Misfit At Magic Academy: They Wanted a Godly Summon, Got Me Instead Chapter 41: Bloodthirsty Enemies

Riven looked around. I couldn’t be there.

He rembered how I stood up for him against Ash. The first ti anyone ever helped him.

Another mory. Last year, sitting before class.

"How long are you going to put up with this?"

"H-how long...? I don’t know."

"You actually like this kind of life? At least punch them back once. They deserve it."

"B-but... fighting isn’t allowed at the academy."

"Fool. No one said you can’t defend yourself. You’re a person, not a punching bag. I refuse to believe you can’t stand up for yourself."

For him, I was the first person who believed in him.

Deep inside, Riven hated his life — for not being able to defend himself. He needed strength. He needed confidence.

He stood up. Bloody, his mouth still pouring.

"How many tis will you stand just to fall again? When will you get it — before , you’ll always bow down!"

"Arcane Wheel."

Six spinning spheres appeared above Riven.

"Arcane Spheres."

He curled three fingers on each hand. Runes appeared, each finger summoning floating spheres.

The crowd gasped.

"This loser can summon runes on every finger?!"

Roy grew nervous.

"H-hey! Where’d you learn that? Got so nerve showing off like that! Want to beat you to death?!"

He didn’t hide his hostility. Riven said nothing.

The first sphere flew. Roy barely dodged it.

WHOOSH!

Tiny spheres burst from each finger — ten per second. They exploded on impact.

WHACK!

Roy blocked one with a magic barrier. But couldn’t block the rest. Every hit stung his muscles.

He ran. Jumped. But dodging all of them at once was impossible.

WHOOSH!

Four large spheres targeted him. He dodged one. The others exploded in his face.

Head. Gut. Shoulder.

Roy collapsed, unconscious. His face was scorched. Eyes open, staring blankly.

Riven didn’t understand what just happened. But he knew Roy fell.

"Can’t see a thing without glasses..."

"Roy Kirkman has been unconscious for five seconds! And the winner of this match is — Riven il Riverfall!"

The crowd erupted in cheers. A surprise victory for the underdog.

Riven fell to his knees.

ihua appeared with healers. She placed a glowing hand over him.

"He took way too many blows to the head. Surprising he could even stand. Human tenacity is strange..."

"Leave him to ."

My voice cut through the crowd. ihua turned in surprise.

"Professor ihua. You once said I misuse my power. Truth is — I’ve learned how to heal others.

Please, let take care of Riven."

ihua paused. Then sighed and turned away.

"Fine. Consider this your assignnt. Heal him completely."

I nodded.

⸻

Later.

Riven woke up on a bench. It was evening. Broken glasses on his face.

Blinking, he found himself in the Hanging Gardens.

"Atheron?.." he saw .

"Oh. You’re awake. Like my gift? I tried to heal you completely."

"I’m fine... Where did you learn healing?"

"Dunno. Just thought I could do it. I wanted to help — as an apology."

"Apology...?"

I turned to him. My gaze steady and calm.

"I should’ve treated you better. I’m sorry. I didn’t think about your feelings.

Dragging you into that dangerous mission was reckless. You’ve got parents waiting for you."

"? Atheron, your parents wait for you too... Actually, I should apologize to you too."

He looked down. His shoulders trembled.

"I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled... at my friend. It was the stress talking!"

"Don’t apologize."

I looked at the moon. Its light filtered through the shimring trees.

"Atheron... did you see everything?"

"Yeah."

Riven looked embarrassed. Thought I’d laugh at him.

"You did good. I thought you’d lose."

"I didn’t expect that from myself... Where did that confidence co from?"

And then he rembered . That was his answer.

I snorted.

"Chin up, hero."

I ruffled his hair.

"Wipe your nose. What, gonna cry? Hey, don’t wipe it on !"

"A-Atheron...!"

"Alright, alright! Stop cuddling already!"

Just when it felt like the scene should end on a peaceful note...

...we heard screaming. It ca from the bushes.

We stood alert. Several bushes started rustling.

"Dad... don’t hurt... mom..."

A strange voice echoed. Riven froze as if struck by lightning.

"Who’s there?!"

"Dad... it’s not mom’s fault..."

Chills ran down my spine at the grotesque voice.

Then, three heads erged from the bushes. Pale, burned skin. No eyes — only sockets leaking black fluid.

One monster was thin, walking on all fours — stomach up.

Another had limp limbs like spaghetti and long hair covering its eerie face.

The third — I rembered it. A slimy, wormlike creature.

They crawled toward us. Surrounded us.

What the hell is going on?

BAM!

Suddenly, we felt a presence — heavy and terrifying. I saw a glimpse.

Impossible to call it human.

A long, shadowy figure, its body spiraling. It had no face — only white eyes staring into our souls.

And as I tried to look away...

The monsters all lunged at once.

The Atrophied one ran — its head barely hanging onto its neck. The four-legged one leapt like a spider. And the slimy one... just stood there, waiting.

They all jumped at once!

I shoved Riven out of the way and leapt into a tree.

Then I saw more monsters erging from the trees and bushes. Each one unlike the other. It was impossible to comprehend how such creatures could even exist.

They flooded onto the trail. So climbed trees. So peeked awkwardly from behind pillars.

I dropped onto one of them. Touched it with my palm, and—

BAM!!

Witness the Light. The crushing steam exploded from my palm, splattering the monster across the ground. All that remained was a wet stain.

But that one was weak... Pathetically so, compared to the others.

Five more monsters lunged at at once. I dodged and sprang back. They crashed into each other in midair.

Their intelligence was low.

But sothing else was bothering ...

Why... is that tall figure still standing there? It’s clearly far stronger than the others!

I didn’t even have ti to blink — suddenly I was surrounded by ten of them. All charging toward like drunk animals.

So even jumped, anticipating my moves.

What do I do?!

WHOOSH!

Not far off, I spotted Riven — summoning dozens of magical spheres. His face full of fear... but he wasn’t backing down.

"Spheres... attack them all!"

BOOM! BOOM! FWISH!

Each sphere hit several monsters and exploded on contact. He cleared a path for !

I moved to stand beside him.

"You’re not as useless as you used to be, Riven."

"...I guess I’ll take that as a complint."

But the problem wasn’t over. Even more of those things started appearing!

Where are they all coming from?!

And just as we felt that suffocating pressure return... the presence of the tall creature—

—the world around us began to crack.

All the monsters charged us at once.