Chapter 390
Sillage Visabar.
The professor of Haematology for first-years, first semester.
To Simon, he was the first person he’d ever met at the academy—the professor Keyzen who brought him to Roke Island atop the Underworld Whale on the day of the entrance ceremony. That’s why he remembered him with such fondness.
But now, that man’s name…
‘Why would Professor Walter…?’
An ominous feeling began to creep up Simon’s spine.
“What did you do to Professor Sillage?”
“What do you mean, what did I do?”
Walter raised the corner of his mouth.
“I am Sillage.”
Simon’s expression went blank as he heard a third voice echoing from Walter’s throat.
“But Professor Sillage clearly left on a mission…”
“Indeed, I had to leave Keyzen because of a mission.”
Walter—no, Sillage—chuckled softly, as if immensely entertained by the situation.
“However, for the sake of the current Apostle Birth Project, I had to remain in Keyzen no matter what. So, I decided to send my disciple Walter there in my place—”
Walter placed a hand on his chest and smiled.
“—and I consumed him.”
“......!!”
“Then, I returned to Keyzen in his body. I can never thank my beloved disciple Walter enough.”
The explosive truth revealed in a single breath left Simon utterly stunned.
‘I don’t know exactly what he means by “consumed”, but it’s clear Sillage took over Walter’s body.’
That also explained the handwriting discrepancy from before. Of course the signature would differ between the real Walter and Sillage disguised as Walter.
All the puzzling questions that had lingered in his mind finally started to align.
From the Blood Heaven Cult to the recent chaos during the promotion exams, it had never been Walter.
It was Sillage, the very first professor Simon had ever met.
Simon’s fist clenched tightly.
“Why would you do this? These are your students! Even Kamibarez, who you cared so much for, is one of them!”
“I did care.”
He replied.
“Kamibarez with her rare Ursula blood, and you with your SM-1 blood… But,”
He smiled.
“For the sake of the descent of the Apostle, they mean nothing. Every single first-year student, including you, will be sacrificed for a grand cause. We needed many young, vibrant Cores and hearts.”
A shiver ran down Simon’s back, his face stiffening.
“Sacrifices, you say?”
“Those statues you saw outside, those are what became of the sacrifices. They were prepared to offer their hearts.”
Maelyn, frozen in place. Toto and Hector’s figures flashed through his mind.
The shock spread through his mind, paralyzing both body and thought.
“Then you—!”
“You’re quite the clever student.”
Walter—no, Sillage, who had taken on Walter’s form using some dreadful black magic—cut him off.
“Even with all that boiling rage, you managed to hold back and stall for time until the outside professors could arrive.”
“......”
“It’s useless.”
He raised a finger toward the Ring of Blood spread out in the sky.
“That Ring of Blood is a masterpiece born of centuries of my research. As long as one is a living being, nothing can pass through it. Not Bahil, not Jane, not even Neftis.”
Simon could feel he was telling the truth.
The reason Neftis had sent Sillage—the authority in Haematology—was to break through the Ring of Blood sealing the dungeon’s entrance.
Ironically, that very ring was created by Sillage himself.
‘...Wait. He just said “centuries of research”.’
Simon glanced over Walter’s body, now possessed by Sillage, and asked:
“How long have you been doing this monstrous work?”
“A foolish question. Do you count how many meals you've eaten in your life? I have existed for a very long time. I’m a monster, just like your idol Neftis.”
He opened his palm.
“My name is Sillage Visabar. An immortal necromancer in pursuit of truth—”
His eyes gleamed.
“—and the Archbishop of the Blood Heaven Cult.”
Fwaaash!
The Ring of Blood flared with brilliance, and the surrounding red light intensified. Simon gritted his teeth, suppressing the blood boiling within him, and tightened his grip on his greatsword.
“This is a separate space. Invasion from the outside is impossible. Every first-year student has become a ‘sacrifice’. That makes you the only remaining hope.”
Clang!
