Volume 1, Chapter 20 – My Life Is Over

Stella stood there at a complete loss. The utterly abnormal turn of events had left her as flustered as a bride, while Cheryl’s bizarre reaction almost made Stella feel embarrassed on her behalf.

She watched the red-haired succubus slowly climb back to her feet. By all common sense, Cheryl should have been flying into a rage right now, blasting both the dorm room and Stella along with it into rubble with magic.

Yet reality did not unfold that way.

Cheryl straightened herself, brushed the dust from her knees, and rubbed her still-throbbing lower abdomen with one hand.

Although her face was pale and cold sweat clung to her temples, not the slightest trace of anger could be found in those crimson eyes.

Instead, they were filled with an admiration Stella could not understand.

“Very good.”

Cheryl took a deep breath, seemingly savoring the pain from moments ago.

She raised her eyes, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.

“Stella, I take back what I said before. You’ve finally gotten serious. You’ve finally started seeing me as an opponent who needs to be dealt with.”

Stella opened her mouth, wanting to explain that she had simply wanted Cheryl to shut up.

But after seeing Cheryl’s utterly certain expression, she wisely chose silence.

The Book of Holy Words had never recorded a demon who actually felt satisfied after being beaten. This was completely beyond Stella’s comprehension.

“Since you’ve already given me your answer…”

Cheryl said, stepping forward and staring directly into Stella’s eyes, her voice solemn.

“Then I, Cheryl Valentine, formally accept your declaration of war.”

Read оո KαtRеαԁіոgСafе

“…Huh?”

Stella froze.

‘What declaration of war? What kind of declaration of war? When have I ever declared war?’

‘Could you not just decide something like that on your own?!’

Cheryl raised a hand and pointed through the air at Stella’s chest.

“There’s no need to play dumb. That punch was your signal declaring war. You stopped choosing to scorn and ignore me. You even disdained using interrogation and instead chose the most primitive form of direct physical confrontation. Since that’s the case, I won’t treat you as an ordinary classmate anymore either.”

Cheryl tilted her head, cutting Stella off before she could speak.

“Your declaration of war has been accepted by me, Cheryl Valentine!”

Without giving Stella the slightest chance to explain herself, Cheryl abruptly turned around, strode to the door, and yanked it open.

The whispering in the corridor instantly vanished. Dozens of succubus freshmen had gathered outside, along with upperclassmen who had come to watch the spectacle, and every one of them turned their gaze toward her.

Cheryl stood in the doorway, cold and imposing. Although her face was still somewhat pale, the arrogant aura she had been born with had not diminished in the slightest.

She swept her gaze over everyone, took a deep breath, and loudly announced.

“Everyone, come over here! Look at me, look at me, and listen up! I have something to announce!”

“Just now, Stella Darkfallen declared a duel against me, Cheryl Valentine!”

The succubi instantly erupted into an uproar, cries of shock rising one after another.

“Oh my god… She declared war on that Valentine?”

Reaⅾ οո КatRеαdіnɡCаfе

“As expected of an SSS+ genius! She’s hardcore!”

“This is definitely the biggest news of the semester!”

“Blood will flow like rivers! Blood will flow like rivers!”

Cheryl raised a hand and suppressed the commotion, pride written across her face.

“I have accepted this challenge. This weekend, at the training grounds, we will face each other head-on. This will not be a friendly spar where we stop before anyone gets hurt, nor will it be some boring contest of magic. It will be the most primitive form of combat, with our dignity and our bodies on the line!”

She shifted slightly to the side, revealing Stella standing behind her with a blank expression, and a smile curved across her lips.

“When the time comes, I want every single one of you there as witnesses to this fated battle! Anyone who dares to be absent will be showing contempt for the honor of both sides!”

Stella stood in the shadows, her outstretched hand frozen in midair as her lips trembled faintly.

“Look, Miss Darkfallen is so calm. She really did plan this from the start!”

“As expected of someone ruthless enough to take on Miss Valentine…”

She stared at the pairs of eyes outside the door that were practically glowing with excitement and felt her mind go completely blank.

‘It’s over.’

‘Completely over.’

She had only thrown one punch because she wanted someone to shut up. How had it turned into a fated duel that the entire Academy would come to watch?

The outcome of the duel did not even need to be stated.

Reаd οn КаtRеаⅾіոɡСαfе

‘I am dead.’

No one understood Stella’s current condition better than Stella herself.

The succubus elixir issued to her by the Inquisitor was merely a standard formula. It could only alter her appearance and aura, making her look like a succubus and granting her an almost negligible amount of racial talent. It could not possibly give her the powerful physique or enormous reserves of magical power possessed by a high-ranking succubus.

In other words, physically speaking, she was simply a human wearing succubus skin. The reason she had managed to establish her genius persona during the practical mental seduction class was because that had been a contest on the mental level. She could silently chant Holy Arts and use Holy Power to reflect her opponent’s seduction without anyone noticing, making herself appear to be an extremely high-level succubus.

But this time, it would be a fight where every punch landed on flesh.

Against a prestigious young lady like Cheryl, who possessed an ancient bloodline, Stella would have only two possible outcomes once she stepped into the arena.

Either her instinct for self-preservation would force her to use the power of Holy Light, exposing her identity as a Saintess on the spot and getting her surrounded and killed by every succubus in the Academy.

Or she would stubbornly refuse to use Holy Arts, only for Cheryl to punch straight through her chest or burn her to ashes with crimson magical power.

Either way, she died.

What kind of declaration of war was this?

It was clearly an obituary being published in advance.

Stella wracked her brain for ideas until there was nothing left to squeeze out, but she still could not give up.

‘Maybe…’

‘I could come up with some excuse and say I’m not going?’

‘Mm…’

It only took a moment’s thought to know that would never work. Leaving aside the fact that Cheryl’s personality meant she would simply come straight to Stella’s door, the attention and scrutiny caused by her genius persona collapsing because she fled from a fight would already be more than enough for her to deal with.

Reαԁ оո KаtReаⅾiոɡСаfе

‘Please, spare me…’

Stella squeezed her eyes shut.

‘Ask Vice Principal Mara for help?’

‘No… That’s not realistic either.’

By now, Stella understood that vice principal’s terrible sense of humor all too well.

If she went to Mara, Mara would only clap her hard on the shoulder and repeat in the tone of someone delighted to see things get even messier, “Just go for it without worrying, you’ll be fine! After all, you’re a student personally taught by me, Mara Nightsong!”

Then she would most likely add with great interest, “Remember to make it look good, my little genius. If the show isn’t exciting enough, I’ll be disappointed~”

She had finally managed to gather all the materials for the succubus elixir, complete the Inquisitor’s first mission, resolve her financial crisis, and even exceed the requirements of Vice Principal Mara’s assignment…

How had things ended up like this?

‘My life is over.’

Translator Note

Stella is screwed again HAHAHA XD