Chapter 13: Heaven and Hell

Holy Era 1016, May 31st.

Today, right on the verge of clearing Chapter Two, was my first entirely free day in a while.

I say entirely free, but I still had normal classes...

There was no rushing around to progress the main route, no attending meetings as the ruler of Utsuro, and no shady underworld business to handle as a villainous noble. I had absolutely none of those special duties.

It felt like I was just a normal student again. My head, body, and heart were all incredibly light.

This kind of peaceful everyday life must be what's waiting for me after I clear the Hollow Route...

Thinking about that suddenly filled me with motivation.

I was going to overturn this ridiculous death scenario and survive, even if out of sheer spite.

Afterward, I went to Redrick, let Fiona's lecture go in one ear and out the other, and ate lunch with the protagonist and Nia—which brought us to after school.

Well, I don't have anything in particular to do today, so maybe I'll head to Void Town and train my Void magic.

I quickly packed my things, and just as I was about to head back to the estate—Nia jogged over to me.

"Hey, Hollow, do you have some time after this?" she asked. "If you'd like, do you want to go watch the Magic Banquet Festival together?"

"The Magic Banquet Festival?" I asked. "...Ah, now that you mention it, that was a thing."

I had completely cut out that event early on, so I hadn't given it any thought.

"Today is the finals, so it's definitely going to be super exciting!" she urged. "I'm sure it'll be fun, so let's go watch it together!"

"Hmm... Very well," I agreed.

"Yes!"

Nia pumped her fist and broke into a massive smile.

Chapter 2 has been pretty heavily focused on Heisenberg family business, so showing my face at a school event once in a while isn't a bad idea.

The two of us then headed over to the underground training grounds where the Magic Banquet Festival was being held.

Whoa, this is insane...

Everywhere I looked, it was just people, people, people. The place was absolutely packed with a ridiculous number of students.

This underground training ground was used for a wide variety of purposes—private duels and ranking battles, of course, but also lectures, school festivals, and musical performances. Because of that, a massive number of spectator seats were arranged to surround the central stage... but right now, almost all of them were filled.

"Hmm... Ah! Hollow, there are some open seats over there!" Nia said.

She pointed toward a specific spot in the stands.

"Oho, you have a good eye," I praised.

"Heheh, you can praise me more, you know?"

"Yes, yes, how amazing," I replied half-heartedly.

Giving a half-hearted reply, I secured the two seats.

Like a lazy, arrogant villainous noble, I plopped down heavily into my seat with an air of self-importance and turned my eyes to the stage.

The final matchup is... yeah, I thought so.

Standing in the center of the stage were Allen Fortis and Eliza Lawrence.

It was the exact matchup I had predicted at the beginning of Chapter Two.

They're both eccentric magicians who specialize in close combat... but their weapons are polar opposites.

Allen used a shortsword, and Eliza used a tachi.

In extreme close-quarters combat, the highly maneuverable shortsword—and by extension, Allen—had the advantage.

In standard close combat, the longer reach of the tachi—and Eliza—had the advantage.

The key to victory would be who could force the fight into their preferred range.

By the way... the weapons they were equipped with weren't their usual blades. The Magic Banquet Festival strictly prohibited bringing in outside weapons; only the dull, safe weapons provided by the academy were permitted for use.

Because this event was an annual Redrick tradition, their safety measures for the students were incredibly thorough.

"Now then, the Magic Banquet Festival has finally reached the finals!" announced the female student acting as both referee and commentator. "The heated battle to decide the strongest first-year is about to begin!"

The female student serving as both referee and announcer hyped up the crowd, causing the venue's excitement to instantly spike.

"Are both sides ready?" she asked. "Then—begin!"

The very moment the signal was given, Allen and Eliza dashed forward at blistering speeds.

"Haa!"

"Fuh!"

Allen swung the shortsword in his left hand, held in a reverse grip, and Eliza deflected it with perfect timing.

