"Hey, what is that!?"
"Is this for real? This looks bad, doesn't it!?"
The students crowded around the classroom windows were in a state of high agitation. Leon stood at the edge of the group, his gaze fixed on the thing that had descended into the schoolyard.
"No way... what even is that...?" someone whispered nearby.
In the courtyard, now a realm of torrential rain and crashing thunder, a massive monster reigned supreme. It was a giant, four-legged beast that looked as if lightning itself had been given physical form. Its head was a featureless mass save for two pitch-black eyes and a gaping mouth.
"Gugoooooooooooooooooooooo!"
Every time the Thunder Beast roared, flashes of lightning burst from its body, sweeping across the yard and charring the academy walls black.
Sensing the gravity of the situation, the teachers and guards rushed out to confront the creature. They hammered the beast with Attack Magic and threw up Defense Magic to intercept the lightning. However, none of their strikes were anywhere near decisive, and their defensive barriers shattered like glass. The forces on the ground were barely managing to hold the beast back.
With the Headmaster away, I suppose this is the best they can do...
The Headmaster, along with the most influential teachers and the elite Upperclassmen, had been summoned to the Royal Castle and were currently away from the Academy. Without their combat power, exterminating this Thunder Beast would be a monumental task. Though they were within the Royal Capital and would likely return immediately if summoned, Leon wondered how many lives would be lost before they arrived.
Boom!
A deafening roar shook the air as a massive lightning strike hit the schoolyard. The entire building vibrated from the impact.
At this rate—
The damage would be catastrophic. He didn't know how many casualties the struggling teachers would suffer, or worse, if the danger would eventually reach the students themselves. Leon stared fixedly at the monster.
I have to provide whatever combat power I can. I just need to buy enough time for the Headmaster and the others to return.
Leon already knew what he had to do. Now was the time to fulfill his duty as the Hero. He understood the necessity and he had the resolve, yet for some reason, his body was stiff with fear. He couldn't even manage to take that first step forward.
Am I really this frightened? Even though I'm the Hero!
He knew why. Since arriving at the Academy, he had faced countless setbacks that were a far cry from the glory he expected. That heavy sense of failure had robbed him of his confidence and the courage to face impossible odds.
Maybe I don't have to go? If I go, will I even be able to do anything? Or will I just make a fool of myself again?
No, that won't do, Leon! Things haven't been going well, but you can't let that break you. You've worked so hard for this! You've trained yourself to the bone to fulfill your duty as the Hero. You have no choice but to move forward—because you are the Hero! Now go out there and prove it!
Leon clenched his fists tight. He let out a long, slow breath and finally took the step he had been hesitating to take. As he pushed through the crowd to leave the classroom, he locked eyes with Seraphina, who had been watching him from a distance.
"I’m going," Leon told her. "I'm going to fulfill my duty."
Seraphina gave him a satisfied, gentle smile. "That is the Leon-sama I know."
"Seraphina, will you lend me your strength?"
"Of course. Let us go."
Only one who possessed the Hero Trait could withstand the overwhelming power of a Saint's buffs. That was why this was a task only Leon could perform.
"Thank you. I feel much better with you there."
Together, the Hero and the Saint headed toward the battlefield.
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇
From a window in the connecting corridor, I watched the chaos unfolding in the rain-soaked schoolyard. A massive, inexplicable monster—some kind of four-legged creature made of lightning—was rampaging through the yard.
What the hell is that thing? I don't remember seeing anything like it in the original game.
In a way, it reminded me of Kaname when she used her Thunder Beast Shroud, but on a much more massive scale. I wondered if she was involved. It bothered me, but since Kaname was nowhere to be found and I only had Luna and Silvia with me, I couldn't exactly ask her.
"Lord Albert," Luna said, sounding restless. "Please, give me the order. I will take it down!"
Because I’d forbidden her from using Frenzy without my permission, she jumped at every chance to prove herself. She really was itching to cut loose.
"Me too, me too! I haven't had a chance to use my new power yet. I want to see what I can do!" Silvia chimed in with her usual lighthearted tone.
I considered my options. It would be easy enough to send the two of them out there, but if they won, they’d stand out too much. If people realized that not only Luna, but Silvia as well, had awakened to some mysterious power, I’d end up with all sorts of annoying eyes on me again. Besides, there was the question of whether they could actually win. The enemy’s true strength was a total mystery.
I had a bad feeling that this wouldn't be a simple fight. If that beast was related to Kaname, then Shiunin was almost certainly involved. If it was linked to the will of Ancient Magic, it was bound to be dangerous. Still, if I didn't act soon, the casualties would only keep mounting.
As I weighed my choices, Silvia pointed outside.
"Look, Albert-kun! Someone’s running out there!"
Two shadows leaped from the school building’s entrance: a brown-haired boy and a girl in platinum-blonde priest vestments.
"Oh, it's Leon-kun and the Saint! They certainly have a strong sense of justice!"
The Thunder Beast fired a bolt of lightning at Leon, but the Saint's Barrier snapped into place and deflected it. Leon was already glowing with a golden radiance—the telltale sign of the Saint's buffs.
"Uooooooooooooooo!"
With a roar of his own, Leon charged and slashed at the beast.
Good. Leon finally moved. This was a perfect development. I wanted Leon, as the Hero, to take the spotlight in a place like this and rack up some fame. I needed the world to believe that "Hero Leon is the one who will defeat the Demon King." If I could push that narrative, the chances of me getting dragged into the annoying business of a Demon King Subjugation would plummet.
My course of action was set.
"Luna, Silvia. You two stay here on standby."
"Eeeh? Really? That's so boring!"
"Leon is out there now. This is a job for him and the Saint. However, if it looks like they’re about to be killed, intervene immediately."
I needed to make sure Leon, the protagonist, and Seraphina, the heroine, didn't actually bite it here.
"What will you be doing, Lord Albert?" Luna asked.
"Well..."
I turned my attention back to the fight. Leon’s strike, empowered by the Saint, tore a gash in the beast's flank—but the wound vanished instantly. The teachers’ spells were the same; they’d blast holes in the creature only for the lightning to knit back together in the blink of an eye.
It had incredible regenerative ability. I wasn't 100% sure, but since it was clearly made of lightning, it was likely feeding on the massive amount of static electricity generated by the storm to heal itself. Kaname had mentioned that her own energy levels recovered much faster on stormy days.
"We don't have a chance of winning unless we stop that beast's automatic recovery. I’m going to go figure out how to do that."
"Can you really do something about it?" Silvia asked.
"I have a pretty good idea who the owner of that thing is. I'm going to go have a word with her."
Shiunin’s arrogant face flashed through my mind. She would know something about this beast. She might even be able to get rid of it herself. Of course, the downside was that if I said the wrong thing to her, she might just kill me instead. That was going to be the tricky part.