Surviving as a Villain at the Academy

190 – Death to the Cunning Devil.

Aim exulted. If things continued this way, he could safely escape the empire’s domain.

Indeed, it was wise to have thrown the tower mages as bait. The mages of the tower were excessively fanatical about his research.

Of course, their madness did satisfy his power, but it was equally dangerous, so the choice to abandon them was indeed an excellent one.

No matter how much he concealed it, he never doubted the capabilities of humans. Persistent humans were bound to exist, especially since research involving living sacrifices was bound to attract the attention of others.

So he concealed and abandoned it just enough.

He felt his choice was right once again. Otherwise, he would have been followed by a rather troublesome affair. Even for a superior demon with transcendent powers, incurring the wrath of a nation like the empire would lead to quite a headache.

And he was a demon.

With the Holy Kingdom already bustling with activity, the presence of a demon revealed in the empire was bound to draw their gaze. Had he been careless, the Holy Kingdom might have even assembled a crusade against him.

A horde of other humans coming after him would be merely a nuisance, but the angels of heaven associated with the Holy Kingdom and its nation were not something he could simply dismiss as ‘annoying.’

It was a matter directly connected to his survival, so there was a reason why he was now sighing with relief.

Anyway, he had avoided the worst-case scenario, and no one seemed to be tracking him down… Now he could leisurely leave the empire and wander the human realm again.

He could stir up a significant event like this time, or perhaps just sneak in some fun. He couldn’t help but look forward to what the future held.

More than growing his power, he found indulging in his hobby more important. His hobby was precisely.

To mock the ignorant humans. To incite the evil within them and enjoy watching their malice explode.

That was Aim. This tower incident had been quite fun too. Watching humans flounder for immortality had given him immense satisfaction.

“Indeed, I wonder what enjoyable events will occur at my next destination.”

He laughed cheerily and slowly walked on. Where to next?

It would be best to go as far away from the Holy Kingdom as possible. The more remote and barbaric the border kingdoms from the empire and the Holy Kingdom, the better.

In such a country, he could first show off his prowess as an outstanding mage, then slowly consume the nation. Stirring up a civil war among the heirs to the throne as an advisor to the king would also be entertaining.

After all, it was quite common for border kingdoms to rise and fall through their own civil wars. Being a part of that wouldn’t be too bad.

A smirk crept across his lips. His expression showed he was utterly looking forward to the future.

But did he know?

That a foretold disaster was waiting for him.

“I’ve found you.”

Suddenly, a voice reached his ears. It was the languid voice of a young woman.

“Aim, right?”

“……Who are you?”

“Well, if I tell you who I am, could you still stand so proudly?”

The woman spoke with a mocking tone, looking at Sloth, and Aim felt something was terribly wrong.

Who on earth is she?

A human? No, that can’t be. She definitely called out his name. Not his true name, but still… she accurately called the name he uses publicly.

That means, at the very least, she knows who he is.

“……Who sent you?”

“Well, why should I bother telling you that?”

Her leisurely, laughing response was irritating. But Aim had to be cautious. If she knew his true identity as a demon, then she must be a being of comparable power. Any rash action could put his life in danger.

‘To flee or to fight.’

He pondered. Fighting carried a greater risk than he thought. The one who came to capture him wouldn’t be weaker than him.

Then fleeing would be wise… but the problem was that she didn’t seem likely to let him go easily. She would probably pursue him relentlessly.

‘Maybe I should pretend to fight and buy some time, then make a quick escape.’

He made up his mind. He would use magic to draw out her guard and then flee immediately.

He couldn’t afford to give her any opening.

When a demon is serious, their strength is incomparable to that of humans. They don’t even need time to cast spells.

Their thoughts become spells, a level of magic that doesn’t require incantations. It’s not just magic; physically, too, a demon’s body is far superior to a human’s.

In other words, there’s no chance of seeing a demon stumble over their own magic like a clumsy mage.

Spells far more advanced than anything the mage had conjured appeared by the half-dozen, merging into one.

The space around twisted, and a dense darkness moved at his command, much different from what the mage had used.

The area where he stood became a world unto itself, a space the size of a forest, created just for him.

Magic granted only to those beyond the realm of humans, beyond even the greatest archmages.

The World Manifest.

The sublime magic that the mage had reached before his death was now unfolding from his hands once again.

The darkness eventually became a world. It brought forth land and life, like an omnipotent god.

Of course, since it originated from darkness, the life it created was made of dense darkness too.

Aim waved his hand.

The manifested life, land, sky, sea… the world itself surged like a tidal wave, engulfing Sloth.

“Did you really think such a trivial trick could kill me, foolish Aim? No matter what magic you use, once you’re in my grasp, there’s only one future allowed for you.”

Snap.

Sloth lazily smiled and snapped his fingers.

Then, the world swirling towards her came to a sudden halt. It stopped and slowly began to fade away.

“…This can’t be.”

Aim uttered in despair. Truly, this was an inconceivable outcome for him. This was not just some magic used to buy time.

The Manifested World is a reflection of the user’s inner self onto this world. It consumes an enormous amount of magical power and, in turn, exerts a terrifying force.

Even more so when the caster, Aim, is among the upper echelons of high demons, to have such magic casually extinguished like that. There can only be one conclusion.

The woman before him is a transcendent being beyond Aim’s wildest imaginations.

“It seems you’ve finally caught on, high demon, Aim.”

“…Who are you, exactly?”

“I didn’t really feel like explaining out of annoyance… but since it’s your last moment in life, I shall show you some respect. My name is Sloth.”

“The Dragon of Sloth…? Wait, does that mean…!”

In that moment, Aim realized something. The tale of a demon commanding the Dragon of Sloth, a being as strong as a high demon, was already a famous story in hell.

“Ishtar…?”

The supreme high demon of hell. The fallen angel Ishtar. Hearing the name of one who has few rivals even among high demons, Aim couldn’t help but show a look of utter shock.

“That’s correct, Aim. It was Ishtar who sent me to kill you.”

“But why…?”

“Since you’re going to die anyway, I’ll tell you. There’s a contractor in the human realm whom Ishtar holds dear. You tried to meddle in that human’s domain… and that’s all there is to it. That’s why you must die.”

“Ha…”

Aim laughed hollowly. To die just for touching a human’s domain, and he, a high demon himself.

He shook his head. There was no escape. If the woman before him truly was the Dragon of Sloth, there was no way out of her grasp.

The Dragon of Sloth, living at the bottom of hell, was already a being on par with high demons. A being of a completely different caliber. The gap between her and a high demon was even greater than that between a low demon and a high demon.

“Truly, it’s absurdly anticlimactic.”

As Aim muttered this, Sloth casually reached out her hand. The surroundings churned.

Just as Aim had tried to engulf Sloth with the Manifested World. And at last, just before his death, Aim came to understand what the power of a high demon was.

A strength of a different origin. Even if he gathered power in jest, it was a point he could never reach. That is what it means to be a high demon.

The moment Sloth clenched her outstretched hand into a fist, Aim’s existence vanished from the world.

For a high demon, it was an end so trivial, it was almost cruel.