Whoooosh!

“!”

A cloud erupted from Luca, engulfing both Miros and the surrounding area, tentacles entwined within.

Miros, shielding himself with defensive magic, covered his face, then cautiously glanced around.

“?”

The surrounding scenery was dark.

The only illuminated area was the desolate training ground.

Everything else was obscured by darkness.

“What is this…?”

Rustle!

Stepping back, Miros tread on something.

When he looked down, there were shards of a broken wooden sword.

“… A wooden sword?”

“Welcome. To my first Different World.”

In the center of the training ground, Luca stood indifferently, holding a sword.

“…… You can use magic too?”

“This isn’t magic. It’s a supreme technique.”

—This technique is called ‘Different World’. My power isn’t complete yet, so I haven’t perfected it.

—A trick? Maybe because I can’t fully manifest it, but this is a supreme technique that realizes an imaginary space! It’s the fruit of humanity’s hubris in mimicking creation!

—Anyway, once my master can control clouds, he’ll be able to use this technique. When that time comes, you’ll understand what I meant.

Those were the words Whistle had said when first creating the Different World.

And the phrase ‘realizing imaginary space’ appeared in the original story as well.

—This is the ultimate technique for manifesting imaginary space.

—The user’s will transcends the laws of the world, granting an absolute power that even devils cannot resist.

—Devil. Today, you will die here.

A domain technique reserved for those who had transcended humanity—especially those whose will was particularly strong.

Among such people was Luca’s older brother, Wylde Traverse.

‘The first person to create Different World must have been someone with that kind of strength.’

Probably Whistle’s first master.

Even if it wasn’t a perfect domain, merely manifesting something similar was an impressive feat.

And, of course, Luca was unable to realize a perfect Different World.

‘But I know what an imaginary space is. I at least know how to use the power of the clouds.’

To utilize a domain technique, one had to fully comprehend their own imaginary space.

And Luca had seen the ‘Imaginary Space of Luca Traverse’.

‘It doesn’t have to be perfect; even something similar will do.’

Perfection was unnecessary—he didn’t have to manifest a full Different World or domain.

Right now, all he wanted was to force his body to move using the power of the clouds.

Zzt-zzt-zzt—

‘Just as I thought.’

Luca checked over his body.

No matter how much strength he exerted, nothing hurt. The cloud’s power was protecting his body.

‘With this, I should be able to go all out.’

Grip!

Luca clenched the sword’s hilt so hard it nearly hurt.

The heavy sensation after a long time thrilled him.

“A supreme technique? What are you talking about? You’re still just a first-year.”

Whoosh! Slash!

Scoffing, Miros tried to extend his tentacles again—but felt a breeze graze his cheek.

“……?”

Drip.

A thin wound opened on his cheek, and blood trickled down.

‘But I made… a defensive spell…?’

At some point, his barrier had been torn apart.

Miros looked at Luca again.

Luca was posed as if he had just thrown something with his unoccupied hand.

“First point. The fact that I’m a first-year is meaningless. Right now, here, it’s just a swordsman versus a mage.”

Returning to his stance, Luca repeatedly pulled a dagger from mid-air, tossing and catching it skillfully.

“Second. There are no attendants here to protect us. Meaning this is a perfect one-on-one fight between you and me.”

Thunk.

Luca threw the dagger into the ground.

With such force that the blade fully embedded in the earth.

“Third. Unless the difference in skill is astronomical, at this range, a swordsman almost never loses to a mage in a duel.”

“… So?”

“I’m declaring that I’m going to beat you to a pulp. Isn’t it more fun to say you’ll torment someone before you strike them?”

At his indifferent taunt, Miros’s lips twitched.

“You’re… more infuriating than I thought.”

“I have a good master.”

Shing.

With those words, Luca drew the sword at his waist.

Crackle!

“!”

Lightning danced along the blade.

Miros flinched, instinctively recasting his protective magic.

“This is my first time using this on a student. Do me a favor…”

BZZZZT!

Luca’s eyes blazed like lightning.

Electricity surged over his whole body.

Luca finished, voice cold.

“Don’t die too easily.”

* * *

Slash! Slash! Slash!

Inside Milia’s sealed space.

A brutal act of torture was underway.

Slash!

“Graaagh!”

Each time Isella’s blade flashed, the black-skinned monster, Donovan, convulsed and bled.

“It’s hardly worth using Moonlight against something this weak, milady.”

“Agreed. He’s much weaker than I expected. Wasn’t that maid supposed to be pretty strong?”

“I believe it’s a matter of compatibility. She seemed optimized for fighting humans, after all.”

They had enough leisure to chat while handling Donovan.

“Graaagghhh!”

“But his regeneration really is impressive.”

“Indeed, milady.”

Even as Isella shredded him, Donovan’s body would swiftly regenerate.

—There’s no need to kill him. Just toy with him until the time is right.

—Until the time is right?

—Yes. You’ll know when.

Whatever regeneration he had, if Isella used Moonlight’s power, Donovan would die instantly.

Yet she engaged him only with her ether blade, at Luca’s request.

“It’s only easy for me, really. I doubt Luca Traverse could handle such regeneration. In his current condition, even that fight with the mage would be tough for him.”

“You think so? We could’ve just handled it ourselves. Is it because of Bella’s revenge?”

Recalling Luca’s attitude, Milia couldn’t bring herself to speak lightly of Bella.

She’d thought they were simply in a master-servant relationship, but perhaps there was a deeper story.