Then, a rapid reversal.

"Right there!" Allen shouted.

"Not happening...!" Eliza retorted.

Eliza's tachi drew a sharp arc, and Allen dropped low to the ground, narrowly dodging the swing.

It was a fierce, dizzying exchange of rapid-fire offense and defense.

Seeing this, I...

"...Huh...?"

...was left completely dumbfounded, my mouth hanging wide open.

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey...! What the hell is this!?

Allen and Eliza were fighting an evenly matched battle.

Th-That's impossible...

Thanks to my "Protagonist Mob-ification Plan," Allen's leveling was severely delayed.

Even though we were in the very final stages of Chapter 2, his Unique Magic was still the weakest iteration, <Zero Counter>.

Because his Hero's power hadn't awakened, his physical abilities were completely average... or so they should have been.

So what the hell is up with this speed!?

Of course, compared to me, he was still incredibly slow. It was the difference between a gnat and a bullet train.

But... he was dramatically faster than the Allen from before.

Enough that he could clash with Eliza head-on.

This is bad. Something is happening completely without my knowledge...

The battle with Zova took place on May 13th.

At that time, Allen had lost to the Elder, making him much weaker than his main route counterpart—that was an undeniable, set-in-stone fact.

Between his defeat against Zova on May 13th and the Magic Banquet Festival finals on May 31st... in those mere eighteen days, something happened!

A "Super Power-Up Event" that drastically boosted the weakened protagonist's physical strength had occurred!

"Haaaaaaaa...!"

Allen and Eliza's war cries overlapped as their fierce sword fight escalated.

One strike, two strikes, three strikes... Their weapons raced through the air, sending blinding sparks flying.

Their physical strength was now perfectly matched. No... in terms of raw arm strength, Allen might actually have a slight advantage.

But even so—my Eliza is going to win!

Her <Silver Flash> was the real deal.

Right now, she was completely misusing it, downgrading it to nothing more than a spell that enhanced her slashes, but...

Even still, it was one of the strongest Legend Class spells out there. Simply swinging it around wildly boasted overwhelming destructive power.

And most importantly, Eliza has her absolute fastest strike!

No matter how strong Allen had become, there was no way he could parry the absolute fastest speed of <Silver Flash> on his very first attempt.

If she fired it off at the right time, from the right position, and at the perfect moment, Eliza's victory was guaranteed!

You know this, right, Eliza? Don't mess up when you play your hand. Calm down, it's fine, you can absolutely win this!

If she lost, a massive amount of EXP would go to Allen, and a relationship would form between the two of them.

Which would ultimately mean a 'return to the main route'...

That was the one outcome I absolutely could not allow. I had to prevent it no matter what.

...Do your best, Eliza! Don't lose, Eliza! I'm right here with you!

For a while after that, a fierce back-and-forth battle raged on.

"...!"

Sitting in the spectator seats, I gripped my fists tightly and swallowed hard as I watched the course of the battle.

Just as the bruises and cuts on Allen and Eliza's bodies multiplied, and their movements began to slightly dull...

"Haa!"

Powerful strikes clashed, and the sheer force of the impact knocked them both backward.

The difference in reach between a shortsword and a tachi was crystal clear.

Hating that wide gap, Allen leaped forward to close the distance.

—Alright, his feet left the ground!

That move, while not exactly a blunder, was incredibly far from optimal.

In his desperation to close the distance, he neglected the fundamental way to approach—a flawless advance with no openings.

At this critical juncture, the protagonist had launched a remarkably clumsy assault.

If she's going to unleash her fastest strike, it has to be now!

Now! Do it! Use the absolute fastest <Silver Flash>!

With Eliza's reaction speed and combat sense, there was no way she would miss this opening!

However,

"..."

She took the stance for her absolute fastest strike—and completely froze.

Y-You idiot!

She should be able to see Allen's opening. She should know that this was the deciding moment of the match.

