I Got a Fake Job at the Academy

Chapter 720: What Awaits at the End (1)

Aidan and Madeline’s anti-magic resonated with each other, amplifying their power dozens of times over.

Anti-magic is a force that nullifies magic regardless of its strength, rendering it completely ineffective.

Could there be any other effect besides slightly widening the range when anti-magic becomes stronger?

Surprisingly, there was.

When anti-magic resonates and grows stronger with each other, it affects not only magic but also miraculous powers akin to divine authority, even the brainwashing authority that Salesin was currently using.

Salesin wasn't surprised or fazed by the neutralized brainwashing.

Rather, his expression was quite monotonous, as if he had predicted this part.

"So it was you rats who were gnawing away at my brainwashing one by one!"

Rather, he wasn't entirely displeased to learn the identities of Aidan and Madeline.

From the beginning, Salesin hadn't placed great expectations on the brainwashing authority itself.

Those gathered here each had firm convictions, making brainwashing difficult, and they had all prepared countermeasures accordingly.

It was better to settle things with pure power because he was strong even without authority.

"Right. Have you all crawled out now? Did you think you'd amount to something by gathering like that? Not a chance. No matter how many of you gather, the result will be the same. The only thing that changes is the number of deaths piled beneath."

A halo flickered behind Salesin's back.

The aureole floating above his head not only brightly illuminated the surroundings but also provided an immense sense of oppression.

It was hard to breathe, feeling as if a thousand-pound iron weight was pressing down on their shoulders.

However, none of those gathered stepped back.

They steeled their resolve for a fight to the death and glared at Salesin.

Salesin didn't like those eyes.

The pupils of people who would never yield no matter how much they were trampled and broken.

They were like weeds that would grow again no matter how many times you pulled them out and cut their sprouts.

"Everyone charge at once!"

As Luther shouted, those in charge of close combat moved.

Watching those who moved quickly while leaving afterimages, Salesin's pupils glowed coldly.

A pure white ring formed inside his red pupils.

Simultaneously, a belt-like ring formed around Salesin's body and spread out in concentric circles.

What was visible was a thin ring, but this wasn't something that could be avoided by jumping up or crouching down.

Just the blazing heat contained within the ring would burn anyone the moment they approached.

Indeed, around Salesin, the ground was turning orange and becoming mushy while the atmosphere was rapidly combusting.

The ring spread quickly, and wherever it passed, debris melted like slush.

It was Casey and Marias who helped before the heat wave reached the knights.

Vast amounts of water poured out like a dam release to cool the heat, and cold wind colder than Arctic chill covered it.

The ring of light didn't disappear just from that, but its power was greatly diminished.

"Keep going!"

Roina cast enhancement magic from behind and shouted.

She was the most specialized in such support among the 6th-tier mages.

She used a series of spells that would help those fighting with swords: strength enhancement, stamina boost, wind step, and so on.

As she watched the knights show even more chaotic movements with her eyes.

A large shadow fell behind Salesin as Hans launched a surprise attack.

It was such a quiet ambush that it was hard to believe something of that size had moved.

Like a predator pouncing on prey without warning, the wolf's fangs aimed for Salesin's small torso.

However, Salesin, as if he already knew, lightly drew a sword of light from the aureole above his head without even turning around and casually threw it into the sky.

The sword of light that shot into the sky instantly split into multiple pieces. Each split sword became massive enough to be used as a building pillar and fell directly onto Hans.

Hans, who had been trying to bite Salesin, sensed danger with beast instinct and pulled his body back.

Following where the wolf monster moved, huge pillars of light embedded themselves one after another with thundering sounds.

The pillars of light didn't end there.

A pure white ring formed above the pillars that were only one-third embedded, and soon the pillars were driven nearly halfway deep.

-Kwaaaaang!

They exploded consecutively in pure white hemisphere shapes.

Hans couldn't avoid the explosions and was swept up in them.

His left arm and leg were hit by the explosion, leaving only pure white bones in the affected areas.

-Grrrrung.

However, the Beast of Gevaudan was not to be underestimated.

