The Academy’s Crude Pink-Haired Martial Artist

Gulaka of Gluttony.

Among the four Legion Commanders we killed 400 years ago, he was the third to die.

In reality, Gulaka’s combat ability can’t be described as strong. He was probably the weakest among the Legion Commanders. However, he caused the most damage among them.

True to his name of Gluttony, Gulaka devours everything indiscriminately: humans, demons, monsters. By doing so, he grows stronger and increases his magic reserves.

Thus, he possesses more magic than any of the other seven Legion Commanders. Not only that, he carries so much magic that he has to spit it out because he can’t digest it.

Naturally, wherever Gulaka’s true form appears, an indescribably deep magic spreads, so dense that you can’t see in front of you.

With that, he kills everything. Just by appearing, he slaughters thousands and tens of thousands of people, monsters, and demons. He devours the corpses of the dead, gaining power and expelling even darker magic.

The monsters that withstand that magic become stronger. The demons also grow stronger. Humans either go insane or become Mages.

And thus, they end up submitted to Gulaka.

That’s what makes Gulaka troublesome and a pain in the ass.

In our first encounter, every knight from our order following us was annihilated. In the second, 80% of the imperial army was killed, and in the third, a scar that would never heal was left on Saint Luna, the nemesis of demons.

And in the fourth encounter, we killed him.

The 38,000 forces we had with us were obliterated; Kaloso lost one of his eyes, and Luna fell into a coma for three months.

But we succeeded in killing him.

However, we couldn’t completely annihilate him. The offspring spawned by Gulaka, the Apostles devoured by his magic, his leftovers.

We couldn’t entirely erase those.

Just when we were on the verge of erasing everything, the Lusty Luxrina appeared on the battlefield where we had fought Gulaka.

We couldn’t burn the corpses. We couldn’t purify the magic. The Apostles weren’t completely killed, and the offspring escaped.

With Luna in a coma and Kaloso half-disabled, we couldn’t continue the battle.

Reluctantly, we promised to meet again.

But for me, ‘next’ didn’t exist.

Because after hunting Luxrina down, I got killed by Kaloso.

So, the Apostles of Gulaka…

I have to kill them with my own hands.

Is it my responsibility that this situation arose because we couldn’t completely kill Gulaka? Virtue? Justice?

That’s not a bullshit reason. We killed Gulaka’s true form. So why should we take responsibility? If there’s some bastard blaming us for missing him, I’ll tear them apart.

The reason I have to kill him… is simply my stubbornness and Ronan’s selfishness.

An obsession that can’t escape the past.

In the past, his father acted like a jerk towards me, and now that little shit is acting like one again, so I want to kill him myself.

It’s just that petty reason.

“Ha…”

With a sigh, I broke free from the memories of the past.

I momentarily stopped speculating about how the Apostle of Gulaka appeared.

I can take my time to figure that out after everything is finished.

What’s important now is the battle. I don’t need any other thoughts.

I climbed the hill, spotting the nameless girl who had spoken my name.

Her legs are thin, arms are skinny, and her torso is frail.

But her head is huge. Her eyes are so wide open, they look like they could swallow a hippo whole.

And at the center of that thin body, a girl is protruding, her head left intact while the rest of her body has transformed into the gluttonous maw.

Perhaps due to a lack of proper awakening from insufficient levels, she looked horrifying.

[KIAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH―!!]

The girl, who had completed her awakening as an Apostle, no longer uttered human words. Whether her voice was mixed with those of the students she had devoured or if it was always like that, I couldn’t tell, but her roar was a mixture of many human screams.

Yet, she only staggered, not walking forward. That meant the girl’s consciousness still lingered. And it couldn’t be any other way. Those imbued with magic and awakened half-heartedly due to the ‘Barrier’ all end up like this.

But soon, she would start moving. In just 5 minutes, she wouldn’t be able to control herself anymore.

Feeling, taste, sensation, the feeling of devouring people—all of this would flood her as she sheds tears of blood.

Thus, it’s better to kill her as quickly as possible, both for them and the other humans.

Splash- Splash-

I kept walking without letting my guard down.

The students I passed were alive. Eight corpses lay under the Apostle. Five were devoured corpses.

Seventeen corpses either burst open or left behind parts of their bodies. The corpses that were left with only shoes or tracksuits, well… I can’t count those properly.

At least, there seem to be more than twenty missing corpses.

Many students are still alive. They lack consciousness and are dying from magic poisoning, but for now, they are alive.

I can’t fight recklessly. I must focus on protecting the students as best as I can.

Well, that’s just a plan for now. If things get tight, I’ll have to abandon them all.

If I move, I’d have less to worry about, but whether that thing will follow me is uncertain.

If that happens, I might have to open the door to purgatory.

“No, it’s a waste to open it against something like that.”

Grumbling, I leaped over the ridge. The figure of the Apostle became clearer. The sleek, glossy head hovering in the sky faced me. Its eye, the size of my head, rolled around to look at me.

Soon, squirming tentacles sprang from its body, wrapping around the girl’s body lodged in the center. It was as if it were protecting a vital point.

In truth, it is a vital point. Of course, the body has entirely become a maw, but the head remains. The head is the vital point.

If I smash that girl’s head, the Apostle will die on its own in half a day.

But I don’t plan on targeting the vital point. I’ll just beat it to death until it disappears.

I didn’t I tell the Light Spirit too?

Anyone in my sight must be saved.

But right now, I’m seeing so many people. Even as a guy… No, I’m a girl right now, but still… since I have some guts, I must keep my word.

If it were Gulaka’s true form, it would’ve died instantly, but it’s not. It’s barely a leftover. The magic it spews is faint and weak.

