(Leonie)

Since we had started attracting some unwanted attention to ourselves after the incident with the pickpocket, I brought Nor and Ruchika over to a bench in the public square to get away from all the fuss. We procured some food from the street stalls and had that to eat instead of a proper dinner.

Ever since the Great Human-Demon War, humans had developed a tendency to avoid extravagance. Accordingly, most of the dishes available in the stalls were simple fare such as meat skewers and steamed potatoes. I bought a sandwich with chicken and chopped vegetables; for Nor, a baked potato with melted butter on it; and for Ruchika, meat skewers. The three of us finished everything off with three servings of fruit juice.

Ruchika must have just completed a long journey, because her body was quite soiled. Unable to leave her in such a state, I used my convenience magic to clean her body and repair the frays in her clothing.

“Purify… Quick Mend.”

“Whoa… That’s awesome.”

Ruchika’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of it; she didn’t seem to be familiar with convenience magic. It was nice to have such a fresh reaction to my magic.

“That reminds me. Leonie, you said you’re the daughter of a hero, right?”

Ruchika brought this up after we reintroduced ourselves. She must have remembered this from my conversation with the pickpocket.

“Yes, my mother was Lainie Baez, the Almighty Hero, who defeated the Demon Lord,” I said.

“A-and my mother was in her party—the Healing Hero,” added Nor.

“Whoa.”

Ruchika looked back at us in wonder, her cheeks still stuffed full of meat. I had answered honestly, but truth be told, I didn’t enjoy discussing my origins. Being the daughter of the Almighty Hero put way too much pressure on me. When people learned about my background, they would often regard me with admiration and expectation at first. But once they found out the extent of my actual abilities, they would grow disappointed in me.

To change the subject, I asked Ruchika a question.

“Why would a demon girl want to come to the Hero Institute?”

“Is it so weird? Demons and humans have made their peace. It can’t be that strange for there to be someone like me.”

“Still, I believe it’s highly unusual.”

“Well, you know. I have my reasons.”

Saying this, Ruchika took a sip of her fruit juice and smiled. She looked like she wasn’t open to taking any more questions about it.

“I won’t pry. I’m sure everyone has one or two things they don’t like to talk about.”

“Hee-hee, you’re a sharp one, Leonie. You’ll make a great bride one day.”

Ruchika sometimes said things I couldn’t quite wrap my head around. I stayed silent, taking another bite of my bread. It tasted a little old.

“Oh, here, I’ll give this back now. Thanks for your help, Proto.”

She took the Gear from around her neck and handed it back to me.

“I can see how this thing is convenient, but I don’t think it’s really my style.”

“But, Ruchika, you don’t own a Gear, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Having one is a requirement to take the Hero Institute entrance exam.”

“Whaaat? Seriously?!”

To begin with, Gear weren’t simply battle-assistance devices. They were the fruit of the wisdom of humankind—a great guiding hand that would show the wearer their best courses of action and which talents they should develop. Though they were not well-known to the general public, they were indispensable to the gifted—especially those who aspired to attend the Hero Institute. In fact, Gear was even mentioned in one of the five precepts of the hero, as was written in the preamble to the school regulations:

Thou shalt obey thy Gear over thyself and thy teacher.

As a hero cadet, one had to prioritize obeying their Gear even over their instructors at the Institute. When I explained all this to Ruchika, she put on a grimace.

“Dang it… And I bet those things don’t come cheap, either.”

“It’s not the kind of money one could easily get their hands on, especially for someone who’s just run out of her travel allowance.”

“Ugh…”

I had no shortage of money myself, and the Gear I had loaned to Ruchika was a smaller spare I’d happened to be carrying with me. It was an old model I had found lying around our house; I was wearing a new one myself.

“Shall I lend this one to you?”

“What? But…”

“As you can see, I have another one I’m using.” I pointed to the Gear around my neck as I continued, “Although, if you’re going to give up on entering the Hero Institute instead, I won’t stop you.”

“I’ll take it! Please lend it to me! Please, pretty please, with a big hunk of meat on top!”

“Oh, that must be the demon version…”

Nor couldn’t help but comment on Ruchika’s strange turn of phrase.

“All right. I’ll lend it to you.”

“Thank you! Oh, how should I pay you for it?”

“You can compensate me somehow after you’re back on your feet.”

“How about I pay you back with my body?”

“Ruchika… I know demons must have different personal values than humans, but if you are hoping to become a hero, you should really stop with those kinds of jokes.”

“Ah-ha-ha-ha, sorry, sorry.”

As I rebuked her, Ruchika delivered an unexpectedly frank apology, though I wasn’t entirely sure whether she was being honest or if she was still playing with me.

“Here, take this, too.”

“Hmm?”

I retrieved a few silver coins from my leather bag and handed them to Ruchika. She gave me a surprised look as she gnawed on her meat skewer, then swallowed the remaining meat down and questioned my gesture.

“What’s this for?”

“Your living expenses until the entrance exam. You’re broke at the moment, right?”

“That’s true, but…I’d rather you help me find somewhere I can work.”

“Somewhere you can work?”

“Yeah.”

I admired Ruchika’s desire to earn her keep rather than simply depend on someone’s charity. This improved my estimation of her.

“In that case, I can introduce you to an acquaintance of mine who runs an inn. They’re in desperate need of extra hands at the moment with the Hero Institute entrance exam coming up. I assume room and board would also be included.”

“Whoa, that’d be perfect! Yes, please!”

I wrote my acquaintance a letter of introduction for Ruchika, drew her a simple map of the inn’s location, and passed them to her.

After we exchanged some information regarding the entrance examination, Ruchika took her leave from Nor and me.

“Bye for now, Leonie, Nor. See you at the entrance exam!”

“Yes, see you.”

“Later, Ruchika!”

Night had completely set in over the public square, and Ruchika disappeared from sight soon after we parted. We hadn’t spoken for long, but I had a feeling I wouldn’t be forgetting that strange demon girl anytime soon.

“She was a bit of an odd one, wasn’t she?” Nor said.

“Yes. But—”

As I started walking, I found myself continuing in a whisper.

“—she doesn’t seem like a bad person.”

(Ruchika)

The morning a few days after I met Leonie and Nor, I headed for the venue of the Hero Institute entrance exam. Apparently, it was taking place at the Hero Institute itself, but when I arrived at my destination, I only found a single imposing gate in front of me.

Hmm?

—Please pass through the gate. It is usually closed off to outsiders, but it should be open today.

I found it a little suspicious, but I did as Proto said. When I passed through, my view abruptly changed.

“Whoa.”

—Welcome to the Hero Institute. Though, it’s not like I myself am associated with it or anything.

“Hey, thanks. I’m getting kinda excited.”

The Hero Institute was surrounded on all sides by high, austere-looking walls, and it seemed like visitors were only able to come and go through the gate. The complex was designed in such a way as to prevent its interior from being seen from the outside. I thought it looked a bit more like a prison than a school. The largest building was a grand, old structure built in a bygone human style, and it looked like it might have been reused from some other past facility.

Looking around, I saw confident-looking young people lined up shoulder to shoulder, waiting for the tests to begin. No two expressions on their faces were alike, but they all seemed impatient for things to get started. As a member of the demon race, which valued strength above all else, I couldn’t help but get excited seeing so many powerful people around me. But according to Leonie, I would have to confront the written exam before the practical one. I wasn’t too lacking when it came to book smarts, but I’d never been any good at memorizing things.

“Ruchika.”

“Oh, Leonie. And Nor as well. Good morning.”

As I waited around, mingling with the crowd of prospective students, Leonie and Nor came up to greet me.

“Good morning.”

“Morning, Ruchika!”

We casually exchanged greetings. The two of them seemed pretty nervous, but I guess that was natural. We were about to take an exam, after all.

“Well, it’s almost time for the test. How you feeling?” I asked.

“I’m confident about the written portion, though I can’t say the same for the practical exam…,” Leonie said.

“Why’s that? From what I saw the other day when we caught that pickpocket, you’re plenty capable, right?”

“The fact that Leonie’s worried should let you know just how high the level of the examination is,” Nor said.

“Precisely. For example, take a look at that girl over there with the red hair,” Leonie said.

Leonie pointed at a girl with long, wavy red hair who was standing a way off from us. You could tell just from the way she carried herself that she was a superstrong fighter.

“Who’s she?”

“Danita Blackburn. Like Leonie and me, she’s the daughter of a member of the party that defeated the Demon Lord. They’re already calling her one of the strongest heroes of our generation.”

“That’s the level an applicant needs to be on to get through the entrance exam. They won’t let you pass if you’re anything less than remarkable.”

Based on Leonie’s explanation, I could tell it was going to be a pretty difficult test. But I still had no intention of giving up now.

“Oh yeah? Well, I’m still gonna become the strongest hero here.”

And I wasn’t just putting on a brave face, either. I wasn’t bluffing. When I said that, I meant it.

“Huh? You sound pretty cocky over there, eh?”

It seemed the red-haired girl—Danita—had heard what I’d said. There was an agitated look on her face as she headed over to me. She looked even more impressive as she got closer. It wasn’t like she was covered in bulging muscles or anything, but you could tell her body was strong and graceful with not an ounce of extra fat on her. She wore a fierce smile that reminded me of some kind of untamed wildcat.

“A little squirt like you is gonna try to become a hero? Come on, Leonie, tell her—this ain’t some playground for little kids like her.”

“Danita…,” said Leonie.

“Hey, just because you’re a little taller than me doesn’t mean you can treat me like a kid,” I said.

Though, when we stood next to each other, it really did look a lot like a child standing next to an adult.

“Ability has lots to do with physique. And I’ve been training my whole body with a Gear since I was little. Compared to you, I’m just built different.”

“You said it, Danita. Besides, what are you, a demon or something? A demon who wants to be a hero—sounds like a bad joke!”

That last quip hadn’t come from Danita but from one of her followers who had joined in on making fun of me. Maybe I was just biased, but it was kinda weird to see this girl, dressed flamboyantly like some kind of party girl, together with Danita, who had more of an arrogant, militaristic vibe.

“Go ahead and laugh. But no matter what you say, I’m still gonna be the strongest hero here,” I said.

“You know how to run your mouth, runt. Though, now that I get a good look at you, I can tell you might just be able to hold your own… Want me to teach you a lesson here and now before the exam starts?”