When he put strength into his left arm that was only bones, muscles sprouted, skin was generated, and black fur covered it again.

It was regenerative power that was hard to believe even seeing it.

"What a disgusting beast."

As Salesin muttered this, the masters who had somehow approached within arm's reach simultaneously swung their swords toward his neck.

-Kagagagagak!

Salesin's pure white nape and various colored aura blades collided, sending sparks flying.

Salesin's red pupils looked for something else.

'These people can't cut my neck anyway. The real one is somewhere else.'

Found it. Salesin caught the presence of Alex secretly moving in his blind spot.

"As expected."

It was natural if you thought about it.

Alex's swordsmanship had gradually developed during the fight and soon transformed into one perfect sword.

Though it didn't have the power of 8th-tier magic, it was swordsmanship that transcended reason, cutting through his divine power barrier all too easily.

If given just a little more time, he would probably surpass Luther and be called the next greatest swordsman of the continent.

That's why he had been a talent Salesin coveted, but in the current situation, he was also the most troublesome existence.

But Salesin couldn't focus only on Alex.

In the rear, mages including Rudger were weaving spells again.

Unlike before with dazzling magic that confused the vision, this looked like magic that required preparation.

'Are they trying to use that again?'

Since it couldn't be done with one person's power alone, Clinton was also trying to assist from the side.

Moreover, Rene also showed signs of trying to use spatial magic toward this direction while being protected by those around her.

'They mean to distract me by drawing my attention from the surroundings, then simultaneously stab multiple daggers to cut my throat.'

Salesin, who was about to lift his left arm, looked down when he suddenly couldn't feel any sensation.

His left arm was submerged in darkness below the elbow.

'Right. That woman was there too.'

When Salesin's gaze reached her, Selina's body trembled, but she still didn't back down and stared at him with intense eyes.

Where the darkness receded, nothing remained. The same was true for Salesin's arm that had been swallowed.

The arm regenerated instantly, but the speed was slower than before.

'Is it because of the darkness's influence?'

It was surprising.

Having completed the inheritance of all knowledge, history, and souls, he should have been an absolute being who would not be defeated by anyone on this continent.

There was still the pure-blood vampire, but she was in a state of severe damage to her soul.

In terms of pure power output alone, Salesin was indeed the strongest being in this cage.

But being strong didn't necessarily mean winning.

It was the same in the wild.

Occasionally, some insects had deadly poison. No matter how strong a predator was, if it was stung by an insect's poison, it could be injured or even die.

Salesin was a predator, but there were many insects with deadly poison in this place.

Each one qualified enough to shatter Salesin's vessel and threaten his life.

"In that case."

Salesin raised his right arm.

"I have no choice but to sweep them all away at once."

A shield of light was created above his right hand.

"Come. Shield of the Sun."

Those who saw it instinctively felt a sense of crisis.

The Shield of the Sun, which along with the sword of light that Salesin used, represented his main weapons.

Its specialty lay in wide-area attacks.

-Thoooom!

A huge wave emanated from the shield Salesin held in his hand.

The pure white wave possessed tremendous physical force.

The debris touched by the wave vibrated finely and shattered.

Just one wave sweeping through was enough to make everyone around pause momentarily.

But the wave didn't end with just one.

-Thoom! Thoom! Thoom!

Like periodically beating a large drum, waves continuously poured out from the Shield of the Sun, sweeping the entire surrounding area.

Rocks became pebbles.

Pebbles became sand.

Sand soon disappeared without a trace.

"Krrrrgh!"

Even Verom, protected by living armor, and Whiron with his sturdy muscles were gradually pushed back.

The mages also tried to deploy defensive magic to block the waves, but the pressure transmitted finely through the air gradually ate away at their bodies.

-Kugugugugung!

The continent's greatest experts were bound to their positions, unable to move.

Moreover, the waves were getting stronger as they continued and overlapped.

'How is that possible?'

Rudger looked at Salesin holding the shield.

Salesin's body, holding the shield raised up, cracked like pottery and soon disappeared along with the wave.

His body, scattered like fragments, returned to its original state as if time was rewinding.

'Destruction and regeneration. Could it really come out this way here?'

