I Got a Fake Job at the Academy

Chapter 721: What Awaits at the End (2)

The waves emitted by the Sun's Shield stopped.

People who had regained their breath could finally exhale their labored breathing.

If they had been just a little later, several of them would not have been able to endure and would have died.

It was an extremely brief moment that appeared during regeneration but Surna had properly attacked, targeting that gap.

"You...!"

Salesin glared at Surna with bulging eyes.

At the sight of Surna smiling as if this was enough, Salesin raised his hand high and struck his temple.

Surna's body flew away helplessly.

Salesin was about to chase after him to cut off her breath when his body staggered.

"This is..."

Salesin looked down at his chest.

Centered around the sword embedded in Salesin's disheveled upper garment, cracks like a glass window had formed.

The problem was that the broken wound was not healing.

Even when he tried to use divine power to seal the wound, it wasn't easy.

'It won't regenerate.'

It wasn't just an ordinary wound. The wound itself was cracked as if a spatial rift had formed.

Salesin realized the cause.

'The next saint!'

His blood-red pupils turned toward Rene, who was catching her breath.

This was a wound from the spatial magic she wielded and Surna had poured oil on it.

A sword thrust into the momentary gap created while the body was breaking and regenerating.

Though inadequate, Surna could also handle the power of space, so he could worsen the wound that Rene had carved.

-Gurgle.

Black liquid flowed down from Salesin's broken chest.

Something dark and unpleasant, qualitatively different from the blood he had been shedding while wounded.

The vessel he thought was perfect had cracked, and the contents inside began to slowly leak out.

While everyone was staring at that scene with horrified gazes, Rudger spoke toward Salesin.

"How do you feel right now? You must be more than just surprised."

"You...!"

"Having realized that yourself, who you thought was invincible, was actually in a precarious state - how must that feel."

"Shut up...!"

Salesin glared at Rudger as if to tear him apart, then saw the shadows rippling on his body and trembled.

Salesin wasn't stupid either. He knew that Rudger wielded the power of space through shadows as a medium and that power had left an indelible wound on his chest.

Salesin knew how to accurately distinguish between situations that were possible and those that were not and when to retreat.

He also knew how to run away immediately without looking back.

Just like right now.

-Thwack!

Salesin wrapped his body in light and tried to fly toward the wide-open sky as if fleeing.

However, Rudger, who read his intention, did not let him be.

"Where are you going!"

The shadow beneath Salesin's feet shot out like tentacles and bound his body.

The halo behind Salesin's back grew stronger and the shadows couldn't withstand the light and snapped apart.

"He's running away!"

"Stop him!"

Everyone gathered there could instinctively feel that the opportunity to kill Salesin was only now.

Salesin also knew this, which is why he tried to escape.

-Swoooosh!

Salesin, having torn through all the shadow bindings, spread his wings wide behind his back.

Immediately after, both wings were cut off by Alex and Pantos.

"These insignificant things!"

The wings made of light exploded, scattering feathers in all directions.

Each feather contained tremendous power. Even master-level knights were bounced back when they swung their aura blades.

Salesin shot up high into the sky as if the wings had been a deception from the beginning.

-Kwaaaaang!

Hans, who had jumped high, pressed down on Salesin with his massive body.

-Auuuuuuuu!!

The Beast of Gevaudan cult howled.

With beast instinct, he had already predicted where and how Salesin would try to escape and moved accordingly.

After pinning Salesin down to the ground with both hands, he didn't stop there but made his characteristic howling sound to try to weaken Salesin's body.

"You filthy beast! Who are you barking at!"

Along with Salesin's rage, an explosion occurred.

Hans' both arms were torn away by the explosion, leaving only bare bones.

Hans screamed in pain, but he didn't back down.

With his two hands that were nothing but bones, he held Salesin even more firmly.

Salesin also felt creeped out by this.

No matter how much of a monster he was, if he had suffered wounds to this extent, the natural reaction would be to retreat due to pain.

