6
“Right now, apologize to Master Ban Gongja for your rudeness.”
“Th-that’s…”
“Come on! Hurry up!”
Hans gave me a glance, showing excessive loyalty.
As if saying, ‘Please praise me.’ I had a headache.
“This… this…!!”
Kal glared at me as if he could kill me.
“I will never forget today’s events. Just wait and see, sir.”
With a chilling warning, he turned away and vanished, leaving me with an awkward expression.
“…Adorable, but encountering it would be tiresome. I should avoid it in the future.”
I let out a dry cough.
“It’s been a waste of time. I should head up.”
It was time to capture the lord of the evil spirits.
◈ ◈ ◈
The mansion had a history spanning hundreds of years.
The grandeur of the mansion was overwhelming.
-Maxim Eclesia
I gazed at the coffin placed at the center of the mansion.
Beneath it lay the sealed lord of the evil spirits.
Anxiety crept in.
“…Can I do this?”
I knew the strategy.
The issue was the level of difficulty.
“Three protagonists from the wizard class must gather to strategize. And only in their third year.”
Naturally, all 16 protagonists were geniuses.
I had to pull off the work of three geniuses on my own.
“I’ve come this far, I can’t back down. Instead, I need safety measures in case of failure.”
It wasn’t that I succeeded in all my business at once.
What’s important is having a plan for when things don’t go as intended.
Deep in thought, an unexpected voice reached me.
“…Hyungnim, please apologize for what you said earlier.”
It was Kal.
He must have followed me since our earlier dispute!
He seemed to be trying to intimidate me, pulling out his mana as if to threaten me.
It was a menacing sight, but in that moment, I thought of one good way.
‘…Maybe I can use Kal?’
I glanced at the sealed object.
It had a worn-out appearance, like it had been weakened over hundreds of years.
It was as fragile as a dam on the verge of collapse, susceptible to even minor shocks.
Even in the game, a small mistake could break the seal.
‘I won’t directly touch the seal, but I’ll provoke Kal to break it. I’ll shift the blame to him if things go wrong!’
In other words, if I succeed in capturing the Lord of Evil Spirits, it’s my merit; if I fail, the responsibility falls on Kal.
Don’t call it unfair.
This is the art of survival in human society.
“I told you to apologize.”
As Kal’s momentum grew fiercer, the seal began to faintly crack.
I was still lacking.
“Got it. Apologize.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah, it’s even more hurtful to call a loser a loser. I didn’t consider your inferiority. I’ll try to say nice things that consider your inferiority from now on.”
Hmm.
Even to me, it was a bitter remark.
“If it were the original me, I wouldn’t speak so bitterly. Black Flame Dragon… Could it be subtly helpful?”
As expected, it was very effective.
The sword made a sharp sound.
“Hyung-nim!!!”
The momentum I emitted was even more intense than before.
I was still lacking.
Sorry, just a little more.
“If you don’t like being spoken to nicely, then what exactly do you want? Cal, isn’t it true that you are lacking?”
“Eeik!!”
“Too bad. Seeing that you don’t admit your own shortcomings, it seems like you’ll have a hard time improving in the future. Well, if the vessel is that limited, it can’t be helped.”
“I told you to shut up!!”
It was the moment when Cal was about to rush at me.
Krrr!!!
The scabbard vibrated.
The seal has been broken!
“Alright!!”
I raised my voice.
“You fool! Because of your negligence, the seal of the Lord of Evil Spirits has crumbled, hasn’t it!”
“I-Is that so?”
Karl’s complexion turned pale.
He realized his mistake.
“We need to, we need to summon my father immediately!!”
“And what about this tomb? Are you saying it’s okay for the resting place of our ancestors to crumble?”
“B-But with my own strength, I can’t defeat the Lord of Evil Spirits…”
“Always talking about responsibility, but when real responsibility is needed, you become a coward.”
“Where are you going! We should fight together!!”
Of course, it would be better to have two rather than one.
I may have underestimated it, but being ranked third in the second grade was a great achievement.
As I expected, this kind of message came to mind.
＜Before the battle, the judgment of the strategist will be revealed!＞
-When using a sword as a shield, the probability of repelling the Lord of Evil Spirits: 90.3%
The win rate has risen to an astonishing 90%!
“But, it’s really impossible…”
“I’ll do it.”
“What did you say?”
“I will be the one to destroy the Lord of Evil Spirits. Just obey my orders.”
With a 90.3% win rate, I spoke confidently.
“Why are you talking nonsense? Haven’t you even reached the 1st rank?”
Then, a chilling scream echoed.
-Kyaaah!!!!!
A soul-piercing shriek.
The Lord of Evil Spirits is being unleashed.
“…Is it really 90.3%?”
My timid heart trembled.
“…Trust me.”
Though my voice seemed to tremble faintly, I pretended not to notice.
The sword gnashed its teeth.
“Damn it, fine!! I understand! But, please, you must escape!!”
“Huh?”
“It’s my responsibility to stop him from being released! I’ll do whatever it takes! You staying here won’t help. Hurry and call for Father or someone!!”
I lowered my head.
“You told me to trust you, didn’t you? Just buy me 3 minutes… no, 5 minutes to hold him off.”
The strategy I had in mind would gain strength the longer it was allowed to unfold.
The longer the sword held out, the better our chances would be.
It’s impossible to hold out for 5 minutes with a sword.
