An Angel Lives in the Academy
Chapter 159: The Angel Who Crossdresses (9)

‘Leffrey.’

There are memories that surface only *after* you've already suffered the consequences.

‘Manipulating karma is an incredibly dangerous technique.’

Such memories are usually called warnings. A warning to be careful, a warning not to do something.

‘I’m only telling you about this because I trust your karma sense, so never overuse it.’

And a warning not to overdo it.

‘You should only use it at critical moments.’

And then Iriel's voice faded away…

Leffrey couldn't help but ask himself.

Couldn’t the three hero girls have found the Fallen Hero with their abilities, without him resorting to such a method?

But what if they were too late?

What if the Fallen Hero’s ‘spell’ had already been activated?

“Cough, cough…”

…It was a question that could no longer be answered.

‘Judging by Iriel’s tone, I thought it would be okay to use it once… Who knew it would turn out like this, just from overdoing it a bit.’

His entire body was powerless. He couldn't move his arms or legs, and he didn’t even have the strength to open his eyelids.

“Ugh…”

And he was hurting all over.

It felt like his entire body had been beaten.

And with the chills he were feeling, it seemed like he were coming down with a cold too.

He was in the worst possible condition, Literally.

Leffrey couldn’t move. Not for a while.

‘My heroes will find her. With their abilities, they’ll definitely be able to find the Fallen Hero.’

Leffrey had no choice but to trust in the hero girls now.

With his Angelic Power completely depleted and his body suffering from the backlash, Leffrey had no other option.

‘That aside…’

Just where was he? Where was Leffrey lying down?

The overall smell of disinfectant. And the faint scent of bleach rising from the floor, with *beep—beep—* sounds coming from somewhere.

‘…Is this some kind of hospital?’

[Spreading good deeds through the Angelic Power Pyramid is an angelic act!]

[You have gained Angelic Power.]

At that moment, perfectly timed, Multi-level marketing Angelic Power came in.

Leffrey used that Angelic Power to slightly heal his body.

“Ahh…”

He was feeling a little better. Just a little.

Whether it was because there wasn't enough Angelic Power, or because his internal injuries were too severe… This amount of Angelic Power wasn't nearly enough to fully heal his body.

‘If I had Sanctus on, I might have been able to do something…’

But Sanctus, the angel’s gloves, were an item that consumed Angelic Power just by being worn. The fact that he wasn’t wearing it was a blessing in disguise in this situation.

If he had been wearing it…

‘Using Sanctus when I’m already out of Angelic Power. My body would have been even more severely damaged.’

That must be what would have happened.

An angel is a being sustained by Angelic Power.

Then what if he continued to wear an item that continuously consumed Angelic Power, even though he was already completely depleted of it…?

‘That would be really dangerous.’

Suppressing the goosebumps that were slowly rising, Leffrey opened his eyes.

It was an unfamiliar ceiling.

An arched ceiling made of wood and stone, with an old chandelier swaying beneath it.

‘A medieval style ceiling.’

But the items next to him were modern. From the metal bed to the vital signs monitor. And white machines whose purpose he didn't know, along with needles and medicine placed beside them.

A strange coexistence of the medieval and modern.

A place like this, it could only be…

“Thank goodness. I’m still in St. Lucia.”

As Leffrey sighed in relief,

A voice whispered softly from beside him.

“…You’re awake.”

The owner of the voice was Lucera. Leffrey’s roommate.

“Miss Lucera.”

“Miss Laffrey, how in the world did you…”

Standing beside Lucera, who couldn't finish her sentence, was a girl. A girl with striking blue hair that resembled Lucera's.

“Lucera, could you step aside so I can talk with Miss Laffrey?”

“But, sister.”

“Now. It's an urgent matter.”

Lucera fidgeted, unable to decide. The blue-haired girl pointed at Lucera again.

“I said it’s urgent. Don't use Miss Laffrey as an excuse to skip class, hurry and go.”

“Th-Then I’ll come back as soon as my next class is over, Miss Laffrey.”

After Lucera left with quick steps, the blue-haired girl naturally took Lucera's place.

That is, right next to Leffrey’s bed.

“Hello, Miss Laffrey, my name is Lisera, Lucera’s older sister.”

“…Hello.”

Lisera wore a faint smile.

As Lucera's sister, Lisera and Lucera had many similarities. Not just their blue hair, but their beautiful appearance was also similar.

However, if there was a difference, it was that she was taller as the older sister, and she had an aura that couldn't be found in Lucera.

‘She's a dangerous opponent.’

A strange pressure unique to powerful beings.

Leffrey, without even the strength to be tense, could only ask.

“What’s your business?”

“I believe you already know, Angel-nim.”

“…As expected.”

She knows that he’s an angel.

The only ones who knew Leffrey was an angel in this world were the world’s most powerful figures, the professors, and the three hero girls.

And excluding them, the only other being who would know…

…was the Demon King of the demon world.

So that meant…

“You’re the hero chosen by Luciel.”

That this girl was the Fallen Hero.

“Yes. That’s right.”

