Akashic Records of Bastard Magic Instructor Volume 10 Chapter 6 Author: Taro Hitsuji Illustrator: Kurone Mishima
Translated by: UrsaTL
Edited by: Anonymous Editor 1 Content is for educational purposes only. Usage for financial gains is strictly prohibited.
Chapter 6: Her Battle
——The battle raged on in the sky and on the academy grounds. A few hours have passed since it began at noon.
"[Thunder Emperor’s Spear]——[Scatter]!"
Halley chanted the spell and released [Lightning・Pierce] into the air——the bolt splits into countless branches, and each branch strikes the enemy with unrivaled precision.
With just one spell, 10 enemies were instantly shot down simultaneously.
This is Harley's super technique [Activate Diffusion]. Although the range of the spell will be shortened to just one-tenth, it can multiply the spell into 10 shots without diminishing its power. A technique capable of sniping multiple enemies.
But, even though he eliminated enemies with superb skills, Halley was not confident like usual.
“Tsk… not done yet, Glenn Radars…?”
Looking up into the sky, there was no end to the raining enemies.
Fatigue was surfacing from the students who were desperately maintaining the barrage.
“[Rapid Barrier Deploy・Ruby Circle]!”
Christoph’s voice echoed in the courtyard.
A barrier of flame formed above the courtyard. In the next moment, a fire tornado materializes, swallowing the incoming golems, and turning them into mists of mana.
Of course, the enemy continuously descended on [Luciel’s Sanctuary]——the center of the courtyard.
In order to suppress the large group of enemies, Christoph maintains [Luciel’s Sanctuary] with his left hand, and launches offensive barrier spells with his right hand.
After completely destroying the imminent wave of enemies, Christoph temporarily lifted the attack barrier.
"Good job, Chris-boy!"
Bernard flew in on a steel thread.
“Are you okay? Bernard-san”
"Hmph, kid, you're getting ahead of yourself! It’s 100 years too early for you to worry about me!"
Bernard put on a showy pose, as if saying, "I won't lose to the young’uns!"
"The battle situation in each teaching building is very stable. There is no problem in the short term. Don't worry, if there is a problem, I will use the communication magic device to give instructions to the commanders in each area."
"Although he seems to be rampaging on the front lines, he perfectly grasps the whole situation...This is what Bernard-san excels at."
Christoph smiled trustingly at Bernard.
"But, how is the [Luciel’s Sanctuary] maintained?"
Christoph's expression suddenly became serious.
"Unfortunately... Some students retreated due to injuries, and the teaching building was also damaged to some extent... The barrier maintenance rate is gradually declining... Now it is at 83%."
“Hmm, it keeps dropping…”
"Because everyone's morale is high, the maintenance rate has not dropped too fast...but I am afraid that there will be a crash across the board soon enough."
"It must be decided before then...huh, it seems that all students in the school should be forced to participate..."
"No, Bernard-san's judgment is correct."
Christoph declared firmly to the troubled Bernard.
"If students with low morale go to the front line, they will have a negative impact on other students, and their combat effectiveness will be reduced... Although the number of heads is sometimes important, for this kind of local offensive and defensive battle… It’s most reasonable for the students with high morale to fight.”
"Really… but I still feel sorry for… making those kids fight..."
"This is not the time to be sentimental... the next wave of enemies is coming."
A new wave of enemies emerged surged from the sky——
On the other hand, in the largest room of the underground area of the teaching building of the Magic Academy——
Baron Zest teleported the wounded guerillas from the teaching buildings with remote-teleportation magic.
"Everyone! It's okay! I’m here, I will heal every single one of you!"
Cecilia, the academy physician, led a rescue team composed of students, desperately treating the wounded.
"[Oh Merciful Angel・Grant This One Your Peace・Your Saving Grace]"
Cecilia unleashed her fully honed skills. No matter how grim the injuries were, the mortally wounded were all brought back from the brink of death.
"Ah...it hurts...it burns...!"
"Student Lynn! Bandage his hand and cast a medical spell on him as soon as possible!"
While Cecilia tried her best to treat the seriously injured, she also gave instructions to the students of the rescue team.
“O-Okay”
Lynn, who is usually introverted and timid, no longer shied away.
"It's okay... it's okay... it will definitely get better...!"
Lynn swayed due to mana deficiency. She dragged her body while desperately trying to save the wounded, just to contribute the strength of her timid self, to help as many people as possible.
At this time.
“...Sorry for the inconvenience.”
Gibul, at the edge of the room wounded with a shoulder injury, propped himself up with his staff.
“Gi-Gibul!? where are you going!?”
Lynn hurriedly rushed to Gibul.
"I want to go back to the frontlines...I can still fight."
"No, your injury is not fully healed...you have to rest here for a while...!"
