One of the 72 Evils appeared right before their eyes.
On the other hand, they were merely first-year students at the Academy.
Not only had they not yet completed even one semester, but because of the barrier cast by the demon, they couldn’t expect reinforcements either. Even the professors could no longer protect them.
Yet, despite such circumstances, none of the students lost their composure.
If anything, it would have been strange if they did.
‘We’ve all learned under that professor.’
The protagonist of this world, Lucie Leonhart, showed a confident smile.
They knew that he had single-handedly fended off attacks before.
They knew that he had seen through the demon’s true nature.
They knew that he had saved everyone countless times.
And above all, they knew that he was a true professor of this era, who genuinely cared for his students.
‘But Professor Riyan made a mistake? Neglected to protect us and let the demon approach?’
There’s a limit to how absurd something can sound.
Professor Riyan is the one most fitting of the term “perfect.” This must be a situation he intended.
As Lucie calmly reviewed the situation, the answer became clear.
The professor, who rarely used poison, specifically weakened the enemy and, although he could have ended the enemy’s life, chose to stop at delivering a critical injury.
And the weakened enemy was allowed to target the A-Class students specifically.
There was only one possibility.
“To think that the first task he’s given us is to defeat a demon… Just what expectations does Professor Riyan have for us? I already feel the weight on my shoulders.”
Sylvia spoke up beside them, and Lucie wholeheartedly agreed.
No matter how weakened it was, to expect students alone to kill one of the 72 Evils was outrageous.
The Academy’s history wouldn’t have anything close to a task this difficult.
Everyone, not just Lucie, looked a bit taken aback by such a demand that far surpassed common sense.
“Still, if the professor believes in us, we must do our best to meet his expectations.”
Of course, finding it outrageous and giving up on the test were different matters entirely.
Though the expectations the professor had placed on them were indeed heavy, their gratitude far outweighed the burden.
‘If it’s you all, you can do this. My students can easily overcome such hardship.’
‘I have no doubt that you can succeed.’
It felt as if the professor were whispering encouragement in their ears.
With the most trustworthy person in the world pushing them from behind, how could they not feel brave? How could they not draw their swords confidently in the face of their enemy?
“Let’s go. We’ll take that thing down with our own hands!”
Lucie shouted loud enough for everyone to hear.
At that moment, the A-Class students prepared for battle.
The demon, facing them, muttered something to himself, but there was no question of what was more important—Professor Riyan’s test or the demon’s babbling.
They brushed off his words about wanting to talk or questioning if they were truly first-years.
He mocked them, wondering why everyone was using magical enhancement so easily, but they paid him no mind.
“Huu…”
Taking a deep breath, Lucie gripped their sword tightly.
Though afflicted with magic insensitivity, which meant they couldn’t sense or handle magic properly, by fate’s strange twist, their innate magic capacity was second to none.
How to imbue a blade with magic…
How to unleash sword energy…
They knew none of that, yet they managed to top the Imperial Academy’s rankings with overwhelming results.
“Horizontal Slash.”
By simply swinging their sword with all their strength, they had dominated every other test taker in that place.
An endlessly simple strike.
But it was precisely because of its simplicity that it was a fierce slash that was impossible to counter as it flew toward the demon.
As soon as it saw it, the demon, horrified, pushed off the ground to leap back.
There was no option to meet that strike head-on.
Realizing this early on, the demon opted to evade.
However, Lucie had anticipated that reaction long ago.
“Now!”
Lucie shouted to everyone.
The demon, already poisoned and injured, had hurriedly dodged, making it impossible for it to maintain its stance.
If there was ever a moment to attack, it was now.
The students, who had long awaited the chance to avenge the demon’s blasphemous insults toward their professor, surrounded the demon in a group as if they had planned it all along.
***
“Twenty attacking one—is there no pride among you all? Don’t you feel any shame in using such lowly tactics in what should be an honorable duel?”
Among the students, there was even one from a knight family that had upheld their honor for centuries.
Under normal circumstances, a demon invoking pride in a moment of crisis might have been unexpectedly effective… but this time, the opponent was just too unfortunate.
After all, our professor had already foreseen even this.
“It’s not medicine; it’s poison, you fool.”
A genius who mastered the rare and difficult art of spatial magic.
With Professor Riyan’s skill, he could have easily overpowered the enemy without resorting to something as underhanded as poison.
There was only one reason he would have chosen such a distasteful method in front of everyone.
‘There’s no need to show respect to a demon. Instead, learn the wisdom to mock your opponents and not fall for their deceitful tricks.’
‘Just how many steps ahead was he thinking?’
It was impossible not to be in awe of Professor Riyan’s insight.
Not one student here was foolish enough to ignore the lessons he had personally imparted.
Thus, there wasn’t a single person who would be ashamed or swayed by the demon’s words.
“The demon’s trying to divide us! Stay together! Together, let’s tear this demon apart!”
They surrounded the demon and continued their relentless attacks.
Gathered with a shared intent, the students tortured the demon.
The agonizing screams echoed, and the sight of the bloodied demon brought bright smiles to the students’ faces—so much so that one might wonder who the real demon was.
***
“Arrogant brats, just like your professor! Know your place! Do you think that if I unleash my true power, prepared to die, you could stand against me?”
Cornered, the demon shouted.
Whether it was a final struggle or a desperate attempt, the demon’s face filled with malice as it began burning its very soul.
Even weakened, one of the 72 Evils was still a formidable force.
Lucie understood that the demon’s warning was no empty threat.
If it truly unleashed its full strength, some students would inevitably be dragged down with it.
By the time the professor broke the barrier, half the students here might already be dead.
They should have ceased pressing the demon immediately.
But that would only apply if the demon had a chance to go all out.
“Unfortunately for you, demon, your wish won’t come true.”
A girl with black hair and piercing blue eyes folded her hands devoutly as she spoke.
The demon’s body trembled.
It seemed to realize instinctively who this woman was.
“Why is that girl, who should be in the Holy Kingdom, here? Did she secretly enroll in the Academy? And at such a time as this?”
With an expression full of utter disbelief, the demon screamed, lamenting the absurdity of first-year students overpowering it.
Yet, the saint paid no mind.
She smiled, a beautiful yet eerily unsettling smile, seemingly kind but carrying an inexplicable chill.
“I shall grant you a final chance to repent.”
Drawing a holy symbol, the saint recited a prayer.
Chains of light emerged and bound the already tattered demon, rendering it immobile.
With an exhilarated expression, she licked the blood on her cheek and dragged a massive morning star behind her.
“Let your screams resound. May your voice reach the heavens so the Divine feels our devotion!”
For the first time, her half-closed eyes opened wide.
With a twisted grin, the saint charged at the demon.
Tears trickled down Marbas’s cheek.
An utterly unexpected turn of events.
Cold sweat trickled down his back.
A moment of carelessness.
Overconfident in the thought that they were mere humans, he had allowed the students to launch a surprise attack.
There was no time to delay.
I dashed towards the barrier the demon had cast, analyzing its structure to reverse it.
Before long, the barrier began to unravel.
A horrific scene unfolded, with a metallic stench of blood and scattered organs—a sight so gruesome, it was hard to even look at.
All I could do was feel despair at the sight before me…
“Professor Riyan!”
A voice called out from somewhere.
The protagonist approached me with a bright smile, rushing over.
With the demon’s skull impaled on a sword like a mere skewer, as if it were nothing.
“This is our gift to you. We all took it down together!”
The students, adorned in the demon’s innards, grinned proudly.
The demon’s brain dropped with a soft plop from the head extended toward me.
… I decided to simply give up on trying to make sense of anything.