I got into school for nothing - Chapter 273
I got into school for nothing (273)
Lesson 53. Equivalent Exchange - 5
Upon arriving in Diabolo, Ban Yuwon truly grasped what it meant to challenge a higher-ranked dimension.
Not a single individual possessed less 'Life' than him, and just looking at the Horn of the Demon King, said to be one of the Demon King's many artifacts, was on a level that Eve and Lilyth, who had grown through continuous development, could barely contend with.
The environment was reminiscent of his early days at Union Academy, when everywhere he looked, there was only overwhelming power.
And among them, a being who especially reminded him of Irekto, the student who had hated him...
“For Big Sis to bring a man to this planet...”
It was this handsome young man, who had been glaring at him ever since he joined their party.
In terms of raw power, perhaps he was equivalent to two Irektos, or around Level 50? Compared to the terrifying Horn of the Demon King or the Human Empire's legions, it was a rather cute level, but if that was an achievement for a boy who looked no older than fifteen or sixteen, it was certainly nothing to scoff at.
“Oh...”
And such a charming remark, laced with jealousy!
As a pure-blooded Iblis of the Demon King's lineage, not even a variant, Ban Yuwon had expected him to be hostile toward them and even disrespectful toward his older sister, Shati.
But now, facing him, wasn't he just an ordinary sis-con?
A satisfied Ban Yuwon reached out his hand over the boy Kron's head, but he recoiled in alarm, making Ban Yuwon fail to pat him.
“You dare try to touch my horn! The Iblis's horns are their greatest weakness; only family or lovers can touch them without reservation!”
“Oh, I wasn't specifically trying to touch your horn, but thanks for sharing that useful information.”
If he hadn't known this fact, it was obvious that another commotion would have surely arisen later.
It was truly fortunate that he hadn't touched Shati's horns before.
He would have to be careful from now on too.
As he thought that and turned his gaze, Shati happened to be grinning at him.
That was clearly a look of wanting to play a prank on him.
“Shati, no.”
Mira, who noticed it faster than anyone, warned her with a sharp voice, but Shati merely shrugged.
“That's an old-fashioned custom. It just means that because an Iblis's horns and wings don't heal well once damaged, they should take care of themselves.”
“Big Sis, you shouldn't say such things to outsiders!”
“And on top of that, these two are also organs that control and amplify Blood Magic.”
“Big Sis!”
Hearing that, even though he thought it rude, Ban Yuwon couldn't help but re-examine Shati's red horns and wings.
The thought that there might be an innate problem with her natural horns and wings made him want to examine them more closely with his own eyes.
Naturally, their eyes met.
“Ah, I'm sorry, Senior. It was just a reflex.”
“Kyaha, no need to be sorry. I'm making good use of them myself, so you don't need to worry.”
He had thought it was just talk, but on closer inspection, he could faintly detect Annihilation Magic emanating from her horns and wings.
Was it amplifying Annihilation Magic, or did their presence allow her to generate Annihilation Magic?
The First Demon King, who was said to possess Annihilation Magic, must also have had horns and wings; perhaps the way she now controlled her horns and wings was the true method befitting an Iblis.
“You noticed, didn't you? I'm actually researching it, but I'm not sure if it's working properly. It would be great if the planning manager could help out again.”
Shati said this, naturally extending her horned head toward Ban Yuwon, but of course, he wasn't fooled.
“Do you think I'd fall for that so easily? From now on, Senior, you're on your own.”
“Too bad.”
“B-Big Sis...! Such a frivolous act, absolutely not!”
“It's my business, isn't it? And you, your way of speaking sounds like an old man.”
Perhaps to ease the tension, Shati, who had been constantly teasing her companions, remained curt when dealing with her younger brother.
Was there a special reason? Ban Yuwon pondered whether to ask, but fearing he might get entangled in her family matters and be unable to extricate himself, he chose to remain silent.
However, as if sensing his momentary hesitation, Shati turned back and winked at him.
So discreetly that even Mira, who was vigilantly guarding her right beside her, didn't notice.
But she couldn't deceive Dokgo Yeon's eyes; though she didn't say anything specific, she glared at Shati and then stepped in between her and Ban Yuwon, as if to block them.
