Magic Academy's Bastard Instructor

“Enough of this farce, you fucking bastards!”

Despite the hostility directed toward him, Vanitas merely frowned from where he stood.

“…Where are your manners?” he said. “Guards!”

Boom——!

The palace doors burst open as the Crusade Order immediately flooded into the chamber from multiple directions.

Heavy footsteps echoed throughout the palace floor while layers of magic formations activated simultaneously across the room, instantly sealing escape routes and reinforcing the surrounding walls.

The foreign mages behind Irene immediately reacted.

Magic circles flared into existence. Weapons were drawn. The atmosphere was filled with killing intent almost instantly.

“…!”

As Irene took a step forward. The moment she did, someone suddenly appeared directly in her path.

Margaret Illenia.

“…Illenia.”

Irene immediately recognized her.

Of course she did.

Throughout the Empire, Margaret Illenia’s reputation had long since transcended that of an ordinary knight. She was feared almost as much as Vanitas himself, not merely because of her monstrous strength, but because of her absolute loyalty toward him.

Often referred to as Vanitas Astrea’s hunting dog.

His sword.

A woman so terrifyingly devoted to him that many genuinely believed she had been psychologically broken and reshaped into little more than a weapon existing solely to obey his commands.

And perhaps most disturbingly, Margaret herself never seemed particularly bothered by those rumors.

Call her his puppy, and she likely would have thanked you for it without even a hint of shame.

Then again, Irene supposed it was difficult to care what others thought when one had the strength to cut down almost anyone standing before them.

And most importantly, Margaret Illenia was also Vanitas Astrea’s fiancée.

“Stand down, Margaret Illenia,” Irene said. “I’ve heard about what you’ve done for the knights. So once all of this is over, I’m willing to offer you a pardon.”

“….”

Margaret remained completely silent.

Truthfully, Irene was not merely speaking empty words.

Despite Margaret’s terrifying reputation, stories about her actions throughout the civil unrest had spread amongst the revolutionary factions for quite some time now.

Whenever Margaret crossed paths with smaller rebel groups or democratic factions, she would often spare them entirely despite having more than enough strength to annihilate them on the spot.

And stranger still, Vanitas himself never seemed to care. If anything, he likely already knew.

There were even rumors circulating amongst certain factions that whenever democratic forces found themselves lacking supplies, medicine, or equipment, Margaret would secretly pull strings behind the scenes to ensure resources somehow found their way toward them.

No proof of it existed. But too many coincidences had occurred for people to completely dismiss the possibility anymore, which made Margaret Illenia difficult to understand.

Because despite standing beside the Empire’s greatest monster, she herself never behaved entirely like one.

Then, Margaret finally spoke.

“…A pardon?”

Her tone sounded genuinely confused by the offer.

Irene nodded “Yes.”

Margaret blinked once before glancing briefly toward Vanitas behind her.

“That’s kind of you,” Margaret said. “But I don’t really need one.”

“….”

Unlike those who followed Vanitas and Franz out of fear, Margaret was different.

“I know what people say about me,” Margaret continued calmly. “But the truth is much simpler than that.”

Her hand slowly rested upon the hilt of her sword.

“I stay beside him because I want to.”

But to Irene, that answer only sounded like pure, unadulterated brainwashing.

Because in her eyes, no sane person could possibly devote themselves to Vanitas Astrea so completely without having their mind broken somewhere along the way.

“So be it.”

“….”

“But my offer still stands regardless.”

The moment those words fell. the situation finally escalated.

Boom——!

The knights standing behind Irene immediately clashed against the Crusade Order surrounding the chamber as mana erupted throughout the Imperial Palace.

Swords collided, magic circles ignited across the room, and the palace itself shook under the overwhelming pressure released by so many powerful individuals fighting within such a confined space.

The foreign mages accompanying Irene unleashed spells almost instantly while Imperial Knights surged forward to intercept them. Explosions tore through the surrounding walls as shattered marble and debris scattered throughout the throne chamber.

And amidst all of that chaos, Margaret calmly took a single step forward.

“….”

Then, a hand suddenly rested upon her shoulder.

“Margaret.”

Margaret immediately turned. “…What?”

It was Vanitas.

“It’s about to become chaotic here,” he said. “Leave for the time being.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

For perhaps the first time since the confrontation began, genuine frustration surfaced across her face.

“I know how strong you are, but that boy…”

Her gaze slowly shifted toward the figure standing amongst Irene’s forces.

Kafka Rossweisse.

That boy, more than anyone else present, had the capability to threaten Vanitas Astrea himself. Because Kafka’s existence fundamentally violated the logic this world relied upon.

A child capable of severing magic itself as though it had never existed.

Against someone like Vanitas, whose overwhelming strength was built upon power beyond ordinary comprehension, such an ability was perhaps the closest thing possible to a natural counter.

