As Mayuzumi Mayu speaks, the cadets cluster together and disappear into the ominously flickering Purple Mist beyond the forest.
“Let’s go too.”
“Master… Eri-ring… Courage training is really scary… Can’t I just hold your hand tightly…?”
As soon as I say that, a voice of doom echoes.
Nishizawa stands next to me, wearing a deliberately scared expression.
Is she out of her mind?
I give her a flick on the forehead.
“Stop acting silly and just stand behind me.”
“Hieee… Eri-ring is really scary…”
I’m already tired before we even start.
I rub my forehead.
“I can see your shallow skills clearly. Washboard.”
“On this occasion, I must agree with Miss Shinozaki. A hero candidate like you should conduct yourself better instead of acting all cheap…”
Rin and Olivia launch a joint attack on Nishizawa.
“The princess and the cow really just want to stick by Master’s side. It’s just that they aren’t being honest.”
Nishizawa squints at Rin and Olivia.
“Whaaaat? How dare you see Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte as such a loose woman! I absolutely cannot associate with your kind!”
“Y-you’re saying nonsensical things… Washboard.”
“Heeheeheehee! They both said you aren’t being honest! Eri-ring is honest! Be-be-be-beep! Tongue out!”
The deadly argument continues.
At this rate, we’ll lose a night’s sleep before even entering courage training.
“Shut up and let’s hurry in while I’m being nice.”
The three girls instantly zip it.
Yeah, that should’ve been done earlier.
Sighing inwardly, I lead the troublemaker group into the forest shrouded in Purple Mist.
It’s time to seriously start the courage training.
It’s a congratulatory firework announcing your funeral!
We step into the illusion-filled mist.
Thick purple fog obscures our vision.
An animation-like scene unfolds before my eyes.
Due to the powerful magic barrier limiting the cadets’ senses, besides me and Yuji, the other members can hardly see an inch ahead.
They can only recognize the cadet right next to them.
For other members who don’t have Yuji’s extraordinary sense or can’t tune in to my sense through the shadows I spread, finding their way will be tough.
“Hey, Kurosawa. Lead the way.”
Of course, I have no intention of giving directions.
“Ah? Alright. Leave it to me.”
Tied at the waist with a rope, we line up with the protagonist as the guide.
The protagonist obediently complies with my orders, like a fool.
A perfect gullible fool, infinite trust is indeed the best.
“Just trust me. I’ll do my best to find the way.”
With the protagonist’s colorless magic, it’s almost like there’s no mist at all, so it should be fine.
The protagonist strides ahead confidently.
Following behind, I reminisce about the original setting.
This time, the threat we have to defeat, the B-Rank villain Priest, belongs to the third force, ‘The Cult,’ not the shadow organization ‘New World League.’
‘The Cult.’
The formal name is The Cult of Truth.
This villain organization features a superiority complex that claims only selected individuals can lead humanity by using the relics and lost technologies of otherworldly civilization. Those unworthy shouldn’t misuse such powerful weapons.
Organization.
While they are victorious, this third force, commonly appearing for the purpose of extending the story and world-building typical of light novels, eventually transitions to a faction supporting the protagonist.
“Early recruitment of the Cult is the only way to deal with the New World League and the final boss quickly.”
The point at which the Cult turns into the protagonist’s ally is in volume 17.
The key plot of volume 17 revolves around the internal strife initiated when the High Priest, the real power behind the Cult, colludes with the New World League, striking the final heroine, a symbol of the Cult and the Saint, on the back of the head, with the protagonist getting caught in it.
In typical light novel fashion, the protagonist accepts a request for help from the once-enemy Saint, ‘saving’ her to make her a heroine and turning the Cult into allies.
The Saint becomes the quintessential villain-turned-heroine, going through a redemption arc.
“Volumes 18 to 20 are a continuous final episode without single-volume conclusions. The academy destruction just keeps going…”
Having lost the reliable ally organization, the Cult, Messiah finds himself in a disadvantaged position and decides to carry out his scheme quickly, leading the forces of the New World League to assault Shuo Hero Academy.
Amidst the sudden attack, students and instructors scatter in disarray.
The burning Shuo Hero Academy.
In volumes 18 and 19, the protagonist reunites scattered allies and, along with heroines and supporting characters he has formed bonds with through rescue, bravely confronts the final boss, Messiah, using the power of ‘bonds’, ‘friendship’, ‘love’, ‘youth’, and ‘hope’, which is the content of volume 20.
This is the conclusion of this light novel world.
“And all the other heroines got tossed aside, while that damn sword spirit got involved.”
Even thinking about the ending gets my blood boiling.
No matter how popular the sword spirit, Kusunagi, was in the heroine popularity polls, what gives?
Flirting with all those girls and then at the end, it turns out the only one I loved was Kusunagi?
Sorry, I couldn’t return your feelings?
