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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Vine
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Hayden Parker, the protagonist of Academy’s Devil Slayer, or rather, the Devil Slayer himself, was known for his red demon-repelling coat, his holy sword inscribed with divine scriptures, and his dual pistols. The crimson coat, the color of holy blood, possessed demon-repelling properties. The sword, forged from mithril, a rare metal highly effective against demons, and further empowered by holy inscriptions, could destroy lesser demons with a single touch. These were common enough among the Church’s inquisitors. But the Devil Slayer also wielded guns, rare and expensive weapons in this world.
Guns weren’t mass-produced here. Each one was handcrafted, a costly weapon, yet less efficient than a mage’s spells, often dismissed as a rich man’s eccentric hobby. But the Devil Slayer saw their potential. Guns could rapidly fire metal projectiles, and with the right ammunition – silver bullets – they could become powerful anti-demon weapons.
Fewer than a hundred people in the Empire possessed firearms. And among them, who would be at the Academy? This was a place of magic, not guns. Carrying a gun here would mark you as an eccentric rich kid.
So… it had to be Hayden, right?
The figure emerging from the demonic mist…
“…Amy?”
…was Amy Parker. She looked unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar. The red coat, the dual pistols, the sword on her back… she was the spitting image of the Devil Slayer from the novel.
But why Amy? And how could she afford such expensive equipment, considering her family’s financial troubles? It didn’t make sense. I had thought Amy Parker was different from Hayden… was she just a female version of him?
I refuse to believe this is a sudden gender-bender twist.
Amy’s fate was different from Hayden’s. He was driven by revenge, his family and territory destroyed by demons, his life dedicated to their eradication. Amy, however, was here to protect her family and her territory. Their circumstances were vastly different.
But regardless of my confusion, her pistols fired. Silver bullets whizzed past me.
“Amy! It’s me!”
I had never faced a gun before. Guns were… an anomaly in this world. They existed, but they were rarely seen in action. This was my first time, but I knew the basics. Avoid the projectiles, close the distance.
Easier said than done!
It was possible, but difficult. She could fire with a flick of her wrist, while I had to use my entire body to dodge.
“Amy, it’s me! Atlas! What’s going on? This isn’t funny!”
Her expression was… unsettling. She bit her lip, her face a mixture of anger and… sadness. She heard me, but she didn’t respond.
“!!!”
She holstered her pistols and drew her greatsword. The massive blade seemed too heavy for her slender arms, but she wielded it with surprising ease, swinging it down with a strength I hadn’t anticipated. She had been hiding her true strength. I couldn’t just stand there and take it. I drew my longsword, meeting her attack head-on.
-Clang!
A deafening sound as our blades clashed. There was no contest of strength. I had intended to knock her back, and she flew backwards, landing heavily on the ground. Her greatsword, far heavier than my longsword, should have shattered my blade, but it remained intact.
“Amy, if you’re being threatened or controlled, drop your gun.”
I said it jokingly, but I was concerned. She had her reasons, her own hidden struggles. I thought I understood her after our first conversation, but I was wrong.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but… I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”
“Tch…!”
A pale flame ignited on her mithril greatsword. Aura Blade. It looked powerful, but I knew the blade itself, forged from a rare metal, amplified her aura, like Lemnos’s Flamberge.
“Amy, you attacked first. Don’t blame me if you get hurt.”
“!!!!”
Her Aura Blade swung towards me again. My sword remained inactive. I couldn’t bring myself to use it. I might hurt her. I was getting annoyed. I hadn’t done anything wrong. Why was she attacking me? I had simply eliminated some cultists. Was that it? It was absurd.
It was a misunderstanding.
Whatever her reasons, it was a misunderstanding. I couldn’t let her get hurt. I would regret it.
I’ll just… subdue her.
I moved swiftly, closing the distance. I grabbed her sword arm with one hand, her collar with the other.
“?!”
I swept her supporting leg with my foot, sending her crashing to the ground.
-BAM!
“Gah!”
The air was knocked out of her lungs as she landed hard on the cave floor.
“Ugh…”
She gasped for breath, her lungs burning. She couldn’t get enough air. Seeing her struggle, clutching her chest, made me feel… uneasy.
“Amy…”
“…!”
I reached out to help her, but she vanished.
“What the…!”
She had been crying.
“This is… unsettling.”
I was the one who almost got shot, yet I felt like the aggressor.
Amy didn’t show up for morning training.
“Atlas, apologize.”
“What now…?”
River, seeing me at the Academy after training, demanded an apology.
“She’s not even leaving her room?”
“She says she’s not feeling well.”
River had gone to her dormitory, but Amy hadn’t opened the door. This was unusual, and River was worried.
“Amy… do you have any idea what this is about?”
“Well… um…”
Should I tell her I slammed Amy into the ground last night? I hesitated, and River’s expression darkened.
“You do know something! What did you do to Amy?!”
“This is so unfair… Why do you assume it’s my fault?”
“You’re more likely to resort to violence than Amy.”
“Well… that’s true.”
I couldn’t argue with that. My reputation preceded me.
“It looks that way, but it’s not… She’s misunderstanding something, and she won’t talk to me…”
“…Did you… kill someone?”
“Why would you think that?”
“I’ve seen you dismember people. If it’s something you can’t tell me, it must be attempted murder, right?”
She was just guessing, but she was close. I had killed people. Cultists, but still… Was that it? Had she seen me kill those cultists? It was probably the first time she had witnessed me kill someone.
Wait… it was?!
Was that really it?
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”
She pinched my cheek, the citrus scent of her hand filling the air.
“Just talk to her. Apologize. She’s important to me, and so are you.”
“I’m telling you, I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Then make up with her. I’m worried about you two fighting.”
“You’re right.”
I couldn’t let her worry. I’d give Amy some time to cool off, then I’d confront her directly if she didn’t come out.
Amy didn’t show up for classes. A single student’s absence didn’t disrupt the Academy’s schedule. The preparations for the dungeon exploration exercise continued. We were given a cheerful overview of the dungeon’s layout, the types of monsters we might encounter, the designated safe zones.
I wasn’t excited.
This is it.
River and Amy, burdened by the protagonist’s fate, were both unpredictable. I had to be prepared for the worst. My goal was to ensure everyone’s survival. A single casualty here could trigger the Empire’s downfall.
I couldn’t die yet. I had a very important reason.
If I died now, my height would be forever recorded as 149.5cm. My tombstone would read, “Atlas Titan, the Short One, 149.5cm.” I’d be remembered as a dwarf.
I won’t lose to those height-stealing demons!
I might be small now, but I would survive and die taller than 180cm. That was my current life goal.
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