The Genius Tamer of the Academy

Chapter 156

The sound of clashing swords echoed through the quiet plaza.

Adela panted as she chanted a spell. Her artifact, which doubled as both a sword and a staff, was in her grip.

Whoosh—.

A fierce wind blew, causing the man’s robe to fall to the ground.

Although he wasn’t caught in the dust storm, it revealed his bare face.

His graying hair suggested his age, but his solid build, unusual for someone of his years, showed that he was still a formidable mage.

Aaron Linton, the Dark Mage.

Adela paused momentarily at the sight of his face.

“Weren’t you supposed to be imprisoned?”

He was a renowned figure even among dark mages.

A classic mage who established a new academic system of dark magic by collecting forbidden curses.

But around two years ago, he had a massive bounty on his head, and Adela had heard he was eventually captured and imprisoned in the Ardel Empire’s prison.

Seeing Adela’s startled expression, Aaron sneered and spoke.

“I was never caught in the first place. Everyone got all worked up over a mannequin made to look like me.”

“M-Mannequin?”

“They would’ve realized it wasn’t me after catching it. But what could they do? They’d just keep their mouths shut because there was no benefit to letting it be known.”

Aaron laughed heartily, leaning his creaky back.

“Your name is Adela, isn’t it?”

Adela gripped her sword tightly, glaring at Aaron.

She had already noticed during their brief exchange earlier—he wasn’t just infamous for no reason.

He was too strong and experienced for her to handle.

His movements blocked Adela’s attacks without exerting much power.

And that sword emitting a sinister black aura.

The reason he was speaking so casually was because he was confident. He was sure he could easily defeat a mere third-year student.

Adela couldn’t dismiss that confidence as arrogance because it was justified.

“Where’s Han Siha, that kid?”

Aaron’s gaze drifted to the receiver lying on the ground.

The receiver, still connected by its cord, swung pitifully.

“Oh, is he over there?”

A chilling smile played on Aaron’s lips.

“If I make you scream, he might come a little faster….”

“No.”

Just as his hand reached for the phone booth.

Magical energy erupted from Adela’s staff.

“Aaah!”

Thud.

A fierce wave of magic stopped Aaron in his tracks.

The impact, which lifted the ground itself, ripped the phone booth out by its roots.

‘Sorry, phone booth.’

Boom.

Sound Teleport System No. 3 toppled over with a massive vibration.

Aaron didn’t miss the opportunity.

Having expended excessive magic at once to lift the ground, Adela had created an opening.

Sensing someone right in front of her, Adela tried to dodge belatedly, but she was a step too slow.

“Ugh!”

Adela barely managed to deflect Aaron’s attack with the flat of her sword.

However, because she hadn’t fully deflected it, the sharp blade grazed her shoulder. Adela clenched her lower lip and let out a cry of pain.

It was just a slight graze.

The searing pain of the blade jolted her back to her senses.

“Gah… Gah.”

“Sorry about that. I’m not exactly one for clean fights.”

Aaron mocked Adela with a chuckle.

“It’s going to hurt quite a bit.”

“Ugh….”

The curse embedded in the blade amplified the pain several times over.

Adela staggered briefly, struggling to even stand from the intense pain that surged through her.

She needed a moment to adjust to this pain.

But the enemy wouldn’t grant her that time.

Clang—.

Aaron’s sword shot forward, aiming straight for Adela’s neck.

“Uh… ugh….”

Adela, who had been backing away, lowered her stance and counterattacked.

Crack.

The ground beneath Aaron’s feet began to split with a heavy tremor.

Adela disrupted Aaron’s balance and dodged his attack, slashing at him with her own sword.

Slash.

She felt the sickening sensation of her blade cutting into Aaron’s flesh. However, the attack was too shallow to take his life.

A failed attack invites retaliation. A chilling pain that numbed both her arms followed immediately.

“Gah….”

Adela staggered backward, clutching her side where Aaron’s sword had pierced.

Gush.

Blood gushed from the wound in her side. Adela looked down at her blood-soaked hand and gritted her teeth.

It seemed that Aaron’s sword was cursed to amplify pain.

Even the earlier shallow wound had felt like the blade was digging in.

This latest attack was enough to crush her will to fight.

“A… Ah….”

Adela stared at her trembling hand.

Buzz.

Large stones that she had lifted now surrounded her, forming a wall.

It was to block Aaron’s attacks, but it was merely a temporary measure. Adela was still like a rat trapped in a jar.

“Hah… ha.”

Adela panted as she tied a cloth around her bleeding side.

She was trying to hold out as much as possible.

She knew it was a losing battle against the dark mage before her, but she intended to fight desperately until someone arrived.

No one was coming.

Not her professors, not her classmates, not Han Siha.

She didn’t resent that, but something felt off.

Yes, something felt strange.

Now she understood.

She was the only one here in this alley where people usually passed by.

Adela steadied her breath and spoke with difficulty.

“Is it a control spell?”

“Or an illusion spell?”

Aaron looked at Adela trapped by the stones and sneered.

His voice was filled with the superiority of someone who could sweep away those mere stones and cut her neck at any moment.

Aaron spoke, seeming to enjoy himself.

“I doubt he’ll find you either.”

“….”

“Whoever you’re waiting for, they won’t be able to come.”

Aaron burst into laughter.

“Haha, no one will be able to find you. Are you finally starting to lose your will to fight?”

