I Became the Savior of the Academy’s Villains

Chapter 181

Ben Dwight could be said to have influenced every action of the original protagonist, for better or worse.

But above all else, the most significant thing was that he handed over the "Eye of Time" to the protagonist.

'The protagonist infused the Eye of Time with the power of the Devil of Life he absorbed through Storage, thereby awakening the power of the God of Time.'

The God of Time, a higher-rank god.

In order to fully use that power, there was no choice but to kill the Devil of Life, one of the three great demons, absorb its power, and infuse it into the Eye. And that was the start of all the disasters.

'Since then, the original work went downhill.'

He could have just chosen a different sub-heroine and parted with the main heroine on good terms, but for some reason, he kept looping, trying to save people and whatnot, and the story went off the rails.

'Anyway... seeing it in person, it's a letdown.'

At least in the original work, we saw Ben Dwight's powers from his point of view, so there was a dazzling depiction of time slowing and Ben Dwight's movements.

However, experiencing it firsthand, it just appeared as if someone who had been in front of you suddenly thrust their sword from the side—nothing but an abnormal phenomenon.

― Is this... really the power of a god...?

Having faced it directly, Luca Traverse seemed somewhat surprised.

'I was expecting something like Sandevistan, but this is a bit disappointing.'

Luca clicked his tongue and spoke to Ben Dwight.

"So this proves it, right? That my skills aren't lacking?"

"Well... certainly. I can admit now that their evaluation of you wasn't an exaggeration."

Ben Dwight covered his eyes again with his eye patch, giving a sheepish smile.

"But you must have realized that you have no way to handle such power."

"?"

"To fight devils, you need these kinds of special powers. If you don't have them, just like what you experienced just now, you can't resist and are bound to lose. I admit your swordsmanship is excellent, but that's all."

Ben Dwight adjusted his eye patch and sheathed his sword, looking at Luca.

"You have talent. In particular, the focus you showed at the end was impressive. If you refine it well enough, I think you could fight alongside us. But not yet. Frankly, if I'd used magic power just now, the match would've been over quickly, don't you think?"

"Changing your words? That's cowardly."

"Haha! I'll be honest. I was impressed. I thought I'd win easily, but it seems I misjudged you."

Watching Ben Dwight's nonchalant words, Luca replied stolidly.

"But didn't I win the duel? Using such powers is cheating."

"You said not to use magic power, not authority."

Ben Dwight shrugged. Luca remained indifferent.

"Really, you didn't use it?"

"?"

Ben Dwight looked puzzled, and Luca spoke in a monotone.

"Really, you didn't use it?"

"......"

In truth, he had used it. He accelerated time and, just to be sure, used magic power to protect his body at the same time.

'But there's no way he could sense that, right?'

Luca couldn't have sensed what Ben Dwight was doing while accelerating time. Still, why was he saying it like that?

'... I've heard that a transcendent will can move unbound by time.'

Ben Dwight looked into Luca's eyes.

There was still no wavering there, only clarity. He didn't seem to be bluffing or forcing it.

"... Haha. I can't win this, huh."

In the end, Ben Dwight burst out laughing and shook his head.

"Fine. I used it. It's my loss. But what does that change? In the end, you still can't defeat authority."

Truthfully, Ben Dwight had never intended to accept him from the start.

He only met him once because Eltima and Herote asked him to, but the power he felt from Luca was too minuscule to believe he could fight alongside them.

His swordsmanship was impressive, but that was it.

'He's lacking in scale.'

Scale.

To fight devil worshippers, you needed at least the strength of an upper master or a grandmaster.

Their power was exceptionally effective against natural forces.

'If he had holy power, maybe—but he doesn't even have that.'

Just as Ben Dwight was thinking that, Luca said in his flat tone:

"Since I won the duel, doesn't that entitle me to one more chance to prove myself?"

"One more time?"

Ben Dwight cocked his head, not understanding, and Luca twisted his lips.

"Take me to the devil worshippers' base. I'll prove my worth there again."

* * *

And so, Ben Dwight brought Luca to the devil worshippers' base.

His companions whispered among themselves.

"Is it really all right? Even bringing someone like that along?"

"I heard Lady Eltima vouched for him... but isn't he awfully young?"

"......"

Ben Dwight clicked his tongue.

'But a loss is a loss.'

Having lost in a duel between men, Ben Dwight thought he owed it to Luca to give in once.

Besides, this place was one they'd planned to raid by themselves anyway, and Ben Dwight was confident that his team could handle whatever Luca tried.

'At most, he'll unleash some big sword energy or something. That should do some damage, and we can finish up after that...'

While Ben Dwight was thinking that, Luca stretched out his hand to the side.

"Hoo..."

As he took a deep breath, the power of the sky emanated from his body.

Before long, the sky began to darken.

― Downpour

Chuchuchuchu!

"...?"

Everyone looked perplexed as the previously clear sky suddenly clouded over.

Plick, plock, plop, plop-plop-plop!

Soon, raindrops began to fall.

