Chapter 152

Episode 152. The Case of the Disappearing Candidates (6)

From the moment I first heard about the “Case of the Disappearing Candidates” from Berald, I felt something was off.

That uneasy feeling in my heart grew bigger the more I investigated the case.

And when I encountered a masked man in the dense forest of the mountain.

I could easily figure out the identity of that uneasiness in my heart.

“W-wait? Professor Jade? What are you talking about, bro?”

Berald looked at me with a shocked expression.

Without answering his question, I looked at the masked man.

“……”

I could see the man’s eyes trembling behind the mask.

I let out a deep sigh and opened my mouth.

“It’s no use keeping your mouth shut like that.”

“…How did you know?”

A familiar voice came from behind the mask.

I glanced down at Rios, who was lying on the ground, and continued.

“There aren’t many people in Reynaldo Hero School who can knock out Rios Liu using only pure magic.”

The current fourth-year class is filled with talented candidates who are considered to be among the best in history.

Among them, Rios Liu, ranked 4th in overall evaluation.

The grandson of the “Brain God” and a famous genius mage.

To subdue him, you’d need at least the skill level of a professor or higher.

‘No, even for a professor, it wouldn’t be easy.’

It’s not just about winning a fight; you’d need to subdue him so quickly that he wouldn’t even realize he was attacked. Only someone in the upper ranks of the so-called “rankers” among heroes could do that.

“Did you figure it out just from that?”

“No. I couldn’t have known just from that. Our school’s professors are very capable.”

It’s not an easy task for a professor, but it’s not impossible either.

If you take advantage of the element of surprise, there are probably other professors besides Professor Jade who could instantly subdue Rios, who specializes in magic.

But.

“Most of the professors are currently in meetings late into the night, preparing for the second semester.”

Except for Professor Jade, who has been semi-retired from his position as a professor due to an incident two years ago.

“Haha. A professor meeting… I didn’t even know such a thing was happening.”

Professor Jade let out a hollow laugh.

“But even so, it would have been difficult to be sure it was me just from that.”

It’s not like Professor Jade is the only professor not attending the meetings.

There was also the possibility that it was the work of an outsider, not a professor.

“Well… let’s just say it was partly ‘intuition.'”

It’s not a wrong statement.

The candidates involved in the case all felt a tingling sensation on the side where the Holy Mark was engraved.

When I visited Professor Jade’s lab, he seemed to be hiding something.

There were many circumstances.

But even I wasn’t completely sure that Professor Jade was the culprit behind the case of the disappearing candidates until I came here.

But.

“Earlier, while you were receiving Senior Sophia’s magic, you cast a magic barrier to prevent Senior Rios from getting caught up in it.”

“……”

“Seeing that, I was sure. The culprit is Professor Jade.”

Contrary to the vicious nickname “Student Killer” attached to him.

I, who have been close to him, know better than anyone how much he cares for the candidates.

“Really… Candidate Dale, you’re something else.”

Professor Jade smiled bitterly and removed the mask covering his face.

A wrinkled face with a bushy beard.

The descendant of the “Great Sage” Julius Bastian and the continent’s foremost researcher on Holy Marks, Jade Bastian.

“So it was you after all.”

Did she also suspect that Professor Jade was the culprit behind this case?

Sophia gripped her staff tightly and glared fiercely.

“…Candidate Sophia.”

“Don’t say my name with that filthy mouth.”

Sophia glared at Professor Jade with cold, icy eyes.

“You attacked the candidates and knocked them out… was it for your ‘Artificial Holy Mark’ research?”

“……”

“Even after killing my brother, you couldn’t give up on that damn research?”

Professor Jade hung his head without answering Sophia’s reproach.

And then.

Whoooosh!

“Get down!”

As soon as a blue light burst from Professor Jade, Berald crossed his arms in an X-shape and blocked Sophia.

Boom!

With a loud explosion, Berald’s body was pushed back.

“Ugh!”

“You…!”

Sophia snarled and pointed her staff at Professor Jade.

A red magic power burning at the tip of the staff.

Dozens of red orbs formed in the air.

The red orbs, filled with powerful magic power, rained down on Professor Jade like a storm.

“Haha. As expected… you truly are that guy’s sister.”

Professor Jade smiled bitterly as he looked at the raining red orbs.

His hands moved as if drawing in the air.

Crackle, crackle, crackle!

A blue light formed a geometric pattern in the air.

The raining red orbs suddenly lost their direction and curved.

Crash!

Trees were uprooted and flew away as a terrifying roar shook the forest.

“But this old man’s skills aren’t that rusty yet.”

“Tch…!”

Senior Sophia bit her lip and stepped back.

A blue light forming a geometric pattern surged toward where she had been standing.

In the midst of the intense battle.

I gently touched the hilt of the sword at my waist and narrowed my eyes.

If I joined the battle here, it wouldn’t be too difficult to subdue Professor Jade.

But.

‘Something’s off.’

