"※※※! Does heartbreak even count as pain?! Can this bastard be any more shameless!"
"Which side is the cult, anyway?!"
"The Resurrection Church finally picked a fight with someone their own size! The wicked finally got a taste of their own medicine!"
Everyone at Havenlit Academy was making fun of Dekan, but they were all laughing.
The entire Observation Hall was filled with cheerful excitement. When Dekan landed the winning blow just moments ago, there was a brief silence, followed by cheers like a mountain torrent.
In a seat in the back corner, a young man looked deeply moved. He clasped his hands together, as if he'd been praying for Dekan and the others the whole time.
"Phew—"
When he saw Dekan and Cornelia defeat the Faceless One, he finally let out a breath of relief and stood up.
A faint smile still lingered on his face.
But beyond his relief, there also seemed to be a hint of bitterness and helplessness he couldn't hide.
Just as he turned to leave the classroom, he saw a slender young woman standing behind him, blocking his way.
The young woman carried herself with an air of noble aloofness, and there seemed to be a playful smile at the corner of her mouth as she studied his expression.
"Croix, don't tell me you're imagining that you could be like them?"
The young woman's tone was quite harsh.
"No... I wouldn't dream of that."
Croix realized that the young woman might have been watching him for a long time. Feeling deeply awkward, he lowered his head.
At the same time, he seemed to recall some unpleasant memories and couldn't bring himself to face her again.
"Heh. Good. At least you know your place. You're no different from those people in the Resurrection Church. Remember what you did, and remember how miserable my sister looked. No one will ever cheer for you!"
Seeing Croix's attitude, the young woman seemed to grow angrier by the moment.
"...I know."
At her aggressively worded remark, Croix's voice weakened even further, but he didn't argue.
He simply walked around her and hurried toward the door.
"After watching them, you should understand by now. You're not suited to conquering the Shadow World! You're the very embodiment of disaster. How could you possibly put an end to calamity?!"
The young woman shouted after him.
Croix stopped for a moment and bit his lip, then hurried on even faster.
He vanished from the Observation Hall as if fleeing in panic.
Two furtive figures crept through the corridors of Demon Academy, each apparently dragging an unconscious body.
They dragged the "bodies" by the feet across the floor, making a "scrrr" sound.
At last, they brought the two "bodies" to their base, the Cooking Classroom.
Dekan locked the door, then ran to the other side of the classroom and opened a window.
He hurried over to Cornelia, grabbed the Faceless One by the shoulders, and together they carried the unconscious man to the window.
"One, two!"
At their cue, the two worked together with practiced ease and tossed the Faceless One out the window.
Then they did it all over again and tossed the sorcerer out the window, too.
"Job done!"
Cornelia could've easily thrown both of them out by herself.
But since they'd committed the crime together, it was better for everyone to take part in concealing the bodies.
It showed a stronger sense of team responsibility.
There was no legal liability for killing scoundrels who attacked other challengers in a Shadow World. It was a special provision approved by the Kingdom Association.
The Observation Programs carried by Dekan and Cornelia had also recorded more than enough evidence.
"This place is so convenient. Otherwise, killing the Faceless One would've taken a lot more effort."
Dekan sighed.
His opinion of this school had risen yet again.
"What should we do? I kind of don't want to go back."
Cornelia had made herself at home without even realizing it. She'd sat down again in a chair beside the Baroque Long Table.
Then she slumped over the table, seeming reluctant to move.
"It'd be nice to visit the Demon Realm someday."
Dekan looked out the window, as if searching for a secluded paradise.
"Together."
"Definitely. But first, let's get to work. We've still got an important project."
As they chatted, they got to work swiftly gathering up all the ingredients in the Cooking Classroom.
Dekan also told Cornelia to dismantle some of the cooking equipment in the classroom.
He was going to use the parts to modify the piano.
"Oh, right."
Dekan clapped his hands, as if he'd just remembered something.
He switched on the school's PA system and said, "Attention, challenger. Please come to the Cooking Classroom. Your friend is looking for you. When you hear this announcement, come to the third room in the west corridor of the school building immediately..."
Before long, the challenger they'd rescued earlier hurried into the Cooking Classroom to find them.
After resting for over an hour and receiving plenty of medicine in the infirmary, his injuries had improved considerably.
Good. He looked full of energy. He could get back to work.
They were still 2.3% short of full exploration, after all.
Dekan looked the challenger over with satisfaction and patted him on the shoulder.
"Here, see if there's anything you want."
Dekan took a stack of cards from his pocket and handed them to the challenger. They'd looted them from the Faceless One and the sorcerer.
Just as only soul-bound Magic Cards could be brought into a Shadow World, the same rule applied to taking cards out.
They had to be bound first.
Dekan and Cornelia couldn't bind fourth- or fifth-tier cards, and they didn't have many empty slots left.
Earlier, Dekan had used up three Venomous Ground Spikes and three Captain Dekan cards, leaving nine points' worth of card slots open.
Without giving up any of their own cards, they'd ultimately taken only nine points' worth of cards as loot.
There were still some fourth-tier purple cards among the rest. Leaving them behind would be a waste.
So Dekan let the challenger see if there was anything he wanted. At least he could take fourth-tier cards.
"Are you sure you're really giving these to me?"
Even though Dekan had already explained what had happened, the challenger still didn't dare take the cards without hesitation.
"Sure. These cards are completely legal. But for any cards you pick, you'll have to transfer sixty percent of their market price to the account I give you. Is that okay?"
As he spoke, Dekan handed him a slip of paper.
[Norton Kingdom Royal Capital Bank, Account Number: 948957812, Recipient: Beautiful Soul Squad]
"No problem, no problem! Thanks, Dekan!"
The challenger quickly took the slip and tried to memorize the account details.
No matter how he looked at it, this was a great deal for him.
Even if he resold the cards as soon as he got back to the real world, he'd still make a handsome profit!
"Also, you'll have to clear two rooms on your own later. If you can't handle it, use this ring to call for help."
Dekan handed the challenger the ring.
It was no longer much use to him and Cornelia.
They didn't want to keep working, but they couldn't let the challenger get hurt, either.
After all, they were counting on him to return to the real world and wire them a hefty donation.
"Of course! Don't worry about me!"
The challenger happily agreed.
He'd been slacking off for a while, and Dekan had even saved his life. It was only right that he got to work.
"By the way, what are you two going to do next?"
Looking at Dekan and Cornelia, who seemed to have ransacked the Cooking Classroom, the challenger couldn't help feeling puzzled.
"Ah, we're going to do what students are supposed to do."
Dekan answered quite seriously.
Cornelia seemed to be getting impatient beside him. Every so often, she went up on tiptoe to get his attention.
"Let's go!"
"Okay!"
The two of them ignored the challenger and left the Cooking Classroom.
Carrying their things like shoppers leaving a mall, they headed for the principal's office.
A piano had already been left outside the principal's office.
Cornelia opened the door, and the two of them carried the piano and their other things inside.
The moment they entered the spacious principal's office, they saw the long-awaited swimming pool.
After several dozen minutes of preparation,
Dekan and Cornelia finally began their cheerful pool party.
The fourth-tier Shadow World, Demon Academy Tales, finally came to an end with the bizarre sight of Dekan and Cornelia happily splashing around in the pool.
Before you continue