An Angel Lives in the Academy
Chapter 37: The Angel Who Makes It Rain (7)

Episode 37

In the other world, there lived a special kind of plant called the Reflection Flower. It was a magical plant that lived by absorbing the mana dispersed in the air. When a predator that could harm it appeared, it would release an illusion of the predator's most intense memory, causing the predator to retreat.

This ability wasn't a big problem in the natural world. Wild animals lived simple lives, and their most intense memories were things like…

Encountering a stronger predator?

Or being chased by a hunter?

That was about it.

But humans couldn't live such simple lives. The complexity of human life... it was a realm that even philosophers couldn't easily answer.

When such complex creatures, humans, came into contact with the Reflection Flower…

'The Reflection Flower goes out of control and resonates with other Reflection Flowers nearby. The more intense the memory, the larger the scale, the stronger the resonance.'

'My most intense memory is probably that.'

The day strangers invaded his home. The day he saw his mother's face for the last time. He would probably have to release even that memory into the world.

Naturally, the boy didn't want to broadcast this past to the world. But he had no choice.

'This is a great sacrifice. I'll get a lot of Angelic Power... so...'

The boy grabbed the Reflection Flower and curled up.

The boy might have done this to gain Angelic Power, but to the professors, Yumari, and other students who knew the circumstances, this act…

It was a noble sacrifice itself.

"Bloody hell."

"That foolish child is doing it again..."

Jack and Hongwol, who were in the audience seats far away, bit their lips and cursed the magical studies student who had brought the flower.

"Fellow Mooncats, gather anything that could be used as leverage against that magical studies bastard. Quickly. And thoroughly investigate who ordered this."

"Butler, investigate all the magical studies students connected to Yu Si-hyun. And launch a retaliation campaign against that guy."

Two people who used all their power to protect their precious friend, Leffrey, as soon as he was attacked.

"Wait, Leffrey..."

Yumari finally grasped the situation, but…

it was too late.

Fwoosh- The blue flower bloomed brightly…

and the boy's past flowed out.

The first thing that came into view was the boy's mother. Leffrey couldn't control his emotions at the sight of her after so long.

"Son, what are you doing?"

The warmth of his mother's touch.

Leffrey bowed his head, holding back tears.

'Th-This is just an illusion...'

The only fortunate thing about being hit by the Reflection Flower was... that it showed the past from the perspective of the person being reflected.

You couldn't see yourself from your own perspective unless you were looking in a mirror. And looking in a mirror wasn't something that would become an intense memory.

'My secret of being reincarnated won't be exposed.'

People would probably think this past was just Leffrey's past.

Meanwhile, Yumari slowly approached the magical studies student who had brought the flower…

"Get lost. I'll come find you after this event to make you pay for this."

...and she shattered the large rock next to him.

And Leffrey's memories continued to unfold.

"What's wrong? Why are you sulking?"

"I don't know..."

The boy's mother crossed her arms. But the corners of her mouth twitched upwards as if she couldn't hold back her amusement.

"You're still going to pretend you don't know even though we're ordering chicken tonight?"

The boy hesitated and left the room with his mother. And he couldn't help but laugh at his mother's playful antics.

"I... I’m smiling..."

Yumari smiled at the warm scene unfolding in the illusion. And she was a little surprised that her smile was genuine, not an act.

It wasn't just Yumari. Soya, watching this, also teared up as she thought of her own mother, and Hongwol, as if she couldn't take her eyes off this heartwarming scene, remained focused without saying a word.

And the professors were no different.

"Shouldn't we... intervene?"

Lusa muttered. The Blessing of the Spirits was currently being broadcast worldwide, which meant that this child's past was being broadcast to the world.

"That wouldn't be fair. We're going to intervene and stop one child's past from being revealed while turning a blind eye to the students fighting?"

"You're saying that, but... your body is twitching too, isn't it? As if you want to rush out there..."

Park Jin-ho and Lusa glared at each other.

Park Jin-ho was the first to speak.

"We can learn about that child's origins through this."

"It seems clear that he was born in Korea, in the human world."

Lusa muttered with a smile.

Rebecca responded sharply to those words.

"Didn't I tell you? I already confirmed it with the Anathema of Lies."

"Hmm. If both the evil bead of falsehood and the Reflection Flower show the same content, it must be accurate information. Then... tell the archery professor."

