The sudden arrival of darkness. And following that, the ominous scenery that unfolded. Holding a teacup, Joy blinked in confusion as she looked around the unfamiliar space.
The people she had been laughing and chatting with just moments ago had vanished, and in their place, there was only an unnaturally cold air.
Shocked by the chilling cold, Joy instinctively used magic to warm her body.
“...Huh?”
Then, she realized. The space she had fallen into was not a normal place. The magical density in the air was abnormally low.
No, it wasn’t just magic. Everything was lacking. Vitality. Temperature. Many other things as well.
So many things that were naturally present in her original world were missing here.
In a space where even breathing seemed increasingly difficult, Joy recalled the fairy tale her mother used to tell her when she was a child.
The vivid description of the hell experienced by those who had committed evil acts.
This is insane. Why is hell suddenly unfolding here?
What is happening?
...The Demon God of the Void.
The place where the Void dwells is a place of nothingness.
The sun. The warm winds. The vitality of the earth. The blessings of the sky. Ancient people used to call a place where all positive things that maintain the world have vanished, a place of hell.
The Demon God of the Void. The followers of the Void. They’ve brought hell to the academy.
Seeing that the others were gone, Joy wondered if they had been scattered to different places.
If that’s the case, I should prioritize joining with the other students.
Instinctively, her sixth sense, which had developed naturally during her training with the Arlen family, warned Joy of danger.
Without doubting her senses, Joy immediately cast defensive magic.
Crack! Turning her head in haste at the ominous sound that pierced through her barrier, Joy noticed an arrowhead embedded in her shield and broke into a cold sweat.
In the distance, she could see a figure holding a bow.
It looked human, but it also seemed like a demon. In some ways, it even appeared angelic, and there were parts of it that resembled a beast. It might have even been something so insignificant that it was pointless to consider.
“Demon.”
A being guarding the space of the Void. It wandered the desolate land to ensure that nothing remained.
...It’s hard to even guess its strength because the appearance is so difficult to discern.
For now, I’ll start with a reconnaissance.
Joy immediately conjured five magic circles, using three of them to cast spells.
One was a blade of wind.
Invisible to the eye and as fast as an arrow, this spell would break through the enemy’s defenses.
Another was a fire arrow.
Slower than the wind blade but powerful enough to make a difference, this spell would deal damage to the enemy.
Lastly, the ice prison to bind the enemy distracted by the first two spells.
This magic would freeze their feet, limiting their movement, and if it worked, the previous spells would land effectively.
Joy’s plan worked perfectly. The demon, distracted by the first two spells, was bound by the hidden ice prison, and it was forced to absorb the damage from the other two spells.
Boom! After the wind blade, the fiery arrow flew, causing a massive explosion. Seeing this, Joy didn’t relax and immediately prepared another spell.
If that’s really the demon from the fairy tale, it won’t fall so easily.
So I need to prepare for the next move.
The low magic density in the air is annoying.
For now, I’ll avoid high-tier spells and try to turn the situation around by using multiple low-tier spells.
“...Huh?”
When the smoke cleared, Joy’s voice came out in a tone of confusion.
The demon, which had been standing just moments ago, was now shattered and rolling across the ground.
The demon’s body, broken into pieces from the explosion, was so horrific that even Faye would shake her head in disbelief.
What...?
If that’s really the demon I know, there’s no way it would fall so easily.
I was planning to use at least ten more spells, but it ended like this?!
As she wondered whether she had gotten stronger or if the demon was weaker than expected, Joy heard footsteps in the distance and instinctively tensed up.
The footsteps were one, but they weren’t just one. The sounds shaking the earth couldn’t possibly come from a single being.
A legion of them.
They moved in perfect unison, these beings, with only one goal: to erase the impurities of this world.
The demon’s corpse was just behind them as they appeared.
Realizing their numbers, Joy froze for a moment before slowly turning her body.
Cheating! This is cheating! There are way too many of them for just one person to deal with!
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Desperately moving her legs, Joy prepared several spells to shake off the pursuers.
She spread ice across the ground to make movement difficult, twisted the shape of the earth to hinder their running, and made the air resistance stronger to force them to use more energy to move.
...Hmm? Stopping in her tracks, Joy turned her head back once again.
Her gaze landed directly in front of the demon legion.
This is strange. Considering the environment here, it doesn’t make sense for me to casually cast such magic.
It’s true that I’ve gotten much stronger since receiving guidance from the Grand Mage, but there’s a limit to that, right?
Something’s wrong. Watching the legion run toward her, Joy took a long breath and cast the spell she had created.
To deal with the illusion created by the Void’s power, she cast a miracle of her own—a spell that grants existence to something that doesn’t exist.
As a result, the surrounding scenery vanished, and Joy’s consciousness floated upward.
“...A dream?”
In Joy’s blinking eyes, the academy’s blackened barrier reflected.
<By your words, doesn’t it mean that all the academy’s students have fallen into hell?!>
‘To be precise, it’s somewhere that mimics hell.’
<What difference does that make? Regardless, the fact that many are in danger doesn’t change!>
‘If that were the case, would I be doing this?’
I am sensitive to the death of others.
Especially when it’s an innocent life.
If I could have stopped it but failed, it would be even worse.
Just recently, when I smelled blood in the forest occupied by the Followers of the Void, I almost lost my composure.
But others dying because of me?
Those I’ve seen face to face every day?
Just imagining that is horrifying. If something like that happened, I wouldn’t be able to keep my sanity.
<You say others aren’t in danger?>
‘I told you, this is a place that only mimics hell.’
<Then explain yourself properly.>
‘It’s simple, Grandpa. Do you think the Demon God of the Void has the power left to summon hell after failing to cause a massive event in the forest last time?’
<...That’s probably true.>
‘Even then, if such a grand plan was in place, would I or Grandpa, or even Faye, not have sensed any signs of it?’
No, if that were the case, I wouldn’t be this calm.
I’d have gone straight to Benedict and begged, “Papa, please help me.”
Then, that doting father, Benedict, would have stormed the academy and torn everything apart.
<Then what is this?>
‘You know what the Followers of the Void are best at, right?’
They are the best at utilizing what can be anything because it is nothing.
The answer is simple.
A dream.
A place where anything imagined can become reality, and distinguishing between what’s real and what isn’t becomes almost impossible.
‘In a dream, even if something goes wrong, you just fall into a long, deep sleep.’
Normally, this would be a big deal, but for me right now, there’s no reason to worry.
The fox is here. Faye is here. There are plenty of other ways I can get help, so what does sleep matter?
After hearing my explanation, Grandpa sighed deeply.
<You’re strangely sharp in this regard.>
‘Of course. I’m really smart. I don’t study, but if I did, I’d be great at it.’
<Should I remind you of that time you studied with your friend a few days ago?>
‘Why are you trying to crush my spirits?!’
I’m not going to bring up the story of how I filmed a mad movie with my stupidity in this situation!!
Stop trying to make me feel like an idiot! Damn Grandpa!
<Well, anyway. If you know it’s a dream, why are you staying still instead of escaping?>
‘I thought it would be better for someone else to start the commotion first.’
<...Hmm?>
“Hah. What is this?”
Uden frowned as he looked at the academy’s blackened barrier.
“It seems the Followers of the Void have finally made their move.”
Hearing Karia’s voice from the side, Uden’s expression deepened even more.
After Arthur and Freya left, Uden had spent all night pondering how best to teach them. Not to satisfy Lucy, but to satisfy himself.
His thoughts were interrupted by Karia.
Without even asking for permission, she had burst into his room and called him outside.
And the scene he saw as soon as he stepped outside was the academy’s blackened barrier.
“Did you know something was going to happen?”
Noticing the suspicion in Uden’s expression, Karia grinned mischievously.
“Wasn’t I coming to meet you for this?”
“...Then why did you let things unfold like this?”
“I don’t really know. My employer told me to.”
“Should I force you to talk?”
“I’m really telling the truth! I’m just someone who does what I’m told!”
Hearing Karia’s loud protest, Uden grasped his sword’s hilt and spoke.
“Then help me interrogate Lady Arlen later.”
“No way. If I touch my employer, I’ll just be the one who suffers.”
Even while threatening her, Karia still grinned.
She knows I won’t attack her.
Damn. She’s really a pain in the ass.
Clicking his tongue in frustration, Uden turned his gaze back toward the barrier.
“Can we cut through the barrier?”
“They said we can make a hole, but we can’t destroy it.”
“A hole, huh?”
Standing in front of the barrier, Uden casually swung his sword, and part of the blackened barrier shattered, revealing the scene inside.
“I’ll go first. Please call for backup.”
“You’re going to destroy it all before backup arrives, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know. Facing the Followers of the Void is always full of variables.”