"Is it because you haven't felt my hostility? In that case, let me make you feel the killing intent I gained after destroying a world. Let you feel the me of the past!"
'Evil's' crimson eyes widened slightly, revealing a hint of bloodlust and cruelty in her pupils.
A viscous killing intent flowed from 'Evil's' body; the almost materialized killing intent made the surrounding air carry a sweet, metallic scent.
The murderous aura emanating from 'Evil' also made Kagurazaka Asuna, lying on the ground, tremble with fear. Something in her heart and mind seemed about to shatter.
"Do you know? Yoshino's wish is for world peace. For this wish, after thirty years of slumber, she joined the Red Wings and began to work towards her goal. But do you know? The essence of humanity is endless desire and the endless drive to pursue that desire. As long as human nature doesn't change, even peace is just a false peace, a compromise for survival when facing an unchallengeable absolute power. My appearance is only to protect her, to prevent her from being hurt in this hypocritical society. How can a kid living in an era of peace understand her?"
Looking at Negi, whose face had turned red in her hand, 'Evil' showed an displeased expression and threw Negi away.
Negi, who was thrown violently, immediately found himself caught steadily in a soft embrace. He opened his eyes, breathing heavily.
Then, he realized it was Kagurazaka Asuna who had caught him. Kagurazaka Asuna, whose legs had been frozen, had now regained her mobility.
"Negi! Negi! How are you?!" Kagurazaka Asuna anxiously shouted at Negi.
Kagurazaka Asuna was actually quite concerned about this simple yet strong child.
"Asu- Student Asuna, *cough, cough*, I'm fine... I'm really sorry, Student Asuna, and everyone. It's all my fault that things turned out this way. If it weren't for me, Konoka would have..."
Negi spoke with great self-reproach. Perhaps a seed of this kind had been planted in his heart since that incident many years ago.
"Negi! What are you saying! You really are... you really are an immature brat!" Asuna interrupted Negi, then tapped his head to stop him from saying such things, but... "Have you realized it, kid? Yes! That's right, the weak get bullied. You were weak back then, which led to the tragedy of your village. Do you know why that happened to your village, kid? Why did demons, which only exist in the Magical World, appear in the Old World?"
'Evil,' slowly moving towards Negi, thought of a way to hit him hard after remembering Negi's past, and a malicious smile appeared on her face.
"It's because of you, kid! As the son of the [Thousands Master], your father made countless enemies in the Magical World! Now he has sacrificed himself, but enemies who know about his son have found you, his son! Do you know? Those villagers who were permanently petrified by the Love Stone are all in their current state because of you. You are the sinner who caused the entire village's residents to be petrified! Now! Even your students are going to become like that!" Extending her right hand, 'Evil' began to chant a spell.
"O tiny king! O eight-legged lizard! O lord of the evil eye! Spew forth the poisonous breath that steals time! Stone Breath!!"
After chanting the spell with a malicious smile, a gray aura appeared from beneath her feet. Everyone who came into contact with the gray aura turned into stone statues. First was Sakurazaki Setsuna, then Ryugu Mana, followed by Kaede Nagase and Kaede Nagase.
All of them turned into stone statues in an instant. Seeing the scene before him, Negi's eyes widened. Everything now was like a re-enactment of six years ago, except this time there would be no savior.
"Do you feel it? The pain of powerlessness! Negi, do you feel the gift I prepared for you? Are you satisfied with this gift called despair? Come on, start unleashing the true emotions within your heart! Any emotion, when suppressed for too long, will change, from peaceful to irritable, from calm to insane, and magic power will naturally fluctuate with it, becoming volatile, becoming closer to nature, and magical elements will become more active. This way, the magic in your body... Ugh!"
Just as she was speaking excitedly, 'Evil' clutched her head, appearing to be in great pain.
"Damn it! Why are you stopping me? Yoshino! I'm just trying to accelerate the kid's growth, aren't I? Anger is the best catalyst; only hatred can make the power within him respond! Why are you stopping me!"
Just as 'Evil' was questioning Yoshino, the Yoshino in the sky, with lifeless pupils, raised her right hand and aimed it at the petrified women.
"Crack—" Some sounds of cracking stone came, and Negi and Kagurazaka Asuna immediately turned to look.
They found that cracks began to appear on the bodies of the petrified individuals. After a few more seconds, they shattered with a crash, turning into powder and dispersing. The petrified individuals also returned to their previous forms, and they all looked around with very puzzled expressions.
"It seems 'Evil's' actions were too much for Yoshino to bear. Even temporarily unconscious, she still instinctively tried to prevent this from happening," 'Good' sighed, watching Yoshino's unconscious actions.
"She'll probably recover soon, honestly. 'Evil' went a bit too far this time. If she hadn't petrified them, it might have been able to continue. Now we can only take Konoka and leave here."
"Mhm, I understand."
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