I Became A Third-Rate Villain In The Hero Academy
chapter-296

I looked down at Fyat with a mix of indifference and curiosity. Her eyes blazed with determination.

'I wonder why she's so fired up.'

It was unusual seeing her like this, considering she had always been quite cynical in the story.

'Well...'

That wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

One of the best strategies for dismantling a group is to recruit its key members.

Fyat was one of the core fighters of [Leading Mind].

Currently, she had even been chosen by the artifact [Eater], which made her even more valuable.

I reached out my hand to her.

"Then, I'm counting on you from now on."

Fyat grasped my hand firmly. I could feel a strong grip from our clasped hands.

"It's I who should say that."

She stood up, holding my hand, and balanced on one foot.

Then, using [Eater] as a cane, she took a few steps.

Though she had lost a leg just a few minutes ago, she adapted to moving on one foot quickly.

Fyat asked me about our future plans.

"What's the plan from here?"

"First, we'll finish investigating the Great Demon's Shrine. Then, we'll fix your leg."

"Hmm, I've almost completed the investigation of the Great Demon's Shrine on my own. Do you want to hear about it?"

That was music to my ears.

Currently, I was in no condition to overexert myself.

I had exhausted both my body and mana from using [Overrun] and unleashing a barrage of sword energy, even if it was for a short while.

As I nodded, Fyat began to report her findings.

She had a knack for getting straight to the point when she spoke. I asked for additional explanations where necessary, summarizing her investigation results.

"So, to summarize, there are three sealed Great Demons within the Shrine, and your subordinates started experiencing severe mental fatigue shortly after entering?"

"That's right. I believe I managed to keep my sanity intact because of 'this'."

Fyat said, looking at [Eater], which she was using as a staff.

I turned my attention to Fyat. Her status window appeared before me.

'She must have acquired some mental protection traits. Probably from killing paladins.'

Most of the Order's paladins and priests possess mental protection traits.

Thanks to these traits, the Order's warriors had been able to specialize in demon extermination since ancient times.

Without mental protection traits, facing a Great Demon could severely impair one's sanity, making it difficult to perform at one's best.

"I see. Still, we need to check it out ourselves, so let's head to the Shrine."

I took out an imitation panacea from my [Subspace Bag].

It was to prepare for any potential battles.

Since the duration of [Overrun] usage was short, my condition wasn't too bad.

'It feels like a waste to drink it all in one go.'

I only drank half of the imitation panacea and handed the rest to Fyat.

"Drink this. It might not regenerate your leg, but it will heal all other wounds."

"Thank you."

Without a moment's hesitation, Fyat emptied the bottle I handed her.

Soon after, except for her missing leg, all her injuries were healed.

She looked at her freshly healed right shoulder and commented.

"...Incredible effects. It's on the level of a high priest's healing spell from the Order."

"Hmmm. The higher up in the Order, the more they shun non-humans. Did you ever have the chance to be treated by a high priest?"

The Order's members fundamentally adhere to 'human supremacy'. Naturally, all high-ranking positions within the Order are held by humans.

No matter how exceptional one's divine energy might be, it's nearly impossible for non-humans to attain high-ranking positions.

Fyat replied as if she understood what I meant.

"It was over 200 years ago. Back then, there wasn't as much discrimination against non-humans as there is now."

"I see."

The time Fyat was referring to must have been before the religious wars.

Back then, the Order would have sought the help of various non-human races to win in the religious wars.

Before we left, I checked my equipment.

I strapped the [Demon Sword] to my left hip and the [Elemental Sword] to my right hip.

I securely placed the couple's daggers [Romeo and Juliet] in their designated spots inside my clothing.

Then,

'Huh?'

I noticed something strange.

The white orb I had received from Sara and kept inside my clothing had turned black.

Sara's words came to mind.

─If this turns black, it means we're in danger.

It seems something has happened to the team I sent ahead.

"We need to hurry, Fyat. My companions are in danger."

"Understood."

I immediately started running towards the Great Demon's Shrine.

Fyat followed behind me but was slower. Despite her superior physical abilities, there was a limit to moving on one foot.

'This won't do.'

I couldn't just leave Fyat behind.

I pushed my back towards her and knelt down.

"Get on my back."

Fyat hesitated, uncharacteristically.

"Uh... um..."

I urged her.

