Academy’S Gumiho Is A Magical Genius [EN]: Chapter 149

Academy Gumiho is a Magical Genius 149

The Winter of the North (4)

Crumble.

The mansion’s ceiling collapses.

The spot where I stood was swept away by a cascade of debris, burying the fallen knights beneath it.

“To think there were still so many layers to peel back.”

I had slain hundreds of knights and brought down the mansion’s annex.

Even so, the main structure remained standing.

That’s because it was only the annex I had destroyed.

‘No matter how much I cut away, it feels endless.’

I cut down people and severed the threads of malice.

I pierced through the mansion, offering a silent prayer for the souls trapped within.

No matter how many times I repeated this process, the North’s most entrenched noble family refused to yield easily.

‘I was holding back, just in case, but now I have no choice but to dismantle the mansion in earnest.’

The magic eyes shimmered with various shades of purple.

The divine power surveyed everything beneath the sky.

It only hinted at the Baron’s presence somewhere within the mansion.

It didn’t pinpoint his exact location.

‘I suppose it wouldn’t matter if he were buried.’

The Baron is an enemy I must eliminate.

I can’t be certain if killing him will pave the way to conquering this world.

But I’ll find out if I swing my sword with enough force.

Clang!

I gripped the cursed sword “Ama-no-Murakumo” [Heavenly Sword of Gathering Clouds] with both hands.

I couldn’t help but feel a strange connection to Japanese swords and spirits of Japanese origin.

“Let’s just cleave the main building in two.”

With that, I braced myself and slammed the cursed sword down.

Bang!

The floor shuddered violently.

────!!!!!

The ground convulsed as if an earthquake had struck. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the main building of the mansion, cleanly bisected and collapsing, as I watched the tremors with an indifferent expression.

Oh, it’s cut cleanly.

─What brutal sword energy, Master.

“If you’re referring to the energy controlled by intent rather than a literal force, I haven’t even unleashed my sword energy yet.”

Orochi, bewildered by my words, tilted her head.

─If it’s not sword energy, how do you explain such a clean cut?

“It’s nothing much. I simply pushed the sharpness of the sword to its absolute limit.”

Is that really ‘nothing?’

Pushing the sharpness of the sword to its limit.

No matter how much pride she took in the fact that her sword, forged from her own tail, was sharper and stronger than any mineral-based blade in the world…

That only extended to the limits of what a ‘sword’ as a weapon could achieve.

─Does that even make sense? You can cut walls or floors with a sword, but to bisect a mansion of this size, you’d need a technique of comparable scale, right?

─Huhu, how foolish. That’s precisely why you couldn’t escape the limitations of being a snake and met your end.

─Oh?! It’s Daji [a mythical fox spirit]! What are you doing here? Judging by appearances, you became Master’s minion after you died, too?

─I’m not a minion, but an equal contractor. Huhu, do you really think I’m on the same level as you?

─Oh my, baby fox. The last time we met was over 1,000 years ago. Is that what you say after all this time?

A conversation between a small snake and a fox woman.

It was hard to believe that these two were once giants who dominated the archipelago, their conversation was so childish. Watching grandmothers who are over 1,000 years old bicker like this made me think.

Rather than feeling I should hurry up and stop them, I couldn’t help but think they were acting their age.

‘I should just finish what I have to do.’

A strike that simply maximized the sword’s sharpness with magical power.

The mansion, cleaved by that strike, collapsed, and most of the employees within perished. After all, they were all henchmen who acted on the Baron’s orders.

I had no hesitation in swinging my sword at them.

‘Remaining lives are around 100. To have killed so many, yet the Baron is still alive.’

Underground.

There is a deeper and more fortified underground than I initially thought.

I never thought there would be a bomb shelter in a medieval world.

“I’ll have to walk a bit.”

Depending on the shape and characteristics of the bomb shelter, my sword might not work.

And the shelter might self-destruct to avenge itself the moment it sustains a major injury.

I was especially cautious of the latter because I had experienced it firsthand.

If I were alone here, I could somehow manage with 「Shunpo」 [a technique that allows the user to move so fast that they seem to disappear and reappear].

However, there were signs of students in the downtown area below the hill, so there were too many variables to act recklessly.

Swish─!

I lightly sheathed my sword to walk.

There was no need to wipe off the flesh or blood from the sword before putting it away.

Not only because a master sword is so sharp that it doesn’t get stained with blood.

The moment a pure white sword aura enveloped 「Cheonchong Ungeom」 [Heavenly Purity Sword], it would not allow any foreign substances to remain on the blade.

Now, while walking.

‘Let’s finalize the contract.’

I intended to finalize the contract with the system.

I recited it in the way it had told me.

[What you want is the loss of 「Conditional Sword Saint」.]

The trait, 「Conditional Sword Saint」, could be the ultimate wild card depending on how it was used.

It could create any variable, so I didn’t know what that system was up to.

It replaced it with 「Simgeomjido」 [Mind Sword Path].

After skimming through the contents, it was definitely a good trait.

It was probably among the top ten sword-related traits possessed by geniuses in this world.

However, it was true that it was lacking compared to 「Conditional Sword Saint」.

[To fill that gap, what I want is a corresponding amount of points.]

Ding!

A mechanical sound and a reply came.

