Lucora, after taking the medicine, began to transform, with loud sounds reverberating from her entire body.
To be honest, I considered striking her down multiple times during this transformation, but I stopped because I wanted to see what would happen.
Lucora grew small wings and horns, and her eye color changed from brown to red.
The pressure I felt from her now was incomparable to what it had been before. She seemed no longer within the realm of humans.
Her total magic power had also surged dramatically.
But had she forgotten? Adventurers always face monsters far stronger than humans.
And it is the job of adventurers to hunt those monsters.
“What do you think, Mastema?”
“…No. This isn’t it.”
Mastema’s response was one of denial.
If Lucora had been the mastermind, things would’ve progressed quickly. So, it’s either Sena or perhaps this person referred to as the ‘old man.’
This? It’s nothing serious.
“What are you mumbling about? Your arrogance will last only a moment longer!”
Lucora seemed irritated by my attitude.
Fine, I’ll deal with her.
Instead of the Sky Sword, I drew the Fire Sword. The heat from its blade, turned white by the flames, illuminated the surroundings.
It was as if a light had been switched on.
Lucora lunged at me, swinging her right arm wide for a strike, but I severed it with the Fire Sword.
Lucora’s right arm fell to the ground. Since the Fire Sword cauterized the wound as it cut, there was no bleeding.
“Ah…?”
Lucora staggered, clutching her right arm with her left hand.
“It won’t regenerate… Why?”
I sighed. Lucora before taking the medicine was a far greater threat.
What adventurer would make such an obvious attack?
That medicine must have dulled her wits. It’s common knowledge for adventurers to cauterize wounds with fire to prevent regeneration.
Not that I aimed for that outcome intentionally.
“Your very premise is wrong. What makes angels and demons strong isn’t their supernatural powers.”
I raised my Fire Sword.
“It’s their absolute defense. In magical terms, it’s the sky, beyond what humans can ever reach. That’s what makes them the ultimate adversaries.”
If an attack lands, there are countless ways to bring them down. Just as three of us once hunted down a horde of incredibly powerful dragons.
“You don’t have that. You’re nothing but an imitation.”
When Lucora transformed, I didn’t feel the terrifying presence I had when facing Mastema.
This was just a human who looked like a demon, a mere demon-human.
I didn’t miss the flicker of unease in Lucora’s eyes.
“No, no way. I definitely heard it, that I could gain the power of a demon with this medicine!”
“You… really are a fool. Have you forgotten what happened to adventurers who believed in such enticing tales?”
Every adventurer who trusted in some too-good-to-be-true offer either died or was left unable to recover.
Lucora was supposed to be a capable adventurer.
Becoming a frontline magic user skilled enough to be a teacher at a magic academy must have been hard.
Maybe that’s why she craved more power.
She had likely grown complacent, soaking in the comfort of being a teacher at a magic academy, leading to her downfall.
She had forgotten the essence of being an adventurer: to trust in your own strength.
Now, after being deceived into seeking demonic power, dirtying her hands, and being discarded like a pawn, Lucora was no longer an adventurer.
“A…ah!”
Lucora tried to think, but the effects of the medicine muddled her mind.
She gave up on thinking and charged at me.
It was pitiful. In her current state, she had little capacity for thought. I wouldn’t be able to get any useful information out of her.
I severed her head with the Fire Sword.
Her eyes remained wide open as Lucora died.
Her body turned to ash and disappeared.
I felt a twinge of sadness and sighed.
Lucora probably wasn’t a bad person at heart. It was her downfall into decadence that made her weak.
Just then, I heard a soft whisper, carried by a wind-based magic.
“Master Ahavain, something’s strange with Sena’s room. It feels… unsettling.”
It was Arnella’s voice.
I had stationed Noel and Arnella to monitor Sena’s room. It seemed something had changed over there.
Maybe I should have had Mastema head over instead. I’d been too cautious.
“Over there.”
Mastema pointed in the direction of Sena’s room, as if she had sensed something.
There was no need to linger here any longer.
As I prepared to head that way, someone approached.
I didn’t expect anyone besides Lucora to be here. Curious, I glanced over, and it was an elderly instructor wearing a monocle over his right eye.
…The old man, huh? I believe his name was Instructor Evans?
“I believe demons must be strong beings. They are worth aspiring to because they are such.”
But something seemed off about Evans. His upper body was unnaturally disproportionate.
No, it’s… his muscles are swelling.
“Lucora… I told her so many times not to drink it until after Sena had begun the ritual. She was capable but careless.”
Evans’ clothes began tearing as his massively swollen muscles were revealed.
“Mastema… Your behavior in my class was disgraceful. I wondered many times whether to fail you.”
It seemed his anger was directed at Mastema.
Unlike Lucora’s transformation, Evans’ was genuine.
He was turning into a demon.
I was still concerned about Arnella’s whisper. I had told her to flee if things got dangerous, but I should head over there soon.
“I’ll take care of this.”
Mastema transformed into her demon form, sprouting black wings and horns, wearing only minimal attire to cover herself.
I didn’t think Mastema would lose, but the pressure I felt from Evans was far greater than Lucora’s.
“So, you’ve barely cracked open the gate, you reckless human.”
Mastema muttered.
“Do you think you can control the gate of hell…?”
It seemed the demonic energy from hell wasn’t affecting Mastema. She had fully reverted to her demonic state.
She had judged Evans to be an opponent worthy of such seriousness.
“I’ll leave this to you. I’ll head over there.”
“Understood. I don’t plan on returning yet. Shut it quickly. If the demons come through, the corruption will begin.”
I could have switched places with her if she had wanted to leave, but it didn’t seem like she did.
I headed towards Arnella and the others. Evans didn’t try to stop me, locked in a stare-off with Mastema.
The demonic energy of the two clashed in the air, neither yielding.
They moved at the same time.
Mastema’s and Evans’ fists collided, causing the air to tremble.
