Chapter 139

“What? Aria has disappeared and Evan went to rescue her…?”

Arhen muttered in shock while asking Stella and Uriel for an explanation.

Stella and Uriel nodded in response.

“Oh dear…”

Arhen lowered his head and murmured.

It was a disaster.

He couldn’t believe that Aria had vanished at such a critical moment.

“Is there any problem? Where on earth is Aria…?”

“Aria probably went to face the demons alone.”

At Arhen’s words, Stella and Uriel widened their eyes.

“Is it still someone’s doing?”

Nodding at Stella’s question, Arhen continued.

“Aria had predicted that the Demon King Army would attack during the tests long ago. Her disappearance this time was likely to prepare for that ambush.”

By this point, Arhen had come to realize who was responsible for such an act.

There was no way he couldn’t know.

This malicious and ferocious magician unleashed countless low-level demons within the Academy, not to mention releasing mid-level demons where the students gathered.

It was evident that teleportation magic circles were formed here and there.

The magician capable of committing such acts was a grand magician like himself.

“Maleficent… that fiend’s doing.”

Arhen chewed on the name as he muttered.

“Malef… icent…”

Stella and Uriel gasped at hearing that name.

Particularly in Stella’s case, she was well aware of who Maleficent was, which made it all the more shocking.

“If it’s Maleficent… that lich grand magician…!”

“A lich… grand magician?! W-Why did Aria go to face them alone?! You said it was a member of the Demon King Army!”

Uriel turned to Arhen with a shocked expression after hearing Stella’s murmuring.

However, Arhen didn’t have all the answers either.

He only knew that a demon would attack during the Academy’s tests and was preparing for that.

But one question still remained.

“Aria clearly said that they would attack when the practical examination started…”

Yet the attack had already begun before the practical examination commenced.

Arhen, who had taken Aria’s advice to heart and prepared for when the practical exam began, couldn’t help but question this.

Of course, it was said that it was a prophetic foresight due to an oracle, so he couldn’t be certain, but Aria’s advice had become unreliable.

In the end, it could be seen that the attack had indeed occurred, so it couldn’t be said that she was completely wrong.

“Damn… this is serious.”

Arhen grasped his head in frustration and let out a sigh.

He wished he could rush out to rescue Aria and Evan right now.

It might be inappropriate to say this, but rescuing Aria was far more important than saving the students. If he could save Aria and return the Academy to its original state, then he could just revive the dead students.

Yes, that would be the most efficient route.

But as a teacher, as the Dean who taught students at the Academy, he knew he shouldn’t think this way.

Just because Aria was more important didn’t mean he could sit by and watch the students suffer and die.

What should he do?

As Arhen was deep in thought, he suddenly noticed Stella.

‘This child…’

She had previously traveled with the saint and the hero of this generation.

Uriel was the same.

And…

‘Come to think of it, this child was researching teleportation magic.’

He remembered that she was studying a magic that allowed precise teleports to marked locations.

If that magic could be used, perhaps the two of them could manage without him needing to go help.

That thought crossed his mind.

“Stella… was it?”

“… Yes?”

When Arhen pointed her out, the girl was startled.

Arhen smiled slightly and asked, “How far have you progressed with that teleportation magic you showed me last time?”

“Y-Yes? Why are you asking that all of a sudden…”

“Please, tell me quickly. Time is of the essence.”

Stella paused in disbelief but then fell deep in thought.

After a moment, she replied, “I can’t call it complete yet, but compared to when it was unstable, it’s far more stable now, and the magic power used is also significantly reduced, allowing for multiple uses. There shouldn’t be a worry of failure…”

That was enough.

Arhen smiled with determination.

“Let me see your hands, Uriel.”

“Y-Yes?!”

“Please.”

At Arhen’s words, Uriel hesitated but then extended her hand.

As Arhen took her hand, he suddenly felt a massive amount of power draining from his own body.

Uriel staggered to her knees, gasping for breath from the sudden loss of strength.

“That should be enough.”

Arhen pulled out a ring embedded with a magic stone that he had been carrying.

“Take this.”

“What is this…?”

“It’s a top-grade magic stone.”

“A-top-grade magic stone?!”

Stella exclaimed in shock at Arhen’s words.

A top-grade magic stone was reputed to have the highest efficiency among magic stones, capable of containing enough magical power for multiple uses of transcendental magic.

“Sorry, Uriel. I’m short on strength to use this here. I might have taken more of your power than I intended. I hope you understand.”

“I’m okay… with it…”

Seeing Uriel struggling to breathe while forcing a smile, Arhen looked down at her with an expression of admiration and gently patted her head.

Such a cute child, he thought as he glanced back at Uriel and Stella.

‘With these two… it might be possible.’

No, it absolutely must be possible.

Arhen handed the necklace to Stella.

“With the power contained in this, you should be able to save the students. I’ve embedded offensive and defensive magic as a precaution against the demons’ attacks, so use it well. It shouldn’t run out too easily. And…”

Arhen approached Stella and placed his hand on her head.

Right after that, Stella felt familiar coordinates being ingrained in her mind.

“Do you think you can manage this?”

“… Of course.”

She now knew which coordinates they were.

Since he had engraved the markings directly into her mind, there was no worry of failure.

Stella smiled confidently in response to Arhen’s question.

“Uriel, take me to the shelter I had set up in advance. I’ve drained as much power as I could, so I won’t be able to move for a while.”

“I will.”

“Alright… I will rescue Evan and Aria shortly.”

It was the first time he had entrusted students with such an important task.

After promising himself that he would never allow students to be put in such situations again since that day, he found himself in this predicament.

Arhen wore a distant expression and hoped silently.

Please let nothing happen.

*

“Haah… haah…”

Evan had barely taken down the numerous low-level demons blocking his path.

While low-level demons didn’t possess great strength, their sheer numbers meant he couldn’t help but tire out as they swarmed like a tide.

Theoretically, their numbers were infinite, but Evan’s stamina was inevitably wearing down.

Breathing heavily, with various scratches forming on his body, Evan looked back at the innumerable corpses of demons behind him.

Just getting hurt by demons was already a significant pain in itself.

Though as a hero with the sacred sword continually supplying him with divine power, it wasn’t a crucial problem for him to have demonic energy enter his body; the pain was indescribable.

“Phew… This is enough…”

Evan sighed as he looked back at the corpses of the demons, melted by the divine energy of the sacred sword. He steeled his resolve once more. Having come this far, there would be no turning back; he vowed to rescue Aria and return.

Just as he had promised… he was about to arrive at the place where Aria’s divine power had exploded.

However…

“What is this… this magic…”

The closer he got, the more he felt an indescribable, nauseating energy.

With Aria’s divine power, there shouldn’t be this much demonic energy…

Shouldn’t there?

Creeeek

Crumble

“Th-this is…”

Something was rising from the ground.

A monster made of bones roared silently towards him with glowing red eyes. As intense magic energy emanated from the skeletal monsters, Evan tightened his grip on his sword.

Something felt very wrong, more than wrong.

Yet he pressed forward to rescue Aria.

Onward.