The title of professor seemed to have been purely a matter of luck, as the black mana emanating from Theon exuded a sinister atmosphere that was hardly fitting for a middle-aged man.
"How can a professor of the academy act like this…!"
The student council president, Valten, trembled in genuine fear at the sight of Theon revealing his true self.
He thought he would save them.
That's why he had come to the large auditorium with Theon without a shred of doubt, only to realize now that he had brought the enemy's leader to their hideout.
"Step back. That person is certainly not bound by the barrier."
"Saintess!"
"The power I wield is the holy mana that opposes darkness. If not me, who will stop that person?"
Everyone looked at Cecilia in shock at her determination.
No matter how blessed by the gods she was, born with abundant and sacred mana, the current situation made it difficult for her to exert her abilities.
That meant it wouldn't be strange if she were struck by an attack at any moment and departed from this world…
"Cough cough! Quite brave, aren't you?"
Though she was not an ordinary student, Theon mocked Cecilia's actions.
Mana.
What could the Saintess, who could not fully utilize the blessing of the gods, possibly do here?
"...I will help as well."
"If I step back now, I would have no face to meet my brother."
But it wasn't just Cecilia standing against Theon.
Arwen and Gunther, both S-Class, along with everyone else who had not fallen victim to the suppression magic, were glaring at Theon with hostility.
"How absurd."
Theon could only express his honest feelings at their resolute will.
He thought it was fortunate that they weren't running away due to the magic within the barrier, but instead, they were plotting to stand against him?
Wasn't that absurd? This was not just throwing an egg at a rock; it was like throwing an egg off a deep cliff.
"The Saintess is excluded since she is contrary to research… So, Arwen, would you consider conducting secret research with me?"
Despite the piercing gazes directed at him, Theon leisurely posed the question.
What he needed was a body with high-purity mana. Thus, the elf from the Great Forest would surely make a good specimen.
However, Arwen did not respond to his sticky gaze. To be precise, her reaction was somewhat different from Theon's expectations.
"...What does that mean?"
Theon had not expected her to accept his proposal willingly.
Yet, watching the elf's actions, he felt a deep-seated anger boiling within him.
Right now, Arwen was raising her middle finger at Theon.
An action whose meaning he could not comprehend. But seeing that, he felt an inexplicable discomfort twisting in his gut…
"Didn't I ask what that meant?!"
It was reminiscent of an action Veris had taken while subduing bandits around the territory, and seeing Theon's unexpectedly large reaction, Arwen nodded.
Even she did not know what that raised middle finger meant. But seeing such a significant reaction, she thought Veris's deep insight was beyond her comprehension.
"I, I, I must correct this insolent girl's behavior!"
─Tsu tsu tsu…
Theon, who had let out a scream close to a shriek, began to infuse mana into the staff he was gripping tightly.
"Gather around me!"
At a glance, the wave of mana was anything but ordinary. If they merely stood by and watched that attack, they could not guarantee the lives of the students who had fallen behind them.
At Cecilia's shout of surprise, all the students standing in place began to gather around her.
─Wooong!
And soon, a massive defensive magic unfolded.
The scale and solidity of the defensive magic that Cecilia, the pride of the Holy Kingdom, was casting were truly remarkable, especially considering it was within a barrier that hindered the flow of mana.
However.
"Did you think such a thing could stop me?!"
─Swish! Bang!
The defensive magic, maximized to protect the unconscious students, was easily destroyed and vanished by Theon's magic.
While it had managed to block a blow filled with mana, Theon remained in peak condition, unlike the already exhausted Cecilia.
The overwhelming difference in power.
If it weren't for the barrier, such a futile outcome wouldn't have occurred, but in the current situation, the gap was at a level where victory could not be guaranteed.
However, contrary to Theon's expectation that the students' will would be broken by this brief exchange, a thick curse soon flew at him from the other side.
"You bald bastard, just running your mouth."
"What, what did you say?"
"You're done for when our brother arrives. He's probably cleaning up outside, and he's not someone you can handle."
