The Thunderbird’s sickle was stuck to my forehead like a magnet on a refrigerator.
“This is not something even you can ever look past.”
Even though the Thunderbird said that, I continued to feel as if she was somehow testing me.
‘It feels like she wants me to show her something.’
Nothing was certain, and my heart was pounding as if it might burst. However, because of my innate temperament, it did not show on the outside.
‘......Can even the Thunderbird not deceive me?’
A strange curiosity arose. If someone had spent more than ten years being deceived, could they see through another’s true thoughts, even if that someone was a Divine Beast?
“You know that kid was toyed with by Loki’s prank.”
And so, I did not back down from the Thunderbird’s question. However, perhaps it was not the answer she wanted, because blue lightning energy wrapped around the sickle.
It felt as if a lightning bolt that should have fallen to the ground was hovering right before my nose.
“So what do you expect me to do? The fact that he is subordinated to the Demonic does not change.”
“That doesn’t make them all the same. Like that kid.”
I thought there was no way the Thunderbird would not know what even I could tell.
“If that human wished to be subordinated to the Demonic by his own will...... could you take responsibility for that?”
But this was not the time to argue with the Thunderbird.
‘Is his body unable to endure anymore?’
Because the demonized student’s body was visibly crumbling, even to the naked eye.
‘If this keeps going, we’ll be walking right into the board Loki arranged without much thought.’
Grab!
In the end, intending to end the argument, I reached out and gripped the sickle wrapped in lightning energy.
My attitude was, if you’re going to strike, then strike.
‘Was this not it?’
But for the first time, the Thunderbird’s eyes shook.
For now, I had judged it to be a test because the sickle looked somewhat like a fishing hook and was wavering.
CRACKLE!
Even then, the moment I gripped the sickle, the blue lightning energy carved wounds into my palm without leaving the slightest gap.
‘Wow...... This hurts a lot.’
Whether fortunately or not, blood did not flow. But that was because it instantly vaporized into red mist, so it was not really fortunate.
“Let go this instant!”
Even when the Thunderbird shook the sickle this way and that, I did not release it.
‘This is a first.’
It was pain so intense that getting smacked on the back by Mom felt cute in comparison. But after coming this far, the competitive spirit in my chest showed no sign of retreating.
And so, I also changed my mind.
‘I can tame it.’
On my arm, too, there was a mark imbued with the Thunderbird’s special ability. Moreover, since I was touching lightning energy directly, it had to help somehow.
Feeling inwardly as if I had seized victory, the competitive spirit in my chest burned even more fiercely.
‘Right. If this is also a contest, then it’s a contest.’
“Are you insane? Let go right now, you bastard!”
I knew the Thunderbird’s personality was terrible. She was a battle maniac mad for war.
Still, calling me a bastard was a bit......
“......That hurt.”
“Ahem. That is why I told you to let go.”
Just as the lightning energy that had remained in my palm was about to spread through my arm and into my whole body, the mark that had been blocking the path naturally became dyed with lightning energy.
‘Huh?’
Then the Thunderbird’s mark, which had shown no change until now, looked as if it was vividly alive and breathing.
But surprisingly, I had seen that blue light once before.
‘I didn’t see wrong......?’
It was when I caught the Werewolf. The memory from then and the memory from now overlapped and began to grow vivid.
‘If it’s now, I can do it.’
And so, I held my will firmly. Thanks to the searing pain, my will to protect my hand was clearer than ever.
“......Lightning Armor.”
Suddenly, the Thunderbird’s mark transformed into a thundercloud. The thundercloud released the lightning energy it held to its heart’s content.
My right hand, which held the sickle, slowly began to be wrapped in translucent blue lightning energy.
CRACKLE-!
Now, blue lightning was bursting without pause even from my hand.
“Oh, it worked!”
I did not show it, but it was a moment I had been waiting for in my own way, so a sense of achievement filled me.
The Thunderbird spoke in a tone that sounded like praise.
“......I was going to scold you moderately and teach you, but to think you would grab the damn sickle and realize it yourself. Well, it seems you would have been able to use it soon anyway.”