One by one—then suddenly, as if a hole had opened up in the sky, a torrential downpour.

The drenching rain took everyone by surprise.

"W-what is this? Why's it raining all of a sudden...?"

"He... did that...?"

"......"

Right then, Ben Dwight felt something was wrong.

From a hole-like shape visible near Luca's head, some kind of power kept flowing.

'What is that...?'

As Ben Dwight wondered, the sky finally rumbled.

Ker-rumble! Krrr-rumble!

As thunder began to sound, everyone swallowed nervously. And then, they saw it.

Ziiing.

"!"

Wings of the sky slowly unfurled behind Luca's back.

Srring—

Luca drew his sword and slowly ascended to the sky.

Crackle!

Lightning crackled on his blade. Luca pointed his sword up.

Crack!

Lightning shot from his blade to the sky. At that instant, a blinding flash appeared.

KRA-KOOOM!

A massive lightning bolt rained down upon the devil worshippers' hideout.

One strike.

With just that, all the devil worshippers turned to dust and vanished.

After the lightning strike, the rain stopped and the sky cleared.

From somewhere came birdsong.

Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!

Descending from the sky, Luca shook the rain out of his hair and glanced their way.

Then, grinning slyly, he asked:

"Is this proof enough?"

"... Wow."

At that moment, everyone present instinctively realized—this man, Luca Traverse, would become Demonz's greatest enemy.

* * *

After that, things moved swiftly.

In the first place, the teams destroying devil idols within the Hernan Empire were split in two.

One team gathered information.

The other eradicated the worshippers. The two teams acted separately for maximum efficiency.

But the team fighting devil worshippers was slower than the information-gathering team.

Injuries were common, and timing the raids just right was crucial for best results.

But after Luca arrived, there was no problem at all.

They just had to wait until Luca recovered.

"Next is the Robrick territory."

"Let's move out at once, mentena."

"Yes! Everyone, gather up!"

There was also a mage on the devil idol destruction team who could use warp magic.

Known as a 9th-level mage, he had once belonged to a famous family but joined them after Demonz destroyed his lineage.

With him, no place in the Hernan Empire was out of reach.

― Downpour

Arriving in a territory, whenever the team found where the devil worshippers gathered, Luca's downpour would activate without fail.

The rain and lightning that purified everything made dealing with the worshippers as easy as if all their previous struggle had been a lie.

"Amazing, Luca boy!"

Even Ben Dwight, who had first dismissed him, now looked at him with eyes full of affection.

After years of exhausting war with Demonz—

—for Ben Dwight, this kind of refreshing battle was like rain in a drought.

'With this boy, even the never-ending fight with Demonz...!'

Frankly, the fight against Demonz had seemed hopeless.

He'd been doing his best in a situation with no hope. That despairing mood had made him cold toward Luca.

But seeing Luca's sky powers changed his mind. Now, hope was in sight.

"This is somewhere we were waiting for Eltima to return before tackling. Are you sure you're ready?"

"Let's do it."

There were devil worshippers' hideouts they never would have dared attack on their own, but with Luca, new possibilities opened up.

― Downpour

Cleansing rain poured down.

However, unlike in Hebro territory with the Devil of Hunger, this time the devil idol wasn't destroyed with a single downpour.

― Krraak! You bastard! Using the power of the sky, are you?

"!"

― I'll make sure you die here!

A devil, manifesting in the flesh like the Devil of Hunger, attacked Luca.

But this time, there was an ally.

― Time Acceleration

Zzzzzzzz!

"Don't worry, Luca boy! I'm here with you!"

Ben Dwight, a former hero. He at least had enough strength to finish off a devil weakened by the downpour.

"Aren't we quite the combo?"

"... Heh. You've got some nerve."

"Hahaha! I hear that a lot."

Ben Dwight had become close enough to joke about their teamwork.

Beeep—

"Master. This seat likes your progress, but aren't you pushing yourself too hard...?"

Just as Luca was contently looking at the pile of devil stones and tokens from his relentless destruction, Whistle approached, a bit worried.

"Don't worry. There's only about a week left. I just have to endure until then."

Of course, Luca knew he was overdoing it.

The technique called Downpour pushed his own limits, and repeating it caused strain.

But if not now, when would he ever gather so many devil stones and tokens?

Luca grit his teeth and decided to push himself a bit more.

"Aren't we going too fast? At this rate, we'll destroy every devil idol the information team has found! Isn't the info team overworked too?"

"Haha. It's fine. Purging devil worshippers defiling the continent is a job worth doing—this much is nothing!"

"Right? Ah, we're at Megatro territory next."

Just as they had nearly wiped out all the devil worshippers clustered in each place—

"All right! It's your turn again, Luca boy!"

"......"

Ben Dwight grinned at Luca. Luca invoked the power of the sky without expression.

― Downpour

Chuchuchu

The sky darkened.

And then—

Thud!

"... Luca boy?"

Luca's vision also became black.

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

Wahaha, Luca overworking himself...

Wait, whenever Luca blacks out, there's a powerful enemy appearing...

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】