Chapter 372 : Rage and Aura Pressure

The sudden, heavy shift in air pressure was felt not only where Irene, Duke Louis, and Duchess Arlet were located, but across the entire academy grounds.

-

In the section of the labyrinth near the residence building for staff, instructors, and guests...

Mr. Alan, Miss Nora, and several students and staff members were confronting the demons present there. However, the moment they felt the air pressure grow heavy, they fell silent in shock. Some were clutching their throats, struggling to breathe.

"This sudden heaviness in the air, making it hard to breathe... There is no mistake; this is the effect of an aura being unleashed by someone," said Miss Nora.

"Yes, I know. I have felt an aura like this before. It came from Her Majesty when she was enraged upon seeing Chloe and Princess Caroline injured during the attack—carried out by a group of demi-humans and humans at the academy festival three years ago. Her Majesty’s aura back then was brief, yet its impact was immense; people struggled to breathe while it lasted. I still vividly recall the sensation and effects of that aura. But..." Mr. Alan said.

As he spoke, Mr. Alan began clutching his throat. Miss Nora did the same.

"...The aura Her Majesty unleashed back then was weaker than the one I feel right now. What on earth is this massive aura?! It isn't just the people here who have been silenced by this overwhelming pressure; even the demons have gone still," Mr. Alan said.

Mr. Alan was right. At their current location, the demons they were facing suddenly fell silent upon sensing the immense aura pressure that had abruptly manifested. Unlike some of the others—who clutched their throats as they felt this sudden surge of pressure—the demons simply froze in place without touching any part of their bodies. They stood motionless, gazing at the people around them who had also been rendered speechless.

"It seems... this aura pressure... doesn't come from Her Majesty. In that case... who exactly... is emitting an aura... of this magnitude?!" Mr. Alan stammered.

He spoke with difficulty, as the crushing weight of the aura made it increasingly hard for him to breathe.

-

On the first floor of the academy's central building:

Charles and Chloe, who had previously been lying incapacitated, were now back on their feet after being treated by Miss Karina using a magical tree branch she had conjured. However, Miss Karina’s healing magic did not mend every injury on their bodies; it only treated wounds that had not been caused by Dark Magic. The wounds inflicted by Dark Magic remained, though Miss Karina had used her magic to seal them and stem the flow of blood.

Currently, Charles, Chloe, Queen Kayana, and Miss Karina were assisting Miss Violetta in her confrontation with Duke Remy. Miss Violetta had initially faced the Duke alone, but she proved unable to contend with him single-handedly. Her attacks had absolutely no effect on Duke Remy, whereas his attacks took a heavy toll on her; as a result, Miss Violetta’s body was now covered in numerous wounds. In accordance with the prior agreement, if Miss Violetta encountered difficulties or was injured while facing Duke Remy alone, Queen Kayana and Miss Karina would immediately step in to assist her.

Those currently facing Duke Remy bore visible wounds, whereas Duke Remy appeared completely unscathed; the armor he wore remained without a single scratch, still radiating an intensely dark, black aura.

Yet, even as they battled Duke Remy, they fell silent—struck by the sudden emergence of an overwhelming aura.

"What is this aura?! It is incredibly powerful," Queen Kayana exclaimed.

"The look on your face right now is exactly like the expression people wear when they feel the aura *you* project, Your Majesty."

"As you say, this aura is immense. It certainly doesn't originate from you, given that you, too, are feeling its weight. It is far stronger than your own, Your Majesty. I have felt an aura of this magnitude before. It seems to be coming from Rid," Miss Karina said.

Queen Kayana looked startled upon hearing Miss Karina's words; Charles, Chloe, and Miss Violetta were equally shocked.

"An aura this powerful is coming from Rid?! You aren't joking, are you?" Queen Kayana asked.

"No, Your Majesty. As I mentioned, I have experienced an aura just like this in the past. When I accompanied Rid to his ruined hometown, Aston Village, he suddenly unleashed an aura of this very intensity. It made it difficult for all of us to breathe. The pressure was so severe that several knights standing guard in the village lost consciousness from the prolonged struggle to breathe."

"The aura he unleashed persisted for quite some time. But in the end, that aura pressure was successfully halted thanks to Irene. If he had kept emitting it, I might have lost consciousness too, just like the knights who had already passed out," said Miss Karina.

"I can't believe Rid is capable of unleashing aura pressure that powerful. So, what happened after he stopped it?" asked Queen Kayana.

"After Rid stopped the pressure, I decided to ask him about it. But Rid claimed he hadn't done anything; he insisted he hadn't unleashed such a powerful aura."

"Even though he denied it, that intense aura clearly originated from him. I concluded that Rid had unleashed it unconsciously—he wasn't even aware he was doing it," Miss Karina explained.

"So, he doesn't yet realize he's capable of unleashing such powerful aura pressure," said Queen Kayana.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Rid might not realize he can do it, but I am certain there was a trigger that caused him to release that aura unconsciously. That trigger seems linked to his anger; back in Aston Village, he unleashed that aura upon seeing the graves of the villagers. He seemed furious when he saw those graves, knowing that the people buried there had died as a result of an attack," said Miss Karina.

