The Novel's Professor

Without waiting for the dark skinned man to recover, Ciel immediately rushed in to attack, grasping the silver daggers tightly as he masterfully used magic to use a skill.

Swoosh—!

The dark skinned man, Dallas, raised his eyes as the corner of his lips curled. His two hands grasped tightly at the large heavy sword, with his monstrous strength, he raised it upwards.

Clang—!

At the exact moment he raised the large heavy sword, a dark figure abruptly appeared infront of him, holding two black daggers, clashing together at the heavy sword.

"Normally, I would struggle with a Speedy-type like you," Dallas commented as he stared at the dark figure's eyes. His smile slowly turned into glee while he spoke, "However, I'm not alone."

Suddenly, Ciel felt intense overbearing danger surrounding him. Without hesitation, he back flipped to the back to retreat. In that exact moment, a barrage of spells, whether, fire, acid or lightning suddenly launched at the area he was previously in.

Bam—! Rumble—! Swoosh—!

He looked at the side, in the corner of the houses, several bulky and muscular men stepped out. His eyes shifted from the side to the rooftop of the houses, the previously empty place was now filled with several men holding a wooden staff.

"I don't know just what kind of idiot are you to attack alone," Dallas chuckled, his laughter echoing in the silent village. "Well, it doesn't matter. Who am I to reject such heaven sent luck?"

Ciel grunted, his eyes directing towards the weakling Rank D's that were close to him. He was not going down without a fight. Instantly, he vanished from the shadows. The others took a step back, their eyes filled wariness as they raised their weapons.

Swoosh—!

Suddenly, Ciel appeared behind a person. His hands swiftly moved as it stabbed the person's head. Without rest, he quickly jumped to the roof of the houses using the person's body as a spring.

Bang—! Boom—! Swoosh—!

Instantly, countless spells showered at the corpse, burning and scorching it to ashes in mere seconds as not even a speck of flesh remained. The others eyes shifted from the corpse to the rooftop of the houses.

"..N-no!" A thin and boney person shouted, his voice trembling in fear as he took a step back while his body shivered. His eyes stared at the dark shadow infront, a figure completely without fleshly features, just pure darkness like a reaper from hell itself. "..S-stay ba—!"

Swoosh—! Shhng—!

Before he could even finish his words, the reaper already struck. With superhuman speed, the figure arrived instantly infront of his face, and swiftly, without rest stabbing a long thin dagger between his eyebrows.

"..Ahhhhh...!!!" The thin man screamed in agony, his body falling to the ground from the rooftop. The darkness intergrated with the blade inflicted horrific pain in his body.

Dallas eyes twitched in annoyance. They were slowly being dwindled in numbers. He grasped his long heavy sword tightly as he swung it to the house. The house shattered into rumbles as the sturdy sword broke apart it's walls.

Rumble—!

The house fell apart, crumbling into pieces. In the sky, a dark figure was slowly falling to the ground. Ciel carefully observed the scene below, looking for his next prey, his eyes stopped to a person in the sides.

Without hesitation, he decisively strengthened his body with magic as he kicked back in the air, redirecting his body to fall at the sides.

"Quicky! While he's in the air, fire!" Dallas shouted, pointing his finger at the figure in the sky, "Use everything! Don't hesitate!"

The countless sorcerers nodded as they chanted, their staff pointed at the air as a barrage of spells launched from the tip.

Swoosh—! Swoosh—! Swoosh—!

Ciel calmly stared at the incoming attacks, even against a barrage of deadly attacks, he didn't flinch as he calmly waited. He turned his head downwards to measure how far he was.

'Almost there...' Ciel thought as he waved his daggers, instantly covering the blade with transluscent dark energy. The showers of spells were nearing him, they were getting closer at each passing second.

Woosh—!

"One..." He counted as he closed his eyes while his body slowly fell to the ground.

"Two..." The deadly attacks were almost at his body. He could already feel the scorching heat from the flames near him.

"Three..." Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

Bam—! Boom—! Crackle—!

