CHAPTER 44: EXECUTION [1]

’... It’s still too early to be reassured. Although it is said that sacred magic can be used, it’s only a temporary state. With only half of his true name and a temporary contract, he won’t be able to properly use even a tenth of his original power.’

But that’s enough.

His role is to completely restrain that monster, even if only for a moment.

"Captain... no, Zeil Sieghart... what on earth are you?"

"..."

Eden’s voice trembled sharply behind me, as if he had seen a ghost, but I made no reply.

I didn’t have time to worry about questions like that—I had to focus on what needed to be done right now.

’You have to concentrate.’

Fortunately, the Dullahan hadn’t been pushed back significantly yet.

Rather, he was slightly overwhelming his opponent. Evil seemed greatly alarmed by the power of sacred magic, which was capable of destroying demonic energy itself.

However, I knew very well that this too was only temporary.

If Rachel were to use martial arts in her current state...

There would be no more chances.

Even if her head didn’t remember, her body probably did.

Thud!

Every time the two clashed, the ground trembled, and the air around them fluctuated violently.

’Just once...’

Due to the mana drain—which felt like premature exhaustion—there was no more mana left to draw upon.

I was in a state of extreme physical and mental instability.

It wouldn’t have been surprising if I collapsed right then, but I hadn’t endured this long just to die in a place like this.

I forcibly gathered the last of my mental strength and ignited my demonic energy throughout my body.

"...Hah."

I vomited a handful of dark red blood.

All the muscles in my body screamed, and my eyeballs tensed as if they were about to burst.

A headache that felt like an awl piercing my brain throbbed with every heartbeat.

I gritted my teeth and glared at Evil in front of me.

Left chest.

The magical power that had boiled up explosively condensed in my right hand. The blood vessels in my arm swelled to the point of bursting.

"...Axion."

At the same time, a huge spear appeared in my grasp.

However, it was a little different from what I had seen before. The purple energy on the sharp blade of the spear had merged with my demonic energy and turned pitch black.

’If I can’t use mana... I’ll use demonic energy to summon the spear.’

After taking a deep breath—

"Hngh."

—I threw the spear with all my might at Evil.

Phut!

The magic spear was launched like a cannonball with a sound that tore through the air. At that moment, a terrible pain shot through my shoulder.

’Is my shoulder broken...?’

I had failed to withstand the recoil and broke my shoulder, but that pain didn’t matter.

"That’s fine..."

My body lost strength. Unable to keep my balance, I fell and braced my hands on the floor.

I knew it instinctively—the Dullahan’s summon had been disbanded.

I raised my head and looked straight ahead.

Evil was standing there with a large hole in his chest. Although it was a little off-center, it seemed I had somehow managed to land a hit.

"Ha... ha..."

I stood and walked toward Evil to make sure. Even standing right in front of him, Evil showed no reaction. As long as his heart was pierced, no matter how evil he was, he shouldn’t be able to survive it.

"It’s finally over..."

While speaking, I quickly shut my mouth. I suddenly thought of the cliché—saying that out loud and then having the enemy resurrect for real.

There was no need to invite unnecessary anxiety, superstition, or anything else.

I limped forward with my limp arm raised.

I wanted to collapse right away, but there was still one more thing left to do.

’Damn it. I’ve worked so hard, I have to take this with me.’

You never know when a situation like this might happen again. I would do whatever it takes to become stronger before that time comes.

If there is anything that can help me, I’ll collect it all and use it.

When I finally arrived in front of the corpse, I picked up the mandrake it was holding and put it into my arms. This would be a huge help in improving my cursed mana tank.

’It’s definitely not an illusion, right?’

No, that can’t be. If this were an illusion, then the corpse holding it and Rachel, who turned into Evil, must all be illusions too. She had been so obsessed she wouldn’t have let go even in death—there’s no way she was a fake.

’... But did she really storm into the testing site just to get this one thing?’

It’s true that a mandrake over a hundred years old is an extremely rare elixir, but the idea of fighting the Academy to obtain it was beyond my comprehension.

Thud.

"I don’t know."

I lay on my back and looked at the sky.

Was that the real sky, or another illusion?

It was full of things I didn’t know.

Why did Rachel become Evil? Why did she feel pain even though she had suppressed her sense of touch? Why did the proctor interfere in the test? What is Eden’s real purpose? Why are there living beings in a test he said was entirely an illusion?

Everything.

It was full of things I didn’t understand.

"...I’m exhausted."

Maybe it was because I finally relaxed, but I felt tired all of a sudden.

’It would have been nice to have Asmodeus at a time like this... Are you still busy?’

I felt comforted just knowing there was someone I could speak to openly in this world where I was completely alone.

’What happens if I make a new contract? If I can’t even properly use one power, I still have a long way to go...’

Clatter.

"What... what does that mean..."

No way.

Probably not. Probably not. I definitely saw it with my own eyes...

Wait.

Did I really confirm that he was dead?

Clatter... crack...

An unpleasant sound rang in my ears, like misaligned joints and twisted bones snapping back into place.

I slowly turned my head toward the sound.

"...Crazy."

There were no other words to describe what I saw.

The monster twisted its entire body as if performing a grotesque dance, turning its head in every direction—front, back, left, and right—like it was desperately searching for something.

The large hole in its chest was gradually closing up with new flesh.

"Damn... this is a dream...? Even with a hole in its chest, it regenerates...?"

I knew it had extraordinary regenerative powers, but I hadn’t expected it to survive even after its chest was pierced through.

At that moment, I remembered that my spear had missed slightly.

’Could it be that the heart wasn’t completely destroyed and is now regenerating?’

I didn’t even have the strength to stand anymore.

"Thi... s... sc... hool..."

Rachel found me.

Was she smiling?

There was no other choice. I’d rather die than be killed by that obsessive woman here...

"!"

Damn it.

At that moment, a crack appeared in space accompanied by a sound like something shattering.

A woman walked out from it and looked around.

Her hair was as white as an ice cap, and her eyes were as blue as a deep lake—an impressive sight.

The woman who found Rachel simply stood there, watching her in silence.

I couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

"...Stage 3, is it?"

A voice as cold as ice.

"Bishop of the Blue Cross, Chris Valentine. The execution begins now, in the name of God."