Principal Galfried.
The grand mage, who had lived for over a century, stood before the Vessel of the Demon King, his gnarled hands gripping his staff. Three teachers followed close behind, falling into line beside him.
They were Sugu, Shinu, and Yo—three of the Academy's most renowned and skilled teachers.
Without hesitating for a single heartbeat, the three instructors unleashed a barrage of powerful attack magic.
"Spell: Flame Wolf Great Explosion!"
"Spell: Ice Dragon Rotating Dance Spear!"
"Spell: Thunder Tiger Biting Strike!"
Each was a peak-tier attack spell. Radiance in shades of crimson, azure, and amber engulfed Demon King Aristia.
A thunderous boom shook the air, a sound so immense it felt as though the very atmosphere was being crushed. The students raised their voices in cheers, certain of victory, but their hope vanished as quickly as the spells themselves.
The Void Barrier surrounding Aristia had blocked every last incantation.
As Demon King Aristia raised her right hand toward the three teachers—
"Ho ho ho... that barrier is quite a nuisance, isn't it?"
Galfried’s voice was unnervingly calm. He continued, his eyes fixed on the target.
"However, do not assume you can look down upon the magical logic of mankind forever. Spell: Golden Binding Chain."
Countless golden chains erupted from Galfried's staff.
Their brilliance sliced through the void, neutralizing and piercing Aristia’s defense. The chains coiled around her limbs—her arms, her legs, her torso. Multiple layers of light-wrought bindings lashed the three-meter-tall giant, pinning her in place.
With a sharp yank, the chains forced her right hand—the one she had been about to use for a counterattack—toward the sky.
The Demon King’s movements stopped.
A frantic murmur swept through the students.
"She stopped...!"
"The Principal did it!"
"Yes! As expected of the Principal! He's the strongest in the world!"
Hope began to blossom once more.
—But.
In the same breath that hope was born, the chains shattered. Had she analyzed the spell and dismantled it? No, it wasn't nearly that elegant.
She had simply flooded the area with overwhelming magic power, crushing the spell itself out of existence.
"What!?"
Not satisfied with merely breaking the chains, the torrent of magic power surged forward, swallowing Galfried. It smashed through the high-level barrier magic he had deployed as if it were nothing more than a thin sheet of balsa wood.
"Gwaaaaaaagh!?"
The old man was thrown backward, his body slamming into the ground.
Galfried no longer had the strength to stand. Even as he coughed up blood, however, his fingers refused to let go of his staff.
"Not... not yet...! Spell: Holy Light Surging Strike!"
A final blow, fueled by every last drop of his magic power, hurtled toward the Demon King. Simultaneously, Sugu, Shinu, and Yo unleashed their own final gambits, betting their lives on one last attack.
It was a four-fold assault of the highest order, executed by four of humanity's finest mages.
But—
It was all for naught.
With a casual flick of her hand, Demon King Aristia released a gust of raw magic power—a crude, unrefined mass of energy that erased the Principal’s sophisticated spells in an instant.
The gale of mana crashed into the four mages.
They didn't even have time to scream.
Galfried, Sugu, Shinu, and Yo were all sent flying. Their bodies, bones clearly shattered, came to rest at grotesque angles. They were dead before they hit the ground.
The gap in their power was staggering.
To see the four strongest mages in the Academy slaughtered like insects...
The battle was over.
The students' panic spiraled out of control.
Some wailed in terror. Others collapsed, their legs giving out. Some collided with their peers in a desperate attempt to flee. The teachers shouted for order, but their voices were drowned out by the chaos.
Yet, even that despair was short-lived.
New challengers appeared before the Demon King.
Hero Leon and Saint Seraphina.
The moment the students saw them, the atmosphere shifted.
"Look! It's Leon...!"
"The Hero! The Hero is here!"
"The Hero Lady Eliana entrusted with the Demon King's defeat...!"
"Please! You have to save us! Kill the Demon King!"
Voices that sounded like prayers rose from the depths of despair. The Academy echoed with a mixture of hope and desperate supplication.
So, Hero Leon had finally made his move.
A Hero was meant to face a Demon King—I decided to leave that part to him.
I had my own part to play.
I had to defeat Verdict and reclaim Aristia's heart. Once her heart was liberated, her vessel should return to normal. Since the real Aristia was a pacifist, things would settle down once she was back to herself.
...If anything, the real challenge would be pulling her away from Leon once he was in full combat mode.
My path was set.
I stepped away from the window and turned to Sylvia.
"Sylvia."
Her face was deathly pale. She was likely feeling the pressure of the Demon King's magic power. Even so, she met my eyes and forced her expression to harden.
"...Yes?"
"Do you know where Kaname and Luna are having their classes?"
"Of course. It's my job to know."
Sylvia managed a smirk. As an agent, her ability to remember every minor detail was incredibly useful.
"Get them and meet me at the usual training ground. We need to talk."
As for Milia... given the circumstances, I didn't need to look for her. If I walked through the Academy, she’d find me on her own.
"Understood. I'll gather them right away."
Without asking for an explanation, the capable agent sprinted out of the classroom.
I made my way toward our meeting place.
My opponent was Demon King Verdict. Since there was no telling what he might try, I had to approach this as a total war.
Sylvia and Luna could both use Frenzy.
Kaname and Milia were Battle Maniacs with incredible natural talent.
They would be a reliable force.
But even so, their strength alone likely wouldn't be enough to finish Verdict. That was fine. That was my responsibility.
With the Final Extreme Blade I had honed alongside Aristia...
I would shatter Verdict once and for all.
Just wait, Aristia.
I'm going to take your heart back.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Albert-kun."
Sylvia entered the room, leading Luna behind her.
Everyone except Aristia was now gathered at our usual training ground.
As I’d predicted, Milia had intercepted me on my way here.
Kaname had arrived after Sylvia called for her. "Is it time for war?" she had asked. When I gave a curt nod, she had closed her eyes and clicked her sword guard with a satisfied smile, murmuring, "I have no objections."
Then there was Luna, who had been the last to enter.
Something about her was very wrong.
She looked irritated and was visibly fidgeting. The moment our eyes met, she spoke.
"Lord Albert. I wish to go to Leon's side. Now."
...I see.
Luna’s entire life was driven by a need for revenge. As a child, her village had been destroyed by magic beasts under the command of the Demon Race, and she had lost her entire family. She had sought power for the sole purpose of vengeance, searching for a target for her cold, hard rage.
And now, the leader of those demons was right in front of her.
The absolute peak of the very bloodline that had murdered her family and burned her home.
It was only natural that her thirst for blood was already at a boiling point.
"I know how you feel, but you're going to listen to me first."
"...Understood."
I stood in the center of the training ground and looked at each of them in turn. Four sets of eyes locked onto mine.
It was time.
The time for secrets was over.
I was asking these people to put their lives on the line. I couldn't keep my cards hidden and expect them to follow me blindly.
I took a deep breath and steeled my resolve.
"There's something I’ve been keeping from you."
Their expressions sharpened.
"It's about Klaus. The person inside that body... isn't Klaus anymore."