I Swear I'm Not a Demon Masquerading as a Human

The sudden shift to a gruesome spectacle seemed to instantly extinguish the atmosphere that the performance had previously cultivated. Yet, this silence existed only from Lance and Hyperion’s perspectives.

Soon, many students in the audience erupted into even more jubilant cheers. It was as if only a killing filled with such dramatic tension could truly captivate them. The attending familiars then sprang into action, skillfully clearing the stage. Within a dozen seconds, they restored it to its original state of tidiness and order.

Meanwhile, the teacher acting as the facilitator maintained an elegant smile, as if nothing untoward had occurred. Then he began methodically inviting the next student to take the stage. Apparently, a blend of bloodshed and sheer absurdity was the kind of performance demons truly delighted in.

Although Hyperion was half-demon herself, she found the conventions of the Demon Kingdom of this era so grotesque that she struggled to accept it.

Lance murmured, "So, this is what a demon musical performance is like..."

His attention was fixed intently on the four instructors. He looked for all the world like a student listening earnestly to a lecture. Seated on the far left was a suit of pitch-black armor that was enveloped in a layer of soul-fire as thin as a cicada's wing, resembling a mobile will-o'-the-wisp.

Beside it sat a music instructor that was a demonic spirit. Its face was semi-transparent, with eyes permanently closed as if immersed in an eternal sleep. The third instructor was covered in the markings of highly toxic spells, resembling a mysterious and dangerous forbidden experiment.

The final instructor appeared to have been sculpted from a snow-capped mountain. His skin resembled packed snow, and his body was covered in fluffy fur that exuded a frosty mist. Lance recalled the handbook had mentioned their names: Ghost Armor, Slumbering Spirit, Blighted Toxicant, and Snow Demon.

None of them excelled at combat, nor did they hold high ranks, but they were currently renowned in the Demon Kingdom's music scene. Consequently, they had been specially invited to serve as music instructors at Purgatory Corridor Academy to judge this final exam assessment.

The exam guidelines had stated that each guest music instructor would strictly and impartially evaluate performances based on their musical convictions and their specific areas of expertise. If true, then the respective instructor would only grant approval when a specific, clearly defined criterion had been met.

***

For the next fifty minutes, Lance and Hyperion sat in the audience, watching over a dozen performances, until they finally pinpointed exactly what those four conditions were. Ghost Armor judged solely based on the atmosphere, specifically, whether the emotions and cheers of the demon students were intense enough.

As for Slumbering Demon, it gave its stamp of approval if the music was so intoxicating that it actually lulled the demon itself to sleep. Blighted Toxicant craved a cacophony so harrowing it amounted to a psychic attack, whereas Snow Demon demanded stage visuals that were nothing short of wildly extravagant.

These were the absurd conclusions Lance and Hyperion had reached after repeated verification. As expected, music in the Demon Kingdom was a far cry from what humans understood as music.

In isolation, none of these four requirements seemed particularly unreasonable. But if a single performance managed to satisfy any two of them simultaneously, the result was a hellish spectacle that no human could possibly endure.

In the time they had been watching, there had actually been one performance in the classroom that won the approval of three instructors! That performance's explosive intensity had radiated all the way out to the viewers in the human world who were watching the live broadcast.

***

"Argh! Argh! What kind of music is this?!"

At Ikerite University, students watching the giant outdoor screen couldn't help but cover their ears.

Many students grimaced, tears welling in the corners of their eyes. Their facial muscles were twitching with agony, and they couldn't stop their faces from turning deathly pale. It felt as though their heads were being struck by a heavy hammer, with a numbing, electric-shock sensation radiating from their foreheads to the backs of their skulls. The sound seemed capable of tearing a gaping hole right through the air.

Ever since Lance and Hyperion had entered that music classroom, the students at Gela Memorial Plaza had been subjected to this seemingly never-ending auditory torture!

One student commented, "The performances by candidates who fail aren't so bad."

Another winced. "But any passing performance, which is one that earns the approval of at least two music instructors, is actually a lethal mental magic attack!"

A third announced, "That guy earlier who got approval from three demon instructors nearly sent me straight to the afterlife right through the screen!"

Simply having that demonic sound rage over their eardrums made them feel as if their nostrils were being pinched while being force-fed a mouthful of thousand-fold concentrated pickle brine infused with pure capsaicin.

One moaned, "Please, no more performances that get approval from three instructors. I can't handle this kind of 'avant-garde' art."

A student asked anxiously, "But what if someone manages a performance where all four instructors approve of it?"

That person recalled that the manual Lance and Hyperion had consulted earlier made no mention of what rewards a performance earning approval from all four music instructors would yield.

Another student retorted, "Don't be silly. The conditions set by these four instructors actually conflict with one another in pairs. The most you could ever achieve is three approvals. It's absolutely impossible to satisfy all four simultaneously. If there really was a performance that earned full approval, never mind the demons inside the classroom, a few of us out here would probably faint on the spot."

As the discussion unfolded, the university students finally understood why this music classroom was rated as a Difficulty 2 challenge. Challengers had to employ truly abrasive sonic magic, mental magic, illusions, and other spells compatible with music on stage. Only then could they hope to meet the requirements of at least two of the four instructors and secure the reward of two credit coins!

Furthermore, possessing an extraordinary repertoire of spells and exceptional musical performance skills that were enough to win the approval of all three aforementioned music instructors would not only earn the student three credit coins, but also secure an additional reward. This was a magical demonic instrument that was capable of amplifying the effects of demonic sonic magic.

The most hellish aspect of this classroom was something quite sneaky. The earlier a student performed, the less reference information and preparation time they had. Yet, the later a student performed, the more severely their mental state would be tormented by the psychic assaults unleashed by the other students' demonic music!

In this grand auditorium, the sadistic demon students would only ramp up the intensity of their performances, playing with an even greater fervor whenever they spotted students in the audience who couldn't withstand the music. They all delighted in ruthlessly tormenting the weak. It was a threefold test of judgment, spell repertoire, and mental endurance.

On the giant outdoor broadcast screen, Hyperion could be seen clutching her ears and burying her head, stomping her feet incessantly. She looked as though she had reached her breaking point.

Unlike the students in the outside world watching the livestream, she was experiencing the full, immersive onslaught of that sonic magic right there at the concert venue. Bakar, on the other hand, had already fainted, foaming at the mouth.

However, beside them was a heavyweight contender. Lance’s eyes were gleaming with excitement. He even applauded and cheered for the performing demon students from time to time. It was as if he had completely integrated into the class!

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!