“Phew… Another day has passed…”

As Iliya spoke in an exhausted manner, Trisha, who was walking alongside her, let out a bitter laugh.

“Aren’t you pushing yourself way too hard these days?”

Her words were true.

The classes at Elfante’s Knight School were well known for its rigorous nature. Even among them, the training course Iliya had been enduring lately was infamous for being exceptionally demanding.

Her seemingly masochistic tendencies and the additional one-on-one training sessions with the Dean after class had even reached the ears of Trisha, a Theology School student.

It was to the extent that it had become a hot topic of discussion among students. They wondered if this was what one had to undergo to become a Hero Candidate.

“...Well, you know…”

Iliya pursed her lips before speaking once again.

“I’ve been feeling quite inadequate lately.”

“...Inadequate?”

Her seemingly ridiculous words were met with Trisha’s incredulous voice.

Inadequate? Where exactly was the inadequacy she spoke of?

It had been a well-known fact that there were absolutely zero freshmen who could even compare to half of Iliya’s competence.

Even Talion, whom people had some expectations for, got utterly demolished the moment they crossed swords.

“...Trisha, do you know Heaven’s Automaton?”

“Huh? Where did that suddenly come from?”

Of course she knew.

Heaven, located within the Astral Realm, used them as weapons when they needed to intervene in the Material Realm.

Because of their incredibly tough exteriors, it was immensely difficult to harm them in any way, thus making them a formidable opponent to all humans in the Material Realm.

From what she knew, an academy student shouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet something like that though…

“One of the freshmen was able to cut it down in one strike.”

“...”

‘What? What kind of monster is she talking about?’

“And once again, that freshman has a connection with Teach… I don’t know how that person keeps getting intertwined with such women…”

As Trisha observed Iliya’s ‘Color of Emotions’, she jumped in surprise.

It was black again, even though it had been white for quite a while.

“...R-Really? Still, I doubt there’s anything special between Mr. Dowd and that freshman. Didn’t you say he had already fallen for the Student Council President?”

“No, it’s a bit more complex than that.”

Iliya let out a sigh before continuing.

“Even though so many girls desire and chase after him, he never seems to like any of them. Not even a little.”

“...”

Didn’t that mean he was just a trashy philanderer?

Although such a thought came up oh so naturally, Trisha swallowed the sentence back down her throat, hiding it behind her sealed mouth.

No matter how tough she seemed, Iliya was someone who was sensitive regarding this matter. She couldn’t speak out of turn.

“That’s why I’m worried. I’m worried that he will suddenly stop paying attention to me one day.”

“Huh?”

Iliya’s expression turned dark in an instant.

Almost as if she was remembering a bad memory.

“Last time, he even removed me from combat. Doesn’t it sound like a red flag to you?”

“...Huh?”

Trisha slowly blinked for a brief moment.

‘No, wait. Uh, I thought she was…?’

Weirdly, the focus of the conversation was off.

Why was this discussion continuously leaning towards her combat prowess?

“...Uh, Iliya?”

“Hm?”

“Uh, weren’t we talking about Mr. Dowd’s ideal type…?”

For a moment, silence fell upon both of them.

“...No. Anyway, since that person is stronger than me, isn’t it likely that Teach would focus on her and not me?”

“...”

Um.

For some reason, her friend always had questionable common sense.

Since when did the pursuit of youth turn into a speculative arena for ranking who was stronger than the other?

“Why do you think that way?”

“How do I put it… Isn’t that part of me the only thing that keeps me competitive and in the running?”

“...Where did that conclusion even come from?”

Iliya shut her mouth, clenching her teeth as she did so.

After kicking the ground a few times for no apparent reason, she cleared her throat with embarrassment.

“I-I mean…If you take my fighting prowess away from me, I’m basically worth nothing…”

As she looked at Iliya squirming, Trisha speechlessly grabbed her forehead.

She realized that this girl had really a long way to go.

“...Be more confident. You’re pretty popular among the boys, you know?”

“There’s no way that’s true though?”

“...”

It was true though.

Trisha could not fathom why IIiya was always in firm denial over something like this.

‘...Her looks are pretty, her skills are incredible, she gets along with everyone…’

In truth, from her perspective as a friend, Trisha felt that Iliya was wasted on someone like Dowd, who had a rather questionable history with women.

