Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Playing the Villain (1)

After releasing Polymorph, I slipped my hand into the Subspace Bag.

My hand closed around the black robe the demon worshippers had used.

I had taken one that fit me when I went to the demon worshippers’ base last time.

It had looked quite useful for hiding my appearance.

Though I had not expected to use it this soon.

FLAP…….

After taking out the black robe and wrapping it around myself to hide my clothing, I raised my mana.

‘Authority Activation.’

CRACKLE!

The moment I declared it in my mind, my frontal lobe tingled.

A purple snake formed in my palm and coiled around my wrist.

Valak’s Authority, Reptile Ignorance.

With my current ambiguous amount of mana, I could not cast Black Magic over a wide area.

But if I used another demon’s Authority, that was a different story.

WOOOO…….

The purple mana gathered in my hand released a strange resonance, then changed into a mist-like form and rose like smoke.

The common Authority of demon contractors, Black Magic Barrier.

Unlike the demon worshippers who had spread a barrier by paying blood as the price, this was a Descent Type Black Magic that spread a barrier by consuming the price accumulated by the contracted demon.

The barrier Lucia had placed over the place where she had kept her parents was this very Black Magic Barrier.

Considering the price from eliminating the Defectors yesterday… it would be a little close, but I could use it.

On top of that, I had activated Reptile Ignorance too, so even if I spread the barrier, I probably would not have to worry about being discovered by the Headmaster.

After finishing all my preparations, I watched Yulia’s movements once more.

Glint.

Before long, I saw it.

The cross-shaped mark that had begun emitting golden light from the back of her right hand.

***

By the time more than ten minutes had passed since the battle between Lloyd and Lucia began.

RUSTLE…….

Without any warning, someone appeared from behind a tree beside them.

The two of them widened their eyes.

“…Yulia?”

“Why are you…….”

At Yulia’s appearance, both their faces hardened.

“What… exactly is that?”

“What are you scheming, holy fanatic……?”

As if they had planned it beforehand, Lloyd and Lucia even stopped the battle that had been in full swing and took guarded stances toward Yulia.

They had no choice.

WHIIIIIR…….

Because a deep golden light was rippling from the blade of the sword Yulia was gripping.

The Holy Power contained in the sword was so dense that whenever the sword shook slightly, the Holy Power dripping from it was enough to wet the ground.

WOOONG.

On top of that, there was even the cross-shaped mark glowing faintly on the back of her right hand.

Gulp.

Lloyd and Lucia swallowed dryly.

It was clearly not an ordinary Holy Magic.

At the very least, it was High-Rank.

“Ah… um……. I… I am sorry, Senior. Did I startle you too much……?”

Yulia awkwardly scratched her cheek.

Her expression was still calm, but since she was holding a sword with terrifyingly condensed Holy Power, the contrast was severe.

Lloyd’s face crumpled sharply.

“Did you secretly prepare Holy Magic to steal my band? Hah! For a holy fanatic, your methods are quite petty.”

“Do not misunderstand. Do I look that narrow-minded?”

“If not, then there is no explanation for why you are here.”

“Whew……. Please stay still for a moment.”

After replying briefly, Yulia’s gaze turned toward Lucia.

“Senior Lucia, have you perhaps ever learned Black Magic?”

At Yulia’s casually thrown question, Lucia’s heart sank.

How… do you know that?

How… did you notice?

“What? Are you saying that senior is a Black Mage like me?”

Lloyd also narrowed his eyes and turned to look at Lucia, but.

Hmph.

He soon let out a brief sneer.

That was only natural, since during her battle with him, Lucia had not shown even the faintest sign of using Black Magic.

More than anything.

“Nonsense. If that senior were a Black Mage, there is no way I, another Black Mage, would not know.”

“I suppose so. People like you, who use Black Magic as their main discipline, would be certified as Black Mages in the Dark Empire.”

Yulia slightly lowered her head, and her complexion grew a little cold.

“But… what if she is a Black Sorcerer who is hiding the fact that she uses Black Magic?”

“A Black Sorcerer? Do you think that senior is a Black Sorcerer?”

“It is only a suspicion. I am not certain.”

Yulia’s brown eyes were dyed gold by Holy Power.

“What are you trying to do to me?”

“Since I am not certain, I have to confirm it.”

THUNK!

She bent one knee and drove her sword vertically into the ground.

“Still, please do not worry too much, Senior.”

WOOONG…….

“If there is no Demonic Aura in your body, nothing much will happen.”

“Hmph. As if that is an excuse.”

When Lloyd snorted and gestured with his hand, all the undead rushed toward Yulia at once.

“Do you think I do not know you are trying to buy time to steal my band?”

“…Think whatever you want.”

High-Rank Holy Magic, Simplified Holy Ground.

“The casting is already complete anyway.”

RUMBLEEEEE!

A wave of divinity burst upward from below like a flood.

“What?”

Lloyd swallowed his breath at the scene unfolding before him.

CRUMBLE… CRACKLE……. FAAAADE…….

The twenty undead swept up in the pillar of light were instantly turned into ash and disappeared without a trace.

“My undead……!”

A golden haze, beginning from the area of ground where Yulia stood, expanded in a circle along the ground.

At the sight of that vast amount of Holy Power, a sharp pain crawled across Lucia’s entire body like a parasite.

Tingle…….

It was not a metaphor.

Even though she was only taking in that Holy Magic with her eyes, Lucia’s entire body ached as if she had fallen ill.

Goosebumps rose on her skin.

This much, just from looking at it?

‘If there is no Demonic Aura in your body, nothing much will happen.’

Her instincts told her.