Simon raised the Greatsword of Destruction.
‘The opponent is a professor of Keyzen.’
Standing there, Sillage exuded pure Darkness without a hint of hesitation. Simon’s palm, gripping the sword’s handle, was drenched in sweat.
‘And he’s also the archbishop of the Blood Heaven Cult. Even with Feer equipped, can I win?’
A head-on clash would be dangerous.
There was only one option.
Simon’s gaze subtly shifted to the side. There, impaled by Sillage’s crimson spear, the Dungeon Master lay limp.
It hadn’t been killed—only sealed.
‘If I kill the Dungeon Master, the dungeon will collapse. That way, I can call the professors outside!’
Even if just one of Jane or Bahil could be summoned, it would be ideal. With the plan set, Simon pressed down with his right foot.
Crack!
The floor beneath him cracked. Then, launching himself forward with all his might—
‘Draw Sillage’s attention with everything I’ve got!’
Sillage stared at him expressionlessly. He didn’t move his hands or cast any magic circles.
‘What’s he scheming?’
Then Simon spotted it.
A small droplet of blood floating midair.
Without hesitation, Simon hit the brakes and leapt aside.
BOOOOM!
The tiny drop of blood exploded into a blood blast large enough to swallow one or two people whole.
“Ho.”
A glint sparked in Sillage’s eyes.
“...To counter that? You've experienced this technique before, haven’t you?”
There was no point in hiding it.
Simon shouted as he dashed around to the side without droplets.
“The Blood Heaven Cult’s attack on the Holy Train in the Holy Federation!!”
A white greatsword came crashing down toward Sillage’s back.
“It was me who took down the cult’s bishop there! Archbishop!”
The droplets floating in front of Sillage quickly moved behind him. They exploded first, and the surging blood flow knocked away Simon’s sword.
“Clever. Using both strength and words to divert my attention.”
Sillage turned his head.
“And meanwhile, preparing something else behind my back.”
[Ah!]
Herseba, who had been sneaking toward the sealed Dungeon Master, froze in shock.
“Run, Herseba!”
Chains of blood surged from all directions, aiming to capture her. She screamed as she shot up into the air.
BOOOOM!
Meanwhile, Simon’s greatsword and Sillage’s droplets clashed once more.
The simultaneous offense and defense of Sillage’s Bloodstream Magic remained as troublesome as ever.
‘I can’t break through because of those blood explosions!’
“That Darkness radiating from your Bone Armor, and that strength far surpassing a student’s level…”
Sillage smiled leisurely.
“There’s only one necromancer who can freely control the uncontrollable Ancient Undead. Isn’t that right, Commander of the Traitor 7th Legion?”
“......”
Simon let out a ragged breath and grinned.
The archbishop of the Blood Heaven Cult and the commander of the Traitor Legion—face to face.
Since both had learned the other’s true identity, now there was no fate left for them but to kill each other.
“If you’re a commander, then I suppose I should start taking this seriously.”
Snap!
Sillage snapped his fingers. The sealed Dungeon Master’s body was sucked into the red spear that had pierced its chest.
The spear soon transformed into a magic circle and anchored itself into a nearby rock wall.
“Unless you kill me, no one can break that seal. And also…”
Sillage, keeping his elbow tucked to his side, opened his palm.
Rrrrumble…!
Over a thousand blood droplets flowed out, painting the surroundings in a deep crimson. Each and every one of them contained the effect of a blood explosion.
With a sweep of his arm, Sillage launched all thousand droplets at once.
Crack!
A ripping sound came from between Simon’s clenched teeth.
‘Harder!’
He stomped the floor with his right foot. At the same time, he adjusted his greatsword so that the flat side was facing outward.
‘Not a slash, use a wind slash!’
Simon let out a battle cry, twisting his body.
He transferred the rotational force from his twist directly into his sword, and then—
Kuwaaaaaaaagh—!
He swung.
With a roar, a violent gust of wind burst forth in the direction the greatsword had moved, blowing away all the incoming droplets in the opposite direction.
