The Demon Attack and the Antagonist’s Arrival

Demons! Demons have appeared!

‘Which oblivious demon would dare launch an attack at such a critical moment? I was so close to reclaiming what was mine.’

“According to the plot, there shouldn’t be an early demon invasion… How has the storyline changed again?”

A puzzled expression settled on me.

But soon, I collected myself.

“No… that’s not right! This is my chance to turn things around! My current level should be sufficient to defeat most demons!”

‘Tsk, did Sophina notice after all? If she could repel the demons and regain her reputation, then she would still have a chance to turn things around.’

‘One of the primary conditions for using the [Coffin of Imprisonment] was that the target’s mind had to be in a vulnerable state. Perhaps for others, one could hope that the maid could forcefully weaken their minds with her abilities. But, as luck would have it, the maid’s abilities had no effect on the ‘heroine’.’

‘If she truly managed to turn her reputation around, then I would have no chance! Yet, at this moment, I was utterly powerless to stop her.’

‘When her consciousness was clear, I could barely control the body we shared. I might be able to influence her temporarily, but it would be meaningless and only expose my presence.’

Sophina had already risen, rushing towards the source of the explosion.

Through the small aperture of our shared vision, I could see numerous students fleeing in panic. Presumably, the teachers had ordered them to keep their distance, as no students stepped forward to offer aid this time.

The pink-haired girl moved against the frantic flow of people.

Soon, we caught sight of the instigators of all this chaos.

****

In the massive crater created by the explosion, two demons and two monsters stood.

One demon possessed a robust physique, towering over two meters tall with crimson skin and a curved horn protruding from its forehead. The other demon appeared to be an ordinary human female, yet she wore a peculiar silk eye mask. A pair of black wings fluttered near her head, extending from her temples, causing her brown curly hair to sway with their movements.

‘These were all demons without any ‘recorded history’. Recalling earlier events, the previous demon nun also lacked a ‘record’. I only knew of the ‘demon’ branch of demons.’

‘Based on its appearance, the red one must be a ‘Ghoul’, known for its immense strength. It was said that a single palm strike could split a mountain. However, the demon with the small wings didn’t match any known information.’

‘Aside from the two demons, the two monsters were easily identifiable. Both were dragon-shaped: a crimson Red Dragon and a horned purple Lightning Dragon.’

“You monsters… take this!”

Facing these grotesque beings, a bespectacled man, despite his pale complexion, stood before the formidable enemies and unleashed a fiery spear.

‘He was the teacher from the demon nun incident, wasn’t he?’

Upon closer inspection, other unconscious teachers lay scattered around. It seemed they had been completely wiped out.

Noticing his magic, both the Red Dragon and the Lightning Dragon craned their necks back simultaneously.

“Screech—!”

“Roar—!”

Streams of fiery breath and electrical rays collided.

“Boom—!”

A massive explosion erupted from the impact.

“Ugh…!”

‘Had Sophina not deployed a protective barrier in time, she would likely have been swept away by the resulting tempest. However, unlike Sophina with her powerful magic, the teacher was not so fortunate.’

Having faced the full force of the blast, he was now half-charred and barely clinging to life.

Meanwhile, the two demons merely observed the scene, conversing calmly as if watching a play unfold.

“Hmm… quite a decent display of power.”

“Hehe… naturally~ They are my most prized children~ Far stronger than ordinary dragons~”

As she spoke, the winged demon opened a gate to a pitch-black void.

“Since my mission is complete, I shall return~ Be sure to treat my children well, won’t you~”

“Hmph… I’ll squeeze every last drop of marrow from their bones.”

Seizing the opportunity while the two demons were still conversing and their attention was elsewhere, Sophina immediately rushed to the teacher and began healing him with her magic.

“Teacher Salen, are you alright!”

Under her maximum-power healing, the teacher, who had been on the verge of death, actually regained consciousness.

The teacher mumbled, “Sophina… student?”

He first showed a slightly surprised expression, then immediately adopted a stern teacher’s demeanor. “It’s dangerous here… You should evacuate quickly…”

‘Even at a time like this, he’s still thinking of his students…’

“What about you then! I won’t leave you behind!”

As she spoke, she hoisted one of the teacher’s arms over her shoulder, seemingly intending to carry him away.

However… this action inadvertently drew the demon’s attention first.

“Oh?”

“Thud!”

The red Ghoul demon descended from above, slamming a bone staff as tall as a person directly in front of them.

“You dare try to rescue someone right under my nose? How audacious!”

After landing, the Ghoul demon scrutinized Sophina.

“Oh? Healing magic, you say? Are you that ‘Saintess’?”

” ‘Saintess’? What is that?”

‘She was deliberately playing dumb… surely because of the teacher present.’

“Hmm? It seems you still don’t know. But it doesn’t matter…”

At this, the Ghoul demon stood firm and casually smoothed its hair.

“My name is Yue… remember it well! In the Underworld, uttering my name might just make the spirits fear you a little!”

With her declaration made, Yue snatched up her massive staff and immediately swung it downwards!

Sophina knew she couldn’t meet the blow head-on, so she instantly dragged the teacher back, retreating.

The staff narrowly missed, striking the ground precisely between the teacher’s legs.

“Void!”

With a deafening boom, the surrounding ground fractured and split.

This caused the teacher to tremble noticeably.

“Oh? You actually knew to dodge? Many mages confidently cast defensive magic, only to be smashed flat along with their shields.”

Lifting her bone staff, the Ghoul demon raised an eyebrow.

‘Light magic indeed possessed a special efficacy against demons, capable of instantly bolstering defensive spells and even weakening an opponent’s attacks, especially when wielded by a ‘Saintess of Light’. However, the Ghoul tribe specialized in pure physical attacks. Strengthening defensive magic directly against such raw physical force might be ineffective.’

‘The ‘script’ had discussed Ghouls, but always in the context of well-balanced team cooperation, not a solitary struggle like this. From this perspective, Sophina had perhaps encountered her worst possible match.’

‘To make matters worse, she was currently burdened with a liability.’

[But… this is my last chance!]

‘Her thoughts resonated clearly within me. Yet, neither outcome was one I wished to see.’

“Light Strike!”

“This… this attack is barely a tickle. Let me show you what a *real* attack feels like!”

“Ugh…!”

“She actually dodged…? But what will you do now?”

“Screech—!”

“Roar—!”

“…Sacred Shield!”

“Boom—!”

“Argh…!”

The hastily deployed shield was utterly insufficient to withstand the explosion’s power. Sophina was blasted backward, tumbling miserably several times across the ground.

The teacher she had been dragging was also flung into a tree, losing consciousness.

‘No… this can’t be… Is there anyone who can stop her?’ I prayed silently, deep within my heart.

‘But… through the narrow view, the colossal bone staff was already raised once more.’

“It’s regrettable, but you’ll die here!”

‘There was no longer enough time to adjust her stance and dodge.’

At this precise, critical moment, a longsword materialized in our line of sight.

“Clang!”

Miraculously, the longsword deflected the terrifyingly powerful bone staff!

“…Though I didn’t want to say it, are you alright?”

As if in answer to my silent prayer, The Antagonist made her entrance.