She wished Iliya would realize that fan clubs weren’t made for no reason.

“...Well, anyway. So that's why I’ve been training hard lately! Maybe if I do that, Teach would, uh… You know… Spend more time with me…?”

“...”

However, her way of thinking itself was completely and utterly wrong.

Trisha gave up trying to convince her and shifted her gaze upwards.

“...Huh?”

When she did, she was startled. The reason? Because she saw a towering ‘pillar of light’ that seemed to shatter the sky.

“What is that?”

“Uh, I’m not sure…”

-...

In the midst of their conversation…

The pillar of light struck directly at the barrier encompassing the entire academy.

With that, the protective barrier, the same one that the Seraphs had laid long ago, began to form web-like cracks.

“...!”

Both Iliya and Trisha’s faces turned pale instantly.

They weren’t too sure what the exact situation was.

However, there was no one in the academy who didn’t know what losing the protective barrier meant.

Firstly, there was the Void Zone nearby, the place where the Devils’ ‘true bodies’ were sealed.

Secondly, if the protective barrier disappeared, an indescribable calamity would undoubtedly strike this place.

And just a few seconds later…

In the distant Void Zone, a massive shroud of darkness surged up, contrasting with the pillar of light.

Almost as if it immediately detected the damaged barrier.

And shortly after…

-----------------!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Through the cracks on the barrier, a black darkness began to scream as it rushed in.

Main Quest: 〖 Chapter 2 – Boy King 〗

[ !!Alert!! ]

[ Emergency Event in progress! ]

[ Repel the ‘Academy Assault’! ]

[ If too many casualties occur, it’s Game Over! ]

[ This quest has been altered due to an Emergency Event. ]

[ Additional Rewards available upon completion! ]

[ Reward: 1 Hero Fragment ][ Reward: 1 Evil Essence ][ Reward: Special Interaction with ‘Heretic Inquisition’ ][ Reward: 10,000pt ]

Without even being able to properly read the window, I gazed at the sky stained with darkness and gritted my teeth.

"..."

When I finally looked around, the Prophet was already gone.

It seemed like she hid herself and erased the traces of her existence when she activated the Sky Splitter.

While letting out ear-bursting screams, the evil spirits and specters gathered at the gap of the barrier, continuously throwing themselves in an attempt to shatter it.

Every time a collision was made, the screams of students exploded out nearby. They seemed to have instinctively realized that if that barrier was to break, something terrible would happen to all of them.

There was certainly a reason why even the Seraphs descended to create this barrier. The Devil’s Killing Aura lingering around this area was a blind hatred of all life.

"..."

Originally, they wouldn’t go this far.

However, inside this barrier, there were things that they ‘coveted’.

Devil’s Fragments. And the Vessels that housed these fragments.

The very people that Atalante had gathered in an attempt to seal all the fragments through me.

“...”

This dogshit situation was also a product of the butterfly effect.

Originally, they wouldn’t have tried to shatter the barrier like this to get inside.

But, because of my existence, this phenomenon was unfolding before my eyes.

-!

However, Elfante Academy was a place that had the manpower capable of instantly dealing with any threats.

Among them, there was a certain person who leapt up to the very heart of the darkness.

Someone who had instantaneously created ‘flight’, a technique considered difficult even when using a Special Power.

Atalante the Eternal. The Headmistress of the academy, holding thousands of talents befitting the millennium she had lived, was instantly reaching the gap in the barrier.

White light emanated from her hand. It was clear that her intention was to repair the cracks.

Soon after, more people arrived one after another to support Atalante.

They were clearly the professors from the Magic School and Theology School. The faces of Magic School’s Dean Percy and Theology School’s Dean Walter could also be glimpsed briefly.

-!

And when such manpower joined, even if it was merely a temporary measure, the darkness that was trying to infiltrate through the barrier gap retreated while screaming.

It was a tremendous feat. No matter how many extraordinary humans helped, this was still a barrier made by the Seraphs. It was remarkable and nearly inconceivable that they could somehow control the situation, even if it was temporary.

Cheers and relieved applause could be heard from the surrounding area. They probably thought that group of people managed to prevent the incident from happening.

However…

‘...It’s not looking good.’