Lynn planned to hold Gibul, who was silently rushing to the roof, but——
"Without me, the possibility of others getting in danger will rise...I don't want that to happen."
Gibul coldly brushed Lynn’s hand away and darted out——
"...Um...Then at least...Take care..."
Lynn prayed to Gibul’s back...then, adjusted her mood and concentrated on the work of rescuing the wounded again.
(...Everyone...Teacher...Please, please be safe...!)
Lynn silently prayed in her heart for the classmates who were fighting outside and Glenn who was fighting in the sky——and then focusing on her battle to save the wounded.
Someone watched, sitting in the corner of the corridor, at the injured Gibul leaving the infirmary and heading for the battlefield.
"...Why...why...?"
...It is Kreiss.
"Why can everyone fight like this!? Aren't you all scared..."
Kreiss, Enna, and many other students sat in the corridor hugging their knees, trembling.
They are students who did not participate in either the defensive battle outside or the maintenance of the barrier.
They couldn't resist the fear in their hearts...like powerless citizens, they chose to take refuge in the underground area.
"What can we do... Our fate is determined... No matter how hard we struggle, we will eventually be incinerated by the [Flame of Megiddo]... Why can you still fight...?"
Kreiss groaned while clenching his head, curled into a ball... speaking the thoughts of all those who gave up fighting.
Why? Why did they encounter such a tragic thing?
They were eagerly looking for the culprit of this situation and desperately persuading themselves that they have done nothing wrong——losers who are stuck wondering.
"That's right... We did nothing wrong, and there is no need to do anything... That Rumia fighting for us is justified, whichever lunatic who wants to fight can go...! That's right, that's right…!"
But where does the guilt and bottomless sense of self-loathing come from?
Kreiss and the others couldn't find their answer. They were deeply conflicted…
"sigh... speechless. I am amazed… Are you stupid?”
A contemptuous voice suddenly sounded.
Nameless——a strange girl who appeared out of nowhere.
"Wh-who are you!? Ru-, Rumia Tingel...n-no? And, what are those weird wings...!?"
"Why do you care about who I am? Also, these are decorations. Do not worry about it"
Nameless scoffed.
"...Is it really okay for you to continue like this?”
"——!?"
"Your expressions are like ‘If I don't do anything now, I will regret it forever’? ......Perhaps I shouldn't be so nosy."
"It-, it’s not like that! We didn't do anything wrong!"
"...Then why are you still here? Shouldn’t you just run away from school as soon as possible? Isn't that safer?”
"Well, that's because...we’re on emergency standby right now..."
"What a half-toned moron. Who cares about emergency calls under this circumstance?”
Nameless raised her hand suddenly.
“Nevermind. Rather than that, you are probably bored staying here… At least watch the end of this battle for your entertainment.”
“...Eh?”
Nameless’ hand glowed——and a picture was projected onto the corridor.
"That child... Rumia is fighting for you... You have to witness it to the end... This is your minimum obligation."
What appeared on the screen was——
The fierce battle also continued inside the [Ship of Flames].
"Damn it! There's no end to them!"
Glenn and the others sprinted in the halls inside the ship.
Platoons of golems bolted in pursuit.
They attempted to avoid unnecessary fighting and consumption as much as possible——but were instead gradually being surrounded by enemies.
"Tea-teacher, what should we do!"
"We will just have to commit to it!"
Glenn raised his fists as he ran forward. Re=L raised her great sword.
"Re=L and I will hit and run! White cat will be responsible for the follow-up! After quickly resolving the enemy in front, then make haste at the rear! Understood!?"
“Mmph”
"Okay! [O God of Wind——]"
Sistine stopped and began to chant the spell.
"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
At the same time, Glenn and Re=L rushed into the swarm of enemies.
"Humph!"
Glenn’s right jab shredded through the air.
"IYAAAAAA-!"
Re=L swung her sword like the whirlwind.
Shattering and sending golems flying.
“[——Unsheath Your Blade・and Dash to the Heavens]!”
Sistine finished chanting the spell.
At the same time, Glenn jumped towards the ceiling, and Re=L knelt down on one knee.
A gigantic blade of wind swiftly passed between the two.
Black Magic [Air Blade].
The vacuum blade flew horizontally and sliced the golems in front into two pieces——annihilated.
"Alright! Next——"
Glenn turned around as he landed.
Re=L jumped back the moment she stood up——then
——They froze.
"..."
Rumia silently walked towards the large group of golems approaching from behind, alone.
"Hey, hey——Rumia! You idiot, come bac——"
Glenn hurriedly issued a warning——but stopped halfway.
But before he could finish speaking, Rumia fearlessly faced the golems, and raised the [Silver Key] in her hand… And made the gesture of turning a key to open a door.
Something astonishing happened.
The corridor where the golems swarmed was blocked by a luminous rectangular frame.
