Chapter 188

Chapter 188

I Became the Academy Mafia Chapter 188The heroes and Kurus return to their original positions as though time itself had been rewound.

Then the battle proceeds according to the values that had been set.

The other heroes are pushed backward, leaving only four in front of Kurus.[Kwak Chun-sik], [Young Hoem], [Park Yoon-ho], [Loti]

“Front-line damage dealer, front-line tank, rear-line supporter, rear-line damage dealer. It's the most standard basic composition there is. And remember, what I'm about to show you is a battle that perfectly recreates the abilities those heroes possessed at the time.”

As though announcing the start of the battle, Park Yoon-ho snaps his fingers, and the four heroes begin to move.

The first to move is Kwak Chun-sik.

The pure white blade in his hand turns blue, sending a low vibration through the surroundings.

Gulp

-At the same time, the sound of someone swallowing can be heard beside me.

Not a single student gathered here is making a sound, but there is no doubt that everyone is thinking the same thing.

Even if this place is nothing more than an illusion, their abilities are ‘real.’

-Activation.

With Kwak Chun-sik's low murmur, the battle begins.

His sword, charging toward Kurus at a speed so tremendous it is difficult even to follow with the eyes, comes down in a straight line.

At the sight, Kurus opens his mouth wide. A black mass bursts from that gaping mouth and instantly takes human form, striking Kwak Chun-sik with both hands.

-Kikikikikikik!!

The black mass lets out a bizarre laugh as though mocking Kwak Chun-sik as he is sent flying into the distance, then disappears. At the same time, two pitch-black swords rise from Kurus's hands.

Then he charges toward Kwak Chun-sik, who has fallen to the ground.

Kwak Chun-sik hurriedly tries to stand and take a stance, but perhaps the impact from being thrown was considerable, because he collapses again.

It is truly a desperate situation.

But the bastard's movements stop as though by magic.

Because there is someone in the distance pointing a finger at Kurus.

Park Yoon-ho.

He had used his magic to stop Kurus's movements.

At the same time, Young Hoem, who had been guarding the rear line, charges toward Kurus with his blond hair fluttering behind him.

He raises both hands and slams them down with all his strength.

Kurus's body folds like a crumpled sheet of paper and is driven into the ground.

But as though it were nothing, he turns into liquid. He tries to retreat, seemingly to reduce the impact, but.

-Ground-Sealing Ice Prison.

Blue swords stab into the ground from every direction as though intent on stopping him, blocking his movement.

Kwak Chun-sik, having recovered from the damage, had manipulated his aura to cut off Kurus's movement.

-Kikik! Kikikik! Gikikikik!

With his coordinates fixed, Kurus begins thrashing violently.

Being unable to move in front of a mage.

That is nothing less than a hopeless situation.

Loti, who had been casting until now, extends her staff forward and chants.

-Delete.

Only a single blink.

I merely blink for the briefest instant, and a red pillar that had not existed moments before begins descending toward the trapped Kurus.

A pillar of red light descends from the far edge of the sky like a setting sun falling.

“Wow...”

The children, who had been holding their breath while watching until now, let out sounds of admiration and stare blankly at the sight.

After all, top-tier magic wasn't something one could easily see, whether in a video or in reality.───────!!

A deafening roar that seems capable of tearing space apart swallows the entire area.

Was it the magic Loti had used?

No.

At that, the children look toward the source of the sound with pained expressions.

The sight of the red pillar gradually being dyed in darkness is almost like...

“Eclipse. It's Kurus's ability to turn light into darkness. It's also one of the reasons demons who utterly despise light flocked to him.”

Hearing Park Yoon-ho's explanation, the children nod and look back at the scene before them.

The pillar, gradually consumed by darkness like white tissue submerged in ink, is finally dyed black to the very end before beginning to devour the sky itself.

“Whoa, that's insane. Boss, if you fought that thing, who'd win?”

“It's almost scary...”

It seems the Familia members are equally unable to close their mouths at the sight, which is on an entirely different level from any villain they have seen before.

Soon, the pillar of darkness disappears, and what walks out from it is no longer something that can be called human.

A grotesque life-form resembling a lump of pitch-black tar gathered together.

-lethum.

lethumlethumlethumlethumlethum.

The bastard works his mouth desperately, uttering incomprehensible words.

-mors descendet in te.(Death shall descend upon you.)

He merely utters a single sentence.

Yet Loti screams and collapses, while Park Yoon-ho glares at him with a pained expression.

“It's a curse(curse)

that most demons can use. You may experience it yourselves if you fight demons in the future, so remember this. The easiest way to shake off their curses is─────Crack.

“To drown them out with an even louder sound.”

A massive bursting sound shakes the surroundings.

At the source of the sound is Young Hoem, his hands pressed together.

With nothing more than a clap, he had blown away the curses uttered by thirty-three demons all at once.

Kurus tilts his head at the sight, then raises one of his newly formed six hands and points toward Loti, who has yet to recover.

Power slowly gathers at the tip of his finger as though absorbing the surrounding darkness.

At this rate, she will be pierced through.

But.

-Solitary Evergreen.

With a familiar voice, blue flashes rain down and slash apart every part of the bastard's body, including his arm.

Hero Kwak Chun-sik.

He had moved.

Seeing that, Young Hoem grins and synchronizes his breathing as he charges toward Kurus, whose body is slowly recovering.

The bastard creates a pitch-black shield to block him, but.

-Chippira!

Booooom──!!

It shatters into pieces from a single punch, leaving his body completely exposed.

-Kikikikikikik!

As though resisting, the bastard points a hand overflowing with gathered power toward Young Hoem.

A beam of black light shoots straight ahead like a laser to pierce its target.