“This is not an environment conducive to lingering. Let's finish quickly and return.”
“Kyaha, I think the same.”
Dokgo Yeon ignored Shati, and Shati deliberately interjected into Dokgo Yeon's words.
Ban Yuwon, seeing the unspoken battle of wits between the two, simply chuckled.
Mira's jealousy was frightening, but Dokgo Yeon's jealousy was cute.
Especially because she herself didn't seem to recognize it.
“Yeon, what about what you said earlier? About death.”
“You know that it's a force that inherently cannot accumulate.”
Dokgo Yeon replied instantly, as if she had been waiting for him to speak to her.
Her face, as she half-closed her eyes and surveyed their surroundings, was utterly serious, unlike when she glared at Shati.
“However, the countless deaths that have occurred on this planet have altered the very nature of the land, resulting in all energetic flows being guided toward death. Here, attacks not intended to kill will maliciously pierce through and end an enemy's life, and objects imbued with mana will frequently malfunction, causing mass casualties. The more mana one uses here, the deeper the desire for slaughter will penetrate into their very bones.”
“It sounds like an environment that the Entity would appreciate...”
It wasn't called a demon realm for nothing, was it?
Listening to Dokgo Yeon's words, it seemed that not only the Iblis, who wielded Blood Magic, but also the Human Empire, who contended with them for world supremacy, would not be free from its demonic influence.
“...Hmph.”
As if he thought she was slandering his planet, Kron, who had glared intensely at Dokgo Yeon as she calmly discussed the death saturating the star, snorted and turned his head, as if even arguing with her was too much trouble.
It was fortunate that he hadn't picked a fight with Dokgo Yeon; otherwise, she would have given him a lesson in manners, regardless of whether his father was the Demon King or not.
“Big Sis, the enemy seems to be showing itself soon.”
“Yes, I know even without you telling me. As a representative of the Iblis royalty, you will clearly witness the power I display.”
Shati's words from space were by no means a lie.
The enemies' presence, felt the moment they left the demon realm, was no less formidable than that of the elite forces they had encountered in space.
Indeed, if they were, as Dokgo Yeon had just said, a unit steeped in death from endless combat, then their chilling aura, like blood-soaked blades, was understandable.
A military force numbering tens of thousands, composed solely of such elite soldiers.
It was simply a laughable sight.
“Junior.”
Shati called Ban Yuwon, extending the Horn of the Demon King in her hand forward, preparing to unleash an attack.
“Yes, Senior.”
“Don't hold back for no reason; rampage spectacularly. The Demon King isn't just trying to test me.”
“I intended to do that from the start, but... I won't end up getting more deeply entangled in this, will I? Like, trying to marry me off to the Demon King or something.”
As Ban Yuwon frowned deeply, anticipating such an ominous development that was entirely plausible, Kron, unable to hold back any longer, suddenly shouted beside him.
“How dare you! A lowly human discussing marriage with Big Sis!”
“Kron, be quiet.”
And at Shati's stern voice, he immediately whimpered and retreated.
Shati, who had silenced her brother, turned back to him and smiled, as if to reassure him.
“The Demon King might pick you as my prospective husband, but he won't force it upon you, so don't worry. That would be my responsibility, after all. ...Our Iblis originally practice marriage by abduction, kyaha!”
“Mira, protect me.”
“Rather than let you be taken, I'll kill Shati. Rest assured.”
“I can't feel reassured by that...”
Could it be that even Mira had already been swept away by this world's demonic influence?
Ban Yuwon sighed and took a step forward.
In the distance, the faint forms of human forces, arrayed in formation, were advancing.
“Are you ready?”
“Okay. I'll hit them with a big one.”
“...Me too.”
Aire, who had been quiet until now, stepped forward beside Shati.
Perhaps feeling a sense of rivalry toward the wide-area magic Shati had displayed, her silver eyes gleamed sharply.
“I'll go first.”
Just then, an orb shot out from within her clothes, spinning furiously and emitting a chilling ice mana.
Whether they sensed the magic being activated, or were wary of the terrible explosion Shati had caused in space, a five-colored mana blossomed from the enemy's center, forming a defensive barrier that enveloped the entire legion!