"Quickly, get on. It's urgent."

"Understood."

Fyat compliantly climbed onto my back.

She was lean but tall and muscular throughout her body, making her quite heavy.

However, after undergoing several enhancements, she didn't feel too heavy for me.

"Hold on tight."

"Uh... okay."

"Let's go."

With Fyat hesitantly clinging to me, I began to sprint at full speed.

Theo, carrying Fyat, soon arrived in front of the Great Demon's Shrine.

They saw four bizarre creatures fighting their companions.

The creatures had small horns on their heads and small, black wings on their backs. Their teeth were jagged like saw blades, and they emitted a dark magical aura all over.

'...Corrupted.'

Corrupted are beings from the middle realm that have transformed into creatures of the demon realm due to prolonged and intense exposure to dark magic.

They lose their reason and move purely on instinct, resistant to most magical and physical attacks.

'Judging by their number, they must be the teammates Fyat brought with her.'

It seemed they had turned into Corrupted after being soaked in the Great Demon Shrine's dark magic.

Thinking this, Theo reached into his clothing and grasped [Romeo and Juliet].

His energy was slightly recovered. Theo infused energy into [Romeo].

Whoosh─!

He immediately threw it at one of the Corrupted.

Thunk!

A fist-sized hole was punched through the abdomen of one of the Corrupted.

─...What, what the─?

The Corrupted hit by the dagger let out a sinister scream and looked at Theo.

─Graaaah-!

Then, it charged at Theo, thumping heavily.

'With the current amount of energy I have, a frontal confrontation would be difficult.'

Theo drew the [Elemental Sword] from his waist.

He used the spell [Stone Rise].

Rumble─

A stone wall rose in front of the Corrupted.

Theo summoned consecutive stone walls to enclose the Corrupted.

Boom, bang──!

The enclosed Corrupted thrashed against the stone walls.

The walls shook as if they were about to break.

This particular Corrupted, having been exposed to the dark magic of not one, but three Great Demons, had extraordinary strength.

Rumble─ Rumble─

Theo summoned additional stone walls to reinforce the thickness.

The sound of the Corrupted banging on the walls gradually became quieter.

Theo began to support his companions.

'I'll take care of the one in front first.'

Stone walls rose to the left and right of the largest Corrupted at the forefront.

─Grr?

The creature nonchalantly swung its thick arm, shattering the stone wall. The thick wall crumbled upon impact with its fist.

However, that was enough for the companions.

A hammer-shaped light descending from the air struck the creature's head hard.

Then, Theo began to target the two Corrupted in the back row.

The strategy was simple.

'They have immense physical strength but no brain.'

First, he surrounded three sides of them with stone walls.

Then, the creatures, acting purely on instinct, tried to escape through the remaining open side.

At that moment, Theo infused energy into [Romeo], which had returned to him, and threw it at one of the creatures.

Although it only induced a brief groggy state, that was sufficient.

The energy Theo uses is a special case, and normally, divine energy is the most effective when hunting beings from the demon realm. Practitioners of Light possess a large amount of this divine energy.

The two Corrupted creatures, briefly stunned, groaned.

─Gr, grrr...

The Practitioners of Light, whose eyes had turned completely red except for their pupils, didn't miss this opportunity.

"Now's our chance! Charge, Britney!"

"Let's wreck them! Together, Mike!"

Thud, thunk!

The Practitioners' weapons repeatedly pierced and exited the bodies of the Corrupted.

Theo alternated throwing [Romeo], filled with his energy, at all four Corrupted creatures.

This action was repeated dozens of times.

Thump.

All four Corrupted creatures fell to the ground.

Slowly, their massive black flesh began to disperse into the air.

After a while, only skeletons, presumed to have once been human, remained where the creatures had fallen.

The Practitioners cheered.

They approached in turn, with Billy and Mike in the front.

"Wow, Theo, where did you learn something so ingenious? You're better than those old farts in the Order who just hog the food."

"Really. Never heard or seen such a tactic. Do they teach you this at the academy these days?"

Following them were Britney and Adrienne.

"Oh my, the dark elf lady came along too? But her leg..."

"...I never thought Fyat would lose."

At the very back was Sara.

"Thank goodness you're alive, Theo. I was worried when the orb turned black all of a sudden."

They were all smiling.

However, Theo's face as he looked at them was stern.