Chapter 721: Episode 721

One week ago.

Mutant Club basement.

"That’s amazing, Simon!" Benya cheered, her face glowing with excitement. A single purple scale hovered over Simon, who had collapsed onto the floor in sheer exhaustion.

"You’ve finally conquered the Ancient Drake!"

"Yeah," he panted. "I barely managed to manifest a single scale."

It was hard to believe he had pulled this off right in the middle of exam season. Simon’s recent achievements were a string of unprecedented breakthroughs. He had modified the Ancient Drake to run on chaos as its power source—just like the Chaos Dullahan—and successfully bound Sword Master Manus to control it.

"This way, I can prepare both the Chaos Dullahan and the Dragonian with a single chaos spell," Simon explained, holding up his index and middle fingers.

"I can choose the summon depending on the situation. If I need strong burst damage, I’ll bring out the Dullahan. If I need stable defense, I’ll use the Dragonian."

"But that glowing purple scale... does it have some kind of special effect?"

"Of course." Simon opened his palm, and a stalk of ethereal purple wheat sprouted from his skin.

It was the power of the Harvest Saintess, recreated entirely through chaos. Simon had named this ability ’Chaos Leaf.’ Transforming the shape of this Chaos Leaf and overlaying it onto the drake’s scales was the core of his new skill.

"Alright." Simon donned the elongated skull helmet of the drake and opened his palm. A single scale materialized in the air, shimmering with a deep purple hue.

"Benya, do you want to try attacking it with a simple jet-black flame spell?"

"Sure!"

She immediately chanted and fired ’Dark Blaze.’ However, the fireball hurtled forward, trailing foul smoke, only to scatter and vanish before it even touched the scale. There wasn’t so much as an explosion.

"Wow, how does that work?" she asked, eyes wide.

"Mana, jet-black, and even divinity—the Chaos Leaf absorbs all three elements. Even a fully formed spell will have its structural components damaged or lose its power source mid-flight, neutralizing it before impact."

Simon raised his hand with disciplined precision and gave it a sharp swing. The purple scales sliced through the air, spinning rapidly around Benya.

"Do you want to try casting another dark spell?"

"Alright. Let’s see..." She groaned, straining to gather her magic, but soon let out an exasperated sigh. "I can’t do it."

"It constantly absorbs the surrounding jet-black and mana," Simon noted.

Compared to the Chaos Dullahan, the Dragonian had its pros and cons.

The Dullahan possessed the powerful ability to turn the surrounding area into a magic-sealing zone, amplified by its jet-black engine. However, its formulas were incredibly heavy, resulting in a long summoning time. On the other hand, the Dragonian could be summoned much faster and still create a localized sealing effect within a limited range.

"You’re seriously planning to beat Aizel," Benya said, her tone turning grave.

"Yes. Even with this, victory seems far off, but I’m still looking forward to it." He stretched his arm out, clenching his fist. "The day I finally get to fight him properly."

---

Simon’s fists, wrapped in jagged purple scales, pounded Kajan into a pulp. With every brutal strike, Kajan’s Stage 5 Death Armor—which boasted near-invincible defense—cracked, peeled, and crumbled away.

’I don’t have time!’

Simon bit his lip so hard it nearly bled.

’Faster!’

Seeing Kajan glaring back at him, perfectly conscious despite the relentless beating, Simon suddenly remembered Aizel’s face buried in that sickening poison. Blood vessels burst in Simon’s eyes as pure rage took over.

"Haaaaaah!"

With a fierce roar, Simon’s offensive grew even more ferocious. The Death Armor finally gave way, shattering completely as a heavy blow knocked Kajan’s true body backward.

The observing spectators let out gasps of awe.

"Kajan’s Death Armor!"

"He broke through it!"

Kajan’s body was fully exposed as he was forced back. His clothes were torn to shreds, and his metal mask was slick with blood.

"Kajaaaaan!"

Simon kicked off the dragon scales spread beneath his feet, launching himself at Kajan.

In response, Kajan’s eyes flashed dangerously as he clenched his fist. The remnants of his Stage 5 Death Armor crumbled and rapidly shifted form.

[Demon’s Horn]

It was a pure physical attack skill that abandoned area-of-effect firepower and toxicity, instead condensing the poison and jet-black to maximize structural cohesion. Kajan had seen through the Dragonian’s absorption ability and formulated a direct counter, but...

’I’ll shatter all dark magic in this space!’

Simon was already prepared.

’The duration is shorter than the Chaos Dullahan, but...!’

All the drake scales gathered in the air above him. As Simon coughed up black blood and activated his dark magic, a refined purple flower bud bloomed from between the shifting scales.