At that moment.

-Ground Wave.──The world tilted.

The black beam grazes Young Hoem's cheek and shoots into the sky.

-Cabinet.

Park Yoon-ho, who had been searching for an opening from behind, brings both hands together and casts his magic as though determined not to miss this chance.

A translucent purple pillar surrounds Kurus.

Unable to move, Kurus can only twitch.

Kwak Chun-sik points the tip of his sword at him and quietly declares.

-Moon White, Wind Clear.

The moon is bright and the wind is cool.

Kwak Chun-sik swings his sword with an extremely light motion, as though merely brushing away a butterfly before him.

Just as I wonder whether such a weak-looking attack could possibly work against him.

Rustle─.

A gentle breeze stirs my hair.

“Huh?”

“What?”

Apparently I wasn't the only one who felt it, because every child touched by the breeze looks around in confusion.

This is a space within an illusion. Something inside an illusion should have no way of affecting us, and yet a faint wind sweeps over all of us.

And then that wind sweeps away everything.

The darkness surrounding us, the fear, the corrupted energy—it carries them all away.

The sky stained in darkness changes into a night sky filled with starlight, and the blackened sun transforms into a moon radiating blue light.

Moon White, Wind Clear.

The moon was bright and the wind was cool.

-Kieeeeeeeek!!

Park Yoon-ho's magic fades, and the shriek of the bastard inside begins echoing through the surroundings.

-You're noisy.

Even though this is merely a simulation made of illusions.

-Be quiet.

For some reason, I feel as though I can hear Kwak Chun-sik's voice.

-Isn't it a good night?

It feels as though I've made eye contact with him.

With that, Kurus collapses to the ground, spraying a fountain of black blood.

At that moment, all time stops, and the surroundings turn pitch-black.

“Now, this is why we study Villain Studies.”

With Park Yoon-ho's voice, we suddenly find ourselves back in the classroom where we had originally been sitting.

“To know villains' abilities and techniques, learn the correct countermeasures, and consider the optimal situation. As you saw, the total damage suffered in that battle was four minor injuries. That's on an entirely different scale from when everyone rushed in at once.”

Tap.

He places a hand on the lectern and looks at us.

“This subject was created in the hope that you won't repeat the mistakes made by the previous generation.”

For some reason, heat seems to rise from everyone at his words.

To find the best method for situations that may happen at any time.

To never make the same mistakes again.

And after saying that, Park Yoon-ho looks toward us with a satisfied expression and speaks.

“All right, then Jin-woo Vivald and his group members should come to the faculty office during lunch today to receive your bonus points.”

______________

Even after finishing all my classes at the Academy and returning home to rest, what happened during Villain Studies kept circling through my mind.

Middle-aged Kwak Chun-sik.

He was strong.

At that age, he already possessed enough power to alter the world, and he had succeeded in landing a fatal blow on Kurus, who had contracted with thirty-three demons.

Of course, because Kurus was contracted with demons, I knew he would return without dying someday, but judging from the fact that there had been no sightings of Kurus since that day until now, it was certain that Kwak Chun-sik's attack had dealt him tremendous damage.

“...

This won't do.”

I immediately called Kwak Chun-sik using the Smart Lens.

A brief ringing tone.

-What is it at this hour?

Kwak Chun-sik asked in a voice as though he had never expected me to call first.

“Elder. It's been quite a while since we last had mentoring, hasn't it?”

-Right? Isn't that because you've been running around everywhere saying you're busy every day?...

I certainly wasn't entirely free of blame there.

“How about tomorrow? It's the weekend, and I happen to have time.”

-Tomorrow?

Kwak Chun-sik falls silent for a moment at my words.

Then, after a short while, his voice comes through.

-No.

“Why? You aren't going to the Academy tomorrow anyway.”

-If I say no, I mean no! I promised to go on a date with my granddaughter tomorrow!

“...

Pardon?”

-Don't you know what a date is? A date? My granddaughter says she wants to play with me for the first time in ages, so how could I skip it! No. You brat! Tomorrow is my day off!

His extremely firm attitude catches me off guard.

Is playing with his granddaughter really that important?

Well, maybe at his age it could be, but even so, his one and only beloved disciple is asking him like this...

Ah, was his granddaughter his only one too?

-Knock knock~! Big Brooo~ whatcha doiiing?

At that moment, Ji-yoon's voice comes from outside my room.

Wait... Ji-yoon?

Something flashes through my mind.

Right, this is it!

So I immediately open the door Ji-yoon is knocking on, gesture for her to stay quiet, and continue the call.

“Elder. Didn't you say your granddaughter was seven years old?”

-That's right?

“I have a good idea.”

-A good idea?

“My little sister is seven too. Wouldn't it be nice to let them play together this time so they can both make a friend?”

-What? You mean Ji-yoon?

“It's a little embarrassing to say this myself, but our Ji-yoon is polite and kind. Wouldn't she make a good close friend for your granddaughter?”

A brief silence.

-Sounds good?

“Right?”

-All right, let's meet tomorrow. I'll text you the time and place, so come there.

“Yes. I'll see you tomorrow.”

-Yeah~Good.

With that greeting, I end the call.

Then I look at Ji-yoon, who is sitting obediently on the bed and staring blankly at me.

“Big Bro. Is the call over?”

“Yeah. It's over.”

I walk over and scoop her up in one motion.

“Ji-yoon. Want to go out with Big Bro tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow? Really?!”

“Yeah. And let's meet a new friend too.”

“A friend! Wow!”

Unable to contain her joy at the word friend, Ji-yoon throws her arms around me while still in my arms.

“I love it!”

Grin─Just as planned.