Academy’s New Guard is Unusual - Chapter 88

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 88
Demons held contracts above all else.
It was said that a covenant with a demon was more sacred than a priest’s oath.
When demons made a contract, they appeared in their true form.
That was why a contract with a demon was so terrifying.
Because one faced the demon’s true body—born from humanity’s primal fears.
After encountering a High-Ranking Demon’s true form, Dracoff hadn’t slept properly for a year.
And this demon was an even higher being than a High-Ranking Demon.
The desire was there, but so was the fear to match it.
‘I can do this.’
Unlike his careless contracting in the past, Dracoff was now a professor of Black Magic.
He was well-versed in knowledge concerning demons.
After all, in a contract, one could only take what one understood.
Then the surroundings shifted. His office vanished, replaced by a black void.
Nothing existed in that black space. There was only darkness, absolute and complete.
It was strange.
Normally, contracts with demons took place in the Demon Realm, the demon’s domain.
Most people imagined hell when they thought of the Demon Realm, but in truth, it was more lavish than the imperial palace.
It was a place drenched in every desire imaginable.
But this hollow void?
Something was wrong.
Clink.
Then, from somewhere, came the sound of metal.
A heavy sound, as if something weighty made of steel was being dragged.
The problem was that the sound drew closer.
The metallic noise grew louder. Dracoff’s body trembled with each sound.
Just how massive could something be to make such a noise—?
Unable to gauge it, Dracoff shook with dread.
「──────!」
A horrifying scream erupted, as if hundreds of people were shrieking in unison. The problem was that it wasn’t just one scream.
Screams echoed from all around.
Dracoff sensed that something had gone terribly wrong.
Then, something began to emerge from the darkness.
The first thing to appear were Chains—black as pitch. They were so thick that each one was the size of a modest carriage. Those massive Chains writhed like living serpents.
The screams came from the ends of the Chains.
Something was pierced through at the end of each Chain.
‘……Demons?’
High-Ranking Demons, impaled on the Chains, dangled like meat on a skewer.
The High-Ranking Demons shrieked for mercy. Or rather, they begged to be killed instead.
‘What in the—’
At the center of that hell, it stood.
It wore a Crown that wasn’t its own, bore Wings that weren’t its own, and possessed Claws that weren’t its own.
And its entire body was bound tightly with black Chains.
There were so many Chains that one could feel the fear of whatever had bound it.
The problem was that from those Chains emanated the aura of a Greater Demon—no, something even higher than that.
‘An entity sealed by the Seven Sins?’
Then it looked down at Dracoff.
All Dracoff could do was prostrate himself and beg for mercy.
At the same time, doubt arose in him.
This was a being that even the Lord of Death couldn’t receive.
How was that man able to hold such an entity within his body?
Just then, one of the Chains moved toward Dracoff.
It was not a contract. How could an ant dare make a contract with a giant?
Dracoff showed respect with his entire body, as if licking the boots of an emperor.
Just one Chain extended toward him, yet Dracoff felt overwhelming pressure he could barely endure.
There was also a familiar aura mixed within it.
The High-Ranking Demon with which Dracoff had contracted just moments before.
Only then did Dracoff grasp the other’s identity.
‘The Predator—’
Then the extended Chain stopped before him.
As if commanding silence.
Dracoff dared not resist.
* * *
‘This is taking a while.’
I looked down at Dracoff and muttered to myself.
Demons were terribly picky eaters. Even if one offered many souls, a demon would absolutely refuse one that didn’t suit its taste. Rejections were common.
However, the other party was Dracoff, who had contracted with a High-Ranking Demon.
Even a Greater Demon wouldn’t refuse Dracoff.
Then Dracoff’s eyes slowly returned to focus.
At the same time, his presence grew denser. It felt as though a dark silhouette was rippling.
‘The contract is sealed.’
For his aura to change so dramatically from the contract alone.
Certainly, the entity within me seemed to be higher than a High-Ranking Demon.
However—
‘For someone who contracted with a Greater Demon, he’s rather weak.’
Contracting with a Greater Demon meant possessing the qualifications to become a Lord of Death.
Dracoff’s aura had grown stronger than before, but it fell short of what one would expect from a Lord of Death.
‘Something is odd.’
Then Dracoff opened his eyes.
“What did you see inside?”
At my question, Dracoff’s eyes shook violently.
Fear, terror—various emotions rose to the surface in sequence.
The last emotion that appeared in those eyes was awe.
‘Awe? For a demon?’
Clink.
The moment Dracoff tried to speak, a Chain emerged from his mouth and silenced him.
It seemed the entity had added a confidentiality clause to the contract terms.
It was thorough, as befitted a demon.
Of course, that too was a clue.
‘It’s trying to hide its existence.’
Normally, demons loved to reveal their existence. To a demon, fear was power itself.
For a demon to conceal its own existence meant one of two things.
Either it was strong enough that it needed no name, or its name couldn’t be allowed to spread.
The former applied to demons of the Seven Sins’ caliber.
But no matter how solid my body was, I couldn’t remain unscathed after receiving a fragment of a Seven Sins demon’s heart.
So it had to be the latter—
‘A Dead Demon.’
Normally, demons had no concept of death. They were born from humanity’s fears, after all.
However, there were rare cases where demons did die.
It happened when the fundamental fear that spawned them faded with time.
