Iria, who arrived just in time, was able to save Rena.

 

She blocked the sword flying toward Rena, stopped the demon who had injured her, and absorbed the slashing attack with her entire body.

 

Iria thought of Rena as a friend.

 

Even though Iria wasn’t human, she found herself more drawn to humans. She often pondered how to define the relationships she formed with them.

 

But today, she made a decision.

 

Rena had already defined their relationship as friendship. When Iria had hesitated, Rena moved first.

 

Iria chose not to deny the definition that Rena had given their relationship.

 

Today, she would protect Rena to the best of her ability.

 

***

 

In the narrow corridor, the magical energy of the two intertwined.

 

Seir was undeniably strong. She could keep up with Iria to some extent, even when Iria had unleashed her magical energy.

 

Was it because she was a demon and had high resistance to magical energy? It didn’t matter. If Seir regenerated, Iria would simply cut her down until she could no longer regenerate.

 

Iria understood well how much energy it took to heal wounds; she was of a similar race.

 

How long could Seir endure?

 

Iria put strength into the sword she swung.

 

And then –

 

-Thwack!

 

Seir’s severed left arm fell to the floor.

 

“Ha-”

 

Seir’s expression, which had been half-filled with madness, shifted to one of intrigue at Iria’s strength.

 

“……”

 

Iria wiped the black blood off her face with her hand.

 

Even though Seir had unleashed her magical energy, Iria was still stronger. She had matched Seir’s magical output.

 

“Pfft… How did a monster like you come to be? I haven’t heard of anything like this.”

 

At this point, Seir had to acknowledge the truth, even if she didn’t like it. Iria was stronger than her. No matter how much magical energy Seir summoned, it probably wouldn’t change the outcome.

 

Seir couldn’t defeat Iria; not through normal means, at least.

 

But, of course, Seir hadn’t revealed all the cards she held in her hand.

 

After regenerating her severed arm, she rummaged through her pocket. In her hand was a golden fragment that looked eerily familiar.

 

“You know what this is, right?”

 

Seir asked, displaying the golden fragment to Iria.

 

Of course, she knew. It was a fragment of the Demon King, which also existed within Iria’s body.

 

She understood its significance, but so what? Iria tilted her head slightly in response.

 

“With this, even the most incompetent monster can be transformed into a vicious beast capable of killing several academy professors.”

 

“……”

 

“Now, what do you think will happen if I, instead of some incompetent monster, consume this? Aren’t you curious? They stopped me from above, but I can’t help but wonder what will happen!”

 

Seir shouted, and as she did, all the surrounding magical energy began to converge toward her.

 

Even low-level monsters can become strong enough to overwhelm the academy’s professors if they transform into seeds, fully inheriting the Demon King’s power.

 

So, what would happen if Seir, who had already overwhelmed the academy’s professors without needing a fragment, consumed one?

 

Without hesitation, Seir took action.

 

She placed the fragment in her mouth and swallowed it.

 

The wave of magical energy enveloping the surroundings shifted dramatically. The black magical energy was now tinged with a hint of red, resembling the magical energy Iria had displayed.

 

“Now you seem a bit more like a compatriot,” Seir remarked, as an aura similar to Iria’s began to emanate from her.

 

By harboring the fragment within her body, Seir had transformed into something that resembled Iria more closely.

 

Their red eyes gleamed in unison.

 

***

 

Seir, who had absorbed the fragment, began transforming slowly but drastically. Her form twisted into something alien, vastly different from her previous appearance.

 

The Demon King’s power was not something an ordinary being could harbor without consequences. Seir was now paying the price for underestimating this power despite being just a demon.

 

“Kuaaaaahhhh!! Uuuuuugh!! Kuaaaaahhhh!!”

 

She roared in agony as her body changed shape, expanding into a gigantic figure.

 

Seir’s physique, once comparable to a human’s, now grew three times larger. While her human-like form remained, her overall appearance became monstrous.

 

The horns that had once merely protruded from her head became enormous, and her entire body turned a deep, menacing black.

 

Before consuming the fragment, she had displayed a clear intelligence, but now it was questionable whether this being could even engage in normal thought.

 

“……”

 

Seir, now fully transformed, turned her head with an unnatural, creaking movement, her eyes appearing unfocused.

 

Then, with a sudden movement,

 

-Clang!

 

The creature that had once been Seir leaped toward Iria, moving at an astonishing speed—far quicker than before.

 

Wrapped in dark magical energy, her sword had elongated significantly. It swung down with a force that rendered Iria’s small dagger nearly useless for blocking.

 

In an instant, Iria made the decision to dodge.