If she fully entered the range of that Holy Magic, she could not even imagine how severe the pain that would come crashing down on her would be.

She wanted to avoid it, but it was expanding too quickly.

At this rate… I will…….

Just as countless thoughts flashed through Lucia’s mind.

…Huh?

At one corner of Lucia’s vision, she saw someone.

A figure wearing a black robe pulled all the way over his head, both hands pressed to the ground.

That is…….

Aron?

High-Rank Black Magic, Black Magic Barrier.

WOOOOOO……!

A purple haze began rising from the ground.

In an instant, the purple haze began increasing into dozens, hundreds, then thousands of strands.

Lucia was not the only one who noticed the anomaly.

All three people, including Lucia, could not help but react late to the unexpected person’s appearance.

SCREEEEEECH! GRIIIIIND……!

The golden haze and the purple haze collided in midair, clashing chaotically.

***

WOOOONG…….

Yulia, Lloyd, and Lucia.

From the ground beneath the three of them, a golden haze rose in a large circle.

They had entered the range of Simplified Holy Ground, which Yulia had cast.

“What in the world is this……?”

Yulia looked around with a blank expression.

Other than the place where she had spread Simplified Holy Ground, the surroundings were covered in thick purple mist.

“This is bewildering even to me.”

Lloyd, who had been looking around, trailed off.

“To think I would see High-Rank Black Magic here of all places.”

“High-Rank Black Magic?”

“Yes. This is Black Magic Barrier. It should be a High-Rank Black Magic that only a Contractor who has made a contract with a demon can use…….”

Soon, the gazes of all three people were drawn to the figure standing outside Simplified Holy Ground.

An unidentified man wearing a black robe pulled down to his face.

His face was covered, so his exact features could not be seen.

“Who… exactly are you?”

Their question lasted only briefly.

Heh.

The corners of the robed figure’s mouth rose with a cynical edge.

“You cannot recognize me just because I covered my face a little?”

“……!”

Lloyd’s complexion filled with shock, unlike his usual self.

That sharp voice and rough manner of speech were unmistakably…….

Rustle.

When the figure removed his robe, Lloyd and Yulia could not help but swallow their breath after seeing his face.

“Good heavens…….”

Hair as black as pitch.

A fierce gaze.

Eyes as red as blood.

“That face is…….”

Yulia also trailed off as she carefully looked over his face.

She too had encountered information about Aron through the Holy Order.

Because of that, it did not take long for her to realize.

“Aron… Bayonel?”

A child of one of the Four Great Houses, who had fled the Dark Empire and had not been heard from for more than a month.

He had appeared before their eyes.

***

Receiving the gazes of the two people who could not hide their agitation, I grumbled inwardly.

Sigh! 

What kind of needless hardship is this because of Yulia?

Still, I had overcome one crisis.

“Senior Lucia, is there nothing wrong with your body?”

“Ah… yes. I am fine.”

“That is a relief. Truly…….”

Yulia crossed herself over her chest with great relief.

Even though Lucia was inside the area of effect of Simplified Holy Ground, her expression was still unchanged.

That meant either there was no pain at all, or even if there was pain, it was bearable.

After all, when Simplified Holy Ground entered the area of effect of Black Magic Barrier, its ability to identify a person corrupted by Demonic Aura dropped noticeably.

As of now, I was probably the only one who knew this fact. Until the Holy Empire and the Dark Empire joined forces, there had been almost no exchange of knowledge between them.

With this, Lucia would no longer be suspected of being a Black Sorcerer, but…….

“…How did you enter the Artificial Rift?”

Now I had become quite troubled, had I not?

“Why should I tell you that?”

When I deliberately smiled mockingly, Lloyd glared at me.

“Tch! I thought you might be hiding inside Saengterminum, but I did not expect to see you like this. Do you even know how desperately the Lord of House Bayonel and Lady Rienna are looking for you?”

Well… good. This was where it mattered.

Now that I had put out the immediate fire, I needed to make sure my existence did not enter anyone else’s ears.

How was that possible when they were completely hostile to me?

Despite how I looked, I was a Regressor.

I had known Lloyd since childhood, and as for Yulia, I had fought alongside her until just before the end.

Not perfectly, but… I could guide these fellows’ actions in the direction I wanted to a certain extent.

I was the one whose reputation as the Mad Dog had spread throughout Necropia. 

They probably still thought my personality was dog-like.

Mad Dog Aron.

If I acted out that ruined personality from back then exactly as it had been… it was more than possible.

“Why did you come looking for me?”

“Khehe……. You idiot, you are mistaken.”

“Mistaken?”

“I did not come looking for you, Lloyd.”

I looked at Yulia.

Grin.

Like a madman, I curled the corners of my mouth as far upward as I could.

“I heard that a Holy Knight skilled enough to be admitted as the Valedictorian of Saengterminum Academy had come here. How could I possibly stay still?”

“Are you planning to kill this Holy Knight?”

“Hm? Is that not obvious?”

As if I truly could not understand why he was asking such a thing, I asked back in a tone of genuine incomprehension.

“Black Magic cannot develop because of people like her. I am saying I will kill her before she becomes more troublesome later. Is there a problem with that? If anything, you should be thanking me. Am I wrong? Kuhahahahat!”

“You have gone truly insane.”

“You are exactly as I heard…….”

At the sight of me distorting my face and bursting into a crazed laugh, Lloyd and Yulia were left speechless.

Mmm……. Well, this was something.

Now that I was personally acting it out, I could feel it properly.

The fact that I had been quite the lunatic in the previous round.

“The answer is to kill holy fanatics like you before they grow any bigger. Kkkk…….”

Sigh……. This is making me feel empty. 

Damn it.