The Novel's Professor

As soon as he heard the words, Rio's eyes widened in shock, shifting his gaze to the spirit hovering beside him, he asked. "..What did you just say?"

'As I said, there's a tough one in the forest. A Rank B Miracle Invoker...' Faust answered, his eyes unusually tense while a rare frown was plastered on his face.

"That's impossible!" Rio exclaimed loudly, his voice with a hint of panic and distress. In fact, there being a Rank B Miracle Invoker within the forest would ruin everything about the plot.

Aza Ledger was a mere Rank C Miracle Invoker, If a Rank B were to appear and have stopped him before everything, then the whole situation or plot arc of descent of Archdevils wouldn't happen!

But from the faint bloodied red clouds spread above the sky and the heavy stench of blood emanating from the air, he was sure that the ritual of the Archdevils descent was still underway.

It was occurring at this moment as he speak.

For that reason, it was impossible a Rank B Miracle Invoker stopped Aza from his plans. It also couldn't be a random Rank B Miracle Invoker wandering around in coincidence, as most Rank B don't even bother on going to places like here.

Then what was it..!? Who was the Rank B Miracle Invoker..? If it wasn't reinforcement or any random person, then...

No—no! If that was the case then everyone within this forest was doomed..! In that matter, if the conclusion he reached was true, then was there anyone even alive in the forest?

It was a spine-chilling and mortifying thought, however if it was true then it fueled his reason to escape more than ever.

"What's impossible?" Ciel asked, his gaze shifting to Rio. Despite the blonde-haired man's calm facade, he felt the man's distress—and terror even. That was alerting.

Rio snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes turning to the black-haired agent. He tried to calm himself, but his breath hitched when he whispered, "...There's a Rank B within the forest."

The words were like a bomb exploding thereafter in a ruined city. The situation was already dangerous, but the addition of a stronger and unknown force reduced their chances of surviving to almost nil.

"...This isn't the reinforcement, for sure." Ciel scowled, biting his lips. It was too early, he had just requested for back-up a second ago. "..If it isn't them, then it's either wandering Miracle Invoker...or worst case, the enemy."

"...Let's go." Rio said, immediately turning his back in a different direction. Before he continued, he stopped. "..Only if you want to live, that is. I no longer have the liberty of saving you from this."

"I prefer to live, actually," Ciel said, his hand casually holding on his waist. "Well? Lead the way, John."

"...We go north," Rio answered. "There's bound to be a portal to the plaza from there."

Ciel nodded, his eyes staring at the blonde-haired man. He couldn't blame the man's distress. Even he, himself was utterly panicked as Rank B Miracle Invokers were truly that powerful.

He was just numb to the hellish and dangerous situations he was getting himself at this point. He had already resigned earlier that he was going to die on this day. It was already lucky enough he had lived beyond this point.

But when all things considered, was it really lucky?

Well, he did live beyond his supposed death.

...He lived alright, so he can just die again—This time, his death would be more miserable and hopeless. Because unlike his last situation, he had no chance at all.

He wouldn't even be able to struggle, much less fight back against a Rank B Miracle Invoker.

In fact, there was no chance a Rank C could ever beat a Rank B, not because of the simple difference of strength, but it was because of their conceptual difference altogether.

If a Rank C needed a skill to control the shadows, then a Rank B was almost the shadow itself.

Rank B's were fundamentally different beings all together. They hold mystical powers capable of enacting True Miracles.

That was the sheer difference between the two ranks—Rank C and Rank B — it was an astronomical, staggering difference.

Rustle—!

"...Did you hear something?" Rio whispered, his body stopping still. He heard a faint rustle of the bushes. Somewhere in his mind, he hoped it was just some wandering beasts or, better yet, it was just the wind ruffling the leaves.

But with how his life was proceeding ever since his transmigration, he already knew it was neither.

'Wait for my signal before you dodge,' Faust lightly advised, his eyes darting around the surroundings. 'It seems all your fights are destined to you being outnumbered.'

"..Yeah, I heard something," Ciel said, frowning. He slowly brought his hand to his pocket, grasping two shiny stilted silver daggers.

Rio sighed, his head shaking in disappointment. It seems it wasn't a magical beast. The enemy—no, the enemies were human. He didn't know how many, but from Faust's words, it seemed there were more than two.

