Chapter 145

Shine Stella was retracing the events of the previous day. Her golden hair sparkled like starlight as Stella delved into her memories.

Mysterious encounters, bizarre skies, and overwhelming power—those were what came to mind. She also recalled the white mask belatedly.

Since becoming aware of her abnormal amount of strength, Stella had never been bested in a fight. Well, there was one exception, but that was only natural.

Iron-blooded Teacher Beatrix. The royal knight captain who effortlessly subdued her, this female swordsman was even spoken of as a “Sword Master.”

She was counted among the top warriors when considering all the swordsmen on the continent—a mountain impossible for someone like Stella, who had barely begun training, to surpass.

But still…

That day, upon entering the academy and crossing blades with Beatrix, Stella hadn’t felt inferior in terms of energy. It was simply a matter of skill and experience differing.

If they fought now, the situation would likely be very different. Even if claiming victory was still a stretch, Stella was confident she could hold out for at least a hundred moves. And given a few more years, perhaps she could scale that towering peak. This wasn’t arrogance—it was confidence.

Teacher Beatrix is strong. Over the two years Stella spent in first and second grade, she learned an incredible amount from her. While other teachers shook their heads and gave up after a few weeks, Beatrix persisted.

Could Stella surpass such a teacher? If someone overheard her thinking it, they’d probably scoff.

Still… why?

A brief clash. A fiery battle. Flying fists directed at each other.

In that instant, Stella distinctly felt it.

There was a mountain even greater than “Teacher Beatrix” standing before her.

It was a judgment that defied common sense. Beatrix was already among the strongest. There weren’t ten people capable of matching her. Therefore, the probability of some villain appearing overnight and being stronger than her was extremely slim.

What was even more astonishing was that this villain’s power surpassed Stella’s own “energy.” Stella couldn’t believe it.

When they both plunged deep into the narrow ground together, Stella grabbed the villain with her left hand to prevent them from escaping easily and unleashed rapid punches with her right.

The villain raised a guard with their left arm and returned fire with their right. As a result, Stella took a punch to the face while hitting their arm.

But Stella was self-assured.

No one could match her in terms of raw energy. Stella trusted this truth wholeheartedly from her past experiences.

Face versus arm. An unreasonable exchange. But Stella’s face, reinforced by her energy, was harder than steel.

She could win. That’s what she thought.

“Ugh!”

The throbbing pain in her face made Stella flinch slightly. Her radiant visage was now plastered with white bandages and gauze.

Her hand instinctively rose to touch it. Her fingertips brushed against her skin, which burned intensely.

“Ahh….”

She couldn’t shake the feeling that she’d been outmatched.

The villain’s energy was vast like an ocean. A dark and ominous aura seemed to cover the world. Stella stood precariously like a flickering candle in the wind.

The villain’s body might not have been normal either, but this level of injury was unprecedented for Stella. Trembling, she leaned against the infirmary bed.

Crack.

“…!”

Moving her body caused her ribs, where the villain had struck her, to scream in protest. Clenching her teeth against the pain, Stella bore it.

The masked fiend was overwhelmingly powerful and acted strangely—going so far as to stick a Band-Aid on her during their fight. Of course, Stella had long since removed the Band-Aid, unsure of any contaminants it might carry.

Then, a button fell from inside the coat the villain was wearing. And that button belonged to Eden Academy’s uniform.

Stella swallowed hard. She couldn’t shake the ominous feeling. How had a school uniform button ended up in the villain’s possession?

Could the fiend have been posing as a student at the academy? If true, it was a grave matter.

Creak.

The infirmary door opened, and a girl entered. The student with snow-white hair glided in gracefully, revealing herself to be the daughter of the Holy Order.

“Oh, hello! I’ve come upon your summons.”

Saintess Maria carefully stepped into the infirmary. Against the pristine white backdrop, the scene resembled a painting.

The sole gold amidst the whiteness spoke.

“You’ve taken time away from your precious schedule for someone as lowly as me.”

“No, no! And… please speak casually. I’m your junior after all.”

