Chapter 70

In the Black Academy, which is completely laissez-faire—no, it's a place where everything is left to its own devices—there are no classes.

So, I spent most of my time holed up in the library, devouring grimoires.

The building is dilapidated both inside and out, but the number and quality of books are exceptionally well-stocked.

Incidentally, perhaps due to the magical properties, the books' deterioration is surprisingly mild, which is quite fortunate.

It has been about half a year since my enrollment (or rather, my arrival), and I have already read through about a third of the collection.

Thanks to this, I have become quite knowledgeable about black magic.

In fact, I have made more progress than I would have in classes.

Of course, magic is not something you can claim to have mastered just by reading books and filling your head with knowledge.

For that reason, the library has a special room designated for the practical use of magic.

There, it seems, you can try out magic without any issues.

I returned the book titled "A Spell to Transform Humans into Monstrous Beasts," which I had finished reading in about ten minutes, to its original place and picked up the next one.

"Hmm? What a strange book? There's no title or author's name written on it?"

It was a heavy, substantial book that seemed to have a lot of reading material.

At first glance, it looked like any other grimoire, but there was nothing written on the cover.

The back cover and spine were the same.

I opened it.

"!?!"

In the next instant, a vast amount of magic power overflowed from the book, making the hair on my body stand on end.

"What... is this?"

The contents of the book were all blank.

I stood up and looked around.

The same library scene as before.

No—wait—

"Who are you?"

There was a presence on top of the bookshelf that wasn't there a moment ago.

It was sitting there with its legs crossed, looking quite elegant.

A human?

But the aura was off.

It was a more ominous presence.

"So, you're a demon."

"Spot on, my friend."

Clap, clap, clap.

It clapped its hands loudly and exaggeratedly.

It looked like a human male in his early twenties.

Slender build, pale white skin.

His black hair was sharply spiked as if rebelling against the heavens.

His sharp eyes were tinged with red, and he was grinning down at me with bright red lips, looking quite amused.

"Thanks a lot. Thanks to you, I was able to get out. I, the great one, was sealed in that book, which was quite a nuisance."

It seems that by opening the book, I had released it.

"Still, I never thought I'd be locked up for such a long time. None of the people in this academy have even touched this book until now."

Well, it was on the bottom shelf of a bookshelf in a secluded corner. No one would pick it up unless they were reading through the books in order like I was. The people in this academy seem to be interested only in their own specialized fields.

"Let me repeat, thanks to you, I was really saved. You're my benefactor. ...I guess I should do something to thank you, huh?"

"I don't need anything."

"Don't be so cold. ...By the way, I want to return to my homeland, the demon world, and for that, I need a fresh sacrifice. —So, here it is."

The demon looked me over with its red eyes, pausing dramatically before speaking.

"How about I make you my sacrifice? That's my way of saying thank you for helping me! Hahaha!"

A sacrifice?

"It's nothing, really. I just need to use your flesh and blood as a catalyst. I won't take your soul. Of course, your soul will wander the earth eternally, but—hahaha!"

I said firmly.

"Hmm. Sorry, but I have to decline."

Why should I become a sacrifice for a demon I don't even know?

The demon chuckled, "Kukuku, too bad, but you don't have a choice!"

"Say what you want. —Explosion."

I cast a spell at the demon.

But...

"......? It didn't activate?"

The incantation should have been correct, but the magic power didn't converge as it should, and the spell fizzled out.

"Hahaha, useless, useless, useless! You're already inside the barrier I've set up! It's a barrier that seals all magic, a mage-killer barrier!"

I had felt a strange, sticky sensation all over my body since a while ago.

It seems I had already fallen into its trap.

"For a mage who relies on magic, being sealed from using it is like having your hands and feet bound. You can't do anything now, can you? Of course, trying to run is also useless!"

Indeed, it doesn't seem like I can use magic in this state.

"Then, I'll just have to fight with this."

I drew the staff from my waist.

It's a support staff for mages.

It seems to help with the directionality of spells, and most students own one, but I didn't need it, so I didn't have one.

However, a teacher from the Blue Academy, Hengel, gave me one as a gift for some reason.

I had never used it before, but I had been carrying it on my waist just in case.

I might as well use it now.

Of course, not as a magic staff.

I held the staff like a sword.

"Hahaha! Using a magic staff as a blunt weapon! Not bad, not bad!"

The demon laughed mockingly.

It didn't seem to think I could fight with such a thing.

"Do you know? A true swordsman doesn't choose his sword."

"Hahaha, if a swordsman said that, it might have been convincing. Unfortunately, you're just a mage—"

I kicked off the floor and closed the distance to the demon in an instant.

It was "Shukuchi" (a technique to instantly close the distance).

"—are you?"

Completely off guard, the demon couldn't even react.

I delivered a slashing blow with the magic staff to its defenseless body.

Swish!

The demon's torso was cleanly cut from the right shoulder to the left side of the abdomen.

"How about that? A staff can cut just fine, you know?"