The Academy’s Ankle Reaper

Shaara Prigia is quite a memorable character in the Academy’s Demon Slayer.

Not for good reasons, mind you.

She was a traitor who would go down in history.

During the first demon invasion, two out of the five pillars in the dungeon were killed, and the Empire fell into chaos.

The roles of the remaining three pillars were crucial, but Shaara Prigia quickly abandoned the Empire and sided with the demons, hastening its collapse.

If everyone had banded together to fight, the Empire might have won, but once the Golden Ball, the lifeline of the Empire’s economy, sided with the demons, the scales tipped.

As soon as she judged that siding with the demons was advantageous, she betrayed everyone without hesitation.

And if you’re wondering if she still wielded authority after her betrayal, the answer is yes.

However, demons wouldn’t just let humans live happily.

All of Prigia’s people made contracts with demons, forcibly turning into demons themselves.

They were already demonic scum, but after making contracts with demons, they unleashed their full potential to hunt humans—the traitorous family…

What was the excuse for siding with the demons? Something like, “What’s wrong with trying not to die…”?

The Emperor probably had no idea.

He must have been unaware that the once golden-trusted Prigia, who was stabilizing the merchant group, had transformed into something else entirely at some point.

The current Prigia is filled with lunatics.

I mean, really crazy people.

Thanks to their unique bloodline and family atmosphere, they produced psychopaths incapable of empathy towards others, whether innately or acquired.

They’re a group that operates purely on profit calculations, completely disregarding the ones being trampled.

They wielded power without regard for anyone else’s circumstances, allowing them to form such a wealthy family.

Still, I thought, would they really go that far?

I had heard of Prigia’s infamous reputation, but knowing it intellectually and seeing it in action are two different things.

No matter what, after receiving Russell’s protection, would they really try to assassinate me right away?

Killing a guest under protection is essentially declaring war, and would even Prigia risk that much to get rid of me?

Seeing a bird that I can’t see around here flying in the sky makes me think they might have calculated it.

The assassin lured me into the deep forest and immediately killed me.

The corpse of the assassin, pierced in the vital spot by my dagger, lay cold on the ground.

“So that was their plan…”

The assassin sent by Prigia made me think a lot.

I survived because I was stronger.

If I had been weaker or someone else had become the target, the outcome would have been the opposite.

My head was heating up.

Did that crazy girl seriously hire an assassin right after turning her back?

Prigia is dangerous.

As soon as she realized it was a hassle to just sweep by with power, she sent an assassin without any hesitation to eliminate me.

This time, the target was just me, and I could handle it alone, but if they started targeting other people, things would get much more troublesome.

The worst-case scenario would be to simply ignore that assassin and lay low…

If they realize that direct attacks against me are pointless, they’ll start attacking those around me.

Russell’s protection is only extended to me, not to Amy or River.

And judging by Prigia’s actions so far, she has no option of hesitating in carrying out such deeds.

It’s decided.

Shaara Prigia will be dealt with tonight.

I’ve always been cautious of her because of her actions in the original story, and now it’s perfect timing.

She will be reborn tonight.

————————-

Objectively speaking, dealing with Prigia, one of the five pillars supporting the Empire, isn’t easy.

What’s protecting her is endless wealth for her family, the power controlling the Empire, and her brilliant mind that keeps scheming.

Just looking at it, it seems incredibly challenging to take her down overnight.

The Academy is under heavy protection, second only to the Imperial Palace, and she doesn’t go anywhere alone unless in special circumstances.

She always drags her faction around, expanding her small entourage.

The only moments she’s alone are when she’s entering the dormitory or when she’s overwhelmed with emotions and needs to sort her thoughts.

Even those moments happen in the safe confines of the Academy dormitory, so it’s no easy task.

I could avoid the alarm magic just by using the polymorph ability I acquired earlier to transform into any girl, but that would leave traces.

What I need to do this time is extract Prigia from the dormitory without leaving a single trace.

No one should know that Prigia went outside the dormitory, and it must not be discovered that someone invaded the dormitory in the middle of the night.

But I know a method to neutralize the protective magic of the Academy.

Once the original novel “Academy’s Demon Slayer” surpassed chapter 70, the protective magic was disabled, making the Academy buildings no longer a safe zone.

‘The problem is that the serum requires two S-rank materials and two A-rank materials to create it.’

However, it was worth making when I confirmed my admission to the Academy just in case.

.

.

.

With the serum, I became a ghost, undetectable by the Academy’s protective and alarm magic, and I used my stealth techniques to transport Prigia deep into the forest.

Shaara Prigia, dangling from my shoulder like a sack, smelled different from the girls I had encountered at the Academy—soft and sweet like honey.

I’d picked her up right from bed, so she was only wearing a thin nightgown, sleeping with an angelic face.

I know what kind of demon is sleeping inside, so I felt not a shred of guilt.

Killing her is easy.

Just leaving her here would have her sweet scent draw the monsters that would turn her into rags, and there are monsters that would chew her down to the bones, leaving no trace at all.

But that’s not what I want.

If she dies now, the Empire will be thrown into chaos, and the demons will take advantage of that to grow their power.

I will make her human.

She’ll learn not to act solely for her own gain but to respect others and the etiquette of a true noble.

A real noble who has the courage to stand up against demons without succumbing to them.

I understand Prigia’s traits.

The moment the demons gain the upper hand, Prigia betrays the Empire and sides with the demons.

She surrendered to the fear from the descended great demon.

They say that was the first fear she ever felt…

In other words, it means Prigia hasn’t learned what fear and pain are yet.

She will learn about science now.

She will learn the simple fact that for every action, there is a reaction.

She will learn the natural truth that if you try to kill someone, you could also die.

She will become someone who is not a demon lacking manners.

——————————————————————————

“I… have a reason to live?”

As soon as I spoke, the light returned to Prigia’s eyes.

Tell me a reason to live.

At first glance, it sounded like a trade offer.

“If you… save me… I’ll give you a mountain of gold…”

She offered all the gold she could for her life.

A mountain of gold literally means gold piled high into a small hill.

“I’ve seen real piles of gold before, so I’m not really tempted.”

But that’s not what I wanted.

“What…? Gold… piled high…? I don’t get it, that’s enough to buy a small kingdom…”

Realizing that one of her highest values was being refuted, Prigia’s complexion turned pale once more.

She thought I didn’t understand the meaning of what she said, trying to explain it through various metaphors, but with each word, my fist moved further away from her body.

Like a battering ram just before crashing into the gates.

“Even without words, I know what it is.”

– Thud!!!

My fist pierced through the log and struck Prigia’s soft abdomen.

Prigia’s belly caved in, producing a sound like a drum.

Although her stomach didn’t punch a hole through like a log, the impact stirred her insides appropriately.

“Ugh… Uwaaaaaack!!”

Vomit poured out from her small mouth.

The area between her legs became damp.

Looks like the great Prigia just peed herself.

If I hadn’t managed my strength, the fragile Prigia could have really died, but, as expected, I’m me.

She might feel like dying, but she didn’t.

The teachings of my Master are still imprinted in her body.

“Prigia, are you a puppy? Do I have to train you to go potty too?”

“Hik… Ugh…”

I made her look down at her own excrement.

The Shaara Prigia who learned how to act with dignity while always standing above others and being treated with respect now sees her dampened groin and the sickly vomit.

Even though she couldn’t stand on her two legs due to the pain rattling her insides, she could still understand what that was.