Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner

Chapter 180

TW: After mid-credits, themes of homophobia and s--ual a--se

This man was the cause of everything.

Simon just needed to take him down.

Stepping on jet-black once more, Simon dashed toward Alloken.

"…!"josei

As Simon was about to swing his fist, he saw red droplets of blood flying toward him.

"Kugh!"

He had to throw himself to the side, putting great strain on his legs and feet in the process.

Booooom!

Simon felt a cold sweat on his forehead as he watched specs of blood turn into great explosions.

Alloken chuckled.

"You're not a pro yet, are you?"

As Alloken swung his right arm, three more droplets of blood flew out.

"It's obvious from your every action."

One explosion after another tore through the furnishings and walls, each one only barely missing Simon. This cabin was so destroyed because of Alloken's skill.

'I'd be dead three times over without Methyn's warning.'

Simon operated the Bone Armor handgun mounted on his right arm and aimed it at Alloken's head as he dodged the scattering drops of blood in the confined room.

Then, he fired.

But all Alloken had to do was send a single drop in front of him and make it explode.

"…!"

Blood explosions weren't one-and-done affairs. The condensed blood would explode, but its mass would linger in the air for some time. A wall of sorts would form.

Hence, the bullets were blocked by the explosion and either ricocheted off or clattered to the ground.

'Tsk, that's pretty tricky. Did he hyper-specialize in hemomancy?'

In Kizen, which nurtures elite necromancers, various studies were taught. However, necromancers in the field would often study only in a single field like this.

Simon dodged another sequence of explosions, but while his vision was obscured by the lingering mist, a red whip struck his shoulder from behind.

'Kugh!'

The wound went moderately deep, drawing blood.

"As your senior in the industry, let me teach you one thing."

Alloken muttered a small incantation, and a magic circle was drawn on Simon's shoulder in the blink of an eye.

"Showing even a tiny wound to a hemomancer means defeat."

As he clicked his fingers, a fountain of blood gushed from Simon's shoulder.

'A hemorrhage spell!'

Simon hurriedly pressed his left hand to his wounded shoulder, but the blood continued to flow.

"It's no use. Wither up and die."

"Heal."

"…What?"

Whirrr!

Divine power flooded from Simon's left hand, quickly healing the wound. Alloken's face was a strange mixture of anger, confusion, and shock.

"You bastard! I was sure you're a necromanc—!"

Simon pointed directly up, not giving the bishop time to finish.

As Alloken panicked, four blades protruded from the floor and smashed him through the roof of the train.

"Kugh!"

Simon also stood on one of the Overlord's blades protruding from the floor and went up.

Clackety-clack! Clackety-clack!

Outside the train, the wind whipped at their hair and clothes. The two men now faced each other, standing on the train's roof. Alloken looked around.

"Interesting. Did you think you could dodge me if it's not a cramped cabin?"

"…"

As he spread his palms, four droplets formed between his fingers.

"Experience for yourself if you're correct."

Simon assessed the situation calmly.

Combat Dark Magic was a no-go. He couldn't get close enough without being blasted away.

What about the Overlord? The blow before was clean, but it didn't seem to do any damage.

Skeletons and zombies… Summons are vulnerable to area-of-effect attacks.

Simon had to admit it. Alloken was a much stronger opponent than him. He couldn't win as he was.

He didn't have much time, either. Even as he considered his options, passengers were being maimed and murdered.

There would also be whatever happened when the train reached its destination.

'I made up my mind.'

Simon took out the golden crown from his subspace. He took it with both hands and raised it over his head.

'I'll use it now.'

Simon crouched down, stabilizing himself as he slowly placed the crown on top of his head.

Sensing a strange aura coming from the crown, Alloken took an extremely defensive stance, even discarding the droplets he had just prepared.

But nothing happened to Simon after the crown was put on.

'What? Was it just a bluff?'

Thinking he'd tensed up unnecessarily, Alloken went back on the offensive, bringing new blood droplets to his fingers.

[------------------!!!]

Suddenly, from Simon's throat came a great, inhuman roar.

It reached all the passengers on the train, the members of Heavenly Blood, and the zombies running toward the train.

Alloken felt a shiver go down his spine as his hairs all stood on end.

