Chapter 27 - The Genius, Heartbeats, and First Love (1)
Humans and demons are not equals. The difference between a short-lived and a long-lived species is insurmountable.
Gamigin had never doubted this in his life. It was a truth so obvious that it needed no explanation.
A human lifetime, to a demon, is but a fleeting blink of an eye. No matter how much experience a human accumulates over their entire life, it's impossible for them to reach the level of a demon.
In the face of abilities honed over an eternity, the achievements of mortals lose all value.
"That was supposed to be an unshakable truth."
Yet, before Gamigin's very eyes, that truth was crumbling.
He hadn't been concerned when he saw the first meteor descend. Knowing how Marbas had met his end, he'd expected at least that level of attack.
Even when his opponent began copying the spell on his own, Gamigin still wasn't worried. He figured the man's mana had to be limited—he could block about three of them at most.
But when his opponent began crudely modifying the spell, Gamigin felt a shudder of defeat.
A mess of runes, haphazardly arranged.
Their layout and structure were chaotic to the point of being incomprehensible.
Each seemingly meaningless component of the spell fused into a complex whole, creating an effect.
Why were half of the spell's elements omitted?
To cause intentional failure, forcing the magic to go berserk.
Why would he take such a suicidal risk?
To harness the increased power from the spell's backlash, while shifting the negative effects onto his opponent.
How could he assume he could transfer the backlash?
Because he had already hijacked Gamigin's mana circuits without him even realizing it.
It was a precise theft, so subtle that Gamigin hadn't even noticed. He had never let his guard down, and given how few demons this man had encountered, he shouldn't have known so much about a demon's structure.
Yet somehow, this man had effortlessly seized control of Gamigin's mana circuits, rendering him responsible for any risks inherent to the spell.
"Even that was already mind-blowing, but…"
What was even harder to believe was what the man did next.
The spell was already in use and on the verge of dissipating. Within the instant it took for the residual mana to scatter back into the atmosphere…
In that split-second, the man used the leftover mana to construct yet another spell. Theoretically possible, but practically unheard of.
A grand mage might take a full day to complete such a spell, but this man did it in under a second.
This high-speed casting, breaking all conventional limits, allowed him to cast the meteor spell thousands of times in succession.
Unique Spell No. 1: Meteor Shower.
The man smiled arrogantly, looking down at Gamigin.
A look that said, "No matter how hard you try, you'll never reach me."
But Gamigin's heart was filled with awe rather than anger. At this moment, he had no choice but to admit that the truth he'd believed in all his life was flawed.
"Whether one is short-lived or long-lived makes no difference."
Even a mortal, living in a finite moment, could surpass an immortal being.
This was a true genius. For someone born to reach the pinnacle, species limitations meant nothing.
Hundreds, thousands of stars fell from the sky.
The noble light that could once only be gazed upon from afar was now pulled to the ground by a single human's will.
Gamigin looked upon this scene and smiled weakly.
"At this point, I can't even feel frustrated."
He could resist if he wanted to.
He could try to take a student hostage.
Self-destruction might even be an effective last resort.
But he felt no reason to. He didn't believe he could win against this man, no matter what he tried. The outcome of the battle was already decided.
"I concede. This is my total defeat."
The vanquished are buried, and the victor lives on.
He had no objections to the laws of conflict.
Gamigin quietly looked up at the sky.
The vast night sky, filled with falling stars. It was such a beautiful scene that it irritated him.
"Perhaps we truly are doomed to fail."
Just one variable.
Just a single human.
And yet that single human might overpower them all and alter unchangeable fate. This was Gamigin's last thought as he closed his eyes.
A tremendous roar swallowed the earth.
Brilliant light filled the world.
The demon accepted his end with serenity.
The barrier of subspace magic that protected me and the students had fulfilled its purpose. I dissolved the barrier.
Before us lay a devastated wasteland, unrecognizable from its previous state. It was as if a meteor had actually struck here, leaving behind total ruin.
"Well, an actual meteor did hit, so I guess this isn't surprising."
The demon had surprisingly surrendered without much resistance.
There was no need for a final blow; his body had crumbled to ash in the end.
Maybe it was excessive, but it was the right decision. If I hadn't broken his will in one go, he probably would have tried every dirty trick to the end.
"Looks like I survived yet again."
He was far stronger than any foe I'd faced before, but I'd still managed to win by bending the rules.
Surviving against all odds once again.
And as a bonus, I'd even fulfilled my childhood dream. Naturally, I was… regretting everything.
I'd made a colossal mistake.
"No wonder I haven't managed to get myself fired."
I'd lost my composure and failed to think rationally.
I got too excited at the chance to realize a dream I'd long given up on, and I'd forgotten what would have been best.
If I'd just used a sleep spell on the students and other faculty members beforehand, I could have avoided this reputation penalty. Instead, I'd charged straight into a very visible trap.
"Well, I guess I had my reasons."
The frustration of creating an ultimate spell that I couldn't use due to having less mana than a five-year-old.
When I finally accepted it and went to the Mage's Tower to share my spell with others, I was turned away, accused of joking.
Being labeled a fool for designing an impossible spell without even being able to demonstrate it—it was maddening.
I had all these grievances stacked up inside. How could I possibly have thought of a sleep spell to hide my fight? Talk about life's unfairness.
"But that's just an excuse at this point."
Reality is brutally unforgiving.
No matter my reasons, the fact remained that I'd made a blunder, and I prepared to face the consequences as I looked around.
I could feel the piercing stares.
Everyone was gaping at me, mouths agape in awe.
For a moment, they were too stunned to react, but gradually, people began regaining their ability to speak.
"Professor!"
The students from Class A and those in the study session ran toward me, cheering. My uniform was soon soaked with their tears and snot.
Their faith in me was already strong, and though they were surprised, their reactions made it clear they'd known I could do it.
"P-Professor… what on earth did you just do?"
Those who didn't know me well—the other professors and students—were still reeling from the shock.
They pinched their cheeks, as if testing if they were dreaming, or stared at me with horror, as though I were some eldritch being.
Their reactions were polar opposites, yet all around me, I could feel my reputation rising in real-time.
The difficulty of getting fired was skyrocketing by the second. But I had to accept it; this disaster was of my own making.
"Still, this should be manageable."
The higher you climb, the more dramatic your fall.
The higher my reputation, the more crushing their disappointment when I finally made a spectacle of myself.
So this much, I could still handle.
I could've handled it—if not for…
Footsteps echoed in the distance.
Ahead, I saw the Firstborn Dragon folding her wings and walking toward me. But her expression was unlike any I'd seen before.
Lifeless eyes.
A desolate face as she bowed her head before me.
"I am unworthy to be headmaster. Please, Lian, take my place as head of the academy."
…No, this was beyond anything I could handle.