An Angel Lives in the Academy
Chapter 92: The Angel That Touches the Hearts (4)

A massive, black dog, growling.

That dog was demanding Leffrey to save its master.

‘Just what is going on?’

Leffrey, unfazed, carefully examined Soya.

Sleeping peacefully—

Sound asleep without moving an inch.

Even though Tantalus’s Hound rampaged, messing up the room, even though the door was ripped off its hinges, Soya showed no signs of waking up.

As if she was rejecting all external stimuli.

‘One of the traits of those affected by Bethel: they don’t wake up, no matter what. That’s how she isolates the victim in the darkness.’

Among Bethel's many strengths, her greatest strength was her ability to force a one-on-one battle in the mental world.

Every human has loneliness within their hearts, and that loneliness truly reveals itself when they’re alone.

Bethel was a demon who masterfully exploited that loneliness.

“Grrrr, save her. Now.”

“Okay.”

Tantalus’s Hound growled. Leffrey quickly tried to use Healing of the Seraphim to dispel Bethel’s curse, but...

‘There’s no message!’

No matter how much healing Angelic Ability he used, no message appeared.

Normally, a message like [Healing a future hero is an angelic act] or [Stopping the evil deeds of a Heavenly King is an angelic act] should appear, but…

No such message was appearing, meaning…

‘I can’t heal Soya. And I failed to stop a Heavenly King's evil deeds.’

His hand trembled.

The tremors that started in his hand eventually reached his small shoulders.

‘Don’t tell me… I can’t stop this with my own power?’

Disbelief.

The simplest word expressing a lack of faith.

The most fatal word for an angel who spreads their wings with faith.

Leffrey steadied his trembling hand and poured even more healing power.

But still, no message appeared.

‘Am I… Am I really losing Soya like this…?’

What was Soya to Leffrey?

A magical prodigy with a once-in-a-generation talent for magic.

A future hero who would one day defeat the demon king.

“No.”

Above all else, Soya was one of Leffrey’s closest friends.

Even though Soya had many flaws, he had never hated her, not once. And although her words were harsh, she was kind at heart.

He couldn’t give up.

He had to think of a way.

‘You can’t do it. There’s no other way. I don't have the power to reach her mind.’

It didn't matter. Think of a way, just think!

‘A mage's mind is strong. Even Professor Klein's mental magic wouldn't be able to penetrate Soya's mental defenses.’

He knew he lacked faith.

It didn't matter.

Just… create a method, any method at all!

“Please.”

Leffrey looked at the black dog, mobilizing everything he knew…

Everything he could do…

Every possibility, every method…

"Tantalus."

"…What?"

"Swallow me whole."

And with those words, Leffrey equipped Sanctus on his right hand.

"What on earth... are you talking about?"

“Now I understand. You’re Soya’s darkness, right? The betrayal, the grudge, and the loneliness that Soya has built up against the world.”

Why was the Tantalus in the future so powerful?

He realized it, now that he thought about it.

Because its origin was so powerful.

‘It’s obvious, when you think about it. Tantalus appeared after Soya was killed, and the only owner of such a strong, dark magical power was Soya.’

So, only now did Leffrey realize that Tantalus was Soya's shadow.

Tantalus, the embodiment of Soya’s deep-seated darkness, so…

“Then… deep within your gut… You are connected to Soya's heart, aren’t you?”

"…Do you… want to die?"

Tantalus's words weren't a threat.

It was just a statement of fact.

Whatever his origin, Tantalus was a monster from the dark realm. And he was also like a black hole, something that never spat out what it devoured.

Of course, Leffrey knew this too.

The boy opened his mouth.

“I don't want to die.”

Leffrey closed his eyes, his hands clasped together as if in prayer.

“I want to live together with Soya.”

“Then.”

The hideous, colossal black dog, opened its vicious maw unbelievably wide. Its mouth was full of sharp teeth,

And it was large enough to swallow a little angel whole in a single bite.

“Be devoured!”

Those were the last words Leffrey heard.

* * *

Darkness. Darkness that didn’t signify the absence of light, but the lack of empty space, as if it were completely filled with something.

But even in that darkness, Leffrey could perceive something.

[Sacrificing yourself for a future hero is a truly angelic act!]

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

[Sacrificing yourself for a future hero is a truly angelic act!]

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

In this endless darkness, he could feel… the karma of good, burning like a flame.

‘As expected.’

Leffrey, reading those blurry messages, smiled.

‘No matter how connected Tantalus is to Soya's heart… to jump into that monster’s mouth, that’s incredibly dangerous.’

Since it was so incredibly dangerous, naturally, a lot of Angelic Power would flood in.

‘And Angelic Power is that great power called karma. It takes precedence over any other power.’

Mana? Physical force? Esper abilities?

None of them could compare to karma, the power that governs the very direction of this world.

Therefore, Leffrey could illuminate even the deepest parts of this monster’s stomach, this little hell formed by a single girl’s betrayal and despair.

“The light that illuminates the world…”

Leffrey reached out his hand towards the endless darkness.

“Light of the Ruling Archangel.”

An angelic light spread through the darkness. Like a ray of light breaking through the storm clouds, the beam of light, somehow…

Somehow, felt holy.

‘I have to find Soya's heart. Where Soya and Bethel are fighting. The most important part of Soya's soul.’

