The Last-Seat Hero Has Returned

36. Last Will (5)

“How…?”

Ashtaroth’s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at the gray-haired cadet.

As mentioned before.

The ‘Veil of Illusions’ was a barrier that couldn’t be easily dispelled, even if all the professors of the Hero School worked together.

Not because the professors were incompetent.

It was because the sacrifice Ashtaroth poured into creating this barrier was absurd.

‘A barrier created by sacrificing the lives of 200 demons.’

How could one so easily penetrate a barrier that engulfs those around it in endless illusions and fantasies?

“You said it yourself, didn’t you? That illusions don’t work on me.”

“…….”

Ashtaroth recalled a lesson from a few weeks ago.

The illusion magic vanished helplessly, like throwing a bundle of paper into blazing flames.

Although it was a lesson and not a real battle, and he had adjusted his power accordingly, the illusion had dissipated too easily.

Yes.

As if….

‘As if it were imbued with the divine power of the ‘Seven Eyes’ of the Saint.’

At the thought that crossed his mind, Ashtaroth let out a small laugh without realizing it.

‘That can’t be.’

A mere candidate, and one who had been at the bottom of the class for two years since entering, couldn’t possibly possess divine power.

“Indeed… I don’t know the reason, but it seems illusions don’t work on you at all.”

If even the barrier created by sacrificing 200 demons could be penetrated in an instant, it was right to judge that he was immune to illusions.

“That must be quite troublesome for you, right?”

“Oh. You speak as if you know me well.”

“I do know you well.”

In a deep, sunken voice, I uttered the name of the demon before me.

“The Archbishop of Illusions, Ashtaroth.”

“……!”

“Wait… what, what did you say, Dale?”

Iris exclaimed in shock, her eyes wide open.

It was known that Professor Morpheus was a demon when he cast the purple barrier and knocked out Camilla and the children with illusion magic.

But to think he was one of the six archbishops at the pinnacle of demons was beyond imagination.

“Hmm? Oh. Ah, I see.”

Ashtaroth, who had been lost in thought for a moment, nodded as if he had just realized something.

“So it was you? The one who ruined my plan.”

“Well. All I did was take care of a few idiots who were hammering nails into a perfectly good cave wall.”

“Haha. Isn’t it too shameless to annihilate someone else’s precious subordinates?”

“Precious subordinates, you say.”

What nonsense.

“They weren’t precious subordinates, but tools to infuse a curse into the ley lines.”

“Oh. So you knew that too?”

Ashtaroth’s eyes gleamed with interest.

“You’re not just a mere candidate, are you?”

“Let’s call it even, since you weren’t just a professor either.”

“Hahaha. Good. It’s more fun when unexpected variables come into play.”

From the start, it was a plan that couldn’t be called perfect.

Releasing the demonic beasts during the festival to seize the ‘Seven Eyes’ amidst the chaos.

Compared to the plans prepared over the past few years, it was excessively bold and reckless.

It was well anticipated that things wouldn’t go as planned.

From the beginning, it was an endeavor undertaken with the resolve to bear this level of risk.

‘Never imagined that the risk would be a candidate instead of a professor, though.’

Anyway.

As a result, the veil of illusion was pierced, and the variable appeared.

A variable that could be called a ‘natural enemy’ to Ashtaroth, who primarily used illusion and mental magic.

“An opponent immune to illusions… This is quite troublesome.”

Ashtaroth sighed deeply and shook his head.

A battle against an opponent immune to illusions.

This is like asking a swordsman who has trained with a sword all his life to fight barehanded.

“But.”

A deep smile spread across Ashtaroth’s lips.

The mark of the demon god engraved on his left chest emitted a gloomy purple light, spreading wide like wings.

“That doesn’t mean the outcome will change.”

Even if his primary weapon, illusions, were sealed.

He was still the ‘Archbishop’ reigning over tens of thousands of demons.

Wooong!

The wide-spread purple light vibrated fiercely.

The wave of violet light surged over Dale.

“Hold on tight.”

“What? Ahhh!”

Dale grabbed Iris’s hand, pulling her into his arms as he urgently stomped his feet.

‘Berald’s martial arts.’

Wind Step.

The magic spread throughout his body, making him feel as light as a feather.

In that state, if he forcefully expelled the magic through his feet.

Whoosh!

His body slightly lifted off the ground, moving as if he was stepping on air.

Crash!

The spot where he had just been standing was swept away by the violet light, twisting the earth as if clay was being pressed hard from both sides.

‘To think this much power from just a magic release.’

I clicked my tongue as I looked at the twisted earth.

The attack Astaroth just used was not magic or anything, but a simple release of magic.

Infusing physical force into the magic and shooting it out directly.

It was a simple spell that even first-year magic department candidates could do, but the immense magic… no, the demonic energy Astaroth possessed turned that simple spell into something with the power of a siege weapon.

“Stay here.”

“Wait, Mr. Dale! You’re not thinking of fighting the Archbishop, are you?”