In that instant, the barrage of deadly attacks hit, blasting directly in the air. The scorching flames combusted alongside the corrosive acids, the lightning crackled in the air as smoke drifted from the sky.

The sorcerers, martial artists and even Dallas stared at the sky, their eyes filled with expectation as they wondered loudly, "Did it work..?"

There was no reply. There was only silence. Their eyes glittered in joy, noticing that there was no body in the air that fell. At this point, they all thought that the man was already burned into ashes.

How wrong they were.

Swoosh—!

"Graghh...!!!!!" A muscular man from the side screeched, in his back was an all-familiar dark figure, in it's hands were black daggers that occassionaly shone silver.

At the exact moment they were assured of the dark figure's death, a scream echoed, all their eyes followed to where the sound came from.

Thud—!

The body dropped as the dark figure retrieved the daggers from the man's throat. Ciel raised his head, staring at the countless shocked eyes directed towards him.

"How are you still alive?!" Dallas shouted in anger as veins popped in his forehead. Suddenly, a though passed through his mind, a terrifying posibility. "Could...could it be...you're Rank..B?!"

Ciel was amused. It was the first time someone thought of him that highly. Oh well, atleast he had his last laugh before he dies. In that instant, the darkness that covered his body disintegrated, evaporating into air as it vanished. The daggers he held shook and crumbled into pieces.

'...I should have spent more time with my daughter before this,'

Ciel thought as he shook his head. What's done was done. He was an idiot for charging in recklessly and now he's going to suffer from the consenquences of his actions.

—

In a tall and sturdy windmill, a blonde haired man leaned over the wall as he stared at the ceiling. Beside him, a spirit of a muscular tanned man floated in the air.

'You aren't going to help him out?' Faust asked as he raised his eyebrows, 'He's going to die, y'know.'

Rio grunted, his eyes closing as he stayed silent. A large part of his mind wanted to believe that the man wouldnt die and he didn't need to intervene. It was too early, the man's death shouldn't be at this place.

However, the small part of his mind on the other hand, disagreed. The agent, regardless if he just knew him recently, was someone he had been with for a time. He would feel guilty, if he could even feel it, if the man died. Besides, if the novel held any value, then the man also had a daughter.

'Hey?' Faust questioned as he waved his hand directly in Rio's face.

"...Shut up, I'm thinking." Rio answered as he put his hand on his head. His mind was in complete disarray, utterly confused between the two choices on what to pick. Inwardly, he wanted to blame this undecisiveness to the being that removed his principles and morality.

If he doesn't intervene, then the man will either die or survive. Both of which were beneficial to him and giving him answers on the value of the knowledge of the novel.

If the man dies, it means that the novels knowledge was obsolete, showing that the main characters and others were not invincible.

If the man survives, it means that the novels knowledge was absolute, it didn't matter on what the situation was, as long as they were part of the story they weren't going to die as of yet.

But that choice would make him a monster. A full fledged inhumane, monster.

On the other hand, if he does intervene, then he could potentially save the man from dying, therefore getting his favor more. Who was he kidding? He didn't care jackshit about the favor if it was risking his life.

Truthfully, he wanted to intervene to just not feel guilty and not feel like a monster afterwards. Even if the being removed every bit of his morality and principles, there was still a speck of humanity with him.

Time ticked as he pensively thought. The air drifted, and the sounds of explosions and thundering lightning resounded.

He looked down on the floor. In an act of rebellion. In an act of defiance. Why would he go along a being's plot? This time, it was his choice. It was his decision, regardless of the consenquences.

"Haa..." Rio sighed as he nodded. He raised his head as he spoke, "Come on, we're going out there."

'You've decided already?' Faust asked, his eyes raising in interest, 'So what is it?'

"I'm gonna tell you something, Old Man." Rio muttered as he stood up, taking the wand from his pocket as he grasped the handle tightly.

Well, if there's one thing for sure...

'I told you to call me Master,' Faust spoke as his eyes twitched in annoyance, 'What?'

"I'm human." Rio spoke, emphasizing the word as he quickly vanished from the windmill.

He was no monster.