Leffrey looked at Sanctus on his right hand, clasping both his hands in prayer.

Light of the Ruling Archangel that Illuminates the World.

This light, originally resembled a laser beam, enough to be given a silly nickname like ‘Angel Death Beam.’

Concentrated on a single point, scorching what it touched and purifying evil along its path.

“The light that illuminates the world, change.”

But if controlled with Sanctus…

“Morning Sun.”

It could be used like this.

He could spread the light that had been concentrated at a single point in all directions, illuminating the surroundings as if it were the sun.

The Light of the Ruling Archangel would lose its lethality and its ability to purify evil is reduced, but…

But he could spread it in all directions equally.

As if a flare had exploded in the sky, Tantalus’ darkness was brightly illuminated.

And just as the first task of a flare was to illuminate targets in the dark, Morning Sun blazed to find what Leffrey was looking for in this darkness.

What Leffrey sought was the entrance to Soya's heart.

Leffrey quickly looked around.

‘It must be here. Tantalus was born from Soya’s loneliness and pain. It must be connected to Soya’s heart through a backdoor.’

It must be there.

For sure.

And Leffrey was able to find it.

“This is…”

A familiar wooden door.

Leffrey recognized this door.

“That door, isn’t that the door to our cathedral?”

Why would he use this massive wooden door as a backdoor for Tantalus? Was the cathedral that important to Soya?

‘'If Tantalus's darkness, the door connecting to her heart is that wooden door...’

Soya used this door to escape the darkness that haunted her.

Soya must have felt that way.

“Soya, you, you saw our cathedral as a refuge.”

Even the clueless Leffrey could understand what this meant.

"I won’t lose it."

Leffrey, almost like a vow, muttered, then leaped towards that bright wooden door.

“I’ll never lose it again.”

* * *

“The odds of…”

Soya immediately calculated her current situation.

Attacked by a top-ranking demon.

And the enemy is presumed to be proficient in mental manipulation.

“It’s neurologically unfavorable as well.”

Indeed, it was.

The brain was an organ that’s easy to destroy but hard to repair. And it was also the hardest area to medically approach, excluding physical trauma.

‘If they could just cure it with medicine, they would have already treated dementia.’

The brain, and the heart, are the most protected parts of the human body.

And to think that they penetrated through all those protective barriers and invaded her at once.

“Hmph.”

Soya could feel clear hostility directed at her. And scoffed.

“But I don’t care. People have always had hostility towards me. It’s just that one more has been added, that’s all.”

Then she declared confidently,

“Do you think I would break down over my past now?”

“…You have such a strong will, I see. Then.”

A voice echoed from afar, striking her ears.

“Let your third circle of hell begin.”

Soya, barely hiding her fear, watched as something approached. The third circle of hell? She had already experienced the first and the second.

“…Bring it on.”

Soya took a stance, ready to face anything.

And the girl, seeing the being before her, was speechless.

“L-Leffrey?”

“Soya, what are you doing?”

“No, why are *you* here?”

This was her mindscape, there's no way Leffrey could be here.

‘Hmph, he didn’t even dry my hair today, he just ignored me the whole day…’

Soya was overwhelmed with resentment and knew that Leffrey couldn’t possibly be here, and yet…

Her gaze fell on the Leffrey in her mindscape.

“…This is just a dream. A filthy illusion created by the Succubus.”

“Soya, are you saying something weird again? Succubus?”

Leffrey laughed, as if it couldn't be helped. And he stretched out his hand.

“You’re not a kid anymore.”

“….”

The boy’s bright smile, his kind outstretched hand.

Even though she knew it was just an illusion, why couldn’t she help but reach for that hand?

‘I'm not falling for her tricks. This is just…’

…Just her being childish.

A child who had never received affection from her family.

A child who always sought Leffrey’s comfort.

‘I'm not affected by the illusion. It's just that… in dreams, it's difficult to even recognize that it's a dream… they feel too real. A Succubus…’

Those words were true.

If it weren't for Soya's genius intellect, she would have already been convinced this was reality.

But Soya couldn't hold on much longer.

“Leffrey, how did you even get here?”

“Does it even matter?”

Leffrey’s voice suddenly turned cold as he pushed Soya’s hand away.

“Tsk, talent alone isn’t enough after all.”

“…What?”

Leffrey looked at Soya with cold eyes and calmly said,

“I shouldn't have helped you. I should have focused more on Mari or Wol. To think I wasted so much on something useless like this.”

“L-Leffrey…”

It’s just an illusion, but…

… some parts are true.

“Always high maintenance, and doesn't even know how to be grateful. And yet you're disgustingly jealous, always nitpicking at the other members.”

“No, Leffrey wouldn’t say that!”

Leffrey smiled cruelly, stroking Soya's hair.

“Shortest among our friends, with the worst fashion sense, just what made you think you could take a place next to me?”

“What was even the point of abandoning your family name? Are you bragging about being an orphan?”

“The magical families are now all hostile towards me because of you. Not to mention the other magic professors. I'm tired of them picking on me because of you… Can you please leave the cathedral?”

Dreams are reflections of reality, and to recognize them as dreams is incredibly rare.

“No, wait let’s just break up as friends.”

The girl shed tears at the boy's cruel words.