The Third-Rate Academy Villain Who Refuses to Become a Beggar

The Gray Spear Mercenary Band continued to ride for the entire day. Their target was the gorgon, and they advanced toward the center teeming with monsters faster than anyone else.

Thanks to this, Aint could genuinely feel the worth of becoming a mercenary.

"Are you sure it's hundreds? Not thousands?"

Aint panted heavily, shaking off the blood on his sword. The rotten smell vibrating throughout his body was enough to numb his nose.

"It seems like there are many because they keep swarming without giving us a break, but the actual number isn't that high."

Barosu replied while skinning a griffin.

Of course, he meant that it wasn't to the extent of exaggerating to thousands.

"How much further to the gorgon's nest?"

"At this pace, we'll need at least two more days. Our movement is slower than expected because of the many monsters."

"That's right. There seem to be more monsters than expected."

"If that's the case, wouldn't it be easier when we hunt the gorgon? Since the gorgon is fierce, other monsters don't approach its vicinity, so having many monsters elsewhere isn't a problem."

"True, if we're at this level, the others must be taking even longer."

The mercenary band members each added a word to Aint's question. Perhaps due to spending two days together on the battlefield, a kind of bond seemed to have formed.

Aint chewed on dried meat.

"You've become a full-fledged mercenary in just two days."

Whether he had adapted, the dried meat went down well even on this corpse-covered ground.

"The day will soon be over, so let's stop here for today and look for a place to set up camp..."

That's when it happened.

The wind blew.

The moment he felt something faint mixed and carried by the wind, Aint had a strange feeling.

How should he describe this?

<It's unpleasant.>

Yes, it was unpleasant. It was disgusting and filthy.

Instinctive repulsion and aversion.

And it was a sensation that had become somewhat familiar to Aint by now.

<Aint!>

Gardner sent a fierce warning.

The back of Aint's neck turned cold.

"Dodge!"

Aint drew his sword. At that moment, black masses fell like hail.

———!

The pure white trajectory he drew deflected the black flashes.

With a roar, the subsequent shockwave shook the earth.

"Wh-what...!"

"We're under attack!"

The band members were startled and assumed battle positions.

Aint steadied his faltering stance while rubbing his tingling arm.

"You blocked that?"

A very small and low voice. But it was still clearly audible.

"As expected, His Excellency's judgment is always correct. You've become a level that can no longer be ignored."

"Who are you!"

"What are you, bastard."

The members held their spears tightly, wary of the unusual energy.

"I have no interest in small fry, so get out of the way."

Ah, of course, that doesn't mean I'll let you live.

"No one will leave this place alive today."

"Arrogant bastard...!"

"Everyone, stay alert!"

They felt uneasy but didn't back down. Fighting spirit gradually intensified.

"Aint. What is this guy? You seem to know."

"...It's a demon species."

"Demon species?"

Momentarily surprised by the unexpected name, Barosu soon wore a faint smile.

"We'll get the details later, but for now, this is good."

"Good?"

"Then the Gray Spear Mercenary Band will be the first to subjugate a demon species since the Great War. Did everyone hear that?"

The members responded to Barosu's shout.

"Yes, of course!"

"A demon species. I didn't know that worms who sell their souls to demons actually existed, but this will certainly make our mercenary band more famous."

"The request fee will increase too!"

"That's good, I like it."

"The most important thing is more request fees!"

Hehehe, the mercenaries laughed cheerfully.

"These worms dare to consider who as their prey...!"

The demon species' eyebrows twitched.

"Know your place...!"

Whoosh—

A black flash, with a different feel from what the demon species had fired, grazed the demon species' ear.

"You dodged that at this distance?"

Barosu muttered as he took out another throwing spear.

"Indeed. So, you have some value worth selling your soul to a demon for."

"You worm-like bastard...!"

The demon species roared.

The battle began.

***

It started with throwing spears.

Exactly 31 flashes were shot out simultaneously.

Boom!

A black barrier deflected all the flashes.

Immediately after, the band members collectively kicked the ground. Black aura was sharply forged at the tips of the gray spears.

The demon species quickly extended its fist. Magic energy swelled up. When the fist reached the dozens of spear tips, there were no longer humans there.

Only a 3-meter giant wrapped in magic energy.

——!

Thirty-one spears struck the giant's outer skin. None of the spears were sharp enough to pierce it.

"Kheuk...!"

Barosu, who had collided head-on with the fist at the front, screamed and was thrown backward. But there was no time to dissipate the impact and regain his posture.

"You must be the leader of these."

Because the black giant immediately followed.

Boom!

The specially crafted gray spear bent as if it would break. Another fist fell, but he blocked that as well. Barosu forcibly swallowed the blood that welled up.

"You crazy monster...!"

Fortunately, there wasn't a third time. Because Aint, who had approached unnoticed, brought down his sacred sword.

———!

A vastly different sound and result from the band members.

The two energies writhed violently like a battle between light and darkness, and part of the demon species' outer skin was split. It screamed in pain.

In the meanwhile, Barosu, taking a breath, extended his spear forward.

A blade, honed as large and sharp as possible by squeezing the aura hole, pierced the demon species' heart.

—!

An explosion occurred as aura and magic energy collided. With a strong rebound, Barosu stepped back.

Indeed, his full-powered strike definitely had an effect on the creature. The spear had pierced the outer skin of magic energy.

But that was all. It was just a small scratch, and even that was quickly mended.

'This is a crazy monster, isn't it?'

It was quite different from the result Aint had produced.

Barosu recalled an old legend. The legend of the Armian, known as the antithesis to demons.

"Everyone, support Aint!"

"Yes!"

The experienced mercenaries realized what the most certain path to victory was.

And that sight irritated the demon species.

"You flies!"

The magic energy that had been swirling around its entire body was released at once. With a roar, the emitted shockwave made the mercenaries retreat in unison.

Only Aint, with his antithetical power, was able to withstand it, and the demon species immediately took a breath. A massive magic energy concentrated and was spewed out.

Aint extended his sword forward.

—!

Light and darkness collided. Pieces of severed darkness splashed in all directions.

In that brief gap, the demon species had already reached right in front of Aint.

Bang, a fist fell vertically. The sword that barely blocked it trembled.

Clang, the sword that deflected the fist climbed up the forearm. The demon species stepped back, and Aint advanced that much.

—!

——!

In an instant, more than ten exchanges occurred. With each one, the earth shook, and the space was marked with wounds.

Amidst that fierce battle, the mercenaries moved. Hunters who had killed countless monsters.

From both sides and the rear. Spears found the glaringly exposed gaps as the demon species was preoccupied with Aint.

But it was a trap.

Black thorns sprouted from the body of the real hunter who had been waiting for the flies' attack.

"Kugh...!"

"Be careful!"

Rip, some dodged, some blocked, and some were pierced. The processes were different, but the results were the same. No one was able to wound the demon species.

Except for Barosu.

He advanced, heightening his senses. Avoiding and deflecting dozens of thorns, he ignored the small wounds.

And right in front of the demon species, he leaped high like a grasshopper.

The 3-meter high back of the head was visible.

The black-shining spear pierced the space. No, it tried to pierce.

At that moment—

"Foolish one."

An eye opened on the back of the demon species' head. Soon, a mouth opened, and concentrated magic energy was fired.

The black spear shattered part of the magic energy. However, the impact sent Barosu's body flying through the air.

And the thorns of magic energy didn't miss that opportunity.

Crack—

A flash pierced Barosu.

"...Barosu!"

"Captain!"

"Captain...!"

His body fell like a puppet with cut strings.