The educational policy for the magic-focused students had been decided.
Just on cue, the exhausted magic students came filing back.
It had been a little over an hour in real time, so for the magic-dominant students with lower stamina, the running drill must have been quite the ordeal.
Magic students needed physical conditioning too, but was this enough? I'd leave the rest to the teachers as we'd discussed. I turned my attention to the combat-focused students, who would be the main event.
And then— "Run, run! At that pace, winning against Magnus and the others is nothing but a pipe dream!"
Mr. Brown, one of the combat-track teachers, was putting on an almost inhuman display of hot-blooded intensity.
The three other teachers jogging alongside the students had lost most of their composure too. Mr. Brown's relentless pressure was truly fearsome.
One of them, Mr. Peter, even stammered out: "M-Mr. Brown, there's no need to push them this hard from the very start—"
He was practically voicing the students' thoughts.
But even Mr. Peter's plea was— "Silence! If we're going to do this, we do it to win! You should be giving it everything you have with that kind of spirit, shouldn't you? At this rate, you won't earn the reward that Sat— Rimuru, no, Satoru-sensei promised!"
—summarily dismissed without a moment's hesitation.
But this guy…
Hadn't his goal shifted?
And he'd almost blurted out my name too, which was mildly concerning.
"Come to think of it, perhaps I was in the wrong. Satoru-sensei is watching us. We can't afford to be soft on ourselves—Everyone, dig deep!!"
"That's right, Mr. Peter! This is no time for half-measures! Now, all of you—run like your lives depend on it, no, keep running even if you die!!"
"ROOOAAAR!!"
Uh, um…
Peter was exactly the same.
Why were the teachers taking this more seriously than the students!?
The students had been left in the dust.
But fine. That was fine…
Wait, had these students been brainwashed in that one hour plus of running? They were running like their lives depended on it, eyes blazing with fanaticism.
Remove all wasted force, run at maximum speed while maintaining endurance.
Optimal power distribution, combined with fatigue reduction and stamina enhancement through magic use.
What was driving them this hard?
Don't tell me they were actually aiming for the reward I'd mentioned…
Rather than wanting to get back at Magnus and the others, it really did look like they just wanted the reward. I could only pray I was imagining things.
◇◇◇ We kept them running until nightfall.
Naturally, everyone was completely spent.
Their mana reserves were depleted, and they didn't even have the energy to stand.
But after drinking the diluted Recovery
Good as new!
I hadn't added any taurine, but the effect was incredible.
It wasn't just wound healing — it was remarkably effective for restoring stamina too.
"Satoru-san, what is this…?"
"Hmm? It's a drink made from a secret recipe. I had the ingredients, so I prepared it for everyone."
I answered with a beaming smile.
It was all lies, of course — it was just a diluted version of the Recovery Potions I'd had in bulk from the very start. But I couldn't exactly say that, so what could I do?
Come to think of it, I'd heard that monsters couldn't tell lies, but that clearly didn't apply to me at all.
I didn't particularly enjoy deceiving people, but given my personality, there were plenty of situations where I couldn't tell the truth.
…Well, calling it a lie wasn't entirely accurate either.
If you interpreted it generously, "secret recipe," "had the ingredients," and "prepared it for everyone" — none of that was technically untrue.
The "had the ingredients" part was true in the sense that I'd stored them in the Imaginary Space, so it was a bit of a stretch, but still.
Anyway, it didn't really matter.
The moment they recovered from their fatigue with my drink, everyone remembered they were starving.
Before long, it was time for the dinner that the stay-behind group had prepared.
The cooks had really outdone themselves, and once again the meal was more than satisfactory.
Earlier that afternoon, the magic students had practiced card magic through "vessel creation using earth magic" and "hardening through combustion."
The results were on full display — everyone had their own handmade dishes.
Some of them were a bit rough-looking, but that was part of the charm.
And so, the fifth evening ended with another satisfying meal.
Now then, with our hunger sated… it was about the time when their critical thinking would start kicking back in and complaints would start bubbling up.
"Satoru—sensei… there's something I want to ask."
Julius stood up as he spoke.
He'd clearly had reservations about calling me "sensei," but he'd suppressed his pride and acknowledged me as a teacher.
More straightforward than I expected.
"What is it?"
"All we did today was run. Do you really think that's enough to beat them?"
Even Julius couldn't believe they could win — which was exactly why he asked head-on.
"Just running alone won't make you—"
"Are you an idiot? Running alone doesn't make you stronger. If that were enough, nobody would ever have to struggle."
"What did you say—!?"
My words hit a nerve, and Julius nearly flew into a rage.
I'd had them running all day without a single explanation. And now I'd made a comment that could be interpreted as saying the running was pointless.
From his perspective, it was as if I'd wasted an entire day.
He probably felt like I was mocking him.
But it was obvious if you thought about it normally.
Running alone doesn't make you stronger.
It was proof that all the shocking events had prevented clear thinking.
On the other hand, you could also say the day of running had restored that calm.
