[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero":3,"chapter-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-59":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Became the Academy’s War Hero",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1531666,1990,"Chapter 59 : You Dare to Command Me? (4)","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-59",59,"\u003Cp>Chapter 59: You Dare to Command Me? (4)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From above, spear bombardments rained down, and from all sides, the immortal skeletal soldiers continued to restrain her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, Clina found herself unable to escape from the area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…So it’s come down to a battle of endurance, huh.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Letting out a faint sigh, I glanced toward Rubia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, countless fragments of information surged irregularly through my mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holy Magic — Divine Magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Magic based not on mana, but on faith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the three great systems of magic that upheld the world’s balance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the Empire, it was more often called Divine Power or Miracle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It went without saying that most nations had long acknowledged the existence of Holy Magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only exception was the Empire — only Ribenia continued to deny it to this day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Truly, this is what you’d call a desperate measure.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As corrupt as the Imperial government was, they weren’t complete fools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They must have realized long ago how contradictory their stance was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, they absolutely could not admit it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the simple reason that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Acknowledging it would mean denying the very core of their people’s identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That’s the greatest powder keg of the Ribenia Empire.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This land called Arbenia, where Ribenia was located, had always had the highest rate of beast outbreaks among the four continents and four seas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For over eight hundred years, in fact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who had long suffered under the scourge of beasts were united by nothing other than faith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A religion that worshipped the One God, Abenail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That religion had existed even before the Empire was founded; later, it changed form and became known as the Ribenian Orthodox Faith.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem lay in how that process had led to the denial of the guardian gods themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the Empire adopted that monotheistic faith as its state religion, such an outcome was inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If only it had stopped there….’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the daring Empire went one step further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While denying the guardian deity, Paladion — the prime ally of humankind — it also denied the very existence of demons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Claiming that faith and magic could never coexist, the Empire stubbornly refused to recognize Holy Magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even under normal circumstances, Holy Magic was far rarer and more demanding than conventional magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in a nation that refused to acknowledge it at all, learning its principles or methods was nearly impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For those reasons, it was exceedingly difficult to find a Holy Magic user within the Empire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even within the Magic Tower, which held a certain degree of extraterritorial autonomy, the same rule applied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Given all that, Meriel and Gustav’s shock was only natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rubia Magnus. There were many words to describe her — studious, theoretical, diligent — but faithful was not one of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How in the world is that girl using Holy Magic…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Faith doesn’t necessarily have to be directed toward a god, does it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What? What’s that supposed to mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ignoring Gustav’s furrowed expression, I turned my gaze toward Rubia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was using two types of Holy Magic simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was the Divine Immunity mentioned earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other was Divine Enchant — a spell that granted a target the holy attribute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tiing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheng!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The command I’d given to the skeletal soldiers was simple and clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Use any means necessary to strike Clina White’s body.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A straightforward tactic, really.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every evil spirit possessed innate resistance to certain attributes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>High-ranking spirits, in particular, had near-absolute resistance to all attributes except those of darkness and evil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the only beings capable of inflicting meaningful wounds upon them were other demonic entities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how weak they were, black magic was still black magic — and demonic entities were demonic entities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if those skeletons were summoned from a low-grade grimoire, if their numbers approached infinity, the story changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That is, if the opponent weren’t Clina White.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How could mere rusted weapons of skeleton soldiers possibly damage this body’s barrier…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she desperately tried to deny reality, I threw the truth right back at her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For someone at the pinnacle of evil spirits, you seem rather unsettled. Surely, this isn’t the first time you’ve seen a holy mage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…There’s a Holy Mage here in Mallet?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm… Well, I suppose it’s possible you didn’t know. You have been rotting away in seclusion for ages.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You dare…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a furious scream, a tremendous gust exploded from Clina’s entire body, crushing the surrounding skeletons into dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I stepped in front of Rubia, who was preparing to cast a barrier spell, and faced the charging opponent head-on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kh…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barely deflecting the blow, I countered with a slash that drove her back several meters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, a volley of spears rained from behind, forcing her even further backward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tch…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clatter, clatter!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she steadied her stance from the shock, the skeletal soldiers once again swarmed her from all sides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir Eugene!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m fine. Stay focused — it’s not over yet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regaining my stance, I fixed my gaze on Clina.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The invisible barrier that had surrounded her entire body had already crumbled by more than half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…I couldn’t see it before.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My sensitivity to mana detection must have sharpened after continuously using black magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From beyond the bombardment and the mass of skeletons, Clina’s voice rang out in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In this era, a human capable of destroying my Sacred Armor exists? That’s impossible!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sacred Armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One of the most well-known holy spells — a magic that manifested a sacred armor around the body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her shock was understandable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who had rendered Clina White’s body inviolable was none other than the former Master of the Magic Tower, the Great Sage Aleph Abdiel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It seems you’ve overlooked something.