Salesin's reaction became sluggish at that reaction as if prepared for death, and Clinton didn't miss that gap.

His magic activated, creating a magic circle so large it covered the sky.

The magic circle slowly descended and emitted strong energy, blocking the ceiling as if to hold Salesin even if he tried to escape but didn't stop there.

-Craaaack!

Huge chunks of ice sprouted from all directions and transformed into a dome covering the wide-open sky.

The intention was clear.

Salesin couldn't contain the surging rage at the insects' behavior that dared to confine him.

If it had been when he had leisure before, it might have been different, but now that he was anxious, even such a small interference felt significant.

"Get lost!"

Salesin's power exploded again.

This time, even Hans was helplessly bounced backward.

Just as Salesin was about to break free again, knights who had avoided or deflected the feathers had approached within close range.

What they were targeting was the area around his heart, from which black mud-like substance was still flowing.

Salesin raised his arms to block or deflect each of the knights' swords one by one.

That action instilled hope and certainty in the people.

-Salesin has weakened now!

Because everyone knew this, they gritted their teeth and charged at him even with their bodies in terrible condition.

Blood spurted from gaping wounds, and broken bones made strange sounds.

Even muscles that were already damaged beyond repair were tearing but no one stopped their swords.

They were all people who had undergone training and real combat, shedding blood and sweat to reach this point.

This kind of pain. Compared to the path they had walked so far, it wasn't even ticklish.

"Kraaaah! How dare these insect bastards!"

Salesin swung his arm widely.

Some retreated, while others dove into his embrace instead.

The halo above Salesin's head shone brightly.

The halo seemed to lengthen, then blades protruded, targeting the bodies of the approaching knights.

At that moment, darkness rippled before their eyes.

It was Selina's doing, who had spirit-synchronized with Esmeralda.

She did her best to reduce the influence by using the power of darkness to devour the light that Salesin emitted.

Salesin decided to wield a sword directly instead, grabbing one of the blades that emerged from the halo with his right hand.

Salesin raised his arm to swing the sword. But his arm wouldn't move.

With a crunching sound, thick roots that sprouted from the ground had engulfed his right arm.

Salesin put strength into the hand holding the sword and caused sacred fire.

The flames burned the wood and even dealt damage to Sedina, the original owner of that wood.

"Ugh!"

Even in the pain of burning skin, Sedina didn't stop.

Swallowing her scream and biting her lips, she tenaciously held onto Salesin.

-Pop pop pop pong!

Cannons fired from the Monarch struck Salesin's body.

Salesin glared at the Monarch and created rings of light in his pupils.

-Flash!

Pure white light shot from Salesin's eyes, piercing through the side of the Monarch.

-Kwang!

The opposite side of the Monarch exploded with red flames.

"Aaaaah! We're crashing!"

"Everyone hold onto anything!"

The tilting Monarch fell downward with black smoke but Caroline and Elisa caught the falling Monarch.

The two used their magical power to hold the Monarch so it wouldn't crash and slowly lowered it onto the open ground.

"Captain! We believed you would save us!"

"Shut up, you idiots! I told you to run away!"

"How could we leave without the captain! If we die, we die together!"

"You really don't listen! Fine, how many people can fight?"

"All of us are ready!"

"Then, see that human over there? Pour attacks from a distance so he can't escape! Never get close! Got it?"

"Yes sir!"

The Monarch mercenary group opened the ship's armory and took out all kinds of items from there.

The Dream Walkers also stepped forward, and the elf druids and warriors also prepared themselves.

"Press the attack!"

Meanwhile, Salesin turned his head and swept the area with the light he shot from his eyes.

-Kukwakwakwabang!

Following the trajectory where that eye-light passed, the marble melted and became mushy, then exploded with flames from inside.

"Wow! This is really chaos!"

-Chiiiiiiik!

A large amount of water was poured on the flames of the explosion. Casey had to focus on blocking the flames erupting everywhere.

The knights also had to distance themselves to avoid being swept up in that eye-light.

