"Hooh."
The Sword Demon could not help but be surprised by what was unfolding before him.
"Gahhh!"
Theon's arm, which had swung the staff aiming for Veris's head, lay on the ground.
There was no hesitation in the sword. That simple act of swinging the sword had cleaved the frail body of the old magician.
"T-That bastard…!"
Theon's eyes glinted red at the realization that one of his arms, which he had shared his entire life with, was gone.
Yet, Veris, with a calm expression, quietly stared at him without even wiping the blood splattered across his face. What kind of harmony was this?
"You are not my opponent."
Having just witnessed Veris's move, the Sword Demon quietly pushed Theon away.
Thud.
Thanks to that, Theon, who had fallen clumsily on his backside, looked up in a daze.
─Wooooo.
A tremendous amount of mana began to swirl around the Sword Demon.
Even Theon, a magician, could see that the mana was at a remarkable level. The Sword Demon had decided that he must use his full power against the rookie standing before him.
"Your arrogance is reaching the heavens."
"You're the ones who are deluded."
"Deluded?"
"Did you really think you were stronger?"
With a playful, mischievous smile, the Sword Demon let out a hollow laugh.
Objectively speaking, it was true that Theon was a magician with considerable strength. But in the eyes of the Sword Demon, he was merely a low-level rookie. How could he act so arrogantly just because he had cut off Theon's arm?
He felt a chill in his heart. Remembering that he had wasted his time on such a fool, he could not suppress his rising anger.
"Leave now."
With those words, the Sword Demon swung his dual swords filled with mana. Just moments ago, it had seemed like a joke, but now the strikes were filled with overwhelming power.
─Clang!
"Are you kidding me?"
"What?"
However, when that attack was blocked so easily, the Sword Demon shook his head in disbelief and looked at Veris.
At the end of his gaze, the old iron sword was coated with thinly processed mana, resembling a thin layer of ice.
It was the pinnacle of mana utilization. Even the Sword Demon had to acknowledge the outstanding skill that could make him kneel.
"You had quite a few tricks up your sleeve."
Having witnessed that scene firsthand, he could no longer deny it.
The person standing before him was strong. Just as the Sword Demon had not revealed his full power in the previous exchange, Veris had also not shown his full strength.
"This is my specialty."
Though his words were excessively brief, the Sword Demon did not reprimand him for it.
This is the life of the strong. A true strong person does not bother to look after the weak. Simply by existing, they look down upon the weak, isn't that the life of the strong?
"Cough cough!"
The Sword Demon drew up even stronger mana.
It was humiliating to be disregarded by this young fool, and he felt the need to show his true power.
He did not know how the kid was using mana within the barrier, but he felt it was necessary to demonstrate his full strength.
─Kwahhhh!
Soon, red mana began to erupt from the Sword Demon's body.
"Do you know how I killed knights when I had not yet mastered mana?"
It was a sight hard to believe for the power of a single person. The ground shook with the vibrations of his mana, and strange noises emanated from the surrounding trees and buildings.
"The closer I get to my limit, the stronger I become. And you will ultimately meet your death before me!"
A powerful wind began to swirl around the Sword Demon.
As if the very space could not withstand the excessive concentration of energy, it pulled and pushed the surrounding air, creating a sense of illusion. "Do you think I would give up my daughter's soul to someone like you?"
The dual swords, now containing an astonishing level of power, were on the verge of sparking.
"Behold the power that has reached the pinnacle of humanity."
─Crackle!
Moreover, the compressed power, which felt as if space itself was being sucked in, was causing cracks in the very fabric of space just by existing.
"Why are you telling me your story?"
Yet, Veris's response, facing that wonder, was calm and quiet.
He drew his sword.
Though it was not easy to summon mana, Veris began to concentrate all his strength into the sword, thinking to confront his own limits.
─Kugugugu…
Then, the barrier began to undulate with a powerful vibration.
The barrier was being lifted.
The barrier stone and Theon's mana were still intact, but drawn by the sword Veris held, it began to thin and soon started to disappear.
"T-That's…"
Theon, who had forgotten about stopping the bleeding, gaped at the sight and stared at Veris.