That’s a trash that has lost all rationality.

Thanks to that, the kids are still alive. As long as they’re alive, I can somehow save them.

So, I won’t drag my feet anymore.

Thud―

I kicked off the ground and dashed.

Sticky wind wrapped around my entire body. The groans, cries, and screams of the children faded from my senses. Their figures blurred from my sight.

My vision, senses, and body were focused on… the Apostle of Gluttony.

[GGGGGGGGGGAAAAAAAaa―!!]

A roar that seemed to gnaw at my bones echoed. The thin arms of the Apostle stabbed into the ground. The two legs standing on the ground quivered. The magic that had been permeating the air gathered to the Apostle.

I know that sight. I also know what kind of situation will unfold next.

Gulaka’s ability, Thorny Bramble.

I focused Strong Magic in my soles. It gathered to the point I couldn’t even control it, moments before it burst, I stepped down.

Boom―!

The concentrated Strong Magic burrowed underground, causing a violent explosion that shook the ridge. The roots of trees were uprooted. Wildflowers were torn apart. Students scattered across the ground lifted into the air.

At the same time, Whumph―! hundreds of thorns erupted from the ground. Their mouths smacked in delight. Not a single student had been pierced by the thorns.

But the thorns were still baring their fangs.

If things continued this way, all the students would be devoured.

I have to break the thorns.

Pivoting on the leg I had just stepped down, I spun my body around. I twisted my shoulder and waist to add thrust. As my full body turned, I stretched out my leg.

Side Slash.

Crack―! Dozens of thorns that my foot touched snapped. Broken thorns were violently shot backward, breaking all the thorns in the direction I was headed.

Not all the thorns were destroyed, though. Pulling back my outstretched leg, I stomped down. Thud! The closest thorn broke and flew into the air. I swung my arms wide and struck it down.

In the process of swinging wide, I kicked, struck, and threw the newly broken thorns again.

Crack―! Once more, the thorns I shot off shattered the other thorns in their path. Soon, Thump- Thud-

the students landed on the ground. None died or were seriously injured.

That was good enough.

If it were Gulaka’s true form, that wouldn’t have been the case, but its leftovers can’t continuously use Thorny Bramble. Variable? None. All the hundreds of leftovers I’ve killed until now were the same.

I trust my experiences and memories.

Once again, I kicked off the ground and dashed. The Apostle had its arms stuck in the ground, opening its mouth. Its tongue lashed out, snagging the corpse of a fallen female student.

And then…

“It’s so inconvenient without a weapon, you little shit.”

I made contact.

My fingertips targeted the Apostle’s body. I rolled my foot. The energy that surged from my toes traveled through my waist to my shoulder. I twisted my body vigorously and clenched my fist.

Treacherous Fist.

Wham!* The sound of the beast’s tough hide rupturing echoed as the Apostle’s body was sent flying backward.

The female student wasn’t devoured. After tossing the girl’s collar backward, I dashed forward.

Faster, earlier, bigger.

I stretched my legs out in front. I passed the Apostle. One step, two steps, three steps; biting my teeth, I changed direction.

Crack! With a sharp stop, my body twisted in the direction that the Apostle was flying.

I focused my body’s energy, leaning forward. My left foot pressed down firmly while my right foot lightly maintained balance. I grasped the center perfectly, concentrating the Strong Magic in my left leg.

One, two, three. When the Apostle entered my range, I unleashed the Strong Magic. My left foot shot upward. My body spun in a somersault.

In that moment, I utilized my Deity power. Flash! Cherry Blossom-colored mana blazed. The mana that had seeped into my joints swelled and exploded. Though I had no solid ground, my full strength was added to my right foot.

Arc Moon.

My right foot, propelled from the ground, traced a half-moon in the air.

With that, swoosh! my right foot slammed into the Apostle’s head. The fierce impact propelled the Apostle’s body high into the sky.

Once again, Flash! mana flickered. My two feet that had lift off from the air landed perfectly on the ground. I inhaled deeply and leapt into the air.

While this happened, the Apostle twisted its body and launched numerous thorns. They served as my footholds, shortening the time taken to approach the Apostle.

Stepping on the launched thorns, I dodged with my hands, twisted my direction, smashed them with my fists, and leapt again. I passed the Apostle again, though the thorns continued to shoot.

The thin limbs extended like rubber bands, rushing toward me.

I grabbed that arm and twisted my body. The tentacles still clung onto me. Mouths sprouted from the tentacles. Before the jagged teeth could snap at my hand, I pulled on the tentacles.

In reverse, my body was pulled forward. That was a natural outcome. The weight of the Apostle was several times heavier than mine.

I anticipated that.

Letting go of the tentacles, I struck down, knocking the approaching thorns away as I readjusted my direction.

The Apostle, which had ascended into the sky, entered a free fall towards the ground again. I was also falling.

In the dizzying drop, I gauged my strength.

Direction? Accurate. Speed? Not slow.

But it’s not enough. I need to be faster. I curled my body into a ball, evading the thorns. I pushed the escaping thorns down with my soles. The speed of my descent increased.

Repeating that. Once, twice.

The third. Now my speed is sufficient. I interlocked my hands tightly. I held my breath. I snapped my waist forward. My body was arched like a bow. I raised both clasped hands above my head, tightening my breath.

Just as the Apostle was about to hit the ground…

Flash! the light from my Deity power erupted.

The hands that I had raised split the air as they swung towards the Apostle.

Starfall.

Fallen Star.

―――!

With a deafening roar that shattered eardrums, one of the peaks in the Anketin Mountain Range disappeared.

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