When a plague that once ravaged was overcome, the demon born from that plague would perish.
‘A demon born from a fear that no longer exists.’
That would explain why Dracoff, despite contracting with a Greater Demon, hadn’t become a Lord of Death.
‘It would be weaker than a Greater Demon in the present age.’
A considerable gain.
If the entity was a Dead Demon, it meant I was necessary to it.
“Dracoff.”
“Yes!!! Master!!!”
Dracoff slammed his forehead against the ground and shouted. His response was even more intense than before.
Dracoff had contracted with the entity within me.
As someone who was effectively a direct extension of myself, Dracoff had no choice but to prostrate before me.
I brought forth my original purpose.
“Take responsibility for teaching Black Magic to Evangeline.”
“Yes!!! Yes??? Evangeline?!!! Could it be that girl from earlier?!!!”
Dracoff, who had been so obedient, cried out in dismay.
It was telling, just how much power Evangeline held.
I spoke firmly.
“That’s right, that Evangeline. You will ensure she doesn’t fail the Fundamentals of Black Magic course.”
“Ah, I understand—”
Dracoff bowed his head deeply. His face, which had been gleaming like it had just been born, suddenly grew haggard.
‘This should suffice.’
I rose from my seat, satisfied.
For now, I had found one member of the Republic. Next was the Student Affairs division.
Logan would pay a steep price for this.
As I headed toward the Student Affairs division with such thoughts, I spotted crimson hair in the distance.
There was only one person in the academy with hair as red as blood.
‘Evelyn.’
Evelyn rarely revealed herself.
In truth, throughout my time in the Security Corps, I’d run into her only a handful of times.
A moment ago, one member of the Republic tried to detonate a Magic Stone Bomb during class, yet Evelyn, who normally stayed hidden, appeared precisely now—
The timing was suspiciously convenient.
‘Is Evelyn involved?’
In the game, Evelyn was a Republic executive who would demolish the Main Building itself.
However, her direct involvement only came after the midpoint.
Even if I dealt with Evelyn, the Republic would just assign something more troublesome in her place.
So it was better to leave her alone and attempt to sway her instead.
I had left Evelyn alone with that reasoning—
But if Evelyn was involved in this incident, circumstances changed.
‘Should I eliminate her?’
Then Evelyn turned to face me.
With her characteristic expressionless, frozen face, Evelyn spoke.
“Boyfriend, long time no see.”
“It’s just that you’re rarely around. Are you even doing your job?”
“Hanswell seems to have rubbed off on you in my absence.”
Rubbed off, as if Hanswell were some kind of disease.
I relaxed my hand and posed a question.
“What brings you here, Team Leader?”
“Why else would I come looking for my boyfriend? I came for a date. Come on. Somewhere secluded, away from people.”
“It’s still during work hours.”
“Hanswell really has infected you. It’s fine. I’m giving permission as your team leader.”
Evelyn turned first.
I relaxed my hand and followed her.
Normally, the Main Building was crowded everywhere. Students and staff overflowed from every corner.
Yet now we didn’t encounter a single person.
‘She’s deliberately moving through empty spaces.’
Like some sort of cat—truly a remarkable ability.
This was probably why Hanswell couldn’t find Evelyn.
Evelyn arrived at an empty Lecture Hall.
The hall was disorganized, as if the previous class had ended but not been cleaned up.
“Empty and gloomy. Perfect.”
Evelyn, speaking in that expressionless tone, stood at the lectern and gestured to the front row.
“Sit.”
“You said it was a date, didn’t you?”
“A date between a professor and student. Isn’t the impropriety thrilling?”
“You have peculiar tastes.”
“Hah, is that so?”
Evelyn laughed silently, her expression unchanging.
I took a seat obediently.
Evelyn, towering over most men, stood at the lectern looking down at me. The sense of pressure was considerable. Knowing she was a Republic executive made her all the more threatening.
Tap-tap, I drummed my fingers on the desk.
“To become a couple, one must learn about each other, or so they say. Well then, today we get to know one another.”
Evelyn wrote [Background Check] on the blackboard with chalk.
A distinctly Republic-like choice of words.
“First, what is your name?”
Evelyn asked flatly. The atmosphere was closer to a detective’s interrogation than pillow talk between lovers.
“Grave.”
“Grave, as in a tomb. A fitting name. And your age?”
“Twenty-four.”
“I thought you were past thirty. You have an aged face.”
“I’ve suffered quite a bit. And you, Team Leader?”
“My, asking a woman’s age? Death to you.”
Evelyn drew a finger across her throat.
I jerked my hand slightly.
“Foods you dislike?”
“None. I eat everything without complaint.”
“Convenient. And your favorite food?”
“None in particular.”
“Good. And your ideal type?”
“Anyone but someone with red hair.”
“This is actually a wig.”
Evelyn pulled her hair at both sides. Naturally, it didn’t come off.
“Joking.”
“I almost fell for it.”
“I’m quite the jokester. Well, now that I know the basics, shall we move on to your past—”
Evelyn leaned forward.
Her eyes, red as if steeped in blood, drew close to mine.
Enough time had passed for a normal person to blink six times, yet Evelyn didn’t blink once.
As if blinking would cause me to cut my own throat.
Evelyn stared at me unblinking and asked flatly.
“You’re from the Security Bureau, aren’t you?”
Tap.
My finger stopped.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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