Sillage reacted instantly. The scattered droplets clumped together midair and quickly transformed into two massive orbs of blood, each ten meters in diameter.
The centers glowed red, while their edges flickered black. Both orbs rained down upon Simon.
[Dodge, boy!]
Simon, stunned from the recoil of his swing, didn’t move in time, so Feer moved Simon’s legs for him.
Simon leapt just as one of the blood orbs hit the ground and exploded.
“...Ah!”
A fury of blood capable of toppling a mountain.
The ground split open, the air itself boiled. A distant ridge in the background collapsed from the shockwave.
“Guh!”
Simon, barely having dodged in time, staggered and dropped to one knee.
[Boy! Another one’s coming!]
Whoooosh!
Through the red-hot wind, a second orb descended toward the ground.
‘The entire space—’
Even with his body still rattled from the earlier move, he had to go all out.
Simon gritted his teeth and spun.
‘Feel the slash!!’
CRRAAAASH!
The Greatsword of Destruction carved a long, straight scar into the sky. The descending orb of blood split with a loud crack! and exploded.
He had cleaved the orb, but the outer part, not the core, transformed into smaller droplets and rained down toward Simon.
‘Shrapnel!’
[Kid!!]
Herseba darted forward, shielding Simon.
At the same moment—
BOBOBOBOBOBOOOM!
All the droplets detonated in unison, engulfing Simon’s body.
It had surpassed the realm of what could be called an explosion of human blood.
Sillage calmly watched as the landscape was reshaped by the blood explosion.
Eventually, the dust cleared, revealing golden structures around Simon, who was encased in the body of Overlord.
With a metallic creak, Overlord cracked open, revealing Simon’s eyes beneath.
Overlord had taken heavy damage. Simon recalled all the blades and rose to his feet.
Thunk.
Then, he pulled out Herseba, holding her in his left hand, the one not covered by Feer’s Bone Armor. The moment he did, the shape of a golden mantle began forming over Simon’s body.
“Herseba.”
Simon spoke firmly.
“I’m going to use the Third Authority. Is that okay?”
[Absolutely not okay!]
Herseba shrieked.
[I nearly disintegrated during that duel evaluation or whatever! I never want to use that again! And you said you'd seal it too for a while!]
“But if we go on like this, we’ll both die.”
[...Ugh.]
Clap. Clap. Clap.
At that moment, the sound of clapping echoed. Simon scowled as he looked over to see Sillage, smiling as he applauded.
“Excellent. No matter how many times I watch, it would be a waste to kill you.”
He lowered his hand.
“I’ll erase everything you’ve done up until now. Come with me.”
“......What?”
“Walter’s spot happens to be vacant. Join me as my disciple and as a bishop of the Blood Heaven Cult. If you simply pretend none of this happened, your life will be spared…”
Sillage trailed off.
Simon was laughing.
It was more of a hollow chuckle than genuine mirth.
Then, Simon's smile disappeared as he let his wrist fall limp.
“...Disgusting.”
Even just the atrocities of the Blood Heaven Cult that Simon knew were too many to count.
They lured civilians from the Holy Federation and performed unstable Core-unleashing surgeries. Those who failed were turned into Blood Zombies after horrific experiments.
They kidnapped passengers from the Holy Train.
Now, they were trying to sacrifice innocent students of Keyzen to black magic.
They shattered the peace between the Dark Alliance and the Holy Federation, and sought to plunge the world into another massive war filled with death.
At least Saint Plema, who had instigated the saint incident, had her own reason, she was loyal to the Goddess and the Holy Federation.
But the Blood Heaven Cult, and Sillage…
“I don’t really care for black-and-white morality.”
Shhrrk.
Simon raised both the Greatsword of Destruction and Herseba simultaneously.
“But you, Sillage Visabar, are the most wretched evil on this continent.”
Sillage gave a bitter smile.
“I think so too.”
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters