âOur goal is to catch the daemon today. Since itâs the first day, your seniors will demonstrate, and you will watch..â
âSenior!â
âWhat?â
At that time, Yulrey, who had been quiet so far, pulled on Nathan. He was a seemingly fragile boy who was much smaller than Nathan.
âIt looks like itâs going to rain.â
âRain?â
Yulrey said in an uneasy voice. Everyone looked up when hearing those words. The sky was full of dark clouds. Soon after, as Yulrey said, it rained.
. . .
Shoot!
âThatâs a problem.â
Nathan murmured softly. As soon as the raindrops fell one by one, they ducked under a huge tree. The rain thickened in an instant. Thanks to the pouring rain, there was a fog forming.
âTsk, itâs raining hard. Nathan, what do we do? Should I just go back like this?â
âLetâs wait a little longer.â
First of all, it was an opinion to wait and see because it might be a simple shower, but in fact, the situation was not good from the moment the rain started.
âI canât even see. Of course, if we strengthen our bodies, this rain doesnât matter, but weâre not wizards.â
âI think weâd better just go back, Nathan. Fighting in the rain is dangerous in many ways.â
âWellâŠâ
Nathan was briefly silent as everyone asked Nathan for his opinion. Somehow Nathan seemed to be the leader of this group. As the two other seniors passed on the leadership role to Nathan, the remaining juniors had no choice but to wait for Nathanâs words as if it were natural. Then Yulrey said cautiouslyâŠ
ââŠ..If it rains like this, you wonât be able to really use your magic well.â
The story was true. Wizards really needed a magic medium to use magic, but drawing magic with their staff in real time is quite time consuming. So, Nathan drew a few magic circles on the paper in advance, and would take it out and use it when necessary. However, when it rained like this, the paper that drew the magic got wet, and eventually the paper could not be used. In this case, the wizard has to draw a magic circle in real timeâŠ
âYouâre right, Yulrey.â
âYulrey, how did you know it was going to rain?â
âRight! It rained as soon as you said it!â
âWell, one of my parents is a spirit. So the weather⊠I can just tell.â
Boom!
Then there was the sound of fireworks breaking through the sound of rain. The dark sky sparkled blue for a moment.
âItâs a signal bomb.â
âWhat? Who used it?â
âThereâs already a team that shoots a flare? Did I make a mistake?â
The children murmured with fright. Nathan frowned at the darkened sky again.
Why did you shoot the flare? If youâre going back because of the rain, you can just use âReturn.â
Nathan had an ominous feeling. The next moment, there was a sound of a signal explosion from all over the dark sky, pouring rain, and still silence. The sky is twinkling.
âEveryone, take out the return seats!â cried Nathan impatiently. However, it was too late to realize that the daemon was approaching while being buried by the sound of rain.
âNathan, I think itâs already hereâ
At the same time Agnes and Lariya took out their swords and rushed at the daemon that appeared from behind them. The daemonâs hard front feet hit the two swords and roared. It was not a weight to endure, so Agnes hit the front paws of it with strength. While the daemon faltered due to the rebound of power, the two ran back, widening their distance from the daemon.
âWow, damn it. What is this? Was this guy always here?â
âNo, Iâve never seen him before!â
Agnes shook off his hand as if it were numb. Watching Lariya and Agnes re-positioning, Nathan rummaged in his arms, took out the paper and threw it on the floor.
â[Water, be a chain of restraints and bind your enemies before you!]â
The rain poured down and there was enough water around. As Nathan recited the spell, the rain fluctuated violently with bright light. The water took the shape of a chain and curled up the devilâs body, an evil spirit
It was unsettling to see somethingâs huge body struggling the way it struggled. The shrill scream that penetrated their ears only brought even greater fear.
âThis wonât last long. Itâll be wiped off by the rain soon!â
Nathanâs wand, slightly taller than his height, trembled, but Nathan clenched his teeth.