“If I don’t fight?”

“Well, um… calling the professors or something.”

“Even if you call them, they won’t be able to get in because of that barrier.”

He could easily break through the barrier of illusions, but the other professors were different.

‘It would be impossible to escape with Iris outside the barrier.’

Astaroth wouldn’t just stand by and watch them escape, and he couldn’t leave Camilla and the orphanage children who were unconscious here.

Then there was only one choice left.

He had to defeat Astaroth here.

“I’ll take care of him, so you put up a barrier to protect Camilla and the kids from getting caught up.”

“But….”

Iris tried to argue but bit her lip as she looked at the unconscious Camilla and the children.

“…Please, Mr. Dale.”

“Leave it to me.”

I took a step towards Ashtaroth.

Ashtaroth, who had been watching with his arms leisurely crossed, let out a sardonic sneer.

“Is the hero play all over?”

“Over, indeed.”

I pulled out a glass bottle filled with blue liquid from my bosom and gulped it down.

My heart pounded wildly as if it were broken, and fierce magic surged through my entire body.

Clang.

The sound of the empty glass bottle shattering as it hit the ground.

“Now, it begins.”

Boom!

A deafening explosion.

I felt my body being propelled forward as the surrounding scenery stretched out.

“Ugh…!”

Ashtaroth hastily retreated, taken aback by the sudden acceleration.

I chased after him, swinging my sword fiercely.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

A purple aura spread out like a spider web, blocking his front.

Boom!

As the sword, enveloped in a white light, clashed with the purple aura, a thunderous roar shook the surrounding land.

‘As expected, the amount of magic power is different.’

Unlike the half-baked stigma amplifier I used at the demons’ hideout last time, the stigma amplifier made with magic-infused seven-star grass was on a completely different level.

‘I wish I had more of it.’

Unfortunately, the only stigma amplifier I had was the one I just drank.

‘No choice then.’

The duration of the stigma amplifier is five minutes.

I must defeat Ashtaroth within that time.

‘Solar Sword, Sixth Form.’

White Light.

Wooong!

A pure white light burst forth from the sword, slicing through the purple aura.

“Krgh!”

The white light, cutting through the purple aura, grazed Ashtaroth’s cheek.

Flesh split open, blood trickling down.

“…Ha.”

Ashtaroth let out a low chuckle, caressing the blood running down his cheek.

“Indeed, you had a hidden trick.”

After drinking the blue liquid from the glass bottle, Dale’s previously meager magic power had explosively increased.

“This is getting more interesting than I thought.”

With a deep smile, Ashtaroth drew up his magic.

The purple light emanating from the stigma shot fiercely at Dale.

“Hrgh!”

Bang! Crack! Rumble!

Clashing sword and magic.

The white and purple lights intertwined, creating a massive shockwave.

“Ugh…!”

Iris hastily created a shield to protect Camilla and the children from the shockwave.

“Dale!”

A battle so fast it couldn’t be followed with the eyes.

In the midst of the overwhelming fight that made it impossible to even think of intervening, Dale was holding his ground against the ‘Archbishop’ in a fierce battle.

‘Amazing.’

She had vaguely known Dale was strong, but to think he could fight the Archbishop without being pushed back.

‘If it’s Dale, maybe…’

Just as she thought he might actually win against the Archbishop.

Crack!

With a chilling rupture, a hole the size of a human head was punched through Dale’s chest.

“…Ah?”

Blood poured out from the gaping wound in his chest.

As if time had stopped.

The image of Dale collapsing like a puppet with its strings cut is etched into my retina.

“D-Dale… sir?”

I stammered, calling his name, but there was no way someone with a hole the size of a head in their chest could respond.

“Ah, ugh. No…”

Iris, whose legs had lost their strength, collapsed to the ground.

“No, nooo!!!”

The moment I saw Dale’s cold corpse, my mind went blank.

A soul-wrenching scream filled the tent.

“Hah, hah. This is beyond imagination, truly.”

Ashtaroth wiped the blood flowing from the corner of his mouth, breathing heavily.

From the first time I saw him, I thought he wasn’t an ordinary candidate, but to think he possessed enough power to ‘wound’ me.

‘A candidate at a level where most professors wouldn’t even dare to present their business cards.’

At this level, it seemed it would have been much better to face a bloodthirsty hunting dog or the descendant of a great sage.

“Hoo. But still, I managed to deal with it somehow.”

The plan I had prepared to obtain the ‘Seven Eyes.’

Although unforeseen variables had taken it quite far from the original plan, the destination had not changed.

“Now then.”

I turned my head towards Iris, who was sobbing on the ground.

“Shall we savor the fruits of this sweet victory?”

Every time I saw the tears in Iris’s eyes, an intense desire to obtain the ‘Seven Eyes’ as soon as possible boiled up.

As I surrendered to that desire and took a step forward.

“Hmm?”

From somewhere unknown.

Gray ash brushed his cheek and scattered.