I Became the Savior of the Academy’s Villains

Chapter 127

'It took that and survived?'

As expected of a Great Soul, Luca clicked his tongue in admiration.

To survive even after being struck by Luca's most powerful lightning in synchronization mode.

'Judging by her reaction, she's not in a normal state, but still...'

Luca scanned Ravinia's face. She glanced away, almost as if to avoid his gaze.

More accurately, she couldn't meet his eyes. At that, Luca spoke flatly.

"So?"

"......."

"Even if there's a bit of White Noise's main body left, it doesn't matter. I already know its location, and I can just go destroy what's left. You know that, don't you?"

It wasn't a big problem anyway.

As Luca said, almost nothing of White Noise's main body remained.

It was practically unable to sustain itself, and if Luca killed Ravinia here, it would self-destruct before finding a new host.

"White Noise will disappear, and Albino has been destroyed. There's only one reason I won't kill you right now: as terrible as your actions were, it wasn't of your own free will."

Luca spoke in a rather apathetic tone.

"You've almost burned it all away, but even that remnant of White Noise should let you live out your life. Make up for what you did as you live."

"... I don't want to."

"What?"

At Ravinia's bold words, Luca's face twisted sharply.

"Tsk. If you don't plan to atone, then just—wait."

Luca suddenly felt something off.

'Did she just use formal speech?'

Until now, Ravinia had spoken informally, but her tone had just changed slightly.

Luca looked at her with a puzzled expression. Just then, he noticed Ravinia's gaze had shifted.

"I'll admit it. I failed. I couldn't use White Noise properly."

There was a hint of longing in Ravinia's eyes.

"But Angel—no, sir Luca Traverse, you must know how to use it properly, don't you?"

"A—angel?"

Ottbo, who was next to them, made a baffled expression. Luca glanced at him and let out a long sigh.

"Don't talk nonsense. I have no intention of using White Noise."

"But you asked for it! If you're going to use White Noise like that, I'd rather you have it!"

"I meant I wanted the life force inside White Noise, not that weird power. I have no intention of using it."

Luca still didn't know why White Noise was corrupted.

But even if it hadn't been, he wouldn't have wanted to use it. He didn't need it.

'And I hate bugs.'

It was a purely personal reason, but anyway, Luca had no intention of using White Noise.

But then, as if she'd been waiting, Ravinia spoke.

"Then I'll use it, so just make use of me!"

"...... Ha."

Luca sighed and crossed his arms.

"Even after all that happened to you, you still want to use White Noise?"

"... I now realize my method was wrong. But the desire to save people from pain hasn't changed inside me."

Ravinia wore quite a serious expression.

"The power of White Noise is surely meant for salvation. It just became corrupted because something went wrong. But you, angel—ah, no, sir Luca Traverse, you'll surely be able to correct it!"

"Tsk. That angel nonsense again."

Luca clicked his tongue and paused to think.

'Shouldn't I give her at least one chance?'

He'd resolved to save villains, too.

Since Ravinia wasn't a complete villain, he'd just thought to let her live in atonement.

But she still hadn't given up.

'Her method was definitely at fault, but she did act truly with the hope of saving everyone.'

Unlike the original work, where she later made a human farm, the current Ravinia was simply acting out of a pure desire to free people from pain.

Dreaming happy dreams within her.

Her actions became more extreme because of White Noise, but he considered her heart itself to be quite noble.

'The real issue is what's become of White Noise.'

Whatever was in her heart, the problem was White Noise.

If she kept using the corrupted White Noise, there would only be more trouble.

'Maybe I should just check.'

Luca glanced at Whistle.

Pii?

Whistle cocked her head, as if wondering why he was looking at her.

'She can tell the difference.'

If it needed to be burned with lightning, it was evil; if not, it was fine. Simple enough.

"Then I'll check what state White Noise is in and decide afterwards."

"What state, exactly?"

At Luca's words, Ravinia tilted her head.

"Did it return to normal after being struck by lightning, or is it still corrupted? I have to check before deciding."

Luca said, looking at Ravinia.

"If it's still corrupted, I'll completely destroy the remnants of White Noise and kill you too. Is that alright?"

"......"

Ravinia bit her lip. But soon, as if resolved, she looked at him with clear eyes and said,

"Yes."

"That settles it. Ottbo, I'll need you to drive."

At Luca's words, Ottbo grinned and grabbed the wheel.

"To anywhere!"

* * *

Clatter, clatter!

"Ugh... My beloved Carivik..."

"Left here."

They were crossing a rough mountain path in the auto-carriage.

Ottbo's precious vehicle was taking a beating, but there was no way around it.

White Noise's main body was hidden in a cave halfway up a small mountain in Migorau's territory, quite far from Lubak's domain.

Migorau's territory was mostly dominated by Albino, so it had been a good hiding place.

So how did the cave get struck by lightning while it was hidden?

"Wow... Did Luca do this...?"

"Oh my goodness... Master, you've really become something."

Bella and Ottbo were speechless with shock.

The mountain was destroyed.

There was no other way to put it.

A perfectly normal mountain had been struck by lightning and half-collapsed, exposing the cave inside.

Luca's lightning was powerful enough to reshape the terrain.

