The following day arrived peacefully, and I was in my usual seat at the Academy, attending lectures.
Professor Karia’s voice echoed flatly through the classroom.
I sat by the window, where the thin winter sunlight filtered in, half-listening to the lesson. Silvia was sitting right next to me.
...Come to think of it—
Aristia was supposed to be in this class as well.
However, she was nowhere to be found. I hadn't seen her in any of our other classes today either. Was she absent?
She seemed perfectly fine when we walked home together yesterday. Maybe she had caught a cold? It wouldn't be surprising, considering she’d been buried in the snow.
I figured I might go check on her after school. The girls' dormitory was strictly off-limits to men, but I could usually get in during visiting hours if other girls were around.
It was just as I was considering this that a voice rang out in my head.
—Hohohoho. You fool. Shall I tell you something interesting?
"——!?"
That condescending, insufferable tone...
Shiunin!
Startled, I let out a sharp breath, drawing a suspicious look from Silvia.
"...Is something wrong, Albert-kun?" she whispered.
"...No, it’s nothing."
I feigned composure, though I was cursing inwardly. Shiunin was a pervert who enjoyed monitoring me, but she rarely initiated contact unless she wanted to mock me or rub something in my face.
This was unusual. What did she want now?
—According to my perception, Aristia's Heart has been sealed. Only the Vessel of the Demon King remains, and it has begun to run wild. It appears Verdict has made off with her heart.
...What? Aristia's Heart was sealed?
The vessel was... going berserk?
I was thrown into confusion by the sudden, staggering weight of the information. Yet, even before I could fully process it—
A white-hot rage surged through my entire body. My hands clenched into fists of their own accord.
Verdict!
That bastard!
I didn't understand the mechanics of what had happened, but I knew with absolute certainty that Verdict was the cause. That was all I needed to know.
—Hohoho! Yes, that's the look! How wonderful! Seeing you in such a fluster is truly exquisite!
She continued her usual mockery, but I didn't have the patience for her today.
Hey, where is Verdict? I demanded. Where is he hiding? I’m going to kill him right now.
—Regrettably, I do not know his current location.
I don't have time for your games.
—Rest easy. Watching you and Verdict tear into each other will be far more entertaining, so I shall provide some assistance. Besides, Verdict has grown far too greedy. It is one thing to possess two Ancient Magics, but to reach for a third? Even I find that distasteful.
She paused for a beat before continuing.
—Ask Florina for the specifics. Her senses are sharp.
Florina, huh?
—I look forward to a grand performance, you fool. Do try to keep me entertained. Hohoho.
I felt Shiunin's presence fade away.
As always, she was a one-sided conversationalist. Honestly, though, I didn't have the energy to deal with her chatter today, so I was grateful she'd cut it short.
I called out to Florina in my mind.
Florina, can you hear me?
—Yawn... morning, Akkun. I’m already up to speed. This is quite the mess, isn’t it?
Her leisurely voice drifted through my mind.
I need to find Verdict. Do you know where he is?
—You should take out the Tria Petal. It never lets its target escape, you know? It’ll lead you right to him.
I see. I understood.
There was no more time to waste. I had to find Verdict as quickly as possible, kill him, and save Aristia.
I started to push my chair back to stand up—
In that exact moment, the entire Academy shook.
BOOM!
A thunderous roar tore through the air. The classroom walls trembled, and the window glass rattled violently.
"Kyaa!?"
"W-What was that!?"
Screams erupted from the students. Professor Karia shouted for everyone to stay calm, but she couldn't hide the tremor in her own voice.
I leaned out the window to survey the area and saw that a section of the upper school building had been completely leveled. This building was protected by multi-layered, high-level barriers. For it to be destroyed so effortlessly...
But more than the destruction, my attention was snatched by "that" standing in the corner of my vision.
It was an existence that bypassed logic and struck a chord of primal instinct, like a frozen nail being driven into the depths of my soul.
I didn't want to look—
But I couldn't turn away.
It was as if an invisible hand had gripped my chin and forced my gaze toward the courtyard.
My thoughts ground to a halt.
There, in the center of the courtyard, stood a figure. It was roughly three meters tall.
Long black hair billowed upward, defying gravity. Purple-Black Markings, resembling a porcelain mask, covered its face. An overwhelming shroud of mana, a swirling mix of purple and black shaped like a regal robe, enveloped its body.
That... that's...
There was no mistaking it. It was the form of the Last Boss Demon King from the game Arcana Academia. I had seen that sprite countless times; it was burned into my memory.
The Demon King.
And yet, it felt different from the game. The air in the classroom seemed to flash-freeze. It felt like being cast out into the heart of a permafrost wasteland in the middle of the night.
I felt a nausea-inducing, gut-wrenching terror.
It was a fundamental, primal fear.
I wasn't the only one who felt it. The others realized what "it" was in an instant.
"...A... Demon King..."
"It’s a Demon King..."
"The Demon King is here!"
The students crowded by the windows began to panic. Their shouts spread through the room like wildfire, and the situation devolved into total confusion.
But as I looked at that figure, a different emotion surged within me.
The name of that Demon King was Aristia.
The lazy, unmotivated current Demon King who had been our friend—the girl who just wanted to find a place where she belonged.
That thing was the Vessel of Aristia, her heart stolen away.
A memory from yesterday flashed through my mind.
I saw her again, standing at the fork in the road, waving her hand at me.
“See you later, Albert-kun. See you tomorrow.”
She had promised "tomorrow."
And now she had been turned into this.
Rage and sorrow swirled into a violent tempest in my chest.
In the next moment—
The Demon King’s body suddenly exploded as it prepared to launch another attack on the building. The students let out a collective cheer.
A man now stood facing the Demon King.
He was the very image of a grand mage, wearing a majestic robe and a triangle hat, with a long, flowing white beard and hair.
It was Principal Galfried. The head of Arcana Academia and the Kingdom's Strongest Mage, a man who had lived for over a century.
"Hohoho. You're a sturdy one, aren't you?"
As the smoke cleared, revealing the Demon King without a single scratch, Galfried leveled his staff at her.
"Coming to this Academy all by yourself... have you grown a bit too conceited, perhaps? I believe I shall kill you here and restore peace to this world."