He pulls out something like a lighter from his pocket.
“Heh, hehehehe. Hahahaha. William, you little pest. Your last use is to be my meat shield.”
Click.
The moment Gares presses the button.
“Guh, grk, grkakakakakakakakakakakaaaaa!!!”
A sound like a pig being slaughtered escapes from William’s mouth as he lies on the ground.
His eyes roll back as tears of blood flow out.
“Grrrrr, grrrrrrrr, kaaaahhh!!!”
William howls like a beast.
His body suddenly swells up tremendously.
“Kyahhh!!”
Thud.
William drives the Ascalon into his own chest.
Sluggishly.
The grotesque flesh starts to engulf the Ascalon.
The Black Prince, witnessing the scene, starts panicking.
[What the hell is that? Partner? Ugh. Gross.]
I know that scene from the anime.
Monster.
It’s the term used for someone who becomes addicted to the New World League’s enhancements, reaching a point where they lose their human qualities.
The monster first appeared when Muramasa, the main villain of Volume 12, attacked the Shuo Hero Academy’s Sports Festival, unleashing a chemical frenzy in the bodies of several accompanying villains.
A human who becomes a monster loses intellect and rationality, transforming into a grotesque form closer to that of an otherworldly creature, but their power dramatically increases through forced unity with a supernatural artifact.
The levels vary from monster to monster, but with William now, he’d likely be as strong as an S-Rank hero.
Of course, since this power is gained through an abnormal route, their lifespan is usually limited to 30 days unless under specific conditions. But at least right now, it’s enough to tie up my ankles.
“Damn it.”
It’s a typical cliché in this genre, similar to the blood technique from martial arts novels, where things go haywire.
But why is it happening now?
In the original story, there was a scene where a villain they had already defeated suddenly transformed into a monster, causing trouble for the main characters.
Honestly, I didn’t expect this.
I didn’t think Gares would go this far.
In other academy possession stories, everyone easily monopolizes things, bosses around, and bursts out refreshingly.
Why is my path filled with obstacles like sweet potatoes?
If this were a web novel, it would be obvious to see endless requests for drop comments by now.
Anyway, this damn crazy world.
If I was going to possess something, I should have aimed for a web novel instead of a light novel for some proper feasting.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I, Gares, shall take my leave now. Heroic adventurers, do enjoy your time with William, or rather, Mr. Monster. Until then, adios amigo.”
Gares winks, bringing his right hand’s index and middle fingers together, sticking it to his forehead, and laughing.
“Senpai, President.”
“Didn’t I tell you to call me Saionji-senpai?”
“Didn’t you say to call you?”
“······Saionji-senpai. Please take the members of the cooking club and stop Gares from escaping. That guy is the true mastermind behind this incident. I’ll hold him back for now.”
I infuse magical power into Durandal.
To think I have to use my carefully saved true awakening technique like this.
I can’t believe it, really.
“Understood, Kim Deok-Sung. I will hold him off. So······.”
Aris trails off.
She turns her head and says,
“Please be careful.”
A silver flash envelops Aris’s entire body as she makes her final remark.
In battle mode, Aris flies off with Makoto, Eri, and Hoshino-kasumi.
Only Olivia and I are left.
Olivia?
Why is she here again?
“Hey, Olivia. Aren’t you leaving? I told you I’m handling this!”
I say to Olivia.
It seems the transformation is nearly complete, with William now transformed into a muscular monster over 3 meters tall, glaring at us with his shirt ripped off.
Thump, thump.
The mass in my chest is pounding.
Olivia shakes her head at my words.
She steps in to block the way between William and me.
“I’m not going. No, I can’t go. As a French princess who inherits the noble bloodline of the Bonaparte family, I have a duty to protect our citizens here from threats. And······.”
Flash.
A platinum gleam bursts from her body.
A bodysuit glove reveals Olivia’s glamorous figure—it’s a bit embarrassing to see such service-oriented attire in such a serious situation in this light novel world.
