How to Survive as the Academy’s Villain

Chapter 156

Swish, thud!

The massive spear blade barely missed its mark, sending a chill down my spine.

‘Wow, this is more intense than I thought.’

Fabian’s relentless assault was more ferocious and oppressive than I had anticipated.

[Careful now. One hit from that and you’ll be a goner.]

‘Shh, quiet down. I need to focus.’

I cut off Airsya’s commentary with a firm tone, biting my lower lip as I considered my options.

‘I need more time.’

I had expected Fabian to come out strong in the beginning, aiming to finish the fight before I could counterattack.

But because of that…

[Why not just use magic and end this quickly? Why bother with all this trouble?]

‘I need to make sure he understands.’

I answered Airsya’s question while spreading the spirit energy from the Orb.

What I had been preparing during the past twenty minutes was a spirit magic formation.

‘I need to see if it can be used in a real battle.’

Fabian was most wary of my magic, of course. The moment I showed any signs of casting a spell, he’d likely double down on his efforts to stop me, attacking even more aggressively than before.

So.

‘I just need to buy time until the formation is complete.’

Through my experiences as Kamon Vade, I had figured out the only path to victory in this fight. Simply overpowering Fabian with magic wasn’t a guaranteed win.

But using spirit magic, something he couldn’t predict?

‘This will work for sure.’

Unless he was the overpowered protagonist Kyle, Fabian had no way of countering spirit magic with no prior knowledge of it.

And then.

Whoosh, thud!

“This ends now, no more running!”

Fabian, having chased me with relentless attacks, decided to prepare a final, powerful strike to end the fight quickly.

‘Damn, I need more time.’

I hurriedly summoned a spell.

“Fireball.”

I sent a volley of fireballs his way, but…

Zzzing!

The magic was absorbed by a mana shield emanating from his spear, rendering my attack ineffective.

“It’s not working.”

Was that his trump card?

If my magic couldn’t break through, I wouldn’t be able to stall for more time. There was a risk his ultimate attack would land before my spirit formation was ready.

‘Tch, looks like I have no choice.’

Time was running out, and as I glanced at the nearly complete formation, I had to make a decision.

‘Airsya.’

[Why are you calling me? All you do is tell me to be quiet.]

‘Come on, don’t be like that. I need a favor.’

[No.]

‘Oh, come on. Cheer up. I promise I won’t argue with you in the future, no matter what you say.’

[Hmmm.]

Airsya seemed to ponder my offer, resting her chin in her hand. I quickly added more to sweeten the deal.

‘Three times. I’ll let you win three times. Minimum.’

[Deal. Keep your word.]

With that, she dove into the Orb. Immediately, the deep blue energy within surged, spreading out faster than before.

[Like this?]

With Airsya’s help, the dark blue energy spread across the area, completing the spirit magic formation just in time.

‘Perfect, Airsya. Thanks to you, it’s ready.’

As I smiled, feeling confident, Fabian’s voice rang out.

“Try dodging this, Kamon Vade!”

Right on cue, Fabian finished his preparations, his spear blazing blue as he swung it.

Whizz!

The massive blue energy converged and shot toward me.

I spoke calmly as it approached.

“Fantazio Kapileo!”

The activation phrase for the spirit magic formation.

The dark blue energy that had spread out began to form a pattern, resembling a giant butterfly. The formation enclosed part of the backyard, including Fabian and me.

‘Got it!’

I shouted inwardly, finally revealing the power of the spirit magic formation to everyone present.

Zzzing!

The dark blue energy began to glow brightly, creating something in the air.

“What, butterflies?”

“Where did these butterflies come from?”

Everyone within the formation saw the brilliantly colored butterflies fluttering about.

“Pointless trickery!”

Fabian shouted, his eyes catching sight of several small butterflies as well. But I simply smiled and muttered quietly.

“Are you sure about that?”

Snap!

I snapped my fingers.

Crack!

“……?!”

The massive blue energy Fabian had launched toward me suddenly froze in midair.

[To think spirit magic could be used like this… The world is indeed vast.]

Even Airsya, the Spirit of Jealousy, was impressed by the power of the spirit magic formation.

‘No wonder Dean Elmon was awarded the title of Academy Head without question.’

The spirit magic formation I had used was from the book he gave me, known as the “Illusory Butterfly.” It had the power to momentarily freeze time for anyone who saw the illusionary butterflies.

Of course, those outside its range…

“Why did they stop moving?”

“Huh? Why are they just standing there?”

With a puzzled expression, the villagers tilted their heads, muttering in confusion. They couldn’t comprehend what had just occurred.

Meanwhile…

Step, step, step.

I walked forward, the only one moving in a space where everything else had come to a halt. I casually sidestepped the massive blue energy that had been aimed at me and approached the frozen figure of Fabian.