There was only one person bold enough to ignore that, Pantos.

Pantos, who now only held a harpoon after the anchor chain broke, fell from the sky and thrust the harpoon into Salesin's back.

-Thud!

It was a surprise attack delivered while his body was surrounded by spirits and synchronized with the surroundings, an attack that the intact Salesin would have noticed and blocked long ago.

 This meant Salesin had weakened that much.

Pantos' harpoon deeply penetrated Salesin's back and protruded through the hole where mud was spurting out.

"Ugh!"

Salesin spat out a handful of black mud from his mouth and roughly swung his hand.

The light energy dwelling in his arm bounced Pantos far away.

Salesin staggered and grasped the harpoon blade with his hand, then pulled it out with force.

Even with a broken body, he seemed to feel pain as his brow was deeply furrowed but with this he had shaken off all the troublesome ones.

Salesin spread new wings made of light behind his back along with the halo above his head.

The wings flapped once. Salesin's body shot straight up like a flash of light.

He intended to break through the ice dome and Clinton's magic circle and escape.

"Cough! Stop him!"

Terina coughed up blood and shouted.

Cravat moved. The ancient curse he unleashed grabbed Salesin's ankle.

It was a curse that would burn divine power and age and rot flesh just by touching it but Salesin mercilessly cut off his own shin area.

Flowers bloomed from the ground and shot seeds at Salesin like a machine gun.

It was Sedina's magic.

The seeds burned away before even touching Salesin, but some seeds reached his skin.

The seeds that touched Salesin's skin instantly germinated and transformed into large vine clusters that bound his body.

Salesin tore through even that with a sneer and a single flap of his wings.

Then he threw the golden sword in his hand toward Sedina.

Sedina had to hastily raise tree roots to defend herself.

Though not as much as the sword of light, the golden sword was equally threatening.

Once the obstacles disappeared, Salesin charged toward the ceiling.

No matter how large the barrier, Salesin was confident he could break through it.

"Did you think I'd let you?"

It was almost simultaneous when Rudger spread crow wings behind his back and followed.

The moment Salesin saw Rudger, he changed direction in mid-air and charged toward him.

Rudger and Salesin collided in mid-air.

"I'll kill you!"

"I thought you'd ignore me and run away, but you're targeting me here. Do you still have leisure?"

"Cutting off your breath or so is nothing."

"Is that possible? In that body condition?"

"Don't put on airs. You're the one putting on airs, aren't you? Your body is more damaged than it looks."

Salesin's words were accurate.

Though he was outwardly maintaining a facade of being fine, Rudger's body condition was not very good due to repeated battles.

Salesin also knew this, which is why he thought of killing Rudger in such an urgent situation.

If he could just kill Rudger, there would be no one left in this cage to stand in his way afterward.

"Die. In this world, I alone am enough to wield the power of god."

The two figures crossed in mid-air, and black and white flashes burst in succession.

'Ah, no.'

Rene bit her lips as she watched that scene.

Her trembling pupils captured their fight and glimpsed the future beyond.

Salesin's future couldn't be seen, but Rudger's future was visible.

What Rene saw in her vision was Rudger's figure with his heart pierced by a golden blade.

And now, a gap was revealed in Rudger's body as he retreated, and Salesin was about to thrust the golden blade.

"No!"

Contrary to Rene's cry, Salesin was certain of victory.

"Farewell."

With a cruel smile, the golden sword pierced Rudger's heart.

Unlike himself who had multiple vessels, Rudger was an ordinary human.

If his heart was pierced, no matter how great he was, there would be no way to survive.

"...!"

Seeing Rudger's bulging eyes, it felt like all the irritation he had experienced so far was melting away.

Ah, finally.

It was done. He had finally dealt with the most annoying one!

"Arrogant fool. You should have accepted the proposal I made at the beginning."

Salesin mocked Rudger to his heart's content and tried to pull out the golden sword.

-Ding.

A bell sound that couldn't possibly be heard from anywhere rang out.