chapter_0089

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
89

Mesugaki Tank Enters the Academy –
89

Joy, running blindly, stumbled
and fell. Picking herself up, she saw a mask lying in front of her
and staggered to her feet.

‘I have to escape.

If not, I’ll die.

I’ll be killed by that man in
black.’

Joy didn’t know the identity
of that mysterious assailant.

But she understood one thing:
he was dangerous.

She was still a novice, but
she was a mage.

She could guess the nature of
the spells others used.

When she saw the spells cast
by that man, she recognized their overwhelming power.

The magic that sealed off
their surroundings and this alley was of such a high level that Joy
couldn’t even begin to fathom it.

Even the black sphere he
playfully tossed was a force she doubted she could counter with all
her might.

The man was a disaster.

There was no way Joy and Lucy
could defeat him.

So Joy ran.

To survive.

She consoled herself by
thinking, “Lady Allen will be fine.”

It’s because Lady Allen had
somehow survived even against that Alchemist; she believed she could
endure this time too.

Before long, help would come
from the Academy, and there would be no problem.

“Really?”

Joy’s steps halted as she
headed in the opposite direction of the commotion.

“Do you really think it’s
going to be okay?”

The answer was clear.

“No. It can’t be.”

It’s undeniable that Lady
Allen is a genius.

However, even so, Lady Allen
is just a student like Joy.

There’s no way she can
withstand that brute.

Lady Allen must be aware of
that fact too.

She must have sacrificed
herself, hoping Joy would be safe, knowing everything.

That’s the kind of person
she is.

Her words may come out harsh,
but she has a deeper heart than anyone else.

No matter who Lucy Allen was
before, the current Lucy Allen is like that.

Joy understood that truth
better than anyone.

Even so, thinking that Lady
Allen trusted her and running away was due to her own ugly heart.

Because she was terrified of
facing an overwhelmingly strong opponent.

Because she didn’t want to be
trapped in another nightmare.

Because she was afraid of
dying.

She abandoned her saviour.

While Lucy Allen stood firm
and moved forward, had Joy not been circling around the same spot or
even running backwards towards her goals?

Joy, who had been silently
watching the mask lying on the ground, turned away, leaving it
behind.

‘Would it help if I went?
Probably not.

Would an extra ant be a threat
to a human?

Is Lady Allen still holding
on? I don’t know.’

However, Joy thought that Lucy
Allen probably wasn’t unharmed.

The opponent is a monster.

Even if he was holding back,
could Lucy really withstand him?

Is it too late? It seemed
likely.

Maybe she was just going to
make the pool of blood bigger.

Even so, Joy ran—in the
opposite direction of where she had been fleeing.

“Is this… all you’ve
got?…♡ You arrogant fool?♡”

At the end of her run, what
met Joy’s eyes was Lucy, still standing on both legs.

Her hair was a mess, mixed
with blood flowing from her head.

Her face was covered in blood.
Lucy wore clothes that were barely holding together and had more
wounds than unwounded areas on her body. She looked as though merely
standing was a miracle, yet she still wore a defiant smile.

‘Do you not understand pain?

Do you not know the word fear?

Have you forgotten what death
means?

Why are you still standing?

How can you stand?

What keeps you standing?’

“Persistent.”

The assailant frowned and
raised his hand upward. A magic circle appeared above his hand.

Joy still couldn’t guess
what kind of magic it was. The gap between the assailant and her was
just too great. But she did understand that it was dangerous.

Could Lady Allen hold out?

The shield made of divine
power was fading. The arm holding the mace was trembling. Even
keeping her eyes open seemed difficult.

It was unlikely.

Joy didn’t think. She just
acted. After experiencing a life-threatening crisis previously, she
desperately practised using magic.

Fireball.

Although basic and primitive,
it was a powerful attack.

Joy didn’t expect her spell to
hit its target.

He was someone who could use
transcendent magic, after all.

Of course, he’d defend against
it.

She just hoped her magic would
disrupt his concentration, even a little, and that it would create a
small opening for Lady Allen.

So Joy used her magic.

But her expectation was off
the mark.

The fireball, which she
thought would definitely be blocked, absurdly hit the assailant’s
face.

As a result, the magic he was
preparing got disrupted.

Seeing this, Lady Allen turned
her gaze towards Joy, who forced a smile.

Joy, you really shouldn’t try
acting.

Your voice is trembling so
much.

Ha. Seriously. Why did you
come back?

I’m putting on this desperate
show just to save your life, so you showing up complicates things.
Perhaps you have a desire to take the place of the nuisance heroine
(Frey)?

Or do you want to ruin my plan
and be cursed by me?

I don’t want to have to say
a worse nickname than Airhead Lady.

‘Indeed.’

But the truth is, Joy did give
me a moment’s respite.

Before that, I didn’t even
have the luxury to think of such jokes.

Getting hit, flying off, my
skin burning, my body getting punctured.

I managed to hold on.

Even though I can’t stand that
sloppy, incompetent trash of a god, I have to admit, the skill named
after him is something.

If it weren’t for [Armadi’s
Mercy], I would have been sprawling on the ground a long time ago.