“Kamon Vade, what have you done?! What is this…?”

Fabian’s voice was filled with frustration and confusion as he snarled at me, unable to understand what had happened. I responded with a light chuckle.

“Can’t you see?”

I slowly raised my hand and clenched my fist.

“You’re going to get hit a few times.”

The duel would end after three solid blows, so I intended to use those three strikes to vent all the frustration Fabian had caused me.

***

“Duel over! Kamon wins!”

Chelsea’s clear voice rang out, signaling the end of the match.

The duel had concluded with Kamon suddenly approaching Fabian and delivering three decisive punches to his face, leaving Fabian with noticeable bruises.

“Wow, so that’s what an academy students’ duel looks like.”

“It was incredible. Things were flying around, and time even stopped!”

“Time didn’t stop, they were just standing still.”

“If you don’t know, don’t talk. The butterflies appeared, and time literally froze.”

“What? Butterflies? I didn’t see anything like that.”

The villagers chattered excitedly, each sharing their impressions of the intense battle they had just witnessed. The duel had left a strong impression on everyone, but none more so than a few key individuals.

Had Kamon defeated Fabian using magic, the outcome would have been surprising, but not shocking. However…

‘That was definitely spirit magic.’

Princess Francia, a spirit mage who commanded the ancient spirit Gatraon, was left stunned by what she had seen during the duel.

‘How? Since when?’

She had noticed something odd before—how Gatraon had been unusually friendly toward Kamon at the mansion. But that was different from actually wielding spirit magic.

‘And what was that power? It looked like a formation, but stopping time with just a formation? How is that even possible?’

Unfamiliar with Dean Elmon’s spirit magic formation, Princess Francia couldn’t help but be astonished by the power Kamon Vade had displayed. The ability to stop time, even using spirit energy, was beyond her understanding.

As she stared at Kamon, who had ended the duel so decisively, Princess Francia found herself full of questions about him.

Of course, she wasn’t the only one shaken by what had happened.

“……”

Chelsea, who had been silently observing the duel after acting as the referee, also found herself deeply affected.

‘He’s gotten stronger.’

She watched Kamon flex his fist, pondering the source of the power he had just used. Though she didn’t know the exact nature of the energy, she realized it didn’t really matter.

‘What has he been through to become so strong?’

Recalling their past training sessions when Kamon was trying to compete with Kyle, Chelsea couldn’t help but shake her head at how much he had changed since then.

And then…

Clang!

“This is impossible!”

Fabian, having thrown his spear to the ground in frustration, shouted in disbelief.

“That was trickery! I was caught by trickery!”

With a furious expression and bruised face, Fabian refused to accept the outcome.

Tap!

Kyle, emerging from the crowd, grabbed Fabian’s shoulder and shook his head firmly.

“Enough, Fabian.”

“Kyle, you saw it too! That bastard used trickery. Time stopping? That wasn’t magic!”

“No, it was a fair fight.”

“What?”

Fabian stared at Kyle in disbelief, who met his gaze and continued.

“Princess Francia confirmed it herself. That wasn’t trickery, it was spirit magic.”

“…Spirit magic?”

Fabian repeated the words, frowning in anger.

“Lies. How could Kamon use spirit magic? He’s a mage, not a…”

“Enough!”

For the first time, Kyle gripped Fabian’s shoulder tightly and shouted, his tone serious and commanding.

“…!”

Fabian, who was used to seeing Kyle’s usual cheerful demeanor, was stunned by his sternness. The anger that had been boiling inside him began to cool.

“You lost, Fabian.”

“……”

“I told you, Kamon is strong.”

Hearing Kyle’s words, Fabian felt his strength leave him, and his legs gave way.

Thud!

He slumped to the ground, muttering softly.

“I… I lost?”

It was a situation he hadn’t anticipated, making it difficult for him to accept the reality.

‘I can’t believe it.’

If he had lost after a fierce battle, it might have been easier to accept. But from the start of the duel, he had been on the offensive, controlling the pace. Up until the final moment, he was convinced of his victory.

But then…

‘To think it ended with just that one move?’

Defeated by what he initially thought was trickery—now revealed as spirit magic—Fabian couldn’t wrap his mind around it.

At that moment, Kamon’s familiar voice reached his ears.

“So, is it all over now?”

Kamon’s voice had a mocking tone as he spoke, twisting his wrist as he continued.

“Well, the loser has to follow the conditions, right?”

Gritting his teeth in anger, Fabian felt a surge of rage, but a promise was a promise.

“Fabian?”

Kyle, still standing in front of him, nodded, urging him to keep the promise he had made.

“……”

After a long silence, Fabian finally spoke.

“…I apologize. I’m sorry for how I’ve treated you until now.”

He bowed his head toward Kamon Vade, conceding his defeat.