The story shifts back to a point shortly before the chaos erupted.
Following Rush’s summons, Zenon had arrived at a secluded corner of the courtyard. Rush was already there waiting for him, wearing a delighted expression that made his high spirits plain to see.
He wondered if this was another scripted event, though he silently lamented that if something was going to trigger, it should have been a romantic scene with a beautiful girl rather than a meeting with this guy. Despite his inner grumbling, Zenon maintained his "Protagonist" facade, approaching Rush with a bright smile.
"Hey, Rush. What’s the occasion? Why’d you call me out here?"
"Sorry to trouble you. But I’m finally in a position to fulfill my promise."
"Promise? What promise was that?"
"I told you, didn't I? That once I became strong, I would be the first to show you that power... I called you here to fulfill that vow, Zenon Ash."
Rush broke into a wide, jagged grin. Zenon felt a sudden, inexplicable wave of unease. He was bewildered by the occurrence of an event he didn't recognize.
He had played Luminous History until he knew it inside and out, yet he had no memory of such an interaction with Rush. There was no mention of it on any walkthrough sites, either. This was a completely unknown route.
Zenon was shaken by this development where his meta-knowledge proved useless. He found himself at a loss for words, but Rush didn't seem to care, continuing his monologue with obsessive fervor.
"The day I spoke with you, I finally understood what I truly needed: strength. Just as you snatched Claire away from Scum Yugo, as long as you have power, everything is permitted. Strength is more sublime and vital than anything else... You gave me the resolve to do whatever it takes to obtain it, and for that, I am truly grateful."
"What... what are you talking about? Rush, what happened to you...?"
"These are my thanks to you. And I won't stop at mere words. I’ll show you now—the ultimate power I’ve obtained. Before anyone else, I’ll show it to you! Only to you!"
Something was wrong. The Rush Winhelm Zenon knew wasn't this kind of character. He was supposed to be a simple-minded, hot-blooded student defined by his awkward straightforwardness.
Yet now, he spoke like a man intoxicated by power, his logic twisted and alien. He had transformed into a bizarre, warped version of himself.
In the face of this anomaly, Zenon found it impossible to maintain his Protagonist act. While he watched in frozen silence, Rush pulled a pair of shears from his coat and screamed, his eyes wide with a manic light.
"Look! This is my power... the power of the chosen one!"
"Ugh!?"
A torrent of Magic Power violent enough to shake the surrounding trees erupted from Rush. Buffeted by the sheer intensity of the gale, Zenon threw his arms up to shield his face. When he finally looked up, he sensed something truly foul. Standing where Rush had been was a figure now encased in a black, spiky carapace.
"What is that...? I don't know that... I’ve never seen that! That character doesn't exist!"
"Heh... I suppose not. That’s why I’m going to teach you right now—just how strong I’ve become."
Zenon, who never could have imagined Rush transforming into a Magic Armor Beast, fell into a state of total panic. He stared blankly at the swaying, eerie aura radiating from the creature. When the monster began to step toward him, Zenon instinctively drew the straight sword at his waist and dropped into a combat stance.
I don't know what's happening, but I have to take him down! If I don't, if I don't—!
He was terrified. He was cowering at having entered a route that shouldn't exist, but he swung his sword anyway, desperate to strike down the transformed Rush.
With the high stats he had gained as a reincarnation bonus, his top-tier weapon aptitude, and the strongest equipment currently available in the game, he attempted to slay the monster as the Protagonist was meant to do.
"...Eh?"
With a sickening snap, the weight of the sword in his hand vanished.
Zenon let out a pathetic, hollow cry, his eyes bulging. He stood speechless as his blade—the moment it made contact with Rush—had snapped like a dry twig.
It had been a clean hit. A strike delivered with every ounce of his strength. Yet, far from damaging his opponent, it had resulted in the unthinkable destruction of his own weapon.
The reality of the situation was undeniable: no matter how he struggled, he could not defeat this version of Rush.
"What’s the matter? Is that the end? Is the power of the so-called Hero only worth that much?"