[Dragonian Combo – Sealing Barrier]

The flower bud vanished, unleashing a pulsing purple wavelength into the surroundings. The deadly horns that were inches away from piercing Simon instantly turned to mush, losing their shape and structural integrity.

On top of that, the curses, magic circles, and even the artifact effects Kajan had layered over himself to enhance his body completely dissipated.

[This is...!]

Every ounce of jet-black and mana within the purple domain was being violently sucked away. Naturally, this meant Simon was also unable to use magic circles.

’The duration is only five seconds! I have to finish it now!’

Simon’s hand dropped to the scabbard at his waist, and he drew his blade with a sharp metallic ring.

It was the most basic, worn-out sword used by ordinary skeletons. He gripped the hilt with both hands and raised it high.

’I’ll cut him down!’

The moment his fingers tightened around the grip, Manus’s lingering thoughts surged into his mind like a tidal wave, rattling his consciousness. Amplified by the chaos, Simon’s reason wavered as hot blood rushed to his head.

"Kajaaaaaan!"

Right now, in this fleeting window where everyone was made equal—stripped of jet-black and mana—he staked life and death on a single sword strike.

The only chance to cut him down was now.

That single, consuming thought raced through his entire body.

’I’ll cut him down.’

Guided by Manus’s will and driven purely by instinct, Simon’s blade descended, carving a flawless, lethal trajectory through the air.

And Kajan...

’I’m going to die.’

He felt the icy premonition of his own end.

How long had it been since he had truly faced death? The descending sword strike was by no means something a mere student could imitate.

It was an existence that defied all conventional standards.

In Kajan’s eyes, the phantom silhouette of a terrifyingly powerful undead loomed behind Simon, guiding his arms.

’There’s no other way.’

The metal mask covering his mouth rapidly turned to ash and crumbled away. Something utterly horrifying was rising from the depths of his open throat.

’I’ll consume the Dark Tome.’

A sickening rush of dark energy erupted from his mouth.

What burst forth was entirely alien to any existing element or lifeform in this world.

A primal serpent of darkness—looking as though it had been woven from a writhing swarm of hungry ghosts—lunged forward to tear out Simon’s throat. At the exact same moment, Simon’s worn sword cleaved toward Kajan’s neck.

In that split second, all reason vanished.

Without a single shred of defense, the two boys aimed purely and honestly for each other’s necks.

If this connected, regardless of victory or defeat, both of their heads would roll. But it was too late. Neither could stop, and neither could dodge.

Just as their lethal strikes crossed in the air, mere inches from severing each other’s lifelines...

[A children’s fight shouldn’t cross the line.]

A magic circle abruptly unfolded right in front of Kajan’s eyes. There was no time to react. A pure white serpent shot out from the glowing runes and swallowed the snake of death in a single, effortless bite.

’How could they stop the magic of the Dark Tome?! Nothing can alter it!’

His eyes wide with shock, Kajan looked down.

A third party had bypassed the barrier. It was a tall figure dressed in a crisp white suit, a matching fedora pulled low over his eyes.

"Trying to kill the greatest talent this world has ever produced... You must be out of your mind, Kajan."

It was the Professor of Curses, Bahil Amagar.

Meanwhile, Simon—still mid-swing toward Kajan’s neck—also sensed an anomaly. A single, delicate butterfly had landed gently on the tip of his blade.

’This dark magic is...!’

He tried to pull back, but he couldn’t halt his momentum. Kajan’s neck was just inches away.

Suddenly, a bizarre resistance pushed back against the blade that should have been slicing through empty air.

Before he knew it, Simon wasn’t cleaving through air at all—he was cutting through a dense swarm of butterflies. With every butterfly the blade touched, the metal rapidly rusted and flaked away. By the time the swarm fluttered past, Simon was swinging nothing but an empty hilt.

"Are you planning a double suicide?" a chilling voice rang out.

Vice President Jane, dressed impeccably in a suit, slammed the butt of her scythe against the floor with a heavy thud.

"I cannot tolerate a duel that crosses the line any further. I am immediately halting all combat actions."

’CLICK! CLICK!’

Suddenly, red bones clamped onto Simon’s body, violently yanking him backward. Before he could even process what had happened, he was pinned flat against the arena floor. A simply dressed man dragged his slippers across the ground as he casually walked over.

"Simon Polentia."

"Ah, Professor Aaron!"

"There’s no time for chatter," Aaron ordered. "Rein in that thing’s lingering thoughts."

Simon snapped back to his senses and looked down. The rampaging Manus was screaming through the psychic link, his bloodlust overflowing.

’D-Did I just try to kill Kajan?’

Breaking out in a cold sweat, Simon quickly clamped his hand over Manus’s skull.

