The day after the negotiations at Mikage Academy.

It seems that no one noticed when I secretly slipped away and conducted a divine-level negotiation with Yukihira.

“I feel like I was played with from start to finish, though.”

Shut up!

The mysterious beautiful girl always plays her cards right!

So, in my role as the mysterious beautiful girl, I’m going to take down the anthropomorphized dumpster that’s worse than trash.

“Hoo! Hoo!”

Hahaha, calm down, Stave of the Star Reader.

It’s great to be full of energy, but a mysterious beautiful girl is supposed to be cool, you know?

Yes, even if the opponent is a beast who has possessed and discarded the bodies of countless beautiful girls.

…Thinking about it makes me mad!!

I’ll kill them. I’ll definitely kill them!

Hoo! Hoo!

“You’re not much better. You really managed to hold it together during the day, huh?”

It’s now 1 AM.

The trees and good children are all asleep by now.

By the way, Fectom Comprehensive Academy is currently in full-on nap time, day or night. No rescue operations are underway, and the three of us, plus Nana-chan, are blooming beautifully, wonderfully, and adorably like lilies.

Having absorbed that scene with my eyes, I’m already feeling my powers as a super mysterious beautiful girl surging!

I could kill them at any moment!

“—So, the Professor is around here, right?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I said, deliberately smoothing my hair.

Ah, the wind is so nice up high!

“He’ll be here.”

I was at one of the districts of the Knights Academy.

As I gazed down a back alley, I was positioned at a good spot on the rooftop, always ready.

And of course, beside me, there was Purification-chan.

This person needs to let off some steam before she turns into a terrorist…

She really seems to hate the Professor, so if I kill this one, we can wrap things up, right? How about transferring to Mikage Academy?

“Still, you did call me here properly.”

“It was a promise.”

“The Professor is really coming, right?”

“Of course.”

“Then that’s fine.”

Though she used polite language, there was none of her usual cheerful tone.

She seemed cold… Is that your true self?

You’re actually the type to frequently click your tongue, aren’t you?

Well, that’s fine; she’s still a beautiful girl.

“The beast’s position is already marked. Don’t think you’ll escape from me.”

How reassuring.

I’m glad I had Stave of the Star Reader learn the Professor’s magical power. If I let that guy escape, someone else will be hurt…

“Finally… I’ll get him with my own hands…”

Purification-chan clenched her fist with intense emotion.

Scary… The angry face of a beautiful girl… So scary.

“Hmm, it’s about time he should pass through here.”

Following the words of Stave of the Star Reader, I looked down the alley.

And there she was, the Professor, desperately fleeing.

Her skin was torn and her hair was disheveled… Damn, is that what a beautiful girl looks like?

A beautiful girl should be more…

“…Hikari.”

Yes, a beautiful girl should be light.

Purification-chan gets it too!

Two shadows appeared, following the Professor, just as she passed under us.

Those were the original protagonist and main heroine from the story that I knew all too well.

Huh???

Why???

I was momentarily stunned, but then I remembered.

There must be a capture order issued from Mikage Academy.

It was the same in the original.

However, it would be bad if they caught her here. She has to die, right?

“Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

So, we’re about to fight with Touraku-kun and the others to steal the Professor.

Also, I’ve been dealing with Mikage Academy’s students way too much recently.

This is bad.

Fectom Comprehensive Academy and Mikage Academy are sister schools, but I want to be left alone.

A mysterious beautiful girl is not bound by anything.

So, with a slightly cold attitude, I decided to separate myself.

And along the way, I’ll resolve some of Touraku-kun’s unfinished defeat events.

Of course, I won’t seriously lay a hand on the original protagonist.

With a cold attitude, we’ll swiftly steal the Professor, and then… well, let’s just kill them.

“I’ll kill you~＾＾”

We dropped down between the Professor and Touraku-kun’s group.

■

The task of capturing the Professor, the mastermind behind the illegal experiments, was assigned to Touraku and Mihaya.

Mikage Academy and Fectom Academy were enemies.

