The Last Place Hero's Return

Bishop Jordan clutched the blood-soaked wound on his side as he gasped for breath. “Huff!Huff! T-this is insane!”

It was the work of the silver-haired female cadet who had blocked the vanguard on their way to the main building. Since she hadn’t appeared on the list of dangerous individuals he had investigated beforehand, he had initially thought of her as nothing more than a bit of passing entertainment. However, the moment the battle began, he realized the truth. That silver-haired woman was someone he simply could not fight.

Just what the hell is that monster? This isn’t even a matter of whether she’s a cadet or not. Could she be another Master? No, none of the Masters look like that.

She was comparable to a Master. Yes, unless she possessed power comparable to the Masters, the strongest heroes currently alive, there was no other explanation for the overwhelming martial prowess she displayed. Where had things gone wrong? As Jordan wondered that, he coughed, and the metallic taste of blood surged up his throat.

The silver-haired woman approached him slowly, her sword hanging loosely at her side. “Already finished?”

Despite the fierce clash they just had, not a single trace of disorder could be found in her appearance. Her steps were elegant and dignified, like moonlight descending from the night sky. The silver sword in her hand gleamed ominously.

Damn it!

Jordan bit down on his lip, his expression tense. It wasn’t as if he had no cards left to play. There was the Ember of Ruin. However, to draw out the true power of the Ember of Ruin required a price worthy of it. A deep hesitation crossed Jordan’s face.

Nevertheless, his deliberation didn’t last long. Jordan turned around, intending to flee from the silver-haired woman. But before he could do so, something unexpected happened. The black flames dwelling within his soul stigmata suddenly burst forth, wrapping around him.

“Huh? W-what? Why all of a sudden?” The ember Amon had bestowed upon him slipped out of control and rampaged violently. “Ah!Ngh. AAAAAAARRRRGH!”

The flames grew more intense. Agonizing pain spread through his body, as though molten iron had replaced the blood flowing through his veins. Staggering backward, Jordan stared in horror at the black flames engulfing his body.

The Ember of Ruin used its owner’s life as fuel. In other words, every time its power was used, the owner’s lifespan was drastically shortened. That was why it was supposed to be used sparingly, only the smallest portion of the ember at a time. But this, this wasn’t merely using a small portion.

“W-why?” Jordan screamed.

The flame was burning through his entire remaining lifespan. As far as Jordan knew, only one being was capable of forcing such a thing. It was the man he served, the master of Ruin, Amon.

“A-Amon, you bastard—”

Before he could finish his furious shout, Jordan’s body was consumed by black flames. The dark mana born from burning life itself swept violently outward, scorching the surrounding earth.

Watching the scene unfold, the silver-haired woman, Yurina, stiffened and instinctively stepped back. “This...”

It was the same situation she had faced before in the Demonic Realm when she encountered the demon named Hector. It was dangerous. She had already heard from Dale just how powerful demons wrapped in those black flames could become.

At that moment, more demons appeared behind Jordan.

“Over here!”

“W-wait! Isn’t that Bishop Jordan?”

“Did he use the Ember’s power?”

“But if it’s that intense, isn’t he burning through his entire lifespan?”

I can’t stall them any longer. Without hesitation, Yurina turned and ran, but a savage wave of flames lunged toward her fleeing form.

“Ugh!” The mana barrier surrounding her melted away in an instant, and her skin began to blacken and burn.

“Just... follow me quietly!”

Yurina dashed backward, unleashing streaks of silver sword energy behind her. A searing pain shot through her left thigh, which had been scorched by the black flames, but she bit down on her lip and forced herself to move faster.

“Chase... her!” a voice came from Jordan’s body.

“Y-yes, sir!”

Following the command of Jordan, no, to be precise, following the will of Amon, the demons kicked off the ground and raced toward the main building auditorium.

* * *

At the hall inside the main building auditorium, the cadets who had gathered after hearing the announcement huddled together, their faces filled with terror.

“T-the demons attacked the academy!”

“D-did you see how many there were earlier?”

“I... I don’t want to die.”

Last year, the academy had been attacked by the beast legion controlled by the Archbishop of Beasts. But this time was different. Demons and demonic monsters, if asked which of the two was more terrifying, most people would choose demons without hesitation.

“Get a hold of yourselves!” Lucas’s thunderous shout echoed through the auditorium. “You call yourselves hero cadets, and this is the pathetic sight you present?”

“B-but...”

“But nothing!” Lucas stomped his foot. The entire auditorium shook, and every cadet’s gaze snapped toward him. “What do you all think a hero is?”

Silence settled over the hall.

Lucas sighed deeply and looked toward a particularly pale-faced cadet standing among the crowd. “Alberrrrrt!”

“W-why me again at a time like this?” Albert, who had been hiding among the cadets, trembled as he stood up.

“Answer the question!” said the professor.

“T-that’s... a hero is... a superhuman chosen by the Seven Gods... who protects humanity against the armies of the Demon God!”