The rectangular frame proceeded to turn like a revolving door.
For a split moment, you can see the endless infinite universes opposite the revolving door.
Finally, the door stopped spinning.
——The golems vanished without a trace.
"Wh-what was that just now...?"
Glenn, Sistina, and Re=L were stunned.
That power is too abnormal, far beyond the scope of human comprehension.
"...Exiled the golems to a different dimensional space. Although those non-living entities have incredible strength, their existence is still minuscule and has a weak connection with this world. So it's easy to exile them."
"Rumia...you...?"
"I... gradually remembered how to use this key... No, it should be said that ‘someone’ inside me instructed me..."
Rumia lovingly caressed the [Silver Key].
"...I am so happy. So far I have been protected by Teacher, Sisti, and Re=L... But, it turns out that I have this kind of power... I can use this power to fight for Teacher and for everyone ……I'm so happy……"
Glenn and the others had a very ominous hunch in their hearts.
"Let's go, teacher... I want to fight and protect everyone... even at the expense of myself... this is my mission."
Glenn was concerned. The [Silver Key]...Its power is horrifying.
But it was Rumia herself who used it——she would never use it for evil.
However——it is Rumia herself that is worrying.
Glenn had vaguely felt that Rumia was distorted before. She would give up herself for the sake of others——now this is horribly apparent.
Every man for themselves, that is the nature of living things. That is the natural law.
After they have a certain degree of satisfaction, they will think of giving to others and be gentle with others. The saint who only gives is no different from a lunatic.
That is the nature of a human being, or at least what a living being should have.
Using the [Silver Key] will undoubtedly cost a fatal price.
Now, Rumia’s situation is like she has suddenly gained "power" in an urgent situation, and then failing to control herself——
Can't let her use it. Her mind is not mature enough to use such power.
"Rumia… Stop using the [Silver Key]."
"Eh?"
Rumia tilted her head in confusion.
"Re=L said so just now. We will figure out a solution. You can rely on us a little bit more. You can't be burdened by this kind of extraordinary power alone..."
However——
"——But... no."
Rumia is not her usual honest self.
"...I… I have to help everyone, for that, I——"
"You……"
Pointless. Rumia is too stubborn.
This is no wonder. Although she is mentally more mature than her peers, she is still only a sixteen-year-old girl after all.
With Fejite facing an existential crisis, and also being under extreme mental stress, Rumia took on much more burden than ever before.
Glenn's words did not reach her ears.
If this continues, Rumia will eventually start to use the [Silver Key] without restraint——
"Tea-teacher...the time..."
Sistine seemed to have something to say to Rumia, but she could only say that with a bitter expression.
"I know. Let’s hurry..."
They can't linger any longer, so they moved along——
Even if they exchange opinions, Glenn, Sistine, and Re=L all thought the same thing.
——We must do our best...for Rumia, in order to not let her use the [Silver Key].
Rumia, unaware of the others’ thoughts, had an unwavering determination——
Glenn's group rushed ahead.
Strangely, no enemies were encountered after this.
Could it be that the counterpart realized that it was pointless no matter how many cannon fodder are sent? Or is there another reason?
They didn't understand.
Although there are innumerate doors and rooms in the ship, it was basically a road straight down.
Glenn and the others used exploration magic to explore the structure of the ship along the way, and it can even be said that they boldly marched to the deepest part of the [Ship of Flames] without any hesitation.
"...It's weird. This is too convenient, right?"
Glenn, who was leading the way in the hallway, murmured.
"Indeed, the school's defense forces effectively attracted the firepower...but..."
"This is going way too successfully... Just what is that demon conspiring?"
"Mn, indeed"
Glenn affirmed Sistine's suspicion.
Sistine carefully observed the surrounding situation while recalling the plot of the fairy tale "Magician of Melgarius".
(In the story, the [Iron Cavalry General] Acero Hierro mainly appeared twice... The first time was aboard the [Ship of Flames] in the Nation of Raz... The second time was in the final chapter, the decisive duel in the Magic Capital Melgarius...)
{TN: [Iron Cavalry General] is the correct name. Mythical miss translated 鉄騎剛将 as Iron Horseback General. There is also a reason for “cavalry” instead of “knight”...}
The plot collapsed in the final chapter. A deus ex machina.
The "Disciple of the Magician of Justice" randomly appeared and easily defeated Acero Hierro with the inexplicable means of "stabbed in the chest with a short stick". Perhaps Acero Hierro was set way too strong, and the author Loran had a hard time figuring out what to write.
(That fairy tale is now being used by us as a guidebook for the raid on the Demon General.)
Although it was uneasy, they could only clasp onto this straw of hope.
(In order to save the country of Raz, the Magician of Justice's crew flew into the sky on a giant dragon and entered the interior of the [Ship of Flames]...)