Therefore, a large-scale search was impossible, and it made sense for the two who could operate individually to be chosen.

One reason for their selection might have been that through yesterday’s battle with Mikage Academy’s disciplinary committee, they had learned some of their opponent’s habits.

In fact, Touraku and Mihaya, based on the data collected by Rinka, were closing in on the Professor.

They should have been.

“That’s our prey.”

When the Professor fled, it was at that moment that the figure descended before them.

A black and white dress, completely out of place in the decaying alley, fluttered gracefully.

“…Kei-kun.”

“Right now, it’s probably Sorciera. And I think she’s trying to interfere with us.”

Touraku said sadly, and Mihaya looked at Sorciera with a determined gaze.

Next to her stood an unfamiliar girl.

“Nice to meet you—I’m Purification-chan. Please remember my name. Oh, and don’t forget to follow and give high ratings, okay?”

A lively voice that sounded as if it was bouncing.

Contrary to the cheerful tone, her right hand was pressing the Professor’s neck against the wall.

“Let go! Do you know who I am? I’m the Professor!”

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t talk with that mouth. I’m about to blow you up.”

A mechanical frog flew into the Professor’s mouth.

She struggled to breathe, but of course, the restraint wasn’t broken.

“I’m grateful for the Fectom Academy incident.”

That was a rare thank you from Sorciera.

It was clear that Fectom Academy was important to her.

But Sorciera continued, “However…”

“I could’ve handled it alone. There was no need for help.”

“…That was necessary to create a pretext for war with Mikage Academy. So, if I say I didn’t do it to help, will that satisfy you?”

A fallacy.

To Sorciera, and to Fectom Academy, Touraku and the others were acting to help, and there was no calculation involved.

What there was, was an after-the-fact reason for the powerful to act.

However, even if I pointed that out, Touraku and the others wouldn’t acknowledge it.

Knowing that, Sorciera responded with a bored, “I see.”

“By the way, what are you going to do with that person?”

Throughout this exchange, Mihaya had kept her gun pointed at Sorciera.

Her actions were born from knowing the answer to that question.

“…I’ll kill her.”

She said it like an incantation.

As if she were talking about tomorrow’s weather, Sorciera said those words with no weight.

One person smiled, another lowered her eyes sadly, and one finger rested on the trigger.

In the midst of three different reactions, Touraku was the first to speak.

“That person has a capture order from Mikage Academy. So, I want you to hand her over.”

“Hand her over? And what will happen then?”

“She’ll be tried under the law. That’s what should happen.”

Sorciera sighed, full of disappointment.

“That’s not enough. You don’t understand how many tragedies have kept her alive.”

Sorciera pressed the tip of her scythe to the Professor’s neck.

“I’ll kill her, and I’ll be the one to judge.”

“That’s right! It’s a waste to use the judiciary for trash like this.”

The words added with a smiling face made Touraku realize the difference between their world and Sorciera’s.

To them, killing was just a means to an end.

Not a taboo, but an immediate option.

How much hell must one have seen to fall that far?

Touraku, who had never killed anyone, couldn’t understand.

But she had seen people with the same eyes.

(They’re the same eyes as Dad’s.)

The Katou family specialized in hunting illegal explorers and those who harmed humanity.

Thus, every member of the Katou family had taken someone’s life.

And such people all had the same cold, lead-like light in their eyes.

The eyes of Sorciera and the others shone with a cold, chilling light.

“Oh? What are you planning to do with Lutra aimed at you?”

“Stop it.”

Touraku said, but his words alone were insufficient; his mind couldn’t process what the scene would look like if he succeeded in stopping it.

Even so, he was certain that if he let this moment pass, he would never be able to truly save Sorciera from that point onward.

“My partner says that, so I can’t back down either.”

Mihaya also set her sights on Sorciera.

She knew this girl’s capabilities.

There was no room for complacency.

“Lutra, one strike.”

‘Understood.’

A prolonged battle would only assist Sorciera in converging her magical power.