“They saw us, now the barrier――.”
“Useless.”
Aire, neatly ignoring Ban Yuwon's warning, shot an silver arrow into the sky.
Outwardly, it was just a fragile arrow, but after soaring into the air and reaching its apex, it instantly changed direction, plummeted into the enemy lines, froze the entire barrier, shattered it, and struck the enemy formation!
―Kuaaaaak!
―Th-this mana isn't that of the demon race!
Amazingly, Aire's magic not only destroyed the wide-area barrier that had spread out, but also transformed the mana that constituted the barrier into a large number of ice spears, attacking those beneath it.
Especially since the attacks were concentrated on the mages in the rear, under Aire's control, they wouldn't even dare to create another barrier.
“Aire, you knew the enemy would create a barrier.”
“Naturally.”
Aire nodded calmly.
Ban Yuwon didn't miss her eyes momentarily splitting vertically.
The scale, delicacy, and precision of the magic all seemed to surpass the usual scope of her abilities; sure enough, it appeared to be mixed with draconic power.
Even with the risk of revealing her true nature, she couldn't allow herself to be outdone by Shati. Seeing a glimpse of her pride, Ban Yuwon couldn't help but smile.
“Good, now!”
At any rate, with the enemy in disarray, this was the greatest opportunity.
Shati poured all the mana amplified through the Horn of the Demon King into her Authority, manifesting it right in the middle of the exposed enemy formation!
―Kwaaaaaaaang!
An explosion even greater than the one that had occurred in space engulfed the entire area.
While Aire's initial disruption of the enemy formation certainly helped, the fantastic combination of the Horn of the Demon King and Shati's mana was a far greater factor.
This result solidified the conjecture that the artifact had been created with Annihilation Magic in mind from the start, rather than Blood Magic.
―Swoooosh...
Having lost over 40% of their forces to two consecutive great spells, the Human Empire's army now looked utterly shattered, their initial formidable presence rendered meaningless.
Considering that most of the soldiers composing that legion were two to three times stronger than Irekto, one could imagine how incredible Aire and Shati's magic was.
Of course, their companions, who had already anticipated the outcome, weren't particularly surprised, but Kron, who had directly witnessed Shati's transformed Authority before his very eyes, was speechless, his jaw gaping open.
“B-Big Sis, what is this, how... the Authority.”
“Junior, I'll ask this of you. I think I just poured out all my mana.”
“Okay, leave the rest to us.”
Aside from Ban Yuwon, Team Rebellion was a poorly balanced team with not a single member possessing ranged or support abilities, but when facing an army with shattered formations, no other team could perform as effectively as them.
As Ban Yuwon replied valiantly and stepped to the front, twenty-five Stormrain Swords revolved around him as if to envelop him.
Rucell revealed her ears and tail, entering a half-beast state, and followed behind, sparks flying from her extended claws.
Asha transformed the True Dragon Sword into a spear, gripped it firmly with both hands, and surged past Rucell.
Lastly, Dokgo Yeon, who had drawn her short sword, was walking with an expression of anticipation when she suddenly looked back.
Seeing Kron, who was still glaring at the back of Ban Yuwon's head with a sulky expression, she curled one corner of her mouth into a smile and then—
“You there, runt, watch closely. With your current abilities, you won't even be able to properly track our movements.”
“R-Runt? You...!”
The next moment, Dokgo Yeon vanished from the sight of the remaining party members.
When they blinked, she had already pierced the center of the enemy formation faster than anyone, swinging her short sword in a single flash.
At the end of that trajectory, hundreds of elite soldiers of the Human Empire, each stronger than Kron, lost their heads.
“Ah――――?!”
“Look at her, deliberately provoking him before she goes. Seriously, that kid has a terrible temper.”
“Team Rebellion only has members with bad tempers.”
Mira calmly retorted, gripping a large longbow she pulled from who knows where, to Shati's exasperated murmur.
Shati's and Aire's gazes simultaneously shot toward Mira, but Mira completely ignored their stares and nocked a cursed arrow onto her bowstring.
It was only 30 minutes later that the Human Empire's army, having lost 80% of its strength, began to retreat.
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