She Professed Herself The Pupil Of The Wiseman (LN) - Volume 5 - Chapter 18

Chapter 18

ONLY MOMENTS HAD PASSED since the battle between Mira and Agent Smith began, but they had already exchanged countless blows.

“Damn! You play dirty, huh?” he exclaimed and backed off, panic clear on his face.

“Play dirty? How dare you insult me?!” 

Mira knew an opening when she saw one, yet she stopped short, enraged by his insult. She had fought him fair and square! His claim was outrageous.

“You heard me! Why are you jumping around in that short skirt?! It’s distracting!” he roared back, at his wits’ end. Throughout the fight, he had been subjected to the continual assault of flashes of Mira’s panties.

“What, that’s your issue? Have the eyes behind those sunglasses been creeping on me the whole time? You’re one hell of a pervert!” Mira smirked devilishly now that she’d uncovered this unexpected weakness.

“Wha—?! Shut up! I just caught a glimpse! I wasn’t looking on purpose!!” He frantically defended himself, adjusting his sunglasses.

What happened to his stoic attitude on the ride here? Despite his secret agent outfit, he was clearly shaken.

“Too late. The cat’s out of the bag now.” Mira smirked, a touch more smug now that she had revealed his dirty little secret.

Hang on. Have I met this guy somewhere before? 

Suddenly he seemed…familiar. Like someone she knew.

Mira searched his face; his features were too difficult to make out behind the hat and sunglasses.

“Good grief. As a girl, you should have some modesty,” he complained petulantly.

Eyes still on her enemy, Mira asked, “If you’re so bothered by panties, then you must not be a demon in disguise. Or are demons into cute girls’ underwear, too?”

He frowned at the taunt, but he quickly schooled his expression and replied, “I’m not a demon. I’m human.”

“Then why did you protect that demon? Are you some sort of cultist?” she pressed him further.

He thought carefully before replying, his attitude changing. He looked Mira dead in the eye and said quietly, yet sincerely, “Demons aren’t always the enemy.”

“What?”

How could humanity’s worst enemy not be an enemy? What did that even mean?

A strange memory arose in Mira’s mind.

“Demons and angels… Devils?” The memory was fleeting, like a hazy dream—mysterious, nostalgic, and blurry all at once.

As the words left Mira’s mouth, shock crept across Agent Smith’s face. “What did you just say?”

The surprise left him open to attack and this time, Mira didn’t hesitate. She shook off the blurry memories, leapt forward, and used Shrinking Earth to close the distance between them. In an instant, she was in striking range.

“I’ve got you now!” Careless of her flapping skirt, she thrust a fist forward, her hair fluttering with the motion.

“Wha?!” He recovered from his surprise and tried to square off, but Mira was right before his eyes. He caught a whiff of her sweet scent, and his eyes were drawn to the bewitching neckline of her dress. His cheeks colored.

He couldn’t help but take notice. His honed senses were his undoing. 

Mira’s glorious punch landed perfectly.

Buffeted by the shockwaves of [Immortal Arts Heaven: Pulse], he was launched away from Mira, his sunglasses and hat flying off in another direction.

“Another dirty move!” Smith stood up, face red with rage and embarrassment—perhaps a bit more of the latter. Onlookers exclaimed as he stood up, seemingly unharmed, after taking such a blow.

Mira stared at the man. “Wait a second…I do know you!”

“Hm? Dammit!” Smith grabbed his sunglasses and hat and shoved them back on. Mira’s eyes remained fixed on him as she strode forward. “Wh-what? What are you doing now?!”

She was totally open to counterattack and her fighting spirit had evaporated, but he braced himself for another dirty trick. Mira came closer and closer until she was within arm’s reach.

What was she up to? Mira was even cuter up close, causing his heart to beat double time. He blushed and stood ready for whatever attack might come.

As Mira watched his conflicted expression, she parted her small lips and whispered, “You’re Wallenstein.”

“Huh?!” He was clearly shocked by the claim.

“I know who you are. Do you know who I am?” Mira summoned Cat Sith at her feet.

“Time for me-ow to take action!” Cat Sith appeared, clad in a red bodysuit and striking a sentai pose like some sort of mighty ranger. The placard in hand read, “EVIL WILL NOT GO UNPUNISHED!”

“Summoning magic… Cat Sith? But wait, weren’t you using Immortal Arts before?” he muttered to himself. “Wait.”

It wasn’t too rare for someone to use two types of magic. But whether using one’s main or secondary discipline, her abilities in each should have been lower quality than someone who specialized in a single school. It should have been impossible for her weaker Immortal Arts to be a match for him.

There was only one person he knew could accomplish this…

“I-is that you, Danblf?” he asked quietly, astonished.

“Yes! I thought I recognized you.”

