Surviving the Magic Academy With Just Intelligence Stats-Chapter 55: What Do You Know?

The golden radiance of Marcus’s attack clashed with Sebastian’s desperate surge of crimson energy. For a brief moment, the demonic aura seemed to hold back the divine light, creating a spectacular collision of powers. But the resistance proved futile - the golden sword’s edge found a crack in Sebastian’s defense, and that small weakness was all it needed. The blade’s light burst through, consuming the demonoid in a brilliant explosion that turned the battlefield into a miniature sun. For several heartbeats, a fifty-meter radius blazed with light so intense it rivaled daylight.

As the radiance faded, Marcus found himself on one knee, his body trembling from overexertion. Through blurred vision, he could make out Sebastian’s form still lying in the impact crater - somehow alive, though grievously wounded. Drawing upon his remaining strength, Marcus pushed himself upright, wiping blood from his lips with the back of his hand. The move had depleted almost all his energy. Although he didn’t have enough energy to use his skills, he still had enough energy to finish what he had started. He slowly walked up and picked up his fallen sword.

The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on him. Even in this weakened state, Sebastian couldn’t be allowed to escape. A wounded demonoid would only grow stronger by preying on innocent lives to heal itself. Yet as Marcus raised his blade for the finishing blow, something unprecedented occurred.

The grey corrupted skin covering Sebastian began to crack and peel away, revealing patches of human flesh beneath. Most striking was his face - the demonic features receding to expose an expression of raw desperation. Sebastian clutched at Marcus’s pants with trembling hands, tears streaming down his partially transformed face.

"Save me," he pleaded, his voice carrying none of its previous malice.

Marcus froze, sword still raised. In all his knowledge of the future, he’d never encountered anything like this. Demonification was supposed to be irreversible - a one-way transformation that consumed both body and soul. Could this be some kind of deception? A disguise ability to lower his guard?

"Please," Sebastian begged again, his grip tightening on Marcus’s clothes.

From her position of relative safety, Adelaide watched the scene unfold with mounting concern and disappointment. Her original plan had been modest - she’d hoped Marcus would simply create enough trouble that Sebastian would consider pursuit too bothersome. When her brother had transformed into a demonoid, genuine worry had crept in. She’d noticed how Ambrose seemed to particularly value both Meihua and Marcus, with Marcus holding an especially high place in their master’s regard. The thought of having to explain any serious harm to him had filled her with dread.

Yet against all expectations, Marcus had achieved victory. But now, watching him hesitate before Sebastian’s pleading form, Adelaide could only sigh in resigned disappointment. She’d always sensed this softness in Marcus’s character - this reluctance to strike down anything that appeared human. His current paralysis came as no surprise.

As she observed the tableau before her, Adelaide found herself wishing for Ambrose’s presence. Despite his physical frailty, he possessed an uncanny ability to maintain control over any situation, radiating a sense of security that made others feel safe and confident in their actions. Even without combat power, he always seemed to know exactly what needed to be done.

Marcus shared similar thoughts as Sebastian continued clinging to his clothes. "What should i do?" The question plagued him as internal conflict raged. His mind raced in circles - if only Ambrose was here, he would know exactly how to handle this impossible situation. The young master always seemed to find the perfect solution, even in the most challenging circumstances. But Ambrose wasn’t here, and Marcus felt paralyzed by indecision, desperately wishing for guidance that wouldn’t come. What course of action would Ambrose recommend? Before he could wrestle his way to an answer, a shadow fell across them.

Theodore appeared behind his brother with silent efficiency. Without ceremony or hesitation, he drove his hand through Sebastian’s back. The wounded demonoid, too weak to resist, could only shudder as the strike pierced straight through his body.

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Darkness poured from Sebastian’s chest as Theodore ripped out his corrupted heart. The demonoid’s body collapsed like a puppet with severed strings, crumpling to the ground in an undignified heap. Without ceremony or hesitation, Theodore ignited the dark organ in his palm, reducing it to ash that scattered on the evening breeze.

Marcus and Adelaide could only stare in stunned silence as the scene unfolded before them. Marcus was the first to find his voice, shock and outrage warring in his tone. "You—" he began, struggling to process this new development. Not only had Theodore concealed his awakened status, but the casual brutality of his actions defied belief. "H-how could you do that? He had already given up! How could you sneak attack a defenseless..."

Theodore’s sharp click of tongue cut through Marcus’s building tirade. "Don’t give me that righteousness bullshit!" he snapped, his cultured facade cracking as he meticulously cleaned his bloodied hand with a handkerchief before incinerating the cloth. Adjusting his glasses with practiced precision, he continued, "If you’re so righteous, why not join the holy church and preach there instead?"

Gone was any trace of the meek younger brother who had cowered in Sebastian’s shadow. In his place stood someone altogether different, even radiating a slight imposing aura that commanded attention.

"What? But he was your brother!" Marcus protested, unable to comprehend such cold-blooded fratricide.

"What would you know?" Theodore’s dismissive response carried centuries of ice.

Adelaide, now standing beside Marcus, observed the exchange with calculating eyes. Sebastian’s death neither surprised nor saddened her - she had always sensed something lurking beneath Theodore’s carefully constructed mask of submission. His revealed power level, which she estimated at least D-rank mage-type, only confirmed her long-held suspicions.1

More pressing concerns occupied her thoughts, however. With Sebastian dead and Marcus clearly exhausted, what would Theodore do next? Would the inheritance drive him to eliminate potential rivals while they were vulnerable?

As if reading her thoughts, Theodore spoke. "No need to speculate! I’m not interested in fighting you," he declared smoothly. "Unlike my brother, I can distinguish friend from foe." He extended his hand in a gesture of peace. "Now that the real villain is dead, let’s get along from now on."

Adelaide studied the offered hand, her merchant’s mind dissecting Theodore’s motivations. His logic was clear enough - she had already forfeited her inheritance claims, removing any reason for conflict. Moreover, her connection to Ambrose Rothschild made her a dangerous target. Now, likely concerned about future repercussions, he sought to shift all blame onto their conveniently deceased brother. After all, the dead couldn’t defend their reputations.

But Adelaide hadn’t risen to her position by letting moral considerations interfere with profitable arrangements. She had, after all, already traded her loyalty for advantage once before. With a practiced smile, she took his hand. "You’re right! Let’s get along well from now on."

Theodore’s answering smile held genuine appreciation for her quick grasp of the situation. This was why he had always considered her his most capable sibling.

"Now if you’ll excuse us," Adelaide said, grasping Marcus’s reluctant arm. "We’ll be going now. Master has been waiting long enough. We wouldn’t want him getting impatient, right?"

"No, we wouldn’t want that," Theodore agreed, watching as Adelaide practically dragged a still-conflicted Marcus toward the remaining carriage.

Long after they had departed, Theodore remained standing over his brother’s corpse. Finally, without a backward glance, he turned and walked away, leaving behind the cooling body of what had once been his elder brother.

A/N - The talent types are 3 (Combat, Support, Intelligence) but each time also has some subtypes, Combat [Warrior, Berserker, Agility, etc], Support [Mage, Healer, etc], Intelligence, [Enchanter, Alchemist, etc]