She grabs the wavy blade, Flamberge.
Whoosh.
A platinum flame rises from the blade of Flamberge.
“I, Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte, have a duty to protect you as your faithful maid!”
With unwavering eyes, no tsundere attitude, and no stuttering, she declares while letting her platinum hair flow, staring straight at me with her blue eyes.
At that moment.
A scream that tears through the chapel echoes.
“KYAAAAAAAHHHHH!”
Boom, bang, boom, bang.
It was the monster that was once William, charging with enough force to shake the very ground.
Golden magical power surged from the frenzied creature.
Vriiiiiing!
Raging magical energy enveloped his body, shining brightly.
Cracks appeared in the chapel floor. With each step he took, shockwaves and aftershocks swirled around him.
And there stood Olivia.
Like a noble knight straight out of a fantasy game, she gazed at the monster holding her flaming sword with an unwavering expression.
But I knew.
Olivia, who hadn’t yet awakened her true potential, couldn’t defeat the monster that was William.
I grit my teeth.
‘I can’t let Olivia die.’
If I lose her, the main heroine, I wouldn’t be able to face the Messiah.
But more than that.
As long as I’m in this world, I have to take responsibility for her.
After all, it was me who accepted her as my faithful maid.
No, the one I have to take responsibility for isn’t just Olivia.
If I left things be, it would also be my responsibility for the fate of this world that Kim Deok-Sung, the protagonist, would have saved, together with the harem members, through friendship, effort, love, and youth to defeat the Messiah.
Even if it was an unavoidable choice for my survival at the time.
In this crazy light novel world, only I can take full responsibility for the consequences of my choices.
“I can take full responsibility for the price of the selection.
I cannot turn my back on the results I have created.
‘I will take full responsibility.’
If necessary.
Even if I become the savior of the world in place of Yuji.
I will take full responsibility.
I grab the handle of Durandal.
Black mana envelops the blade, and darkness covers it further.
‘So I’ll face William.’
At that moment, when I was gritting my teeth.
[No, there’s no need for that. Partner. Of course, I want to commend you a hundred times for finally making a decision after always staying in the background and coasting. However······.]
The Black Prince stops me.
Why on earth?
Could it be that he doesn’t know about the monster?
Even if he doesn’t, a hero like the Black Prince should have realized that the monster in front of him has surpassed Olivia’s level.
It’s incomprehensible as a statement from the Black Prince, who is Olivia’s dearly loved cousin.
‘Are you crazy? Just by looking, he’s clearly stronger than Olivia. It can’t be anyone but me······.’
[I know. I know that William is stronger than my sister right now, but······.]
The Black Prince’s voice echoes in my head.
[Trust Olivia now, my sister, your personal maid. She will surely defeat William.]
A persuasion based on blind, baseless, and stupid novel-style trust, all my least favorite things.
However, oddly enough, I strangely found myself trusting the Black Prince’s words at this moment.
Damn it.
I must be crazy.
‘If there’s even a slight danger, I will intervene right away.’
I can’t fully trust him.
But if this crazy world really is a light novel.
If, as the Black Prince said, the cliché of awakening in a crisis reappears for Olivia.
Then maybe there really won’t be a need for me to interfere.
[Yeah. But that won’t happen.]
The moment the Black Prince said that firmly.
[Trust and watch over my sister. Partner.]
Bang!
With a deafening explosion, the entire chapel shook.
*
Olivia bit her lip.
Her blue eyes fixate on William, no, the monster that was once William.
She knew too.
She could not defeat William with her current skills.
But she also hated the thought of always being protected behind him.
She was Kim Deok-Sung’s personal maid.
He was the one she needed to protect.
This is her motherland, France.
As a princess of the Bonaparte royal family, she had a duty to protect the people of France.
The statue of Saint Joan of Arc, France’s guardian saint, watched over her from behind.
That’s why Olivia couldn’t back down.
Olivia gritted her teeth.
“Kyahhhhhhhhhhhh!!”