Lucas nodded. “Correct. A hero is a superhuman.

He clicked his tongue and continued, “In other words, no matter how you look at it, we’re still just humans who happen to be a little stronger than others. So, it’s fine to be afraid. Being terrified is perfectly natural.”

The professor slowly swept his gaze across the trembling cadets and spoke in a low voice. “But don’t act pathetic. That’s the bare minimum duty expected of those chosen by the gods to protect humanity.”

Silence fell over the auditorium. Soon after, applause echoed through the quiet hall.

“Heh. As expected of Professor Kane. That was quite a stirring speech,” said a voice.

“H-headmaster?”

Lionel looked over at the cadets gathered inside the auditorium before turning his gaze toward Elisha. “Is everyone here?”

“Yes. A few cadets still haven’t arrived yet, but those are the ones currently carrying out their mission.”

“I see.” Nodding, Lionel stepped up onto the stage. “I imagine many of you were startled by this sudden attack.”

Everyone kept quiet.

“But there’s no need to worry. The Warp Gate will open soon, and you’ll be able to evacuate safely.”

“A Warp Gate?”

The moment those words were spoken, the auditorium erupted into a commotion. But only for a moment.

“Quiet.” At the quiet command of Lionel, the noise immediately died down. “I understand that all of you wish to evacuate as quickly as possible. But as Professor Kane said, every cadet gathered here has been chosen by the gods and bears the duty of protecting humanity. Therefore, when the Warp Gate opens, the first-year cadets will evacuate first, followed by the others in order. Maintain proper formation and discipline.”

A faint smile appeared on Lionel’s lips. “May I trust my proud cadets to do that?”

Instead of answering, the cadets quickly formed orderly lines according to their year.

***

Headmaster Ryu nodded with a satisfied smile, then asked, “Dale, may I ask you to begin?”

“Yes,” I replied.

Through Elisha, I had already been informed that the demons were gathering near the main building auditorium. There was no reason to delay any longer. Ashen Flames ignited across my body. As the surging mana was drawn inward, a Warp Gate began to take shape in the center of the auditorium.

“All right! First-years, move out in order!”

Under Professor Kane’s command, the cadets began evacuating through the gate. The evacuation was well underway when the doors of the auditorium exploded inward as demons burst into the hall. They stared in shock at the Warp Gate glowing inside the auditorium.

“Hahaha! So you were all hiding here!”

“What the...?”

“A Warp Gate?”

“Damn it! Destroy the Warp Gate immediately!”

“Don’t let them escape!”

The bishop-ranked demons who served as commanders among the Apostles of Ruin shouted urgently. They rushed forward toward the Warp Gate, but suddenly, blazing black flames erupted.

“Ah!”

“W-what’s happening... to me?”

“AAAAAGH! I-it’s hot! It’s burning!”

The demons convulsed violently, screaming in agony as black flames wrapped around their bodies and roared to life.

“That’s...”

Just as I frowned at the sight of the demons engulfed in black fire, Yurina burst through the auditorium wall.

“Ugh! D-Dale! A-Amon! He’s turning the demons into his avatars!”

“Avatars, huh.” Frowning, I looked back at the demons engulfed in black flames. Just like the ones I had seen in the Demonic Realm, their bodies were gradually losing their original forms, slowly transforming into shapes resembling Amon himself.

For now, we just needed to hold out until the reinforcements arrived. Once all the cadets had evacuated, the reinforcements sent by the Empire, the Holy Empire, and the Republic would reach the academy. There was no need to fight seriously until then. All we needed to do was stall for time.

That was when I noticed Yurina standing nearby, clutching her leg with a strained expression. I asked, “Huh? What’s wrong?”

“Ah, it’s nothing!” she replied.

“That doesn’t look like nothing.”

“Well, I got a little injured while fighting Amon’s avatar,” she said.

“Let me see.”

“I-It’s fine! Don’t worry about it!” she hastily replied.

“Now.” I grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away.

The flesh on her left thigh had been burned away so badly that the bone beneath was visible.

“I-It’s okay! I’ll ask Iris to heal it later, so don’t worry,” she said. When I remained silent, she continued, “D-Dale? Your expression looks kind of scary.”

“Berald,” I shouted.

Berald, who had already arrived at the auditorium earlier, hurried over. “You called, Brother?”

“Take Yurina to Iris.”

“Huh? She’s hurt?” Berald glanced at the wound on Yurina’s thigh, and his face twisted instantly. “Leave it to me! I’ll take her straight to Sister Iris!”

“Good.” I nodded and stepped forward.

Originally, I had planned to hold back and simply stall until the reinforcements arrived. But those fuckers had crossed a line. A wave of Ashen Flames burst forth, pushing back the black flames surrounding the demons.

I slowly crooked a finger at the avatars. “Amon. You’re watching all of this from some corner, aren’t you?”

Looking directly at the avatars, I beckoned again. “Get your ass here, you bastard.”

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