I Got a Fake Job at the Academy
Chapter 474: Being of Fire

Chapter 474: Being of Fire

Quasimodo, the evil fire spirit that was extinguished by Rudger along with Esmeralda's death.

The spirit stone that remained when Quasimodo died had been kept by Rudger for a long time.

The spirit stone ability was simple, it was absorbing flames except those created by magic.

From there, Rudger obtained a clue about how this spirit stone could be reborn.

It needed to consume fire to revive, but it was unknown exactly how much fire it needed to consume to awaken.

However at this moment, Rudger was certain.

It had absorbed flames from dragons, the sun, and the pinnacle of modern science.

Even before that, it had steadily accumulated flames bit by bit.

Thus, the spirit stone became the starting point for the birth of a new spirit.

-Uwooooh!!

In the past, Quasimodo was a fat fireball with a fierce face but the current Quasimodo was different.

It had two hands and two legs.

While the overall form remained human, the broad build was very sturdy.

What caught the eye most was its head.

The head with reptilian features and horns was clearly that of a dragon, now existing only in legend.

Dragon-person (龍人).

The newly born Quasimodo had shed its past appearance and completely transformed into a different being.

Rudger called out to Quasimodo, no, the newly born spirit.

"Defeat the enemy before you! Pascha!"

Not the evil fire spirit Quasimodo.

The new fire spirit Pascha let out a roar.

After releasing a mighty dragon's cry toward the sky, Pascha immediately fixed its gaze on Ventmin.

Though Ventmin, who had grown enormous and donned armor, stood over 10m tall, Pascha met his eyes at the same height.

-Whoosh!

Pure white flames flowed from both eyes like spirit light.

-Crack.

Pascha opened its mouth toward Ventmin.

Just as white light could be seen inside its throat, a terrifying breath shot out and engulfed Ventmin.

"Kuk!"

Ventmin, who had remained unscathed even when hit directly by incendiary bombs, raised both hands against Pascha's flames.

The petal shields that were thought to never burn began to blacken when they touched Pascha's flames.

'Dragon's flame!'

Ventmin gritted her teeth and moved the roots she had spread underground.

As the roots spread evenly throughout the ground writhed once, the earth shook as if waves were rising.

Pascha's balance was momentarily disrupted, and the breath was cut off.

Ventmin, who barely escaped the dragon's flames, glared at Pascha with a wary gaze.

"A highest-grade fire spirit? I heard Quasimodo disappeared along with Esmeralda!"

That was an even more powerful spirit than the Quasimodo that Esmeralda was said to control.

"You use both Leslie's steel magic and Esmeralda's fire spirit?"

Ventmin’s gaze went past Pascha toward Rudger.

"Yes. Now I understand who killed those two. It was you. It was all your doing!"

John Doe.

No, was that person really John Doe in the first place?

But if not, why did Zero Order leave Rudger alone?

All sorts of questions followed one after another, but Ventmin decided to focus on the immediate reality before her.

"Fine. I acknowledge you've created a very threatening spirit. Pascha, was it? Indeed, it possesses power befitting a highest-grade spirit."

Moreover, considering this was right after being born, there was room for further growth.

Perhaps...it could even challenge for the position of the new Fire Element Lord.

Pascha did not respond.

Whether it couldn't speak in the first place, or simply had no intention of exchanging words with an enemy was unclear, but one thing was certain.

Pascha wanted to burn Ventmin to death.

Reading that hostility, Ventmin stretched out her hand.

-Swoosh.

Vines that rose from the ground like coiling snakes twisted into a spiral and transformed into a spear in her hand.

Ventmin aimed it at Pascha.

"But even intense flames are ultimately part of great nature. Let me show you that you cannot oppose nature itself."

-Woooah!!

Pascha charged toward Ventmin.

Ventmin created a shield of petals in her other hand.

That appearance was like a Valkyrie carved from wood and petals.

Pascha and Ventmin collided.

Pascha swung both hands made of flames without weapons, while Ventmin blocked the attacks with her shield and repeatedly stabbed at Pascha with her spear.

The surrounding area shook as if an earthquake had struck from the battle between the two monsters.

