The mass production of the Demonic Swords and the rampages of those who wielded them finally concluded as the Security Force, bolstered by volunteer collaborators, suppressed every last wielder.
Most of the manufactured blades were slated for destruction, with the few remainders handed over for research purposes.
Though the actual damage was minor compared to the previous Magic Armor Beast stampede, the string of mysterious incidents within the Academy City had left the residents in a state of lingering confusion and fear.
The Security Force faced heavy criticism for their consistently sluggish response, but Luminous Academy bore the brunt of the administrative blame for failing to prevent one of its own from orchestrating such a crime.
This public outcry persisted even with highly sensitive information—such as the true identity of the culprit, the nature of the Bat-type Magic Armor Beast, and the details of the Demonic Sword theft—kept strictly under wraps. In the wake of the incident, both organizations would be forced to navigate their future operations with extreme caution.
Neid, whose role in the incident remained hidden from the public while he was taken into custody alongside Rush, now possessed no memory of his past, his mind scrubbed clean by the mechanism Lost had installed.
The Security Force determined that interrogating a man incapable of holding even a basic conversation was a lost cause. Realizing they could extract no information regarding the mastermind or their organization, the authorities settled for keeping him under permanent, heavy surveillance.
Then there was the other key figure: Isaac, the man who had transformed into a Magic Armor Beast. The official report simply stated that he had been killed by Demonic Sword users during the height of the riot.
The truth of his monstrous transformation remained a secret known only to Yugo and a select few others.
However, rumors were inevitable. Word leaked that Isaac had been wielding a Demonic Sword himself, and the revelation spread like wildfire.
As a result, Isaac’s reputation—now that his extraordinary strength was attributed to a cursed blade—didn't just hit rock bottom; it plummeted into the negatives. Not a single student mourned his passing. In fact, the general sentiment across the academy was one of relief, with many openly stating they were glad he was dead.
One could argue he had gotten exactly what he deserved, yet Yugo and his companions couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for the man who had fallen so far after straying from the path. They carried the quiet regret of knowing they hadn't been able to save him.
...However, there was one truth even they were unaware of.
Isaac hadn't died at the hands of rampaging Demonic Sword users. The ones who had actually ended his life were students of Luminous Academy—the group known as the Hero Candidates.
Having exploited the chaos to eliminate the "eyesore" that was Isaac, the group had now converged on the Luminous Academy Workshop.
They prowled through the deserted facility, their voices sharp with irritation as they vented their frustrations.
"Dammit! Where did that bastard hide the materials?"
"You think he used them all up? Even so, there should be something left, right?"
The group ransacking the workshop had one singular goal: the hoard of materials Isaac had extorted from the student body.
With the owner dead, those materials were essentially free for the taking. From their perspective, it was only logical to secure the loot to give themselves an edge in their future "gameplay."
The Reincarnator Group, led by Cyan—the man who had delivered the final blow—had snuck into the workshop to claim the prize. Yet, no matter how thoroughly they searched, they found nothing.
Logically, a hoard of that size should have been easy to spot. As they stood there, bewildered that their numbers hadn't yielded a single item, a woman’s voice rang out from the entrance.
"What do you think you're doing? The workshop is supposed to be off-limits for the time being."
The Reincarnators flinched at being caught trespassing by an Industrial Department student, but when they realized the intruder was Anhel Amber—a popular character from Luminous History—their demeanors shifted instantly. They stopped being themselves and began "performing" as protagonists.
Anhel looked at them with a face full of weary exasperation. As Cyan and the others stole frequent glances at the curves of her chest accentuated by her jumpsuit, she let out a cold remark.
"I can guess why you're here. You came to scavenge the materials Isaac hoarded, didn't you?"
"Th-That's not it at all! We just... we heard the Demonic Swords might have left some lingering corruption in the workshop, so we came to investigate!"
"Hmm... is that so? Fine, let's go with that story."
Cyan and his cronies broke into a cold sweat under Anhel’s icy stare.