Hey, what are you doing!? What the hell are you hesitating for!?

A blank moment born of hesitation. A freeze lasting less than a fraction of a second.

In a duel where every split second mattered, it was utterly fatal.

"<Silver Flash: Blink—"

"—<Zero Counter>!"

Allen was a combat genius. He must have instinctively sensed that 'something was coming.'

The Hero's Unique Magic activated, and the absolute fastest <Silver Flash> was easily snuffed out.

"Wha—!?" Eliza gasped.

As Eliza's eyes wavered in sheer shock—

"Haaaaaaaaa...!"

Allen's powerful slash struck home.

"G-Gah...!"

Taking that full-power blow head-on, Eliza was sent flying backward, bouncing across the ground repeatedly before finally coming to a dead stop, completely knocked out.

G-Get uuuuuuuuuuuuup...! Get up, Elizaaaaaaaaaaaaa...!

I cheered for her frantically in my mind... but she never got back up.

"—The winner is Allen Fortis!"

The female referee declared it loudly, and a deafening cheer erupted through the arena.

As the venue was enveloped in excitement and frenzy, I slowly rose from my seat and headed straight for the exit.

"Huh, Hollow? Where are you going?" Nia asked.

"...It seems the crowd is getting to me," I muttered. "I'm going outside to get some fresh air."

"Eh, are you okay? I'll come with you."

"It's fine. Just leave me alone for a bit," I replied.

"Ah, yeah... be careful, okay?"

I offered a lazy wave in response, left the underground training ground, and slipped away to the Void World from a place devoid of prying eyes.

To avoid destroying Void Town, I touched down in a white desert far in the distance, and then—

"...Kuh, kukuku... fuhahahahahahahaha...!"

I laughed like a madman, gazing up at the heavens.

Pitch-black magic, thick as sludge, erupted from my entire body. It stained the pure white Void World a deep black, and the magic crystals installed in Void Town let out a blaring alarm.

"T-This is bad...!"

The criminals entrusted with the town's safety management panicked and used <Loud Voice>.

"All hands, transition to Class 1 Evacuation Protocols! Lord Void is enraged! The estimated 'Magic Magnitude' is... e-eight!? This is the biggest one on record! Cease all work immediately and take life-saving measures—"

In the next instant,

"—You idiotttttt! Eliza, what... what the hell are you doingggg!?"

I let out a soul-rending scream.

The massive tempest of pitch-black magic raged on, and the Void World shook violently.

"Uwoooooooooo...!?"

The residents of Void Town braced for the impact, somehow managing to ride it out safely.

"Phew... That tremor was way bigger than usual."

"Ain't the boss getting stronger by the day?"

"I mean, the guy's a demon when it comes to training."

"I wonder what he's planning to do with all that power..."

"Who knows? Destroy the world, maybe?"

I could hear a commotion springing up all over the Void World. But right now, I didn't have the luxury to care about that.

"Hah, hah...! Damn it, how did it end up like this...!"

Dropped to my hands and knees, I swung my right arm down with all my might.

Each time I did, a tremendous roar echoed, the ground tore open, and a massive crater was born.

Eliza was acting weird from the very start today...

How should I put it... yeah, her movements lacked their usual sharpness.

It felt like she was lost, like she'd completely lost sight of herself.

Having a bad condition at a time like this... Pull yourself together, would ya...!

No, the bigger problem was—the protagonist's super-enhancement.

What the hell happened to Allen in such a short amount of time!?

I blazed through Chapter 2 at breakneck speed. To ensure the protagonist had no time for leveling, and to prevent him from even touching the sub-events, I relentlessly pushed forward on the main route.

As a result, I laid out the path for a complete clear of Chapter Two in a mere eighteen days.

It was practically RTA speeds; this had to be the fastest route possible.

Eighteen days since Allen was defeated by Zova until we reached this point today. In this extremely brief period, some "unbelievable something" occurred, and the protagonist's physical strength increased drastically...!

