Surviving as a Villain at the Academy chapter 104

104 – Ghost Queen (3)

-I have been waiting for someone for a long time.

This seems to be a story related to the Sword of Restraint. I silently waited for Umbra’s words. She continued speaking while gently stroking her chin.

-That person is the one who will free the Sword of Restraint. And you already knew about the Sword of Restraint and me. I won’t ask how you knew.

-Why?

Normally, one would be curious and ask, but she looked at me expressionlessly.

-All sorts of extraordinary things happen in the world. Some people can see the future, and some can see their past lives that they don’t even remember. If you live long enough, you will inevitably witness such things. So surely you must have something special about you, which is why you came to know about me and the sword. Questioning sudden occurrences won’t provide any answers. Just let the world flow and accept the existence that has appeared.

-…I see.

-Yes. And usually, those who possess such information… are the ones destined to come across it. You probably have such a destiny as well. That’s why I have expectations of you. Whether you will be the one to free the sword.

Wait. If this is the case, can we skip over the part about the Queen’s trial? Thinking this, I opened my mouth.

-So are we going directly to the sword’s trial?

-No.

She shook her head in response to my question.

-Like I mentioned before, I have no intention of handing over the Sword of Restraint lightly. I intend to give the sword only to someone who is qualified mentally and physically. Even if that person has seen their destiny. No… rather, because of that, I have no choice but to give you a trial.

Why? If I am the person with that destined fate, wouldn’t it be better to just leave it up to that fate?

-Why?

-Those who hold potential should not die easily. No… not just anyone who holds potential, but someone like you. I had no intention of letting anyone else possess the sword.

-Shouldn’t we just leave it up to fate?

Seeing my expression that clearly didn’t understand, she spoke with a bitter smile.

-Just listen for a moment, will you? Listen to the sounds around us.

Listen? I wondered what sounds she was referring to out of the blue, but I focused on the sounds around us as she said.

-aaah!

I was suddenly startled by the scream that resounded. It was a sound I definitely hadn’t heard just a moment ago.

-This is…

-Isn’t it a truly terrible sound?

-It wasn’t audible until just now…?

-Because I blocked it. I couldn’t have let an ordinary human who I just met hear something like that.

-Then why are you letting me hear it now?

-Because you need to know. Holding the Sword of Restraint means that if you make a mistake, you could become a wailing ghost like that as well.

-Does it mean being consumed by the sword?

-Accurate. If you fail to pass the test of the shackles’ sword, your soul will be trapped within the sword… just like those pitiful specters swirling around me now. No matter how much my power increases, I do not welcome the increase of pitiful souls around me.

…This is scary.

The shackles’ sword was even more dangerous than I knew.

But even so, I cannot retreat at this point.

It was something I expected to some extent. Without this sword, I cannot move forward.

To be unable to move forward in this dreadful world is tantamount to death.

By the way, Umbra… her personality was much more affectionate than I expected. She is the queen of the specters who pities nameless spirits and does not wish for someone to die.

The sad smile she is showing me now clearly means that the sadness she has experienced in her life has become a part of her.

But even if she is sad, my task remains unchanged.

-Still, I must obtain that sword.

-What makes you hold that sword?

-It’s simple. My personal greed. I want to live for a long time. For that… I need that sword. I am too weak to keep up with the rapidly changing world.

-Do you want great power? Isn’t your power already enough? Just by looking at the presence behind you.

-The presence behind me?

-A being that may have been there for ages… maybe even since the beginning of the world. I still feel it. The burning flame and the power of light that I feel from her.

-Yes, there is such a presence behind me. But even that is not enough.

-Not enough?

-Yes. As you said, I have seen the future.

-The future… I see. Are you so afraid of what will happen in the future?

-Heaven and hell wage war. And the human world is on the verge of destruction.

I told Umbra the story of the original without hesitation. After all, it was already a distorted future, so there shouldn’t be any major issues in telling her.

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Moreover, Umbra knew of Asti’s existence, so there was a possibility she would believe me even if I mentioned Moore.

-…Indeed. There was a reason why you said your power was not enough. Something that an individual cannot prevent. So, what happens to you in the future?

-I die. I die like a bug on the road. Pathetically.

In the original, Frach clearly dies like that. He is pierced by Ruslan’s sword, a bug on the road that no one sympathizes with, quite literally.

I do not wish for such a future.

-You say that so easily. Isn’t it your own death?

-I’m just stating the facts that I saw. And… I can no longer see the future now. I’ve been involved in too many things.

-Indeed. The aftermath distorted the future, making it invisible.

-Exactly. Anyway, that’s why I need the shackles’ sword. It was just a small fragment I saw in the future, but with that sword, I can avoid death.

-…In that case, even more so, you must prove yourself. Isn’t it what you want to live for? Then, at the very least, you shouldn’t be caught by that sword.

I nodded at her words. It was a fair point. It would be unacceptable for someone as compassionate as her to throw herself into a potentially dangerous situation that she didn’t want to die in.

-I understand. I will accept the trials you set for me.

Umber replied with a slightly concerned tone in her voice.

-Are you really okay?

-Yes. I’m fine, I just wish you would tell me what kind of trials they are.

-It’s simple. I will continuously show you the things you fear the most, and you just have to endure. I wanted to see how strong your mental fortitude is. At the very least, you have to withstand it until you’re convinced that you won’t be consumed by the chains’ sword. Can you do that?

-I can.

-If you need time to prepare, let me know.

-I don’t really need it. I’m not someone who likes to waste time.

-hahahaha. Is that so? I understand.

Umber raised her hand. And then.

*Beeep-

With a deafening sound, the world twisted, shattered, and finally plunged into darkness.

* * *

Umber looked at the unconscious Frah.

-Can you really wield the sword?

Doubt. And then, what followed was anticipation. There had been people who could see the future before. But no one had ever acted as actively as him.

The fear of being able to distort the future with his own hands. And the selfishness of not being able to take advantage of the changed future.

She knew very well how regrettable that was. Because they didn’t know that even the smallest and most insignificant acts could change the future.

The future holds countless possibilities. From the individual to the great changes in the world.

Ordinary people would be overwhelmed, frustrated, or simply trembling in fear if they were overwhelmed by the future they saw. Especially if they saw a future where they died due to the war between heaven and hell.

For an ordinary person, such a sight would be an unstoppable disaster.

But Frah was different. He was moving to overcome the future he saw. He believed in the glimpses of the future, didn’t despair at what was to come, and instead tried to throw himself into danger to prepare for it.

Of course, it was merely struggling for survival, but she considered that a good thing as well.

Humans are creatures that desire life. Not wanting to die was the instinct of all living beings. And everything started from the desire for life.

So she hoped that he would overcome this trial and free himself from the chains’ sword.

-Maybe, you will bring me peace.

If he was someone who didn’t despair even after knowing of the impending disaster, then he would surely bring even himself to peace by defeating the chains’ sword.