The more Adela’s expression twisted in pain, the louder Aaron’s laughter grew.

Adela found his laughter disgusting, but she didn’t waver.

She staggered but managed to get back on her feet.

Staring at Aaron through the stones, Adela spoke clearly.

“You’ve got it wrong. If you think I’m going to cry and be sad because he can’t come, you’re mistaken.”

“…In fact, I’m relieved.”

“Because he would’ve lost.”

Adela felt grateful that she was under an illusion spell.

Thankfully, Han Siha couldn’t find her.

She felt relieved.

‘Don’t come, Han Siha.’

Adela repeated silently to herself.

No matter what, don’t come.

I’ll try to endure this somehow, so please.

Never come here.

“Ahhhhh!”

Adela screamed, unleashing her magical power.

Boom.

The rocks surrounding Adela swirled like a tornado and flew towards Aaron.

Despite the sudden attack, Aaron, being the seasoned dark mage that he was, calmly raised a shield.

The small rocks pounded against his barrier but couldn’t break through.

Seeing this, Adela bit her lip and swung her sword.

“With that body, you’ll find it tough.”

Aaron chuckled and twisted his body, still brimming with confidence.

Even as Adela fought back, his advantage was clear.

Clang—.

Aaron’s sword sliced through Adela once.

Slash.

Then pierced through her again.

“Gah!”

A dark aura flickered before Adela’s eyes.

The more she attacked, the more agile Aaron’s movements became.

Aaron Linton.

A dark mage who grew stronger the more blood he saw.

Was that why he kept toying with her, cutting her down with his blade?

Aaron continued to grow stronger, while Adela grew weaker.

Adela instinctively realized.

There was no way she would survive this.

The third strike.

Aaron’s relentless blade that had been cutting and stabbing her—

Swish—.

Now rested against her neck.

“…Ah.”

Adela shut her eyes tightly.

…This is the end.

As if to confirm it, Aaron whispered into Adela’s ear.

“I’ll kill you slowly and painfully. I’ll toy with you until that brat comes near with the cube.”

“While that fool wanders around cluelessly, I hope you entertain me. I’m curious to see how you’ll scream when I stab this blade into your delicate neck.”

Whoosh—

The blade that had been poised at her throat was lifted back into the air.

“Ugh… ugh….”

Adela lifted her head, bracing herself for the next wave of pain.

But then.

“…!”

A familiar face was standing atop the toppled phone booth.

The face she had longed to see, yet hoped would not be here in this moment, was looking down at her.

Seeing Han Siha, Adela had no choice but to admit it.

Though she wished he hadn’t come, she also wanted to see him.

She truly wanted to see you.

As Adela gritted her teeth, struggling to deny that truth—

“Being crazy is a damn disease, you bastard.”

Thud—

Han Siha sent Aaron flying with a powerful kick.

* * *

Han Siha leaped down from the phone booth.

He quickly turned his head, glancing over Adela’s condition.

Blue lips, a pale face—she didn’t look good, even at a glance.

The curse was eating away at Adela’s mind, and she was barely holding on under unbearable pain.

That fact drove Han Siha further over the edge.

“You bastard.”

He had so much to say.

Things he needed to tell her.

But without ever saying a single word of it, all he could do was watch Adela dying.

The mere thought of that was so intolerably awful that Han Siha knew he had to defeat Aaron.

He had to shove a sword into that bastard’s neck and protect Adela.

This was his best shot.

The best he could do, as he had resolved since leaving the Castica territory.

“Phew….”

Han Siha raised his staff.

Aaron arched an eyebrow and asked.

“How did you get here? You were under an illusion spell.”

“Grrr….”

“Oh, I see… it doesn’t work on dragons.”

Aaron sneered, looking at Basilus who was growling in a low tone.

By now, Basilus had shed most of his hatchling traits.

He seemed well attuned to his tamer, and among dragons, he was one of the most ferocious—the red dragon.

And beside him was the young pteranodon.

But still, it didn’t matter.

Aaron glanced Han Siha up and down, a smirk playing at his lips.

A strategic tamer.

He might have made a name for himself among his peers, but from Aaron’s perspective, who had rolled through decades of battles, Han Siha was just a kid with no real combat experience.

“Aren’t you weaker than that girl? What’s with the confidence?”

“In battle, there’s something called type advantage. If you don’t know, you better memorize it.”

Han Siha grinned, responding to Aaron’s taunt.

With the curse that drained magic and caused pain upon contact with the sword, Adela, who specialized in close combat, was at a clear disadvantage.

Just like when facing Archant, Han Siha took a step back.

Aaron sneered coldly at Han Siha’s provocation.

“You’re quite arrogant. Your tricks are obvious.”

But that wasn’t all.

Han Siha glared at Aaron and spoke.

“Oh, and another thing. There’s something called gear advantage in battles too.”

“What?”

“If you don’t know, you should learn that too.”

With a sly grin, Han Siha pulled something out of his subspace bag.

It looked like an ordinary stone, but it wasn’t.

“That… that’s!”

Both Aaron’s and Adela’s eyes widened simultaneously as they realized what it was.

Sensing the immense magical power condensed within, Aaron’s lips quivered.

“…It’s a cube.”

The Cube of the Void.

“Han Siha, no!”

Thud.

Just as Aaron reached to snatch it, the cube emitted a radiant red light.