The Sword Demon Tears People Apart

Zeron stared intently at the orb on the altar.
Inside the blue orb, mana was swirling.
“What… is this?”
“Could it be an artifact?”
Flone, still dangling from his side, responded.
Zeron looked down at the orb quietly, pondering.
“Doesn’t this look similar to those life orbs from earlier?”
“Huh? Life orbs…, ah….”
Flone’s face turned bright red.
Seems she recalled something unnecessary.
“…Well, just take it for now.”
“Y-yes!? …Me?”
“I don’t have hands right now, you know.”
“Ah, yes…. Then.”
Flone reached out and grasped the orb, then tucked it into Zeron’s pocket.
Then she looked up at him intently, as if asking for praise, so he gave her what she wanted.
“That’s right, well done.”
“…Hehe.”
Her grinning face looked like some kind of squirrel.
Zeron smiled slightly and looked around.
He felt a strange energy, suggesting that the exit might be nearby.
“Is it over there?”
As he took a step, his legs suddenly wobbled.
“In-Instructor…!?”
“Ah, it’s fine.”
It seemed he had pushed himself a bit too hard.
Zeron was well aware of his own weakness.
His cursed body and meager mana resulting in miserable stamina.

That’s why he usually sets a deliberate limit on his output.
If he exceeds that limit, his body breaks down instantly.
But today, he couldn’t do that.
It was only natural that his body was wrecked.

“Sigh, I’m getting old, all my joints are aching.”
“What? Pfft, you’re joking. You’re still young.”
“You’ll understand when you’re my age. It feels like I’m aging every day.”
Of course, that’s bullshit.
No matter how weak his body is, his Master-level ability doesn’t just disappear.
Zeron spouted jokes as he headed towards the exit.
The kid was also squirming, seeming like she would wake up soon.
Once we get out, have the kids receive treatment, rest a bit, then return to the Academy or do whatever, that should be fine.
That was his thought.
*
Ed moved busily.
The mana orbs that can be found inside the rift are a kind of elixir.
It’s not simply consumed, but like a precious stone, it can be broken and used.
Why is that important, you ask?
Of course it was important.
It absorbs mana throughout the entire body.
The absorption rate is incomparable to orally consumed elixirs, and in the process, it washes away all the waste in the body.
Compared to elixirs available on the continent, it’s equivalent to high-grade, just below the highest grade.
Considering that the highest grade elixirs appear maybe once a century at most, high-grade means it’s among the top-tier elixirs.
An achievement that could replace such elixirs.
Naturally, Ed had no time to rest.
He moved quickly, looking for students who could become useful forces in the future.
Just then, a rather useful male student caught his eye.
“It’s dangerous here. A monster wave will occur soon.”
“What? How do you know that?”
“A rift has occurred. I’ll explain the details later, but for now, let’s find the professor.”
The trust he had built up in the short time proved effective, and the student listened to him fairly well.
After all, Ed is the top student in the first year.
Moreover, he usually doesn’t act arrogantly and maintains a kind attitude.
It would be stranger not to listen to such an obvious suggestion to find the professor because it could be dangerous.
After persuading the student like that, he found the teaching assistant in charge of the student and gathered the students.
After that, he went to find other teaching assistants or Iris.
He didn’t rashly use signal flares.
If a monster wave occurred as Ed said, that could potentially attract monsters.
The teaching assistants and Iris were easy to find.
It was natural since the assistants knew each other’s positions.
Moreover, students don’t stray far from their assistants.
Naturally, gathering the students didn’t take long either.
After gathering the students and counting, there were 42.
“Where’s Zerong?”
“We couldn’t find him. The eight students who aren’t here are also the ones the instructor was in charge of.”
“Hmm.”
Iris first sent people back to the lodging.
However, she left behind two assistants and three top students from Class A.
Of course, their guards were with them too.
The people remaining here now were strong enough to be effective in actual combat.
In other words, they were people of value to Ed.
“Well done, Student Ed! I don’t know how you knew, but rifts are definitely dangerous!”
The problem was the wave that flows out when a rift occurs.
It’s hard for humans to feel, but monsters sense it keenly and react immediately.
For some unknown reason, it amplifies their killing intent.
And that killing intent is directed towards humans who usually hunt and suppress monsters.
The situation where monsters form groups and advance due to this – that’s a monster wave.
“No, it’s nothing special. But…, I saw the instructor, Medea, and Flone get caught up in the rift. The other students are probably left behind.”
“Hmm…, that’s certainly a big problem!”
“We need to hurry and rescue them. I know the location of the rift, so I’ll guide you there for now. The students are probably nearby too.”
Ed took the initiative and led the way.
Although Iris was unpredictable and made him uneasy, just gaining favor with the others was a profitable venture.