Park Jin-ho looked at Lusa and declared,

"There's only one angel left in this world. That child is not an angel."

"Do you think that bitch Hexi will stay put just because you say that?"

"If she can't stay put, tell her to move. We'll deal with everything."

Park Jin-ho's tone was casual.

There was no hint of arrogance or vanity.

"That annoying bastard...!"

Lusa muttered. She wanted to pick a fight with Park Jin-ho, but seeing Leffrey's comforting past unfolding below…

"Whatever."

And she just let it go.

However, Park Jin-ho was already paying no attention to what Lusa was saying. He was too busy watching Leffrey's past with a satisfied smile.

And so, the past of a young boy and his mother was broadcast to the world through TV.

The occasional violent behavior of the child's father made people frown, but it was overshadowed by the kindness the child's mother showed.

Happy times passed.

And then that day began.

The child's father, who had to enter a political marriage due to his family's orders. Naturally, he no longer needed the troublesome concubine and her illegitimate child.

To be precise, it was more accurate to say that they had become a nuisance rather than being unnecessary.

Men with rough appearances, following the father's orders.

Those men threatened the child's mother…

And tormented her. A lot.

"Let's not make things difficult. Where is that child?"

"You... think I'm going to tell you?"

"Ha, I have to admire your tenacity. Hey, bring that."

Leffrey shed tears as he watched the scene again.

"Ah..."

Yumari could only watch the crying boy next to her without saying a word. And she couldn't help but recall what the boy had said.

'I understand that pain. I truly do...'

Yumari thought,

'It was true. He really experienced the same pain as me...'

Yumari reached out

and unconsciously hugged the crying boy's back.

His small back, the back that was shaking with sobs.

'He went through the same pain as me.'

However, other people who saw this past reacted in various ways.

"How could this happen?"

"That kind child went through something like that..."

"How dare they do that to Leffrey..."

Most people were truly saddened,

and some gritted their teeth in anger.

The professors looked at Leffrey with grim expressions, and Park Jin-ho's fist was clenched so tightly that it had turned white.

And Soya wiped away her tears, her hat pulled down low.

There were two reasons why Soya was crying.

One was the same as everyone else, and the other was a reason only Soya had.

'Yumari is much more suited to be with Leffrey...'

Yumari, daughter of the Seocheon Yu and a dragon, and taller and more beautiful than her. Strength? Entrance exam scores? She was superior in every way.

When that girl, who she couldn't help but compare herself to, hugged Leffrey from behind, Soya felt like she would forget everything and curse the whole world.

"Sob, sob."

The girl tried to forget this emotion she couldn't even define by simply shedding tears.

"..."

Meanwhile, at Naiad's lake…

the end of the illusion was approaching.

"I'm used to it now. I see it every day in my dreams..."

Red blood flowed out from beyond the sofa where the boy was hiding. He couldn't hear his mother's voice anymore.

Leffrey wiped his tears and thought,

[Saving a life is an angelic act!]

[You have gained Angelic Power.]

[Doing the right thing in the face of danger is an angelic act!]

[You have gained Angelic Power.]

[Sacrificing yourself to save others is a truly angelic act!]

[You have gained a large amount of Angelic Power.]

[Saving a future hero is a truly angelic act!]

[You have gained a large amount of Angelic Power.]

'It's much better for my insignificant nightmare to be revealed than for Yumari's memories to be exposed. And I even get Angelic Power...'

Leffrey wiped his tears and muttered, pretending to be okay,

"Phew, that was close. If your memories, Yumari, had been revealed..."

"Leffrey..."

"Why?"

Leffrey pushed Yumari's hand away and said,

To think she had been hugging him without him noticing.

"That's..."

But Yumari's voice was a little strange.

It was a nervous voice.

"...We have to run."

What was she talking about?

Leffrey turned around.

"What?"

Naiad's forest was already gone. Instead, a horde of monsters was swarming the ground.

The professors, who had been floating in the air, shouted,

"The demon army is attacking!"

"The demon army! All faculty members, evacuate the civilians and students!"

A horde of monsters appeared suddenly during the boy's illusion. These monsters closely resembled the dark forces of the demon army.

"How did this happen? Did the barrier break?"

"No, it seems like a spy from the demon army used the Reflection Flower to create the illusion. He must have been holding onto the memories of the demon army's elite forces... and released them during the Blessing of the Spirits event when students and civilians were gathered in large numbers."