Is that how the ending goes?
As a guy, shouldn’t there be a joint wedding, harem ending instead?
If I were in that situation, I’d absolutely head to the Middle East for a joint wedding.
An ending where the heroine gets abandoned!
Just thinking about it makes my blood boil.
“Damn author.”
I curse at the author.
I was a madman for having praised [Weakest Hero] despite being cheated with the true heroine drift and abandoned ending plus extra stories.
I should have sent a blade-shaped package to the author’s address, just like those Japanese readers at the time.
Calming my boiling heart.
After all, I can’t give Messiah too much time.
To isolate the New World League and force the final boss out to take him down, I must make the Cult my ally.
The Cult and the Saint hold the keys to heading towards the ending.
“The timing and place of the ending is something I choose.”
I won’t passively just let the villain play me like the protagonist does.
Messiah, and the New World League.
I will annihilate those lunatics who wish to destroy the world at the place and time of my choosing, in a battlefield meticulously laid out by me from start to finish.
Choosing the right battlefield is the essence of strategy.
“For that, I need to capture the Priest alive.”
The Priest is a member of the Saint’s escort Knights.
My true objective is to capture him and secure an advantageous position in future negotiations with the Cult.
That said, it is impossible to immediately bring the Cult under control.
Reaching the internal conflict of the Cult and the rescue of the Saint would take about 200 web episodes or 10 light novel volumes.
Just creating a small connection would be sufficient.
While lost in these thoughts.
[Uuuuuuuuuuu!!]
A gigantic black ghostly figure suddenly appears right in front of me, issuing an eerie sound.
“Gyaaaaaaaak!”
Squish.
With a high-pitched scream, I feel a plush sensation behind me.
Olivia, who was right behind me, hugs me tightly from behind.
“I-I-I-I’m scared! P-Please, just somehow do something!! That ghost! I-I-I’m so scared!!”
Olivia shakes like a leaf, hugging my waist with both arms tightly.
Come to think of it, Olivia did have the setup of being afraid of ghosts and bugs.
She was set up to be afraid of bugs.
A sigh escapes me.
Swoosh.
I draw Durandal.
Vroom!
It seems like the Black Prince has something to say as his sword vibrates.
Ignoring him, I swing Durandal, infused with magic.
[Screeeeeech!]
The sword, slicing through the air, cleaves the ghostly illusion in half.
“Ugh…”
Olivia clings to me with trembling hands, not letting go.
“It’s over, Olivia.”
“How do you know another y-y-y-ghost won’t show up? I-I’m going to stay like this! T-the French Princess is entrusting herself to a mere commoner like y-y-you. T-take this as an honor…”
Olivia tightens her grip around my waist and shouts.
It feels pointless to talk, anyway.
I decide to just let it slide.
Seeing as Olivia has done so much for me, I can tolerate this much.
“Do as you please.”
“I-I’m not thankful or anything! Don’t get the wrong idea! A-all of this is for my safety, okay!!”
As always, her tsundere switch is flipped, and her face is red as she rationalizes her unreasonable behavior.
Honestly, looking at her like this, I might be starting to get a bit attached.
“Kurosawa, let’s hurry.”
“Got it.”
Instead of dealing with Olivia, I hurry the protagonist along.
No group has reached the destination beyond the fog yet.
According to the original story, the Priest would be waiting for the first cadet to arrive at the destination, which would be the protagonist Yuji.
That’s when the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons begins.
Kurosawa takes another step forward.
Olivia is still tightly clinging to my waist, not letting go.
Just as I’m starting to feel a little suffocated…
“Master! Eri-ling is scared too, I think I just saw a ghost! I want to hug you just like the princess does, please let me do it! Hurry!”
Nishizawa approaches me, attempting to dock.
A sigh escapes me involuntarily.
Hearing her words, Olivia stammers and clings to me like a cicada.
“D-don’t keep talking crazy about ghosts! It’s annoying! Aaaah!!”
“There are no ghosts, and stop acting scary and get back to your position, Nishizawa. I’m being serious.”
Smack.
I give Nishizawa a light flick on the forehead.
“Eeeehhh, Master, that’s too much…”
“Too much? Just keep it down a bit.”
“Ughhh…”
The whining of Olivia and Nishizawa rings in my ears.
Ugh.
What kind of glory am I after that I’m dealing with these two clingy creatures, causing a ruckus in the fog?
Honestly, Rin, who’s keeping quiet, looks like an angel.
“…Kim Deok-Sung. I’m actually a little scared too… Could I hug you like Bonaparte? I’ll give you my first hug… Accept the purity of a maiden!”
I briefly thought like that, but I must be insane.
No moment of relaxation is allowed in this cursed light novel minefield of a world.
“Hey, Rin. I know you’re the least scared here, so are you gonna keep messing around?”
That’s just how Rin’s character is.