'What the hell is about to happen?'

That's when the blood zombies began to climb up the train around Simon.

Alloken thought they were swarming Simon, but they were doing anything but.

[Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeegh!]

The zombies began to change. Their eyes turned golden, and dark-blue jet-black seeped off their bodies like smoke.

The darkened zombies rushed at Alloken out of nowhere.

'!'

Alloken hurriedly swung his arm, flinging drops of blood.

Explosions erupted in all directions, killing waves of zombies, but other zombies immediately took their places.

'The control over the zombies has been taken away!'

Alloken looked up from the zombies and at Simon. He saw the same golden eyes on Simon, who was bringing his arm forward to point directly at Alloken.

'Don't tell me… Is it the power of that crown?'

Simon took a deep breath, holding the crown with his right hand, before saying,

[Follow me.]

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrumble!

Zombies in every cabin of the train responded to Simon's call. They crawled out of windows and up the walls, all staring directly at Alloken once they made their ways onto the roof.

The zombies that came behind Simon formed a hill and began to lift the crowned Simon.

'Dammit! What in the world is going on?!'

* * *

* * *

PR/N: Last warning, there is a trigger warning from this point on for homophobia and s--ual a--se. The themes of the triggering scene do not continue in the next chapter when it revisits the scene.

Rete blinked in bewilderment.

The zombies who fought alongside the Heavenly Blood cultists just moments before responded to a strange shout, and every single one of them went out windows and onto the roof. It was the same in the rest of the cabins.

'I mean, it's nice only having to deal with the cultists, but what's going on?'

Tap tap tap.

Hurried footsteps were coming from the next cabin. Rete paused and brought her guard up.

A moment later, a woman in her 30s appeared. She wore the robes of an inquisitor and was wearing glasses. It was the same inquisitor woman who'd done Rete's physical inspection.

"My gosh, that surprised me."

Rete relaxed upon seeing her. The inquisitor also recognized her and shouted,

"Dear priest! You were safe!"

"Of course. More than that, what in the world were the inquisitors doing up until now?"

She bowed her head.

"I'm sorry we could not do more. We're putting in our utmost effort into fighting back inside right now."

"I've cleared everywhere behind me, so let's go to the head of the train. First, we need to find the mastermind and kill them."

"Yes, this way."

Rete followed her lead and walked briskly.

Just then, the subservient eyes of the inquisitor turned cold. The moment Rete walked by, she swung a hand sharpened with divinity at the back of Rete's neck.

Tap.

As though expecting this, Rete brought her arm back to block, then twisted her waist and kicked. The inquisitor raised her arms to block as well.

Poooooooooow!

Just the kick alone sent a gale blasting through the cabin. The curtains swayed, and cups fell and shattered on the floor. The inquisitor was pushed back.

"As expected."

Rete smirked.

"There's no way that a terrorist attack of this scale could be done with only the bastards from Heavenly Blood. Are you the insider?"

Divinity fired out of the inquisitor's back like a booster, and within moments she had charged directly into Rete, her palm striking Rete's stomach.

'?!'

{Combat Light Magic Skill - Divinity Flowing Palm}

Slaaaaaaaaaam!

Rete was sent flying into a wall on the other side of the carriage.

Blackness momentarily entered the corners of her vision while she struggled to process what happened.

'Woah, shit! This woman is damn strong!'

A divine magic circle, drawn in advance by the inquisitor on the wall that Rete crashed into, activated upon impact.

{Inquisition Arts - Cross Seal}

Rattle!

Rattle!

The wall swayed before turning into shackles and instantly sealing Rete's arms and legs.

"Wh-What is this?"

Rete wiggled about in an attempt to escape, but the locks didn't budge.

"Agh! What are you doing? Release meeeeeee!"

"Fufu."

Only then did the inquisitor who had revealed her true colors leisurely approach Rete.

"A first-year Efnel student, right? How cute."

She brought her hand to Rete's cheek.

There was bloodthirst behind Rete's eyes for a moment, but she managed to hold back her anger and respond,

"Why are you doing this?"

"Hm?"

"What was so unsatisfying about the life of an inquisitor that you betrayed the Goddess and aligned yourself with a rootless cult like Heavenly Blood?"

