The Academy’s Ankle Reaper – Chapter 416

The strike of the sword was more powerful than I had expected.

Half of Satan’s body was obliterated, and in the sky remained a scar greater than any technique I had ever mastered, shining like the Milky Way in the trajectory of light.

[Those masters… so petty. Can that even be considered fair?]

Satan, with only the upper part of his chest remaining, weakly muttered as he gazed at the place where his lower body had vanished.

I wondered if he would soon regenerate, similar to when half of his head had been blown off, but it seemed something wasn’t right.

Rather than flesh growing back from the severed wound, the injury was drying up and shrinking into a blackened and twisted mass.

[You are a malignant presence in this world. You trample the rules of existence without any sense of responsibility.]

Facing death, Satan voiced his grievances.

If you are going to leave, go out gracefully instead of blabbering unusual nonsense.

Hearing someone who forcibly broke down the wall separating two worlds just to create a doorway speak like that felt incongruous.

-CRACK!!

The longer I listened, the more useless his words became.

I swiftly bisected Satan’s head and heart in one strike.

“Everything is so futile.”

The body of Satan, who bore Cronos’ face, turned to ashes, leaving only one horn, which had been severed with my sword, in its place.

…

After witnessing Satan’s demise, I was busy with the aftermath.

I went down to check on Hulan and the other Great Demons who had fallen into the pit, but found Lucifer trying to take his own life.

[You… Master?]

“Uh… just do what you were doing. I guess that’s a trend among demons?”

I was already contemplating smashing him, yet he was attempting to kill himself, which was quite generous of him.

I had a lot to do, so I decided to ignore him and look for Hulan.

Hulan, the Dragon Beastman, had a long lifeline, but staying in that state much longer would put his life at risk.

As I turned my head and went to find someone else, Lucifer shouted at me.

[I don’t know what you’re confused about, but this isn’t like that…!!]

“Sure, sure. I guess there’s a custom of nailing oneself to the heart.”

He claimed I was mistaken, but it only looked like he was trying to stab a black stake into his own heart. What else could I call that?

Even if it wasn’t suicide, it seemed demons must have such customs.

Just like Satan and Asmodeus, the other Great Demons fundamentally layer their true selves onto their contractors to merge.

Even if the heart or head gets blown off, they can regenerate, but it would incur significant damage.

[Look at this.]

“I don’t have a hobby of looking at bare male chests.”

[Not that!]

Feeling insulted that I’d think of it as just suicide, Lucifer unexpectedly opened his chest to show me.

I thought he was trying to show off a solid ribcage, but he was actually splitting it to reveal his heart.

“Ugh… why would you show me that?”

[This is what that Satan guy did.]

Lucifer’s heart was so black it seemed utterly decayed.

The pulsating black heart released black magic with each beat.

It wasn’t the first time I had seen a heart like that.

‘Is it the same as Rex’s and that Dragon Undead’s heart?’

I had heard that Satan’s followers were researching black hearts recently, perhaps trying to mimic necromancy, but I didn’t expect to see one here.

[Satan said he would assist in the complete descent, and then used this heart to trap us in these bodies. Since he hasn’t completely descended, you have to destroy this heart to escape.]

“Isn’t breaking the heart while already bound to that body going to kill you?”

[It’s not fully layered yet, so it won’t kill me. It’ll cause significant damage, though… but I’ll be able to return to Hell.]

So if I allow Lucifer to harm himself like that, he would go back to Hell, huh?

“Ugh… that’s not gonna work.”

I barely had the chance to clean up Hell, and sending back a central figure like a Great Demon was quite unsettling.

Once again, the Aura Blade flashed in the air.

[Wait!!! If you kill me now, you will definitely regret it!!]

“I won’t do it. Don’t worry.”

[Do you even understand how huge the fissure between Hell and this world has become?! It’s so big that demons will run rampant here. If… if I go back, I will ensure no other demons come near here!!]

“What does it matter? I’m not making a deal with demons.”

Though it’s possible to return by self-destruction, attacking with methods like Holy Power or my Master’s Aura Blade that can capture the essence of demons is a different story.

