

The woman who forcibly brought Orca to the academy – Veronica, was it?

While she said she’d cover all tuition… she never mentioned covering compensation costs, so Orca had been careful until now.

…But now? Having received permission to go wild, she could pummel this tin can without worries.

“Bring it on, tin can. Brawling’s my specialty. I’ll smash that stupid-looking face this time. Two minutes should do it.”

Orca, who had been leisurely walking toward the Scarecrow while cracking her knuckles, suddenly stopped.

“What’s wrong?”

“…The fuck? Why won’t it come out?”

“?”

Orca blankly stared at her own hand.

…Why won’t the hand come out? It always came out before.

Facing this situation for the first time, her mind went completely blank.

“This is insane! Why won’t it come out?! It was working fine just a minute ago! H-hey tin can! Wait a sec!”

But of course, the rampaging Scarecrow didn’t listen to Orca.

The Scarecrow swung its arm violently toward Orca who was panicking from the unexpected situation, bending her waist like a bow.

“Gggguuuh…! You fucking…! What’s with this sudden…!”

“…You shouldn’t do bad things. That’s the contract.”

“What? Fuck, what kind of… Wait, did that just come from my mouth…?”

That teacher watching me earlier probably thinks I’m crazy.

Before Orca could even finish that thought, she was shocked by the voice flowing from her own mouth.

“Stupid bitch. Didn’t even realize who was talking.”

“…Don’t tell me it’s the demon? Crazy.”

“Who else would it be but me?”

She thought it impossible for a demon to speak.

Weren’t demons supposed to be conserving energy to seize bodies?

…Well, she could ask about that later.

First, Orca decided to ask about the urgent matter.

“S-so? What’s this bullshit about not doing bad things?”

“Literally what I said. Breaking others’ property is bad. Don’t do it.”

“…This makes no fucking sense.”

A demon caring about such things? Ridiculous.

Orca vehemently denied it as if hearing utter nonsense.

“Did you forget? What you did with my body!”

“I know. It was fun. But not now. That’s the contract.”

“What kind of bullshit is that? Give me back my body now, you parasite.”

“I said no bad things.”

“That insane tin can is trying to kill me! Is this a bad thing, you stupid parasite?!”

“…Ah, then it’s fine. Should’ve said so earlier.”

With a voice of realization, the demon’s arm that wouldn’t emerge earlier instantly materialized in the air as if lying.

A familiar arm resembling burning flames.

“Wondered why you woke me up suddenly. There, satisfied?”

“You fffu…!”

“Gonna hit me? Go ahead. Only you’ll get hurt. This is your body, right?”

“Aaaaaaaaaaah!!”

“Oh, that angry voice was nice. As expected of the host I chose.”

Orca charged at the Scarecrow like a madwoman.

She felt she could only relieve this indescribable rage by hitting something.

***

“Tch, this is madness! They show no intention of stopping!”

“Y-your Highness! Are you alright?!”

“You are…”

Was his name Leo?

She remembered his face from occasionally seeing him at the counseling room.

He seemed fairly famous among other students too, and during a brief exam observation, he seemed to produce something resembling Sword Aura.

…Worth answering.

“To be honest, not particularly well. There are rather many Scarecrows. And attacks don’t work on them.”

Though fewer in number compared to students, their quality was exceptional.

Their bodies designed to easily withstand dozens of students’ attacks – even Stella wasn’t confident about breaking them.

“It seems the target of this strange incident is me and the Watcher.”

“I-is that so?”

“Just look around. Compared to other students, it’s clearly excessive.”

While dozens of students were being attacked by a single Scarecrow, what about around the Watcher and Stella?

At minimum, three were visible.

…They’re seriously trying to kill us.

“Hey, Pawn.”

“M-me, your Highness?”

“Who else would I mean?”

A textbook soldier with no distinguishing features.

Though he showed potential when wielding something resembling Sword Aura… Stella wasn’t impressed.

After all, that was just the performance of a relic attached to his body.

Frankly, he wasn’t outstanding enough to grant enhancements.

But since he wasn’t completely incompetent either, she’d let it pass for now.

“That variable-riddled Knight seems to have destroyed a Scarecrow. Since Bishops have Scarecrows gathering around them too, our goal is one thing: Endure.”

Though unclear on details, seeing the demon possessor destroy a Scarecrow suggested this durability was magic-based.

To deal with it, they needed her power.

The easiest way to destroy these unnecessarily sturdy Scarecrows would be through her.

“Can you do it?”

“…I dislike being called a soldier, but yes. I can do it.”

“Good.”

She’d have to raise her evaluation of this student slightly higher than expected.

She liked this confidence.

“You should help too instead of hiding. Eileen.”

“Huh? What suddenly…”

“I can understand a Rook hiding… but with most Pawns already forward, shouldn’t you start moving now?”

“…That inexplicable metaphor is nostalgic.”

“Ah, you are…”

“Hello. Long time no see.”

Leo bowed as memories of their friendly match surfaced when the girl appeared from the debris.

Eileen. The girl camping in the forest.

Were she and the Princess acquainted?

“I don’t want to.”

“By royal command. Since you’ve been slacking off, it’s time to contribute.”

“…”

…Their relationship didn’t seem good.

Leo busily rolled his eyes in the awkward atmosphere.

He wished the rampaging Scarecrow would attack instead…