"That's a good guess. Damn it, growing the Reflection Flower in Naiad's lake and using it as a precious medicinal ingredient has backfired."

"We've been had. This kind of sleeper agent would have already escaped."

Professor Klein's misjudgment. And the other professors also couldn't help but make the same mistake.

Naturally, the professors interpreted this as an attack by the demon army. No one had ever seen such a large-scale demon army before.

Except for Leffriel, the judge of the Earth.

"Yes, this is the Blessing of the Spirits arena. The demon army forces that suddenly appeared are targeting the students and faculty gathered here... Kyaa!"

"No, aren't you scared? Run!"

Leffrey rescued the reporter and replenished his Angelic Power, then quickly surveyed the surroundings.

The monsters shouted,

"Judge!"

"Judge!!!"

Leffrey realized how he had suddenly ended up in this situation.

'...Those monsters are definitely Leffriel's illusions. No, not just my illusions are reflected, but also this body's illusions... Leffriel's illusions too?'

Such a large-scale past.

Naturally, it wasn't from the boy's memories.

Naiad's lake was already filled with illusions of monsters. And these monsters were created by the out-of-control Reflection Flowers…

'The frenzy is spreading!'

Leffriel's past, which was already on a large scale, was spreading beyond Naiad's lake and influencing other Reflection Flowers.

This range extended beyond Naiad's lake to the outer forest surrounding the academy. The Reflection Flowers growing wild in the outer forest resonated.

Leffriel's past was gradually becoming stronger.

'A large-scale frenzy of Reflection Flowers. This happened in my past life too...!'

In his past life, a hero's past had also gone out of control in a Reflection Flower colony, and the entire forest was engulfed in his nightmare. How did they solve it back then?

Leffrey immediately called for Naiad.

"Naiad! Naiad!"

The Naiads were frozen in fear due to the sudden appearance of mythical monsters. This wasn't a figure of speech, they were literally frozen.

"L-Leffriel, the demon army's operation has begun. My lake, my lake..."

Naiad, a spirit king who had lived for thousands of years, was also mistaking this chaos for the demon army's doing.

"Naiad, there's something you have to do right now!"

Naiad asked again with a surprised expression,

"What, what should I do?"

"Release all your water spirits... and bring me more Reflection Flowers."

Naiad immediately retorted,

"No, this entire mess is happening because of the Reflection Flowers... what? You want me to bring more Reflection Flowers?"

"The reason this is happening is because the Reflection Flowers are reflecting the memories of only one person. We have to neutralize it!"

Naiad muttered "Neutralize?" with an expression as if she didn’t believe him. Leffrey was getting frustrated for the first time in a long time.

"Reflect the memories of other people... you have to neutralize the memories of whoever is being reflected right now! Do you understand?"

"Ah, I understand."

Leffrey watched as the monsters that appeared as illusions charged towards the participating students, and even the audience beyond the lake.

'Illusions made of magic are different from illusions made by science. Magic is will, and if they've imitated its form, then that will and power are also contained to some extent.'

That's right. That's why you couldn't just ignore illusions created by magic. Despite being called illusions, they also had mass, and elaborate illusions even had their own will.

Boom-

While Leffrey was talking to Naiad, Yumari, who had already defeated a monster, shouted,

"Leffrey! I've created a path! Run this way!"

"...Yumari."

Leffrey took Yumari's hand and said,

At that moment, Leffrey saw the academy students. Most of them were fighting the monsters, unable to escape.

'I get a tremendous amount of Angelic Power when I save future heroes.'

Leffrey's greedy angel radar started working again.

'And a situation like this, where future heroes, the academy students, are in danger as a group, isn't something you see every day.'

Crisis is opportunity, Leffrey believed in that saying.

'But there's no way I can handle those monsters with my power.'

Leffrey, as a survivor who had lived until the very end, knew all the habits and weaknesses of those monsters. He had to fight them.

But without strength and wings…

'Wait, if I can't do it alone... what if I work with Yumari?'

Leffrey organized his thoughts and said,

"Yumari, do you... want to teach your sister a lesson?"

"What are you talking about? We need to run away right now...!"

Leffrey subtly pointed at the camera broadcasting the events at Naiad's lake.

"It's your chance to become a hero."