Golden pollen burned in Pascha's heat and scattered sparks everywhere.

"Sedina! Now!"

Rudger called out to Sedina during this opening.

Ventmin was currently distracted fighting Pascha and they couldn't let this opportunity they had created go to waste.

Their goal was beyond Ventmin, the pond where the World Tree's sap had collected.

Sedina had to get there.

But knowing what to do and actually doing it were different things.

The path to the sap was filled with golden pollen and scarlet flames intertwining in a battle with no clear winner.

It was truly an apocalyptic scene.

The power was palpable even from far away, and she had to charge straight through that chaos.

If she lost focus for even a moment and got caught up in it, she would die instantly.

Knowing this, Sedina trembled.

No matter how much she steeled herself, she was still young.

She couldn't remain composed in the face of death's terror.

That's when Rudger stood in front of her.

"I'll open the path."

Whether intentional or not, having Rudger stand in front blocked the scene ahead from view.

All she could see was her teacher's back but that alone was enough for Sedina to feel her tension-filled heart ease.

"Can you do it?"

"I'll try...to."

After answering that way, Sedina immediately shook her head vigorously.

"No. I will definitely do it!"

At that energetic cry, Rudger turned his head slightly toward Sedina and smirked.

"Good. Then let's go."

Rudger dashed forward and Sedina started running after him.

Someone to guide her.

Someone to walk the difficult path ahead in her place.

So this is what an adult is.

This is what a teacher is.

Just having someone like that, how much comfort it provides.

At this moment, Sedina could keenly feel the conversation she had with her mother inside the World Tree.

"Rudger Chelici!"

Seeing Rudger trying to brazenly pass by, Ventmin called out his name and raised her spear.

Just as she was about to strike down at Rudger with the spear, Pascha rushed in and bit Ventmin’s shoulder.

-Crunch!

Though the bitten area crumbled and burned hot, Ventmin didn't stop.

She squeezed out her remaining strength and swung the giant spear down at Rudger.

Though the tip was made of flower buds, its power was absolutely not to be underestimated.

Even steel golems and sturdy armored vehicles would be torn like paper before it.

Defensive magic would be the same, so Rudger converted his magic to offense.

He squeezed out his magic while completely depleting his remaining artifacts.

While quickly spreading complex magical formulas on the spot, he implemented one spell.

An eye for an eye.

A tooth for a tooth.

Wood for wood.

6th Rank Wood Attribute Grand Magic.

[Giant Tree Willow Forest]

A giant tree created from magic rose up and collided with Ventmin’s spear.

However, Rudger's magic wasn't simply about competing in strength.

The single giant tree endlessly split and extended branches, wrapping around the spear before climbing up Ventmin’s arm to cover her shoulder.

Rather than completely blocking, it gently wrapped around and made the opponent's attack useless as well.

Ventmin gritted her teeth and swung the shield in her left hand to cut off her right arm.

The severed right arm regenerated immediately, but during that time Pascha rushed in to take advantage of the opening and try to tear at Ventmin’s neck.

But even in that situation, Ventmin smiled.

The flower bud at the tip of Ventmin’s spear that was caught by Rudger's tree bloomed beautifully before spewing green poisonous smoke in all directions.

The deadly poison engulfed Rudger and Ventmin inwardly smiled with satisfaction.

Holding his breath would be useless.

Her extreme poison would seep through the skin and completely necrotize the body both internally and externally.

As a bonus, the soul-rending pain came free.

Ventmin’s confident smile faded because Rudger emerged through the purple poison completely unscathed.

"H-How..."

Ventmin was so shocked that she momentarily forgot she needed to push away Pascha because Rudger looked too perfectly fine.

He wasn't just pretending to be fine.

His complexion truly hadn't changed at all.

"Sorry about that. You see, no poison in this world works on me."

Rather, poison that couldn't harm the body became medicine.

Rudger, who converted the poison energy into magic power, shot wind magic straight ahead.

The long spiral that shot out pushed away the golden pollen and created a temporary vacuum pathway.

"Go!"

That's when Sedina, who had been hiding in Rudger's shadow, burst forward.

From here on, she had to run with her own strength.

