Damn Academy - Chapter 212
Chapter 212
T hi s w as c o p i e d f r o m k ing m tl . o rg
Host (9)
The magical power of Luna and Pavela had turned the surrounding forest into a wasteland.
In the midst of the chaos, the only one standing was Pavela.
She leisurely brushed off the dirt and wood debris that had clung to her during the battle. She looked more like someone who had been playing in the forest than someone who had just fought a fierce battle.
Despite giving her all, Luna hadn’t managed to leave a single scratch on Pavela.
Luna had exhausted all her magical power and was now unconscious, leaning against a tree.
The numerous spirits that had been protecting her disappeared as they could no longer draw any mana.
Pavela, with her hands behind her back, walked lightly over to Luna.
She crouched down to meet Luna’s eye level and looked at her face.
“…”
Pavela raised her hand. A blue light emanated from her hand, and an icicle, sharp as a blade, appeared in her grip.
She slowly brought the icicle to Luna’s neck. Her arm trembled.
“You… are not worthy to fill that void.”
Blood droplets formed on Luna’s neck where the icicle pricked her.
Pavela tightly closed her eyes. In that brief moment, countless waves of emotion surged within her.
T h is w a s co pi e d from k in g m tl . o r g
Her trembling arm eventually dropped uselessly to her side.
Her desire urged her to act, but she couldn’t. She knew better than anyone what consequences this action would bring.
“Damian…”
She lowered her head, lost in thought.
***
As Damian’s figure disappeared in front of his eyes, Louis immediately scanned the surrounding terrain.
Jagged rocks jutted out irregularly. Waist-high grass clumps and uneven ground eroded by rain and wind. He quickly took in places where Damian might be hiding.
Even so, Louis didn’t rush. There was no need to act hastily from his advantageous position.
Louis smirked, raised his arms as if daring an attack, and shouted loudly.
“Trying every trick when you’re at a disadvantage, huh? Are we playing hide-and-seek now?”
There weren’t many places Damian could hide.
The area remained deathly silent. Even with excellent stealth skills, it was pointless on top of this magic trap.
The magic trap tracked the mana of any target standing on the ground. Stealth alone couldn’t escape it.
The magic trap would heat the rocks beneath the ground and attract them to Damian like a magnet.
Thus, Louis didn’t rush.
He only needed to watch where the fireballs flew from the ground.
As expected, the fireballs generated from the ground began to shoot in one direction.
It was behind a giant rock, somewhat like a cactus, about thirty paces away.
Louis smirked. Despite his bravado, seeing Damian flounder against the fireballs amused him.
Louis shouted towards the rock where Damian was hiding.
“Enough with the games. Do you think anything will change?”
Still no response.
Louis raised his sword, prepared for Damian to suddenly jump out, and quietly walked towards the rock.
As the distance closed, Louis jumped behind the rock in one swift motion to check Damian’s position.
“…?”
But Damian was nowhere to be seen. Only a mysterious wooden sword was stuck in the ground.
Louis looked puzzled and instinctively grabbed and pulled out the wooden sword.
“…?!”
He dropped it immediately, startled by the unpleasant sensation it gave him. He shook his hand as if he had touched something filthy.
“…What is this disgusting sword rune? What kind of trick is this?”
A cold, capricious wind swept over the plateau.
With the ensuing silence, Louis looked around, feeling an odd sensation. Damian was nowhere to be seen.
It was strange. Even the magic trap wasn’t functioning as if it couldn’t find its target.
Louis tapped a pebble to signal his comrades, checking if there was an issue.
Shortly after, his ambushed comrades signaled back from the mist.
‘No issues.’
Louis muttered irritably.
“Idiots. Then what’s the problem?”
Then he heard footsteps on gravel behind him and quickly turned around.
But there was nothing but thick mist.
It was undoubtedly Damian’s presence.
While Louis didn’t know Damian’s location, his own position was exposed. Damian had somehow mastered navigating the mist as if it were his own domain.
Soon, Damian emerged from a blind spot in the mist and lunged at Louis.
Clang!
Louis wasn’t easily taken down. He skillfully blocked Damian’s sudden strike.
In the tense standoff, Louis spoke.
“What kind of crude swordsmanship is that? Did you learn it from your mother?”
Despite his bold provocation, the force of Damian’s strike reverberated through Louis’s palm and wrist, forcing him to grit his teeth.
Whatever Damian had done in his life, his strength was astonishing. The power behind his strikes was on a different level from their earlier clash.
Louis found himself being pushed back, step by step.
“…What did you do to Luna?”
“Are you trying to pry into our private matters?”
“Don’t you understand the situation yet?”
“…What did you say, you bastard?”
Damian kicked Louis’s body, sending him tumbling.
Louis hurriedly got up and readjusted his stance.
Damian once again disappeared into the mist.
Louis shouted in frustration.
“Come out! I’ll beat you so you can’t ever show off again!”
Suddenly, a dazzling light pierced through the mist.
Momentarily blinded, Louis shut his eyes and reopened them just as an explosion and shockwave hit him.
He was flung into the air like he had been kicked by a giant and crashed to the ground.
Realizing what happened, Louis shouted to his comrades.
“Magic! Magic! That bastard’s a mage! Attack now!”
Louis got up. His arms and legs trembled as if under an immense weight.
“Why is my body like this?”
There was no time to gather himself. Another bright flash and the ground beneath him exploded again.
“Aaaagh!”
Louis was thrown and slammed into the ground once more.
It felt like his heart was being crushed by chains. He struggled to breathe, and his vision blurred. He couldn’t comprehend what was happening.
Louis, mustering all his strength, shouted to his comrades.
“Change of plans! Full attack! Kill that bastard!”
Soon, explosions echoed from afar.
“Help!”
“Aaaaah!”
The screams of his comrades followed.
Louis was too shocked to speak. The Drama Club trio was being decimated by Damian without even a chance to resist.
“Wh-what is this?”
Louis, in a state of panic, was unable to act.
After a few more explosions, silence returned. Only the mist swirled before Louis’s eyes.
Then, someone slowly emerged from the mist.
It was Damian.
Louis tried to reach for his fallen sword with trembling hands, but Damian kicked his arm away.
Th i s w a s co p i e d f r om k i n g mt l . o r g
T his w a s c op i e d from ki n g m t l . o r g
“Aaaah!”
Damian grabbed Louis by the collar and punched him.
Thud!
“What did you do…”
Thud!
T h i s w a s c o p i e d fr o m k i n gmt l . o r g
“…to make gentle Luna…”
Thud!
“…attack her own comrade?”
Thud!
Louis, his face covered in blood, weakly flailed his arms.
“P-please stop! I-I lost!”
Thud!
“I’ll tell you everything. All the information we gathered… and about Luna too.”
Crewd and Icarus, who had fled in terror, shouted from the distance.
“Senior!”
“Where are you? Where is that madman Damian?”
Following the relentless sounds of punches, they saw Louis’s beaten state and turned pale.
“Senior!”
Damian, undeterred by the approaching enemies, continued to pummel Louis.
“You madman!”
Icarus hesitated for a moment, unsure whether to attack. It seemed the fight was over, but he felt he needed to do something and cast a fireball at the unguarded Damian.
A fireball formed in the air and shot straight at Damian.
Without even looking, Damian grabbed Louis and used him as a shield against the fireball.
“Aaaaargh!”
Louis’s scream echoed as the fireball struck him directly. His clothes were torn, and flames spread.
Damian tossed Louis aside and moved towards the remaining two, who started to back away slowly.
T hi s w a s c o pie d f ro m k i n g m t l .o r g
“We lost, we surrender!”
The remaining Drama Club members completely lost their will to fight and surrendered.
Confirming the end of the fight, Damian calmed down and took a deep breath.
T h i s w a s c op i e d f r o m kin g m tl. o r g
“Where is Luna now?”
Icarus, trembling, pulled out a stitch from his pocket and handed it to Damian.
“T-this, ask our leader. He’ll know.”
***
Quietly approaching without startling her, Luna turned her head towards me.
She had already sensed my presence. Luna was as sensitive as if she had antennae to detect me.
The surroundings bore signs of a fierce battle. Broken tree trunks, uprooted rocks scattered everywhere. It looked like a typhoon had passed through.
“Damian…”
T h i s w a s co p i ed f r o m k in g m tl . o r g
Despite her battered state, she murmured my name with a hint of welcome.
I crouched down in front of her and spoke.
“What happened… was there a war?”
“Something like that… I thought I could win, but it was too much.”
“Who did you fight?”
Luna hesitated for a moment and then refused to answer.
“…You don’t need to know, Damian.”
“Are you hurt?”
“…No. I just fainted from exhaustion. That’s all.”
“Where is your opponent?”
“When I came to, they were gone.”
I already knew who she had fought from what the Drama Club leader had said.
It was Pavela.
To overwhelm the most promising student from the Magic Department like this, Pavela must be incredibly strong. It was suspicious to call her an ordinary second-year student from the Magic Department.
“If you want, I can avenge you.”
Luna weakly laughed, covering her mouth.
“It’s okay. I’m not hurt. But…”
Luna opened her hand, revealing a torn ribbon.
Thi s w a s c o pi e d f r o m ki ng mt l. o rg
“This… was completely shredded.”
“What is it?”
“The one you used to tie my hair before, Damian.”
“…As long as you’re not hurt. I’ll get you another ribbon… or make one for you. Can you walk?”
“Yes.”
She tried to stand. When I offered my hand, she shyly grabbed just one of my fingers.
Failing to put strength in her legs, she sat back down. She seemed utterly exhausted. All my recovery potions were left in the carriage, and resting for a few hours wouldn’t help her recuperate quickly.
I asked her gently.
“…Would you like me to carry you?”
Luna looked at me with wide, rabbit-like eyes, then quickly shook her head.
“N-no, I couldn’t…”
It seemed like a difficult offer for her. Even holding hands with a man was hard for her, let alone carrying her whole body.
It was a tricky situation. I couldn’t leave the exhausted Luna behind, nor could I wait for her to recover.
“In that case…”
“You can leave me. Your comrades are waiting for you, Damian…”
“My comrades will be fine. But your comrades won’t come to help you because I’ve half-killed them.”
The issue was that I had incapacitated the Drama Club members who should be taking care of Luna.
If I left her, she would be abandoned.
Leaving her behind would be unforgivable.
“Right now, you’re the most important to me.”
Luna looked up at me with her mouth slightly open. When our eyes met, she averted her gaze shyly and fidgeted with her hands.
“I… you’re important to me too, Damian.”
“This is a good opportunity to get used to it.”
“…Huh?”
“We have to move together anyway. Think of it as practice.”
“I don’t think I can do it.”
“Come on, hop on.”
I turned my back to her.
Th i s w a s c o pie d f r o m k i n gm t l. o r g
Luna hesitated for a long time, conflicted.
Eventually, she cautiously put her hands on my shoulders and leaned against me.
I grabbed her legs and lifted her up.
“Are you okay?”
“…”
No response. I wondered if I had made a hasty offer. Luna trembled as if she were thrown into a snowstorm.
She was preoccupied fighting her inner fears.
I stood still to give her time to adjust. Her heavy breathing tickled my ear.
“Damian…”
“Yes.”
I expected her to ask to be put down, but she surprised me with a sudden question.
“Why… are you so good to me?”
“Because we can make up for what we lack in each other.”
“…Do you need me too, Damian?”
I pondered for a moment.
I did need Luna.
But I couldn’t clearly explain why.
Perhaps I needed someone to project my past onto.
To deny the powerless loss of things I loved.
To cover the constant nightmares with someone I must protect with my life.
“Yes.”
“…”
Luna’s trembling gradually subsided.
She wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her head comfortably on my back.
“Where are we going?”
“After we regroup at the nearest village, I’ll persuade both the Art and Drama Departments to return to Eternia.”
“…Why?”
All our efforts so far would be wasted, but there was a reason we had to do this.
***
Not far from Luna, in a corner.
Pavela hid behind a tree.
She concealed even the faintest hint of her magic and erased all traces, waiting quietly.
Damian’s presence passed by Pavela and headed towards Luna.
She eavesdropped on the conversation between Damian and Luna.
“Do you need me too, Damian?”
“…Yes.”
Hearing Damian’s response, Pavela slumped down as if her strength had left her legs.
Her silver hair swayed silently in the gentle breeze.
She rested her forehead on her knees like someone suffering from a fever and closed her eyes.
Hugging herself tightly, she murmured.
“Stop…”
End of Chapter
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