As Cat Sith struck another bombastic pose, Mira dismissed him and smiled at Agent Smi—no!—Wallenstein. Swallowed by the light, Cat Sith cried, “What about meee-ow?!” His sign clattered to the floor, flashing the words “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.”

***

Wise Man Wallenstein the Shadow. 

Mira was surprised, but Wallenstein was flummoxed. He looked her up and down a few times before finally sighing, “Vanity Case, huh? But why…? Oh. Wait a second.”

He glanced around the train car and threw down a vial of holy water.

As the vial shattered on the floor, Wallenstein activated exorcist magic. It formed a blue barrier that enveloped them. The confused shouts of the other adventurers immediately quieted.

“There. They shouldn’t be able to hear us now. So, Danblf, what brings a girl like you to a place like this?” Wallenstein asked politely. Apparently still uncomfortable with the situation, he glanced down at Mira’s skirt and grinned wryly.

“As for what I’m doing,” Mira began, “I’m on my way back to our home country. My mission is to find you slackers and drag you back. Solomon needs us.” Mira glared at Wallenstein.

“Urk… Sorry about that. I’ve been dealing with a situation,” Wallenstein answered with some trepidation.

“What situation? I assume it has something to do with that demon?” Mira only glared at him harder, unhappy with what could only be more work for her chore list.

“Umm…” Wallenstein looked nervous. “Look, you mentioned Devils a minute ago, didn’t you?”

“Devils, hrmm? Did I?” Mira thought to herself, cocking her head.

“The memories are still hazy, I take it…?”

Mira shook her head. If she couldn’t remember, she couldn’t remember. She asked again, “So? What about this situation of yours?”

Wallenstein gazed at Mira thoughtfully. “Fine. I’ll tell you everything.”

First, he explained that he and his friends were traveling about trying to seal demons’ abilities. Not to annihilate them, but to make them remember their original mission.

“Their original mission?” Mira asked.

“Yeah. Long ago, demons were much different creatures.”

***

In ancient times, the original mission of the demons had been corrupted by their limitless powers. That’s when they became the enemy to humanity they were today. 

After many years of research, it was discovered that sealing off a demon’s abilities could awaken them to their true purpose. Once they had recovered, Wallenstein emphasized, they would never be a threat to humans again. The methods differed somewhat between individuals, but their goal was to work for a better future. 

“The demon I was tracking was bad to the bone. But if the seal works, he should be able to coexist with us someday.”

The process of sealing had to be split into several steps to avoid overwhelming the demons. And if they were treated violently, their power would become unstable. Forcing the sealing process in that state would risk damaging their memories.

In other words, Wallenstein had to work diplomatically.

The demon from before had been 80 percent sealed. However, it had recently shown signs of plotting evil schemes, so Wallenstein was keeping a close eye on it today.

“Interesting,” Mira commented. “I see why you protected the demon, then. But what about the demon’s plans?”

Mira looked in the direction in which the demon had run off.

Wallenstein answered, “We think the demon is plotting to feed on power from lost lives to replenish the power it lost from the seal. I doubt choosing to stop the train right here was a coincidence.”

When a state life was converted to a state death, enormous power was emitted. Demons could absorb and use that power. This ability was part of how the demons had become corrupted in the first place. In simple terms, they gained experience points and leveled up this way. A convenient method for those who desired strength.

 “They become stronger by devouring life, hm? That power could indeed be abused. Hrmm… Could it be trying to throw the train into the valley and kill the passengers?”

“Sounds like a demonic scheme to me.”

Mira frowned in worry. “If that’s the case, should we get the passengers off the train just to be safe?” she suggested.

Wallenstein pointed to the window behind them. “My buddies in the other cars are already on it.”

Mira turned around. Outside of the soundproof barrier, everyone had already disappeared. Looking out the window, she saw lines of passengers evacuating.

“You work fast,” she mused.

“We do, but given the amount of people, more than half still remain.”

As Wallenstein finished speaking, the knight who’d jumped out the window before came flying back in and pounded on the barrier. Mira noticed a pair of demonic-looking wings on his back.

“Say, Wallenstein? Is that man…?”

“Yep, he’s a demon who remembered his purpose,” Wallenstein answered matter-of-factly. “Anyway, we should probably get this under control,” he added, and released the barrier.

The knight immediately spoke up, panic clear in his voice. “Sorry to interrupt your chat, but this is urgent. Come outside.”

“Show me.” Wallenstein promptly jumped out alongside him.

Mira was the only one left inside the train car.

She gazed at the hole in the wall they’d made and thought for a moment. Did all the original demons look like that man? If not for the wings on his back, he would’ve looked like a normal human. Just what were demons, really? And what was their original mission?

As she thought to herself, the commotion outside reached her ears. The word urgent flashed through her mind.

“I’d better go have a look, too,” Mira muttered to herself, following Wallenstein out of the train.