Fortunately, his Hero's power hadn't awakened yet, and his unique magic was still <Zero Counter>.

What I can deduce from the information I have so far is—Allen merely gained EXP, but he hasn't met the awakening conditions for his Hero factor.

To be honest, I was a little relieved. When I thought about the possibility of the Hero's power awakening completely outside of my knowledge... it sent shivers down my spine.

But I can't let my guard down.

What's important is investigating the cause; figuring out exactly why this happened.

I kicked my Hollow Brain into overdrive, mobilizing all my knowledge of the original work, and recalled every single event from the end of Chapter One up to the present moment.

After scrubbing through every event, from main to sub, and considering all possibilities,

...Wait, isn't that impossible...?

No matter what route was taken, no matter what events were triggered, there was no logical explanation for this super-enhancement.

Is it the World's Correction Force...? No, that's highly unlikely.

That was a "force that gently returns things to the main route."

It was nothing more than a "feeble corrective force" attempting to slowly restore the rails I had derailed.

It shouldn't be capable of causing a dramatic, sudden change like this.

As I spun my thoughts at high speed like that, a certain sense of incongruity crossed my mind.

"Now that I think about it... it was strange..."

That was back on May 20th. Zova's mourning period had ended, and it was the first time in a while that I'd attended classes at Redrick.

[Ah, good morning, Hollow-kun.]

[Yeah. ...Those are some terrible injuries. What happened?]

[E-Erm... I kind of took a tumble down the stairs...?]

Thinking about it calmly... the protagonist's damage was clearly far too severe.

Even though the protagonist was severely lagging behind in leveling, he inherited the Hero's blood more thickly than anyone else.

For him to be carrying such extensive damage a week after the battle with Zova was completely unnatural.

Furthermore, Allen's body was visibly covered in bruises and lacerations. No matter how you looked at them, they weren't injuries inflicted by <Primordial Ice>.

"...Don't tell me, 'Heaven Mode'...?"

A certain possibility floated to the surface.

No, that's impossible...! There's no way something like that could happen!

In the original Ronzorquia, "traits" were set at the start of the game.

The Chapter 1 major boss might be a bit stronger, or the Chapter 5 mid-boss slightly weaker, or the EXP from mob enemies marginally higher, or maybe the treasure chests in dungeons felt a bit scarcer. It added a certain "flavor" to each playthrough.

This was all meticulously balanced by the "Chaos System," ensuring the overall game balance remained intact.

However, there was one single exception.

That was... Heaven Mode.

It was a setting where every conceivable element favored the protagonist—EXP acquisition efficiency, attack evasion success rates, critical hit rates, rare item drop rates, initial NPC affection values, you name it.

Conversely, for me, the villainous noble, it was a "Hell Mode" where every single element worked against me.

The probability of triggering Heaven Mode was—one in a hundred million.

The odds of being dealt a royal flush in your opening five cards were one in 640,000.

The odds of being struck by lightning were one in million.

The odds of winning the lottery jackpot were one in million.

Drawing Hell Mode was, quite literally, an astronomical probability.

It's true that I've been on a roll lately... I'll admit that. But even so, this is taking it too far!?

My good luck in Chapter 2 versus this world being a living hell for me—the balance between fortune and misfortune wasn't adding up at all.

But if I assume this world is in Hell Mode for me... That explains everything. The protagonist's super-enhancement, Allen's mysterious injuries, all of it...!

It was probably that event.

Allen had gone through that once-in-a-lifetime event and acquired a massive amount of EXP.

...Anyway, I need to confirm this immediately.

I thrust one hand into the Void, retrieving my pitch-black robe and Void mask.

If he—the previous previous Hero—is still alive, I have to eliminate him as soon as possible...!

I used <Void Walk> and flew to the depths of the mountains, far, far away from the royal capital—straight to the Hero's hideout.