Capítulo 2: Chapter 2 - 2. It’s Not Racism… (2)
Chapter 2 - 2. It's Not Racism… (2)
[My disguise should have been flawless. Even the dragon ancestor couldn't see through my true form!]
The demon before me shouted.
There was a mix of wariness toward this unknown threat and humiliation over having his disguise so easily seen through in his voice.
[Tell me. How did you manage to break my concealment?]
He asked with a menacing aura, frustration written clearly on his face…
But honestly, I was the one who wanted to ask the questions here.
A demon?
Why on earth would one show up right now? Even in academy stories, they usually appear around the midpoint.
Was it really just a coincidence? That I, of all people, happened to pick out the very demon trying to infiltrate the academy?
How could things go this wrong? The sheer absurdity of it all was enough to drive me mad.
[…So you won't reveal your hand. In that case, I'll just have to find out myself.]
But the situation didn't give me time to process.
The demon seemed to vanish, as if erased from existence. A moment later, I heard his voice from behind me.
[In the name of Amon, the Seventh Rank, I swear: your soul will burn in hell forever.]
No time to hesitate.
I used the imperial privileges granted to me. The spatial magic seal glowed on my left hand.
Using a spell meant for inventory storage as a shield. Normally, that would be impossible, but I wasn't hired as a professor for nothing.
I specialize in analyzing and modifying spells.
As long as it's already a well-constructed spell, I can tweak it to suit my needs.
I felt the demon's fist make contact, but the impact was minimal.
Though the spatial seal was now wrecked from the strain, it managed to absorb the blow.
The demon clicked his tongue and took a step back, clearly frustrated.
[Spatial magic… So you were hiding your power after all.]
An absurd overestimation from the demon's mouth.
He looked at me like I was some kind of monster. The same demon who'd threatened to burn my soul now looked at me, breaking into a cold sweat—quite uncharacteristic of a demon.
While he eyed me warily, the professors around us seemed to snap out of their daze. The elven professor raised his staff and shouted.
"One of the Seventy-Two Demonic Pillars has appeared! We must not let him escape!"
Everyone adopted battle stances.
At this point, I had no reason to worry.
Academy professors are monsters in their own right.
As long as no one gets caught off guard by a lunatic yelling about "cotton-pickers," it's unlikely the professors would fail to handle one demon.
I'll just ride this out and stay alert.
I came to this conclusion… then glanced at the door to the interview hall.
And thought of the students beyond that door.
I had no idea who this "Amon" character was, but in academy stories, it's usually clear what demons infiltrate the school for.
Terrorism.
They're undoubtedly here to cause as much damage as possible.
…I saw the demon take a step back, eyeing the door cautiously.
If he just fled, that would be ideal, but would a terrorist really settle for a clean escape?
Would he spare the students along his escape route?
'Not a chance.'
There would definitely be casualties.
And that would be entirely my fault.
If this followed the story's original flow, the protagonist would have detected and dealt with this terrorist demon, but I'm the one who revealed his true nature this time.
People who otherwise wouldn't have died might lose their lives because of my actions. What's the difference between that and killing them myself?
Before I knew it, my feet were moving. That troublesome habit of mine to act first and think later was kicking in again.
I quickly blocked the door and spoke.
"I won't let you through here."
It's a risky move, but one worth taking.
The odds of success are on my side. I'm not foolish enough to risk my life in a fight I can't win.
'That demon's clearly wary of me.'
He thinks I'm a spatial magic user immune to his attacks.
Given that, I doubt he'll try to attack me head-on again.
As I block his escape, either the professors will subdue him, or one of them will realize he might take a student hostage and secure them. Either way, we win.
As long as he doesn't suddenly charge at me, there's no way I'll lose.
All I need to do is buy ten seconds…
Suddenly, an alarm blared.
One of the students in the hall had activated the emergency alert button at the worst possible time.
[Damn it, if she comes here now…]
The demon's face twisted in urgency.