[Understood. Then I will give you 1,000 points.]

That was a quick reply.

Even a boyfriend who sends a text to his girlfriend of one week wouldn’t get such a quick reply.

[Now, let’s end the contract…]

[I’m not finished yet. You didn’t think I would shut up with just 1,000 points, did you?]

[!!!]

Looking through the point shop.

There were many things you could do with 1,000 points.

However, 「Conditional Sword Saint」 had more appeal than 1,000 points.

Could that appeal be converted into just 1,000 points?

I was confident that I would shake my head to that question countless times.

[Add my rosario to that. Ah, to be exact, the rosario of me and the teacher.]

[…Are you referring to the Holy Light?]

[Yes, it must have been such a grand name.]

[Alright. Then, on the condition of exchanging 1,000 points and the Holy Light’s rosario…!]

[I would also like you to modify 「Simgeomjido」.]

At the repeated demands, the system showed signs of being taken aback.

Not through facial expressions or tone of voice.

The atmosphere itself conveyed a sense of absurdity without any exaggeration.

[Are you testing me right now?]

[No, I just think I need to ask for this much to make it worth my while.]

[…I’ll be going now. Do as you please.]

[If you leave, how will I know if the terms of the deal are equal?]

[Leave it to the subjectivity of causality. It’s not even a concept that can be called subjectivity, but it maintains balance remarkably well.]

Click.

With that sound, the connection with the system was cut off.

Did it cut it off because it was annoyed?

It couldn’t have thought that I wouldn’t be able to negotiate in the first place.

I got the impression that it seemed somewhat urgent.

Whatever the case, I received permission to do as I please.

I should gradually raise the conditions and walk the tightrope later.

The contract is done for now.

Now, I could feel my strength and stamina draining as time passed.

‘I should start mixing in magic soon.’

At this rate, I’ll run out of stamina before even breaking the egg.

Not that magic doesn’t consume stamina, mental strength, and focus.

The risk of injury wasn’t as great as a sick person wielding a sword.

And so, I was about to wield flames in my hand.

─Young master, what are you trying to do right now?

“Application.”

─So, what kind of application is it?

─You stupid eel. Can’t you tell by the abnormal contraction of the heart? He’s trying to refine the magical power that makes up magic through the heart once more.

─Who doesn’t know that? Dalgi, can’t you just shut up? How dare you, a fox, wag your tail and cause a fuss.

Two women making noise in my ears.

As Tamamo said, what I was trying to do was create sword energy through mental power.

Using mental power to unleash magic.

The basic foundation.

「Pyrokinesis」 would be enough.

Because it’s the magic I’m most familiar with.

Whoosh.

A fiercely burning flame.

However, the flame, perfectly controlled by my power, gradually became as sharp and fierce as sword energy as I injected mental power, as if blowing in oxygen.

Perhaps it’s because my mental power has evolved into the optimal form for wielding a sword.

It felt like igniting flames with sword energy.

Whoosh!

And so, unlike the original intention, flames were created with sword energy.

Among the numerous sword techniques, there was a technique called 「Sword Flame」.

The 「Sword Flame」 that burned down the mansion was a massive fire demon I had never seen in my life.

……I’m glad I used the mansion as kindling for the first test.

This was a natural disaster far beyond the realm I could control.

* * *

It’s hot.

Damn winter is gone, and summer has arrived.

Really, it seems like I’ve been hit hard by global warming.

The firestorm blazing with sword energy as fuel is roughly over 200 degrees on average. Um… the perceived temperature for the people in this mansion would be about 200 to 250 degrees different.

‘The dead will naturally be cremated, and the living will leave silently.’

I am a magician who has mastered [Flame Magic] to at least an intermediate level and can aim for higher realms at any time. And thanks to 「Solar Meridian」, I have better fire resistance than others.

Nevertheless, my body has its limits.

And the people here possess less than half of the resistance I have.

If it were the usual me, I would have tried to save those who were burning to death, even if they were servants of the viscount who had brought the situation to this point.

I am sworn to save people by law and precept [moral principle].

As long as those crumbling in the fire did not abandon their humanity, I would have saved them without hesitation as long as they were within my sight and reach.

─You’re heartless, young master.

“What, they’re already dead anyway. Unless I were a priest who embraces even souls and spirits, I don’t have the capacity to embrace even the dead.”

Even if most of the world’s 8 billion people have lost their humanity and are forgetful beasts.

If only 1% of the people are truly human.

That number is over 80 million, even by rough estimate, so my capacity and hands are far from sufficient.

To ask me to embrace even the dead.

It was too difficult.

─Oh, so you’re saying that the little fox and I aren’t even people? Young master, I just thought you were a pervert, but you’re a bad man who says hurtful things without hesitation!

A bad man.

Yes, that’s much better than being treated like a saint.

There is no middle ground in the trials and good deeds I perform.

I, who clearly divides what to kill and what to save, should not have the qualifications to be called a Sword Saint in the first place.

But still.

“……Not much left now.”

The progress rate floating in the corner of my retina.

[■■ Class Different Dimension ■■ Capture Progress Rate: 49.99%]

To the minimum achievement target of 50%.

Just one step away.

If I can save tens of millions of lives with just a little more, I am prepared to wear any kind of hat [accept any label or criticism].