Shinka No Mi – Chapter 78

忍び寄る魔の手

The Creeping Hand of Demons

Author Notes: For some reasons, I am freaking productive today cus it is mah rest day.

TL: Maboo, TLC: Fairy, Editor: Timmy

 

After that, I restored the stadium which had become a tattered piece of art. Even though, the ground of the arena was filled with tons of craters, in some cases, fissures, thanks to the top tier Earth Attribute Magic 【Earth Wave】that I possess, it became neat and tidy.

 

Earth attribute magic is basically a magic that produces clod or manipulates the ground and moves it in a small area of effect, but this 【Earth Wave】as the name implies is a magic that literally moves the ground like a wave and its effective range was the whole stadium. Even then, in some sense was me holding back with my all my might. Therefore, if I ever used it seriously, I feel like I may or may not want to know how vast the range would be.

 

Since, recently I’d been only using my original magic through the skill 【Magic Creation】, it felt refreshing to use earth attribute magic. In any case, by using 【Earth Wave】 the ground-leveling was carried out and the stadium was beautifully restored.

 

…Well, Beatrice-san and the rest were baffled yet again due to watching such a sight though. All’s well that ends well! Okay, the show is over!

 

After restoring the stadium to its former appearance, I utilized Life Magic 【Wash】 on everyone to cleanse their body as they were all covered in dust before returning back to the classroom for homeroom. …Life Magic is really too convenient… .

 

Upon returning back to the classroom, everyone was in a daze even while seated. Beatrice-san examined them and she opened her mouth to talk.

 

「Well then, I guess with this you guys have shown your abilities to Seiichi-sensei … although, even more than that, we were able to witness Seiichi-sensei’s true abilities.」

『……』

Everyone except Saria and Rurune strongly voiced their affirmation in their silence.

 

No, All of you don’t have to nod at the same time! I can’t deny it though!

 

But it wasn’t such a big deal like showing off my true abilities. Far from normal abilities, I fought them with holding back as much as possible. …No, isn’t that way of thinking itself already weird? Noo, even my train of thought is already that of a monster.

「All of you harbor lots of potentials. I can’t bring that potential out by myself, but with Seiichi-sensei who attested your abilities today, he will surely able to draw them out to the fullest. So let’s not give up and do our best.」

The moment Beatrice-san said so, the air in the classroom became subtle. Except Saria and Rurune, and Bead in addition, everyone else wore the same expression.

 

And that was … the look of resignation. It was the expression of those who had given up trying, such as 『Trying hard won’t solve it anyway…』. Even Agnos, the one who had only answered his test with Guts, had the same expression on his face.

 

This atmosphere … it is really depressing.

 

It has been often said that if there is a will, there’s a way.. But I believe that it is only true partially. The only part of it that is true, is that effort will only bear fruit pertaining to general matters. If one were challenge the impossible, it can not be anything but reckless.

 

Of course, results will definitely differ based on ability. However, when facing a problem of crossing over a wall, the genius, through his/her intuitive sense will be able to understand the trick to get past the wall. Therefore, I believe that with time, even normal people will be able to understand the trick to get past the wall no matter how long it takes and reach greater heights.

 

Generally speaking, no matter how long it takes, normal people are unable to discover that trick. Therefore, I personally think that most people have entrapped themselves in what they deemed useless effort they put their mind into, and thought of it as the limit of their talent.

 

Well, I truly understand just how hard it is to find the trick, and then there are the geniuses who know the trick by instinct. Therefore, I think it’s probably not unreasonable to think that their efforts would only end in vain.

 

However, isn’t that sad? Judging that effort is useless and all. That’s why I want to acknowledge their efforts. For effort is what makes them them.

 

….Well, who am I to judge, I am the one who coincidentally ate the 【Fruit of Evolution】by chance which is one heck of a fruit and obtained tremendous powers.

 

But even so, I want to recognise this effort! This effort to admit myself that I fell in love with a gorilla…! Thanks to that, I can speak with confidence now.

　

I fell in love with a gorilla!

 

Putting that aside, fortunately, everyone in this class has the potential to use magic, even though it hasn’t emerged yet. Perhaps there was no one in this world that entirely incapable of using magic, so I thought. Because, unlike us who had lived in Earth, there was the unknown power called 『Mana』 which resided inside the body. Even if they couldn’t use attributed magic, they should be able to use non-attribute magic.

 

They couldn’t use it most probably because they’ve put their effort in the wrong place until now. There would always be abberances like Louis in term of Skills, but regarding magic, as long as the power called Mana resided within the body, it would be strange to not be capable of utilizing such power. In addition, even though I am the one saying this, they have someone broken like me who will be teaching them

 

Even if, by any chance, they do not have any talent in using magic to speak of, that will be the least of my concerns. Simply because, I will manifest and plant the talent into that very person.

 

I might not be a god, but I’m a 【Human】 who possesses the potential of becoming one. I stepped forward, looking at everyone, then said;

 

「Be at ease. I will definitely make you guys be able to use magic.」

 

To my remarks, everyone looked at me blankly. However, Al laughed bitterly, Saria smiled broadly, and Rurune and Olga-chan showed their respect to me.