Only moments ago, he'd been keeping his distance, testing me. Now, he assumed an aggressive stance.
The moment I saw it, I knew.
In both my past and current lives, I've had pretty good luck. But not this time.
The demon, pressured by the alarm and the imminent arrival of reinforcements, had chosen to escape here at any cost—even if it meant taking the risk of confronting me.
I shouldn't have gotten involved in this madhouse. I was already regretting it as the demon charged.
It seemed he was desperate too, burning all his dark energy for a single, all-out attack.
I drew a hidden dagger I kept for self-defense, but without any training in swordsmanship, it was pointless.
Some of the professors were hastily casting spells to shield me, but it was a reckless, last-ditch ambush. They wouldn't make it in time.
The demon's hand extended toward me, a repulsive feeling like something brushing against my soul.
Moments later, a terrible scream rang out.
[Kraaaagh!!!]
The sound didn't come from me, but from the demon.
In shock, I opened my eyes to see the demon's pained expression.
Somehow, he was impaled on my dagger.
[I was sure I'd hidden my core… and yet even that couldn't escape your eyes…]
The demon screamed in agony.
Unintentionally, I twisted the dagger, and he let out another horrific shriek, bursting into flames.
In moments, he was reduced to ashes.
I stood there, stunned, staring at the pile of ash, before I finally regained my senses.
'…Did I win?'
Was there something special about the dagger that old man gave me? Or was the demon simply weaker than I thought? Or maybe I'd just happened to hit a vital spot.
I wasn't sure, but one thing was certain: I'd survived this disaster.
The realization washed over me, and my tension finally eased.
'I almost died on my first day at work.'
Surviving this nightmare was nothing short of a miracle.
After what just happened, I'd definitely need to go through with my plan to leave as soon as things settled down.
As I looked around, I noticed everyone's eyes were on me.
The elf who'd insulted me.
The old professor who'd scolded me for daydreaming during work.
Every single professor present was staring at me with a strange expression.
And then, from behind, I heard a voice.
"Hmmm… I happened to witness something interesting."
Silver hair.
A face like a sculpted masterpiece, beautiful as a work of art, and two horns protruding from their head.
"Would you join me for a cup of tea?"
The headmaster of the Imperial Academy.
The dragon ancestor was staring at me intently.
Her eyes sparkled as if she'd found something truly fascinating.
…It seemed my grand plan to get fired was falling apart in real-time.
After the new professor was taken away for questioning, the Academy interviews continued as scheduled.
But not a single one of the remaining professors could focus on the interviews.
Even the elderly professor who'd scolded the newcomer for daydreaming during work was unable to concentrate.
It was unprofessional, certainly.
But who could blame the old professor?
-"Would you really let something so hideous into the Academy?"
From the very start, the new professor had recognized the demon's true identity. No one else had detected the demon's malicious nature, yet he had seen right through it.
He'd even used coded language to subtly warn everyone that the demon had infiltrated the Academy.
-"I won't let you through here."
The professor had stood his ground alone.
It almost seemed absurd, like he was frozen in fear, but he'd shown no signs of panic.
The man simply stood there.
He didn't construct any spells. He didn't raise a staff. Yet he'd completely overpowered the demon.
As if he refused to even speak to the creature, he'd remained silent, until finally, in a burst of anger, he'd spoken.
He'd sworn that he wouldn't let the demon through. That he'd never allow it to harm the students.
While everyone else focused on capturing the demon for glory, he alone had thought of the students.
While everyone else sought to kill, he was the only one who wanted to save someone.
…How could they forget someone like that?
How could they erase that image from their minds?
Countless remarkable individuals enter the Academy.
The Saintess from the Holy Church.
The Empire's Second Princess, hailed as a genius.
A commoner with no aptitude for magic, yet who earned the top score for admission.
All unique figures, yet everyone was certain.
Among all the talents who appeared this year, the most extraordinary by far would surely be that new professor.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder