Chapter 212
A mysterious shadow approached the curtain.
Alicia felt a prickling tension and summoned her mana.
Even feeling it vaguely was quite an achievement.
What purpose could it have in this place…?
Just as that question crossed her mind.
The curtain was pulled aside.
“Um…?”
“Nice to meet you, Alicia student.”
It was a somewhat familiar figure despite never having spoken directly before.
“Helion…sir.”
The hero Helion, who was the mentor of her master Vargan, had come to find Alicia.
Alicia normalized the flow of her mana.
The green light that was rising oxidized and vanished.
Alicia blinked her large eyes in slight confusion and said.
“Master Vargan isn’t here…”
“It seems so. But that’s okay; I didn’t come with business related to Vargan student.”
“Yes….”
Helion approached her.
Gathering mana at the tips of his fingers, he extended them toward her.
“Could you hold out your hand for a moment?”
“Eh…? Yes.”
Alicia extended her pure white hand.
Helion placed his fingers on the back of her hand and infused it with mana.
Light particles flowed in along his extended fingers.
Suddenly, the blue bruises that had been present all over Alicia’s skin disappeared.
The pain that had troubled her with every movement melted away like snow.
A remarkably high level of healing magic that was barely understandable.
Confirming that Alicia had fully recovered, Helion withdrew his hand and said.
“You should feel better now.”
“Ah, yes, yes! It really does feel that way. In fact, I feel healthier than before the match. Thank you…!”
“Don’t mention it. It’s nothing serious.”
He said it was nothing serious, but objectively speaking, it was quite a ‘big deal’.
Wasn’t this the state that would normally take over a day to heal with Rikeion’s medicine and magic, completely fixed in just a matter of seconds?
Even if it was just her imagination, it felt as if her stamina and power had increased beyond her usual state.
It felt like waking up from a deep sleep, feeling refreshed.
Alicia expressed her admiration and endless thanks, while Helion smiled lightly and said it was fine.
“The reaction is interesting. Is that why Vargan student is always bothering Alicia student like this?”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s nothing. By the way, is this a symbol of the curse that Vargan student cast?”
Helion pointed to a partially visible black pattern.
The patient gown that had slightly stretched at the neck revealed Alicia’s collarbone, and the symbol sat atop her fragile bones.
Realizing her outfit was disheveled, Alicia quickly covered her collarbone in surprise.
As she tidied up, the symbol was concealed again.
“Ah… yes, yes. That’s correct. I’m sorry for showing you a shameful sight.”
“May I take a closer look? You just have to fall asleep.”
“Hel, Helion… sir…?”
Helion moved in closer and grabbed the neckline of her patient gown, while Alicia hurriedly blocked him to prevent it from falling any further.
He stopped the strange descent.
Alicia’s eyes widened in surprise.
Helion examined the patterns intently, like a doctor inspecting a patient.
“What a remarkably intricate spell. It seems to be regularly revised… Hmm, this structure here…”
“Um… Master Helion? I’m sorry, but could we please stop now…?”
“Oh, right. Sorry, Alicia student.”
Helion apologized and stepped back.
It was hard to tell where his gaze was going, as it seemed he was still continuing his interpretation of the pattern he just saw.
Alicia wrapped herself in the blanket.
She knew he meant no harm and felt both respect and gratitude, but she couldn’t help but look at him with a somewhat wary expression.
Meanwhile, Helion had fully grasped the structure of the spell and said,
“Should I lift the curse?”
“Huh?”
“I can remove the curse if you want, Alicia student. If I just leave the patterns and external structure, it would be seamless and undetectable.”
“Ah… no, thank you, but I’m fine.”
“Is that so?”
Helion’s piercing gaze seemed to penetrate Alicia.
There was something unsettling about his eyes.
Alicia subtly averted her gaze, and Helion, having come to some sort of understanding, changed the topic.
“You were Charlotte’s mentee, right?”
“…Yes.”
“It’s unfortunate. Charlotte had all the qualities to be a hero.”
Alicia’s expression grew dark rapidly.
Charlotte, the previous owner of the necklace she always carried, was her mentor.