The inquisitor gave a bewitching grin, bringing her hand beneath Rete's chin and forcing her to look up.

"Remember when we did the physical inspection?"

"What?"

Rete frowned at this load of crap.

"Seeing you so shy then was so cute."

"Ahaha. God bless the mark."

Rete let out a feigned laugh and nodded as if she had figured out everything.

"Are you the type of woman who likes women?"

"Correct."

There were minimal safeguards in place to protect the human rights of homosexuals in the Dark Territory, as they had a relatively sexually liberal atmosphere.

But there were no such safeguards in the Holy Federation, founded upon religion. Rather, they forbid it by regulation, and it was a subject of intense repression.

Rete clicked her tongue.

"You have my pity. Trying to hide such things while living a life of faith will inevitably be tough."

"Yeah, a lot of things have happened."

An ordinary farmer in the countryside could easily hide such a quality, but a priest who has survived the coffin of divinity could have their careers set back by miles from even a false rumor of them being gay.

And if the rumor turned out to be true? Execution.

For her, an inquisitor, it was the same. She couldn't make it to Efnel, but her parents were priests and gave her an elite course. In the end, she was relegated to the role of inquisitor.

Recently, the situation got so bad she was put on trial. She was currently on bail.

Witnesses include a female believer she once had relations with. If she loses the trial and is found to be a lesbian, she'll be sentenced to death.

"So that's why you hung out with heretics and schemed this up?"

"I'm just looking for a way to live."

Said the inquisitor, looking into Rete's eyes and grinning. Rete coldly replied,

"Still, you've crossed the line with this. Aren't you afraid of the Goddess's wrath?"

"I am. But isn't it amazing?"

She spread open the hand not gripping Rete’s chin. Divinity was rising up.

"The pope and Efnel suppress homosexuality because of the scriptures. It's described as an evil, unforgivable act. But my strength didn't diminish. No, it grew when I became honest with myself. What do you think this means?"

"…"

"Yes! The Goddess didn't abandon me! She's still with me regardless! So…"

The inquisitor's face was that of a madman.

"It's the Pope and Efnel who are distorting and manipulating the will of the Goddess!"

"…"

"I intend to destroy Efnel by any means, be it heretical or what. I'll create my own paradise!"

Rete let out a sigh as though finding the woman pathetic. She didn't look surprised at all by what was said.

'I mean, there's a bastard who uses divinity despite not even believing in the Goddess, so…"

Rete slowly steeled her gaze.

"It's garbage self-righteousness to think that everything you say is true just because you haven't lost your divinity."

"What?"

"You're just using the Goddess as self-justification. How can you assume you've received the Goddess' permission just because you haven't lost your divinity? By that logic, people who reject homosexuality should've lost their divinity! It's a disgustingly narrow-minded and self-centered way of thinking."

Interpreting the Goddess' will from a human perspective and while forsaking theological logic was an act of extreme sacrilege.

"By the way, you…"

The inquisitor licked the air and winked.

"You're so calm even after hearing what kind of person I am, hm?"

The inquisitor released Rete's chin, going to unbutton her own shirt.

"…"

As Rete stayed expressionless, the inquisitor giggled.

"You talk well for someone so utterly in my trap. Aren't you afraid?"

"Hah, why should I be?"

Sneered Rete.

"Thanks for the information!"

"!"

Fwoooooosh!

From outside the window, white flames tore through the air toward the inquisitor.

"Kugh!"

She barely managed to conjure a divine barrier in time, but she was still pushed back from the force alone.

Then, something poked its head through the window before anyone realized. Rete's divine beast, Ran.

'A-A divine beast? When did it get here?!'

{Rete Original - La Venue}

Whooooooosh!

A blessing washed over Rete, still bound in chains. She then ripped the restraints off the walls with ease as she moved.

"Acting up just because I pretend to be cornered a little…"

Ran flew in and wrapped around Rete's right arm. Soon, a prismatic divine sword protruded from the young white dragon's mouth.

"And you keep blurring the point… I don't care if you're gay! The important thing is you're a terrible criminal who killed countless civilians."

A cold sweat went over the inquisitor as she felt divinity with a purity she had never experienced before.

Rete smiled as she lifted her sword.

"Are you ready to die, heretic?"

——