Mesugaki Tank Enters The Academy

Frete, the apostle of the goddess who governs beauty and art, regained consciousness in a place filled with darkness.

The first sensation he encountered was pain. There wasn’t a part of his body that didn’t hurt.

What on earth did I do yesterday?

I don’t know. Nothing comes to mind. My head is clouded with various disgusting thoughts, preventing me from recalling any clear memories.

First, let me assess my surroundings.

I can’t see in front of me. Is my vision obstructed by a blindfold?

No, I can’t feel anything near my face.

Huh? It’s not just near my face that I can’t feel anything. My hands, feet, skin—my sense of touch has completely disappeared.

Since my wrists don’t seem to move well, it feels like I’m bound to something.

...It’s natural that I don’t smell anything. Even while moving my wrists around, there’s not a sound to be heard.

What on earth has happened?

Despite being in a situation where any kind of danger could have befallen him, Frete remained calm.

Whether it was summer or winter, he had roamed the land, using the ground as a bed and the sky as a blanket while delivering the goddess’s words. He was a person who could be considered overly optimistic.

Even now, he thought that as long as he wasn’t dead, everything would be fine, and he tried to close his eyes again.

“Hey. Hey. Don’t sleep. You madman.”

At that moment, a voice finally broke through the surroundings.

It was a voice that seemed familiar from a distant past. Judging from the faint memory, she might have been somewhat beautiful.

“What would I do other than sleep when I can’t recall any thoughts?”

“Isn’t it normal to be terrified in that case?”

“If I die, I die. I’d get to see the beautiful goddess’s visage, so what’s there to fear?”

“...Wow. This guy has gone crazier over the last ten years.”

With a snap! The darkness lifted as the surroundings came into view.

The first thing visible was the gloomy ceiling of a brick prison.

Iron handcuffs bound his limbs.

His body was a mess, as if he had undergone torture.

And finally, the face of a woman he had seen long ago, a face he thought he would never see again.

“Karia?”

“Yeah. It’s me, you perverted bastard.”

“I... I heard you were dead.”

“Well, it’s complicated if you want to talk about it. Hurry up and think.”

Think, huh?

Ah. Indeed. As various senses returned, the disgusting thoughts in his head also faded away.

Recognizing this, various pieces of information floated to the surface of Frete’s mind.

The reason I ended up here was the goddess’s guidance.

She mentioned that there were those attempting to taint the world in the Barrow Domain, so he moved there disguised.

This place, from the outside, appeared normal, but it could not deceive Frete’s eyes.

To him, who distinguishes everything in the world between beauty and ugliness, the foulness underlying the domain was something he could not help but notice.

Frete realized soon after entering the domain that the entire territory had fallen into the hands of the Evil God, and that the Barrow family was at its center.

Having grasped everything, he initially planned to retreat and bring the order’s paladins to launch a crusade for purification, but unfortunately, his intentions failed.

Despite using various means to erase the traces of the apostle, he could not escape the Evil God’s gaze.

Frete desperately tried to escape this domain, but the darkness seemed endless no matter how fast he ran.

The only thing he could do was to resist until he collapsed.

“Do you remember everything?”

Spitting out the blood pooling in his mouth, Frete nodded.

“...Yeah. Mostly.”

“Just how weak have you become in the ten years I’ve been gone? You can’t even escape properly.”

“I had no choice. I didn’t get a proper chance to fight.”

The moment he realized his identity was exposed, the darkness that swallowed the domain.

The countless traps lurking within.

The last appearance of the Evil God’s apostle that emerged after being whittled down by that darkness and the Duke of Barrow, standing in front of him like a guardian.

Even if they faced each other in perfect condition, they would be in a precarious situation; he had no choice but to lose.

“And by the way, if we’re talking about weakness, isn’t it similar for you, Karia?”

Back in her prime, she possessed exceptional strength, considered a pillar of protection for the kingdom alongside Benedik Alrn, but that was no longer the case.

The Karia in front of Frete now possessed barely the strength of an ordinary knight.

Hmm. Now that I think about it, it’s strange. No matter how skilled Karia is at this kind of espionage, she couldn’t possibly deceive the Evil God with that level of power, could she?

...Could it be that I’m hallucinating right now? Is my sense of duty to report the calamity of this place creating illusions before me?

No, that can’t be.

If I were to create an illusion, I’d make it something more beautiful.

For instance. Yes. Like that beauty I saw not long ago in the Partan domain, where the goddess seemed to manifest on earth.

Ah. I want to meet her again.

The moment our eyes met, everything around me vanished, and I heard celestial music, wanting to feel again the sight of the goddess declaring her blessing upon such beauty.

Bowing at her feet while receiving that piercing gaze...

“...You disgusting pervert. Get a grip.”

“Oh. You can still read expressions?”

I briefly thought that perhaps the Evil God was mimicking Karia, but no. Thank goodness for that.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Yes. It’s important. Karia, there’s a massive black magic being prepared in this domain.”

Frete, who had traveled all over the continent and fought against the Evil God’s followers.

In the process, he naturally gained knowledge about black magic and had a rough idea of the magic circle he had seen during his escape.