From what I know, this wasn’t even the main course of the Boy King Boss Battle. It was just the appetizer.

The fact that ‘all’ of those people were gathered there was, in itself, a huge red flag.

While all the elite personnel inside the academy were concentrated there, another enormous aura had begun to gather in one place.

“Wh-What’s that?!”

“The Clock Tower…!”

The Clock Tower was located at the very center of the academy, its ‘tallest’ building by far. Above that very tower, several huge ‘Hieroglyphs’ had begun to appear.

Incantations that were brought forth by an ancient language. A forgotten sorcery. It was Valkasus’s Forbidden Sorcery.

Shortly after, these Hieroglyphs emitted an ominous energy and began to generate various ‘Arrays’ in the surrounding areas.

Crawling out from within were a group of immense monsters that were clearly rotting and decaying.

Among them, the most conspicuous one was a gigantic monster with a size of several tens of meters. Made of multiple flesh parts stitched together, this massive golem was the very personification of hell.

Flesh Tearer.

According to the classification of the Imperial Adventurer Guild, it was a ‘Special-Grade’ demonic creature that could cause a city-wide emergency just with its appearance.

To deal with it without any casualties, I would need monstrous existences on the level of Gideon or Margrave Kendride.

‘Can’t I catch a fucking break for once…?!’

As I observed this entire shitstorm, my head started spinning.

‘Are you fucking with me? Were you seriously expecting me to clear this quest?’

Ruined assembled with Forbidden Sorcery.

Setting aside Flesh Tearer, their power might have been similar to the Medium-Grade demonic creature I dealt with before, but because of their maliciousness, they were far more dangerous.

And there was also the fact that those fuckers wouldn’t die.

In the first place, destroying them was impossible. What? Did you expect me to kill a long-dead corpse once more for the shits and giggles?

There was only one solution to deal with them.

It was to deal with Valkasus, who was controlling them with his Forbidden Sorcery.

-!!!

-!!!!!!!!

The Ruined that emerged from the Arrays roared in unison.

Their vocal cords had probably decayed due to their rotten state as a mix of a hoarse voice and the disgusting sound of wind escaping their bodies could be heard. Perhaps due to this, it made them even more grotesque.

“H-Hieeeeeek…!”

“Run!”

Upon seeing this scene, the students’ faces turned pale as they started fleeing.

The faculty and some higher-grade students who managed to keep their composure were trying to maintain control of the vicinity. However, it was honestly more strange that anyone could stay sane after seeing such a sight.

And thus, a hell on earth had unfolded.

“...!”

Eventually, Atalante, who was still in the sky, gritted her teeth and gestured to the nearby professors.

It probably meant that she would hold this place alone, so they should go to the surface to make sure there weren’t any casualties.

While it was a rational decision, it was impossible for her to indefinitely face the combined killing intent from the Void Zone, which was still pounding against the barrier. The professors who knew this hesitated, but Atalante urgently gestured to them again.

If they let those Ruined attack uncontrollably, the barrier was not even the issue at hand. A massacre would happen right here and now.

In the end, the professors, understanding this logic, descended back to the surface with grim expressions.

"..."

Since this was Atalante we were talking about, she could hold on for about 30 minutes.

30 fucking minutes.

In that time, I had to break through those monsters and reach the top of the Clock Tower to confront Valkasus.

Otherwise, the barrier would be breached and countless people would be swept away by that darkness, thus failing the main quest. Game Over.

Currently, I was without my comrades and none of my prepared ‘measures’ were properly in place. Could I succeed?

“...”

I bit my lips until blood came out.

If the quest had progressed normally, there shouldn’t have been a ‘time limit’.

I had to assemble my forces that haven’t even been properly deployed, break through the undying monsters to advance to the Clock Tower, and deal with the Boy King at the very top floor.

If I had time, I could manage somehow. Even if it was just one night.

However, if I had to do it all in 30 minutes…

“...”

I grinded my teeth.

The time needed was too tight. My composure was collapsing from the sudden intrusion of a massive variable that was far beyond my plan.

‘...Come up with a suitable solution… Fuck, come on…’

I clenched my teeth harder and racked my brain.

The situation at hand caused me an extreme amount of pressure, incomparable to the preparations for my original plans.

If I couldn’t come up with something here, the inevitable would soon follow.