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The very fact that her protection came from the Great Sage’s magic was precisely why a flaw existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In Holy Magic, what matters most isn’t mana or mastery.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack, crack…!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If malice completes black magic, then faith is what completes Holy Magic.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ghhk…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And,” I continued,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The more one masters magic, the less faith remains — that’s common sense among magicians.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To that, Clina roared in outrage, utterly unwilling to accept it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Nonsense! No amount of faith can possibly bridge that gap!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buried beneath shards of bone and spearheads, the Queen of Banshees reached her hand toward Rubia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Woman! What god do you believe in? What is it that sustains you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Clina’s desperate question, Rubia answered with a face full of conviction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It’s not a god.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were quietly fixed on me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First — neutralize the Demerit with Divine Immunity and operate the skeletal soldiers at full capacity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second — use Divine Enchant to imbue their weapons with the holy attribute, depleting Clina White’s Sacred Armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The result of executing those two strategies perfectly was this:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Impossible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clina unleashed a powerful gust, driving back the horde of skeletons all at once as she screamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean to tell me this inviolable body has been pierced? With such cheap tricks?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the attacks were connecting, skeletons alone could hardly inflict meaningful wounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if the strikes numbered not ten or a hundred, but a thousand—ten thousand—then….\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no such thing as absolute inviolability in this world.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I dashed forward, plunging into the ranks of still-reorganizing soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From air to ground, I gathered every ounce of energy from my leap into a full-force downward strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And once a body has been wounded once—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She crossed her arms in defense the instant she saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“—it’s all the easier to make the cracks spread.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, I had a secret technique allowing me to deliver two attacks simultaneously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, I brought Lukezax down while striking her abdomen with a skeleton’s spear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Khk!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her stance had been unsteady, so it didn’t pierce through, but the impact was enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Proof enough was the look she now wore — a face of disbelief — as she staggered back half a dozen steps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Unbelievable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The emotion etched on her expression bordered on awe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What… are you two?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her gaze moved between me and Rubia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A fallen human and a zealot.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was her answer to the final question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no longer a trace of hostility or killing intent in her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It meant the battle was over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I closed the grimoire I had opened and tucked it into my coat, severing the mana link that had bound me to it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The skeletal soldiers melted away like mist, as if they had never existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing that the fight had ended, Rubia was the first to lower her wand and staff, and the others followed, silently pointing their wands to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clina crossed her arms, glaring disdainfully at the magicians behind me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You spoke of coexistence with evil spirits, didn’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I did.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But do you truly think that’s possible? That humankind, who until now have done nothing but exploit evil spirits, will ever truly choose coexistence?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clina White.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the proud Queen of Banshees, she had once aided humankind in many ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what she received in return was betrayal and oppression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps she had come to find some measure of peace in this place only because she had endured too many trials already.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That she couldn’t bring herself to trust humans anymore was, in a way, perfectly natural.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even if she couldn’t trust—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could still choose coexistence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because otherwise, both sides will perish. Humans and evil spirits alike.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…And what if there are those who say they’d rather perish to beasts than stand with us?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There might be a few like that… but they’ll be the minority.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? And what makes you so sure?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When pushed to the edge, humans will even join hands with their enemies — that’s just how they are.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t believe in humanity itself; believe in the nature of humans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though her face still brimmed with doubt, she didn’t question further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, she lowered her head as if in resignation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There are parts of this I find unsatisfying… but you pass, Eugene Carter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Then, shall we form the master–servant pact?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling my memories from the Player days, I stepped toward her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As I began to kneel, Clina reached out a hand to stop me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The master shouldn’t be the one to kneel.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she lowered herself instead, bending one knee gracefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Are you sure about this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I shall dwell within your mortal vessel. Naturally, it is proper that I do so in this way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there was no reason to refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With practiced grace, she took my left hand and pressed her lips lightly against it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint smile touched her lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Until the very end… I do hope you’ll make it entertaining.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…That depends on how you behave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clina White’s entire body began to fade, scattering into motes of light and dust that drifted away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remaining traces of mana flowed into my Mana Heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As proof of the contract, a small sigil began to form upon my chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I watched the sight silently and nodded slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the moment in history when, for the first time, an individual succeeded in commanding a top-tier evil spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>",1857,"2026-06-06T06:11:51.334Z",1,"novelbin.me","b1ebbb45f9a292bd5e19210140f0f03645e637089d94e26353d3b70fc8abbc47","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-60","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-58",163,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-cover.jpg"]