‘Are they… like Isella and me? Or… a forbidden love?!’

Excited again by thoughts from her books, Milia was interrupted as Donovan howled.

“Graaaagh!”

“So noisy. Isella, can’t you do something?”

“I’m sorry, milady. I’ve cut his vocal cords multiple times, but they just regenerate…”

Watching their casual conversation, Donovan seethed.

‘If only… if I could transform, even to second stage…!’

He could not transform without Miros’s permission.

If he had, he could have at least fought properly, instead of being so overwhelmingly outmatched.

‘My young master… are you alright…!’

Since blood pact hadn’t activated, things weren’t that dire yet.

But he was still deeply worried.

‘It’s almost unheard of for the young master to fight directly…’

Truthfully, Miros almost never fought personally.

Donovan always protected him, and he rarely, if ever, took direct action.

‘If only those fools hadn’t messed up…!’

If Kirius hadn’t gone berserk, he could have just watched as Luca searched for bombs, amusing himself.

If Latik hadn’t lost control, there would have been no need for such urgency.

‘Damn it! My young master! Please be safe!’

Even as he was cut apart by Isella, those thoughts filled his head.

Suddenly, his heart pounded violently.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

“!”

His heart thudded as though it would burst.

Donovan abruptly raised his head and let out a powerful roar.

“GRRAAARRRGGH!”

Boom—!

“?!”

Donovan exploded, sending an immense spray of blood in all directions.

Isella immediately stepped before Milia to shield her, but the blood vanished before it could touch them.

“?”

Both women stood with vacant expressions.

Then, Milia’s eyes widened as realization struck.

“That—could it be a blood pact?”

“!”

At the mention, Isella’s eyes went round.

Milia at once placed her hand on the Dimension Core.

“Hurry! Luca is in danger!”

Whoosh!

The two emerged from the sealed space—and their jaws dropped at the scene before them.

“This is…!”

* * *

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Tentacles whipped toward Luca, threatening.

Merely touching one would crush anything, so powerful was the emanating magic power.

Crackle!

“Urgh!”

Yet with a single sword stroke, even their roots were scorched.

The lightning along the blade leapt to the tentacle, incinerating it all the way to the summoning magic circle.

As the circle was forcibly destroyed, Miros staggered as though shocked.

“Sheesh, you’re even weaker than I’d hoped.”

“!”

Luca, voice tinged with disappointment, flicked the blood off his sword.

“Tsk. I didn’t even need to use Different World for this.”

“… Tch.”

Clicking his tongue, Luca’s words made Miros grit his teeth.

Until now, his tentacle-summoning magic was usually enough to handle things.

It was a spell that summoned parts of a monster’s body engineered by the Kisen Marquisate, imbued with immense magic power—generally hard to even defend against.

The problem was that the monster was created with devil power.

The tentacles, which had always exceeded expectations, were completely helpless against Luca’s lightning.

“I thought I’d finally get an exciting fight. Honestly, fighting Martin was more enjoyable.”

“!”

At the mention of Martin, Miros’s gaze sharpened.

Luca sneered.

“Did you know? Martin was burnt to death by this lightning.”

“…….”

“Nothing was left, not even ashes. Only those eyes remained and then disappeared.”

Grit.

At Luca’s words, Miros gritted his teeth again.

“What’s this, did you two get along?”

At that, Miros recalled his time with Martin.

—A pleasure to meet you. Martin Curves. I’ve heard much about you from Gardaf.

—To take such neat command of the Academy! Wonderful. More than I expected!

—Gardaf himself had high expectations for you. It’s not just flattery! I mean it~.

Friendly words, unstinting praise directed at him.

Occasionally, his father’s evaluations.

He was impossible to dislike. He’d wanted to rule the Academy together with Martin.

“Don’t be too sad. You’ll join him soon enough.”

With those words, Luca adjusted his grip on his sword.

The lightning along his blade faded.

“Someone like you isn’t even worth wasting lightning on.”

“…….”

“Goodbye.”

Luca lunged at Miros, sword swinging.

Seeing Luca flying toward him, Miros’s eyes went wide.

“…… Ha.”

“?”

Then, he smirked.

Sluuurp!

Suddenly, a mass of blood appeared next to Luca.

It instantly took human form, forming bone, muscle, and flesh.

“Graaaargh!”

“!”

Chomp!

Donovan, newly appeared, grabbed Luca’s leg, howling.

Miros burst out laughing.

“Ha ha ha! What? Not even worth it, you said?!”

This was the moment Miros had been waiting for.

He wondered if defeating Martin had just been luck—Luca was indeed stronger than anticipated.

He didn’t know what trick had separated Donovan and himself, but what a clever ruse. An unforeseen outcome.

But that was all.

“If knocking Donovan away was all it took to win, would I have taken control of the Academy so easily?!”

He wasn’t someone to act without a trump card.

Nor was he an arrogant idiot who’d fail by being careless like Martin.

Overjoyed, Miros shouted.

“Die like your maid!”

“Yeah. I thought this might happen.”

“…?”

At that moment, Luca’s voice came from behind Miros.

Grip.

Luca appeared from the darkness, arm tightening around Miros’s neck.

“Gaaah?!”

Donovan, bewildered, stared at his hand.

Only dissipating cloud remained in his grasp.

“Cough, kuh!”

As Miros choked and gasped, Luca eyed him coldly, voice low.

“My maid is pretty competent. Even while dying, she leaves a hint for me.”

————-= Clacky’s Corner ————-=

Blood pact…

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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