The Academy’s Weakest Became A Demon-Limited Hunter

In the deep silence, I slowly relaxed.

I smiled broadly.

“Do you remember me?”

Even though I greeted her, no response came, so I tried speaking again.

As expected, no reply. Dorothy was just watching me with her many eyes. Her starlight mana blocked me from reading her psychology.

I knew Dorothy didn’t recognize me. According to the records she left behind, she had already lost her reason.

The Dorothy before me was a transcendent being. The mana she effortlessly radiated was at least on par with the Nether King.

Someone like me wouldn’t stand a chance against her.

Especially since my mana was nearly depleted. She could probably kill me with just a wave of her hand.

Would it be better to just die by her hand?

That ridiculous thought I had during the Trial of Frost suddenly came to mind, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You asked me, didn’t you? Whether Dorothy and I… what was it, love each other?”

I pretended to be embarrassed, speaking lightly as if chatting with a friend.

“I think so. At least, I do, and Dorothy seems to like me too. I could be wrong, or it could just be wishful thinking, but that’s how it is. I don’t know if you can guess the situation.”

I took a short breath.

“You were the same. You were actually the first Dorothy I met. You probably didn’t particularly like me, so this might feel awkward, but if I had to say… I really liked you. Truly.”

I spoke in a sweet voice, the kind Dorothy would most like to hear, conveying my sincerity.

“You’re beautiful, like a celebrity… Even after losing everything, even facing death, the way you fought to live… I admired that so much.”

You healed me and painted a world full of possibilities.

That’s why I wanted to do the same.

The way you lived to shine saved me, and now I want to save you so that your life can shine even brighter.

“I missed you. Even as a god, you’re still dazzlingly beautiful.”

Standing in front of Dorothy, as I shared the feelings I had never been able to express, I realized something.

There was a lot of unresolved emotion inside me.

The more I imprinted Dorothy’s image on my eyes, the more the emotions I had been suppressing stirred and slowly consumed my entire being.

As the cool air brushed my blood-stained cheek, my emotions seemed to heighten even more.

I’m powerless and unwise… that’s why I couldn’t save you.

The feeling of helplessness and loss gnawed at my heart like a rat.

Clang.

With a clear sound, a swarm of stars rose around me.

My body became weightless and floated through the air, reaching Dorothy.

“Dorothy…?”

The only trace of Dorothy’s old face left was around one of her eyes.

Even that remaining eye showed no life. It merely emitted a quiet, lonely, and mysterious starlight.

Dorothy placed her hand on my chest. I felt nothing but coldness.

Hiss.

Soon, brilliant starlight mana flowed gently from Dorothy’s hand into me.

Each of my cells felt like they were popping, as an overwhelming and heavy mana began to envelop my mana circuits.

It didn’t hurt. In fact, it felt warm.

And yet, I had a terrible premonition.

“What are you doing…? Dorothy?”

When I tried to push Dorothy’s hand away, the swarm of stars rose up and bound my entire body.

I couldn’t move.

“Dorothy!! Hey!!”

As I shouted with wide eyes, my vision suddenly turned completely white.

I couldn’t see anything.

If I still had mana left, I might have been able to dispel this kind of magic, but right now, my body wasn’t in a condition to do that.

“Dorothy!! What are you doing!! Answer me!!”

[Hello?]

An all-too-familiar voice came from behind me.

I quickly turned my head, and there she was, Dorothy in white clothes, standing before me.

[You must be really surprised, right?]

It was Dorothy from the first timeline that I had seen before.

I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.

Why?

[This is the final message I’m leaving for you. First of all, congratulations on making it this far! It was an impossible task, so you must have… suffered a lot.]

A message.

It seemed like a message Dorothy made before she lost her reason.

I couldn’t approach her, as if my feet were glued to the ground. I was paralyzed.

It must have been Dorothy’s magic binding me, pulling my consciousness into this message.

[Sorry that I don’t remember your name. But I hope you know that I missed you.]

When Dorothy turned her head, the sky became a brilliant, starry night, and the ground turned into the desolate land once swept by the Floating Island.

Before I knew it, Dorothy had transformed into a little girl wearing a yellow dress. It was her childhood self.

[You were probably a bit surprised when I gave you mana right? Sorry for not telling you in advance. I knew you liked me, so I thought it might cause some trouble if I told you beforehand.]

“You… What are you doing right now? Why are you giving me mana?”

Even though I knew it was a message, I couldn’t help but ask since there was no way to speak directly to Dorothy.

[This is for you. Please, defeat Ozma.]

What?

[You probably don’t know that name. She is the god within you. The one I mentioned before, the one helping you but shouldn’t be trusted. I don’t know what her goal is, but I’ve heard that if she achieves it, you will die.]

“…”

[Moreover, Ozma harbors deep resentment toward Stella… If she fulfills her objective, something terrible will undoubtedly happen.]

If Ozma succeeded in taking over my body, it wouldn’t defeat the Evil God. Instead, it would bring about disaster.

[In fact, Ozma was once a princess of a distant country, destined to seal Nephid as a hero.]

It was the first time I’d heard such a story.