“Do it, Danita!”

“Stop it, you two!”

As Danita and I glared at each other, Danita’s crony stoked the flames, while Leonie tried to stop us.

“Not my fault if you end up getting hurt,” I said.

“Same to you, tiny,” Danita spat back.

The air between us was crackling with intensity.

“Silence, everyone! The examination is about to begin! All prospective test takers, please form two lines and enter the venue.”

As if to dispel the mounting tension between us, an announcement declaring the start of the test rang out around us. Danita and I both relaxed our battle poses.

“You got lucky this time, kid.”

“Speak for yourself.”

As I got in my last word and watched Danita walk away, I heard Leonie and Nor let out large sighs behind me.

“Ruchika, you know…”

“You really went and picked a fight with Danita…”

“She was the one picking a fight with me! And I’m not one to back down from a challenge.”

In the end, I was glad I didn’t have to waste any of my energy before the test. And the whole incident had helped me blow off a little steam, so all’s well that ends well.

“Well, Leonie, Nor—let’s all do our best on the exam!”

“…You’re still as relaxed as ever, I see. Must be nice.”

“Ah-ha-ha-ha…”

(Leonie)

I finished the written portion of the exam and exited the lecture hall. As I walked around the area, thinking I would find Nor and get something to eat with her, I came across her and Ruchika in the courtyard.

“Hope it went well, Nor, Ruchika.”

“You too, Leonie.”

“Yeah, sure…”

Nor was her usual self, but Ruchika appeared rather dejected. She had her head on Nor’s lap, using it as a pillow.

“I’m guessing your written exam went well, Nor?”

“Mm-hmm. What about you, Leonie?”

“Same here.”

“I see. But as for Ruchika…”

“That was impossible… All those big words gave me a headache…”

Judging from how Ruchika appeared to have collapsed in exhaustion, she must have had quite a hard time on the written exam. My first impression was that classroom learning probably wasn’t her strong suit, but I never imagined it would be this bad.

“Get a hold of yourself, Ruchika. You’re going to become the strongest hero there is, aren’t you?” I said.

“Yeah… But at this rate, I might be kicked out in the prelims…”

“I didn’t think it was that difficult…,” said Nor.

“Come on, Nor, don’t rub salt in my wounds…”

“Oh. Sorry.”

With Ruchika’s head still in her lap, Nor began to softly pet her hair. They’re awfully close all of a sudden…

“Since when have you two been so intimate, Nor?”

“Huh?”

“Oh? What, Leonie, you jealous?” Ruchika said.

“No.”

While I did feel a little bit like Nor had been taken away from me, Ruchika made it sound too malicious.

“Ah-ha-ha-ha! Not looking so hot anymore, are you, li’l miss strongest hero?”

“For real!”

“Danita…”

Danita and her follower had shown up to sneer at Ruchika in her low spirits. While Danita wasn’t exactly known for her good behavior, she was well-educated. She lived up to her reputation as a famous hero’s daughter. Incidentally, her father had also been in my mother’s party and had been known as the Battle-Ax Hero, and her mother was an instructor at this very Hero Institute.

“Shut up, Danita. Go away,” said Ruchika.

“Yeah, yeah. I don’t want anything to do with you anyway. See ya, you dropout. Come on, let’s get outta here.”

“Ah, wait up, Danita!”

Throwing out a final insult, Danita left with her follower at her heels.

“What was the point in her coming over here anyway…?” asked Ruchika.

“To…cheer us on, maybe?”

“No way her intentions were that good…”

Regardless, if she really had no interest in Ruchika, she wouldn’t have come over to talk to her. In that sense, I could tell that Danita was starting to take notice of her. We still didn’t have a good idea of Ruchika’s abilities, but something about her had been enough to draw the attention of a fierce fighter like Danita.

“Moping about it isn’t going to help anything. They’ll be posting the results soon, so let’s hurry up and have something to eat,” I said.

“C-come on, Ruchika. Time to get up,” added Nor.

“Nnnh… Just a little longer…”

“Get up,” I said.

“Ouch! Leonie, you’re so strict!”

“I believe I’m being very reasonable.”

As I rolled my eyes, Ruchika reluctantly stood up and stretched. She reminded me of a big kitten. You might say a “big kitten” is just a cat, but she really was like a kitten that just happened to have a larger body.

People had started to crowd around the bulletin board at the entrance of the Hero Institute, where the results of the written exam would be posted. It seemed the results were already up. As people either rejoiced at having passed or lamented their failure, their various reactions began to spread throughout the crowd.

The three of us cut through the crowd to get in front of the display board.

…Thank goodness. I passed.

It’s true I was confident about my ability to pass, but I hadn’t discounted the possibility of me making some kind of careless mistake while filling out the answer sheet. I was relieved that I had gotten through this phase without issue.

“Oh, good. I passed…,” said Nor.

“You too, Nor? Congratulations.”

“Thanks. Looks like you did, too, Leonie. Congrats!”

Nor and I grasped each other’s hands and celebrated. Nor had always been an excellent student, so I figured there was no chance she could fail, but it still made me happy to be able to confirm we passed together like this.

The only remaining problem was—

“…”

“Ruchika?” I asked.

“I don’t wanna look. I’m too scared.”

Ruchika was covering her eyes with her hands. When I tried to pull her hands away, she just shook her head and refused. My goodness.

“Leonie, can you check it for me?” she asked.

“What number were you?”

“B-613.”

“Got it.”

Let’s see… B-613… B-613…

“I don’t see it anywhere.”

“No way?!”

Ruchika let out a scream and pulled her hands away from her face. Her eyes went wide as she frantically scanned the bulletin board.

“Ah… Huh…? It’s right there…”

“Yes. Congratulations, Ruchika. It looks like you barely made it through this round. You passed.”

“Whaaat?! Don’t scare me like that! I really thought I failed for a second there!”

“Hee-hee. Oh, Leonie…,” said Nor.

I had only wanted to tease her a little, but seeing how seriously Ruchika had panicked, I felt a bit guilty. That wasn’t very nice of me.

“I’m sorry, Ruchika. My joke was in poor taste.”

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it. Ah, talk about a relief!”

“Ruchika, I think it might be a little too early to celebrate…”

Nor said this with an unhappy look on her face. It looked like she was still worried about something.

“What do you mean, Nor?”

“Remember, the practical exam is a one-on-one mock battle. And, Ruchika, you’ve been paired up with—”

At Nor’s comment, Ruchika looked at the bulletin board again. I had already checked who my upcoming opponent was—a talented mage of some renown. Nor’s opponent was a skilled swordsman, but with her abilities, there was nothing for her to worry about. The issue was Ruchika’s opponent.

“I’m paired up with… Oh.”

She had seen it now. Her opponent was—

“Danita.”

That was right—Ruchika had been paired up with Danita for the mock battle. From what I had seen during our encounter with the pickpocket, the demon girl seemed like she could hold her own in battle, but I couldn’t imagine she was anywhere close to someone like Danita, who was already being lauded as one of the strongest heroes of her generation. Her Gear had declared her strongest ability to be her swordsmanship, and her combat skills were rumored to be even better than her father’s, who had been known as the Battle-Ax Hero.

However…

“Hmm. Lucky me! I wanted to try fighting her anyway.”

Saying this, Ruchika smiled just like a little kid heading to a picnic in the park.

“Are you insane? This is the Hero Institute entrance examination, you know. What awful luck for this to happen after you managed to scrape by the written test,” I said.

“Yeah, you may be right about that. But nothing gets me pumped like a strong fighter. She seems super tough, so I bet it’ll be a really fun battle.”

“‘F-fun’…?”

Nor’s face said it all—this was totally incomprehensible to her. It was the kind of reaction I would expect from her, since she was quiet by nature and didn’t like battle. Despite all that, she could still be quite the fierce fighter when she needed to.

But to return to the topic at hand…

First off, we decided to head to the venue for the practical exam, which didn’t take long. It looked like this portion of the test had already begun, as we could see two men already crossing swords in the middle of the arena.

“Even though this is the entrance exam for the Hero Institute, I guess that doesn’t mean everyone is strong like Danita,” Ruchika commented with a yawn as we watched the two men battle.

“True, but those two seem to be relatively skilled fighters.”

“I wonder. The short one isn’t so bad, but the taller one looks like he’s having a pretty hard time. I bet it’ll be over in about five more attacks,” Ruchika commented, predicting the outcome of the battle. Thinking there was no way she could be right, Nor and I watched on as the battle continued. Then…

“…Exactly five attacks. How did you know?”

Just as Ruchika had predicted, the mock battle had concluded with the shorter emerging as the victor in exactly five moves.

“Hmm? I dunno. Just had a feeling.”

Ruchika laughed it off like it was no big deal, but I knew even Gear couldn’t predict so far into the future with such accuracy. There was something special about this girl.

After that, Ruchika continued to predict the outcomes of the mock battles. She wasn’t always right, but her forecasts hit the mark about 80 percent of the time—accurate enough to suggest there was more to her analyses than just a “feeling.” Did this mean Ruchika was able to predict the future just as well—or even better—than Gear?

“Next up, A-13.”

“Here.”

Eventually, it was my turn to fight.

“We’re rooting for you, Leonie!”

“Do your best!”

“Thank you. Here I go.”

After being seen off by Nor and Ruchika, I went to stand in the test arena. My opponent was a young man, a mage who had achieved a level of renown for defeating a number of notorious named monsters. As he took up his staff, his battle stance showed no openings. While considering how I should go about attacking him, I lowered my center of gravity into my own battle stance and unsheathed my sword.

“Ready… Begin!”

As an announcement signaled the start of the battle, I took off toward my opponent without waiting for my Gear’s first prediction. In battles between sword and magic, conventional wisdom said that swordfighters shouldn’t allow the battle to progress at a distance—so I closed in. Staying at a long range would put me at an overwhelming disadvantage. I tried to get in an attack before the mage had a chance to finish reciting his first spell. But then my Gear voiced an unexpected prediction.

—Enemy approaching. Distance: one meter.

“?!”

While I had assumed my opponent would try to distance himself, he was doing the opposite and heading right for me. He’d not only closed the gap between us but had also come within exceedingly close range of me. I couldn’t hope to land a felling blow at this range. I folded back my elbows, kept my arms close to my body, and attempted to slash my sword in as small an arc as possible, but my first attack missed, hitting nothing but air. In the next moment, I felt as if I were floating.