"—So you were trying to get us to regain our composure, Satoru-kun?"
"You can take it that way if you like. Also, call me sensei, Mondo."
"Y-Yes. Understood, Satoru-sensei."
"Mm."
I nodded.
It wasn't really about restoring composure — it was a small act of revenge for how Julius had treated me. But there was no need to say that.
For the other students, it would've just felt like they'd been caught in the crossfire.
Besides, everyone seemed satisfied with that explanation, and I was willing to let the matter rest.
"Now then, your heads should be clear enough. Let's have our strategy meeting."
After dinner, we gathered around a campfire for the strategy session.
Julius, Kalma, and the rest seemed satisfied with the earlier explanation, and no objections were raised.
I say this myself, but they were simple people.
All right, let's begin.
"First, let's talk about the strength of Magnus and the others. Has anyone noticed the secret behind it?"
My question stirred a buzz through the group.
Not just among the students, but the teachers too.
"If any of the teachers have noticed something, please speak up."
I encouraged the teachers to share their thoughts as well.
Surely someone had noticed the secret behind Magnus's power.
"Now that I think about it… Magnus was always an outstanding student, but he didn't seem like someone hiding that kind of overwhelming strength…"
Kalma, who had apparently been close with Magnus, murmured.
That made sense. With that level of power, hints of it would've shown during regular classes.
At the very least, even if students didn't pick up on it, teachers should have. If a teacher couldn't see through that level of strength, they were unfit for the role.
"I don't want to make excuses, but I never imagined a student had that kind of power."
"Right… It wasn't like he was concealing his strength. It was more like he'd suddenly gained power — or had it lent to him."
A combat instructor from NNU named Jidda murmured his agreement.
Heinrich, who had been observing the fights, nodded along.
As expected of a research instructor — very observant.
"Lent to him, you say? That almost sounds like—"
"Almost like…"
'…Spirit Fusion' "…is that what you're getting at?"
I finished William-sensei's sentence for him.
In an instant, everyone present fell dead silent.
And with good reason — because 'Spirit Fusion' was…
The ultimate technique of a Spirit Conjurer, one who could command high-ranking spirits.
That's right.
It was the most powerful combat technique known to humanity, permitted only to those called heroes.
The only ones who could wield it in a group were the Holy Knights — humanity's strongest fighting force.
"No, but—"
"Spirit Fusion is impossible for students!"
"That is a feat achieved only by legendary heroes like the 'Lord of Blazing Flames,' or by the new-generation hero Kenta and his companions!"
"Exactly! It's not something ordinary students could pull off!"
The discussion exploded into activity.
Or rather, it was a parade of denials.
But arguing about it here wouldn't change anything.
The truth was, even the teachers didn't truly understand what 'Spirit Fusion' actually meant.
"Calm down. First, I'll explain what 'Spirit Fusion' really is."
The moment I said that, the noisy crowd went quiet.
Every pair of eyes turned to me.
The gazes of the teachers burned even more intensely than those of the students involved.
Hoping that maybe, just maybe, they could uncover the secret of that power themselves — it was written all over their faces.
Well, that was fine.
Even if they understood it, that didn't mean they could use it right away.
"'Spirit Fusion' is—"
I began my explanation.
◇◇◇ The easiest example to understand was
She had 'Fused' with the Flame Giant, transforming into the Flame Demon.
In Shizu's case, it was made possible through the power of her Unique Skill, Morpher, so she might have been an exceptional case.
For an ordinary human to achieve that level of integration with a spirit was extremely difficult.
Ifrit, the high-ranking fire spirit, possessed energy on par with a near-Demon Lord class. 'Fusing' with one meant becoming near-Demon Lord level while still human.
In terms of the classification system that humans had established, that put her at roughly "A-plus" rank.
S-rank denoted a Demon Lord, so this was essentially the pinnacle of strength.
Beyond this level, only "heroes" existed.
Beings positioned as the polar opposite of Demon Lords — humans who were nonetheless designated S-rank, the strongest in existence.
Though in truth, even a hero at this stage was only able to 'fuse' with the strongest spirit, the Spirit of Light.
It wasn't the same as a truly Awakened Hero.
True awakening required factors like the "Hero's Egg" and other elements, making it far more complicated.
At the very least, I hadn't heard that Kenta's Hero's Egg had hatched.
He'd acquired it, though.
What
This was the highest echelon — those who could wield a spirit's power as their own.
Below them were… well, the lower-ranking Holy Knights were easy to understand.
Those individuals had learned to borrow a portion of a spirit's power that resonated with them.
The mysterious power that spirits possessed — the same fundamental force behind magic — they could wield it despite being human.
It sounded impressive, but accepting that kind of energy into one's Physical Body was extraordinarily difficult.
In fact, it was impossible for ordinary humans.
That was precisely why they forged their bodies, disciplined their minds, and strengthened their spiritual forms.
Demon Lord Luminas had refined this process, creating a foundation capable of producing quite powerful Holy Knights.