“Trust me,” Vanitas sai..

“….”

Margaret remained silent.

Her grip around the hilt of her sword tightened while the battle surrounding them continued escalating throughout the throne chamber.

Explosions shook the palace walls while knights and mages clashed around them, yet for a brief moment, Margaret only focused on him.

Because she understood what he was doing.

He was sending her away again.

And she hated it.

“In the meantime,” Vanitas continued, “I need you to go somewhere.”

After quietly telling her the coordinates, Margaret’s brows rose.

“…You’re serious.”

Margaret bit her lip before slowly turning away.

Every instinct within her screamed to remain beside him.

To fight beside him.

But above all else, Margaret trusted Vanitas Astrea more than anyone else in this world.

Even when she hated his decisions.

As she finally began walking away from the battlefield, she paused for a brief moment without looking back.

“Be safe,” she said.

Vanitas nodded in return. “I intend to.”

With the commotion fully ensuing throughout the throne chamber, Margaret quietly slipped away from the battlefield.

And within that single moment of distraction, flames suddenly surged violently across the room.

Crackle——!

An overwhelming wave of fire erupted from the side, threatening to completely engulf Vanitas where he stood. The sheer heat instantly distorted the surrounding atmosphere while nearby knights instinctively retreated from the blast radius.

“Professor…”

Wrapped within the flames herself, Anastasia slowly emerged. The fire surrounding her body resembled a living inferno.

“…Are you really going through with this?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he answered. “There’s no other way.”

The two immediately clashed afterward.

Boom——!

Flames exploded throughout the chamber while Vanitas’s mana collided against Anastasia’s fire magic, creating a devastating shockwave that forced everyone nearby to distance themselves immediately.

Yet despite the intensity of their battle, the two continued speaking calmly between exchanges as though the destruction surrounding them barely mattered at all.

“You understand what this means for us, too, right?” Anastasia asked while launching another torrent of flames toward him.

Vanitas effortlessly dispersed the fire apart before answering.

“Yes. So don’t hold back, Anastasia. I won’t hold it against you either.”

For the briefest moment, Anastasia’s expression fell.

Vanitas had known her for a very long time.

Actually, amongst all the students he still remained in contact with, Anastasia was perhaps the one he had known the longest.

Long enough to recognize that conflicted look appearing across her face now.

“That boy, Kafka,” Vanitas said calmly while deflecting another incoming attack. “Raise him properly.”

“….”

Genuine surprise crossed her face.

Despite the chaos surrounding them, she laughed.

“Wow…” Anastasia muttered. “You really have the nerve to leave me with baggage at a time like this.”

Another explosion erupted throughout the throne chamber as flames surged around them once more.

But eventually, Anastasia smiled.

“…But alright,” she said. “If that’s your last request…”

Her flames intensified.

“…Then I’ll do my best.”

———!

Vanitas nodded. “Make sure you protect him, Anastasia.”

“Yeah, yeah. I already said I’d—”

“Protect him from whatever happens next.”

“Ah?”

At that moment, the atmosphere throughout the throne chamber abruptly changed.

Thud!

From a distance, several mages suddenly fell onto their knees simultaneously.

The magic surrounding the battlefield vanished.

Entire spell formations dispersed into nothingness mid-cast while enchanted weapons lost their glow instantly. Mana circuits throughout the room destabilized as countless combatants froze in complete confusion.

“…What?”

One of the foreign mages widened his eyes in horror while staring at his own trembling hands.

“My magic…!”

The entire battlefield descended into confusion almost instantly.

Meanwhile, Irene herself nearly died. One moment, she had been clashing directly against an Imperial Knight. And the next, her magic abruptly dispersed into thin air before it could fully form.

The sudden loss caused her movement to falter just enough for the knight’s blade to nearly cut straight through her neck before she instinctively recoiled backward at the last possible moment.

Blood lightly splattered across her cheek.

“….”

Then, Irene slowly turned.

And immediately, horror surfaced across her face.

“…Boy,” she muttered. “What exactly do you think you’re doing?”

Standing amidst the battlefield, Kafka Rossweisse quietly lowered his hand.

Around him, magic itself was disappearing.

Irene alternated her gaze between Kafka and Vanitas.

“Ah… I see now.”

The surrounding battlefield remained in complete chaos as mages desperately attempted to understand why their spells had suddenly dispersed around them.

“You were sent here as his spy from the very beginning,” Irene muttered coldly, her eyes narrowly sharpening toward the boy. “I knew it was too good to be true for someone like you to simply fall into my hands.”

“I’m not a spy,” Kafka clarified.

“Don’t play clever with me, boy.”

For the first time since entering the palace, genuine anger visibly surged across Irene’s face.