[Back then, Nephid was a Demon Lord instead of an Evil God. Ozma eventually became a servant of the stars and succeeded in sealing Demon Lord Nephid. On that day, she used too much starlight mana to seal her, which turned her into a deity. But that caused a great catastrophe in the world, and her appearance became hideous. Deeply scarred, she began secretly wandering the world where you live.]

Dorothy continued her story, as if reciting a fairy tale.

[Meanwhile, Nephid awakened the Authority of Godslaying in the abyss and ascended to the level of an Evil God. It was an unforeseen event. Even though Nephid remained in the abyss, the Authority of Godslaying affected your world.]

Dorothy made a light gesture.

[When gods intervene in that world, they become Nephid’s prey. But Ozma was an exception. She had become a transcendent before the Authority of Godslaying activated, and she hid within the essence of many beings. If Nephid had awakened her divinity right after being sealed, Ozma would have been absorbed as well. She was lucky.]

Ozma became a god first and secretly wandered the world.

Then, Demon Lord Nephid became an Evil God and awakened the Authority of Godslaying.

[Therefore, to oppose the Evil God, Ozma was necessary. When the Evil God attempted to awaken the Authority of Godslaying, Stella approached Ozma and made a deal so that Ozma could help you.]

In other words, the fact that I was caught up in this journey with a fake Status Window to defeat the Evil God was planned long ago.

[And I as well.]

“Huh?”

[Stella foresaw my birth back then, and she planned to use me to defeat the Evil God. She bestowed the blessing of starlight on my distant ancestors, and that’s how I awakened my starlight magic.]

Just as the Elfieto royal family received the blessing of the Night Fairy, and White, deeply influenced by that blessing, awakened the power of the fairy.

Dorothy had undergone the same process.

So, rescuing Dorothy from the Floating Island was…

[I also found out later. The reason I was able to escape from the Land of Oz was because I had awakened starlight mana. The Stella I saw back then was a remnant she had left for me, another Stella passed down through my blood.]

The Stella who saved the young Dorothy from the Floating Island was like an AI programmed into Dorothy’s ancestor long ago.

Now I understood why Stella, a transcendent being, had not fallen to the Authority of Godslaying.

[So, I also became part of the plan Stella had laid out, leading to the situation we’re in now.]

I knew that Dorothy from the first timeline had lost her life according to Stella’s plan.

But I hadn’t realized that plan had been made so long ago.

[You know, your Dorothy won’t end up like me. I’ll make sure of it.]

My shoulders trembled slightly.

[I will give you my power.]

“No, don’t…”

I furrowed my brow and shook my head, but my plea wouldn’t reach Dorothy.

[I will give you the power meant solely for battle, so you can become stronger than anyone. I will drive Ozma out of you. Even though you’re not a suitable wielder of starlight mana, thanks to the remnants of Ozma, you’ll be able to use starlight mana temporarily. Use that power to defeat Ozma and take all of her strength. Then, after you escape the Icy Lake, you’ll be transported back to the rift. Once there, I’ll open it for you so you can leave safely.]

The young girl, Dorothy Gale, clasped her hands behind her back and smiled softly.

[That is the wish I have for you.]

“…”

[Even though I can’t remember you, I still feel like I would have liked you. If we had continued staying together, I’m certain I would have liked you more than anyone… It’s a little embarrassing.]

Dorothy blushed and let out her characteristic laugh.

[So, I hope you live a happy life.]

“Dorothy, please…”

A deep darkness began to spread, and the image of young Dorothy started to fade away.

[Did you know? The Wizard of Oz is said to be someone who grants all wishes.]

As if saying her final farewell, the young girl smiled brightly, like a fully blossomed flower.

[Please, be my Wizard of Oz.]

Silence.

I closed my eyes and opened them again, and my vision showed the dark scenery of the Icy Lake.

From where Dorothy had been, brilliant starlight particles scattered.

Even the sparkling remnants of her remaining life disappeared like dust.

Swallowing the emptiness, it felt as though something was mercilessly carving out all my insides, dragging them deep down, and bringing forth an unbearable silence.

As I stared into the void in silence for a while, the cluster of stars that had been rising around me completely faded away.

My body slowly began to fall.

Fwoooosh!!

Just before hitting the Icy Lake, I released a strong burst of cold air, reducing the impact of my fall.

A strange sensation swirled inside my body. It was different from what I usually felt.

It felt as though something important had left me, and something new had filled its place.

[────────.]

An unintelligible tone pierced my ears.

I slowly lifted my head.

Blood-red clouds swirled, and at some point, even the beautiful aurora that filled the sky began to whirl.

Beneath it, a being with the grandeur of a vast, brilliant universe sat still, as if meditating.

Wrapped around its body were two rings imbued with an astronomical amount of mana. It was the stature of a transcendent being.

Countless eyes covering its entire body all glared at me simultaneously.

“…So it’s you, Ozma.”

Mana filled with anger, resentment, and hatred weighed down heavily. It was Ozma’s power.

I walked forward in silence. There was an unbearable weight in each step.

I couldn’t calm myself, my expression becoming increasingly rigid.

“Let’s end this Status Window game.”

I extended my right hand.

Chararang!

A white cluster of stars bloomed above it.