Even the subtle details are the same. She can't help but smile wryly.
(Then...the magician of justice’s crew who rushed into the [Ship of Flames]——)
Suddenly, Sistine remembered something.
"Te-teacher! Please be careful!"
Sistine's warning made Glenn and Re=L turn their heads in fright.
"What's happenin!?"
"Sorry, I just remembered! The [Iron Cavalry General] Acero Hierro can freely manipulate the space inside the [Ship of Flames]!"
"What did you say!?"
"When fighting the Magician of Justice, he also took advantage of this to separate the magician of justice from his companions in the [Ship of Flames] into different spaces! He might also use the same trick on us! We should stay close together——''
At this time, they noticed and froze in place.
"That... Rumia...where did she go?"
Just then they could still hear her footsteps and breathing——
Now——she disappeared without a trace.
They were tricked… It’s over… Sistine gritted her teeth.
The "Magician of Melgarius" book is not at hand, and even if it was, there is no time to leisurely look it over. Why couldn’t she have remembered this sooner.
"Rumia...Rumia——! Where are you! Please respond!"
"…calm down."
Although Glenn's face was grey, he still did not forget to comfort Sistine.
"This is not the time to panic, we need to catch up with Rumia as soon as possible..."
"Tha-that is true...but! But...!"
Sistine was flustered and looked like she was about to burst into tears at any time.
The reason is obvious.
Glenn was absorbed in the "Magician of Melgarius" when he was a child. Although he has almost forgotten the content now, he can still remember——
The companions who had been separated from the Magician of Justice were killed by Acero Hierro who appeared in front of them. The Magician of Justice did not have time to save them.
"It's okay... it will be alright——!"
He kept repeating the sentence, trying to convince himself and the almost crying Sistine.
Glenn started running again to catch up to Rumia.
——
——Not afraid.
Instead——relieved, thankful... calm.
This is the feeling from the bottom of her heart.
"..."
Rumia walked alone down the long and narrow corridor in a surprisingly calm manner.
Now that she has awakened the [Silver Key], she can understand——this sudden detachment is because the enemy manipulated the space, he deliberately separated her from Glenn and the others.
She also understands that the enemy's target is herself.
However, this is enough. If that demon's goal is herself.
Glenn, Sistine, and Re=L——the important people Rumia holds dear will not be in danger.
Humans cannot defeat creatures that surpass humans. This is extremely simple and reasonable.
Humanity will always prevail in the end?
That is nothing but the illusory desire of people——a delusion.
It is impossible for a measly human being to scale that immeasurable wall. Rumia can feel this now, not by rational thinking, but by understanding with the soul.
Just like... the other entity sleeping in her body.
Only monsters of the same caliber can handle other monsters.
Acero Hierro——the Demon General who had abandoned his humanity, is a legitimate monster.
Then she, who is also a monster, should fight alone——so——
But she can't ask for it…
Rumia thought so.
As she walked, she found a gate and entered through the gate without hesitation.
That is——a spacious semi-elliptical hall.
A myriad of enormous jet monoliths lined up along a circular arc, and layers of eerie geometric patterns are engraved on the floor.
Deep in the spacious hall, was a throne.
On the throne is——
"...Welcome, Rumia Tingel."
The demon sat leisurely.
"I’m pleasantly surprised. Unexpectedly... you have already awakened the [Silver Key]..."
Rumia walked towards the demon silently.
"That's it... The Status Quo group will definitely be satisfied with your perfection... To be honest, I didn't expect you to reach this level..."
The demon started laughing.
"But, in my opinion, you are not perfect. For The Great Prophet... my master… I need a more perfect you"
"I'm sorry. I don't care about what you think——"
Rumia stared directly at the demon.
"——I will defeat you. For Fejite...for everyone...even at the expense of my own life."
The demon glared at Rumia from the void of his hood.
"...So that's it. You really do look alike...this is not mine, but the memory of Acero Hierro..."
"...?"
"However, you were born to be ‘her’ vessel, so it is only natural to resemble ‘her’..."
The demon slowly stood up...
"I ask you, do you know how to fight? ...... Know how to use that power?”
"……I know"
Rumia didn't panic, and answered courageously.
"You better be careful. I am probably… stronger than… Sisti, Re=L… and Teacher too..."
"Is that so, alright then"
After speaking, the demon took a stance.
"Rumia Tingel. In order to realize my long cherished dream——I shall take your life!”
"Acero Hierro. For the people I love——I will destroy you! Even if I sacrifice my life!"
The demon was wrapped in dark aura and raised his knifehand——
Rumia raised the dazzling [Silver Key].
The battle beyond human comprehension——began.
Comments from the Team
Hey, this is UrsaTL.
Due to the mysterious disappearance of TransMythicalTitties, I have taken over the job of translating the rest of the series.
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