The uneasiness in my heart hadn’t completely disappeared.

Sticky, slimy.

An unpleasant feeling, like seeing a twisted gear that doesn’t fit, spread through my entire body.

‘Maybe I should wait a bit longer.’

I took my hand off the hilt and watched the battle between Senior Sophia and Professor Jade.

“Sophia, sis! Step back!”

“W-who are you calling sis?”

Grumbling, Sophia stepped back as Berald rushed forward.

“Huff.”

Taking a short breath, he spread his magic power wide.

The opponent was a professor.

Moreover, the descendant of the “Great Sage,” one of the Five Great Heroes who sealed the Devil God 500 years ago and saved the world.

But.

‘If that’s the case, I’m also the descendant of the Iron Fist!’

Berald created a Magic Power Orb in the air and swung his fist with all his might.

“Mountain Crusher!”

Boom!

The Magic Power Orb, struck by his fist, shot forward with a terrifying roar.

“Using magic with a fist…?”

Although he had spent his entire life in the field of magic, Professor Jade was stunned by the technique he had never seen before.

But only for a moment.

Professor Jade’s hands quickly formed a seal.

A geometric blue pattern appeared in the air.

Whoooosh!

A roaring sound.

The Magic Power Orb collided with the blue pattern and was reflected back toward Berald like a mirror.

“Damn it!”

Berald hastily crossed his arms to block the Magic Power Orb he had fired.

Boom!

His body was thrown to the ground, rolling helplessly.

“Berald!”

“Ugh… I’m fine.”

Berald waved his hand at Sophia, who was about to run to him.

Berald stood up unsteadily, a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.

“Stop it. If you keep going, you might get seriously hurt.”

Professor Jade looked at Berald, who was struggling to stand.

“It’s true that you’re a talented candidate, but you’re still no match for me now.”

“Haha. I know that.”

Berald’s lips curled into a grin.

As he said, Professor Jade was strong enough to live up to the title of the descendant of the “Great Sage.”

So strong that it seemed impossible to win.

“But listen.”

An explosive magic power surged from Berald’s body.

“I’ve been fighting opponents like that all summer.”

Fighting opponents who seemed impossible to defeat was very familiar to him.

“…I was going to show this to you during our duel, bro.”

Berald lowered his body and took a deep breath.

A posture like a crouching beast.

A pressure as if facing a wild bear weighed down on Professor Jade.

“Huff.”

Exhaling the breath he had taken.

He stomped his foot.

Boom!

Berald’s body shot forward like a gust of wind.

“It’s useless!”

Professor Jade stretched out his arms, forming seals with both hands.

A blue wall, several times larger than before, appeared in the air.

Looking at the high wall of magic power.

“Huh.”

Berald grinned.

Whoooosh!

A Magic Power Orb formed in the air.

No, more accurately, a “Magic Power Plate” formed by stretching the Magic Power Orb.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Berald stepped on the Magic Power Plate and dashed through the air as if flying.

A technique he reinterpreted in his own way from the “Wind Step” he learned from Dale.

Berald Martial Arts.

Sky Step.

“Haah!”

Berald’s body leaped over the blue wall of magic power.

Soaring high, Berald clenched his fist tightly and kicked off the Magic Power Plate, descending at high speed.

“Berald Martial Arts!”

Mountain Thunder.

Booooom!

Berald’s fist, falling like a thunderbolt, created a massive explosion.

“Ugh!”

Professor Jade, caught in the explosion, was thrown back.

“Tempest Wave!”

Not wanting to miss the opportunity, Sophia quickly used her magic.

A wave of red magic power surged toward Professor Jade like a tidal wave.

Crash!

A terrifying explosion swept across the ground.

“Ugh… Cough, cough!”

As the dust settled.

Professor Jade, now in tatters, appeared.

He seemed to have avoided major injuries by hastily creating a magic barrier, but his robe was torn in many places, and his exposed body was covered in small wounds.

“…Impressive.”

Professor Jade wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked at Berald and Sophia.

Even though he had been focusing solely on defense, he hadn’t expected to be pushed this far by a candidate.

“…Tell me.”

Sophia stepped toward Professor Jade, who was now in tatters.

“Tell me!”

“…What do you want me to say?”

“You!”

Sophia grabbed Professor Jade’s collar roughly and shouted.

“You, and my brother too! What is it about that ‘Artificial Holy Mark’ that you’re so obsessed with?!”

She screamed as if in agony.

“Why… why couldn’t my brother give up on that damn research even as he was dying?!!”

“……”

Professor Jade looked at Sophia, who was screaming, and firmly closed his mouth.

A short silence.

A low voice flowed from Professor Jade’s tightly closed mouth.

“…Because we wanted to save the world.”

“What?”

Sophia’s face twisted at the absurd words that came from his mouth.

Professor Jade continued with a bitter smile.

“Yes… we just… wanted to save the world…”

Two years ago.

Recalling a faded dream, Professor Jade’s shoulders shook as if sobbing.