Lisera, Lucera’s older sister, nodded without denying it. Leffrey, watching her, asked once more.

“Why did you come to me? Did you come to finish me off?”

He had to buy time. By now, Soya, Mari, and Hongwol must have been investigating all the female students who had suspiciously large amounts of money.

And among them, there would be Lisera.

Leffrey had to endure until the three heroes found Lisera.

Lisera opened her mouth.

“No. I’m here to escort you.”

“Escort me…?”

“Yes. To escort you to the Archangel’s side.”

Luciel, the Fallen Archangel.

Leffrey’s tone changed instantly after hearing that title.

“Hmph, do you think I would just meekly follow you?”

“…Why do you refuse?”

“He’s the demon king. An enemy of this world. Our enemy. Why would you, a human, join forces with the demon king?”

Lisera, hearing those words, shook her head.

“The Archangel is not the enemy of this world.”

“Then what is he?”

“He’s the one who will purify this world.”

A cruel smile bloomed on her face.

“Angel-nim, why have you come to St. Lucia Academy?”

“It's because I found out that you, a Fallen Hero, are about to awaken.”

“How could you, someone who didn't know the term ‘Fallen Hero’ until now, realize that there's a Fallen Hero and at such a perfect timing?”

“That’s…”

To fully explain this would inevitably involve mentioning Leffriel. And Leffrey didn't want to talk about Leffriel to his enemies.

“You’re saying that Luciel intentionally revealed the existence of the Fallen Hero?”

“Yes. Everything is according to his will.”

Why? Why would Luciel reveal the existence of a Fallen Hero?

‘A Fallen Hero would certainly become a powerful asset. So why reveal her existence before she’s fully awakened.’

Lisera still maintaining her cold smile, uttered dark words, trying to enlighten Leffrey.

“You still haven’t realized.”

“….”

“Think of it this way. The demon world and the human world are connected through just one passage. That passage, they call it the Mariana Trench.”

“That's common knowledge.”

“But the other world has countless passages. Many passages that connect to the demon world.”

And St. Lucia Academy existed in a place located in the sanctuary. And the sanctuary is part of the other world, not the human world.

There was an easy path to the demon world, one that didn’t involve getting through Mariana.

‘…I’ve been had.’

Leffrey’s face paled slightly.

“Hmph.”

Of course, Leffrey, the Acting Angel, didn't show it. But the Fallen Hero simply watched Leffrey, still maintaining that eerie smile.

“Do you also know this?”

“Know what?”

“Luciel-nim knew that you would manipulate fate to make me rich and also make me a sponsor.”

Lisera continued to smile.

“Then it’s only natural for us to prepare for it, isn’t it? We burned all the documents about my sponsors and encrypted all financial transactions through the Board of Directors. Even if your heroes are experts in this field… It’ll take them at least a month to find anything about me.”

Only then did Leffrey realize why Lisera had been showing such a pleased smile.

That smile was the smile of a predator looking at prey caught in a trap.

“How? Fate manipulation is a technique used to deal with karma users… how can he read even that?”

“Of course. You’re an angel, and he’s an archangel. The difference in your level is insurmountable.”

A dark light shone in the girl’s eyes. Leffrey grabbed the bed railing with trembling hands to raise his body.

And he looked straight at the Fallen Hero.

‘I have to buy some time.’

It would take a month to find her? At this point, a month didn't matter. He had to buy time somehow.

“Tell me one thing.”

“Ask anything.”

“Why did you betray humanity?”

Only then did the fallen hero stop her continuous smile and had to take on a slightly darker tone.

“I didn’t betray humanity. I’m simply purifying the world. Purifying it.”

“Right, but have you thought about this?”

Leffrey continued.

“Your sister will also be included among those you’re purifying…”

“Ah, yes. But do you really think I would waver because of a reason like that?”

“No, you’re lying. It’s just an act.”

Leffrey didn’t know Lisera.

But he knew a little about Lucera.

“You’ll waver more than anyone else.”

The fact that her karma was completely pure, untainted without even a speck of dirt.

‘Absolutely.’

Leffrey shook his head.

‘It’s Impossible for karma like that to exist.’

Even angels, once they fall to Earth, have to stain their white wings with dirt. That was the law of the ground.

If there truly was a completely pure being, then it was nothing more than an illusion, created by a karma user’s madness.

‘Only gray can exist in a world as dark as this. If you want to maintain perfect white, you need a world that hasn't been tainted.’

And so, Leffrey realized.

‘The reason why St. Lucia Academy is filled with such light karma isn’t because of some spell.’

It wasn’t because of some kind of spell.

This place was like a sterile room. A place like a paradise that no longer exists.

A paradise created to keep one girl from being tainted by darkness.

Leffrey slowly, carefully reached out his hand to Lisera's cheek.

Thus came the time for confession.

“Tell me.”

The Fallen Hero was startled and tried to back away. But she couldn’t. Because the angel's hand, still in the form of a girl, was so warm.

‘The Archangel-nim never told me about a situation like this…!’

Leffrey asked again.

“Tell me how Miss Lucera died.”