Trembling.
The owner of that voice was someone Theon knew well.
Gunther von Haruen. The son of a marquis family in the Empire.
But how had the son of a marquis been raised to speak so casually?
Theon felt his mind spinning at Gunther's voice.
Just a moment ago, the elf among them had been making incomprehensible gestures, and now another was scratching his nerves with insults that could be heard in back alleys.
"You fool. Outside, the cult's…"
No matter how weak they were, the chicks in front of Theon were his 'enemies.' They were likely trying to provoke him to buy time…
'Buy time?'
Suddenly, a strange thought crossed his mind.
Outside, there would be over a hundred combatants from the Demon Cult, and the Sword Demon.
What they needed to do now was simple. They had to herd the students still remaining in the dormitory district into this auditorium.
After that, he could start his preparations. It was a simple task that could not afford any setbacks.
But it was strange. Hadn't a single student come late to the auditorium before he spread his mana?
"...Who is it?"
The implication of that fact was simple.
Someone outside this auditorium was trying to thwart his plans. And that someone was very strong.
"Who could it be?"
The one who answered his question, which had no target, was none other than Cecilia.
Breathing heavily due to the sudden drain of mana, Cecilia was panting. Yet, her strangely confident demeanor was enough to ignite Theon's suspicions. 'Damn!'
Theon gritted his teeth.
Until now, the plan had been going smoothly, but without the support of the guards, the chances of this plan failing were high.
The large-scale barrier magic spread across the dormitory grounds would have been noticed by others in the academy.
That meant that the moment the barrier was lifted, a massive crowd would rush in here, and a large amount of manpower would be needed to break through the encirclement and transport the specimens.
'Where the hell is that madman?!'
Theon had asked the Sword Demon for help to avoid this situation.
But since the Sword Demon, who should have resolved the complications earlier, was nowhere to be seen, it clearly indicated that the situation outside was not normal.
Theon made a judgment.
Due to the rapidly changing circumstances, he had no time to deal with these kids.
After all, the students hit by the suppression magic would not wake up for half a day. Therefore, it made sense for him to go outside, assess the situation, resolve it, and then return.
Having finished his thoughts, Theon quietly turned his gaze to observe the situation.
About ten students were confronting him. Even though they were weakened by the barrier's influence, if they all charged at him with the resolve to die, it would surely take a considerable amount of time.
Ultimately, the fact that the operation could fail made him anxious.
─Hooong! Kwang!
"This person! I must protect the students!"
As Theon raised his staff filled with mana, a fireball shot out, colliding with the ceiling and quickly causing a thick cloud of dust and fire to fill the auditorium.
Ignoring the students who were startled by the sudden action, Theon threw himself toward the gaping hole in the ceiling.
Those kids would surely be too preoccupied with extinguishing the fire and worrying about the injured students to chase after him easily. So he needed to quickly join the Sword Demon…
"Ha ha, not so fast!"
"Y-You?!"
But there was someone closely following Theon, and that was Gunther.
Seeing him follow like a madman, Theon gritted his teeth.
What kind of courage did this kid have to chase after him, someone who could knock him out with just a flick of mana!?
Moreover, despite being unable to use much mana, Gunther was moving surprisingly quickly, already reaching Theon's side.
How dare a freshman from the academy chase after someone with the title of professor?
Theon, gritting his teeth at the arrogant figure who didn't know his place, quickly unleashed the magic he had finished casting.
It was a mana bullet filled with weak mana.
Though it was a low-power spell with rapid casting as its only advantage, in the current situation where the target struggled with mana usage, it boasted an undeniable power and struck Gunther's upper body.
─Puff!
The collision between Gunther, a physically imposing figure, and the magic produced a sound that sent chills down one's spine, surely indicating that at least one bone had broken.
"Kuuh!"
"Tsk, wasted time."
As Gunther began to vomit what he had eaten from the impact to his insides, Theon hurriedly moved on.
He could deal with that kid later. For now, he just wanted to put out the urgent fire.