SRS 160

This wasn’t like the previous whispers. The voice that spoke now perfectly mimicked Cheplen’s distinct speech patterns, his accent, and the rising and falling tones of his voice. It felt like Cheplen himself was speaking.

Yohan finally understood why Kylus and Suhyeok, whose mental strength was by no means weak, had fainted. A shiver ran down his spine, and he felt cold sweat trickling down his neck as he clenched his fists.

Mikael’s hand covered the back of Yohan’s. The warmth made it much easier to maintain his composure.

“Enduring it isn’t everything. Counter it.”

As Yohan gritted his teeth and pulled himself together, the vice-headmaster pointed out his flaw. It seemed he had no intention of withdrawing the energy until Yohan attempted to break it.

Yohan recalled the angel professor’s explanation. Since students who weren’t majoring in Divine Studies were also attending the class, Joel had taught them to get rid of demonic energy through willpower rather than countering it with divinity.

The method to counter demonic energy through willpower was simple.

The answer was “Recognition.”

If he recognized that the beings speaking to him were illusions and that their words were lies mixed with truth to lure him into corruption, he could remain unshaken.

If one’s recognition was uncertain, they might start wondering, Is that so? when hearing a demon’s whisper. They would then be swept away by persuasion and temptation, eventually surrendering their mind. On the other hand, certain recognition created a mental barrier stronger [unauthorized copy]than anything else, preventing the demonic hands from reaching him. Detailed visualization was what helped with this recognition.

Yohan imagined building a sturdy wall in his mind. He protected himself with a wall named Recognition and peered into the truth.

–It hurts so much. Please help me.

It’s similar, but that isn’t Cheplen’s voice.

–Yohan. Did you not pity me?

That isn’t something he would say.

–Accept the power. Only that power can save me.

That is not the truth.

–You are the one who closed your eyes even while knowing my sins. So, help me.

Even if there is a grain of truth, it is a fiction woven from fragments.

As he denied each one and pointed out the inconsistencies, the wall in his imagination grew taller. When he finally felt that it had completely enclosed his mind, his shoulders felt a bit lighter. Yohan sensed Read onthe recoil as the intangible energy hit him and bounced back.

Ding.

A clear sound echoed in his ears.

“…Excellent.”

The demon vice-headmaster finally withdrew his pressure and demonic energy. The weight vanished, and Yohan could finally breathe.

“Haah…”

Yohan gasped for air; the strength drained from his entire body.

As he slumped into his chair, exhausted, Mikael looked at him with crinkled eyes, his gaze signaling that he had done well. Yohan turned his hand over and held Mikael’s hand, which had been covering his. It was a gesture of gratitude, as he knew Mikael had been helping him in his own way.

“Is Student Mikael the last one?”

The vice-headmaster stepped to the side and cast the same temptation toward Mikael. Yohan tightened his grip on Mikael’s hand while watching his profile with concern. Knowing the abyss Mikael carried, it was hard to wait calmly. If Yohan had heard Cheplen’s voice, then Mikael…

Mikael’s shoulders shook. However, Mikael overcame the vice-headmaster’s visit our site demonic energy in just a few seconds, making Yohan’s worries feel unnecessary.

“Excellent.”

“…!”

Yohan’s eyes widened in shock, it hadn’t even taken a minute. Mikael raised an eyebrow and chuckled upon seeing his expression. He tilted his head and whispered in a mock-hurt tone.

“Aren’t you a bit too surprised, considering you know what I am?”

While the emotion on the surface was disappointment, the underlying intent was playful.

“…What if the others hear you?”

Yohan quickly looked around to check on Kylus and Suhyeok and murmured in a low voice. Fortunately or unfortunately, the two were still floating in the air, being rattled by the angel professor.

“…I don’t think it matters if they hear anymore.”

“Huh…?”

“Well, it’s more convenient if we aren’t caught, though.”

Surprised by the sudden remark, Yohan asked back, but Mikael gave a mischievous smile and backed away. Yohan stared at his face for a long time. He found it difficult to guess what he was thinking.

It doesn’t matter if they hear.

…Perhaps Mikael wanted to reveal his identity to their other friends?

Or maybe he had grown comfortable enough with Suhyeok and Kylus that he felt it was fine to tell them. Since he couldn’t know Mikael’s thoughts, Yohan continued to look at him until the vice-headmaster returned to the front of the chalkboard.

“I believe this is enough. Set the students down.”

At the vice-headmaster’s command, the angel professor returned the shaking Suhyeok and Kylus to their seats. As the vice-headmaster looked at the two, the students who had fainted woke up.