"I see. That makes sense. Sometimes, anger can amplify a person's magical power; Rid might be one such individual," said Queen Kayana.

"That is correct, Your Majesty," said Miss Karina.

"If the aura pressure we are sensing originates from Rid, then it is undoubtedly triggered by his anger," said Queen Kayana.

"Indeed, Your Majesty. Something may have occurred at the location Rid is currently heading toward—an event that provoked his anger and caused him to unconsciously emit this aura pressure," said Miss Karina.

After speaking, Miss Karina began clutching her throat. She was not alone; Queen Kayana, Miss Violetta, Charles, and Chloa also began grasping their own throats.

"The aura pressure is intensifying. It appears Rid is on his way here and is rapidly closing the distance. If his anger does not stem from an incident at his intended destination, then there must be another cause. Perhaps his anger is linked to Lord Remy, prompting him to rush here while unconsciously radiating this overwhelming aura," said Miss Karina.

"So, what do we do, Karina? If Rid keeps getting closer while emitting such intense aura pressure, we’ll all find it increasingly difficult to breathe. And if we can't breathe properly, it will become harder to move and confront Lord Remy. It’s entirely possible we could lose consciousness if this breathing difficulty persists," said Queen Kayana.

"Can't you suppress this aura pressure with your gravity magic, Your Majesty?" asked Miss Karina.

"Aura pressure isn't something that can be held back by magic alone; it can only be countered with one's own aura or Mana. To withstand it, you have to circulate Mana throughout your entire body. That circulating Mana acts like an invisible suit of armor, shielding the body from the pressure's effects. However, for that protection to work, your Mana must be stronger than the pressure being emitted. If your Mana is weaker than the pressure, that protective layer won't be enough to shield you. That is exactly the situation I'm in right now."

"I’ve already enveloped my body in Mana, yet I’m still suffering the effects of this pressure and struggling to breathe. It is so incredibly intense that even my Mana cannot withstand it," Queen Kayana said.

"So, there’s nothing we can do but stand here and endure the effects of this pressure," Miss Karina remarked.

"Yes, it puts us at a real disadvantage, as the pressure makes it difficult for us to move," Queen Kayana agreed.

"It’s not just us, though. Lord Remy seems to be suffering the consequences of this pressure as well," Miss Karina said, glancing toward Duke Remy.

Duke Remy appeared to be standing perfectly still. Just like Queen Kayana, Miss Karina, and the others, Duke Remy stood frozen, clutching his throat.

"What on earth is this aura pressure?! I’ve felt the aura pressure emitted by Her Majesty several times before, but this is far more intense than anything she has ever unleashed. If it isn't Her Majesty who is emitting this overwhelming pressure, then who is it?" Duke Remy wondered.

While Duke Remy stood there, lost in thought, Miss Karina suddenly spoke to him.

"It looks like you're having trouble moving, Lord Remy. Your whole body is trembling," Miss Karina remarked.

Upon hearing her words, Duke Remy immediately examined his body. He was shocked to find that she was right; his entire body was indeed shaking.

"Even my body is trembling because of this aura pressure?!" Duke Remy thought.

After observing his trembling form, he turned his gaze toward Miss Karina.

"You seem to be struggling to move as well, Ms. Principal. It isn't just you; even Her Majesty is finding it difficult to move due to this sudden surge of aura pressure," Duke Remy said.

"Yes, we are all struggling to move because of it. That makes it rather difficult for us to face you right now, doesn't it? The same applies to you, I imagine—you'd find it hard to deal with us under these conditions," Miss Karina said.

"Hmm, I wonder. Even though I'm having trouble moving, I am absolutely certain I could finish all of you off right now. I can conjure tree trunks with my magic and have them attack you," Duke Remy declared.

"If you do that, it seems it would be dangerous for all of us who are currently struggling to move. If that happens, we’ll likely have to wait for help from 'that person'," said Miss Karina.

"Help from 'that person'? Who do you mean?" asked Duke Remy.

"The person I'm referring to is the one who unleashed this powerful aura pressure. 'That person' will be arriving here soon," said Miss Karina.

"So, you know who is responsible for this intense aura pressure?" asked Duke Remy.

"Yes, I know him very well," said Miss Karina.

-

Meanwhile, where Rid was.

I continued making my way toward the academy's central building. A short while later, a large number of demons appeared before me, seemingly intent on blocking my path. Seeing this, I immediately gripped my sword and prepared to strike them all down.

"Get out of my way!" I shouted.

~Lightning Sword Art: Lightning Speed ​​Slash~

I darted rapidly toward the demons and instantly cut them down, killing them all.

-

Back on the first floor of the academy's central building.

Miss Karina appeared to still be speaking with Duke Remy.

"You had best prepare yourself, Lord Remy. 'That person' might just be capable of defeating and killing you," said Miss Karina.

-To be continued