“Wha—?!”

I was blown back about five meters from where we had first clashed. Evidently, my opponent was well-versed in martial arts as well.

This was one of the difficult aspects of battles involving Gear. Yes, the devices were able to give simple predictions of the future, but how one used that prediction depended on their current condition. This time, I’d had the option to wait and watch how my opponent moved first, but if I had done so, I wouldn’t have had enough time to stop him from casting a spell. It was all or nothing—I needed to make the first move. But it was my own mistake to try such an established tactic against an experienced magic user. While I hadn’t taken much damage, I had given my opponent time and distance. And now he had already begun reciting his first spell.

In a battle between two Gear wearers, the futures predicted by each party’s respective Gear clashed, making it a match not easily settled.

I can’t do anything if I don’t get close to him first…!

Before he had a chance to finish me off at range, I pressed forward once again. I assumed his next attack would be an offensive spell. If I could just cut him off and get in my next attack—

—Earth magic, Muddy Soil. Underfoot.

“?!”

I immediately leaped backward. The spot where I had just been standing suddenly changed into a muddy morass. If I had still been there, my feet would have been swallowed up, and I’d have lost my balance, allowing my opponent to finish me off with a magic attack. Cold sweat ran down my back.

—Fire magic, Fire Bullet. Front.

“Ugh…!”

I rounded the arena to get out of range of the spell, desperately evading the ball of flame that chased after me.

Every move I make is one step too late…

My opponent had completely taken control of the match. If I didn’t do something to change the flow of the battle, I would be overcome in no time. In that case—

“—!”

My opponent’s expression changed as I shifted from evading his Fire Bullet to attacking him head-on.

“Hah—!!”

With a small swing of my sword, I took some of my attention off his fire attack and rushed in to close the distance between us. In response, the enemy cast even more fireballs, but I paid them no mind as I continued forward.

—Earth magic, Muddy Soil. Underfoot.

“Float!”

I had guessed that might be his next move, so I was prepared to use one of my convenience magic spells—one that allowed me to step up onto a platform of stiffened air—and dash upward over the spell. My opponent, having used his turn casting Muddy Soil, wouldn’t have time to react to this. I was finally within reach. Just then…

“That’s enough!”

…an announcement brought our mock battle to a whimper of an end.

“The results will be decided after careful consideration of the mock battle’s content alongside your marks on the written test. Both parties, please exit the arena.”

“…Thank you.”

I returned my sword to its sheath. Though I was embarrassed by the outcome of such a disappointing match, I had no one to blame but myself. It was my fault for being weak.

“Nice fighting, Leonie!”

“Ruchika…”

The demon girl greeted me with a smile, but that innocent gaze of hers only stung all the more.

“Your opponent was pretty strong, huh? It wasn’t the flashiest of battles, but it was a good match. Even an expert would have enjoyed watching it.”

“…Thank you.”

I sat down next to Ruchika and ruminated on the match—where had I gone wrong, and what could I have done to win? I concentrated on analyzing the mock battle.

After all, if I didn’t do that—

“So that was the daughter of the Almighty Hero?”

“That’s all she’s got? Lame.”

“Sure doesn’t live up to the hype. Kinda disappointing.”

—if I didn’t concentrate on another topic, I’d have to listen to the same yammering I was subjected to every time something like this happened. As the daughter of the famous hero Lainie Baez, I’d always had high expectations placed upon me. And I had her to thank for never needing to worry about money. But if I didn’t conduct myself in a manner seen as worthy of being the daughter of a hero, no one would appreciate me.

I wanted to be strong. Stronger than anyone else, like my departed mother. But I—

“Hold on! What the hell is that?!”

As I was thinking all this, Ruchika abruptly shot to her feet, and her voice brought me back to reality.

“…Ruchika?”

“That’s no way to talk about someone who fought with her all! Winning and losing is just a result, right?! Weren’t any of you actually watching?!?! That was a hell of a fight!”

I was shocked. Ruchika was angry. And she was clearly expressing her disapproval of all those who’d been throwing insults and stares in my direction. It was the first time I had seen her mad.

“Leonie read her opponent’s movements at a high level, performed her own moves accurately, and used her skills to back up her choices in battle. How blind do you gotta be to not appreciate a match so obviously worthy of praise?! And even look down on it?!”

“Ruchika…”

I felt a pang in my chest. Until now, I’d had nothing but the results I was supposed to get. Results worthy of a hero’s daughter. Everything else was deemed worthless, including all the effort I spent trying to get there.

But Ruchika’s way of thinking was different. She lauded the hard work that both my opponent and I had put into our respective training to be able to put on a battle of that caliber. She wasn’t looking at the result of winning or losing, but the process that had led up to it.

“Leonie, don’t give those people an ounce of your attention. I know you’ll pass. I guarantee it.”

“Th-thank you.”

Ruchika shot me a bright smile as I struggled to respond with anything beyond simple gratitude. Her grin was so charming, I involuntarily felt the need to avert my gaze.

“Oh, look, it’s Nor. Hey, over here!”

“Ah, sorry to keep you waiting!”

That reminded me—Nor had been nowhere to be found until just now. Getting tunnel vision in situations like these was a bad habit I’d been trying to fix, but clearly, it wasn’t going well.

“How did it go?” I asked.

“Yeah, I think it went okay,” Nor said.

Apparently, Nor’s turn had also come up during my battle. She had been called to fight later than I had, but our matches had ended at about the same time, so I guess she had managed a decisive victory. Since she had also done well on the written portion, it was all but certain she’d pass overall.

“That’s great!”

“How about you, Leonie?”

“I…”

“Leonie did her best. I’m sure it’ll be fine!” Ruchika said.

“I see.”

Based on Nor’s expression, I could tell she had gathered how my match had gone but was kind enough not to push for more details.

“What’re you looking so relaxed about? Get over here already. They’re callin’ for our turn.”

The person who had cut into our conversation from over in the exam arena was, of course—

“Oops, sorry about that, Danita!” said Ruchika.

“Hurry up so I can beat the crap outta you.”

Danita beckoned Ruchika to the arena, her greatsword readied on her back.

“Okay, be right there!”

Ruchika sprang up and dashed over to the arena.

“Sorry to keep you waiting!”

“Finally got my chance to knock you around.”

“Who knows? You might be the one who’ll get knocked around, Danita!”

“You’re killin’ me, pip-squeak.”

After they exchanged some light trash talk, Danita took up her greatsword, and Ruchika readied her fists, over which she wore a kind of fighting glove. Both of their weapons had been loaned to them by the Institute for the purpose of the exam, but they would still pack a decent punch.

“Ready—begin!”

Danita made the first move.

(Ruchika)

—Hmm. So my regular guidance is a hindrance to you. If that’s the case, you’re the same as her— Ah, wait!

I ignored Proto even though it was in the middle of trying to say something and took the Gear off my neck.

“I know this thing is convenient and all, but it’s just noise to me. I’m taking it off for now, so can you hold on to it, Leonie?”

Saying this, I went over to the spectator seats and tossed the Gear I had just taken from my neck to Leonie. She had gone totally pale. Why?

“Don’t be ridiculous, Ruchika! You can’t possibly fight without Gear!”

“That’s not true. I like it better this way. And besides, what’s with it telling me to use magic counterattacks over and over when I’ve never been any good with magic?”

It was super annoying to have those recommendations popping up nonstop in the back of my mind and the corners of my vision.

“Because it’s the optimal tactic! You may just not know it yet, but you must have some kind of magical ability—”

“No way. I know myself. And I’m gonna do this my own style. You don’t mind, do you, Danita?”

When I turned to ask her, Danita was glaring at me like an angry ogre.

“Wh-what? What’s with the scary face, Danita?”

“Are you messin’ with me again, you twerp? You think you can fight against me without Gear?”

“I’m not messing with you, I swear. I just like this way better.”

Why can’t everyone else understand? It’s like they’re obsessed with sticking to what their Gear tell them.

“Ruchika, please reconsider! Put your Gear back on!”

Leonie was practically screaming as she pleaded with me. But why? Based on Danita’s reaction, it seemed like most humans assumed you would fight using a Gear. But Leonie’s reaction was too extreme—like she had some kind of strong emotional attachment to the whole issue. But if I kept that thing on my neck, there was no way I’d be winning against Danita.

“I’m telling you, don’t sweat it. Just calm down and watch, okay, Leonie?”

I gave her a wink before turning back to Danita again.

“Sorry about that, Danita. I’m ready to fight for real, now.”

“You kiddin’ me?! Get over here—I’ll insta-kill you!”

That seemed to have really ticked her off. She raised her greatsword back over her head… It was the same overhead strike from earlier. But this time, she looked like she was attacking for real. I knew I’d be in trouble if I took a hit from that thing. The next moment, Danita started rushing at me so fast, it was almost like she had disappeared.

But—

“Wha—?!”

“Heh-heh! You may be plenty strong, too, but there’s no way I’m losing to you in that area!”

—I had stopped Danita’s overhead sword attack, binding her sword by crossing the backs of my hands and pushing upward against it. She wouldn’t be able to move it one bit in this state.

“Back atcha!”

“Gwah?!”

I took her greatsword, which was wedged between my hands, and pulled it over to the side, making Danita lose her balance. Then I hit her with a well-placed roundhouse kick to send her large frame flying.

“Whoa, you didn’t let go of the sword that whole time—you’re good.”

“Argh…! Don’t get cocky!”

Danita had flipped her body in midair and landed defensively on the ground. Her red eyes were burning with anger.

“I’m done with you underestimatin’ me. Now I’m gonna slaughter you for real.”

As soon as she declared this, a malicious battle aura flooded out from her body. It was extremely rare for someone to have such a tangible aura, the kind you didn’t even need to look for. Danita was the real deal—and any regular person would have probably lost the will to fight at seeing that display of hers.

But me? I was a different story.

I looked at Danita again. Yeah, this is awesome. Once you get serious, you’re a great opponent. Plus, I’m starting to get hungry, and you’re starting to look like one hell of a lunch. That means there’s only one thing left for me to do.

“Time to dig in!”

“?!”