Game Fucking Over. R.I.P. Dowd Campbell.

“You!”

At the sound of a familiar voice, I turned my head.

Eleanor was rushing towards me with her sword drawn.

Perhaps, even in the midst of this chaos, instead of avoiding this commotion, her first thought was to find me no matter what, so she had been searching the entire academy grounds for me.

“Are you okay? You need to get out of here quick—!”

“Eleanor.”

I grimly made eye contact with Eleanor.

However…

“...I cannot run away. I need to solve this first.”

Right now, this was the only thing I could say.

As soon as she heard my words, Eleanor’s eyes shook intensely.

“Solve this? What nonsense are you—! This is not something for a mere student to handle!”

“...As long as I can come up with a solution, I can do it.”

Rather, I had no choice but to do it.

Or else…

“If I don’t, I will die.”

"..."

Yes, I gave her zero context and went straight to the conclusion, but this was the best explanation I could give at the current moment,

I clenched my teeth once again.

If I were to think hard enough, I should be able to find a solution. It would definitely come to me.

However, my focus continued to break apart. My head was spinning even faster now.

Right at that moment…

Eleanor grabbed my shoulders tightly.

“You.”

"..."

“I will not ask for the reason. There must be some circumstances pushing you to do this. But there is one thing you should be certain of.”

Eleanor looked at me dead in the eye.

“If you die, I will die as well.”

“...What?”

“Think of it as a matter of life and death for two lives now. Find a way to survive. I will do whatever I can to help.”

“Eleanor, what are you say—”

“I’m telling you not to die! I don’t know what is going on, but I’m telling you not to die no matter what!”

Her agitated voice hit me like a hammer.

I did not expect this person to make this kind of voice.

It was only then that I could see her face properly.

There were tears welled up at the corners of her eyes.

It was a face that contrasted starkly with her usual impassive expression.

It seemed as if I was that precious to her.

"..."

Okay, look, sorry for doing this when you’re so serious but…

No, really, I’m really sorry, but…

I couldn’t help but feel a reflexive laugh bubbling inside me.

You see, it didn’t seem like she knew how to use the muscles on your face properly. It was as if this was her first time making this kind of face.

“...Mm.”

When I suddenly covered my face and lowered my head, Eleanor looked at me as if puzzled.

“...Dowd?”

“...It’s nothing.”

Because of the situation at hand, I choke down the laughter in my throat.

However, thanks to that, I felt refreshed...

My vision had returned.

My mind had cleared.

My composure was regained.

“Please wait a moment, Eleanor.”

I smiled slightly in gratitude.

Shortly after, I closed my eyes and sank deep into my thoughts, accelerating them to their limits.

I checked the ‘cards’ I had and assessed the current situation.

“...”

A spark ignited in my mind.

I had it. A solution.

It came in a flash of insight.

And Eleanor, who had been watching my expression, nodded slowly.

“You seem to have finally organized your thoughts.”

“...Yes. As expected, resolving the situation immediately is close to impossible.”

“Then, are you going to run away?”

“No.”

With a sigh, I gaze at Eleanor.

Run away? Who? Me? Nah, never.

That bitch had set up all of this to fuck me over.

As such, what I needed to do was simple.

“I said it’s close to impossible, not that it's impossible.”

I would confront it head-on and fucking demolish it.

There were inevitably going to be many clashes with the Prophet in the future.

However, I was never going to show myself getting swayed by some childish prank from the very beginning.

“Eleanor, do you trust me?”

“What?”

“I asked if you trust me. I need your help.”

“...”

It was a conversation we had before.

After all, it was the exact same words I had said when facing the Purifier.

“...”

“...”

And the response that came back was the same as well.

Eleanor looked me straight in the eyes and opened her mouth.

“What do I need to do?”

A grin spread across my face upon hearing those words.

Time.

In the end, it was all about time.

If that motherfucker gave me 10 minutes, I would have died. Even if it had been 20 minutes, I would have been utterly annihilated.

However, I, coincidentally, and rather luckily, had…

30 minutes.

“...Let us go, Eleanor.”

Accompanied with a sigh, my voice practically resonated with determination.

“After all, we have to cut off the head of a millennium-aged monster in 30 minutes.”

It was the perfect amount of time for me to sort out this situation.