"Well, not bad."

Luca said indifferently, but even he was impressed inside.

'Being in sync really does make me stronger.'

It had massive risks, but the power was undeniable.

Of course, after this experience he wouldn't overdo it, but perhaps he could use it at a critical moment.

'Maybe it's because of the exclusive effect, or thanks to Bella, but it didn't even hurt that much.'

The exclusive effect, "Shadow Over the Academy", increased life force recovery.

Maybe that also worked for physical injuries—at least it hurt less than the first time he used it.

'Or maybe I've really grown.'

He'd been through so much, it wouldn't be odd if he'd gotten stronger. Luca felt a bit proud as he looked at Ravinia.

"Hey. So where's that remnant?"

"... Here."

Ravinia showed him something with a slightly bitter expression. It was a fist-sized cocoon, slightly singed.

"Huh. Is there any need to check this?"

There was no need to ask Whistle. Even to Luca, the remnant of White Noise had no power left.

'Right. How could anyone survive something like that?'

It was literally just barely surviving; he could sense no power from it.

Pii!

"Master. Don't tell me that's the thing we destroyed?"

Just then, Whistle approached and looked curiously at the remnants of White Noise.

Luca replied dryly,

"Eating that wouldn't even have an effect on you."

"Huh? No, that's not it! I don't want to eat it! Just..."

Whistle spoke in a tone of wonder.

"That disgusting feeling I used to get from it is gone. Now I finally know what it is."

"Huh..."

Cleansed, or something like that.

Probably, the corrupted parts had all burned away from the lightning, leaving only the uncorrupted remains.

'Well, it doesn't matter since that's all that's left.'

From what Luca could tell, there wasn't even enough left in the remnant to absorb life force and create a copy.

"White Noise..."

Ravinia clutched it again, looking sad.

"Pity. Looks like it's back to normal, but in this state, you can't use it."

"... Isn't there a way to save it?"

Ravinia asked Luca with sad eyes. He made a sour face.

"Why are you asking me?"

"Because if it's you, angel, you can do anything."

"... That angel thing again..."

"Isn't God's Apostle the same as an angel?"

"... Hmm."

Luca fell silent at her retort.

'Shouldn't have called myself God's Apostle.'

He regretted it inside. Soon, he shrugged.

"Whatever the title, my job was to stop Albino's crimes. Repairing destroyed White Noise isn't my jurisdiction. Complaining won't change anything."

"But... still..."

As Ravinia bit her lip and lowered her head, Whistle looked at the remains of White Noise and spoke.

"Its power source is totally destroyed. Unless you swap out the engine, you can't save it."

"... Engine?"

At Whistle's words, Luca made a sour face. Whistle nodded.

"Yeah. If you have an engine powered by drive magic, you could replace the destroyed core with that. Not sure if modern drive magic would work, though."

"Wait... How do you know all that?"

Luca asked, and Whistle answered as if it were obvious.

"That's because that thing used to be my companion."

"?"

"It's weird—no wonder it felt so gross before. It wasn't like that in the past, but seeing it all changed now..."

Thump.

"?!"

Luca suddenly grabbed Whistle mid-sentence, staring at her with fierce eyes.

"What did you just say?"

"H-huh? I said it wasn't like that in the past..."

"No! Before that! You said that was your companion?"

At Luca's words, Whistle rolled her eyes.

"Y-yeah. I don't remember it perfectly, but seeing it now, I remembered."

"... I see. So that's it."

Luca was convinced.

The Great Souls were said to be great inventions made by the ancients to overcome a great crisis that struck the continent in the past.

And now, what that crisis was became clear.

'Most of the ancient weapons, including the Great Souls, were made to fight devils.'

He'd suspected as much from the evidence. There were accounts of devils invading the continent several times.

The people of the past must have created certain means to stop them, and there was nothing odd about those being the Great Souls.

'If Whistle fought alongside these things, it must be 100 percent.'

Whistle, a piece taken from Skybird by some great warrior just to destroy devils.

That she fought together with them said it all.

'Maybe that's why God didn't want White Noise's total destruction.'

As Luca was organizing his thoughts, Ravinia wore a sour expression.

"Are you actually talking to a bird...?"

Anyone who couldn't hear Whistle would make that face. Ignoring them, Luca looked at Ravinia.

"Ravinia Way. There actually is one way."

"What?"

At Luca's sudden change in attitude, Ravinia seemed rattled. But soon, understanding what he meant, her eyes began to sparkle.

"There's a way to save White Noise?"

"Yes. And the way is..."

Luca looked at Ottbo.

"Only he can do it."

"... Me?"

[Modified Auto-Carriage Race]

― In the southern regions of the Hernan Empire, there are territories that hold illegal races using modified auto-carriages.

― If you do well there, you might find an engine imbued with ancient drive magic?

'So that's why they gave such an extra hint.'

It was Ottbo's time to shine once again.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

Again, Ottbo for the clutch...

I like that even though Ottbo is considered a side character, he feels more like a deuteragonist...

Ever since the start of the story, Ottbo has been a big part of every major event...

It's like they are playing a Manzai.

Ottbo is the Boke(funny guy) and Luca is the Tsukkomi(straight guy)...

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