Though she had heard she was recovering quite well, Alicia knew that Charlotte still had not regained consciousness.
Helion continued to observe Alicia’s reaction and this time mentioned her name.
“Archbishop Salecius, you said it was due to fighting that Altife, right?”
“…Salecius.”
Alicia’s mana sharpened.
The source of her mana.
While there seemed to be no difference on the surface, the moment Salecius’s name was mentioned, Helion felt a significant shift in the core of Alicia’s mana.
‘No other reactions, I suppose.’
The emotion Alicia displayed towards Salecius was anger.
It seemed no other feelings were involved.
“Um… Master Helion.”
Alicia’s voice, stripped of even her anger’s sharpness, was heard.
She opened her lips to ask something, but Helion raised his hand to stop her.
“Just a moment, Alicia student.”
Helion’s eyes shifted to the side.
He was looking towards the entrance of the infirmary from his peripheral vision.
“I’m sorry, but I think we have to end the conversation here.”
Swish—!
Particles of light spread in an instant.
Helion’s holy magic unfolded.
The particles of light, with physical force, burst through the door, pushing out like a wave.
An incredible density and mass, a complex calculation that could move freely.
Helion manifested this high-level magic instantly without any preparation.
The particles of light, like extensions of his limbs, came back holding someone captive.
A male student was struggling to break free from the bindings.
“Cough, cough…!”
Next to him floated a huge hammer that looked difficult to wield.
“Jeraman, right? I believe you were the Vice Student Council President of Rikeion.”
Helion said as he looked at the male student.
Tightening the bindings further, he lowered Jeraman from the air and examined him.
“I had no clue you were here until you tried to escape. Is that your ‘blessing’?”
“Let go, let me go! What in the world are you doing…!”
“There’s no use resisting. I didn’t make it that weak.”
Helion walked towards Jeraman.
Helion walked forward.
Seeing him trying to escape no matter what, I squatted down to match his eye level.
“It seems clear that you’re targeting Alicia… The reason must be… because you fear her talent, right?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about…!”
“Are you trying to play dumb? I don’t think that’s a very smart move. Just be honest.”
“Wh-what do you mean…?!”
“… I don’t particularly like this, but there’s no helping it.”
Whoosh-.
With particles of light, Helion created a sword and struck down lightly.
Both of Jeraman’s hands were cleanly severed.
There was no blood gushing out.
No screams were heard.
It was blocked by Helion’s magic.
“Cough…! Cough…!”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make it pretty for you.”
Using a combination of light and magic to support the severed arm, he sealed the cut end.
Jeraman’s thick wrist now resembled a giant, awkwardly shaped club.
“I made it look nice. Oh, you don’t need that severed hand anymore, do you?”
With a small gesture from Helion, the detached hand ignited and vanished into thin air.
Not even a bone fragment remained, leaving everything spotless as if nothing had existed.
Having completed the incineration, Helion spoke to him again.
“I know that there are followers of the Goddess Church inside Rikeion. I believe being honest will lead to a mutually beneficial outcome.”
“… Cough!”
“I’ll let you speak, so I hope to hear a good answer.”
“Gasp… gasp…!”
Jeraman gasped for breath, his body reacting violently to the pain and energy drain.
Helion led him to reveal the truth by mentioning another recent incident at Rikeion.
“The missing student Arha was targeted just after the quarterfinals, right? If you also tried to kill Alicia, who was lying in the infirmary, it must have been planned. The idea was to cut off the potential of geniuses beforehand, wasn’t it?”
“…”
“Are you really going to stay silent like that? Hmm… If it’s mind control magic, that’s not my specialty, so I’d have to call someone else. Mind waiting a bit?”
“… Helion.”
Jeraman hung his head low.
He looked drained, like someone who had completely lost their strength, but his voice rang with desperate indignation.
Finally lifting his head, the pitiful words that escaped him were:
“Just shove it.”
Drip-.
A trickle of blood pooled at the corner of Jeraman’s mouth.
Crackling.
Making strange sounds, his already muscular body grew even larger.