He wanted to curse at this situation. Not only was he randomly transported to an important plot arc he didn't want part of, there was also an unknown variable not mentioned by the novel, a secret Rank B Miracle Invoker within the forest.

"...Do you think we can beat them?" Rio lightly muttered, his hand snatching the silver steel wand in his chest pocket.

He really wanted to quickly escape this place and return to the academy. Alas, fate was a bitch, a cruel bitch at that.

'Eh, just fine. If you listen to me, you're practically unbeatable!' Faust exclaimed, before adding in at last, 'Unless, if your enemy is Rank B, of course. I can't do anything about the fundamental difference of strength.'

Rio's brows knitted together, his eyes showing a faint hint of distress. Now, he wished. He truly wished he would not encounter that Rank B Miracle Invoker. He wasn't...prone to dying this early.

"Are you that unconfident now?" Ciel chuckled, his hand taking out the two long, thin needles from his pocket. He waved his hand slightly, covering the stilted daggers with luminescence dark energy.

Rio pursed his lips, ignoring the agent's provocative taunt. From now on, he would tone down his conversations with Faust when there were people around.

He wasn't that accustomed to talking via thoughts—or telepathically with the remnant spirit. He mostly preferred to talk with his mouth.

At that moment, while both of them were preparing themselves, five garbed figures jumped from beside the trees that surrounded them.

`Aza's followers` Rio immediately thought as soon as he caught notice of their appearance. The five figures were all dressed in thick, dark scarlet cloaks that covered their entire bodies. As soon as they jumped, they raised their hands as they swung the bloodied silver chains on their hand to both him and Ciel.

"A little too slow, don't you think?" Ciel asked, his body casually dodging the attacks. Suddenly, his body trembled. In that moment, darkness enshrouded his figure, covering every part of his body—making him look like a Dark Reaper.

The cloaked figures were surprised, their body taking a step back. The instant their eyes fell to the shadow they felt death itself—staring at them, but death was never scary to cultists anyway.

It was one of their least concerns of life.

From the side, a large fiery fireball shot at them. It blasted through air, dashing in to one of the cloaked figures. The cloaked figure couldn't react in time, distracted from the dark shadow—the fireball blazed through his cloak, completely burning his garment.

However, it didn't end there, the fire didn't tame down, but rather amplified more like a raging devil.

It blazed once more, burning the figure's skin as the man's screams echoed on the forest, unable to resist the burning sensation that coursed through his mind.

While the other figures were distracted by their fellow follower burning to ashes, behind them a faint, dark shadow suddenly abruptly appeared.

On the shadow's hands were two long thin daggers, stabbing through one of the cloaked followers' head.

`Only three are left, but...` Rio thought, his eyes shifting to the cluster of trees surrounding them. He felt more. More enemies coming to this way. He couldn't count how much, but he was sure it was more than five.

The three figures notice Rio's distraction, they swung their chains—the metal bindings slithering through air as it aimed for Rio.

`Dodge,` Faust instructed, his hand gesturing to the side, `Don't get distracted from the new ones. Focus on your present enemy.`

Rio nodded, his body dodging breathlessly to the side as the chains missed his body. He raised the wand in his hand slightly, pointing it to the group of cloaked figures. In that instant, a flurry of sharp, curved winds shot to the group.

The sharp winds dashed in to the group. Their body couldn't dodge in time, the wind was simply too fast. Their cloaks were shredded, removing their disguise completely as the wind inflicted small sharp cuts on their skin.

Behind them, a shadow once again emerged. Without hesitation, the shadow's hand moved—blood spurted out from their throats as all three figures fell to the ground.

Rio sighed, his head shaking. It wasn't over yet. It was far from over. He grasped the wand on his hand tightly, while his eyes stared at the surrounding trees beside them.

Behind him, a figure enshrouded of darkness appeared, on the figure's hands were two dark, stilted daggers covered by luminescence dark energy. Ciel nodded slightly, slightly waving the daggers in his hand.

Rio lightly glanced at the agent behind him. Both of them worked together quite well, each of them covering the other's back. He made opportunities for Ciel to assassinate, while Ciel distracted the enemies for him to blast them with spells.

At that moment, several cloaked figures appeared from the trees. From a distance, Rio could feel the maddened devotion from their bodies—willing to even self destruct to just kill both him and Ciel.