I Became The Academy’s Joker Character

Chapter  19

—–CROW—– 

Professor Gerard still wore a pleasant smile.

But [Observation] saw through his facade.  Bewilderment, rage, resentment, regret. Behind the mask he wore, a face contorted with all sorts of negative emotions held a murderous glint.

“You knew…”

“Why are you targeting her?”

“Don’t you know? Chrysos was destroyed! It was destroyed!  She! Those damned royals! They committed the sin!”

“Are you certain?”

“…”

“Are you certain that it was truly the royals’ sin? Do you truly believe that?”

“…No.”

Yes, he couldn’t be certain. No one could be certain of something he couldn’t be certain of.  But I also knew that Gerard wasn’t driven by such grand ideals.

“But I can’t forgive her.”

“Forgive her for what?”

“Why can Princess Eleanor still smile…?  When everything is gone! When everything has been destroyed, why can she smile so brazenly, acting as if she knows nothing?!”

“Well, people can smile, can’t they?”

My casual remark made Gerard freeze.  His amiable smile stiffened, as if it were a mask, not an expression.  What, had he never seen someone be nonchalant before?

“You’re smiling too.”

“Haha… Does this really look like a smile to you, Prince Oz? I’m not smiling.  Like a clown, I wear a mask and simply endure it all.”

“Then why do you assume Eleanor isn’t doing the same?”

“…”

“Don’t you think that’s selfish?”

I knew. I’d known since the first time I saw through her with [Observation]. I thought I knew her well.  I’d witnessed half her life through the game, so I was confident I understood her.

But I was wrong.

When I observed Eleanor with [Observation], I realized she was constantly plagued by anxiety.

“Why don’t you just admit it?  That you needed someone to take your anger out on, that you resented her cheerful demeanor despite being in a similar situation.”

I saw Gerard quietly clench his fists.  Yes, I’d figured I wouldn’t be able to persuade him. I no longer needed to be respectful.

“That you’re acting like a child.”

If he could be persuaded with words, he wouldn’t have hurt Eleanor in Chapter 1 of the main story, and he wouldn’t have been killed by the Empire.

“Why don’t you just admit it?”

Giving up on conversation, giving up on persuasion, discarding all sense of rationality and justification.

Gerard charged at me like a petulant child. But he wouldn’t be careless.  He might appear to be driven by emotion, but I was certain of one thing.

“Sigh…”

I backed away, casting magic. I wouldn’t let him close the distance.

This was different from fighting the students. They had charged at me because of the handicap placed on me.  The restriction on advanced magic must have seemed like a sweet deal.  Those fools, blinded by their carelessness, were easy to deal with.  Perhaps if I’d fought them without the handicap, their caution would have made them tougher opponents.

But now it was different.  Even considering my social standing, he would be wary, not careless.  Gerard, a mere instructor of Basic and Intermediate Combat, versus Oz, recognized as the second most talented mage in the magic kingdom of Spellergy, after the Mage King himself.  Anyone who was careless in this situation would be a fool.

“Haa!”

Gerard seemed half out of his mind. But if he’d truly lost his reason, he would have roared in rage.  His short, controlled breaths proved otherwise.  Even breathing was a technique for a warrior.

Basic Magic

[Scattering]

A light-attribute magic that emitted a bright light, blinding the opponent. But Gerard, as if anticipating it, shielded his eyes and continued to approach.

Intermediate Magic

[Stalagmite]

With his vision limited, there was no better option. But even though the stalagmites erupting from the ground hampered Gerard’s movements, he simply plowed through them, closing the distance.

He was wary. He was adapting.  He was willing to take some damage to reach me. He was attacking with the mindset of sacrificing flesh to cut bone.  He knew how important distance was in a fight between a mage and a warrior.

Basic Magic

[Magic Bullet]

It was impossible to completely stop Gerard’s charge in this situation. He would likely endure any magic I threw at him and keep coming.  So, to buy even a little time, to make him falter even slightly, to inflict even a little damage, I created and fired [Magic Bullet] repeatedly.

[Erosion Blade 23%]

I was Oz now. A character hailed as the second greatest magical genius in history.  I could create a basic spell like [Magic Bullet] as much as I wanted without even drawing the formulaic structure with my fingertips.

“Haa…”

I grasped the flow of mana. Most magic was cast by drawing formulas with fingertips. But I already knew another way to use magic.  Wasn’t that the case with [Stalagmite], an intermediate-level spell? Even though I used the expression “drawing the formulaic structure,” it wasn’t strictly the same as drawing a picture.

