[Chapter 109: The Association of Absolute Fury]

The adventurers who had gathered for the naming ceremony had long since been sent home. Only the S-Rank members—myself included, though Yamato was absent—and Shiki, who had been summoned to join us, remained in the room.

The air was frigid, the atmosphere heavy with a gloom that seemed to have no bottom. And in the center of that chilling silence...

"Senka, put me in [Valsia] right now," Laura said, her voice trembling with a rare, raw intensity. "Put me in [Valsia] this instant."

She was exposing her emotions to an unprecedented degree. The power of the Vampire—a force that was never meant to be unleashed—leaked from her, manifest in the form of reddish-black wings. A crimson, swamp-like mire of mana pooled at her feet, and from its depths, the silhouettes of weapons began to sprout.

"I’m sorry, Laura, but I can't do that," Senka replied. "Inducting you now would be far too risky."

"Do you think I care about risk? I don't feel like I can maintain my composure much longer. I’m unaffiliated; there shouldn't be a problem. If you don't let me in... I feel like I might just level everything in the vicinity."

She wasn't using the power of the Ritter der Nacht, the persona so popular in this world. Instead, she made no effort to suppress her Mythologia Vampire traits. With every word she spoke, the pressure in the room intensified.

She wasn't lying. If her last thread of reason snapped, she really would go on a rampage. I knew she was this angry for my sake, which meant I had no right to tell her to stop.

"…Calm down, Laura. We all feel the same, but there is nothing we can do," Kaiser said, attempting to soothe her.

I glanced at him and saw that his own arm had undergone [Dragonification]. His fist was clenched so tight that his claws were digging into his palm, drawing blood.

He was barely holding himself back. I looked at the others; Tsubaki remained entirely expressionless, her silence echoing the tension.

"Senka... what are we going to do?"

"We have no choice but to go through with it. And given the timeline... the announcement will likely be made any moment now."

"The buzz will be massive. It’ll be a spectacle," Shiki added, speaking up for the first time as he pulled up a page on his phone. "You’ve got the newest Hero on one side, and on the other, a guy who’s never in the spotlight but has a massive cult following. They're going to make this a main event."

He turned the screen toward us. It was the official Dungeon Agency website. The headline was written in bold, aggressive lettering: [Illegal] VS [Valsia].

"You seem remarkably composed, Shiki-dono," someone remarked.

"Someone has to be. So," Shiki said, his eyes locking onto mine, "can you fight, my friend?"

"……I have to."

"I’m not asking about your sense of duty. I’m asking if you are capable of fighting. Guild rivalry matches are broadcasted as a way to settle disputes and provide public entertainment. Unlike a Dungeon, it’s the only context where human-on-human combat is permitted. Can you actually bring yourself to hurt people?"

His words were sharp, cold, and calculated.

I understood what my best friend was doing. He was worried. He knew my personality, and he was questioning if I had the stomach for a duel against other humans. It was a question born from his knowledge of my strength—and his concern for my soul.

He waited for a beat before offering a way out.

"You’re a Summoner. Even if you just leave the fighting to your Summoned Beasts—"

"No," I interrupted. "I’ll fight. I’m the one who doesn't want them to have to hurt people."

My mind was made up.

Before we had parted ways, Yamato told me that this rivalry match would take the form of a defensive battle. We would be tasked with protecting a massive mana stone inside a government-controlled Dungeon.

Logically, I knew I was stronger when I fought alongside my Summoned Beasts. Our way of life was to seize victory together. I knew that if I asked, they would fight for me, no matter who the opponent was.

But I hated the idea.

The opponents this time were human. If I borrowed their strength, victory would be guaranteed. If I called Lycoris, she could end the match with an assassination before anyone noticed. Sol’s magic could wipe the field. Luna could freeze and shatter everything in her path, and Baal was faster than any human could hope to track.

Merli was an even better example. Among those I could currently summon, she excelled at these kinds of scenarios. And if I summoned Camazotz... it wouldn't matter how many enemies there were.

But that would mean forcing them to harm humans.

In the world of Mythologia, they had been branded as "evil" until the very end. It might have been nothing more than hypocrisy on my part, but I didn't want these people—who were finally being spoken of as Heroes in this world—to have to stain their hands for me.

"To be honest, the thought of fighting someone like Ouma makes me uneasy. I can tell just by looking at him that he’s incredibly strong. But this time, I’m going to fight using only my own power."

That was my resolve.

Now that it had come to this, I had too many reasons why I couldn't afford to lose. I had to maintain a place within [Valsia] for when I eventually returned this body to the real Reima. I couldn't rely on everyone else’s strength for this.

"…So it’ll be fine. Don't worry, everyone."

I forced a smile, trying to reassure them. It was probably awkward and unconvincing, but I wanted to ease their minds even a little. I was the catalyst for all of this; I didn't want to burden them. If I just work hard on my own, it’ll be enough.

"Good grief... you haven't changed a bit, even without your memories, Reima-kun," Senka sighed. "You immediately try to shoulder everything yourself. It’s a truly terrible habit."

"She’s right," Shiki said. "Listen, 'best friend.' This is a Guild rivalry match. Goro and the others can't step in, but you’ve got me, Ayane, and Senka-san. You’ve got all of [Valsia] behind you."

"Exactly," Ayane added softly. "There’s no need for you to carry it all alone."

I stared at them. I was supposed to be an interloper, a foreign object in this world. And yet, for some reason, these people wouldn't let me pull away. Senka and the others reached out to me, their smiles gentle yet firm.

"Leave it to us, Laura," Senka said, turning to the vampire. "I promise we won't let Reima-kun do anything reckless."

"I suppose I have no choice but to trust you then," Laura said, her wings receding slightly. "But mark my words, Senka. If you lose, I am kidnapping Reima."

"…I’m going to have to stay silent on the legality of that one, Laura," Shiki muttered.

Kaiser relaxed his grip, the blood dripping from his palm. "Shiki, Ayane, I entrust our friend to you. Struggle as hard as you must... if only to ensure that I and Valkyria don't feel the need to intervene."

I don’t understand, I thought. Why are they going this far for me?

"Alright, the plan is set," Senka declared, her eyes narrowing with a sharp, professional edge. "Our immediate objective: we're going to crush [Illegal]."