Even with the multiplication arcane aiding in the fight, it did little to sway the situation. In the moments of my defeat, bound and piled with the other students, the extent of my weakness became starkly clear. My stout body, short stubby legs, were secured with enchanted rope, and no matter how much force my jaws exerted, the bonds held firm.
"Le... let go, you hear?!" I thrash wildly, rolling around until Anya straddles me, locking me in place with her legs.
"Try to calm down, Nappo. Can't you see they could kill us at any moment?" the girl whispers.
"Why didn't the spell work? I fought my hardest, you know! I took down five of them!" I huffed through my nose. "Ganging up on me like that, it's not fair! If you're so tough, come at me one-on-one!"
"How could we, Nappo? They took our wands. And we can't use magic barehanded either. Looks like we'll have to sit tight and wait for help." Anya tries to soothe me, but trust me, I had a history of bad experiences with being tied up.
"If I could use magic with my bare paws, I'd wipe the floor with them, just you wait!" My fangs continued to gnaw at the enchanted rope, but the result remained the same.
"It's alright, you know. Professor Aek will come to help us soon. I believe he won't abandon us for sure," Cher-Tam says, offering a sliver of hope.
But then...
Professor Aek joins in, his wrists bound together behind his back with enchanted rope. Bloody wounds mares his body, sending shivers of dread through the students. The intricate tattoos of glyphs writhed incessantly. His face was a mask of blood and terror, his trousers torn to shreds. A single glance was enough to gauge the ferocity of the battle he had endured.
"Professor... Professor Aek's been captured!" a first-year student cried out. In that instant, the students felt their hopes crumble. Their faces paled as they witnessed their beloved professor subdued and helpless.
"Wh... why? Our defense against the dark arts teacher... he's been captured..."
"Release our professor this instant!" a female student's voice rang out. That was enough to ignite a spark of rebellion in the others, who began to rise. But their defiance lasted only moments before a piercing, ear-splitting shriek echoed without warning. Anya shielded me, unable to lift her short front legs to cover her ears.
"Hang in there, Nappo!" She squeezes her eyes shut and grits her teeth until the sound subsides. It feels as if the world had been muted, the sound severed. I shake my head a few times until my hearing return.
"Damn it, this body is so useless..."
I mutter to myself before a massive, ominous portal materialized amidst the dark arts minions. A suffocating pressure, like a churning blade in my gut, threatened to bring up bile. Beads of sweat dotted my fur, the orange strands standing on end. Some primal instinct whispered that the most malevolent being in existence was drawing near.
Meanwhile, not a single student dared to utter a word.
Thump... thump... thump...
The minions kneel in unison, bowing their heads in reverence.
The rhythmic, heavy footsteps amplify the oppressive atmosphere, far surpassing the presence of the earlier demons. A gaunt, towering figure, nearly three meters tall, clad in a pitch-black robe and a bizarre metal helmet, stepped through. Only two glowing crimson eyes, like pools of blood, were visible. He holds a black wand radiating a violet aura, the same eerie color that enveloped his entire being, adding an unbearable weight, as if doubling the gravity. His breath rasped like a monstrous beast. He stopped abruptly after taking only six steps, surveying the scene with an unnerving stillness.
"My apologies for rousing you at such an ungodly hour," the tall, dark figure speaks, his voice a deep, resonant rumble. His red eyes, burning through the helmet's slits, fixed upon the students. "I have come to trespass upon this school, an institution that once nurtured my magical talents until my graduation. I am, in essence, your senior. This year, Escuria has unknowingly concealed something. It is the final key that will grant me power comparable to the gods. Then, the world of Caronia will belong to my lineage, generation after generation."
No one dares to speak, not even to breathe. Fear permeates every fiber of their being. Anya huddles, trembling like a drenched kitten caught in a torrential downpour.
"Of course, my heir is among you as well. But that can wait. Bring me Headmaster Conner, now." He pointed his wand at a tall, imposing boy, and a violet beam shot forth, piercing the boy's heart with swift and deadly accuracy. The execution was over in mere fractions of a second, a death swift but unimaginably cruel. The boy's small frame slumped backward, his eyes vacant and lifeless. "Resist, and you will only make things more difficult."
The students who witness the nightmare unfolding before them scream and weep, tears streaming down their faces. The newcomer, his expression impassive beneath his terrifying helmet, silence them with a spell. I couldn't even move my jaws; it felt as if they had been sealed shut with industrial-strength glue.