Salesin wasn't entirely free from those waves either.

But Salesin, who possessed vessels that could serve as spare lives, could make such bold choices.

The vessels could be accumulated again over time anyway.

Salesin chose to sweep away all the insects even if he had to consume most of his vessels here.

'I can't leave it like this.'

Rudger put strength in his legs and barely managed to keep from falling.

The moment he tried to take a step forward, a wave hit his body and passed through.

"Kgh."

It was a technique that couldn't be completely blocked even with defensive magic.

Moreover, the pain inflicted on the body was different from ordinary pain.

It felt like it was vibrating his soul.

That too was certainly the power possessed by the Shield of the Sun.

Taking one step forward felt harder than going to the end of the horizon.

But he couldn't give up because of that.

'I need to find an opening. At this rate, it'll be total annihilation.'

Rudger glared at Salesin with wide eyes.

Blood vessels appeared in his eyes and his pupils seemed about to distort from shock, but he still didn't turn his head away.

Find it. Find that guy's opening.

There's no such thing as 'perfect' in this world. There must be some kind of opening there too.

-Thoom! Thoom! Thoom!

With the continuously pouring waves, the ground centered on Salesin was pulverized like powder.

The closest area where the wave's power was greatest had literally become a zone of nothingness.

And the range of that area was gradually expanding.

But

'Found it.'

That's why Rudger was able to discover it.

The speed at which Salesin's body regenerated had slowed, albeit slightly.

That wasn't all.

Salesin's body, which had initially withstood twenty waves before collapsing, could only endure fifteen the next time.

Then nine times. Then five times.

'Salesin's body is collapsing faster.'

Was it because the waves got stronger? That wasn't it.

Those waves were resonating with consistent power and intervals.

'Salesin's body has become weaker.'

Whether it was from using the shield's power or from using the vessels, he didn't know, but this was an opportunity.

Rudger wasn't the only one with the same thought.

"Hey! Heathcliff!"

Nearby, Surna called out to Rudger.

He was protecting both Catherine and Arkenis behind him while his sword was planted in the ground.

Half of his face, swept by the wave, was completely shattered, emitting something like black smoke.

Surna nodded at Rudger with a smiling face.

Rudger knew what that smile and look meant.

There was only one chance.

They would aim for it.

-Crack!

Along with the wave, Salesin's body scattered into pieces.

His body regenerated again, but in that fleeting moment, the power of the waves emitted by the shield diminished.

It was such a brief time that it could truly be called an instant but it might also be the first and last opportunity.

Surna immediately released the sword's protection and gripped his blade properly.

"Surna."

Arkenis' voice came from behind.

The muffled voice only called his name, but he could understand what she wanted to say.

-Don't go.

"This is the end I chose."

There was no hesitation.

Surna took a step forward.

-Crack!

His leg shattered like glass and his body leaned forward.

Surna gritted his teeth and supported his body with his broken ankle.

"Get ready!"

At the same time, Rudger activated his magic.

Like Surna, aiming for that instant, he squeezed out all his remaining mental power to complete one spell.

[Source Code]

Coordinate designation spell activated.

A shadow rose in front of Surna, creating a round full-body mirror-like door.

Surna threw his body toward the shadow door.

Crossing space, Surna appeared right in front of Salesin, who had just regenerated his body.

"You...!"

Salesin, who was regenerating, widened his eyes as if he hadn't expected his opponent to come this far.

-Thoom!

The wave swept the surroundings once again.

Surna was right next to the shield, so he had to take the full brunt of the impact's strongest power.

His remaining leg was shattered and disappeared, and his other arm also vanished below the shoulder but the hand holding the sword was intact.

That was enough.

"Take care."

Salesin didn't know to whom Surna was saying farewell.

He probably would never know in his lifetime.

Even if explained, he wouldn't understand the final moments of a man who had lived only for one woman.

From within his crumbling body, Surna thrust his sword.

In a world dyed completely white.

The cleanest and most beautiful trajectory that cut through that world pierced Salesin's heart.

-Crack!

The waves emitted by the Shield of the Sun finally stopped.