Chapter 194: The Temptation of Immortality
"Lord Yotsuba, I look forward to your guidance."
Surprisingly, when only two remained, Rose was the first to step forward.
It was unclear what agreement or understanding they had reached, but Claire remained unusually unresisting, simply standing there with her arms crossed.
However...
It made no difference.
"Come then, Rose. Let me see your swordsmanship."
"Yes, Lord Yotsuba!"
Having received his permission, Rose first bowed gracefully to him, then drew the slender sword from her waist and slowly assumed her stance.
The other students, who had just been looking dejected and defeated moments earlier, had already gotten up from the ground and were preparing to watch their duel.
Then in the next instant—
Rose moved again, closing the distance with swift and fierce speed. The slender sword in her hand traced a beautiful arc through the air, striking toward him at a sharp angle.
"Not bad. That's a beautiful strike," Mahiro couldn't help but praise.
After enduring a bunch of beginners who couldn't even be considered novices, he had finally encountered a student with proper form.
However...
"This alone isn't enough," Mahiro remarked as he swung his longsword in a reverse grip, precisely meeting the tip of Rose's thrusting slender sword with his own. The resulting clash produced an especially piercing metallic ring, intense enough to vibrate eardrums.
All the students instinctively covered their ears.
"..."
Rose's honey-colored eyes widened in shock. Was such an exaggerated technique even possible?!
Only Claire watched the scene with complete calm.
She knew very well that this was merely the tip of the iceberg for Mahiro. A year ago, this damned teacher had used the same move to toy with her.
"Rose, I think you can be more serious," Mahiro spoke again.
The stinging pain on the back of his hand returned, more painful and vivid than before.
His voice snapped Rose out of her stunned state.
But what should she do?
She had already been serious enough...
"You can imagine me as the person you hate most. Let me see your full capabilities," Mahiro suggested, as if seeing through Rose's thoughts. As he spoke, his dark eyes gradually began to glow red, with an azure magic circle appearing within his pupils.
Almighty Five Sights: Spectator!
"The person I hate most...?"
Who could that be? Just as Rose had this thought, when she lifted her head, both Mahiro and the surrounding training ground had vanished.
It felt as if she had returned to that night two years ago. The fresh scent of soil filled her nostrils, and a slightly chilly evening breeze gently brushed through her hair, stimulating her skin.
Under the clear, bright moonlight, she saw that where Mahiro had been standing now appeared the figure of a bandit!
She recognized that appearance all too well.
It was her former nightmare—the bandit leader who had kidnapped her two years ago!
The bandit was laughing arrogantly at her, spewing insulting words!
Unforgivable...
Absolutely unforgivable!!!
"Haa—!!!"
Rose suddenly stepped back, pulling her sword hilt to the side of her head, then kicked off the ground and burst forward in an explosive charge.
With a burst of speed faster than before, she thrust her longsword toward Mahiro!
The silver-white rapier sliced through the air, closing in on Mahiro's neck.
So fast...!
This scene had already shocked the students. They had no idea what was happening, only that Yotsuba-sensei seemed to have said something to Princess Rose.
Immediately afterward, Princess Rose's aura became wild and frenzied.
But what surprised them even more was how Yotsuba-sensei effortlessly blocked this strike that was nearly too fast for the naked eye to follow!
Clang—
The metallic clash, the explosive sword wind, and the scattering sparks illuminated their faces.
"Hmm, stronger than before, but still slightly lacking."
"Urgh... Aaaaaah!!!"
Rose swung her rapier with such speed it created afterimages, the blade attacking like a raging storm, a fierce and relentless assault.
Their blades collided within the whirlwind of sword energy, moving at a dizzying speed that made it impossible to clearly track their trajectories.
All that could be seen were countless sparks flying from the impacts.
Meanwhile, Claire's expression gradually grew solemn.
She could clearly see every move and technique Rose executed, as well as the precise paths of their clashing blades.
If she were the opponent, she could handle such sword skills, but she could never perform as effortlessly as Mahiro.
So relaxed, even described as handling it with ease!
Just how strong is this devilish teacher?!
"That's enough."
Mahiro suddenly uttered these words softly, then reversed the direction of his longsword with a swing.
Ting—
With a clear, crisp sound, the sword wind instantly subsided, and Rose's rapier was flicked from her hand, flying straight up to embed itself in the ceiling.
"Guh... Just kill me!"
Rose clutched her slightly pained wrist, her expression filled with resentment.
Just as she was about to speak those words, in the blink of an eye, the thief vanished.
She emerged from that night scene, returning to the training hall, and standing opposite her was Mahiro, his face wearing that familiar, gentle smile!
"Yotsuba-sensei, what was that just now...?" Rose asked, somewhat dazed.
"Well, it was nothing. I just used a little trick. My apologies, Rose-san."
