Chapter 26

Two weeks after joining the club.

All of us first-year students had gathered at the First Training Ground, where we had all taken the entrance exam.

These past two weeks had been more peaceful than I expected, and the initial rush of students flooding the classroom had settled down.

Well, instead, the club room was now crowded every day, and Doban-sensei’s face was starting to show signs of exhaustion with each passing day.

“——What’s wrong? You seem really nervous.”

“…Yeah, a little. I’m worried about the ranking battles…”

“Ah… yeah, I can understand that. The first incident happens during the ranking battle, after all.”

Arthur asked me, seeing my tense expression, and after hearing the reason, his face stiffened with a bit of tension, just like mine.

Yes — as Arthur said, the first major incident happens during this ranking battle.

In the story, Hera secures the top position in the ranking battle, but right before the final match, the anti-Dragon Slay faction attacks the academy.

The reason is that all the students and teachers are gathered at the First Training Ground, leaving the other school buildings completely empty.

The anti-Dragon Slay faction is manipulated by the Evil God worshippers, who will later become the main enemies of the protagonist.

Their target is a rare item called the “Spirit Stone,” stored in the underground of one of the school buildings. There is only one in the world.

It’s an ancient relic that can forcibly summon and contract with divine spirits, an item that anyone would desperately desire.

The elite members of the anti-Dragon Slay faction, trying to steal the Spirit Stone, are found by the protagonist, who was guided there by the spirits. The protagonist has to hold out until the teacher arrives — that’s the story, but…

“I have a feeling that Kai won’t show up this time…”

“…Yeah, I get that feeling too. And with how strong Kai is now, he might even make it to the finals.”

Most likely — no, almost certainly, he won’t show up.

Because even if that story doesn’t happen, it won’t harm the protagonist one bit.

But it would harm Hera.

This attack isn’t just about the Spirit Stone; it’s also an opportunity for the Evil God worshippers to find allies. Hera catches their attention during this event.

That’s why, if I can stop this flag from being triggered here, I believe it’ll greatly reduce the chance of Hera becoming an evil god contractor.

“I’ve really got to give it my all.”

『Will I have a role to play too?』

The old man, who I hadn’t spoken to much lately, asked me in a slightly amused tone.

It seems he’s been getting bored from staying in the Unique Spirit Realm for too long.

『Don’t worry, old man. I’ll be counting on your power this time too.』

『Really!? That makes me excited!』

Yes — there are some opponents I wouldn’t be able to defeat without him.

Around this time, I’ll be facing an opponent who’s pretty much unbeatable.

“Shin, it’s about to start. You need to line up soon.”

“Got it. I’m coming right away.”

As I was rushing down towards my class…

“——And now, the first-year ranking battle begins!!”

With the signal from a senior female student, the ranking battle, the first major hurdle in this gloomy game world, began.

“——Shin-kun! I finally found you…!”

“H-Hera!?”

I was sitting on a bench in the middle of the forest, away from the crowds, waiting for my turn… when suddenly Hera appeared, her usual manner of speaking slightly different.

And surprisingly, her usual entourage wasn’t with her either.

I was so shocked I stood up from the bench in a daze.

“Wh-why are you here…?”

“I wanted to talk to you before the match… but when I couldn’t find you anywhere, I started searching.”

‘It took a little time, so I need to go back soon,’ Hera said, blushing slightly as she shyly averted her eyes. She looked like someone who had the power to save the world.

S-she’s so cute… What is this adorable creature…!?

She was looking for me? My favorite character was looking for me?

Is this… a dream?

Am I still comfortably asleep in bed?

The situation felt so unreal that I kept pinching my cheeks to check if I was dreaming.

But it hurt, so it wasn’t a dream.

“…Why were you looking for me?”

“Well… I wanted you to say, ‘Good luck, Hera’… Is that too much to ask?”

Hera, who was slightly shorter than me, looked up at me with a shy and adorable expression as she nervously approached.

After feeling like I had died and come back to life several times from her cuteness, I opened my mouth, trying to calm my wildly beating heart.

“G-good luck, Hera…!”

“Thank you, Shin-kun…! I’ll definitely win and take the top spot in the rankings!”

With a sparkle in her eyes and a cheerful smile, Hera thanked me and ran off towards the arena.

Left alone, I leaned back against the bench, covering my face with my hands as it turned as red as if it were about to catch fire.

“…That’s too unfair…”

“That was a little embarrassing… but more than that, I’m so happy…”

Repeating Shin’s words in her mind, Hera, trying to suppress the smile threatening to break out on her face, stepped onto the martial stage.

For once, the countless stares from the audience, which normally would have bothered her, didn’t affect her at all. Hera’s concentration had reached an all-time high.

“And now, the match between Hera Dragonslay and Aria will begin!”

With her concentration at its peak, Hera’s opponent, Aria, one of the main heroines of this world, glared at Hera with overt hatred.

“So, you’re Hera, huh…? Stealing my Kai’s attention deserves death!!”

(Who is this noisy woman? She looks somewhat strong, but… I was so happy from Shin-kun’s support, and now she’s ruining it…)

Hera, whose mood had been brightened by Shin’s support, was now visibly irritated by this interruption.

Noticing the hostile tension between the two, the referee hurriedly rang the gong to start the match.

In an instant — Hera, who had enhanced her entire body, moved like a bullet, slicing through the air to position herself behind Aria.

Then, using a technique Irene had taught her, one that subdues an opponent without drawing blood, she struck Aria’s neck with a hand chop, rendering her unconscious in less than two seconds.

“——Referee.”

“Ah, w-winner——Hera Dragonslay!!”

The referee, who had been stunned, snapped back to reality at Hera’s call and quickly declared the end of the match, albeit stuttering.

However, both the students and teachers in the audience were still in shock, staring blankly at the overwhelming display of strength.

But Hera didn’t care about that at all. Humming to herself, she started heading back to the bench where she expected Shin to be, eager to report her victory.

“Next time, I’ll have him say, ‘Well done, Hera,’ won’t I?”

Blushing slightly and imagining a scene from her favorite shoujo manga, she walked on, her lips curling up just a little.