The Academy’s Ankle Reaper

There exists something called trust in this world.

Trust that a bakery on the street is making normal bread without spitting phlegm into it.

Trust that the person living next door won’t break our window and steal while I’m away from home.

There are various social trusts we have as we go through life, like, “No way they would do that.”

But who would have imagined that during the exchange meeting where students from both countries gathered to watch a game, the students of Clover Academy would all suddenly turn into mindless demons?

I mean, how does someone go from laughing and chatting to transforming into a monster in an instant?

But that unbelievable scenario actually happened.

Every single student at Clover Academy lost their sanity and attacked those who were not demons.

“I told you, I can’t stand demons…!!!!”

Andy’s sword shimmered with a blue aura.

As an Expert-class swordsman, Andy was holding his ground against the mindless demons quite well.

The biggest reason he could fight so effectively was that he had previously battled the Demon Church during his time with the Royal Knight Order… and the next reason was that he had switched weapons based on Atlas’s advice.

After the Great Demon descended into the dungeon, Atlas had scolded Andy to spend the prize money on buying a blessed sword from the church instead of wasting it frivolously.

If the Demon Church started targeting the Academy in earnest, there would likely be plenty of situations where he would need to face demons.

Spending a massive amount of money seemed excessive, but once again, he couldn’t argue with that line of thinking.

“Haah!!”

The blessed sword from the Archbishop, purchased with the prize money, showcased its true worth against the demons.

The demons, which suffered no damage from regular attacks, screamed and struggled to get up against the sword imbued with Holy Power.

“Indeed, a former member of the Royal Knight Order! Those demons can’t even touch him! Wow, having a young instructor like him is a blessing for the Academy!”

“Ouch… It’s been a while since I fought like this, and my back is starting to ache. Can I take a break now?”

‘What are you thinking about taking a break, you old bat?!’

I could see the professors who were fighting the demons chuckling lightly, trying to sneak away.

What do you mean it’s okay? They had been able to stand against those demons only because they were suppressing them with magic.

I wanted to shout, “What kind of nonsense is this?”, but I held back, considering the aftermath of this situation.

If I play this right, I could secure my standing within the Academy moving forward.

Certainly, facing demons was something even Andy dreaded.

There was one particularly unsettling rumor about demons.

They say that even if the undying demons return to Hell after being defeated, they remember the one who brought them down.

When summoned again from Hell, the first thing they do is kill whoever defeated them.

That’s why everyone tends to avoid fighting demons.

Whether it’s true or not isn’t known, but rumors have made the paladins and Inquisitioners—the ones who fight demons the most—out to be people without families and a bit unhinged.

Andy valued his life above all.

If given the choice, he would prefer to never get involved with demons at all.

But if he didn’t fight here…

‘Are the Royal Knights really going to flee against those guys? Do they want to fight? Or do they prefer to die by my hand?’

Chances are Atlas, who was likely fighting somewhere, would show up and really wreck him.

“Um… Professors, do you have any idea who that is?”

“Uh… Red coat… That’s an anti-demon weapon, right? Isn’t it support troops sent by the church?”

Meanwhile, Andy spotted someone unusual in the distance.

Dressed in a red coat, holding a pure white great sword in one hand and an unusual weapon—a gun—in the other.

‘I can’t see their face… Is that an illusion-detection spell…?’

The figure was hunting demons with a terrifying aura, swinging a great sword engulfed in pale flames with one hand while firing the gun with the other.

What they were shooting was unclear, but the demons hit by the shots writhed in pain, and the great sword surrounded by an impressive aura cleaved the demons in half.

Andy’s gaze was drawn to the pale aura burning around the white sword.

He could see words of the divine inscribed on the sword blade, just like the one he held.

From the color, it was clear that it wasn’t painted or anything—the metal itself was that pure white.

And as far as Andy knew, there was only one metal that could shine like that.

‘Whoa… Is that a sword made of solid mithril? I wish I had one of those…’

It wasn’t just any sword; it was a rather thick great sword, which the person in the red coat effortlessly wielded with one hand.