Mana wrapped around her figure while pressure exploded outward from her body once more, the surrounding floor cracking beneath her feet as fury and humiliation intertwined together.

“You even had the nerve to deceive Anastasia,” Irene spat bitterly. “A mafia Don’s daughter of all people. So what else should I expect from a bastard like Vanitas Astrea?”

The atmosphere around her became noticeably more violent.

“Schemes. Manipulation. Children turned into tools. Using tricks like this is exactly the kind of thing that monster would do.”

Meanwhile, Kafka simply continued staring at her.

“I’m not betraying anyone,” he said. “I’m only here for one reason.”

His gaze slowly shifted past Irene.

Toward Vanitas Astrea.

“To kill Mister Vanitas.”

For a moment, silence settled throughout the battlefield. Even Irene herself visibly paused.

Vanitas had promised the boy from the very beginning.

That once Kafka finished helping him… he would gladly grant the child his head.

And for Kafka, that alone had been enough.

The motivation for revenge.

The desire to see humanity suffer the same way he once had.

In helping the villain succeed, Kafka believed the world itself would finally experience the same despair, helplessness, and cruelty that he himself had experienced.

And afterward, he would personally kill the very monster responsible for all of it.

To Kafka, that outcome felt fair.

“Where exactly has your IQ gone…?” Irene asked in disbelief. “You seriously believe Vanitas Astrea would willingly allow someone to kill him?”

“You adults are the ones lacking in IQ.”

“…Ha?”

“The mana radiating from Mister Vanitas…” Kafka continued. “With a single snap of his fingers, everyone here would die instantly.”

Those words immediately caused several people nearby to stiffen.

Kafka slowly lowered his gaze.

“And yet… he still hasn’t lifted a finger against any of you at all.”

Vanitas Astrea possessed enough power to massacre everyone inside the palace if he genuinely wished to. Of that, Kafka was certain after spending time with the man himself.

While Kafka himself did not fully understand what Vanitas was planning, the short amount of time he had spent alongside the man responsible for destroying his family had taught him one important thing.

Vanitas Astrea was far more complicated than the world believed him to be.

Even Kafka, despite being only eight years old, had already realized that much.

Because if Vanitas truly behaved the way the world described him, then none of them should still be alive right now.

Truthfully, he was still not entirely convinced.

He still hated Vanitas.

He still wanted revenge.

But despite all of that, Kafka somehow felt that Vanitas Astrea was genuinely a man who kept his word.

At that exact moment, Franz’s speech from outside finally reached deeper into the throne chamber through the amplification magic spread throughout the capital.

He spoke of order and the future of Aetherion, which prickled Irene’s nerves.

“…Ridiculous. Ridiculous…” Irene muttered. “All of this is completely fucking ridiculous…!”

It was then.

———!

All hell broke loose.

Vanitas’s mana erupted throughout the throne chamber in an instant. The pressure instantly became overwhelming.

The very air itself felt as though it had become impossibly heavy as suffocating mana exploded outward from Vanitas Astrea’s body. Knights, mages, and soldiers alike immediately collapsed onto the ground from the sheer force radiating from him.

For the first time since the confrontation began, Vanitas finally moved seriously.

And immediately, everyone understood the horrifying difference between them.

Because the battle until now had merely been him tolerating their existence.

Then, Vanitas slowly turned around and began walking toward the balcony.

Tak.

His footsteps echoed throughout the chamber.

“I once made a promise.”

Tak.

The suffocating pressure only intensified further with every step he took.

“And even in her death…”

Tak.

“I still intend to honor that promise.”

Tak.

“My dear sister, Charlotte, once asked me to restore our family’s glory.”

Tak.

“But as all of you already know…”

Tak.

“She was taken from me far too soon.”

Tak.

“To ensure that even in death my sister understands that I never forgot the promise we made together under that starlit night…”

Tak.

Vanitas slowly approached Franz.

“…I’ve decided to take it one step further.”

The people throughout the throne chamber could only watch helplessly.

No one could move under the overwhelming pressure radiating from him. Not even Kafka.

“The reason I haven’t killed all of you… is so that you may bear witness…”

Tak——!

“…To my coronation.”

Franz, who until this very moment had continued delivering his speech while fully entrusting everything behind him to Vanitas and the Imperial security forces, suddenly sensed that something was wrong.

Then, Vanitas’s hand wrapped around his throat.

Crack——!

With a crushing grip, Vanitas mercilessly took Franz’s life before throwing him off the balcony.

Blood scattered across the sky as the Emperor’s body plummeted downward before the horrified eyes of the entire capital.

Then, Vanitas slowly turned around and calmly seated himself upon the Imperial Throne.

Resting his head against one hand, he quietly overlooked everyone gathered before him.

“Kneel before your new Emperor, you mongrels.”