[Erosion Blade 25%]

I spread my mana wide, drawing the formulaic structure in the air. One became two, two became four, four became eight, eight became sixteen.

[Magic Bullet] rained down on Gerard like machine-gun fire.  But it couldn’t stop him.  He slowed slightly, but Gerard steadily closed in.

“Tsk…”

The moment I saw the light from Gerard’s fingertips again, all the [Magic Bullets] I’d created vanished.

Gerard’s signature move, [Ray Fist], which I’d often seen in the game. Basic magic had no power to stop it.

[Spatial Barrier Lv. 1]

I lost [Spatial Barrier], which I’d recharged during our conversation.  The fact that I’d lost [Spatial Barrier], which guaranteed to block at least one attack, made me a little anxious.

“Haa…”

I took a deep breath and prepared.  We were now only about two meters apart.  Gerard was covered in blood, but he’d finally closed the distance. I’d lost [Spatial Barrier], and it was still too risky to use [Mana Dominator].  Then, as planned, it was time for my second dagger.

Intermediate Magic

[Physical Enhancement]

“What…?!”

Gerard, who had been silent until now to control his breathing, let out a bewildered gasp for the first time.

“How?”

It was only natural. I’d parried his blow.  My current physical abilities were only slightly inferior to Gerard’s.  My technique was still crude, but [Observation] compensated for it to some extent.

“Haa!”

But it was only a temporary measure. It would be useless once he adapted.  Gerard had honed his skills over many years.  I couldn’t defeat him with a makeshift countermeasure.  The difference in skill level was too vast.

“Ugh!”

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

It was getting harder to block.  I couldn’t parry or deflect Gerard’s attacks anymore. He was a warrior specializing in hand-to-hand combat, after all.  It took him less than 30 seconds to adapt to my enhanced physical abilities.

The only saving grace was the mass-produced red cloak, made by Headmaster Tia herself, which absorbed most of the impact.

“Ugh…”

Even so, it hurt. I was an ordinary person before I became a mage or a warrior. I wasn’t used to this level of constant pain.  I wanted to scream. I slowly backed away.  And, as expected, Gerard followed.

Not yet.  A little more.  Just a little longer.

Yes, right…

“–Now.”

“He’s gone?!”

As the agonizing moments passed, the protective magic on my cloak reached 50% depletion, and I was teleported.  But Gerard had a magical tool to prevent teleportation.  My destination would inevitably be near him.  Gerard would be momentarily confused, but he would soon remember that.

But I was faster.

[Observation] read the flow and told me where I would be teleported.  Three meters to Gerard’s left.  Shorter than I’d hoped, but it had served its purpose in buying me time.

Intermediate Magic

[Storm Blade]

A rare single-target attack skill among intermediate magic. Therefore, even at close range, the damage to me would be minimal. Of course, I couldn’t expect much of a power boost either, but that wasn’t my aim. I was aiming for the secondary effect.

“Damn it! The distance…!”

Gerard didn’t fall from the intermediate magic, but he muttered in frustration.  Yes, he would be frustrated.  The most well-known characteristic of wind-attribute magic was knockback.

The distance had widened again.

“Haa…”

I hadn’t been able to breathe until now, too busy reacting.  I’d finally secured some breathing room.  But it wouldn’t last long.

Before Gerard closed the distance again…

“Huh?”

So fast?

Gerard was right in front of me.  He should have been as exhausted as I was. It had only been the time it took for one deep breath. Yet, Gerard was already here.

Panic rose, but I had to stay calm.  Hadn’t I prepared for this very moment?  Then it was time to throw my final dagger.

I extended my left hand as if to stop the approaching Gerard.

* * *

Gerard knew.  He’d known from the beginning that what he was doing was childish.  But Oz’s arrogant, cold gaze, that look of utter contempt, was unbearable.  Yes, even though he knew he shouldn’t, he couldn’t help but charge.

His opponent was, before a student, the [Successor of the Mage King].  He couldn’t even detect the surprise advanced magic attack in advance.

“Haa…”

Gerard took a deep breath.  He wouldn’t have time to breathe during the upcoming exchange.

He charged with that resolve. Thanks to his resolve, or perhaps Oz’s arrogance, Gerard managed to reach him. He’d suffered numerous injuries in the process, but it was fine. Considering the distance, he could consider this a victory.