In the original courage training episode, Rin stuck to the protagonist’s side because of her limited perception, but she wasn’t afraid of phantoms.
“Grrr…”
I can hear Rin biting her lip.
[Wooowooooo!]
A ghostly illusion appears again.
“AAAHHHHHH!!”
Olivia screams and clings to me tightly.
Ugh.
“Hey, Kurosawa. Get rid of that.”
“Got it.”
Yuji draws Kusanagi no Tsurugi and slashes at the ghostly illusion, which disappears in an instant.
After that, it was a continuous loop of the same situation.
Every time ghostly illusions and spirits appeared, Olivia would scream and cling to me, while Yuji took care of the illusions.
“We’re almost there. We’ll arrive soon.”
Only after walking for a while did I finally get a confirmation from Yuji.
“That’s a relief. Ugh, this has been the worst experience ever! Who planned this ridiculous training…!”
Hearing Yuji’s words, Olivia relaxes, muttering with frustration, still tightly holding onto my waist.
Ignoring Olivia’s grumbling from behind, I spread the darkness thinly over the area using my gift.
I harmonized with the spread darkness.
“There’s definitely not much time left.”
I could feel the edge of the mist.
“I hope we arrive soon! I’m absolutely not scared or anything! Don’t get the wrong idea!”
Listening to Olivia’s tsundere outburst, I recalled the original story.
In the original, Rin and Yuji arrived at the destination first, holding hands tightly as they passed through the mist.
But waiting for them there was a villain from the Cult, the Priest, dressed in bridal attire.
The Priest used the artifact, Divine Symbol, to gain control over the illusory mist barrier and forcibly summoned monsters from another dimension to stir up chaos.
The mist spread rapidly, the Hunter Watch went dead, and the otherworldly creatures suddenly attacked.
However, Yuji pinpointed the Priest’s location using his superhuman magical sensing abilities and confronted him.
In this process, it was set that the faculty, including Mayuzumi-sensei, were outside waiting without realizing something was wrong with the barrier.
‘This is just a forced plot to create a situation where the instructors can’t intervene.’
The sacrifice of the instructors for the cliche of students solving troubles with their own power in an academy story.
Of course, I had no intention of following the original storyline even a bit.
Why would I?
“We’ve arrived. Finally.”
As soon as Yuji finished his words, the purple mist that obscured our view quickly withdrew.
In the center stood a tree-like figure in an impressive clearing.
There was a handsome middle-aged man with blue hair dressed as a priest.
A familiar face I recognized from the anime.
The Priest, the main villain of Volume 2.
“Of course, I knew you would be the first to arrive. Son of the Sword Master. And his companions.”
The Priest dramatically opened a thick book he held and spoke in an exaggerated tone.
Where on earth did they teach such nauseating speech?
Every villain that appears talks in such a sickening manner it makes me feel queasy.
“You… What is this? There shouldn’t be anyone at the destination…”
Swoosh.
Yuji drew Kusunagi and glared at the Priest.
“That’s something I should be asking. Who the hell are you? A villain?”
Olivia, igniting flames on the blade of her Flamberge, asked.
Seeing her innocently inquiring about the identity of the enemy, I felt like bursting out laughing.
“If you’re curious about my identity, let me introduce myself. I am… the executor of the glorious Cult, the sword of the saint’s escort. Oh, to our young lambs, I am more commonly known as ‘Priest’…”
The sight of this villain answering that question was just ridiculous.
There was no need to listen further.
I pulled out the flare gun I had prepared from my pocket and shot it into the sky.
Bang!
The gunfire echoed.
Fwoosh! Bang!
With the noise, red fireworks colored the night sky.
The meaning of the signal I shot was ‘Emergency Support Request.’
A globally recognized signal used in all hero circles around the world, a trump card I had prepared in advance since my time at Imgan School in case the Hunter Watch went dead.
“What… what is this?”
The Priest’s self-promotion session was interrupted by the flare, causing his eyebrows to twitch in irritation.
He clearly didn’t like having his introduction time interrupted.
I said to him,
“What do you think it is?”
The Priest’s cheek twitched after suddenly being insulted.
“It’s a congratulatory firework announcing your funeral.”
“Funeral…?”
Just as the Priest tilted his head in confusion.
Swoosh!
A horrific cracking sound tore through the night sky from afar.
A terrifying wave of magical energy approached, tingling against the skin through the illusory mist.
“What the…?”
The Priest’s eyes widened.
Szzzzzzzzzzzz!
A pink flash surged through the sky, shaking the ground as it approached.
“This… this is not good. I need to activate the Divine Symbol immediately…”
Just as the Priest, sweating coldly, was about to channel his magic into the relic, the inverted cross-shaped Divine Symbol he had stuck to the ground.
Shining brightly.
A streak of pink light fell from the sky like a meteor.
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