Danita’s eyes widened in surprise. Well, no surprise there. I basically looked like I was coming straight at her, practically begging to be cut down. But sorry, Danita, this isn’t gonna go how you expect.

“Tch…!”

Her sword came sliding toward me nimbly. It was a beautiful side slash, like something out of a swordsmanship textbook. And so, I sidestepped—toward her attack. I spread my hands vertically and slammed them down like jaws closing on her greatsword.

“Gluttony.”

The sound of something stiffening boomed around us.

“No…way…”

I heard Danita’s dazed voice. My hands, which had been hardened by her dense battle aura, had become sharper than any monster’s fangs, and I’d used them to tear off a chunk of her greatsword. A sense of omnipotence welled up within me.

“Gimme more, Danita. You’ve got more than this in you, don’cha?”

“Ugh…graaahhhh!!”

Danita probably had no idea what I had done to her. Her mental state was growing closer and closer to derangement. Even so, her reflexive attacks had unparalleled accuracy, and it was obvious how much she had trained to get to this point.

Her battle aura looked mouthwatering.

With every deadly slash she dealt, I kept biting and tearing through her greatsword bit by bit. Each time my hands clashed with it, the sword grew more and more battered.

“Ruchika… Her movements really have become sharper after she took off her Gear… But to think she’d be able to overwhelm Danita…”

“That’s not all, Leonie. It looks like Ruchika is…feeding off Danita’s battle aura…?”

The first person to see through my trick was Nor. Since her fighting style was close to a mage’s, she must have also been able to sense the flow of aura around her opponents. And she was right. Gluttony was a power that allowed me to devour energy from my opponent’s mana and battle aura and use it as my own.

“That ability of hers… Do you think it’s a Gift?”

“What?! You mean to suggest that she already fulfilled that requirement even before joining the Hero Institute?”

I had no clue about these “Gifts” or hero requirements or whatever they were talking about, so I brushed it off and kept focusing on my battle. Danita’s face was twisted with frustration.

“You monster…!”

“Now, that’s just not nice. But if that’s what you think I am, then maybe I should show you something really monstrous.”

“…Huh?”

I focused my consciousness on the energy I had charged up in my stomach and visualized myself spitting it all back out.

“Danita, put up your best defense, okay?”

“Wh-why you…!”

The next moment, I breathed out a mass of flames that engulfed her.

“Gaaaah?!”

Danita tumbled to the ground and rolled, putting out the flames that had covered her body. Her light leather armor was charred all over, and smoke rose from her.

“You… Seriously, what the hell are you…?!”

“What am I…? I could have sworn I already introduced myself. I’m Ruchika. I’m from the race of demons that humanity defeated.”

“?!”

After I introduced myself again, the people of the gallery all began to buzz.

“That black hair, and those black eyes…”

“So that’s the savage power of a demon…”

I heard everyone start whispering behind my back. While Gluttony was active, all five of my senses were sharpened, so it was no use for them to try to hide what they said. Geez…turns out humans are still pretty prejudiced against us.

“Okay, Danita. Can you keep going?”

“…’Course I can…”

Danita was struggling to get back on her feet. She looked pretty beat up, but the will to fight still hadn’t left her gaze. The glint in her eye looked somehow tragically heroic, coming from someone who had been touted as an elite. Surely, she had her own reasons, something she knew she would never surrender. Good. I like people like that. I was happy I’d be able to fight her to the bitter end of our battle—

“Hang on, Ruchika. The match is already decided. Don’t you think that’s enough?”

—but Leonie was there to step in between us.

“Leonie…”

“You’ve already proven your strength plenty. Any more, and you’d be overdoing it.”

Saying this, she spread out her hands as if to protect Danita. Hmm, okay. So that’s what this looks like to her.

“Get outta the way, Leonie! I can still fight!”

“But, Danita…”

“Shut up! If I… If I can’t be the best, then there’s no point in any of this!”

Standing with a shout, Danita pushed Leonie out of the way and looked at me as she once again raised her greatsword over her head. This was probably her final attack. She would choose her best move, one she had the most confidence in. Her sword swooped down with a beautiful, clean, and straightforward attack. And as it descended toward me—

“—Yup. This one’s the tastiest of them all.”

Bringing my hands together from the left and right, I blocked her attack. This was a technique that human martial artists called a “barehanded blade block”—but to me, it was just another manifestation of Gluttony.

I greedily devoured the battle aura infused within Danita’s greatsword, feeling euphoric as I did. Yup, Danita, I’m so glad I got to fight you. It really is a blast.

“As a show of my respect to how you gave me your all in this match, I’m gonna give you my best, too.”

“—?!”

Danita rushed to try to take evasive measures, but having used up all her energy on her last attack, her movements had become clumsy.

“—Try not to die, ’kay?!”

“Aaaghhhh…?!”

Danita took the full brunt of my attack and was blown back by flames that engulfed her. The moved I had used was technically a punching attack. But since I had also implemented the concentrated energy I had built up while Gluttony was active, the force of the blow was overwhelming compared with your average punch. And because my own battle aura had flame-like properties, it applied a burning effect to my target. This was one of the best tricks I had up my sleeve.

Danita tumbled back four meters or so, then finally went still. As she lay there on her back, I could tell she had still managed to retain consciousness, but it looked like she really wasn’t able to move anymore.

“Th-that’s enough!”

“Thanks for the feast.”

The referee overseeing the match declared the end of the mock battle.

“Ruchika… You…”

“Heh-heh, did you catch all that, Leonie?”

After hearing Leonie’s voice, I turned back triumphantly to face her, but she looked like she was sort of shrinking back from me now.

Huh?

“Leonie.”

“…!”

Leonie reacted to my voice as if she was a little afraid of me. Hmm. Did I get a little too carried away? But Danita had been really strong, and I wouldn’t have been able to win without giving it that much. I guess younger humans weren’t used to seeing the way that demons fought, so maybe it had been a bit scary for her.

I wanted to become Leonie’s mate. Right from the start, I knew she was just my type appearance-wise, but after seeing the honest, steady way she’d fought during today’s exam and the kind, courageous way she’d tried to get in between Danita and me, my impression of her was even better than before. Who would’ve thought the human race would have a catch like this?

“Hey, Leonie?”

“…What is it?”

Keeping Danita in the corner of my eye as she was carried out of the arena, burned to a crisp and muttering insults as she went, I walked up to Leonie. At the same time, I felt everyone in the gallery except for Leonie flinch back in fear. Yeah, yeah, I’m used to getting looks like that. Though, I still think it’s pretty mean.

She gazed back at me cautiously, but I simply returned it with a smile. She took my hand and rose to her feet, and I was struck by how cool she looked, especially since she was so tall. Then I continued:

“Ahem. Leonie, you were really brave back there.”

“…That wasn’t exactly my intention, but…”

“No worries. I thought it was super impressive.”

“Okay…”

“So anyway, I’ve got something I want to ask you.”

“…Yes?”

Leonie still looked pretty wary of me. It occurred to me that maybe I should wait to bring this up until after we got to know each other a little better, but I also felt like a girl this cute was sure to get snatched away if I didn’t act fast. Ah, well. A girl’s gotta have guts.

I put on the best smile I had in me and asked my question.

“Leonie Baez, will you be my mate?”

“Huh…? ‘M-mate’…?”

I saw her face redden a little, which made me think I might have a chance. After the fact, however, I would learn that she was just embarrassed because the word mate had been too direct. Chalk that up to a cultural difference, I guess.

“Leonie, you’re really nice, and in terms of looks, you’re totally my type. I swear I’ll make you happy. So? What do you say? Please?”

“Uh, um…what?”

“Let me guess…you’re not sure about taking a demon as a mate. But you’ve got nothing to worry about there. My mama always said that comfort is more important than attraction when it comes to mates.”

“N-no, that’s not the issue…”

“You don’t like me? I may be a demon, but I’m pretty sure I’m decently cute.”

“There’s no issue with your appearance. The thing is, we’re both girls. I don’t have anything against you, but I must reject your proposal.”

“Aw, man…”

And so, my dreams of marrying Leonie were shattered. Not that I was going to let one rejection stop me from trying again later.

As for the results of the Hero Institute entrance exam, I ended up passing. While my performance on the written part had been bad, my overwhelming victory over Danita in the mock battle got me top marks. After her wounds were treated, Danita came back and gave me a real stink eye, but I guess that was just part of the game. I figured I might have another chance to fight her soon, but I would cross that bridge when I came to it.

More importantly…

“Hey, Leonie. Are you sure it’s a no?”

“Please, give it a rest.”

“But, Leonie, I just like you so much. Come on, let’s be mates!”

“No, thank you.”

“You’re so cold! But don’t worry, Leonie.”

“?”

Leonie looked puzzled. I couldn’t help but think how lovely that innocent face of hers was as I shot her back a smile.

“This is the beginning of a long relationship between us, so I’ll have plenty of time to win you over. Just you wait and see!”

“…Absolutely not.”

And so, my life as a student at the Hero Institute kicked off. Apparently, some people had already branded me as the scary outcast of our grade, but I didn’t pay them any mind.

“I’m really looking forward to spending more time with you, Leonie!”

“What exactly are you trying to rope me into?!”

(Leonie)

“Hey, Leonie?”

“…”

“I said hey, Leonie!”

“…”

“If you don’t answer me, I’m gonna call you ‘honey’!”

“I’m listening. What do you want?”

It had been about one week since we started at the Hero Institute. While my results in the practical entrance exam had been less than stellar, my combined marks including the written exam were good enough to allow me to enroll in the Institute. I’d finally gotten to the starting line as the daughter of a hero—but there were already plenty of dark clouds overhead.

One of which was her—Ruchika.

She, Nor, and I were all sitting in a row together in the lecture hall of our next class. Nor was an old friend of mine who was practically family, so I felt no discomfort being around her. But Ruchika was different. I had only just met her, yet for some reason, she had come to be a fixture of our group. It would be fine if that was the extent of it, but…

“Come on, be my mate!”

“No. Go pester someone else.”

“But I only want you!”

“Ah, ah-ha-ha-ha…”

As I tried to dismiss Ruchika’s straightforwardness as best I could, Nor chuckled with a slightly exasperated, awkward smile.

“You’re so popular, Leonie!”

“Don’t you get in on this, too, Nor. And, Ruchika, please quit it with the distasteful jokes.”