Mithril is a strong yet lightweight metal, making that possible.

Andy felt his own sword seemed pathetically inadequate in comparison.

-BAM!!!

At that moment, dark magic erupted from the Special Arena, starting to demolish the place.

————————

Morgan was facing the worst day since becoming the Academy’s Principal.

Seeing the exchange meeting falling apart, he had to pretend everything was fine in front of the Sword Master, but in reality, he was probably boiling inside.

Ever since he took office as Principal, he’d gotten used to people adjusting their moods to match his, but it was a real struggle to cater to someone like the Sword Master, who was a wild card.

Everyone knows that while the Sword Master acts composed in public, if you even slightly offend him, he’s a mental case who won’t let it slide.

But since he was told they would return tomorrow, he knew he could hold out…

But then these maniacs suddenly went for a suicide attack?

He should have sensed something when the Sword Master unexpectedly vacated his seat.

Who could have imagined that all 120 students they brought along were bombs turning into demons?

Although summoning a demon directly would be more powerful, the process is a bit more complicated, so they turned out as demons instead…

Given that they all shared similar characteristics, it looked like they were sacrificed to one particular demon rather than being the typical ones who make a one-on-one pact.

And that one demon was the very first one to appear in the arena.

The only place where such a thing could happen was one—the Clover Kingdom.

No, the Sword Master has colluded with the Demon Church!!!

This sort of occurrence wouldn’t shake the empire too much.

Students might get hurt, but since many professors were in the spectator seats and all the Clover Academy students were gathered, the damage could be minimized.

Currently, communication disruption was occurring, but the other professors were working hard to lift it, so it wouldn’t hold for long.

As soon as they establish communication with the capital, the Royal Knight Order… the Empire’s strongest swordsman would mobilize, and if she arrives, the Sword Master won’t hold out.

All he had to do was endure until then.

But it was an incident that could shake the continent.

The Master—the most effective means to counter demons—had allied with the demons.

The Clover Kingdom was doomed.

This was a clear declaration of war against the Empire… even if it didn’t lead to war, the very foundations of the nation would be uprooted.

They would have to prove that they had no ties to the Demon Church, and if they had truly fallen to demons, the Clover Kingdom would vanish from the map.

Even if they hadn’t, they would at least have to sacrifice the Sword Master.

The reason he was able to survive against the Empire was solely because the church had prevented Master-class figures from clashing with the demons.

Morgan couldn’t comprehend what kind of gain could come from such actions.

‘The Sword Master… it’s a problem that I still can’t see him…!!!’

I wonder how long they can withstand against the demon if they act like the Sword Master.

First, he needed to set aside his complex thoughts and block the immediate demon right in front of him.

-Don’t interfere…!!!

The ordinary attack of the mind, Margaret, who borrowed the power of a high-level demon, possessed the strength surpassing even the 5th-circle magic used by elemental mages.

Each magical energy she hurled could wipe out an entire squad of infantry.

And Morgan, as an Archmage, was stronger than that.

“Ice Spear…!”

With a single incantation, dozens of ice spears, which were 6th-circle magic, were conjured.

For someone immersed in the arcane arts, the sight was jaw-dropping.

Creating dozens of spells with a single chant—something other mages, who only produce one spell at a time, could only dream of—was the pinnacle of magic that the Archmage Morgan performed as effortlessly as breathing.

With a flick of his hand, icicles formed in the air and launched.

Some pierced the bodies of some demons still remaining in the arena, but most were aimed towards Margaret, the demon.

The rain of icicles struck the large target that was Margaret’s body with loud crashing sounds before shattering helplessly.

“Ugh… That demon is weakening my magic power…!”

Margaret’s face revealed her worry as the dark magic that surrounded her formed into a heavy, dark mist clouding the air around her, suggesting that the magic was weakening her spells.

“This is troublesome… very much so…!”

Morgan was certain that if this fight dragged on, it would be unfavorable for him.