I Became the Savior of the Academy's Villains

Chapter 204

"D-damn it... How could a failure like you...!"The latest Miros was torturing Donovan after Gardaf Kisen had left.

But then, he was suddenly attacked by the original Miros.

The two were evenly matched, but at some point, the original Miros defeated the latest one.

The latest Miros had an expression that could not accept his own defeat.

The original Miros clenched his fist and spoke.

"My will is different from yours, imposter."

During the past months spent with Donovan, he had hardened both his body and spirit through hardships on barren land.

In addition, his resolve to save Donovan gave him the power to surpass himself and win.

"Miros!"

Donovan's expression was overwhelmed with emotion, and Miros, with a faint smile, released his restraints. Then, he took his hand.

"You went through a lot, Donovan."

"Miros...!"

Donovan, looking as if he might cry, quickly composed himself and spoke.

"But Miros, how did you get here? Who helped you?"

"I'll explain in detail later. First..."

Miros grinned.

"It's been a while, Donovan. I'll allow you to use your third transformation."

"... Yes, Miros!"

Kugugugung!

Donovan transformed into a giant. He punched through the laboratory ceiling and broke out.

In the process, he also destroyed the magic protecting the laboratory.

"Miros! I feel so powerful! Should I completely destroy the laboratory?"

Having turned into a giant after so long, Donovan sounded excited, but Miros shook his head.

"There are people inside who helped me. Still, this much should be enough to serve as a diversion."

"Then now..."

Donovan looked to him, as if asking for the next plan, and Miros touched his solar plexus.

He no longer had the restriction, nor the Kisen family name, nor a purpose.

All that remained was complete freedom.

"Let's escape. To somewhere nobody knows."

"Yes!"

"Ah, before that..."

Miros gave Donovan a final order—to destroy the Hyperhemia experiment wing completely—and then they left.

'If they survived, they would run away like us; if not... at least they're freed from terrible pain.'

Originally, he felt nothing for them, but in the process of saving Donovan, Miros began to feel a strange sense of pity for them.

That's why he decided to help them escape as well.

"Where should we go next?"

"Hm... Well... Maybe somewhere warmer this time."

"Sounds good! Oh! How about the west?"

"The west, huh... That could be fun."

"Ha ha! Then let's head that way!"

Conversing leisurely like friends deliberating over a vacation spot, they disappeared into the darkness.

From here on, no one would ever find where they were hiding.

* * *

Squeak! Squeak!

"Guh!"

"Kiiiek!"

Blocking their path as they fled were not people, but monsters—test subjects unleashed when the laboratory was destroyed.

Luca Traverse cut down all the attacking monsters, forcing a path.

'Tsk, if only I could properly use that sky power or whatever...'

Luca Traverse clicked his tongue and tried to move the sky power inside him.

However, having only practiced swordsmanship in his mindscape, he couldn't wield the sky's power properly.

'Even that Whistle is quiet.'

Though their harmonization was undone, Whistle didn't show herself.

Normally Luca Traverse wouldn't have considered addressing Whistle directly, but he knew her help would make it much easier to get through this situation, so he felt regretful.

"Lu-Luca. Where on earth does that strength come from...?"

Herote stared in disbelief at Luca, who was clearing the way ahead.

Not long ago, Luca had been on the verge of becoming an empty shell.

She was shocked to see him suddenly shrouded in an ether blade and slicing through the approaching test subjects.

'Did he... transcend in reverse?'

She wondered if he had pierced the limits of mental strength and reached a negative domain that no one else had ever attained.

"Herote Marcato."

"!"

At that moment, Luca Traverse called out to her.

Herote flinched, looking at him.

Having dealt with most of the test subjects and flicked the blood off his sword, Luca Traverse spoke in a flat tone.

"Is there a way to get straight to the academy from outside the laboratory?"

"... Before entering the laboratory, I did prepare a magic circle to enable transfer to the academy. But in my current state, I'm not sure I can activate it."

She had prepared a warp magic circle just in case, but invoking magic in her current condition was difficult.

"Then how long would it take to get from here to the academy?"

"... You mean on foot?"

"Assuming the speed of a normal auto-carriage."

Luca Traverse looked around as he spoke, as if searching for something.

Herote, unable to even guess what he was looking for, responded reluctantly.

"Do we even have an auto-carriage? If we could take one, maybe three days...?"

"Then for that guy, it would be a day."

Muttering to himself, Luca Traverse pulled what looked like a rope from the debris.

He handed it to them and said,

"Choose one—do you want to be carried on my back, or in my arms?"

"W-what...?"

Herote was flustered. But Ravinia understood immediately.

"In your arms!"

"Tsk."

Luca Traverse clicked his tongue, unsatisfied. Turning his back, he spoke.

"Whoever's riding my back, hurry up and get on. Whoever's being carried, tie yourself and the one on my back to me with this rope."

"Ms. Mage! Hurry, get on!"

"Uh... uh...?"