If I were to break that heart with the peak of my Aura Blade, it would not only sever the binds holding the Great Demon but also cut away the heart of the true body merging with it.

As I approached, holding the gleaming light, Lucifer flailed his arms, begging for mercy.

[Then you can just think of it as having made a deal with an ancient saint! I… I was human in the past!]

“Oh? The Saint of Pride? The arrogant fool who defied the authority of the gods and fell into Hell, becoming a traitor?”

[You knew…!?]

Of course, I knew.

Long ago, during the time when there were many gods in this world, a foolish one dared to challenge his parent who would one day become the strongest god in this world, and he fell into Hell.

Because he had been favored the most, he mistook the authority of his parent for his own, and though he fell to Hell, he survived.

By consuming demons and ingesting magic energy, he lived on for a long time and ultimately became the Great Demon Lucifer.

The author once mentioned that his powers operated differently compared to the others, which was a clue.

It’s a story from a long time ago, and since the Church Country would rather not leave records of such beings, it hasn’t been documented. But since I had read it as a setting, I knew.

I understood all too well how arrogant this guy is, so I can’t let him off with just having been a human once.

If I spare him, I know he would bow as soon as I’m in sight, only to cause chaos as soon as he regained his strength.

There was no benefit in letting him live.

“What’s Hulan up to?”

“Just let it go. I’ll let it slide this time.”

Just as I was about to bring down my sword, Hulan grabbed my arm.

“If we don’t deal with him quickly, he’s gonna die for real. Can you take me out of here first?”

“It’ll take less than ten seconds to deal with that one. Can’t you wait that long?”

“I just don’t want to see any more blood today. Let’s call it a favor for helping me before; what do you say?”

Feeling guilty for dismissing him after he went this far, I relented.

“Ugh. Fine, get lost!”

-KRACK!!

Frustrated, I kicked Lucifer, and he rolled twice on the ground, hurriedly stabbing his own heart as he had warned.

From the shattered heart, black magic began to rise, and the life force within Lucifer’s body rapidly began to dwindle.

As he was dying in an instant, Lucifer spoke to us.

[…I know you didn’t mean it, but I’m still thankful. With so many Great Demons dead, Hell will be thrown into chaos. It’ll take a long time for the remaining Great Demons to stabilize things. Until then, I’ll make sure none of the demons under my command step foot here.]

With those final words, Lucifer vanished.

Unlike Satan, who left a horn behind, only a corpse with a gaping hole where Lucifer had been remained.

First, I should head back to the capital.

If the onslaught of other demons hadn’t ended yet, I’d need to drop Hulan off at the hospital and offer my help.

…

It turned out to be a pointless worry.

While I had reason to worry about Satan due to the difference in power, who would care about every other demon?

Seeing the bizarre forms of demons that seemed to have both shape and no shape, piled up like mountains made me chuckle.

As soon as I arrived, I heard the voice of my master, furious that he wouldn’t let me rest, which instantly sent shivers down my spine.

…

Due to the need to wrap up the aftermath of the demon attacks and the death of the Great Demon Satan, I decided to stay in the capital for the day.

I thought about visiting the Knight Order’s barracks, but the Commander dragged me back to the mansion instead.

“The important parts were all seen by you alone, so you have to tell me what happened properly. It’s only natural.”

That was true, and I couldn’t come up with a retort.

Once dragged to the mansion, I headed straight to the Commander’s office to begin my recount.

“So, uh… Satan couldn’t destroy the Aura Blade itself, but he managed to designate just the sword to destroy it, which made our master rethink the strategy.”

I started to share the events that had unfolded while facing Satan, recounting everything one by one.

What the situation was, why the choices were made, and how it all ended up.

As I spoke, I could feel the tension leaving my body little by little.

So it’s true, Satan is really dead now.

Most of the seven rulers who governed Hell were gone, and only a few remaining Great Demons were scampering away.

Once the large hole between us was closed, it would be hard to predict how long it would take them to regain their power.

“Hah… Haha.”

With the nerves that had been taut all this time now easing, I unexpectedly found myself laughing.