 

Was I too haughty?

 

Well, whatever it is——shall we display the specialty of this 【Human(Monstrosity)】?

◆◇◆

——【Barbadora’s Great Forest】, near Barbadora Magic Academy.

 

This was a place where not only various animals lived, but also a great variety of monster resided, and it was often used for actual battle practice by magicians from Barbadora Magic Academy repeatedly. Therefore, the teachers regularly thinned out the monsters to prevent the students from suffering unwanted damages and to keep the monsters from increasing more than needed.

 

In the depth of that forest, a man stop on a stump. The man was dressed in a lab coat, like some researcher or doctor, and wore glasses, which was rare in this world.  His features were appeasing, and his figure along with his smile were just like a piece of art. However, the man’s atmosphere was sinister, as there were many monster carcasses which had slain brutally laid about around him.

 

「Unsatisfying. Even an A class monster just died when I sent it to the netherworld. Very unsatisfying. Isn’t it maddening you if things are just too boring, Angelea?」

「——You’re just as ever, Demiolos.」

 

Without turning his head, the man called to the empty stretch of space which  then warped and a single woman dressed in black and white gothic attire——Angelea, walked out. With Angelea’s appearance, the man——Demiolos deepened his smile and asked her.

 

「And so? What’s the reason for you, someone who’s in charge for a place far away from here, went out of your way to visit me?」

「Just a little proposal. Demiolos, why don’t you assist me?」

「Hou?」

 

Demiolos took an interest with the purple eyes beyond his glasses.

 

「You knew that Chris failed, don’t you? Even if we want to revive the Demon God, we don’t have enough 【Negative Emotion】 these days. Both in quantity and quality. In such circumstances, Chris had failed. And it’s not just Chris. The other apostles too, countless of them have failed. Then, why do you think that happened?」

「Fumu.」

「It’s simple. They failed because they tried to do it all alone. So what would happen if we two were to work together? It’ll broaden the method to collect food for the Demon God, and above all else, it greatly diminish the risk by reducing our respective burdens. Well? Isn’t it efficient?」

「I see…」

Demiolos, after making the thinking gesture, showed Angelea a lucrative smile.

「In other words. you want me to help you because you’re weak to do it alone?」

「…Whatever do you mean by that?」

 

Angelea returned Demiolos’ remark with a deep voice. And then, Deimolos laughed scornfully as he combed up his hair which shared the same purple with his eyes.

 

「Hn. It is a fact that there is no chance for me to fail at all.」

「A big mouth to speak, huh? Don’t you know how overconfidence leads to failure?」

「That’s precisely what you have not to worry——I’ll still join you, however.」

「Oh my? What’s with the sudden change in mind?」

「I’ve said a lot, but I’ve always thought your proposal was a good one, Angelea. Unfortunately, I can’t think of a way to collect the negative emotions better than yours, you see. However, looking at the success rate alone, I’m confident I can surely gather negative emotions. To date, I had tried all the methods that I had thought of and they succeeded so far …I believe that if Angelea were to join hands with me, we surely could harvest  more high-quality negative emotions.」

「…You have a bad character, just as always. If you think so, then you better say so from the beginning.」

 

Demiolos laughed to Angelea who had astonished to the core.

 

「Hahahaha!! That would be impossible, Angelea. I’m quite the hypocrite you see. ——Good enough, let’s join hand.」

「Granted.」

 

While saying so, Angelea held her hand that wrapped with a long black glove which reached her arms out. Demiolos accepted that hand. Hence the alliance between the two was formed, but then Demiolos asked Angelea why she chose him now of all time.

 

「Angelea. I know why you came to me. However, I wonder, why me? Are there not other candidates suited for you?」

「Oh my? I’m valuing you highly, you know? Well, if you ask for the reason——It’s because you’re close to the Barbadora Magic Academy.」

「What? …Don’t tell me, you’re going for Barbadora Magic Academy!?」

「Exactly.」

「Even the Heroes are there, you know?」  

「A hero who hasn’t awakened is nothing more than a brat.」

「While that might be the case … our existence can’t be made to public yet. Even after knowing that, you’d still go for it?」

「No need to fuss over that. I mean——We’re going to massacre them all after all.」

「! …As I expected, you’re mad.」

「Is that so? From my perspective, you’re the mad one here you know? Even now, look——What a wonderful smile you have.」

「Kukukuku…」

 

Just as what Angelea said, Demiolos was laughing.

 

His brain was filled with ideas of how to trample the students from the Barbadora Magic Academy.

 

「I’m lamenting my past. Why didn’t I lay my hand on them earlier … like that.」

「It’s fine. We’re going to have fun from now on, aren’t we? 『Hell’s Deliverer』-san ?」

「That’s right. Why don’t we enjoy it together… 『Homicide Princess』? 」

 

They were elegantly, … but wickedly, laughed.

The hand of【The Demon God’s Cult】 were creeping upon the Barbadora Magic Academy.

 

——Without knowing the existence of a 【Human (Monstrosity)】 called 『Hiiragi Seiichi』——.