Mahiro expressed his regret and then praised her:
"But your sword skills are quite impressive, Rose-san. They're likely among the top in this academic year. With a bit more training, you might even catch up to Princess Iris in the third year. Perhaps you could even establish your own school."
This wasn't mere consolation but a genuine assessment.
Rose's sword skills were formidable. At least within the realm of ordinary humans, probably no student in the entire academy could match her, including Claire.
What Rose lacked now was only time. She had already perfected her foundation and was just one step away from a moment of enlightenment.
However, Rose didn't see it that way. She didn't believe her abilities could compare to those of Princess Iris, who had founded the Royal Capital Martial Heart Style.
Still, hearing Mahiro's words made her happy. She bowed to him and said:
"Thank you for your guidance, Yotsuba-sensei. I will continue to work hard from now on!"
"Well, do your best and aim for a good ranking in this year's Bushin Festival."
Mahiro waved his hand, and the slender sword embedded in the ceiling fell into his grasp. After returning the weapon, Rose retreated into the group of students who had finished their guidance.
Before the other students could recover from their shock, Claire had already stepped forward.
"Please guide me."
Unlike Rose, Claire's words were brief.
As soon as she finished speaking, she charged toward Mahiro at a speed even faster than Princess Rose!
"It seems you've made significant progress too, Claire. You're much stronger than the last time we met."
During their exchange, Mahiro remained perfectly at ease, casually engaging her in conversation.
"Thanks to your devilish training, teacher!"
Claire responded with a serious expression.
"Haaaaaa——!!!"
Claire leaped backward, simultaneously unleashing a surge of powerful mana that transformed into a hurricane-force gale blowing toward him.
Then, she swiftly condensed this mana, materializing the surging magical power into fine, thread-like strands—as delicate as lightning yet coiling around her blade like blood vessels.
The long sword began to glow with a faint mana radiance!
This was a method of mana utilization Mahiro had once taught her.
Indeed, unlike Rose, Claire didn't require him to employ various tactics to force her to go all out.
She would unleash her full power directly.
What a considerate child.
Just as he was reflecting on this, Claire's sword was already swinging toward him.
The attached mana traced arc-like trajectories in the air, as if slicing through the atmosphere, the trails slowly fading moments later.
Simultaneously, the long sword swept directly in front of him.
Swish—
As if completely silent, there was no sound of cutting through the air, nor any other peculiar noise.
The blade simply passed through without a sound.
Even the students had no idea what had just happened.
But immediately after, violent mana erupted, transforming into a storm of countless sword blades charging straight ahead!
Claire slowly narrowed her eyes, allowing the wild gusts to scatter her long hair.
Her gaze remained fixed intently on Mahiro, observing his next move.
This was her killing technique, also learned from Mahiro—a sword strike he had once demonstrated, capable of severing rivers and splitting the earth.
But she knew her own limits; she couldn't possibly replicate the sheer power Mahiro had displayed during his demonstration.
Moreover, she trusted that Mahiro's strength was more than enough to handle it, which was why she dared to use it.
As it turned out, she wasn't mistaken.
Facing the roaring, violent sword wind and the countless mana sword energies contained within, Mahiro simply raised his sword and gently swung it down.
It was that straightforward.
With a single stroke, he cleaved through the sword storm and calmed everything.
"I've lost."
Claire said softly, then sheathed her sword and returned to the lineup.
Mahiro was already accustomed to her behavior.
Back when he was teaching her swordsmanship, it was the same—she needed no consolation, nor any guidance like in the beginning.
After every match, Claire would reflect on her own, identify her shortcomings, and gradually grow stronger.
Though a bit willful, she was truly considerate.
"Are you ever going to finish?"
Mahiro gazed at the faintly glowing mark on the back of his hand, furrowing his brow.
This thing had been aching persistently, only finally settling down completely now that the matches were over.
Why did it feel like a child throwing a tantrum?!
...
"Sigh, I'm exhausted."
After school, Mahiro went straight back to his dorm.
Weary from the day's labor, he didn't want to think about anything or do anything. He simply took off his clothes and collapsed onto the bed.
Becoming a teacher...
He couldn't quite understand what had gotten into him back then to make him want to become a teacher.
"Hm? What's this?"
Mahiro picked up a glistening strand of hair from beside his pillow.
It was long and golden—clearly not his, and not Alpha's either, since Alpha's hair wasn't this short.
A thought seemed to occur to him, and the corners of his lips curled slightly.
"Since you're here, why hide, Zeta?"
Rustle.
There was a faint stir near the window, followed by a slender figure quietly appearing before the floor-to-ceiling glass.
She wore a light-colored knit sweater paired with black trousers secured by a white belt—simple and efficient, yet carrying a decisive, icy demeanor.