Having watched the entire battle against Rokuhara through recorded footage, Touraku immediately selected the most effective move he could use against Sorciera.

He sheathed his sword and assumed a stance with his weapon ready at his waist.

One strike, a super-short-term battle type.

(This one strike. Beyond that, I have no chance of winning against her.)

The concept of cutting was ingrained in Lutra’s body and honed as an extraordinary power.

This strike would undoubtedly reach the very world itself.

“Shall I help?”

“No need. This is just a game.”

With that, Sorciera dispelled her large scythe.

Then, she summoned a dagger, one that Touraku was familiar with.

“That’s…”

‘Touraku, be careful—’

A warning from his beloved blade.

However, he did not respond to it.

Before Touraku could answer.

Before Mihaya could pull the trigger.

Faster than anything, a silver wind blew just once.

“…What?”

“?!”

Defense was impossible.

Before he could even track it with his eyes, both Touraku and Mihaya collapsed in the spot.

The slight cut on his arm told the story of what had just occurred.

“Too slow. Everything.”

Holding the two who had collapsed, Sorciera succinctly passed judgment.

Then, she placed their backs against the wall and activated the teleportation magic circle in front of the professor.

“Wait.”

“No, you lost. You need to understand that there are worlds that can’t be saved by being kind-hearted.”

“…!”

With his body paralyzed, Touraku could barely reach out.

He could only watch as she and the professor disappeared into the magic circle.

(I haven’t changed at all since then…!)

That was the worthless self he had been before meeting Lutra.

Powerless, with only ideals smoldering deep in his heart.

“…I’m sorry, President. The professor was… taken.”

Hearing that voice, Touraki’s will surfaced from his feeling of powerlessness.

Looking over, he saw his partner, struggling against her numb body, communicating through the Dive Gear.

She, too, seemed to suffer from the same weakness, but that didn’t stop her actions.

‘Ah, I see. Sorciera, huh.’

The person on the other end of the call, Yukihira, had anticipated Mihaya’s words and had already mentioned Sorciera’s name.

Now, with his body numb, it was a relief to have someone anticipate his needs.

‘So she’s judging based on ego. Hmm, she’s moved emotionally, huh. Ugh, it’s hard to read her thoughts. Ah, you two can return now.’

“…Is that okay?”

The response was so nonchalant that both of them were surprised.

‘It’s fine. I already have the professor’s experimental records. Besides, it’s not favorable to face Sorciera. Let’s think of it as giving her this one. Yeah.’

“But…”

‘Touraku, I’m saying I don’t need you. Got it?’

It was a soft voice, like a parent gently reprimanding a child.

Words spoken clearly, as if convincing a child throwing a tantrum.

‘We can’t afford to lose a Demonsgear user and such a talented partner. Come on, come back. It would be bad if any Demonsgear users from the Knight’s Academy or the Disciplinary Committee found you.’

“…Understood.”

‘Good, then.’

With that, Yukihira, who had foresaw the end of the conversation, cut the call off abruptly.

Silence descended.

“This is where we stand now, isn’t it?”

Mihaya muttered softly.

Yesterday, they had thought they had helped Sorciera.

But it seemed that was nothing more than arrogance.

“Yeah, we didn’t even end up fighting Sorciera.”

“Big Sis, she was stronger than before. With how we are now, we could never win.”

Hearing Lutra’s words, Touraku almost let out a sigh.

But he held it in and looked up at the night sky.

“We have to do our best.”

“…Yeah.”

Using the feeling of helplessness as fuel, heat began to spread from the depths of his heart.

Right now, it burned inside him like a massive fire, crackling with intensity.

(I have to get stronger. So that she won’t have to bear any more sins.)

That was a stubborn, self-centered wish.

A resolution that was selfish and one-sided, to destroy the value system of the girl created by tragedy.

So hopelessly self-absorbed that any normal person would dismiss it as trivial.

“Let’s get stronger, more. So that she doesn’t have to bear any more sins.”

And that, in the end, was the essence of being a hero.