 

-Kwaaang!!!!

 

The impact echoed through the corridor, shaking the very foundation of the building. Ironically, the barrier enveloping the structure helped mitigate the damage inside, but the force of each sword strike was undeniable.

 

If Iria took even one direct hit, the consequences would be dire.

 

For Iria, losing an arm again was a sensation she had no desire to experience after her encounters with the Sword Saint.

 

‘…… I’ve had enough of that feeling.’

 

Having slammed her greatsword into the wall, Seir swiftly pivoted and charged at Iria again, her speed relentless. Even the agile Iria found it increasingly difficult to evade her attacks.

 

Iria took a quick step back.

 

-Clang!!

 

She managed to block the incoming sword strike, but the unimaginable weight of the blow sent shockwaves through her body.

 

The floor beneath her cracked, and her dagger, unable to withstand the pressure, shattered in her grip.

 

Since the dagger that blocked the sword strike had shattered, Iria was forced to take another step back to evade the greatsword swinging toward her.

 

This situation was proving to be more troublesome than she had anticipated. Unlike her encounter with Albert, where she had a plan and spare weapon, she was unarmed and vulnerable this time.

 

Iria found herself in an unprecedented crisis. During her fight against Albert, she had intentionally absorbed attacks, enduring serious injuries to gauge his strength. But this was different.

 

Seir’s advantages lay in her exceptional physical prowess and the overwhelming speed accompanying it. Iria needed a new strategy, and fast, or she risked being overwhelmed by the relentless onslaught.

 

Before absorbing the Demon King’s fragment, Seir’s abilities had been inferior to Iria’s—she was, in every sense, a complete downgrade.

 

However, after ingesting the fragment, the dynamic shifted dramatically. Seir now surpassed Iria in raw physical strength. While Iria still held an edge in speed, the sheer weight of Seir’s strikes was overwhelming.

 

Iria found herself forced to endure a relentless barrage of greatsword swings without any weapon at her disposal.

 

With each strike that grazed her, small and large wounds opened on her body, blood painting the corridor.

 

There was only so much retreating she could do; the corridor walls loomed behind her, leaving her with no space to escape. Desperate, Iria raised her foot, preparing to block the greatsword descending from above.

 

Since she couldn’t deflect it with her hands, this was her only alternative. Drawing on her martial arts training, she took a defensive stance and extended her foot toward the approaching blade.

 

-Crack!

 

The overwhelming weight of the greatsword reverberated through her body, accompanied by the sickening sound of bones breaking.

 

“Ah…”

 

At that moment, Iria managed to draw a shallow breath.

 

The red magical energy around her surged, rippling with intensity.

 

Her physical abilities surged as well, fueled by the magical energy, allowing her to regenerate her wounds almost instantaneously.

 

With a sudden push from the foot that blocked the sword, she forced Seir back, creating distance between herself and the demon relentlessly pursuing her.

 

Iria, now somewhat removed from the close combat, let out a sigh. It was clear that Seir was not an opponent to be underestimated.

 

Iria closed her eyes and reached for a power she had avoided using until now—something she didn’t really want to tap into.

 

“… I’ll only show it to you.”

 

Each time she used the Demon King’s power, it felt as if she were being tainted by something sinister, so she refrained from using it. But this wasn’t the time to be picky.

 

Red magical energy enveloped the surroundings, its concentration even thicker than Seir had unleashed.

 

Simply put, Seir couldn’t defeat Iria even after absorbing the Demon King’s fragment. Seir had only absorbed a single fragment, while Iria’s body contained at least three or more.

 

As Iria unleashed her power, the terrain around her transformed. The ground, distorted and bathed in red, was a hellish sight.

 

Seir could see the red magical energy taking physical form as Iria grasped it, materializing it into a long sword.

 

As she wielded the red sword, Iria’s hair also turned crimson, influenced by the magical energy.

 

By the time Iria finished her preparations, Seir found herself unable to move. The red magical energy that covered the terrain had bound her feet in place.

 

Toward the enemy who couldn’t resist, Iria took her stance.

 

It wasn’t the Imperial Swordsmanship she often relied on; it was a technique cultivated purely by Iria herself.

 

After concentrating the magical energy into a single point, she poured everything into one decisive stroke.

 

And then,

 

-Rip!

 

A red line swept through the transformed Seir, slicing her body in half. With that, the barrier covering the academy dissipated.

 

Having brought the confrontation to an end, Iria turned around, her red hair fluttering behind her.

 

The words she spoke afterward were far from her usual kind tone of sweet dreams.

 

“Have a nightmare.”

 

Iria then took the fragment from Seir’s body and left the scene.