The Academy’s Deceased Ate It All

TN: Sorry for the late upload.

A cloud of noxious smoke flew at Lee Myung-Joon. Gamalterra’s golem jumped from behind him and intercepted it.

Myung-Joon jumped back, and a barrier of ice appeared before him.

Then he saw the golem crumble as if it were melting.

It was not ordinary poison but some kind of acidic mixture.

He clicked his tongue as he felt his face and right arm tingle.

“Don’t touch the smoke if you can, or you’ll depart early!”

Joo-Hyuk shouted, then started muttering a chant.

A light emanated from his hand, and the poison trying to consume Myung-Joon’s body disappeared.

Joo-Hyuk stretched out his hand toward the men fighting before him and began to chant again.

[What a nuisance].

After muttering that, Minerva immediately launched herself at him.

She knew from countless experiences that going after the healer first was most effective when fighting a group.

She immediately spun around and swung her tail like a whip.

A barrier bursting echoed in her ears as her thick tail swooped down on Joo-Hyuk.

But she could tell that something blocked it, unable to fulfill its intentions.

“…It’s quite heavy.”

It was a silver-haired woman.

With her shield and mace, Laura stood before Joo-Hyuk and blocked Minerva’s tail.

Placing his hand on her back, Joo-Hyuk began to heal her.

Minerva let out a small gasp as she watched.

[Of course you wouldn’t leave them undefended].

Then, a rush of blue flames aimed at her eyes.

It came from a black-scaled dragon hovering in the air.

Minerva gathered her breath to dissolve the dragon into a handful of blood as if it were an annoyance.

“Hammer!!!”

For a moment, a shadow flashed over her head.

She saw a massive armor hovering midair, falling toward her with terrifying momentum.

“Incoming!!!”

The hulking Richard swung his warhammer down with all his might, aiming for her mouth.

But Minerva dodged his attack simply by twisting her neck and turning her head.

Then she opened her mouth, not at the dragon, but at Richard.

“Close your mouth; it stinks.”

The blue-haired woman, Anastasia, flailed her arms energetically as she spoke.

Then sharp harpoon of ice shot up from the ground and struck her.

Taking advantage of the opening, Richard jumped up, smashing his warhammer into Minerva’s temple.

Quite impressive.

Minerva thought as she shook her head slightly.

As she spread her wings to get some space, something fluttered before her eyes.

It was a paper bird.

Dozens, then hundreds, then thousands of them hovered around her.

“…….”

The old woman, Reiko Fujiwara, clenched her fist, and one of the paper birds burst into flame.

Then it spread like a chain reaction.

[Kaaaah!]

As Minerva watched the explosion devour her body, she exclaimed.

“…Poisoned smoke, go away!”

Ossie was already running, sword drawn.

While he owned four magic swords, there was only one he needed to use.

The golden handle was studded with blue gems, and the scabbard was rolled up with a golden finish: the Dragon Slaying Sword, a sword that stabbed the heart out of an evil dragon long ago.

But to him, the sword’s history was irrelevant.

What mattered was that it was the most appropriate sword for the moment. A blade that could kill a dragon.

“Hmph!”

He raced toward Minerva, following the ice path that formed beneath his feet.

And he leaped toward her.

[Balmung].

As the smoke cleared, Minerva saw the gleaming blade of his sword and muttered nostalgically.

[It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it. The sword that slayed the evil dragon has turned against me.]

She then snatched up Ossie Evans and bit down on his head.

She felt nothing.

She immediately heard an odd resonance and recalled her memories, recognizing it as the unique ability of the magic sword that could create an alter ego and illusion of its owner.

“Damned tough leather…!”

In that brief moment of falling through the air, Ossie managed to land a number blow to Minerva’s neck, aiming at the same spot. But it didn’t achieve anything.

Minerva spread her wings once more.

[I didn’t know ants could climb this high].

She muttered, still calm, and flapped her wings wildly.

A storm-like wind howled and began to blow everything around her.

Minerva’s body rose into the air.

She was a dragon.

She was the pinnacle of winged beasts.

The sky was her territory.

“Don’t let her fly!”

Someone shouted in a shrill voice.

And that was what everyone was most wary of.

Among them, Lee Wuwei was the only one who could face an airborne enemy without restrictions.

However, there was no way that someone could properly suppress an existence that other Seven Evil had attacked; the Ten Strongest couldn’t even make a scratch.

“No, leave her alone.”

Gamalterra muttered.

“Let me help you.”

He slammed both hands on the ground, and something exploded under Minerva.

Rocks, boulders, and dirt gathered.

And a mountain suddenly rose.

[Huh?!]

For the first time, Minerva let out a sound of surprise.

While the mound was slowly pushing her up, Gamalterra then screamed.

“Lohengrin!”

“I’m ready!”

At those words, Minerva could feel a massive flow of mana above her.

A magic circle.

She realized immediately that it was a spatial magic circle.

Before she could do anything, another chunk of rock burst out of the ground like a tidal wave.

Crushed from above and below like a sandwich, Minerva was momentarily unable to move under immense pressure.

[…Wonderful!]

Minerva exclaimed in pure admiration.

The rare spatial type magic at such a grand scale…….

[It’s definitely better than the generation before I was sealed].

Looking at Minerva’s nonchalant expression, Myung-Joon muttered in a murderous voice.

“How is it so calm…?”

He held his trident like a javelin.

The sleeves covering his right arm had long since burned or burst from the heat and pressure.