Gerard gave it his all against Oz.  Of course, it wasn’t easy.  He only grew more impatient with time.  Even though he’d closed the distance, he was afraid of Oz’s use of [Physical Enhancement].  Even after managing to exploit an opening and attack, he felt despair when Oz vanished before his eyes. He soon remembered the magical tool that manipulated teleportation locations, but the distance had widened again.

“…”

It was frustrating.  But Gerard didn’t miss his chance.  There would be an opening. Oz wouldn’t be able to cast advanced magic immediately.

But Oz’s reaction was even more unexpected.  He took a deep breath, as if he’d already won.

‘Hah…! He really underestimated me.’

Gerard was also short of breath, but the fight wasn’t over yet.  He couldn’t waste time unless he was completely incapacitated.  Oz didn’t know that.

‘A greenhouse flower after all.’

With a sneer, Gerard charged at Oz with all his might.  He saw a look of surprise on Oz’s face. He saw Oz reach out a hand as if to stop him.

‘Haha…’

It was ridiculous. He’d already shown his weakness several times.  He was repeating the same mistake even after being shown how fatal that habit was.

Gerard grabbed Oz’s outstretched arm and threw him.

“Uh…?”

And then a chill ran down his spine.

What had he just done? Why had he thrown him instead of subduing him?  This wasn’t a sparring session, so why?

‘Could it be…?’

Oz had a habit.  He would extend his left hand as if to stop his opponent when flustered.

‘Did he plan this from the beginning?’

But habits weren’t unique to Oz.  He also had a habit. No, he’d developed one.

The thought that he’d widened the distance with his own hands made Gerard break out in a cold sweat. He looked up. To check on Oz, whom he’d thrown.

But when he looked up, Gerard froze.

“Uh…”

It was an incomprehensible situation.  He’d definitely widened the distance with his own hands.  Yet, Oz was right there.  Yes, less than a meter away, Oz stared at Gerard with those cold eyes.

* * *

Habits were hard to notice until you became aware of them. He’d pointed out my habit, but he hadn’t realized he was developing one himself.

I’d been thrown countless times for this day. Countless times, I’d feigned panic and extended my hand.  He had a habit, and he had his occupational hazard as an instructor.  Furthermore, unlike me, he charged without calming his breath.  The lack of oxygen to his brain would have made rational judgment difficult.

So, when I extended my hand, he threw me as usual.  Yes, he threw me.

I’d focused on practicing two intermediate-level magic spells for this day.  One was [Physical Enhancement] for close combat.  And the other was for this very moment…

Intermediate Magic

[Parma Shield]

The moment I was thrown, I created a circular shield, forming a foothold with magic.  I’d practiced this countless times.

[Mana Dominator Lv. 1]

I wasn’t about to leave this crucial moment to a random spell.  If I lived my life relying on luck, I would die soon.  So, considering the distance, the timing, Gerard’s and my posture and angle, the magic I was about to cast was unavoidable.  Having come this far, luck was irrelevant.

Gerard’s stamina would be low, so I was confident I could subdue him, no matter what magic was cast. Even if it was an area-of-effect spell, [Mana Dominator] wouldn’t harm me, so it was fine.  At this distance, any magic above intermediate level would be enough to defeat him.

Even if it was basic magic, even if it was a physical enhancement spell like [Berserk], even if it was a non-damaging spell like [Dig].

It didn’t matter.  I’d considered every possibility for this moment.

Intermediate Magic

[Gust Piercing]

Even if I drew the worst possible hand, I could win.  It was enough to buy time to cast intermediate magic by activating [Mana Dominator] first.  So, I cast magic with my right hand and activated [Mana Dominator] with my left, casting them simultaneously.  Following the quickly completed spell in my left hand, the spell in my right hand gradually took shape.

“Too bad.”

I was ready. If it was advanced magic or above, Gerard would definitely die.  Even if it was intermediate or lower, Gerard would be incapacitated.  But the [Gust Piercing] that would follow would surely take his life.

The odds were about 50/50.  The only difference was whether fate, or my hand, would claim his life.  Either way, the fact that I killed him wouldn’t change.  I could simply claim that [Mana Dominator] had chosen the magic that killed him.

“I guess I really am unlucky.”

But it seemed fate wanted me to bear the full weight of my actions. It told me to finish him myself.

The magic drawn by [Mana Dominator] was an intermediate-level fire-attribute area-of-effect spell used by R-rank characters.

[Blaze Burst]

The magic, cast at point-blank range, engulfed us both.

—–CROW—–