Chapter 56: Chapter 56

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: The Ice Garden

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Iris's team was the strongest.

As if to prove it, Iris's team swept through the floors like a storm.

Currently, the point Iris's team had reached was the 3rd floor of the Demon Palace, the Weeping Sky.

Above the dark clouds, two gigantic eyes were gently closed, shedding tears.

These became rain, soaking the ground.

'That, that's an Apostle, isn't it?'

The True Apostle of the Weeping Sky.

An Apostle that would be born later when the Weeping Sky transformed.

'I'll have to deal with that later too.'

Not yet.

Let's just pass by.

"The third-years are slowly catching up, aren't they?"

In the rain falling from the sky.

Dorala, the Vice-Head of Magicology, who had been trotting behind them, let out a cackling laugh.

Perhaps it was due to his shattered pride from Sharin.

He seemed to enjoy showing off like that.

But his skill was undeniable.

While I had poor compatibility with him and knew all of Dorala's bad habits and weaknesses, his wind magic, befitting the Vice-Head of Magicology, was incredibly fierce.

"Ugh, I'm going crazy, being here for days already."

At that, Barencia, the curse user who was clinging to Joachim's back, let out a pained groan.

The Demon Palace's space-time is warped.

This distortion worsens the deeper one descends.

The time on the 1st floor isn't much different from outside.

But from the 2nd floor, time changes completely.

Based on one day outside.

The 2nd floor is three days.

The 3rd floor is seven days.

The 4th floor is fifteen days.

Therefore, even if one stays in the lower floors of the Demon Palace for a long time, the time difference with the outside world isn't that great.

As such, by the Demon Palace's standards, we had already spent several days here.

On the 3rd floor, in particular, we had spent three days.

"It's funnier that a curse user dislikes gloomy things."

"Ugh, please don't be prejudiced against curse users."

As Dorala chided her, Barencia groaned.

Watching the two of them, I looked down at my hands.

Even after descending to the 3rd floor of the Demon Palace, I felt little physical strain.

This was Bikamen's body, a physical powerhouse.

On top of that, I had undergone Aisha's hellish training, so it was only natural.

'The real problem was...'

...somewhere else entirely.

'Pretending to be Hania is harder than I thought.'

I could just talk about things I generally knew.

Conversations between students, after all, were limited since they were from the same academy.

More importantly, Hania was a supporting character in her own right.

I knew a lot about her.

So, acting as Hania was fine.

What I found tough was a different matter.

I quietly clicked my tongue, looking at the sword in my hand.

Hania possessed the skill of a Vice-Head of Martial Arts.

Naturally, her skill level was far superior to that of average martial arts students.

She wielded a longsword.

Her swordsmanship was so precise that even the lazy genius, Ban, acknowledged it.

It was a result Hania achieved through talent and painstaking effort.

The problem here was that I had never used a sword.

How could someone who had spent their entire life fighting with their fists wield a sword properly?

'I've trained enough that the sword doesn't wobble, but...'

Perhaps because I usually fought day and night with my hand-blades.

I couldn't gauge the reach.

A sword's cutting power changes depending on the angle it's swung.

Since I couldn't grasp this precisely, I made mistakes repeatedly.

So, halfway through, I gave up and started swinging it like a blunt weapon instead of a sword.

'Ugh, I'm never picking up a sword again.'

Hands are better than tools, after all.

"Hania, are you not feeling well lately?"

Just then, Barencia asked me a question.

Thanks to the Veil of Bandages, my appearance was undeniably Hania's.

But they were comrades who had fought alongside her for a long time.

To their eyes, I must have seemed awkward.

"Mmm, your movements are more aggressive than usual, and there's a feeling of being unrestrained."

Her eyes were hidden by her bangs, so how could she even see anything?

"Hmm, indeed, I've also felt something different these past few days."

At that, Joachim agreed.

The team members' gazes naturally turned towards me.

Iris also glanced at me.

From this point on, even Iris couldn't help.

I didn't want to needlessly arouse suspicion before Nikita's attack.

If Nikita were to abandon the ambush because Iris's team didn't feel normal, it would complicate things later.

"Well,"

So, I had to find a way out of this.

Fortunately, before coming to the Demon Palace, I had experienced something that would severely worsen my condition.

"...Before entering the Demon Palace, Professor Barcop confessed to me."

"Ah."

"Oh, my heavens."

Deep sighs escaped Barencia and Joachim's lips.

Everyone knew how terrible Professor Barcop was.

"Uh, well, take it easy and rest a bit from the back."

Even Dorala, with his terrible personality, looked at me with pity.

I forced a smile, looking at them.

Pity flickered in everyone's eyes.

Even good-for-nothing Barcop had his uses, it seemed.

I wasn't particularly grateful, though.

"Let's keep going."

Seeing that I had escaped the crisis, Iris resumed walking.

I saw the faint smile playing on her lips, but I didn't point it out.

"The 3rd floor is almost over too."

We had defeated a total of three Apostles on the 3rd floor.