“Ugh…!”

Perhaps because they had been shaken the entire time, both of them turned away and began to gag simultaneously. The angel professor used his divine power on them again to help with the nausea. Yohan felt sorry for his friends, who were being tormented by a demon and an angel in turns.

If only he hadn’t answered so readily, those two wouldn’t be in this state.

“The four of you gathered here will learn how to deal with demonic nature under Professor Joel every stolen content Saturday at 10 AM from now on.”

“Pardon?”

“Cough…”

“……”

The command immediately brought Yohan back to reality. While Yohan and his friends were stunned, having lost one of their two weekend days, the vice-headmaster reached toward the chalkboard with an indifferent gait. The area where the chalkboard stood glowed and distorted.

“Then, until next time.”

The vice-headmaster stepped into the distorted space and disappeared in an instant, just as he had arrived.

Yohan was left speechless and let out a groan at the vice-headmaster’s behavior, which, for the first time in a long while, perfectly matched the nature of a demon.

Demons are not to be trusted…

He didn’t know what kind of chaos this was for a weekend morning.

When a person is too dumbfounded, they go beyond being speechless and find it hard to even breathe. Professor Joel looked at the first-years sitting like stone statues with bated breath. He belatedly explained what the vice-headmaster had skipped.

“Since you are aware of the incident with the corrupted divine beast, it will be easier to talk. Recently, impure divinities that have strayed from the order have been causing trouble in various dimensions. They say it’s the first time in ten thousand years. Right now, these are incidents happening in individual dimensions, but since the Nameless Realm is connected to them, it isn’t safe here either. There’s no telling when the impure divinities might attack. To prepare for this, we have selected and begun training talented individuals from each grade who are capable of countering impure divinity.”

“…Are you saying we are those talented individuals?”

“Yes. To be precise, you are the seeds of such talent.”

“…Yohan.”

“…I’m sorry. But since we were selected in the first place, I don’t think we could have avoided this even if I hadn’t answered back then, right?”

Even if he had told the old man he wouldn’t take the class, considering the nature of Fantasiademia, they would have been dragged here eventually. When Yohan meekly defended himself, Suhyeok closed his eyes. He couldn’t even deny Yohan’s words.

“Haah…”

A heavy sigh escaped his lips.

“We’re caught up in something troublesome again.”

Mikael also sounded tired, while Kylus expressed disappointment that he wouldn’t be learning swordsmanship. Because they were [Read on]lost in their own gloomy thoughts, the angel professor tried to comfort them.

“And don’t be too sad thinking you’re the only ones going through this. Even if they are a bit unqualified, if there is potential, the subjects of this training can be added at any time.”

As he spoke and snapped his fingers, the closed classroom doors opened, and the entrance became noisy.

“Let go! Let me go, you weird unicorns!”

“Ahhh! Don’t eat my hair!”

“Kyya!”

“Now, now, Kitty! Don’t fight with the unicorn! Let go! Let’s just let it slide this once!”

As the place became as boisterous as a marketplace, Yohan and his friends turned toward the entrance. People familiar to the four students had arrived.

“Dammit! Yohan is here too? We’re doomed! We’re definitely doomed! We’re bound to suffer from overwork or excessive studying soon!”

Melek turned pale with despair upon seeing Yohan.

“…Um, Melek. Yohan is right in front of us, so isn’t that a bit much to say?”

Isaac, from the room next door, timidly pointed out his friend’s rudeness.

“Grrrrrrr!”

Kitty, the beastkin, locked in a power struggle with the unicorn that had captured him.

“Oh! Kitty!”

And finally, Melissa, the girl with short hair who was always with Kitty except when returning to the dormitory.

As Yohan looked on in surprise at the appearance of his four familiar friends, the angel professor tilted his head and signaled the unicorns to enter. The four unicorns each took a student in their mouths, trotted over, and forced them into seats.

“These four who have just entered are lambs who, while having no experience facing demons, have been judged by the Elder of Clairvoyance to have the potential to fight against impure deities. Now, let’s resume the lecture. The name of this course, which will be held every Saturday at 10 AM, is Basic Anti-Demonic Training.”

The angel professor moved the chalk with his divine power and wrote the course name on the chalkboard. When the students gave no reaction, the unicorns cheered in their stead with a pfft-pfft sound and struck their horns together to mimic the sound of applause.

Except for the appearance of unicorns, the students attending a lecture, and the creation of a new course, it was a typical weekend at Fantasiademia.