"Your application of the Ancient Drake was impressive, but..." Aaron dropped to one knee and placed his own hand on Manus’s skull to assist Simon. "It seems you still need more time before you can wear this monster and handle it like your own body. What are you going to do if the caster gets swept up in the summon’s lingering thoughts? For the time being, it would be better to use it as a separate summon, like the Chaos Dullahan."

"Ah, I’ll keep that in mind, sir!"

In the end, the faculty had forcefully intervened in the student council president finals.

Under normal circumstances, professors were strictly forbidden from interfering in official duels. But two students nearly decapitating each other definitely qualified as a special situation.

The professors had known the location of the Grerium family’s hidden arena from the very beginning. They had mobilized the moment Kajan—a third party—hacked the magic circle and hijacked the barrier. Ultimately, the second they saw Kajan unleash the ’Dark Tome,’ they had no choice but to step in.

Jane’s ethereal butterflies fluttered gracefully through the air, purifying the toxic smoke and pushing back the encroaching swamp of poison.

"W-We’re saved..."

The terrified spectators finally let out shaky sighs of relief, slumping to the ground. Leonard shouted.

"We have injured people over here!"

"Understood," Jane replied.

At her subtle gesture, a swarm of butterflies flew over and deployed a teleportation magic circle. They quickly enveloped Aizel and Ednic Grerium—who were in the most critical condition—and transported them straight to the infirmary.

’THUD!’

Meanwhile, Bahil had completely subdued Kajan.

[Kwooooooooar!]

"My, my."

Bahil pressed his shoe firmly against the boy’s head. Kajan thrashed violently, desperately trying to get up. Having taken several direct hits from chaos magic, his reason was entirely clouded. With his anger boiling over, he looked more like a feral beast than a student.

"Kajan, I do favor outstanding students like you, but..." Bahil shifted his shoe, mockingly tapping Kajan’s cheek. "When a mere talent of the century messes with one of the greatest talents in human history... well, even a patient man like myself loses his temper."

He ruthlessly stomped down. Kajan’s head cracked against the stone, cratering the floor, but his violent thrashing only intensified.

The corners of Bahil’s mouth stretched into a grotesque, ear-to-ear grin.

"You’ll have to pay the price for messing with my student, won’t you?"

Bloodcurdling formulas shimmered in the air, rapidly weaving together to form an atrocious curse.

"I will not overlook excessive force, Professor Bahil," Jane warned sharply.

"Is that really a curse meant for a student?"

Bahil clicked his tongue and casually shrugged. The horrific curse dispersed, replaced by a simple calming and paralyzing hex that finally brought Kajan’s thrashing to a halt.

"Hahaha! I was wondering why I was being called out at this ungodly hour."

A new figure strolled through the shattered barrier. She flashed a wide grin, revealing rows of jagged, shark-like teeth.

"What a mess, huh?"

It was a woman dressed in what looked like literal rags—Byulya, the Professor of Venomology.

"Professor Byulya," Jane said. "I ask that you detoxify the students."

"Sure thing."

As Byulya approached the remaining spectators, she casually dipped her finger into the toxic swamp Kajan had created and popped it into her mouth. Seeing their professor flick her tongue as if savoring a piece of candy, the students turned a collective shade of pale.

"He uses an interesting poison. The mixture is quite unique. Does it have a slight hint of cinnamon?"

Angry red hives immediately broke out across Byulya’s skin, only to subside a second later. Muttering to herself, she rubbed her finger against the back of her hand, peeling off a small flake of skin.

"Here, eat up, Princess."

She unceremoniously shoved the piece of her own flesh into the mouth of Molly, the first-year who looked to be in the most critical condition. Meirin jumped in absolute horror.

"W-Wait a minute! What are you feeding a member of the royal family?!"

"An antidote," Byulya replied nonchalantly.

It looked incredibly questionable, but the results were undeniable. The sickening purple hue faded from Molly’s face, and her breathing grew peaceful.

"You guys eat one each, too."

Byulya began casually scraping off bits of her own skin. Looking as though they were being forced to chew on live bugs, the students squeezed their eyes shut and swallowed the strands of hair and skin tissue she handed them. Dick, however, was staring blankly, seemingly admiring the piece of flesh Byulya had just peeled off her thigh.

’SMACK!’

Meirin slapped him hard across the back of the head.

"We will hear the full details of what transpired here later," Jane announced, clapping her hands to gather their attention. "For now, everyone is to return to your dormitories immediately."

Relieved, the students began to file out of the arena one by one. Bahil kindly hacked the magic circle again, splitting the barrier wide open to clear their path.

"Then..." Aaron turned his head. "What are we going to do with this guy?"

All the professors’ eyes slowly drifted down to fixate on Kajan.