“Ha.”

As the smoke from Joy’s magic
cleared, I could see where Nacrad’s crimson eyes were directed.

They were definitely aimed at
Joy.

“You came to me yourself.”

No way.

What are you looking at?

No matter how charming Joy is,
she’s still a student.

You middle school jerk.

Do you think there’s some sign
that says all characters in this world are adults?

“Can’t you bring yourself
to subdue me with your own strength?♡ What a sloppy♡ trashy
minion of a trash Evil God.♡”

Even without using the full
power of my [Mesugaki] skill, its provocation is enough to make Karl
struggle to hold back.

It’s needless to say how
effective it will be on Nacrad, who has already lost his composure.

“Trash.”

I smiled as Nacrad came
charging at me.

After exchanging a few blows
with him, I started getting the hang of this fight.

Calling it a battle is a
stretch; it’s more like buying time, but still.

I can’t block every spike that
bursts out from the shadows.

As long as it’s not a fatal
wound, I ignore it.

Each time my skin gets
pierced, the pain is excruciating, like it’ll knock me out, but it
won’t kill me.

I block his physical attacks
with my shield as much as possible.

My limbs are weak, so whether
I block them or not, I still get knocked back, but it’s still better
to get hit with the impact through the shield than directly.

And the black orbs…

Well, what can I do?

I don’t even have enough power
left to form a barrier.

If I had any magical energy
left, I’d rather use [Armadi’s Mercy] again to spring back up like a
zombie.

Luckily, with Joy joining in,
I’ve gained a bit more leeway.

Here and there, Joy’s magic
effectively hinders Nacrad’s movements.

Blinded by his focus on me,
Nacrad doesn’t bother with Joy’s attacks, taking hits that he
normally would have dodged or blocked.

Now that’s what I call
tanking.

Isn’t that right?

Being a tank who should
provide solid defence, I feel like I’m just being pushed around
though.

I clutch my trembling legs and
force my body to stand.

I don’t have enough magic
power left to form a shield now.

It’s more like I’m just
hanging on to the mace rather than gripping it.

That’s why real shields are
better.

Ah. But a physical shield
would probably have shattered by now anyway.

‘Maybe twice more?’

Anything beyond that would be
impossible.

Honestly, even standing up now
is because of my [Unyielding Will].

Physical limitations are right
in front of me, and I can’t ignore them.

The same goes for my mental
state.

Even though I’m trying to
ignore it, the fear still claws at me, ready to break down the dam
and consume me.

The moment my body collapses,
my mind will follow, and there’ll be no turning back.

So, if I get lucky, two more
times.

Otherwise, just once.

Why do these three minutes
feel so long?

Whenever I did a time attack
in the game, I used to think, “Why are three minutes so short?!”

Is that useless, sloppy,
sadistic god stopping time just to torment me? If it’s that guy, it
seems fully possible.

Acting like he was in a hurry
while giving me a buff was just a smokescreen.

That makes sense.

If that god Armadi was really
desperate, would he have given such a lousy buff?

As my suspicion towards Armadi
gradually grew…

The barrier that surrounded us
cracked and shattered like broken glass, and an eye formed from
Nacrad’s magic descended from the sky.

Nacrad stood below, staring
blankly up at the sky.

Seeing the bewildered look in
his eyes, I couldn’t resist saying something.

“Sloppy bastard♡”

So focused on tormenting me,
he didn’t even notice his barrier breaking?

Huh?

Is it really that fun to bully
a girl?

He’s so engrossed in his
twisted tastes that he can’t even achieve his own goals. What a
pervert.

Right?

“Was this what you were
after?”

Even if he realised it now,
it’s too late.

“I have no choice.”

As Nacrad raised his hand, a
tremendous amount of magic gathered above it.

The magic was so overwhelming
that even someone like me, who knows nothing about spells, could
tell.

“It’s a shame I couldn’t
subdue you, but I have to get rid of the obstacles.”

Planning a final desperate
move before he leaves?

Villains always do the same
things.

I can’t stop that. I had
already faced death threats from the magic Nacrad threw around
playfully.

In my already exhausted state,
there was no way I could withstand that.

So basically, I was in a
situation where it was game over.

Normally, this would be a
hopeless situation where I’d be scared and collapse to the floor.

“Lady Allen!”

‘I’m fine.’

“Don’t worry, Airhead Lady.”

I stood in front of Joy to
block his attack.

I wasn’t thinking of saving
Joy and sacrificing myself.

I wasn’t thinking of us both
dying either.

I absolutely hate bad endings.

Emotional endings aren’t my
style.

“Die.”

As Nacrad chanted while using
his magic, I felt a sense of gratitude.

If he had intended to snap my
neck physically, I would’ve had to die quietly.

His desire to flaunt his power
gave me a way out.

Nacrad, don’t you know?

The boss of the 80th floor of
the First-Year Dungeon at Soul Academy casts an instant death spell
the moment you enter?

So the best way to defeat him
is to nullify that spell and reflect it back at him.

“Trust me.”

Please support the series on
NovelUpdates

Read Here
for premium chapters