I Became a Murderer in the Academy.-Chapter 120

Clana’s intense reaction was directed at Iria, the person responsible for her current state.

Sera, unaware of the backstory, couldn’t understand what Clana was saying. She just tilted her head in confusion.

“What’s she talking about?”

“No idea,” Iria replied calmly.

Iria understood everything perfectly, but she feigned ignorance with a remarkably brazen attitude. It was as if her face was made of stone.

Perhaps, as a monster rather than a human, Iria simply felt less emotion than others.

Regardless, Clana’s voice grew louder with Iria’s presence.

Clana seemed to be recalling the humiliations and lost wallets she had suffered at Iria’s hands over the past week. She pointed at Iria with a trembling finger.

“Y-you! I’ll never forgive you! I challenge you to a duel! This time, I’ll have my revenge!”

“In that case, this person will fight in my stead.”

Iria gave Sera a gentle nudge, pushing her forward.

“Wh-what?”

Sera, surprised, found herself face-to-face with Clana.

“What... are you here to take my wallet too?!”

“No, that’s...”

“Yes, we are here to take your wallet. But the duel will be with this person, not me.”

“Hey! You, you really...”

“Not exactly wrong, though.”

Having nudged Sera into the fight, Iria casually slipped back into the crowd, blending in as if she were an onlooker.

This had been her plan all along. She intended to watch the duel unfold from the sidelines; she was tired of fighting herself.

Sometimes, it’s better to observe from a distance.

Sera, now the center of attention, wore a startled expression before quickly regaining her composure. Though she’d been pushed into it, it was something she wanted all along.

“Hmm... Fine. I’ll accept your challenge. I’ve always wanted to test myself against the Saintess.”

Though her motivation wasn’t purely professional.

Thus, Iria succeeded in stirring up trouble in the academy as a seed of the Demon Lord.

This was how the duel between the two came to be.

In the end, they scheduled the duel in the academy’s largest sparring arena.

The professors remembered the mess from the last time Sera and Iria had sparred, when the arena was left in ruins.

The explosive power Sera could unleash rivaled even that of the academy’s professors. During a monster attack, she had achieved feats the professors couldn’t.

To catch and return the flames of a Demon Lord seed was nearly impossible for a normal human, a theoretical feat that Sera accomplished in front of everyone—twice.

Because of this, the professors acknowledged her skills. They agreed that, when it came to flame magic, there was nothing more they could teach her.

In that area, she had surpassed even them.

That was why she was granted access to this sparring arena. Using an ordinary venue would likely result in the same destruction as before.

“Hmm, alright. I’m ready.”

Stepping into the arena, Sera spoke with confidence.

Facing her was Clana, the silver-haired girl resembling Iria.

Seeing Clana’s silver hair swaying in the breeze, Sera remembered her previous defeat to Iria. Was silver hair the mark of strength? The girl before her certainly seemed to radiate an unusual aura.

But that was fine.

Her opponent might be strong, but Sera had grown too.

Some had witnessed her prowess during the monster attack, while others hadn’t.

But anyone who had seen her reflect flames would be certain of the outcome of this battle.

Even as a Saintess, Clana couldn’t possibly win without proper combat experience.

‘Clana winning here is unlikely.’

That’s what Iria, watching from the sidelines, thought too.

She saw this as a stepping stone for Clana to gain some combat experience.

And Clana...

‘The woman who tormented me must be the wicked Demon Lord from the scriptures. This red-haired girl must be her loyal servant.’

She prepared herself with a resolute expression.

Clana’s sharp gaze was fixed on Sera.

“You foul demons! I won’t fall for your tricks! In the name of the Saintess, I will purify you!”

“...?”

Sera still couldn’t make sense of Clana’s words.

While Sera stood bewildered, Clana clasped her hands in a prayerful pose.

An immense holy energy began to radiate from Clana, slowly filling the arena.

Clana concentrated this holy energy into a single point. It was a blend of the holy magic she had learned from the church and the Star’s Blessing that only the Saintess could wield.

And then, Clana extended her hands, shouting,

“Light!!!”

“Ugh?!”

She unleashed a blinding beam of light toward Sera.

It was a massive flash. While the purification light could severely harm monsters or demons, it provided humans with a miraculous healing.

Sera was bathed in Clana’s sincere holy power.

But—

“Huh? This doesn’t hurt at all.”

Not only did it not hurt, but her injuries even healed. Sera’s body began to feel revitalized, filling her with energy.

Contrary to Clana’s assumption that she was a demon, Sera was human. Naturally, she wouldn’t suffer from holy light, nor would she be purified.

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freewebnσvel.cøm.

Sera wore a puzzled expression as she looked at Clana, who scratched her cheek awkwardly.

The truth was, Clana had never attacked anyone with her holy power before. Unlike mana, her power wasn’t designed for offensive use.

It was possible that she simply didn’t have a way to harm Sera.

“What’s this?”

Sera shook off the lingering golden light left by the flash and then conjured flames in her hands.

With a whoosh, the flames sprang to life, showcasing their presence.

“Whatever that was, it counts as an attack, right?”

Curious about what kind of attack the Saintess would make, she had decided to take it.

But the Saintess’s attack? Couldn’t even scratch her. Was she weaker than she looked?

No matter. Sera resolved to end the duel quickly.

As Clana had fired her light, Sera now released her flames. The heat filled the arena, burning fiercely.

Though it was a powerful fire, given Clana’s reputation, Sera didn’t hold back.

Clana shut her eyes tightly.

—Fwooooosh!!

Sera’s flame power was the strongest in the academy.

Aside from Iria and Ariel, she had the highest attack power among the students.

The giant flames engulfed the part of the arena where Clana stood.

Everyone expected this to be Sera’s victory.

The fire was powerful enough that direct contact would be dangerous, and Clana, with no real battle experience, hadn’t even put up a defense.

When the flames cleared, Sera stood alone.

“...”

“...”

And across from her stood Clana.

Her hair and clothes were a bit singed, but she was otherwise unharmed.

“It’s hot.”

If Sera had the highest offensive ability among the academy students, Clana had the strongest defense across the entire Empire.

Such was the blessing of the stars that she received.

“What is this?”

Without using her holy power, she had withstood the flames with her bare body.

Sera was shocked at Clana’s unbreakable defense.

Though they had exchanged blows, neither of them took any damage.

Sera looked surprised for a moment, then laughed.

It didn’t seem like this would be a short fight.

The flames rose once again.