Seeing the Sword Demon's limits made him tremble involuntarily, but the scene being displayed on the opposite side was something from another dimension.
The old iron sword, having already accepted a power that far exceeded its limits, had crumbled to dust.
But what on earth was that?
How could a shining pure white mana be held in the form of a 'sword' in his hand?
This was not right.
This was far beyond excessive.
"Then my sword…"
How could a mere human possess such power?
"It is a sword that pierces the heavens."
─── Clang!
* * *
"…This is severe."
Thanks to the barrier being lifted, the dispatched investigator was left speechless at the horrific scene.
From the map, it was clear that he was positioned right in the middle of the buildings.
But isn't it strange? Why does this place look like flat ground instead of being between the dormitory buildings?
Even more chilling was the pool of blood gathered in the very center of the epicenter, which was clear evidence that someone had been sacrificed here. What about the dismembered arm lying on the ground?
"I need to hear witness statements."
There were two female students who had returned alive from this bizarre battlefield, so it seemed necessary to listen to their accounts.
They probably had no serious injuries, but they were taken to the central district hospital for rest and recovery, so if luck was on his side, he might be able to hear their statements right away.
However, what weighed on his mind was what these vicious bastards had been after.
Surprisingly, through the common testimonies of numerous students, it was becoming clear that the ones behind this heinous plot were the minions of a demonic cult.
The student council president Valten, the Saintess Cecilia, the swordsmanship genius Gunther, the elf swordsman Arwen, and so on… Their testimonies were consistent.
Of course, it was important that there were no casualties, except for a few students who had sustained minor or moderate injuries, but there was something that nagged at him.
Theon, who was aware of this, was strong.
But even so, he wouldn't have recklessly acted alone. He was certain that there were hidden depths to this situation.
* * *
Looking at Veris, who occupied the hospital bed, was a strange feeling.
At first, Arwen was so surprised to see Veris, who had exhausted all his mana, that she still had dry tear stains on her face.
Of course, according to the doctor's opinion, it was just a mild mana exhaustion, so she felt relieved, but the embarrassing memory of him crying was still vivid in her mind.
In any case, seeing Veris in such a defenseless state was a first in her life.
Swish.
After a long time of silently sitting in a chair and watching Veris's sleeping face, Arwen finally burrowed into the bed where Veris lay.
After all, there was no one else who would come to this hospital room.
Gunther was in another ward due to several broken ribs, and Saintess Cecilia had rolled up her sleeves to help the injured students.
Though she felt sorry for Cecilia, Arwen comforted herself, thinking that if she let this opportunity slip by, she would regret it later.
"…"
As Arwen clung to Veris like a leech and looked up, she saw his peaceful, closed eyes.
It was hard to believe that this was the face of someone who had just defeated a formidable opponent planning a heinous crime at the academy.
But Arwen already knew that it was this person who had saved her once again.
Sniff sniff.
Thanks to Veris being dressed in a patient gown, the sweet scent was even stronger. Perhaps it was because he was close to bare skin, but it felt sweeter than usual.
Feeling something fill deep within her heart, Arwen couldn't help but smile a silly smile that didn't quite suit her.
Surely, such opportunities would be rare in the future. So, she thought she should definitely take advantage of this chance…
Knock knock.
But Arwen's ridiculous plan was bound to be foiled by someone's intrusion.
"Um, um… I came to visit."
The trembling voice was unfamiliar to Arwen's sensitive ears. However, the owner of that voice felt too young to be a staff member or medical personnel at the academy, so Arwen looked at her with a wary gaze.
"Who are you?"
"I… I'm a student from the same class. I received help today…"
Arwen let out a small sigh.
This man must have saved someone else who was in danger.
"Please come in."
Creeeak— "Excuse me."
As the door opened at Arwen's words and the owner of the voice entered, Arwen quickly examined her appearance.
Brown hair, a freckled face.
She exuded a lively aura, but perhaps due to the situation she had just experienced, she couldn't shake off a strangely subdued feeling.
[TL: If you can't wait on updates and want to read more, please support me to read the whole novel here: https://buymeacoffee.com/mythictranslations.]