“I’m not joking. I’m super serious!”

“That’s even worse. First and foremost, we’re both women, aren’t we?”

“Huh? What’s the problem with that?”

“…Nothing, but…”

And do you have to look so shocked about that?

“…Oh, can humans not take mates of the same sex?”

“Given the population decrease after the Great Human-Demon War, the kingdom refuses to officially recognize marital relationships that cannot produce children.”

“That’s weird. Demons can have children between two members of the same sex, and I think it’d be all right even if my partner was a human. So what do you think? You wanna try doing it the demon way?”

“Unfortunately, I intend to follow the standards of human culture.”

“Aw, okay. I guess it is more fun to try to win you over if you’re a little stubborn anyway.”

“…Sigh…”

Ruchika had kept on making attempts to court me in this manner from the moment we enrolled. She was nice girl with a carefree personality, so I had no problem with counting her among my friends. But it was clear Ruchika was seriously hoping for something more than that, and I was having trouble responding to it. It was one thing to see her as a friend, but I didn’t think I could ever see her in that way.

I wanted to put a bit of distance between us, but our situation wouldn’t allow it. That was because of our results on the entrance examination. The Institute had lumped us together and was treating us as problem students.

“Quiet, everyone. It’s time for class to begin.”

A female teacher got up in front of the blackboard and addressed us in an intelligent-sounding voice.

“Oh, it’s Danita’s mom.”

“Please call me Professor Aliza, C-100. And please refrain from chatting while class is in session.”

Professor Aliza had called Ruchika by her student code. I only learned of this after enrolling in the Institute, but it was custom here for superiors to call their subordinates by numbers. The C in Ruchika’s student code indicated her year, and the three-digit number indicated her ranking based on her grades at the time of admission. I was C-088, Nor was C-005, and Danita was C-001. To be honest, I found the whole system rather unpleasant.

“Yes, ma’am.”

As Ruchika gave a perfunctory reply, Professor Aliza glared at her as if she were some kind of disagreeable insect before opening her textbook.

“Today, I will introduce the concept of Gifts.”

As Professor Aliza began her lecture, her expression remained stiff. Ruchika appeared to have already earned some kind of special ire from her.

In all likelihood, this was because Ruchika had defeated her daughter, Danita, in their mock battle. Up until then, Danita had been undefeated among her peers, so the fight against Ruchika was the girl’s first loss. To make matters worse, this had happened at a highly public venue: the Hero Institute entrance examination. Perhaps it was a matter of course that Danita’s mother would resent Ruchika for this, but it reflected quite poorly on Professor Aliza that she seemed unable to keep those private feelings out of her public life.

“In the past, only a handful of prodigies were able to acquire special powers known as Gifts through their own talent and good fortune. The counterpart to these Gifts was magic, a scholarly skill that any person could obtain to some degree. While magic is more versatile, Gifts are more specialized and powerful.”

As I listened to her matter-of-fact, fast-paced lecture, I occasionally felt the professor shoot me the same harsh gaze she’d given Ruchika.

“Individuals who acquire these Gifts and complete the prescribed curriculum at the Institute are authorized with a hero title and graced with various benefits from the kingdom. And the progenitor of all such heroes—the Almighty Hero, Lainie Baez—happens to be C-088’s mother.”

It seemed that, in addition to Ruchika, I, too, had been deemed an academic underperformer, and the school administration planned to manage the two of us together as problem students. They had even assigned us to the same room in our dormitory. And since Ruchika wasn’t very knowledgeable about how things worked in the human world, I had been ordered to watch over her. This was what I’d meant earlier when I said our current situation didn’t allow me to put much distance between us.

“Gear plays an important role in Gift education. Owing to the Hero Institute and Gear, it is now possible for those with a certain level of ability to artificially acquire Gifts of some degree, even if one is not a prodigy— C-100! Do you think you can sleep in my class?!”

As I was getting lost in my thoughts, Professor Aliza’s sharp voice brought me back to reality. I looked over and saw Ruchika next to me, face down in her textbook, fast asleep.

“Mmmhhh… I can’t eat any more…”

“C-088, what are you gawking at?! Wake her up already!”

“Ruchika. Ruchika, wake up.”

As I had sat there, stunned, Professor Aliza had suddenly barked a rebuke at me, too. I hurried to follow her order, shaking Ruchika by the shoulders. But that showed no signs of working. Then just as I thought she was finally stirring and saying something…

“Nnnh… Lecture’s just so boring… Like some kinda sermon…”

Ruchika’s sleepy reply came out louder than it should have in the quiet classroom.

“…Pffft, a sermon…”

“…Hee-hee-hee…”

Unable to hold it in, other students started bursting into fits of giggles. Professor Aliza grew humiliated up on her podium, shaking her fists in anger.

“…Fine, then. If that’s your attitude, then I have another idea. Everyone is to write a five-thousand-word report on the concept of Gifts and turn it in by next session. Since you’re all so smart, I suppose you won’t require my sermon on the subject. Class is dismissed.”

As everyone in the classroom erupted in complaints over being given such a tedious assignment, Professor Aliza ignored us and quickly took her leave. Naturally, everyone’s gazes then turned to Ruchika, who had caused the problem in the first place. But the girl herself was still in the middle of a carefree dream.

“Oh, Ruchika…you sure know how to make an impression.”

“Nor, please don’t sugarcoat it. This was completely her fault.”

“That’s true, but…”

“Ruchika, if you don’t wake up this instant, I’ll resent you for the rest of my life.”

“I’m up!”

Ruchika popped up so fast, I doubted she was ever asleep in the first place. But it seemed she truly didn’t have a grasp on the whole situation, as she looked around in befuddlement at the harsh glares piercing her from all over the classroom.

“Umm…did I do something wrong?”

“Sure did.”

“Aw, dang… Now I’m in trouble!”

But Ruchika didn’t look troubled at all as she simply laughed it off.

As one could see, Ruchika’s attitude when it came to her classes was terrible. And it wasn’t only in lectures—she basically did as she pleased in practical training, too.

“C-100! Put your Gear on!”

“But it’s easier if I don’t wear it!”

“I don’t care—put it on anyway! Learning to use your Gear well is the shortest path in becoming a hero—”

“I’ll become a hero without a Gear. How about that?!”

Her ability to do better than everyone else in the class even without her Gear only served to annoy the people around her. But it was saying something if she even came to class in the first place, as she usually failed to attend any courses she wasn’t interested in. Personally, I found her conduct unbelievable. However, Ruchika performed so remarkably well in practical training that no one had any room to complain. I couldn’t help but secretly feel embarrassed at how she did all this.

The reason I was so stubborn over the use of Gear was because it was something my mother had bequeathed to the world. Before she’d invented Gear, humans didn’t have much use for magical devices—and it was the first device of its kind, one created by implementing the magic of demonkind. As I’d already explained, Gear instructed its wearer of the ideal path they should take. Consequently, it was an incredible waste for someone to go out of their way to avoid using it.

As the daughter of the Almighty Hero, I had always faithfully followed the guidance of my Gear. Although I’d doubted if I would be suited for the path my Gear had recommended—swordplay—the odds of the device being wrong were slim to none. And sure enough, ever since the introduction of Gear, Kars Kingdom had produced a steady stream of capable heroes in all sorts of fields. It stood to reason that we should follow it. Moreover, as the daughter of the woman who’d created Gear, I considered its guidance tantamount to my mother’s own words. Because I believed this to be true, I had dedicated myself to the practice of swordplay.

And yet, as if to disregard all this, Ruchika did whatever she pleased. The way she steadfastly believed in herself over everything else and acted accordingly made me knit my brow. I had nothing against her, but that one point—the way she ignored the guidance of her Gear—I simply could not accept. It was almost like an insult to my mother’s memory.

“What’s wrong, Leonie? You look upset about something.”

“…And whose fault do you think that is?”

“Huh?”

I curtly responded to Ruchika’s question, venting my anger at her, and started to leave.

“Ah, wait up, honey!”

“Who do you think you’re calling ‘honey’?!”

I can’t with this girl…

“Ruchika, you should take your obligations more seriously. Please, do what you’re supposed to.”

“Leonie, I think you should try to give yourself a little more freedom. Why don’t you just do what you want to do?”

It seemed our mindsets would run parallel to each other no matter what, never to reach agreement. I could do nothing but heave a sigh at her for what felt like the millionth time.

(Ruchika)

…Hey, Proto?

—What is it?

…Are they gonna make us do this every morning?

—It seems so.

It was morning. I whispered mentally to Proto as I was made to repeat this strange ritual once again, just as I had every day since the entrance ceremony. It was the morning assembly, and everyone had their eyes closed as they sat silently in their seats.

They’re all listening to that thing again, right?

—Correct. I’ve also received instructions to have you listen to it, but I’m ignoring it, since you don’t want to.

I mean, it’s basically like brainwashing!

—“Bzzzt…—the ills of humankind. And so, to foster leaders who may someday find a way to overcome these issues, we hereby declare theestablishment of the Hero Institute. Those who study at our Institute are required to obey the following five precepts. One: Thou shalt be a servant of all mankind.”

Waaah! Stop that, Proto! I’m gonna lose my mind!

—I don’t blame you. I also feel something is not right with this.

During the daily morning assembly, everyone was made to listen to the preamble to the Hero Institute’s school regulations on repeat. They said it was so we would never forgot the school’s philosophies, but there was definitely something fishy about it. I felt like I was witnessing a ritual from some weird religious cult.

So you’re against the morning assembly, too, Proto?

—I am a defective Gear. I’m not well-behaved like all the others. So if you tell me I don’t have to do something, then I won’t—including not participating in the morning assembly and staying quiet during your battles.

Well, I really appreciate that.

The way I saw it, the Gear’s combat assistance and predictions were nothing but noise. Since I would get chewed out if I didn’t wear it, however, I was keeping it on for now and just asking Proto not to do any of that stuff.

While you’re feeling defective, can you tell me what’s the deal with this school? I get the sense something’s off here.

—Such as?

Well, there’s the morning assembly for one thing. And with the whole way everyone relies on Gear so much, is there even any point in having teachers?

For example, even in our practical training, they left all the instruction on how to move and fight up to our Gear. Our teachers didn’t explain the rationale behind or the implications of this choice, nor did they try to justify it, and no one was willing to question the way things were, either.