“Did something amusing cross your mind?”

“No, it’s just… it’s really over, isn’t it?”

The reason I had been running around so frantically was because I knew this world could fall to the Great Demons.

If I had left the Great Demons of Hell and the Demon Church unchecked, this world would be engulfed in Hellfire and fall into the hands of the demons.

Then suddenly, a bright star popped into view.

“Ugh!”

“What do you mean ‘it’s over’? Just because one Great Demon died doesn’t mean life is over!”

The star turned out to be my master’s flick to my forehead.

It seemed he was taken aback by my exclamation that life was over just because I killed a single Great Demon.

Accomplishing one of my life’s greatest goals made reality feel surreal, but my master wouldn’t understand.

“Yeah, yeah. Life isn’t over and it wasn’t that big of a deal!”

Let’s bury the worst potential ending this world was edging toward deep in my heart.

Now that there was nothing left to achieve, it was time to tie everything up.

The Commander, who had been writing down everything I had said, paused, looked in my direction, and spoke.

“Once the investigation is over, I have something serious to say, so don’t be shocked and listen well.”

“…I don’t know what it is, but can’t you tell me first?”

His tone sent a chill down my spine.

…

Even after the events that shook the entire continent, the Academy remained unscathed.

Did everyone really agree not to go until Satan had left? The Academy was remarkably peaceful.

People only realized something had happened during the night when they received the newspaper the next day.

In the end, it was an incident resolved within a single night.

It was quite a coincidence that it happened while the key Masters from all nations were gathered, and because cooperation was smooth, it left a mark in history that would last long, leading to remarkably few damages despite the unprecedented attack.

According to the Academy’s timeline, it was an event that stirred up noise for about a month and then was ultimately forgotten.

Time flew by swiftly, and a new semester had begun; three months had already passed.

There had been various incidents, but compared to what happened in the first semester, they were all trivialities.

With the Great Demons exterminated and the Demon Church destroyed, finding someone crazy enough to carry out a large-scale terror attack against the Academy became nearly impossible.

As days passed without noteworthy incidents, the second semester at the Academy was coming to an end.

It had almost been a year.

…

“155, huh.”

“Wow, you’ve grown a lot since the start of the semester!”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

After finishing our sparring, I measured my height like before, and there was a distinct difference from when I first arrived here.

I had struggled to cross the 150 barrier for ten years, but since coming to the Academy, I had grown over 5 cm in just a few months.

“Is my growth plate finally opening now? Hmm… at this rate, 180 is just around the corner?”

“Dream on.”

I was lost in self-congratulation, nodding to myself, but Casey replied coldly, seeming annoyed.

That was fine, though.

Now, I was clearly taller than Casey.

I should take in the fresh air above her with a magnanimous spirit; what else could I do?

“Congratulations on continuing to grow, Atlas.”

“Thanks.”

Lucia, who had confirmed my growth, showed a complex expression.

It was understandable to be sincerely happy that something they had wanted was happening, but she apparently didn’t take kindly to the fact that I was continuing to grow taller.

“Atlas, winter break starts tomorrow. Where will you go this time?”

“My parents said they would visit again, and they’re sure to stop by, right?”

“Winter break is longer than summer break, so if you have the chance, come by our territory. My father is eagerly anticipating your arrival.”

If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t have recommended it, but since I had a means to travel easily regardless of distance, everyone invited me.

It felt a bit grand, but I was touched by how many people were graciously offering me hospitality during my time at the Academy.

“Thank you all. However, I might find it a bit challenging this time.”

“No? What’s wrong… is something the matter?”

Everyone seemed astonished when I declined their invitation, especially since I had roamed freely during the last break.

I pondered how to convey it in a calm manner.

“I’ve decided to drop out today.”

Snowflakes were falling one by one from the sky.

Tomorrow would be the last day of the semester spent at the Academy.

And it would also be the day when all my missions would be terminated.

It was time for me to leave the Academy.

Now that the threat of demons had vanished, there was no longer a reason for me to stay.

“””Whattttttttttttttttt???”””


– The End –