Unable to refuse, Herote ended up on Luca Traverse's back.

Ravinia tied Herote and Luca together with the rope and stood at the front.

"Please carry me! Angel!"

"Tsk."

Luca Traverse, still dissatisfied, picked up Ravinia.

In his arms, Ravinia wore an ecstatic expression.

"It's the first time since then I've been carried like this."

"... It wasn't me."

"?"

Whoosh!

After his blunt reply, Luca Traverse leaped off, quickly exiting the ruins that hid the laboratory at incredible speed.

"Wh-whoa, incredible speed...!"

"No need for commentary. Do you know which way to the academy?"

"That way!"

At that moment, as if she'd finally gathered her thoughts, Herote spoke up from Luca's back.

She pointed the direction and whispered to him.

"You're the one who cut me back then, right?"

"Tsk."

Luca Traverse didn't reply, but Herote nodded as if she was sure.

"Yeah. So that's how it is. How curious."

"Pardon? What do you mean?"

Ravinia seemed not to understand, but Herote had no intention of explaining.

"How amusing. You really are a fascinating guy."

"Just guide the way properly. It seems fine for now, but... I can't say what'll happen to that guy."

Herote immediately understood whom he meant by "that guy".

"Yeah. So he's not entirely okay, huh."

"......"

"I'm not sure how much help I'll be right now, but if we get to the laboratory, there might be a way to help him."

Hearing Herote's words, Luca Traverse picked up speed.

"Let's hope so."

* * *

Hernan Academy, while Herote was away.

She hadn't expected anyone to come just because she was gone, but that very evening, a certain group who confirmed her absence slipped into the academy.

"We'll split into three teams. Mik team, take A-side. Meratz team, B-side. Brent and I will go in through the main route. Good luck."

They split into three teams to infiltrate the academy.

The team entering through A-side consisted of a woman named Mik and a man named Rectol.

"At last... she's finally left the academy."

Rectol, sounding extremely excited, was met with a curt reply from Mik standing beside him.

"Don't get careless. She's a monster—she's bound to have left traps all over. And remember, the 'Nightmare of the Battlefield' is here, too."

"Ha! I've actually fought Nightmare of the Battlefield once myself."

Rectol recalled the past nostalgically.

"He wasn't the sort to become a Grandmaster."

He sneered.

"Maybe Zeritz the Invincible Sword just used that as an excuse to empty out the academy."

"Whatever the case, we need to be careful. You haven't forgotten our objective, right?"

"Of course not."

At Mik's cutting words, rectol replied in a soft tone.

"We have only one objective. To steal the divine relic hidden here for that friend."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"!"

Just then, someone spoke from the darkness.

Rectol immediately drew his sword; Mik nocked an arrow and backed away.

A man emerged from the darkness, revealing himself under the moonlight.

"My, my. You seem rather extraordinary."

Rare on the continent was his black hair.

Though he looked sly, his sturdy build testified to dedicated training.

His eyes were perpetually narrowed into slits.

"Khah! How amusing for you to appear just as we were talking about you."

"Oh? You were talking about me?"

With curiosity, Kryphi tilted his head and stepped toward them.

Whoosh!

At that instant, an arrow shot from Mik's bow.

Imbued with magic, it flew at a speed incomparable to normal arrows—a single arrow powerful enough to destroy even armored soldiers.

Tung!

But with a light swing of his sword, Kryphi changed its direction, sending it vanishing into the darkness above.

"My, how rough you are."

"Mik, what gives? Let me have some fun."

"Stay alert. If he could react to my arrow like that, he's definitely master class or higher."

With those words, mik vanished into the shadows. Rectol shrugged, then looked at Kryphi.

"She's no fun. I wanted to settle things with you back on the battlefield."

"Oh? So we've fought before?"

"Because of an assignment, I couldn't finish it. I guess this time, too, we won't get to settle it one-on-one."

Sounding regretful, rectol raised his sword. A murky black ether blade coiled around his blade.

Seeing that, Kryphi showed a curious expression.

"It's not a will-imbued ether blade... Is that devilish power? So that's what it's called."

"What, you know about devilish power, too? Impressive."

Rectol grinned and leveled his sword.

Zzzzt!

A powerful energy, mingling devilish power and magic, surged forth.

The pressure was so intense it could split a mountain. Kryphi calmly took up his stance.

"Looks like we need to have a conversation."

"Khah! I'd love to, but unfortunately my partner isn't interested in..."

Rectol stopped speaking. For a split second, he lost track of Kryphi's movements.

When Kryphi reappeared in his vision, all he saw was blood spurting.

"... Mik!"

That blood was flowing from Mik's neck.

Kryphi, emerging from the darkness, was gripping Mik's severed head.

"Looks like there's no one left to interrupt our conversation."

Flash.

Kryphi's eyes now gleamed a deep amber. With a killing intent so strong it made one's heart stop, Kryphi spoke.

"Now then, shall we have a little chat?"