There was no one to guide her forward, no one to hold her hand.

'I can't just keep following behind forever.'

But the path was open.

It clearly showed the direction she needed to go.

This was the path she had to take.

The key to the future that everyone fighting here fiercely, including Rudger, had created together.

Sedina squeezed out all her remaining strength and dashed toward the pond

"Stop her!"

Ventmin, who was caught by Pascha and had his body burning, shouted urgently.

The wood zombies moved to block Sedina on her command.

"Where do you think you're going!"

Alex persistently held onto Bereborn and bit down.

Vierano, Ambella, and Luther were the same.

They fought against and blocked the path of those who were once called great warriors and heads of houses.

"Stop her! Even if your bodies are destroyed, stop her!"

Ventmin screamed orders at the wood zombies.

The wood zombies exchanged glances before charging at Sedina again.

"Persistent bastards!"

Luther swung his sword.

It wasn't just cutting - it was a sword strike where aura penetrated from the cut surface as it crumbled in a spiral pattern.

The wood zombies who had been only defending and avoiding until now took this hit with their bodies.

"What?"

The wood zombies, who originally had no concept of life, faithfully followed Ventmin’s orders.

Even as their bodies crumbled, some of their weapons and fragments aimed for Sedina.

Sedina, who had been running forward, opened her eyes wide at the sharp fragments raining down on her.

That's when a white shadow slipped in between.

"S-Senior?!"

It was Hans who threw himself to protect Sedina.

But even Hans wasn't in a leisurely situation.

The white fur where the fragments had pierced was becoming stained with red blood.

Moreover, the fragments were writhing and starting to take root under Hans's skin as they crawled along it.

Though in pain from this, Hans didn't forget what needed to be done.

[Don't stop!]

At Hans' desperate struggle, Ventmin’s eyes widened.

"How dare you! You'll interfere until the end?!"

If she couldn't stop Sedina then she just had to destroy the World Tree's pond that she was heading for.

Ventmin thrust her hand into the ground.

Even as parts of her body scattered as black ash from burning, she paid it no mind.

If she couldn't stop this here, everything would truly be over.

"Disappear, all of it!"

Ventmin violently shook the roots she had spread underground again.

The power to cause a momentary localized earthquake, she planned to use that to collapse the ground and make the World Tree's pond fall down below.

"What? Why isn't the ground...?"

Ventmin’s will was not fulfilled.

The earthquake she wanted didn't occur, and the earth didn't collapse.

"Why, why..."

It wasn't that her power had run out.

The roots were still writhing continuously under Ventmin’s command.

But the earth touching the roots refused to move, firmly holding together as if saying it wouldn't allow his will.

"I-Impossible. Land where deep roots have spread should naturally be mine."

"You seem to be under some misunderstanding."

A sharp voice flew and struck Ventmin like an arrow.

Ventmin’s gaze turned to Rudger.

"This land was never yours from the beginning."

"What?"

"I'm saying there's a different owner."

"Owner...?"

Belatedly, Ventmin could sense the massive presence spread throughout the entire ground.

There was something beneath the roots.

That form resembled a giant turtle swimming through the earth as if it were water.

"Don't tell me, the Earth Element Lord?"

Why would such a being suddenly be here?

Though Ventmin was puzzled, even Rudger was just as surprised internally.

"That Element Lord seems to have quite the shadowy side. To think it was secretly following us around like this."

If it was going to help anyway, how much better would it have been to help earlier.

But knowing such complaints wouldn't work on the other party, Rudger decided to be satisfied with the present.

In this crucial moment, the Earth Element Lord had given him proper help.

"N-No."

Ventmin, who had literally become charcoal due to Pascha, looked at Sedina with a dismayed gaze.

She could see Sedina, who had finally reached the pond's edge, jumping in.

Sedina's appearance began to change as she touched the World Tree's sap.

Her short brown hair gradually lengthened, and that flowing long hair connected with the sap like neural networks.

The lengthened hair wasn't its usual brown, but a piercingly beautiful transparent silver, the same hair color as Ella Plante, whom she had so hated and envied.

"This can't be..."

Ventmin’s consciousness was cut off there.

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