◇◆◇
"…It’s almost time."
Nanalicia’s voice drifted through the quiet room.
Outside the window, the blue sky remained tranquil, showing no signs of what was to come.
However—
"…"
She could see it clearly: the fixed future.
"…A swarm of Magical Beasts," she whispered.
Their numbers weren't particularly overwhelming, but…
"…They are particularly nasty."
This wasn't a simple raid. There was an underlying intent behind it that shouldn't have existed.
"…"
Slowly, she closed her eyes.
Images flickered across her mind—
Splattering blood.
Roaring pillars of fire.
A cityscape crumbling into ruin.
"…Haa."
And standing at the very center of the devastation…
"…Minato," she murmured his name.
"…"
In that glimpse of the future, his expression twisted for a fleeting moment.
"…Again?"
It was always the same. No matter how many times he was reborn…
"…You’re always like this."
He would keep saving people until he physically broke.
"…Enough."
Her fingertips trembled ever so slightly.
"It would be one thing if it were only the commoners or the Hero dying, but…"
She let out a quiet, cold breath.
"Minato will wake up and fight the Magical Beasts."
I won't let that happen as long as I am here, though.
◇◆◇
A map was spread out across the desk.
The girl who bore the title of Hero Candidate had been warned of the Calamity’s approach by the Saint. She sat alone in the darkened room, her mind racing.
"This point."
She placed a finger on the parchment.
"…I will intercept them here."
She would crush them before they ever reached the city.
"Damage must be kept to a minimum."
That was the best course of action—normally.
"…"
But…
"…That would be meaningless," she muttered.
"…If I do that, I’ll never reach it."
The future would remain unchanged.
In that case—
"…I have no choice but to utilize everything."
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"…The Magical Beasts of the Calamity."
"…The other Hero Candidates."
And…
"…The visitors from the Kingdom."
Every last one of them.
◇◆◇
—One day♪ in the forest♪ I had a fight♪ with the Hero♪
"Hey! I told you not to go that way!"
"No, no, this way is definitely faster!"
Two boys were arguing in the middle of the woods. Well, it was me and the Hero.
"I’m telling you it’s dangerous!"
"It’ll be fine. The presence is faint. Yeah, totally fine."
"Stop moving based on those 'hunches' of yours!!"
"Eeeh?"
My tone was airy. I didn't take things nearly as seriously as the Hero did. After all, both he and I were strong; there wasn't much in these parts that could actually beat us.
I shrugged.
"I’ve survived this long with this style, haven't I?"
"That’s exactly what’s so terrifying!!"
"Haha, don't be such a wimp~"
Laughing, I stepped forward.
"…Hm?"
Suddenly, I came to a halt.
"What is it?"
"…No."
I narrowed my eyes.
"…Something’s coming. It stinks."
"What?"
In that instant—
Thump. Thump.
The ground vibrated beneath our boots.
"…Huh?"
The Hero’s face froze.
"…Hey."
The sheer weight of those footsteps was so absurd it actually made me chuckle.
"Looks like we hit the jackpot. This might be bad."
Deep within the trees, something was charging toward us.
"…There are a lot of them. A lot."
"You’ve got to be kidding me…"
The Hero drew his sword.
"…Should we run?"
"Huh?"
I tilted my head.
"Why?"
"What do you mean 'why'—"
"…I mean," I took a step forward. "You should just take them down."
"…"
The Hero stared at me, lost for words.
"…What exactly is wrong with you?"
"Are you a Hero or not! Get in there and fight!"
"Shut up! You fight too!"
I gave a light laugh.
"…I’m just part of the ordinary person bracket."
"Damn it, I definitely picked the wrong guy to bring along."
As we bickered, the swarm of Magical Beasts finally burst from the depths of the forest.
"…Whoa," I muttered. "…This looks like it might actually be fun."
"Hah?!"
They were Wolf-type Magical Beasts.
"High ground is the best counter for this type~"
"Is that so… Hey, you’re way too fast at climbing!"
Hello, it’s me—the guy who already evacuated to the top of a tree without saying a word. I’m more of a magic-user, so seeking a positional advantage is a tactical necessity.
"M-My sword won’t reach them up there!?"
"Good luck with the climbing. I'll leave the Light Magic or whatever to you next time."
"I am going to knock you off that branch!"
Don't be so cranky, Mr. Hero.
"Anyway, these guys look like they’re actually going to try climbing up after you!"
He was right. They were snarling and snapping at the trunk, looking ready to leap.
"Can't be helped. I'll handle this."
"Of course you will!"
This was the magic that had felt the most natural to me after experimenting with various spells since arriving in this world. Behold.
I closed my eyes, supporting my right arm with my left hand to focus.
"…<Flame Arcanus>."
A pulse of intense heat radiated from my palm.
In the next moment, it wasn't something as small as a "flame."
The force I unleashed toward the forest floor—
Exploded, erupting into a massive conflagration.
"—?!"
A deafening roar followed.
The flames slammed into the earth and surged outward like a tidal wave, swallowing the entire swarm of Magical Beasts in a single, straight line of destruction.
"Gyaaaaaaa?!"
"…You… you’re actually pretty incredible."
"Yeah, this is the one thing I’ve got absolute confidence in."
I didn't know exactly how much Magical Power I poured into that spell, but I never felt drained. The other day, I’d fired off several in a row and felt perfectly fine. I guess I really do have a high Aptitude for the Flame Attribute.
"…More importantly, the path is clear thanks to me. Now it’s a straight shot to Amus."
"You’re annoying at every possible turn, but… fine, I’m grateful."
Amus.
That was the city the Hero was aiming for. At my suggestion, we’d decided to cut through the forest instead of taking the main road.
Because of that—no, thanks to that—we’d run into a little excitement.
Well, all’s well that ends well!
I looked forward to whoever we’d meet in the next town…
Meet…
Wait, was I supposed to meet someone? Right here… who was it?