Her calm, beautiful face showed no extra expression, her pale blue eyes holding a trace of feline laziness and indifference as the evening breeze stirred her shoulder-length, light golden hair.
Her beast ears twitched slightly, and her lightly pressed lips only gradually curved into a smile upon seeing him.
"Zeta, have you been playing on my bed again?"
"My lord sees everything clearly. As expected, I cannot hide it from you."
As if returning home, Zeta gradually relaxed and let out a soft laugh, her usually stern face breaking into a perfectly natural smile.
But Mahiro responded with a roll of his eyes and a laugh:
"How could I not notice? Even though you tidy up my bed every time, you always leave behind a strand of hair as evidence."
"That is because I do not wish for my lord to be tainted by the stench of that filthy dog."
The "filthy dog" Zeta referred to was naturally Delta.
Though both were beast-kin, the two acted like sworn enemies, with fights breaking out between them almost daily.
If not for him and Alpha, they'd probably fight until the end of time.
So, leaving behind scents was out of the question.
"But the problem is, Zeta, you're from the Golden Leopard tribe, right? You're a leopard, aren't you?"
"But my lord, leopards are felines."
"...Alright, you make a valid point. I have nothing to say."
Mahiro simply gave up arguing with this silly cat.
Seeing him speechless, the smile on Zeta's lips seemed to grow more pleased. With light, swift, and silent steps, she approached the bedside and gently nestled close to Mahiro.
"My lord, no matter how others see me, I will always be that abandoned, homeless cat from that cold winter night—the weak little cat you picked up and gave new life and purpose to."
Anyone familiar with Zeta would surely be astonished to see her like this.
Due to her race, Zeta had developed a more mature figure than Alpha, appearing slender and tall.
Combined with her tendency to conceal her emotions, others perceived her as perpetually aloof, unyielding, and defiant—an arrogant elder with a round head.
At times, she even gave off an impression of cold sharpness.
But in his presence, she transformed into a house cat, freely indulging in affection toward him.
Thus, I've always been curious about what the world looks like through our Lord's eyes. You never speak of such things, so it's difficult for me to imagine.
"Oh? How arrogant, Zeta. Do you wish to stand at the same height as I and gaze upon this world?"
As Zeta lay against him, Mahiro gently combed through her golden hair while lifting her chin with his hand.
Yet Zeta responded only with a smile.
"I wouldn't dare. I merely hope to better understand the world as our Lord sees it, so that I may grasp your thoughts more deeply and help fulfill your wishes."
"So you really are arrogant."
Mahiro spoke softly, his caresses growing even more tender as he occasionally rubbed her cat ears, causing them to twitch incessantly.
"Truthfully, I don't have any special wishes. I only hope that all of you can live joyfully according to your hearts and do what you desire."
"Even if you cause some trouble, it doesn't matter."
"Should the sky fall, I will hold it up for you."
Was the Cult of Diablos important to him?
Honestly, not really—one could even say it was dispensable.
It was only because they wished and prayed for it that he chose to intervene. Otherwise, what did it matter to him whether such a thing lived or died, or what became of it?
Mahiro was never a savior, but through and through, a demon king who acted on his whims.
This had remained unchanged from the very beginning until now.
At most, the only thing that piqued his interest was the pill made from the Blood of Diabolos. If it could be added to an enhancer, the strengthening effects would likely become even more potent!
"Our Lord is truly gentle...…"
"Heh, many say that, but at my core, I've never been a gentle person."
"Yet your gentleness saved each one of us—that, at least, cannot be false, right?"
"You talk too much, you little..."
"But I would never hiss at you, my Lord."
Perhaps from spending so much time by his side, no matter what he said, Zeta always had a response ready.
In terms of eloquence and wit, even Gamma would likely feel outmatched.
And most importantly, it was hard to imagine this was the same aloof, unsmiling cat girl.
"By the way, my Lord, do you desire immortality?"
After enjoying his caresses for a while, Zeta suddenly asked.
"Why do you ask?"
"Because you desire the Blood of Diabolos, don't you?"
Lying in his embrace, Zeta turned over, placed his hand on her chest, and looked up at him with a serious expression.
As the one in charge of covert operations, she had undoubtedly gathered much intelligence on the Cult of Diablos.
However, the most prevalent term associated with this Cult is "immortality."
It is said that the Cult's desire to resurrect Diablos is also to obtain the blood of the demon to achieve immortality.
Thus, in her eyes, Mahiro, who wishes to obtain the Blood of Diabolos, similarly seeks that elusive immortality.
"If that is my lord's wish, I shall fulfill it for you. I will resurrect the Demon Diablos."
Seeing her earnest expression, Mahiro couldn't help but laugh.
"You silly cat, when it comes to immortality, almost no one can resist such temptation.
But the question is, even if Diablos is resurrected and we truly obtain her blood, can we really attain so-called [immortality]?"