âDonât fight both of you! Juniors, use the return seat!â
âYes, yes!â
âI have to stay, so the magic is maintained. Go ahead!â
âNathan!â
As soon as the other children used the return seat one after another and Agnes called Nathan, the magic staff ran out. Like an angry bull, the devil rushed at Nathan. Nathan hurriedly wrapped himself around
Yulrey next to him and rolled on the ground.
Bang!
The place they had just stood was to the other end. His heart beat fast. There are only deep marks in the place where evil spirits passed.
âReturn seat!â
Nathan agonized. In the front, there was a daemon, and in the back, there was a child who couldnât escape. In addition, Yulrey missed the return seat a while ago. Sadly, the return stone could not be easily picked up by rolling over to that point.
Nathanâs head was taut. âWhat should I do? What should I do?â Even if he drags on like this, heâll get in the way. âBut I canât run away alone. What if I give him my return seat? Can I run away? Damn it. Whatâs going on? What if I donât give you a return seat? Heâs too young. Besides, thereâs already a panic. Do you think you can hold out until the other kids bring you back? I donât know, but he definitely canât. You canât even get up now. First of all, we need to send him to a place where the daemon canât see him. Iâm⊠IâmâŠ. Iâm fine.â
T/N: That was an inner conversation of Nathan being both the one that asks himself questions and answering them. His way of preparing himself for whatâs to come.
âItâs gonna be okay.â
âHey! Junior!â
âSenior!â
âTake this!â
Nathan threw his return stone at Yulrey. Fortunately, the distance was close, so Yulrey could get it without missing it. It was so wet that I couldnât tell whether Yulreyâs face was wet with rainwater or tears.
âHa, but what about you?â
âHurry up! Iâll go on my own!â
âIâll bring the professor!â
âGo!â
Fortunately, Yulrey disappeared with a group of lights as if the return stone was used quickly. Now there are really only Nathan and the daemon.
âHa, thatâs right.â
Nathan slowly backed away. His hair, which was quite long because he didnât cut it, was wet, and it was very annoying. The rain rather obscured the view. Nathan took off his glasses and held them in his hand. The view was blurry, but it was better than being blind because of the water. The wand in his hand was held tightly as if it were a lifeline, and he ran in the opposite direction before the daemon returned.
Nathan didnât give up the return seat to Yulrey because he was full of justice. Itâs just that Yulrey was still a kid. Itâs only natural that he should take care of them as an adult. Thatâs why. Thatâs all.
Running in the rain was very difficult. Furthermore, the pouring rain in the forest was enough to lose oneâs sense of direction. Nathan just ran forward without knowing where he was running.
Nathan cried because he was afraid of this situation. It was also unfair. If asked if he regretted what he had done, of course he regretted it. âWhatâs the point of being a good adult? Even as an adult, Iâm not even 30 years old!â
âUgh..â
Nathan, who was running with a blurry view, tripped over the root of the tree and fell. Nathan tried to get up in a hurry, but his arms trembled. He was out of breath.
âOh, Professor Michael told me not to overdo it.â
The damn body screamed that it only ran. He used the wand as support.
Nathan felt that the daemon was approaching while he was getting up. He was afraid to look back. The constant sound of rain fell to his ears.
âDo I die like this? Really? I havenât even started the novel yet.â He had thought about death after graduation, but it was not in Nathanâs mind to die before graduation. At this moment, his head was filled with questions.
âIf I die here, itâs not fair..â
When he forcibly turned his head that was not turning around, the daemon stood right behind him. The ferocious red eyes look at Nathan. Everything seemed so slow at the moment. The pouring rain and even the way the devil opened his huge mouth to swallow him moved very slowly.
âDeath was just around the cornerâ I thought.
âŠif it werenât for the next momentâs voice, Nathan would have thought he was dead already.
âWhy do you think about dying already?â
âWhat?â
His plain tone was too inconsistent with the situation. Then the daemonâs body collapsed, trying to swallow him. When Nathan looked up in a daze, a familiar person stood on the body of a dead daemon.