"Ah... a-ah... stay back! Stay away from me!!"
Driven to near-frenzy by the loss of his weapon, Zenon unleashed a desperate magical barrage. He cast the Light Attribute Elementary Spell, Photon. Though it was a simple spell that fired a bullet of light, when cast by Zenon—who possessed a natural affinity for Light and massive Magic Power stats—it boasted the destructive force of an Intermediate Spell.
The orb of light, as large as a man's head, struck the black carapace and exploded. For a fleeting second, Zenon’s face lit up with a triumphant smile. In the next instant, that smile was replaced by a mask of shock and agony.
A crab-like claw had extended with blinding speed, catching him in the torso with a brutal thrust.
"Ugueeh!?"
While his Magic Barrier prevented the claw from impaling him, the sheer physical force of the blow was immense. Zenon was sent flying through the air.
He slammed back-first into the trunk of a thick tree. As he slumped to the ground, gasping for air and struggling to breathe, Rush strolled over leisurely. He looked down at the fallen boy with an air of cruel amusement.
"What, down already after a little tap? I wasn't even being serious."
"Damn it... how...? How could I, the Protagonist... how could I lose to a second-string character like—gafu!!"
Zenon’s mind simply could not process the fact that he, the strongest being reincarnated into this world, was being dismantled by a minor character he wouldn't have spared a second thought for in subsequent playthroughs. Rush brought his foot down, stomping hard on Zenon’s back.
Again. And again. And again. And again.
Rush continued to hammer his foot into Zenon’s spine, a relentless, sadistic assault designed to trample his dignity, his pride, his strength, and his hope into the dirt. Zenon could do nothing but endure the torture, unable to offer even a hint of resistance.
"Gafu! Guaah! Gah! H-help...! Gubuuh!! D-don't kill me...! I don't wanna die yet... gueeh!"
Assailed by unimaginable pain, Zenon’s spirit shattered completely. He began to sob and beg for his life.
Looking down at the creature who was no longer the Protagonist Zenon, but merely a pathetic, broken man named Seto Haino, Rush sensed the battle was over. He stopped the stomping and addressed the twitching, convulsing mess at his feet.
"Relax, I’m not going to kill you. You’re my benefactor. Why would I kill the man who helped me? You understand my strength now, and thanks to you, I’ve confirmed my own power. This is enough for today."
"Hiih, hiih... gi, guh..."
Reverting from the Magic Armor Beast back to his human form, Rush ignored the boy who now resembled a bloodied rag and looked up at the blue sky. With tears of rapturous joy streaming down his face, he shouted as if speaking to an invisible audience.
"I did it, everyone! I beat Zenon, the Hero! I beat the man who defeated Yugo—I’ve surpassed them all! It’s all... it’s all thanks to everyone who gave me their strength! I stand atop your sacrifices! I’m strong now. I’m finally strong... but it’s still not enough."
After offering his twisted thanks to the "friends" he had used as fuel, Rush’s expression suddenly went cold. The smile that followed was one of absolute, unadulterated madness.
"I want to be even stronger. I want to perfect this power! And for that, I need more bait. If I provide the bait this thing craves, I can reach even greater heights. I won't let your sacrifices be in vain. I will... I will become the strongest being in this world!"
A series of sickening, wet sounds echoed through the clearing.
From the shadows of Rush’s feet, small black crabs began to swarm out, one after another. Slurping back his drool, he looked toward the horizon, his eyes wide and vacant. With a dark light shining in his pupils, he set off toward a location where he knew the perfect bait waited to lead him to transcendence.
"More, more, more, more...!! I will get stronger! I’ll become the ultimate, final hero...!!"
He would pay any price. He would offer any sacrifice. As long as he possessed the resolve, he believed that no matter what sins he committed, he would never fall as low as a piece of scum like Yugo.
Continuing down his path of ruin, Rush advanced in the direction the monster within him pointed: toward the care facility.
Seeking the "best bait"—the children—the monster named Rush marched deeper into the heart of madness.