Chapter 304
Death Flag
As the broadcast ended, whispers filled the surroundings.
“He’s the chairman’s disciple?”
“Could it be that traitor…?”
“Has a villain appeared?”
“Why now…?”
Worried voices of extras echoed.
“Ugh…”
Seira bit her lip.
She clutched my hand tightly.
Her eyes were flickering.
The Professor.
A sinister villain obsessed with Seira.
The kind of tragic villain you’d typically find in light novels.
The main villain from volume 11 of the original work,
True to light novel style, the original depicted the Professor in a way that made it understandable, sympathetic even, and just before Seira and the protagonist took him down, they empathized with his feelings.
However, due to his obsession with the heroine, he consistently ranked high in the “most disliked character” polls among readers.
If Kim Deok-Sung and Maeda Shinji were fighting for the top spot in the original unlikable character voting, the Professor held a solid third place.
My thoughts weren’t much different from the other readers’.
But now that it was reality…
Just like in the original, Seira froze when the Professor appeared.
Yet, unlike when I saw it in the anime, perhaps because it became real, her emotions felt more vividly communicated.
Just as I felt her trembling touch…
“Everyone, quiet.”
A calm voice echoed in the main arena.
Everyone’s gaze turned toward the source of the voice.
There stood a middle-aged man, already in battle mode, clad in full combat gear.
Association President Shinozaki Ichiro was there.
Behind him were Vice President Nakayama Sojiro and the association’s troops.
“Effective immediately, due to the code red alert, Shuo Hero Academy will be under my direct control as the Association President. I will now begin a briefing regarding the current situation.”
This was reminiscent of the scene in volume 15 when the Omega Rank interdimensional being appeared.
A scene that would kick off a joint battle where the protagonist and heroine would repel the attacks of the Omega Rank interdimensional being through friendship and love, something straight out of a light novel.
“…”
Seira remained silent.
“However, we’ve also received intel about a backdoor ambush by the EX rank villain, the Professor. If we get ambushed during the assault on the Omega Rank interdimensional being, it’s dangerous, so we need to sort out the Professor. But splitting our forces against the Omega Rank interdimensional being is also risky…”
As Ichiro was deeply engaged in his briefing…
Suddenly…
Seira let go of my hand.
Let go of my hand.
She raises her head, biting her lips as if she’s made a decision.
Seira’s crimson eyes sink into a cold gaze.
“Ichiro-kun.”
At Seira’s words, all attention shifts to her.
“…Please, go ahead, President.”
“The Professor’s opponent is…”
Seira raises her right hand.
Poof.
An umbrella appears in her hand.
Her signature weapon, Amaterasu Ōmikami.
“I will handle this myself.”
Whoosh.
The umbrella unfolds.
Flash.
Her body is enveloped in a white flash.
In an instant, a white lolita dress adorns Seira’s form.
Seira, now in battle mode, bites her lips.
“…As for reinforcements…”
“No need.”
Seira cuts Ichiro off.
“But President, the opponent is EX-rank…”
Ichiro replies with a slightly worried tone.
Although Ichiro, the President of the Japan Hero Association, is officially known as the strongest hero in Japan, he had to bow down before the name of the Five Crowns.
Seira is the top hero in Japan and indeed the entire world.
Being the only survivor of the Five Crowns, it’s only natural she receives such treatment.
Normally, it doesn’t feel real.
Moreover, Seira is a half-ex EX rank.
She can’t guarantee a win against the fully-fledged EX-rank Professor.
Ichiro must’ve wanted to express that too.
“With an Omega rank Otherworld monster before us, it’s hard to defend even if everyone gathered here gives their all. We cannot risk spreading our strength and putting everyone in danger.”
Seira says. The original Professor stormed the academy accompanied by a bunch of villainous Extras without an Omega rank Otherworld monster.
So Seira’s words didn’t even exist in the original storyline.
But true to the Professor’s character, Seira’s only option is to sacrifice herself.
The atmosphere grows solemn with her words.
“President…”
“Seira-chan…”
“No, you can’t, President!”
The Extras call her with sad voices.
If this were an anime, a sad or dramatic BGM would have played right here.
“…Seira-onee-chan…”
Aris bites her lips.
The Heroines standing behind her—Olivia, Rin, Eri, Makoto, Haru, and Kasumi—look towards the President.
Unlike usual, the Heroines wear grave expressions.
“…”
Yuji and Ishihara also have solemn looks on their faces.
Seeing this, Seira smiles.
“Don’t worry. Why treat me as if I’m going to my death? I am Yoshizaki Seira, White Empress and a member of the Five Crowns. No matter how wounded I am… I will never easily succumb to a traitor. Besides…”
Seira places her hand over her chest.
She closes her eyes and opens them.
“…I still have countless things I need and want to do. So I have no intention of dying here.”
Really dropping hints that she’s going to die, huh?
Isn’t this super dangerous?
[Partner…]
The Black Prince trails off.
This time, he doesn’t ask me to help Seira either.
It wasn’t just him.
The President, the Heroines, Yuji and Ishihara, the other students, and even the Heroic reinforcements from the Association.
“Also, the Hero Association’s support troops.”
No one here stopped her from hinting at self-sacrifice while throwing around death flags.
Not even a word of help was offered.
Are we really expected to understand this?
It feels like we’re in some ridiculous light novel world full of clueless idiots.
It makes me mad.
I just can’t like this damn sweet but somehow messed up world.
“Black Prince.”
