I Stayed Loyal When My Teacher Was Betrayed

37 – Catastrophe of Matap 7

Matap never collapses.

This has been a fact accepted as truth since its construction hundreds of years ago.

The great wall that surrounds the exterior of Matap.

There was no existence that could pass through it without permission, made of ancient magic.

Even if it were the Demon King.

It is an impossible task.

However, at this moment,

Matap, which had been believed to be unbreakable under the protection of this solid wall.

That place, which was considered invincible, is…

At this moment, it was engulfed in black smoke and red flames.

“What… What happened? Why is the Matap…”

In the face of an unforeseen situation, I hurriedly tried to move.

Even though other things could wait, my master is currently there.

I hastily attempted to return to Matap, fueled by the possibility that something might have gone wrong with their safety.

But…

-Thud!

“Huh?”

A strange sensation felt from behind for a moment.

In response, I reflexively turned around.

What I saw in front of me were adventurers, Valkyries, lying on the ground as if dead,

Or rather, only one person.

Except for Brunhilde, there were three people lying there.

“What… What’s going on? Why is everyone… What happened to Brunhilde?”

“…”

To my question, Brunhilde only responded with a cold gaze.

Unlike usual, she stood there silently, and I began to feel instinctive unease, raising my guard.

Then…

“Don’t worry, they’re not dead.”

“!”

A familiar voice from the side.

But at the same time, a voice that sounded quite different from usual.

Feeling doubtful, disconcerted, and fearful.

I looked slowly at her.

Bérenice.

“What are you talking about now? Bérenice, did you…did you do this?”

“Well, you could say that. To be exact, it was through my henchman, Brunehilde…”

Bérenice answered with a smile.

It was a completely different atmosphere from usual…

Though her appearance was the same, it seemed like the contents had completely changed.

Looking at her, I naturally reached one conclusion.

“Who are you…you impostor.”

“Hehe, can’t you tell just by looking at me? It’s me, your colleague, Bérenice.”

-Smack!

“!!”

I hit her cheek as I passed by.

There was a scratch and a drop of blood oozed from it.

“I’m violent, am I not? But I don’t want you to poorly imitate her on such a fake topic.”

“Huh?”

Something that looked like Bérenice, but was showing doubts in response to my words.

“It’s not like that…I’m the real one…”

Using the same face to try such an amateurish trick.

I gathered my magic again and spoke in a cold voice towards that disgusting existence.

“You could imitate her appearance, but it seems like your filthy smoke can’t even imitate her graceful and delicate charm.”

“Charm…”

The fake’s face turned red with a sharp twinge.

Then he seemed to be embarrassed and covered his face.

Perhaps he seems to be angry that his perfect disguise has been broken.

“Do you…really think she’s charming? I mean…no, no. Are you…fond of Bernice?”

A strange question in a weird direction.

I replied with a cold voice to his reaction, which seemed to suggest that he did not consider Bernice beautiful by his standards.

“Of course, she is a beauty that cannot be compared to a thief like you who steals someone else’s appearance. You cannot express her charm even for a fingernail with your clumsy transformation magic?”

“Hmm…Hmm… Is that so? I’m glad you think so. No, sorry.”

With those words, the guy starts emitting black magic.

Realizing that he is finally revealing himself,

I prepared myself mentally.

And…

“F***”

Naturally,

I thought of the word “despair.”

‘Could this power be…?’

A creepy power that started to be felt for a moment.

At the same time…for me now.

That power, that made me feel even instinctive fear,

I stared at it and kept my eyes on it.

With black wings, a woman wrapped in a red robe.

Although she was an unfamiliar person,

I could tell as soon as I saw her.

The name that calls those who can possess such power.

The name of what I had seen before with these two eyes…

“…Demon King…”

They are the pinnacle of all demons, beings known as the origin of darkness.

Beings that were barely defeated by a master who possessed the power of the heyday.

The fact that she was right in front of me made me feel the emotion of fear in my heart.

But…

“…Huh?”

“… hmm …”

At this moment, the appearance of the Demon King who was having a hard time looking at this direction for some reason.

I felt a strange feeling when I saw her avoiding her gaze with her face reddened similar to when she imitated Bernie earlier…

Soon, I could vaguely sense the reason why.

“Oh… Is that what happened in the end? I thought I had transformed perfectly, but was it exposed?”

It was definitely a transformation that looked exactly like Bernie if only based on appearance.

However, there were too many differences in other detail-oriented aspects.

Originally, the setting where Bernie said such things was a problem, but the atmosphere was also too different.

Regardless of this fact, it seemed that the Demon King in front of me had considerable pride in her transformation.

“There are always such people. If they think they are great in their own way and their pride is shattered, they are the type to break down mentally…”

While thinking about this,

I started preparing for battle in the atmosphere where the instinctive fear I was feeling until just now was temporarily forgotten.

“Hey, Demon King.”

“Uh…. Huh? Why… why are you doing this?”

“So, what are you going to do? Our cute Bernie seems to have been kidnapped by you, so shouldn’t we fight no matter what happens?”

“Well…that’s…that’s it…right. I came to do that…but…”

The Demon King seemed helpless.

Apart from that enormous power, it seemed like she had a lot of shame as a personality who did requests.

“Then, if I win, you’ll return Bernie.”

“All… alright! But if I win…I’ll make you my s-slave forever!”

With those words, I fired magic at the Demon King who was still helplessly shaking.

The path of the magnetic field that had already laid ahead.

And… what was hovering in the center was…

“!!!”

-Kwakwang!!!

A sudden flash and a shock wave of power swept the place where the Demon King was.

Railgun.

The blow that I sent that contained plenty of magical powers was aimed exactly at where the Demon King was.

However…

“Tsk…”

The scene that followed was the figure of the demon king who blocked the attack with wings on his back. There was a small smoke rising, but seeing his appearance without any injuries, I clicked my tongue slightly.

“I expected it, but he’s definitely a demon king… There’s no way an ordinary attack will do.”

I already knew that he wasn’t someone who could be easily defeated.

At that moment, he started preparing for another attack while looking at me…

“!!”

“… ”

The demon king looked at me and began to gather immense magic power in one hand. The lightning shining with radiance and the magical power in the form of a spear began to transform into one.

A prickly feeling could be felt from all around.

I understood.

That thing was literally a lightning bolt that surpassed the railgun I fired just now.

And…

“Crap!”

-Pat!

An attack that could kill me instantly if it hit me flew toward me.

I felt a momentary danger, but…

“Hehe.”

“…!”

-Pat!!!

The silvery spear of the guy that shattered right in front of me.

In the face of this, a look of astonishment began to flicker on the face of the demon king.

“How… how did you…?”

“Well… I can’t tell the enemy such things during a battle.”

In reality, the theory was simple.

No matter how powerful the lightning is, it is ultimately a current.

It was an easy job to neutralize it by creating a grounding rod deep into the ground instead of myself and sending it there.

“I’m glad I laid down the rails in advance to use the railgun… It could’ve been pretty dangerous otherwise…”

While thinking that the demon king was still more terrifying than he had imagined, I couldn’t help but brace myself.

“There’s nothing else I can do here… I just have to use it.”

In the worst case scenario, I could have been dragged into it too, but now there was no choice left.

With that conclusion, I gathered my magical power once again.

I spoke firmly to the demon king in front of me.

“Prepare yourself; I will definitely defeat you and save our kingdom, Verne.”

“…Uh… hmm…”