“The Evil God’s apostle intends to offer this entire domain as a sacrifice.”

“...Crazy. Is that real?”

“Yes. I don’t know what results that black magic will yield, but it’s clear that the lives of everyone in this domain will be sacrificed.”

A greater calamity will blossom from this calamity. That must be stopped. As Frete spoke, Karia raised an eyebrow.

“More details... Ah, damn. It’s urgent, so just listen. Salvation will arrive here soon. I plan to blow it up from within, so save your strength. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

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Though many details were omitted from the story, Frete didn’t ask questions. Karia, who was pulling out someone’s scalp, seemed to have no leisure for that.

“Oh, and prepare yourself mentally. I’ll pretend to torture you to hide my identity.”

“...Huh?”

Torture...?

“I’ll make a hole in your palm. Scratch your side a bit. I’ll touch your organs too.”

The moment he put on the scalp, Karia’s voice changed. From a slightly light feminine tone.

To a dark and husky middle-aged voice.

“Don’t worry. I’ll only make it painful. So scream genuinely for me.”

...Isn’t that supposed to be about forcing me to scream?

The thought naturally engraved itself in Frete’s mind, but unfortunately, he couldn’t voice it.

Before he could, his mouth was filled with screams.

The elder’s words were correct.

I believed that my interpretation was right and moved forward recklessly, and at some point, I discovered the advantage.

The foundation of that advantage was that the skeleton, no matter how calm, could not maintain its composure indefinitely.

If it were an ordinary opponent, it wouldn’t matter. But in front of the Mesugaki skill, even an unusual skeleton would inevitably build up anger.

While the skeleton held the initiative, I could alleviate that anger by striking it occasionally, but not anymore.

As long as I focused on defense, the skeleton lacked the ability to break through my shield. The unresolved anger would gradually accumulate, and it couldn’t help but take over the skeleton’s mind.

Look. See the sword the skeleton is swinging right now.

The swordplay that once evoked admiration was nowhere to be found, replaced by frantic and desperate attacks.

Tiiing!

Gritting my teeth, I deflected the skeleton's attack and smiled beyond my shield.

“Ehh?♡ What is this girly attack?♡ You’re small and♡ without a dick♡ and even weak?♡ I see now~♡ This skeleton is not a knight but a young lady!♡”

Instead of answering the provocation, a strike flew at me, but it wasn’t a problem.

It wasn’t a threat at this point. If I were in the trial location, it might have been different. But right now, even though the skeleton's sword was threatening, it wasn’t at a level I couldn’t handle.

After all, the skeleton's sword was ordinary.

This time it’s from the right. The swordplay has become significantly more erratic compared to before.

With that much, it would be possible to not just receive it but also to deflect it.

Without hesitation, I moved my shield, and the skeleton’s sword slipped across the surface of the shield.

As a result, the skeleton’s balance momentarily wavered, but I didn’t press in again and raised my shield.

That opening from just now wasn’t a decisive gap.

“Skeleton young lady~♡ Are you going to keep moving so cutely?♡ Kheuh♡ Kugh♡ But what should I do?♡ No matter how hard the skeleton tries, it can’t be as cute as me!♡ How sad~♡”

“Are you just hiding behind your shield, coward?”

I observed the incoming attack, filled with rage.

Am I losing my composure?

Even amidst all the provocations, the skeleton was bound to have its own habits and patterns of attack.

Therefore, I thought it was a clear opportunity.

After blocking its attack, I made a quick assessment of the situation.

The attack was basic, descending from above—a common but powerful strike.

And it was the same attack I had been bored of facing before I was possessed.

As I hastily made a decision, I suddenly felt a sense of unease.

How could the skeleton, which had made three mistakes in a row, be so uncharacteristically calm?

Wasn’t this the same skeleton that had pressured me, modifying its swordplay?

Following that suspicion, I didn’t act rashly and observed the skeleton.

A brief step forward.

A sword raised overhead.

Slightly lifted shoulders.

Huh. It’s preparing to recover, expecting to be deflected.

It’s trying to lure me in by pretending to make a mistake.

It’s in a hurry. It really is angry now, isn’t it?

If this were the original skeleton I faced, it would have committed some reckless act with more precision.

For now, I’ll express my gratitude internally.

Thanks to its urgency, I was able to read its intentions, and it became possible to use that against it.

The timing and power of the current attack matched perfectly with what I had seen countless times.

It was only preparing to recover from being deflected. The attack was still the same.

Then, you know, it’s also possible to parry without using the shield.

I recited an incantation in my head.

The magic of defense that creates a shield.

A shield made of divine power.

A shield crafted at the precise location and timing easily deflected the skeleton's sword, creating a massive opening.

And I—

Without moving my shield at all, I was able to dive into the opening much faster than the skeleton expected.

As it tried to pull back and prepare to counterattack, my clumsy motion resulted in a weak attack.

Only to be blocked by my shield.

The distance between the skeleton and me closed.

Its hollow eyes met my smile.

And as I raised my mace high, watching the skeleton’s hurried attempt to dodge.

I thrust forward with all my strength.

As the mace connected with the skeleton, a shock transmitted through my hand, ringing a cheerful sound as if celebrating my success.