Hoping she hadn't overheard their earlier grumbling, the group’s lack of social awareness—or perhaps their sheer greed—took over. Several of the Reincarnators began vying for her attention simultaneously.
"Hey, hey! Since we've crossed paths, let's chat! I'll treat you to dinner! What do you like to eat, Ann?"
"Hey, that’s not fair! I wanted to ask Ann to look over my Magic Items! Come on, spend a little time with me!"
"S-Since we're on the subject... do you happen to know where Isaac's materials went, Ann?"
"Haa... Every one of you, acting like you can just use my nickname... I don't even like the name, and hearing it come so casually from people I'm not close to is honestly revolting."
The Reincarnators, desperate to recruit Anhel—the popular genius engineer with the incredible figure—as their Exclusive Engineer and party member, continued their tone-deaf appeals. Anhel, however, remained completely listless, treating them with utter indifference.
She picked up a few documents from a nearby desk and turned to face them, her eyes scanning the crowd.
"I’m busy. I don't have time for this, so I’m turning down all of your invitations."
"Come on! Just a second! I hate to brag, but we’re the students everyone’s talking about right now. It’s in your best interest to be on our good side—"
"Even if a person is hated, associating with people who would sneak in to rob a dead comrade without a single word of mourning is what I'd call a 'loss.' To think the rumored Hero Candidates were this pathetic... it's a real disappointment."
Anhel’s words cut through the Reincarnators like a blade.
As the group fell into a stunned silence, she let out a small sigh and dropped a piece of vital information.
"...And just so you know, the materials you're looking for aren't here. In fact, they aren't even Isaac's anymore. As of a few days ago, they became the property of the student who defeated him in a duel."
"What...!? He lost a duel? Someone beat Isaac even when he was powered up by a Demonic Sword!?"
"Yeah. The winner asked me to keep it quiet, so I won't tell you who. But by his orders, all the materials reclaimed from Isaac are being returned to their rightful owners. His proxies should be finishing up the distribution about now."
Anhel paused, looking over the group once more. Staring at their shocked expressions, she murmured under her breath.
"...If I remember right, didn't one of you lose a duel to Isaac? If that’s the case, you'll probably get your stolen property back, too. Maybe you should go look for the people handing them out instead of wasting time searching for things that aren't here."
"Guh...!"
Cyan groaned, his face twisting in humiliation as Anhel dug up the past he desperately wanted to forget.
Seeing their indignant reactions, Anhel felt a flicker of understanding for how Neid must have felt.
(So the guys aiming to be Magic Knights really are just trash... maybe he ended up that way because he was surrounded by people like this...)
Watching the so-called "Hero Candidates" who had plotted to steal from a dead man under the cover of a riot, Anhel felt nothing but profound disappointment.
To think these were the "promising prospects" who enjoyed the trust and envy of the student body; their selfishness was staggering. Neid had likely been driven to madness by seeing too much of this behavior.
If that was the case, she felt incredibly lucky. Despite being labeled as trash by the rest of the school, she had found a man who could think of others before himself—a man who was the antithesis of these people in every possible way.
She wanted to support him. She wanted him to become a true Magic Knight... no, a Hero.
Resolved to do whatever she could for him, Anhel gave the silent, brooding Hero Candidates one final look before turning her back on them.
"I’m leaving. You guys have fun with whatever it is you're doing. I'll be 'rooting' for the great Hero Candidates."
Though her words were supportive, the Reincarnators knew they were a lie.
It was evident in her flat tone and the way she walked away without a second glance, but the real confirmation arrived as a notification echoing in their minds.
[Anhel Amber's Scenario Route has been deleted. It is now impossible to recruit her as an ally.]
Following Melt, this was the second Scenario Route to vanish. Cyan and the others gritted their teeth as they watched Anhel’s departing figure.
The twisted pleasure and satisfaction they had felt when they murdered Isaac vanished instantly. Now, they were left with nothing but the sight of their favorite character walking out of their lives forever.