[Why, partner?]
“I can’t just watch Seira die.”
If she dies, I’d lose a powerful ally with EX rank.
If Seira dies, not only would my cards to stop the Messiah disappear, but ultimately, my final goal of returning to reality would also be hindered.
Moreover, in every web novel I’ve read, the protagonist never allows the sacrifice or death of their allies.
Because that’s just too cliché.
It’s different from those light novels where important characters sometimes die fighting the enemy in the name of self-sacrifice and the protagonist’s mental trials.
But right now, Seira is clearly on the verge of dying.
Then I have to step in.
Because I really don’t want to see Seira die.
“Then, don’t worry about this old man, just focus on worrying about your bodies when facing off against Omega Rank…”
Just then, as Seira weakly smiles and spouts more death flag lines.
“Who said you could go alone?”
I raise my hand.
Everyone’s eyes focus on me.
“Y-you little…”
Seira’s face twitches.
Her pupils shake.
Staring straight into Seira’s red eyes, I say,
“I will go with the Chairman.”
If no one else is willing to help Seira,
If everyone is tacitly accepting self-sacrifice,
Then I can’t just stand by.
Although the Professor is EX Rank, if Seira and I work together, we have a good chance.
The protagonist Yuji, who was still at S Rank in the original story, defeated the Professor with Seira’s support back then.
If the conditions are the same, I can’t fail.
“Y-you…”
The first to react isn’t Seira, but Olivia.
Her eyes tremble.
“Deok-Sung…”
“My Lord…”
“Master…”
“Mr. Kim Deok-Sung…”
“Junior…”
“…Deok-Sung Oppa.”
Next in line to call me are Rin, Makoto, Eri, Aris, Kasumi-senpai, and Haru.
Their gazes all turn toward me.
The heroines silently exchange glances, and then Olivia steps forward.
Looks like she’s been chosen as a representative.
Olivia speaks to me.
“…Are you really going to follow the Chairman and face off against the Professor?”
Olivia’s eyes are shaking.
“Yes.”
“…The Professor is ranked as the world’s worst fugitive and is considered the most wicked villain. Even if you defeated Berserk during the field trip, he’s on a whole different level. No matter what, you can’t underestimate him…”
Olivia stutters out, her gaze trembling.
“It doesn’t matter.”
I know all that already.
But I have no intention of reversing my decision.
The odds are in my favor.
“…Why put yourself in such danger?”
I can’t say it’s because I have a history of beating the Professor in the original story, so here, I need to deliver a line that fits this hellish world and can convince everyone.
So, in this damn world, I needed to come up with lines that would convince everyone as much as possible.
After a long time of trying to hold back the cringe, I managed to spit out my response.
“Someone has to do it.”
“······!”
Olivia’s eyes quiver.
The other heroines behind her—Aris, Rin, Eri, Senior Kasumi, and Makoto—are shaken too.
The students, including Yuji and Ishihara, along with the association heroes like Ichiro and Soji, are in the same boat.
The only calm one is Haru.
She probably knows how this plot unfolds.
“······ Someone has to do it, huh? You were that someone. Never abandoning the hero’s duty······.”
Olivia breaks the silence first.
She speaks in a trembling voice.
Olivia tries to put on a brave smile.
“But I’m······.”
“Are you worried?”
Her words are pretty obvious.
She’s probably worried about you.
I didn’t really need to add more, but I had to handle my sudden action somehow, since it would be troublesome if the other heroines got distracted while facing an Omega Rank otherworldly beast.
“If you’re that worried, hurry up and take out the Omega rank monster, then come support me.”
If she actually takes it out quickly and comes to help, that’d be convenient for me.
Either way, I’d win.
Olivia’s eyes tremble at my words.
Instead of the anxious smile she was forcing earlier, she genuinely beams and says,
“I understand! You!”
Olivia clenches her fist.
“······Don’t die, Deok-Sung. Don’t make me a widow.”
“Master! Eri-Ring will cheer for you from far away!”
“Mr. Kim Deok-Sung, if something goes wrong, I will hold a grudge forever.”
“Deok-Sung oppa! Nishishi! The super cute JK Haru believes in your calculations. You won’t die, right? Right?”
“Junior is a bad guy, but a precious person······. You can’t die······. The talisman I gave you will protect you from misfortune.”
“My lord······. You must come back alive.”
Then came the cheers from Rin, Eri, Aris, Haru, Senior Kasumi, and Makoto.
“Kim! This is an order as your teacher! You mustn’t get hurt!”
And even Mayuzumi-sensei joins in.
“Mr. Kim, good. I permit you to accompany the President. But don’t die.”
“Mr. Kim, you can’t die!”
“Brother! You have to come back alive!”
Just when I thought it was over, the Association President, Yuji, and Ishihara sent their cheers my way too.
“Black Beast! Don’t die!”
“Black Beast! Fighting!”
“Black Beast! Show that villain threatening the academy who’s boss!”
Lastly, the extras joined the cheer.
It’s not like I’m being sent off to a funeral or something.
I don’t get why they’re all so serious.
Is this just a feature of the light novel world?
Well, it’s not like it feels bad.
With everyone’s support behind me, I headed for Seira.
She was still blushing with her cheeks trembling.
I took her hand.
“Let’s go.”
She flinched.
Seira shivers lightly at my words.
“To the Old School Building.”
My gaze shifts toward the main arena outside.
The target is the Old School Building.
That damn place where the annoying clingy villain is located.
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