Her way of speaking was still rough, but the Thunderbird’s expression had softened.
‘I was originally going to resolve this and ask.’
My original plan had been to turn the demonized student back into a person, then receive help regarding the special ability.
‘Still, this is better than someone spoon-feeding me.’
But this was this, and the matter was not over.
“Do it! Hurry.”
“......How can I do it unless you let go, you insolent brat?”
Snap!
The Thunderbird flicked my forehead. It had a different flavor from the instructor’s. Only then did the reality of having argued with the Thunderbird and spoken to her in a commanding tone hit my skin.
‘It’s fine. I can just act like it never happened.’
After coming to my senses from the flick, I let go of the sickle while pretending to be as calm as possible.
“......What is the point now?”
The moment the Thunderbird finished speaking, she pointed her sickle at the demonized student.
“......I still do not like it, but thank this child.”
With those words as the end, the Thunderbird lightly swung her sickle toward the air. From the swirling thundercloud, a single bolt of lightning fell upon the student.
It was a move from the Thunderbird that looked halfhearted and annoyed.
‘......He’s being purified.’
However, the lightning energy chased only the demonic energy that had seeped in so tenaciously, tearing and burning it away.
In that process, the student’s crumbling body was also being restored to some extent.
“Do not add anything further.”
He had not recovered perfectly, but at that level, the Academy’s medical facilities should be able to heal him enough.
‘At my current level, I can’t even estimate it.’
Something I could only stamp my feet at was possible for the Thunderbird with one ordinary swing of her sickle.
Still, it was fine. It might be an excessive thought for now, but the lightning energy was the same.
I asked the Thunderbird,
“Don’t you feel a little proud?”
Given the Thunderbird’s temperament, I thought this was probably her first time purifying something like this instead of killing it.
“It has been long since I forgot such unnecessary emotions.”
The Thunderbird spoke somewhat bluntly, but she did not seem particularly displeased.
‘Not honest, are you?’
Snap!
When the Thunderbird gestured toward Laevateinn, Laevateinn flew into her grasp.
“......His pranks are as dreadful as ever.”
The Thunderbird muttered to herself, then crossed her arms and looked me over from head to toe before speaking.
“The Victorious Fighting Buddha’s Golden Headband...... I wondered why he had visited the human realm. So it was to see you.”
“Yeah.”
“Then Samadhi True Fire must have been given to you by the Victorious Fighting Buddha as well. Now I understand why that little bastard sulked.”
“Little bastard? Ah, Red Boy......”
The title was one thing, but I had not expected Red Boy to sulk. Was the place up there also like a place where Divine Beasts lived in its own way...... What am I even thinking?
In any case, since Samadhi True Fire had come up, I spoke.
“Samadhi True Fire is hard to handle.”
The Thunderbird snorted.
“Do not say something so obvious so casually. Moreover, yours is somewhat different. It contains quite a lot of the Victorious Fighting Buddha’s aura.”
No wonder the flames looked as if they were beating the Head-Pressing Spirit’s arm when they devoured it.
‘I really am receiving help in all sorts of ways.’
I bent my upper body toward the Thunderbird and expressed my gratitude.
“Thank you for being considerate.”
Unlike the Thunderbird’s lightning energy, mine was not distinct, but translucent. Even so, it did not place any burden on my body.
To the point that it felt as if it had originally been my power.
As if uncomfortable, the Thunderbird briefly turned her head away. In the warm atmosphere, I continued speaking.
“Kubanda told me. That you care about me a lot.”
At that moment, thunder began striking in the sky, and lightning fell as if having a seizure.
“Even though I sensed the horse head’s special ability from your body, I deliberately ignored it because I did not wish to speak of it.”
This time, I could not read any current from her.
‘She is far too serious.’
“If you mention the horse head before me again...... I will condemn you and punish your crime.”
“Okay.”
Because she was too serious, I meekly nodded this time.
“Well, enough of that.”
The Thunderbird stared at the Laevateinn in her hand, then gripped it with enough force to break it.
HISSSS!
As if purifying the demonic energy of the demonized student, Laevateinn became wrapped in blue lightning energy.