“Don’t worry. You can do it. I’ll lead you.”
“!!”
Did my ‘Black Flame Dragon’s charisma’ take effect?
Karl’s pupils shook faintly.
The corners of my mouth lifted slyly.
“As your brother, I will show you my greatness. You will come to admire me.”
* * *
Crazy bastard.
That’s what Karl called me in his heart.
Up until now, the antics I pulled were not worthy of being called a brother, let alone trash.
“Why was such a guy born into our family, and as my brother at that?”
Lack of mana sensitivity couldn’t be an excuse.
I was just trash.
“He’ll never change.”
But when I returned to the family from the academy after a long time, I heard strange rumors.
Ban had changed.
Into an even crazier bastard.
“He’s got delusional disorder, too?”
They said he had quieted down in his antics, but somehow, this seemed like a more serious problem.
I don’t know what kind of significant incident will occur.
In reality, that anxiety hit the mark.
– To put in so much effort and only reach the third rank. If you ever need help, I’ll offer guidance.
Such nonsense.
It wasn’t just an ordinary delusion disorder!
“Darn it, how did I make such a mistake.”
He was aware that the seal of the Lord of the Undead had weakened over the long years.
He had made an unforgivable mistake driven by anger towards his brother.
“5 minutes. I have to endure at least 5 minutes.”
He didn’t believe in half-truths.
If it was at that level, his father, who noticed the anomaly, would arrive.
-Kyaaah!!
Finally, the Lord of the Undead revealed himself.
“…Can I do this?”
Karl’s hands and feet were freezing cold.
The Lord of the Undead’s power hadn’t fully returned yet.
Even though it was not even 1/10th of its prime, Karl, who was just an academy student, was not at a level to contend with.
“…If I were truly a genius.”
Karl clenched his fist.
“Aren’t you lacking in some aspects?”
It’s frustrating, but Ban’s words were not wrong.
Being in the top three in the second year is undoubtedly a significant achievement.
However, that was from the perspective of ‘ordinary students.’
Real geniuses.
In front of them, I could only feel insignificant.
Once again, the moment when inferiority surged and gripped my heart.
“Don’t worry, I’m here.”
The crazy sound of Ban’s voice echoed again.
“I told you to shut up!!”
Paat!!
Holy Blast.
It was a third-grade manifestation magic of the implementation system.
The most powerful anti-demon spell that the sword could currently use.
However, the Lord of Shadows only flinched slightly and received no impact.
-Goooooo!!!!
Seems like I’ve just ruffled his feathers.
“It’s useless to use implementation magic to strike at the astral body and stop time. Since his astral body is not fully complete, that’s the part you should target. First, unfold the ‘Soul Binding’ magic.”
It was a 1st-grade manipulation system magic.
‘Can such a spell really work?’
“What are you doing? Hurry up!”
The force in Ban’s voice unwittingly compelled the sword to follow his command.
Clang!
The “Binding of the Soul” unfolded.
A fundamental manipulation magic that ensnares spirits.
Unlikely to be devoured by the lord of evil spirits.
“In that state, convert the mana from the 5th direction of the star into sigma and twist it towards the 3rd direction.”
“!!”
An incomprehensible command.
“Goodness! I don’t know!!”
Closing his eyes tight, he followed it, and something unbelievable happened.
Whoooa!!
The star containing mana vibrated, intensifying the “restraint” attribute.
“Th-this is on par with a 4th-rank suppression magic, right?”
Of course, it wasn’t exactly like a real 4th-rank magic.
It was compromised in stability and other aspects, but the effect of “restraint” was momentarily maximized.
“Why are you standing there in a daze? Continue to unfold the ‘Binding of the Soul’ by overlapping it. Then, proceed to the 2nd-rank manipulation magic, Holy Exorcism…”
The sword followed the words as if possessed.
-Kyaaah!!!!
The lord of evil spirits screamed and writhed.
It really had an effect!
‘Ma, this can’t be true.’
As if disbelieving, Karl turned halfway.
Ban, without a hint of hesitation, clenched his fist confidently. A nonchalant expression as if this was only natural.
‘It wasn’t a false delusion?’
However, there was no time to continue the thought.
Crash!!
“Ugh!!”
The binding magic was broken.
From Noble mtl dot com
The Lord of the spirits’ power had returned as time passed.
“Now there’s no choice. With only 2 minutes left, endure somehow with shield magic.”
“!!”
It was an unbelievable story.
How could anyone endure for 2 minutes against such a monster?
However.
“I can do it. I’ll help.”
‘Damn it!’
Karl cursed as he followed Ban’s words.
He couldn’t understand himself.
But even more unbelievable was…
“It’s an attack using the astral body. Manipulate mana in reverse as a countermeasure.”
“Concentrate your mana on the tip of the star to reinforce the shield’s rift.”
“Next is…”
Stories that completely contradict the theories learned at the academy.
Even if the professors were to hear, it would have been as if they were throwing stones, saying that they knew nothing about the basics of magic.
“It’s effective.”
The shield of the sword, which was only at the 3rd level, was blocking the attack of the evil spirit lord.
Tick, tock.
10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, time passed.
Thud.
It was time, the promised 5 minutes.
Contrary to expectations, father had not arrived yet.
Unable to do anything more than rush, desperation began to set in.
In that moment of rising despair, Ban stepped forward.
“Good job. Now it’s my turn.”