Swoosh. Pacha-pacha-pacha-pacha!
William’s forearms were stained a brilliant golden color.
The monster that was once William let out a roar as he swung his fists.
Wham wham wham!
A terrifying shockwave.
With a golden afterimage left behind, his monstrous fists charged toward Olivia.
Even though monstrous roars and explosive sounds erupted and the ground shook, Olivia could hear nothing.
All she saw was the platinum flame blazing on Flamberge.
‘I need to focus.’
The realm of unification.
The physical and mental merging with the noble weapon.
When I learned about it theoretically, I couldn’t comprehend what it meant.
But now, Olivia finally understood.
Unification meant the moment the body and mind become one with the noble weapon.
Unity of body and mind.
The moment she entered the realm of unification.
A name was engraved in her mind.
“Flamberge. True name release.”
Olivia whispered softly.
She mumbles softly.
Wooooooom.
At Olivia’s words, the Flamberge vibrates as if responding.
Whooooooooosh.
The flames on the blade of Flamberge take shape.
“──The blade of fire that burns all things.”
Flick, flick, whoooooosh, whoooooosh.
Flames resembling Flamberge appear one, two, three, four, five beside Olivia.
Five blazing swords of platinum light and Olivia, holding Flamberge, wears a smile.
“Kyahhhhhhh!!!”
In a split second, as William, now a beast without reason, throws his fists at Olivia.
Whoooooosh!
The five flaming swords that hovered around Olivia block William’s fists.
KABOOM!
With a loud explosion, flames erupt.
The fiery essence unleashed through the Unleashed Manifestation clings to William’s forearms.
Burns all things.
Like its name suggests, the unquenchable magic fire pierces through the magic barrier surrounding William and delivers a scorching sensation.
“Kyahhhhhhhhhhh!!”
William lets out a scream filled with agony.
The gap created by his beastly rage is inescapable.
But Olivia is not foolish enough to miss that opportunity.
No matter what anyone says, she is the top student at Shuo Hero Academy, the finest talent in France, and the heir to the Black Prince.
Olivia leaps off the ground with conviction.
Clank.
Olivia sheaths Flamberge.
“White Flame Sword Art!”
Whoooooosh.
The sheath of Flamberge ignites.
“──Technique!”
The five flaming swords that floated around her swirl chaotically, keeping William at bay.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Just when William, distracted by the flaming swords, was wildly swinging his arms in the air.
Flamberge is drawn from the sheath accompanied by a white aura.
Using the sheath as a launchpad, Flamberge accelerates, creating a magic shockwave that devastates the surroundings.
“White Light Flash.”
A supreme sword technique that slaughters countless beings from other realms every time it is unleashed from the Black Prince’s hands.
The White Light Flash unfolds from her hand.
Shine.
As the blade is drawn, a blinding white light fills the chapel.
“Cough!”
Thud.
Olivia lands on the opposite side of William and promptly sheaths Flamberge again.
William’s scream fills the chapel.
Thud, roll.
William’s severed head rolls across the shattered floor of Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Splash!
William’s green blood, caused by his monstrous transformation, fountains from his severed neck.
“Ugh.”
Dizziness hits Olivia’s head.
Her vision sways.
She feels nauseous.
A headache arises.
Olivia bites her lip, enduring the pain.
Thump.
She drives Flamberge into the ground.
“Hey, Ol······.”
In the distance, she sees the worried expression of her beloved, Kim Deok-Sung, running towards her.
A smile blossoms on Olivia’s face.
Suddenly, memories of their first meeting flood back.
The day she rudely forced a duel with him over Durandal.
Ironically, unlike that day when she managed to defeat him, this time, he stands strong while she is on the brink of collapse.
Sway.
Olivia’s legs weaken, and her body starts to slump.
Thud.
Kim Deok-Sung catches her as she falls.
Warmth.
As Olivia feels his body heat, she smiles.
She gingerly reaches out with her trembling hand to caress Kim Deok-Sung’s cheek, saying,