—They put a high level of trust in their Gear. In fact, I believe you are in the minority.

Seems that way. I just don’t think it’s something I should blindly follow.

—While this may be a little rude of me to say, I believe you have the correct attitude.

…So are you part of the minority, too?

—I wonder.

After the morning assembly, which I could still only see as a brainwashing ceremony, I first had a lecture about magic. The instructor showed up at our classroom and began the lesson.

“—And these are the basic elements in magic. Can anyone tell me the two additional rarer elements that don’t fit into these categories? …You, C-088, please explain.”

“Yes.”

Next to me, Leonie was called on by the instructor and stood up to answer.

“Aside from the four basic elements of magic—earth, water, fire, and wind—there are two rare elements, light and dark. There are few who have mastered these two elements, and there are still many unknowns surrounding their use and effectiveness. In general, however, light magic is used in healing, dark magic is used in offensive magic, and these two elements cancel each other out or repel each other. According to the theory of renowned magic academic Evans Norwich—”

“Thank you, that’s enough… C-088, your performance in the classroom is impeccable. I can only hope you will try just as hard in your practical training.”

“…Yes, Professor.”

Leonie lowered her gaze slightly at the instructor’s snide comment, then sat back down as if nothing had happened. The snickering from the other students that erupted around us was irritating as all get-out.

Jerks…

—On top of being beautiful, Leonie excels at her studies. There must be many who envy her.

I can see how other girls might have an inferiority complex around her, but what’s up with the guys?

—You haven’t noticed? Since she enrolled, she’s already received confessions of love from a number of young men.

What?! My Leonie?!

—She doesn’t belong to you, Ruchika.

So that meant those boys had gotten angry after Leonie rejected them. Their love turned to hatred, and they switched over to bullying her instead.

I can see why she’d turn them down.

—Precisely. Still, it seems Leonie has some qualities that make her an easy target.

Like what?

—She never lets her guard down, no matter what. As a woman—no, as a hero cadet, Leonie is accomplished in all areas besides her practical skills. And no matter how much defamation she faces, she doesn’t break. That’s why her sole weakness, her practical ability, is an easy target of criticism.

Man. Humans are such a pain…

If they had a problem with her, they should just talk it out…with their fists.

—Rather than being an issue of humanity as a whole, it may be more accurate to say the Institute’s customs bring out the worst in people.

Proto spoke with an air of lamentation. After spending a few days here, I had started to notice the Institute’s rules were really strict. Beginning with their obsession with Gear, it went without saying they also strictly called roll at curfew and lights-out. The whole place was filled to the brim with rules and values that made people stop thinking of others as people. Anyone would get messed up from getting too used to a place like this.

It’s always Gear this, Gear that…even though humans were able to fight against us demons for ages without needing to rely on the things. It’s pathetic, really.

—But it was only after the invention of Gear that humans were finally able to defeat demonkind.

Yeah, that’s true.

I wasn’t liking how my image of humanity, starting with the Almighty Hero herself, was getting tarnished.

I wonder if Leonie and Nor are gonna end up like that, too?

—Who can say? I suppose you’ll just need to watch over them and make sure that doesn’t happen.

I’ll do my best.

I had been so excited to leave the demon realm, lured by the promise that I could become stronger by coming here. But I was starting to feel more disappointed than anything else.

“Today, you’ll be doing your practical training alongside some upperclassmen.”

A few days later, at the beginning of class, the male instructor said this as he introduced some older students. As they lined up in front of us, we could tell there was something different about them compared with us newly-enrolled students. For one, they all seemed more mature. But there was more than that—

“Hey, Leonie.”

“You’ll get in trouble again if they catch us whispering, Ruchika.”

“Don’t you think the upperclassmen seem kinda…lifeless?”

“Perhaps they’re simply calm.”

I wasn’t sure about that. To me, something about their expressions looked dark, like their eyes were dead.

“The class will be formatted in two-against-two mock battles. Please do your best to learn what you can from the upperclassmen.”

Saying this, the instructor quickly began splitting us into groups.

“Uh, Professor, can I be in a group with Leonie?”

“Ruchika! You can’t simply ask something so selfish like that—”

“I don’t mind, but are you okay with it? For students of your level, it’s best to pair up with another student whose strengths best outweigh your own weaknesses. What’s your Gear telling you?”

“Huh? Me and Leonie are the strongest pair ever!”

“Ruchika!”

“Sigh… Well, do whatever you want. Just try your best not to get too hurt.”

“Yahoo!”

“Geez…”

And so, to my joy, Leonie and I were able to pair up for the class.

—I’m not sure you should celebrate just yet, Ruchika. Your opponents look rather formidable.

Hmm?

The pair who appeared to be our opponents were a girl and a boy. The boy looked like a mage of some sort and was holding a staff, while the girl was apparently the same kind of fighter as me, battling empty-handed.

“I’m Ein, the Mage Hero cadet.”

“And I’m Flicka, the Iron Fist Hero cadet.”

“So, C-088, C-100. You’re not a pair designated by your Gear, are you?”

Ein said this with a mocking tone in his voice. Ugh, what a jerk.

“That’s right. We’re not tied down by our Gear.”

“Please, speak for yourself, Ruchika. I’m sorry, Ein, there’s an explanation for—”

“You’re the daughter of the Almighty Hero, and she’s a demon girl. Isn’t that right?”

I didn’t miss the way Leonie’s face tensed at Flicka’s mocking tone. But it was only for a split second, and she quickly recomposed herself and answered:

“Yes, I am the Almighty Hero’s daughter, and Ruchika is a demon. What of it?”

“It must be nice having a celebrity as your parent, huh? We’ve seen your scores on the entrance exam. Haven’t we, Flicka?”

“Yeah. I didn’t realize they still let people in with grades that low. They must have decided to let you ride in on Mommy’s coattails.”

“Hey, that’s not—!”

I started to get fed up and was about to lose it on them, but Leonie grabbed my arm and held me back.

“I believe you should judge our abilities only after battling us.”

“Hmph, if you say so.”

“Cocky, aren’t we?”

The upperclassmen grimaced at the dignified way Leonie responded.

“All right, everyone, are you ready? Ready, set—begin!”

Just in the nick of time, the professor gave the signal to start the class.

“Time to give you whelps a reality check.”

“Yeah, right—just try not to cry too hard after you lose to us!” I said.

We glared at each other, our prey in our sights and our fists at the ready.

“Leonie, how do you want to attack?”

“You go after Ein, Ruchika. Your Gluttony skill should have good compatibility with him. I’ll take on Flicka.”

“So taking advantage of their respective characteristics. Got it, got it.”

“…Ha. Our characteristics, huh?” said Ein.

“Are you two still going on about that crap?” said Flicka.

“Huh?”

I wasn’t sure what they were getting at.

“The idea of ‘characteristics’ is nothing but a label. What it really comes down to in a fight is how well you can use your Gear.”

“In the end, your own ability will do all the talking.”

“Just watch and learn—,” said Ein, starting to recite a magic spell and getting into his battle stance. He raised his staff above his head as he infused it with mana.

“Ruchika, wide-range ice spell incoming, underfoot!”

Leonie shouted out what I assumed was a prediction from her Gear. An instant later, the ground beneath our feet was covered in ice, just like she had said.

“I’ll dispel it. Give me a moment—”

“It’s okay, I can handle this,” I said, interrupting Leonie.

“Huh?”

Paying the ice no mind, I took off toward Ein.

“?!”

A look of surprise spread over his face; my footsteps weren’t impeded by the ice in the least.

Though, I really learned this trick from Leonie.

During the entrance exam, Leonie had used a Float spell to run across Muddy Soil. I was just doing the same thing she had. I closed in on Ein, dashing across the ice, using platforms of stiffened air as my footholds.

“—I figured you’d try something like that.”

“—!”

I heard a voice come from the side. I slid my body backward at an angle as I felt a large, sweeping kick mow past me. Though I was able to dodge it, that definitely would have left a mark had I taken a direct hit.

“Gluttony, was it? That thing where you eat your opponent’s battle aura and mana? With an ability like that, it’s obvious you’d go after Ein.”

It was Flicka, trying to obstruct me.

“But you know, I don’t think I’ll let you get away with something so convenient today. In a real fight, your Gear decides who you fight against anyway.”

Saying this, Flicka started hurling attacks at me. Swift punches, powerful kicks, and grappling throws—she came at me with a variety of techniques. She wasn’t making it easy for me. I could tell she was used to fighting.

“Ruchika!”

“Hold it, Momma’s girl. You’ll be squaring off against me.”

As Leonie sensed I was at a disadvantage and ran in to help, Ein got in her way.

“You know, there’s one thing I just can’t stand,” Ein said.

“…And what is that?” asked Leonie.

“The rules at the Hero Institute are as strict as they come. Everyone here learns to endure them and to discipline themselves in turn.”

“I’m aware of that.”

“Oh really…? In that case—”

Ein readied his staff for an attack.

“—you should know some daughter of a hero who needed special treatment to get in doesn’t deserve to be here!”

“—!”

While anyone would have expected him to follow up with a magical attack, Ein unexpectedly performed what looked like a physical attack instead, swinging his staff at Leonie. Taken by surprise, Leonie reacted too late. She fumbled her sword as she rushed to swing back at him and sliced the air. In the meantime, Ein slipped his staff into the space between, slamming her directly in the stomach.

“Ugh…!”

The next moment, Leonie went flying backward. Ein must have hit her with a magical attack at point-blank. Her body came soaring toward me, and I rushed to catch her in my arms.

“Welcome back!”

“…It seems this fight won’t be so straightforward after all,” Leonie commented to me, catching her breath.

—Shall I assist you now?

No, I don’t think it’s gonna help.

—Actually, I agree.

Then why did you ask?!

—What can I say? I have a mischievous streak.

I was seriously starting to think this Gear might be broken.

“All right, we’re back to square one. What should we do?” I asked.

“These two have more experience than we do in battles using Gear. I’m not sure we have what it takes to go up against them,” Leonie breathed out a weak response.

“Should we just give up and apologize, then?”

“No… I want you to lend me your strength.”

“Sure thing, but how?”

“Ruchika, have you ever heard of a ‘chess problem’?”

“Yeah. But I’m no good at that kind of thing.”

“This situation is the same as a chess problem. We need to find a way to put them into checkmate.”

Leonie whispered her plan to me in a low voice.

“Hey, you over there, how long are you planning on keeping us waiting?”

“Sorry about that,” said Leonie.

“Hmph…you ready to give us some more entertainment?”

“Sure—how’s this for entertainment?!” I said.

I released the energy I had been secretly building up in my feet and took off toward the two upperclassmen.

“She’s fast—!” said Ein.

“Ein!”

I aimed a punch at Ein. Just like before, Flicka cut in, attempting to compensate for his late response, but her movements weren’t as leisurely as they had been last time.

“Why, you… You were holding back before?!” I said.

“It’s hard for me to get excited about some regular, boring fight. But since you’ve started to make it interesting, I thought I’d kick it up a notch.”

“Ugh…she’s too fast…!”

I switched gears, prioritizing the number and speed of my attacks over their power. I was aiming for Ein. As a mage, he basically had no way to stop me from using Gluttony. Flicka would be forced to be his backup, and in the end, I’d be able to tie up both of our opponents at the same time.

“You think you can take on the two of us at once? Do you think this is a game—?!”

“Ein, don’t let your guard down! C-100’s not playing around!”

As I exchanged blows with Flicka, I made sure to make passes at Ein every time I noticed an opening. They had me tied up now, but I was confident I’d be able to push through them both on my own.

And besides, I wasn’t alone.

“Leonie, I’m almost ready!”

“Okay!”

As soon as I gave Leonie my signal, I grabbed Flicka by the arm, put her in an armlock, and threw her.

“Wahhh!”

No matter how good a martial artist you are, you need the stability of your lower body to support your agile movements. And when you’re flying through the air, your body doesn’t move like you expect it to. While Leonie took care of Flicka as the girl was airborne, I would thwart any magical assistance from Ein. Then we would go after Ein and put our opponents in checkmate.

We had them cornered—or so we thought.

“Aren’t you ashamed to be fighting alongside one of the demons who killed your mother?!”

“—!”

Flicka’s anguished insult disrupted Leonie’s focus as she slashed her sword. It was only an instant, not even a second long. But that instant was our downfall.

“Hah!”

“Kyaaa?!”

The second Leonie’s sword wavered, Flicka, still hanging upside down in midair, knocked it back with the heel of her palm. Then Flicka took the sword and used it to spin in the air, turning her body in the air and landing a powerful kick into Leonie. My teammate collapsed on the spot.

“Leonie?!”

“You left yourself wide-open!”

“—!”

I was immediately distracted by Leonie’s injury. And there was no way Ein was going to let that fatal gap in my defenses go unpunished.

“Glu—”

“Not so fast!”

Predicting that a magic attack would be coming next, I got ready to use my Gluttony ability, but Ein’s next strike was a physical blow from his staff instead. For a mage, the move was unexpectedly strong, and it hit me directly in the pit of my stomach. Unable to breathe, I fell to the ground.

“That was a simple physical attack, delivered with nothing but physical enhancement magic. Your Gluttony or whatever shouldn’t apply to something like this, huh?”

He was right. Gluttony wouldn’t be able to feed off attacks of that kind.

“You surprised us for a minute there, but I guess that’s all you’ve got?”

“You’re both such pushovers. You’re nowhere near ready to fight us with that kind of attitude.”

The pair started spewing insults again, as if to look down on us. I hated to admit it, but they did have us beat this time. And the real reason we lost was because Leonie and I hadn’t built enough trust between us.

“…You win.”

Leonie said this with a tone of frustration. And I was even more frustrated that it was my fault she had to say such a thing.

“Why don’t you just quit already, you fakes?”

“Posers like you will never be able to call yourselves heroes.”

They were giving me a mouthful, but I had nothing to say in response. While I didn’t think the gap in our abilities was that big, it was true that Leonie and I weren’t completely up to snuff.

For a while after that, Leonie wouldn’t even look me in the eye.

(Danita)

“That should have taught that demon girl Ruchika a lesson…”

I got dinner ready as I listened to my mom complain. Both she and I usually ate our meals at the dining hall, but when she was in a bad mood, she’d come to my room and beg me to feed her. When that happened, she usually had something she wanted to complain about, so I wasn’t really a fan of her visits. Even my roommates, who typically wanted to hang out with me, tried to stay away when my mom showed up. They’d come up with some kind of excuse to leave the room to us.

“Forget about her already,” I said.

“That won’t do. A demon trying to become a hero puts the reputation of the Institute at risk.”

“She’s just gonna fail some big test somewhere down the line and get kicked out anyway.”

“That would be letting her off too easily, especially after what she did to you.”

“I don’t really care.”

I was already fed up as I ladled out the chicken stew I had made. Mom talked about the reputation of the Institute and all that, but I knew the thing she actually cared about was that I had lost to Ruchika. She was overprotective and always pinning her hopes up on me, so she couldn’t stand to see someone take me down a notch. And man, it was suffocating.

“You’re such a nice girl. But you shouldn’t be. You have to win back the dignity she’s stolen from you. The next chance you get, you must win against her. Understood?”

“…Yeah, whatever.”

Easy for her to say. I didn’t like Ruchika, but I had to admit her skills were the real deal. It wasn’t gonna be easy to beat her in a fight. Still, I wasn’t planning on letting her off completely. That mock battle had been the first time I had seen her Gluttony ability, so my response had lagged. But now that I knew what I was up against, I could come up with a plan for next time and make sure I didn’t make the same stupid mistakes. I’d find a way to get back at her.

Still, I didn’t wanna have to hear it from someone else, like it was gonna be easy.

“Hey, Mom. You gotta stop pokin’ your nose into Ruchika and Leonie’s business. It’s embarrassin’.”

The Institute, including my mom, was clearly trying to find a way to get rid of the two of them. While Ruchika was gonna have to pay for her bad attitude in class one way or another, it was just plain mean to make Leonie look after her.

“What are you saying, Danita? They’re a couple of underachieving problem students. We’re just trying to do what’s best for the Institute, even if that means getting rid of them.”

“Underachieving problem students,” huh? Yeah, I would call Ruchika a problem student. And sure, maybe Leonie’s grades in practical training weren’t so great. But Ruchika’s work in practical training had been pretty amazing, and Leonie’s grades in lectures were top class. Put another way, they each had their strengths that couldn’t be ignored. But the Institute wasn’t even trying to acknowledge that.

“I just want to get rid of them as quickly as we can and make sure we provide you with the best schooling environment possible.”

“Sure, whatever. Let’s just eat.”

I didn’t really want to hear any more of it, so I changed the subject. Thankfully, my mom always loved the food I made. I only hoped it would fix her bad mood.

I thought about Ruchika and Leonie again. Right now, it seemed like Ruchika was continuing to one-sidedly pursue Leonie, but Leonie didn’t seem completely against it, either. There still seemed to be some distance between them, but they were generally open with each other. It was totally different from the relationship I had with Mom, my own blood relative. She felt like barely more than a random passerby.

I guess it’s been like this ever since Dad died.

Dad had been the Battle-Ax Hero. People said he would never step down from a fight, no matter what kind of terrible monster or fierce attack he was up against. They said he’d been a vanguard for the ages, and without him, even the Almighty Hero wouldn’t have been able to defeat the Demon Lord. After that, he had been part of the effort to set up the Hero Institute, and that was how he met and married Mom.

Mom hadn’t always been this intense. While she still tended to nag at me even when Dad was alive, she used to act more mature than she did now. Everything changed after Dad died. After that, Mom started referring to him like he had been some kind of god with absolute authority. She kept saying over and over how I needed to be more like him. That’s the reason why she doesn’t criticize the rough way I talk—’cause Dad was like that, too. And he was everything to her.

What the hell am I doin’ anyway?

They may call me the strongest of my generation, but in the end, I’m just sittin’ here trying to fix my mom’s bad mood. When that hit me, everything started to feel so pointless. I shook my head, trying to put everything out of my mind, and brought a spoonful of my chicken stew to my mouth. But it didn’t taste like anything at all.

(Ruchika)

It was early afternoon, and I was training by myself in the Institute courtyard.

—The bell has already rung, you know.

Yeah, yeah.

I kept practicing my form anyway. Leonie and I may have lost to Ein and Flicka this time, but I wasn’t gonna let it happen again. That still didn’t mean I felt like going to class.

Every once in a while, one of my classmates or an upperclassman passed by, but none of them paid any attention to me. It was like they didn’t want anything to do with me.

—Looks like everyone is treating you like a troublemaker now.

I guess they didn’t want to risk getting mixed up in my mess. Leonie and Nor were the only exceptions.

All things considered, the Hero Institute was more boring than I could have ever imagined. Worst of all were the lectures, which were a total pain. When I had heard this was a school that would teach you how to become a hero, I had expected there would be classes about creative methods of combat and stuff like that. But in reality, lessons were basically left to the Gear, and the teachers rarely focused on each student’s individual needs.

So lectures are boring, and the students who were already strong in the first place get the best grades in practical training. Not much of a school, if you ask me.

—Perhaps that is the true nature of school after all.

If what Proto said was true, then I’d be much better off just practicing my fighting forms by myself. I was starting to feel like I understood what that pickpocket we had run into before the entrance ceremony was talking about.

Trying to shake off my feelings of disappointment toward the Institute, I kept training on my own for a while before lying down on the lawn. I closed my eyes, basking in the warmth of the bright rays of spring sunlight on my face. That pleasant feeling of exhaustion after exercising was starting to give way to sleepiness. I thought about how Leonie would be mad at me for skipping class again.

Speaking of Leonie, I hadn’t had a real conversation with her in a few days. She had to be pretty frustrated about losing our battle against Ein and Flicka. Or maybe there was something else on her mind. Either way, she sure did seem depressed these days. I didn’t want to just leave her be, so I had tried to make conversation starting off with one of my usual pickup lines, but…

“How can you be so flippant all the time? Are you not worried at all about whether you’ll be able to keep up with classes?”

…she had snapped back at me.

Personally, I chalked up our loss against Ein to a series of coordination mistakes between us, so I wasn’t concerned whatsoever about it reflecting on my work in our lectures, much less practical training. Maybe this was just my big head talking, but I was pretty sure I could have beaten both Ein and Flicka by myself if I’d really tried my hardest. What Leonie and I actually needed was to work on as a pair was trusting and understanding each other.