Even so, most of them — barring a few geniuses — could only 'fuse' with low-ranking spirits.
And even then, it came with a time limit.
They could momentarily surpass humanity and overwhelm their enemies.
The refined techniques that supplemented this power were what made Holy Knights the strongest knights.
The power of spirits, combined with human skill.
That was the secret to their strength.
Those who could fully harness the power of high-ranking spirits and had mastered the pinnacle of human technique — they were heroes.
Shizu had achieved this level through her Skill-based Fusion, which put her in that same realm.
The reason I'd won against her was pure luck.
To put it bluntly, I only won because our compatibility happened to favor me.
When I later calmly analyzed the battle, the Great Sage informed me of this.
I'd wanted to say, "You could've told me sooner!" but during a fight, the last thing you want to hear is something that discourages you. So in the end, it had worked out.
As for Kenta and the others — it went without saying. They'd been fused with high-ranking spirits at the soul level, so by now it was a non-issue. Their bodies had simply grown and the power had settled in.
—Setting aside those exceptions like Shizu and Kenta, of course.
◇◇◇ I continued explaining these concepts while keeping specific names vague.
All right, it was time.
Let me pivot to something else.
"I think you now have a good understanding of why it's extremely difficult for a human to fully wield a spirit's power. So then — how do you think a human can gain strength? In other words, how would you go about wielding this mysterious power while remaining human?"
I looked around at the group, who had been listening intently, and posed the question.
Caught off guard by the sudden question, everyone faltered.
But among them, some were quick on the uptake— "Satoru-sensei, you said 'wield mysterious power' instead of 'wield spirit power.' Does that mean any high-ranking being other than a spirit would be easier for a human to channel?"
A sharp deduction that cut right to the heart of the matter.
I grinned and replied.
"As expected of the top student at Inglesia Academy. That's an impressive insight, Julius. Or perhaps, as royalty of the Inglesia Kingdom with its deep ties to spirits, it's only natural you'd notice? Now then — let's get specific. What do you think that being is?"
At some point, Julius's aristocratic air of looking down on me had completely vanished.
He'd realized I was someone to be acknowledged — not just as a teacher, but as something more.
Julius hesitated, reluctant to speak the answer.
But the answer was already there inside him.
He opened his mouth as if to retract, closed it again, and then steeled himself.
"A… demon?"
I deepened my smile and applauded.
"Correct."
And then I said it.
Not angels — demons.
There was a reason for that.
Angels, being pure beings, could only exist under the governance of the Celestial Realm.
The situation had shifted somewhat now, but originally, demons were far better suited for combat.
Well, there were other reasons too, of course…
Those who could command demons were rare, but they existed.
Most cases involved summoning rituals, though a select few could summon demons through magic alone.
They were known as Demon Summoners — top-tier magicians.
The strongest being they could command would be a high-ranking demon, but that was more than sufficient for a human.
And if you added a forged, resilient Physical Body to that…
Without needing to cultivate a spiritual form like the Holy Knights, they could obtain supernatural power.
And furthermore— "Adding to that, if all you're looking for is Physical Body enhancement, there are efficient methods available. If you're enrolled at NNU's Magical Science Academy, some of you might already know what I'm talking about?"
The NNU students tensed, a few of them flinching.
But no one spoke up — either nobody could think of it, or nobody wanted to.
"The Mecha Legion — one of the three great legions of the old empire. Those who belonged to it underwent magical改造 surgery to become enhanced soldiers—"
At that point, the teachers finally caught on.
"Surely not…"
"Magical改造 surgery was supposed to have been banned on humanitarian grounds… And the surviving scientists — could it be that those scientists…?"
"No, that still doesn't add up. Even with the surgery, the enhanced Physical Body only ever reached A-rank at most — nothing that could compare to a near-Demon Lord."
Heinrich cut in firmly.
As a research instructor, he was naturally more knowledgeable than the combat instructors.
"That's right. According to the intelligence I obtained, only a handful of elite soldiers reached A-rank, and their strength fell well short of near-Demon Lord level. But here's the key — what matters is Physical Body resilience."
Once I'd given that much of a hint, Heinrich figured it out.
"So… that's it. What demons desire is a strong Physical Body. If a demon were to inhabit someone with a resilient body, even if it was a high-ranking demon, they could potentially surpass a Holy Knight in strength. What have you done—"
In other words, a Demon Fusion.
Well, that wasn't wrong.
The Poison Green Tiger, the dominant force on this island, had been somewhat underwhelming for a near-Demon Lord-class creature, likely due to its lack of combat experience.
But if Magnus — who had extensive combat experience — gained a demon's power…
It was entirely plausible that he'd surpass the Poison Green Tiger.
And magical改造 surgery had likely progressed significantly compared to ten years ago.
Irina, who seemed to be the mastermind, had been a research instructor and was almost certainly at the forefront of such research.
"Well, that about covers it. That should explain Magnus's strength to a reasonable degree."
I said this and brought the discussion to a close.