Kwooooooar-!
At that moment, a huge roar echoed from deep in the forest.
Everyone’s expression hardened except for Iris and Ed.
The bloodlust in the roar unconsciously tensed their muscles.
“Ogre….”
“We should hurry.”
The group pushed through the underbrush.
Two students they found on the way joined them.
Since sending just the two back would be more dangerous, they also helped with the search.
Around that time, monsters started to appear.
The first proper battle was with hundreds of goblins.
“I’ll take care of this quickly!”
“I’ll help.”
As Iris summoned spirits and swung her sword, a gale arose.
Ed also swung his sword widely, instantly beheading several goblins.
“As expected, the top student is different.”
“Don’t underestimate commoners.”
When other students and assistants joined in, the goblin horde was cleared in an instant.
“Students-! If you can hear my voice, please come here-!”
Iris carried her voice on the spirit’s wind.
It’s a dangerous act that could attract monsters, but a voice harmonized with nature shouldn’t greatly stimulate the enraged monsters.
No, it shouldn’t have.
‘This should be enough.’
Ed crushed a fruit in his pocket.
It was called a Chamon fruit.
A somewhat rare fruit that spreads a scent that attracts monsters.
To engrave himself in people’s perception, it was better to have an appropriate crisis.
Besides, with Iris there, there was no risk to life.
Even if something unexpected happened and lives were lost, that wouldn’t be the end for him.
There was always the next cycle.
“Professor-!”
Soon, two more students joined.
They had minor injuries but no major wounds.
Now there were four students left.
Medea, Flone, and two commoners whose names he didn’t know.
This much was successful.
Anyway, nothing bad would happen to Medea and Flone.
That monster was with them.
So from now on, all he had to do was engrave the name Ed in people’s minds as they faced the incoming monsters.

Schwiiik-!
Just then, the presence of monsters was felt nearby.
This time it was a fairly threatening army mixed with orcs and lizardmen.
‘This field training is about half successful… I’d say.’
Ed drew his sword.
Afterwards, two more students were found.
They weren’t in a living state.
Their bodies were partially eaten, in a horrific state.
“Urgh…!”
As students retched, the corners of Ed’s mouth turned up slightly.
‘This is even better. The students’ gratitude towards me will grow.’
If Ed hadn’t warned them, couldn’t I have ended up like that?
If such a thought crosses their minds even for a moment, it naturally creates a debt of gratitude.

Maybe this cycle could see the end….
*
Zeron emerged from the exit with the kid and Flone tucked under his arms.
Fortunately, it seemed they had come out exactly where they had entered.
“Wow…! We’re alive!”
Flone grinned happily.
But Zeron raised his eyebrows, then looked around with sunken eyes.
“This… doesn’t look good.”
“Pardon?”
Instead of answering Flone, he shook Medea awake.
The kid swallowed with a gulp and opened her eyes hazily.
“Mmm…?”
“Hey, wake up. Looks like something’s happened.”
Zeron put them down on the ground and looked around.
There happened to be a large rock nearby.
After setting the two girls down in front of the rock, he placed his hand on his sword hilt.
“W-what’s going on suddenly…?”
The kid looked at Zeron dazedly.
More precisely, she stared intently at his lips.
In her hazy state, her memory wasn’t clear, but she was sure she had pressed her lips there.
“Kid, switch to the rifle and prepare mana bullets.”
“Uh, okay….”
Despite her confusion, Medea skillfully transformed her gun.
Just as she completed shouldering the rifle, wondering what was going on,

Schwiiik-!

Presences began to be felt from all directions.
Her face hardened.
“W-what’s happening?”
“Seems like it’s a monster wave…. The timing is fucked up.”
Zeron rotated his arms a few times and cracked his neck with a wooduk- sound.
Pain transmitted throughout his body.
He had quite a bit of mana left, but… the body that would serve as its foundation was fucked.
“My condition is shit right now, you know? You need to do well, kid.”
“O-okay…!”
“I’ll help too!”
Flone stepped forward.
But Zeron pushed her forehead, sticking her next to the kid.
“You stay there. Just focus on blocking anything coming at the kid.”
“But still….”
“You might not realize it now, but your body isn’t exactly fine either.”

Keureuruk!

Schwiiiiik-!

Kiaaaa-!
The army of monsters gradually came into view.
Zeron suppressed his aura and drew his sword.
“Well, I’ll make sure you don’t die, so don’t be too scared.”