"To be honest, I've missed this place terribly. Eating, studying, training, socializing, breaking the rules – every student has gone through it," the figure continued. "As your senior, let me tell you, Escuria's teaching methods are archaic. Since my time, the curriculum hasn't changed in a thousand years. Where is the progress?"
"Wait a moment... Emperor..." Professor Aek blurted out, only to be silenced by a spell.
"A traitor like you has no right to speak, Aek," the crimson eyes beneath the helmet intensified, the oppressive atmosphere thickening. "Even though you were once my most trusted right-hand man, as evidenced by the tattoos on your body, your loyalty ultimately amounted to nothing. A profound disappointment."
While Professor Aek was addressing the helmeted figure, I focused my will on my jaws. I imagined the magical energy slowly coalescing there, at that single point. I squeezed my eyes shut and wrenched, the silencing spell on my mouth dissolving silently. Then, I snatched the wand from the hand of a nearby minion with my mouth.
"Saicinla!" Without hesitation, I unleashed a barrage of fireballs at the helmeted man, aiming to incapacitate or even kill him.
The other's chilling composure gave me pause. The human-fist-sized fireballs were halted mid-air with a mere flick of his wand, no incantation uttered.
That was the undeniable proof of the insurmountable gap in power.
"Versato Corpo!" I bit my tongue hard, the metallic tang of blood flooding my taste buds, jolting me back to focus. I then multiplied myself into ten doppelgangers, each unleashing a volley of fire at the figure simultaneously. "Eionna!"
The ten fireballs danced according to my will, guided by the levitation spell. Some of the minions attempted to intercept with beams of violet light. I directed one of my doppelgangers to take the hit, and it dissolved. They closed in on me, their numbers growing. Amidst the chaos, the students watched in stunned disbelief. Anya, trapped among them, tried to scream my name, but the binding spell on her voice held firm.
I had observed the violet curse beams for a while now. Their potency was lethal, capable of killing with a single strike. Unlike the killing curse in the movies, which supposedly stole the soul, these were beams of pure energy, like blades, piercing through the body. If I were hit by one, I'd likely be reincarnated in another life.
I retaliated, firing fire spells at two of the minions. They fell, their black robes engulfed in flames, the fire searing through to their flesh. Their horrifying screams sent shivers down the students' spines, but a sense of grim satisfaction also washed over them.
"Get out of here!" I aimed the wand at the helmeted man, my doppelgangers holding off the minions. "And don't ever set foot in Escuria again! Even if it's the school you graduated from, you have no right!"
The other seemed utterly unfazed.
"Well, I'll be. It's not every day you see a talking dog," the helmeted man said calmly, raising his wand and pointing it at me with a chilling, unwavering resolve, like a seasoned executioner. The violet aura surrounding his wand intensified, pressing down on my body and mind, making my short, stout legs tremble. "A magic-wielding dog, and one that's taken down quite a few of my minions. Such a creature deserves a reward... with death."
"You're quite the textbook villain, aren't you?"
I snarled, baring my fangs. "If you're so tough, let's settle this like men."
The helmeted man unleashed a spell. I used a high-jump spell to evade the attack, oblivious to my surroundings and unaware that my doppelgangers had all been eliminated. A fist slammed into my face, catching me off guard. My senses reeled, as if a plug had been pulled. In that moment, I understood just how fragile this body was. He loomed over me, my consciousness fading, his wand, the violet light intensifying at its tip, poised to end my life as he intended.
"Don't hurt Nappo!" a familiar voice cried out.
Wait a minute...
Anya!?
"You vile fiend!" the girl shrieked before lunging at me. But a minion intercepted her, backhanding her with brutal force, sending her small body sprawling to the ground.
Amidst my shock, I was utterly helpless. Unable to even rise and protect my master. What a useless pet I truly was!
"Semma Binasa!" A violet beam shot from the helmeted man's wand, piercing through the minion who had struck Anya, killing him instantly.
"Y... Your Majesty! Why did you kill..." Another minion stammered, then fell silent as the tip of his master's wand pressed against his throat. The oppressive pressure intensified, causing some of the students to faint.
"Incompetent fools," the Demon Emperor hissed, his voice low and menacing. "That child is our target. If she were to be damaged, even the lives of your entire lineage wouldn't be enough to repay me!"
"I won't let you take that child, Demon Emperor!" A powerful voice boomed, and Headmaster Conner appeared.
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To Be Continue Ep.18