As for the magic beasts, they were already too numerous to count.

This made me realize anew just how strong Iris's team was.

Joachim, the battle priest, held a book in his left hand and turned enemies into pulp with just his right.

Even while doing so, if the team got injured, he immediately healed them.

Barencia, the curse user specializing in debuffs, activated her curses the moment an enemy appeared.

She could use roughly ten thousand curses.

Under the countless swirling storms of curses, enemies quickly became utterly powerless.

There was no need to even mention Iris or Dorala.

'They're a monstrous group, alright.'

If Hania were added to this, it would be impossible to be more perfect.

Nevertheless, Iris's team couldn't defeat Nikita, who had become the Dragon Maiden of Disaster.

To defeat her, Lucas, who possessed the Flame of Fighting Spirit, was essential.

'Especially the 4th floor.'

It could practically be considered an environment solely for the Dragon Maiden of Disaster.

"Let's go down."

With Iris leading the way, the team members began to descend.

One might wonder about putting the Third Princess in the lead.

But if Iris were in danger, none of them could handle it.

Within a completely black space.

Only a white staircase continued endlessly downwards.

The stairs consisted only of treads.

At first glance, they looked dizzyingly precarious.

"Huhu, I think we'll set a new record this time."

"We have to go down fast. After being so humiliated in the team competition."

I heard Joachim and Dorala chattering behind me.

Indeed, at this speed, it was very fast.

'If only Nikita weren't here, we'd reach the 6th floor.'

In the next Demon Palace, it seemed they would be the first second-years to reach the 7th floor.

Of course, Iris fundamentally had a reason why she couldn't descend too far into the Demon Palace.

"Hania."

Just then, Iris called out to me.

There were dark shadows under her eyes.

Since entering the Demon Palace, she had barely slept.

Although she originally suffered from insomnia.

It was due to the influence of the Evil Sovereign, which permeated the entire Demon Palace.

The power of the Evil Sovereign was engraved in her body.

This reacted with the Evil Sovereign's power within the Demon Palace, worsening her nightmares.

Therefore, Iris was unusually weak in the Demon Palace.

If they didn't maximize their clear speed.

As time passed, Iris's strength would significantly diminish.

'But if Lucas, who possesses the Flame of Fighting Spirit, were here...'

...he could even drive away the nightmares in the Demon Palace.

That's why, during their first year, Iris had hired Lucas as a team member for the Demon Palace Competition.

Of course, at that time, the Flame of Fighting Spirit hadn't fully ignited yet.

So, they didn't achieve significant results, and she didn't take Lucas to the next Demon Palace Competition.

'And Lucas died there.'

It was a story filled with many regrets for Iris as well.

'As I am now, I can't resolve Iris's nightmares.'

Thus, Iris grew more and more exhausted with each passing day.

"Yes, Lady Iris."

As I approached Iris, she signaled to me with her eyes.

"It'll be soon."

Nikita's team was the first to enter this Demon Palace Competition.

So, she was waiting on the 4th floor, fully prepared.

'Because she made it so that no reinforcements could reach the 4th floor from the moment Iris's team entered.'

This was a preparation made, anticipating that Iris's team would even surpass the third-years.

"Time to prepare, then."

Iris nodded.

Iris's figure dispersed first.

Upon seeing that, I immediately followed.

Thud!

Soon, the surrounding view began to change.

An indescribably repulsive sensation swept through my body.

It was proof that we had entered the 4th floor of the Demon Palace.

A chilling cold permeated my entire body.

Crunch-

With the sound of snow crunching underfoot, my head slowly lifted.

Above the pristine white snow.

Ice-sculpted duckweed and water hyacinths covered the snow.

In this inexplicably dark place, ice sculptures were visible everywhere.

My breath plumed from my mouth due to the temperature difference.

Demon Palace, 4th Floor.

The Ice Garden.

My body grew intensely cold due to the endlessly dropping temperature.

However, the real problem began now.

"Everyone, dodge!"

As I shouted, I shielded Iris and leaped forward.

RUMBLE!

Immediately after, with a sound from behind, something fell from the ceiling.

BOOOOOOM!

Right behind us, a massive wall of ice crashed down.

"Whoa!"

"Kyaaah!"

Joachim grabbed Barencia and Dorala and leaped high.

Thanks to that, all three avoided being crushed by the ice wall.

"Wh-What is this?"

Dorala, with a bewildered expression, looked back.

There, amidst a thick cloud of snow mist, stood an impossibly thick wall of ice.

The passage connecting the 3rd and 4th floors of the Demon Palace.

That place was now completely blocked by a wall of ice.

Bewilderment flashed across everyone's faces.

This was an entirely unexpected problem.

Except for Iris and me, that is.

My head slowly lifted.

Beyond the passage of the Ice Garden.

I felt an indescribably chilling aura of cold extending all the way to this place.

'It's begun.'

To avenge her older brother's death.

The Dragon Maiden of Disaster.

Nikita Cynthia had begun to move.