“How can I address the Saintess so informally?”

“Maria. That’s my name. I don’t want special treatment just because I’m called a saint, even from respected seniors like you, Heavenly Hero.”

Maria’s voice carried resolve, and Stella acquiesced.

“Understood. Then I entrust my healing to you.”

“Yes, yes… please stay still.”

Maria had been summoned to treat Stella’s injuries. Normally, the Saintess wouldn’t move for ordinary students unless their injuries were severe, but Stella wasn’t an ordinary student.

Maria approached behind Stella, who sat upright on the bed, and placed her hands on Stella’s back. Closing her eyes, Maria focused her spirit.

“Holy Mother, bless the noble warrior who has fought against unholy forces. Grant her the grace of new flesh upon her torn and broken wounds…”

As Maria recited her prayer, soft white light swirled from her hands, enveloping Stella.

Torn wounds began to heal cleanly, as if they had never existed. Stella marveled at the perfect restoration.

“Indeed… remarkable. This is the power of a saint…”

“Hehe, modest skills. By the way, how did you get injured, Senior?”

While smoothly channeling divine energy, Maria asked.

“Didn’t you hear on the way here?”

“I only heard about some strange person you fought. And that you got hurt in the process.”

“That’s right. He wasn’t easy.”

“So even you, Senior, got injured this badly? Surely, he must have been captured by now?”

Shaking her head quietly in response, Stella replied.

“No, we failed to capture him. I managed to grab him, but in the end, it wasn’t enough. He was too strong.”

At this calm confession, Maria was shocked. Who was Shine Stella? A prodigy who had shown exceptional talent from a young age, she was already considered the next candidate for the strongest on the continent. Last year, she had even earned the title of “Heavenly Hero.”

Even she had failed to capture her opponent?

This implied a dangerous future ahead.

“A truly perilous individual has appeared… Even if you, Senior, failed, capturing him won’t be easy.”

“We need to be careful. He was peculiar.”

“Hmm… Let’s pray that he’s caught soon, repents, and pays for his sins properly.”

Whoosh.

Divine power healed the split skin. Enjoying the pleasant sensation, Stella and Maria continued their conversation on the same topic.

***

After getting beaten up behind the building, Frey disappeared. Since I’d already gotten a hold of him once, I wasn’t worried about finding him again.

Putting that aside, I intended to look around the club activities during lunchtime, preferably finding the reading club president along the way.

However, Maria was called to the infirmary right after eating lunch. It was because she needed to heal the injured Heavenly Hero with her divine powers.

Damn, if I had known this would happen, I shouldn’t have messed with the Heavenly Hero. While pondering four possible crew members and spending time alone, Maria eventually opened the classroom door and entered.

“Maria! Is the healing done?”

Maria approached and sat on the chair beside me, made possible only because Frey wasn’t there.

“Yes… I’ve finished everything.”

“Are you okay? You used divine power. Aren’t you tired?”

“I’m fine. This much is easy.”

It didn’t seem like false bravado. Maria’s complexion remained calm. Truly, she was a saint. Unlike regular priests, she didn’t tire easily from using divine power.

“By the way… Mr. Evans…”

“Hmm?”

“Have you heard anything about a mysterious person in a white mask?”

Huh? Why does she suddenly ask about a white-masked fiend?

“The fiend? No?”

I played dumb. Maria blinked innocently.

“Well, according to Senior Stella, some fiend appeared. Apparently, this fiend is incredibly powerful.”

“R-really?”

“It’s completely baffling. I’m really worried. What if this fiend kidnaps innocent people? And are those kidnapped ones alright?”

“R-right. You really do have a kind heart, Maria.”

“It’s scary… What if this fiend attacks someone good like Mr. Evans? If that happens, I should protect you, naturally. Though I’d protect anyone who gets attacked, regardless of whether it’s you or someone else.”

“…”

“We should hope this fiend gets caught soon, shouldn’t we? Don’t you think so too, Mr. Evans?”

“Y-yeah. I also hope that fiend gets captured…”

Wait, wait. Something seems off here.

---