The area around him had already been scorched by the electricity from the trident.

It was the most powerful technique he could unleash, gathering and channeling all his strength while the others bought him time.

“Hmph!”

Pulling back as hard as he could, his right arm bulged as if it were about to burst.

Then Minerva looked straight at Myung-Joon, as she finally sensed the gathering mana.

But she still didn’t care.

Her carefree attitude made him clench his teeth as hard as he could, throwing his trident straight at Minerva.

It disappeared from his hand, and a thunderclap followed after.

[…or so it seemed].

Minerva muttered nostalgically as she watched.

She blinked at the weapon, which was now right in front of her eyes.

It was as if she had come to a conclusion after much thought.

[I guess it doesn’t matter.]

Immediately, an all-consuming light descended.

* * *

“Hey, Myung-Joon, you little shit, wake up!”

“…Hmph, hmph.”

With all the strength he could muster, Joo-Hyuk poured mana into Myung-Joon’s body as he supported him through his mana exhaustion.

Seeing his fingertips burn black, Joo-Hyuk groaned softly so he wouldn’t be heard.

“What happened…?”

“They’re unresponsive.”

He muttered to himself as he stared at the mass of rocks creating a giant mountain range.

Evangeline and Minerva, imprisoned in the prison Gamalterra had created, were stretched out cold, with most of their bodies buried in the rock.

“They can’t be…”

Myung-Joon muttered that and let out a ragged breath.

Joo-Hyuk answered him with a knowing look.

“We will have to use Aegis to finish the job. No matter how strong she is, it would’ve surely done something–”

[Disappointing.]

Minerva’s voice cut through his words.

It was extremely calm, and her voice was as beautiful as ever.

Goosebumps rose from Joo-Hyuk’s body.

[Is this your best?]

Minerva said and raised her head in silence.

And everyone could see that she had no scars or scratches, except that her scales were dirty.

A small gasp escaped Myung-Joon’s mouth.

[I assure you… that man, he was the one who single-handedly made my heart beat faster than all of you].

A dull sound began to echo as the words flowed from her mouth.

It was her struggling to break free from the rocks that held her.

The few who recognized it moved quickly.

Ice, chains, mana, nets of paper birds…

Many things tried to imprison her, but none could prevent her escape.

[Worst of all, you don’t even notice the obvious, so…I guess this is all you have].

With a thump, thump, thump, the broken pieces of rock began to fall.

Minerva shifted slowly, spreading her wings as if to stretch.

[But where have you gone without me? Did you not promise me? Didn’t you promise me that you would be waiting for me when I woke up and that we would settle the score…….]

Minerva mumbled something sullenly but turned her head to look at Myung-Joon.

[One-eyed human who wields lightning, let me ask you a question].

She asked Lee Myung-joon in a polite and quiet voice.

[In your time, no… how many years have passed since the crash of the floating island?]

“Floating island…?”

Myung-Joon looked at Minerva as if he didn’t know what to say.

Suddenly, he remembered that the Floating Island dungeon had been attacked and crashed at least three hundred years ago.

“You mean…the floating island in the Pacific Ocean?”

[Yes! That’s it! How many years have passed since then…!]

“Three hundred years.”

Minerva looked at him with surprise, and he didn’t hesitate to answer.

“I don’t know the details, but at least it’s been nearly three hundred years.”

[…three hundred?]

And with those few words, Minerva was shocked more than anything else.

Her wings half-open, ready to take flight, she stood motionless.

Quietly, in a hushed voice, she cautiously muttered.

[Oh, wait. I thought the human lifespan was ….]

Minerva muttered in disbelief.

[That… so, he didn’t… he didn’t… he died at the end of his lifespan, that’s… ridiculous….]

Making a pained sound, Minerva curled up into a ball.

She whispered.

[You. You. You. You. You. You. You. You…]

Everyone held their breath in silence. It was like they were paying their respects at a funeral.

[…Lies.]

Minerva muttered quietly.

[It’s a lie. It can’t be true that he, that man, died at the end of his life, that kind of nonsense… He said he was waiting for me, me, me! He said he would wait for me…this Minerva, the Seven Evil!!! He said so! He who first defeated me said so… But it can’t be true, it can’t be true!!!]

With a roar, Minerva began to whip her tail wildly.

The aftermath of her threatening behavior alone was enough to shatter the buildings on the Five Streets like they were made of candy.

[…You, lightning manipulator].

As she rampaged, she glared at Myung-Joon as if she had suddenly remembered.

Her eyes were filled with a murderous glow, colored with rage and hatred.

[How dare you lie to me?]

Unable to forgive him, Minerva launched herself at Myung-Joon.

Joo-hyuk, who was supporting Myung-Joon, quickly flew with him.

[Where are you going!!!]

But Minerva followed him with an agile movement as if her earlier appearance had been nothing more than laziness.

With unimaginable speed chasing them, Myung-Joon clicked his tongue and raised his unharmed left hand.

[Arghhh!?]

A pained groan erupted from Minerva’s mouth.

She felt it on her wing and immediately turned her head to look at it, then stopped moving in surprise.

[…What is this?]

A familiar aura.

It was the one she was looking for.

She had forgotten that she was chasing Myung-Joon just a moment ago and was now staring blankly at the branch of the World Tree that had pierced through her wings.

[Ah.]

Then, something appeared in front of her eyes.

She blinked, letting out an involuntary gasp of surprise.

A man, sword raised, aimed for her eyes.

It was the man she had been searching for.