The clothes he was wearing tore apart, and his skin began to turn red, like Altife’s.
From a person to an Altife.
The Divine Bug lurking within him seized control of his body.
Whether the bug inside Jeraman is special or if his body is just unusual, its transformation shape and size were different from other mindless priest-level entities.
It was likely a Special Entity, and it seemed to possess considerable power.
Helion watched the transformation with curiosity.
“While the body is changing, the defensive power sharply increases. It’s rare to see the ‘cocoon’ process, so this is unfamiliar. It seems like the mana has surged explosively too…”
Screech-.
As Helion continued speaking, his small gesture resulted in Jeraman, who had grown enormous enough to touch the ceiling, being sliced in half.
Whether it was because of an incredibly clean cut or done by magic, no blood erupted from the severed surface either.
Helion remained calm and collected, as if nothing had happened.
He was casually relaxed.
“I couldn’t get any information. Alicia, there wasn’t any blood spillage, was there? It would be troublesome if your white clothes got stained.”
The emotion flickering in his eyes was one of disappointment.
Wait, does he really feel emotions?
Alicia, who had been observing the situation, felt a sense of dread creeping in.
Her senses were on high alert as if ice was sliding down her spine.
He, the representative of the hero shouting for justice.
It wasn’t Jeraman, transformed into Altife, that raised Alicia’s caution, but the hero Helion.
*
– Winner of the second match! Arterion from Academia! With the power of the enhanced red aura, he has defeated Gaba from Rikeion!
The match had just concluded.
Gaba, lying sprawled on the arena floor, gasped for breath.
During the previous fight, he had exerted himself to the limit and felt like he might pass out from hyperventilation if he didn’t forcibly calm down.
Medical personnel rushed in to check Gaba’s eyes and breathing.
Fortunately, he didn’t seem to have any major issues.
Gaba, breathing heavily, spoke to Arterion.
“I lost.”
“…….”
“I really wanted to win.”
“……You’re strong.”
Arterion had sustained significant injuries as well.
There were several broken bones, and he felt a stabbing pain in his chest with each breath.
Had he not gained new insights about swordsmanship from sparring with Alicia during the second semester, it could have been dangerous.
Having faced Gaba directly, Arterion’s perception of him changed.
He acknowledged and respected him as a worthy opponent.
Gaba felt the same way.
He realized that Arterion was not just some delicate flower growing in a greenhouse.
He had his own convictions and philosophy, and he wasn’t just someone who lived off others.
“Prince, even though I lost this match, I haven’t given up on Alicia yet.”
“……Yeah.”
“Now that it’s like this, win in the finals too. If you beat me but lose in the finals, it feels like I lost as well.”
“The opponent in the finals is Vargan…….”
Arterion had lost badly to Vargan in the class battle.
Since then, he had vowed never to lose again and had worked harder than ever before.
Now that he was on the threshold of a new power, perhaps…….
“I think I can win. ……This time, for sure.”
“Good resolve. With that, I have no need to worry.”
Gaba smiled.
The cheers of the audience hit his eardrums repeatedly.
A crackling mechanical voice continued from the presenters.
– Both of you have worked hard! This will be a legendary match remembered by everyone here for a long time!
– Now, the remaining match is against Vargan…… Hmm? Someone has rushed into the arena. It looks like they’re carrying something, but why isn’t anyone stopping them…… Helion?
At the center of the arena stood Helion.
He was holding a round something wrapped in a black cloth.
‘That guy is….’
Gaba, lying on the ground, turned his head to look at Helion.
The black bundle he held was soaked through on the bottom.
Drip. Drip.
A red-stained liquid fell onto the white arena floor.
Soon after, Helion began to unwrap the bundle.
What emerged was a male student’s head, far too familiar to him.
Though somewhat grotesquely altered, it was unmistakably Jeraman’s.
Gaba’s pupils widened as they met the whiteness of his turned eyeballs.
All eyes were focused on Helion.
With a friendly smile, he addressed everyone.
“From now on, there will be a surprise inspection. It would be wise for the Goddess Church believers hiding in Rikeion to… run away quickly.”
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