“......?”
Laevateinn, which had been light brown, burned black.
Without even looking at me, the Thunderbird threw me the Laevateinn from which she had purified the demonic energy.
“This is the punishment for daring to lecture me about the Demonic.”
“Got it.”
If this was the punishment, there was no reason to refuse it. I looked down at Laevateinn, which was the length from my elbow to my hand.
‘Is this like a cousin of a lightning-struck jujube tree?’
“Even if you are only a human, it would not do for one who handles my special ability to be so empty-handed. Tsk, tsk.”
Come to think of it, the students other than me did carry around fine-looking arms.
‘This worked out.’
It was just as the situation was about to settle for the time being.
“The mana reaction is currently strongest over there!”
“Run instead of talking!”
The vibrations from dozens of people running were enough to shake the ground.
It would have been stranger if no one came running after something this big had happened.
‘This won’t be easy.’
As the demonized student was purified, the illusion over the forest had also been undone, so escaping easily would be difficult.
The Academy was a place where it was fine as long as one did not get caught.
In other words, I could not get caught right now.
Still, fortunately, I had a dependable ally.
“Um...... Could you give me a ride?”
“How absurd and bewildering...... What will you do about that one?”
What was she asking something so obvious for?
“Leave him behind. Someone has to take responsibility, right?”
The Thunderbird’s smile was quite pleasant to see.
“It is fortunate you are not merely a pushover-like fool.”
It was not that I was being harsh. Since I had restored the dream he had lost, he could do at least this much.
‘And it was incidental too.’
In a way, he had simply been lucky enough to be caught up in the process of feeding Loki a screw-you.
***
The Thunderbird, with the thunderclouds at her back, soared into the high sky to subjugate magical beasts. She had already parted ways with Wonwoo.
“......I cannot understand him, no matter how I try.”
Originally, if he had called her for any reason, the Thunderbird would have scolded him or been disappointed depending on the situation.
Whatever the case, he would have been trying to commit killing by borrowing another’s hand rather than using his own.
‘To think he would call me because he wanted to save someone.’
That was why Wonwoo’s action had been unexpected. This sort of unusual aspect was also what she liked about him.
‘Does it mean he is different from other humans?’
The Thunderbird had sensed karma from Wonwoo that she had not smelled before.
Yet despite having accumulated the karma of killing, no malice remained in Wonwoo. This meant that goodwill had been contained in the process of destruction.
Holding mercy toward the Demonic. Perhaps that could be called a weak mindset.
‘What a strange child.’
However, Wonwoo showed merciless hostility toward anything he judged to be evil.
The hostility Wonwoo had unconsciously revealed toward Loki had been enough to surprise even the Thunderbird.
One must not overlook the conviction of one who held a clear standard.
‘To think he would choose the difficult path on purpose.’
Still, if he could reach the end of that path, then someday...... a new world might arrive.
KABOOM!
Still soaked in thought, the Thunderbird burned the body of the magical beast blocking her path and embraced war once more.
***
The next day, yesterday’s experience of riding on the Thunderbird’s back and flying through the sky had been exceedingly precious. We had not even gone that far, but I had nearly fallen hundreds of times.
‘Was it really precious?’
To begin with, she had probably never carried a person before, so it was only natural.
‘What did I even do for it to already be Sunday?’
The weekend was also like flowing water. I moved my gaze to Laevateinn, placed on the desk.
It had originally been an evil god’s arms, but because of the Thunderbird, it had become a lightning-struck jujube tree.
‘I should get somewhat used to it before going into class.’
For example, Laevateinn’s main function was probably amplification, and something else might have been hidden in it because of the Thunderbird’s lightning.
With swelling expectation, I left my room to go to the training ground.
‘I should go find Giselle if I have time too.’
After that, I planned to visit Giselle as well, since it was true that I was grateful to her.
......What am I looking at?
“This way, Lady.”
I did not know why Giselle was in our dormitory. I understood Jio’s tone even less.
“Oh my, how gentlemanly-.”
To bring a thief into this place, borrowing the Thunderbird’s words, was something I could never look past.