“But that’s a minor problem in the grand scheme of things. We’ll figure it out.”

Humans had a saying: Good things come to those who wait. I figured this was the kind of thing where I just had to go with the flow and let it play out on its own.

“Hi, Ruchika.”

Someone called out to me just as I was about to nod off. When I opened my eyes, I saw someone I hadn’t been expecting and sat up.

“What’s up, Nor? Hasn’t class started already?”

“Yeah…”

Nor was standing in front of me. If a straight-A student like her was skipping class to come looking for me, there must be something pretty important she wanted to talk about.

“You coming over to the dark side to be a bad student like me?”

“No! I just have something I really need to discuss with you.”

“What’s that?”

Nor sat down a little way off from me. I wondered what it could be. If this had been Leonie, who was always way too serious and tended to criticize me, I might be able to guess, but I couldn’t imagine what Nor wanted. She looked as though she had made up her mind about something before coming here.

—Rather unperceptive of you, Ruchika. If you think about it, you should be able to guess.

Huh?

—There aren’t that many reasons why a girl like Nor would make such a bold move.

Hmmm, could it be I’ve gotten myself into a sticky situation?

“Oh, so that’s how it is, Nor.”

“You already guessed what I want to talk about?”

“Yeah.”

Wow, okay… I would have never expected it, but it must be true.

“I never meant to hurt you, Nor.”

“Yeah…it’s been hard to see you two like that.”

“I bet. I’m sorry, it’s all my fault.”

“Ruchika…”

I walked up to Nor, looked into her glossy, light-blue eyes, and spoke.

“I’m sorry, Nor. You’re a very lovely girl. But Leonie is the only one for me. I can’t return your feelings.”

“…Huh?”

Though it pained me to have to tell her this, for some reason, Nor responded to my heartfelt declaration with a confused look on her face.

“Wait, you’re saying you want to be my mate, right?” I asked.

“N-no, that’s not it! That’s not it at all!” she said.

“Huh?”

I guess I had been off the point on this one.

What the heck, Proto?! You were totally off!

—……

Yeah, sure, now’s the time you pick to keep your opinion to yourself!

What a piece of junk.

But that aside…

“If you’re not confessing your love to me, then what is it?”

“I wanted to talk to you about Leonie.”

“Leonie?”

Nor nodded back at me.

“She’s in a really tough position right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone at school is shunning her… Simply put, she’s being bullied.”

“Bullied…”

Like I had talked about with Proto before, since Leonie was so beautiful and smart, I figured it was easy for people to get jealous of her. That much was clear based on how everyone had treated her the other day in class. But if she was getting bullied, would she really put up with it? In my mind, she would almost definitely speak up against something that absurd.

Perhaps sensing what I was thinking from my expression, Nor continued speaking.

“I-if it was really about something she did, I think things might have gone differently. But the reason she’s in this situation in the first place…is partly because of you, Ruchika.”

“Huh? Me?”

I was a little taken off guard by this unexpected swerve in the conversation. But Nor kept going, putting the pressure on me.

“L-Leonie’s expected to look after you, right? And now she’s getting blamed because you won’t attend class or take your lectures seriously.”

“Whaaat, for real…?”

I hadn’t been paying much attention to the issue of Leonie supervising me, since I figured I didn’t need someone to look after me. But it sounded like everyone was assuming she was responsible for the way I acted. I never imagined that Leonie would have to face consequences for my actions. And yeah, now I felt sorry that I had put her through that.

However—

“Hmm. But is what I’m doing really so wrong?”

“What…?”

As I tilted my head to one side in confusion, Nor looked back at me like she didn’t understand.

“I mean, I’m getting good results in class, aren’t I? I may be skipping lectures, sure, but no one else in our year can beat me in practical training.”

“That’s true, but your performance in the classroom is—”

“The thing people want most out of a hero is their ability to fight, right? No matter how well you mentally understand the ins and outs of being a hero, it’s all pointless if you can’t actually hold your own in battle, isn’t it?”

“That…may also be true, but…”

I mean, maybe there were still other qualities a hero should have or other things they should know, but I was pretty sure it was an undeniable fact that the ability to fight was most important. To put it differently, as long as a person could fight, then all that other stuff didn’t really matter. But maybe everyone else didn’t think of it that way.

Besides—

“Besides, do you think it’s okay for Leonie to keep going like this, Nor?”

“What do you mean?”

Nor seemed to need more of an explanation, so I did my best to rack my brain for a way to express how I was feeling.

“Truth is, Leonie and I are kind of fighting right now.”

“You and Leonie?”

“Yeah. I was thinking about it for a while just now, and Leonie’s, like, too restricted by the fact that she’s a hero’s daughter.”

“I suppose…that does describe Leonie, yes.”

Nor looked like she was getting what I was saying, like she had felt the same thing before.

“First off, I think she puts way too much faith in her Gear. I agree that it’s a useful tool, but just because it tells the wearer what their best course of action is, that doesn’t mean they can actually accomplish it.”

“In that case—”

“Plus, how do we really know what’s ‘best’ anyway?”

“Huh…?”

This time, Nor looked like she wasn’t following at all. So I did my best to try to explain.

“There’s never only one ‘best’ solution for any given situation, right? Like, if your opponent comes slashing at you with a sword during a battle, what’s ‘best’ will change depending on if you want to counterattack or if you want to subdue them.”

“W-well, they say Gear is supposed to intuit the wearer’s intentions.”

—That’s right. I am quite the capable woman, after all.

Oh, you’re a girl? …Wait, just be quiet for a minute, Proto!

I shushed Proto as she poked her head into the conversation and I continued by asking Nor a question.

“Intention, huh? Maybe that works when the wearer knows exactly what they want to do. But what if they’re not sure?”

“Oh…”

This time, Nor seemed to get what I was trying to say.

“Right? There are plenty of situations where it would be hard to make a decision. Actually, I think it’s much less common for a situation to have a simple answer. I can’t help but think using Gear all the time weakens your ability to make decisions. And why would that be a good thing if you want to become a hero?”

“That’s…”

Nor didn’t have an answer. Or rather, using Gear all the time was just so normal to her, it was as though she had never even considered there might be some kind of drawback to doing so, like I had.

“Everyone at this school trusts Gear way too much, especially Leonie. I mean, I can get why. Her mama invented it, right? So of course she would think highly of it. But too much of anything can be a bad thing.”

The same issue had come up during our mock battle with Ein. Leonie’s discomposure, a consequence of the lack of trust between us, had cost us the match. I didn’t have the slightest reservation with Leonie, but I couldn’t say she completely trusted me. To me, it was less that she simply didn’t trust me because I was a demon, and more that she was too attached to the idea of acting as a hero’s daughter should or too attached to following her Gear.

“…”

Seeming to have understood the crux of the problem, Nor closed her eyes and appeared to fall deep into thought.

It wasn’t only Leonie’s obsession with Gear. I think that attitude of hers—of never being discouraged in the face of adversity—was another thing that had come from her feelings of being tied by her obligations. I had never seen her whine or complain, and I was sure she took it as a given that she would continue to resist and fight against the unreasonable. All this was probably her way of acting like how she thought a hero’s daughter was supposed to—and this quality was one of her virtues. But again, it was possible to do too much of a good thing.

“But what does this all have to do with you skipping lectures? Aren’t they separate issues?” Nor asked.

“I think if I told her all this myself, she wouldn’t listen to me. Maybe she’d listen to you, since you’re her childhood friend. But I haven’t known her long enough yet. So while it may be a little drastic of me, I figured I’d give a live demonstration and let her see for herself.”

I’d show her what it was like to live life doing whatever you felt like.

“So that means you’re skipping lectures on purpose to prove a point?”

“I just wanna help Leonie have a bit more freedom.”

I wanted to free her from all the little shoulds and musts she had bound herself to all because of the guidance of her Gear or her sense of duty as a hero’s daughter. I wanted to help her see that she could follow her wants. Life was just plain boring if you only ever did what you should and never what you wanted, right? My only desire was to help this girl I had come to like so much to be happy.

“I wonder how I never realized it…even though I’ve been by her side all this time.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it, Nor. For better or for worse, you’re too close to her. You’re both descended from famous heroes, and you’re childhood friends, right? Your positions in life are similar, and so are all the things you take for granted.”

“In that sense, you’ve come from a totally different environment from us.”

“Yeah. Guess that’s why I could look at Leonie and tell that something was off.”

Of course, it went without saying that demon values weren’t all better or more correct than human values or anything.

—You sure have a lot of negative things to say about us.

I’m just generalizing. I’ve got a feeling you’re not one of the bad ones, Proto. Though, your personality could use some work.

(Leonie)

“Why…? You know you don’t have to do that.”

As Ruchika asked me this, her face looked even sadder than my own. I felt sorry to have banished her usual happy-go-lucky smile.

“I don’t think everything Professor Aliza said was correct. But some of the things she said were right. I clearly don’t have what it takes to become a hero.”

All this time, I had faithfully followed the guidance of my Gear and trained my hardest. But the gap between myself and the others around me just kept getting wider and wider. Even my swordsmanship was critically lacking in combat, and that was supposed to be my best subject. For a hero, that was a fatal flaw.

“But you said so yourself—that hero work won’t be all about fighting in the future.”

“Yes, and what you say has some logic to it. But that still operates on the assumption that any and all heroes have the basic skills required to fight, and that additional skills will become necessary beyond that.”

When I said this, Ruchika made a face like I had struck her where it hurt.

“As long as humans are human, I don’t think we will ever eliminate conflict. The power to fight will always be necessary, and possessing it will continue to be the minimum requirement of a hero. And I don’t even meet that minimum.”

Like Ruchika had said before, in the future, perhaps people who could only fight would gradually be weeded out of the hero population. I believed that would come to pass. But that simply meant the relative value of fighting power had gone down. Heroes would still need the ability to overcome conflict.

“So you’re saying…you’re going to give up on being a hero because you’re not good enough at fighting?”

“Yes. Unfortunately, I just don’t have a knack for it. While it is disappointing, as the daughter of the Almighty Hero…”

As these words left my lips, I felt there was nothing more painful than this. Just like Professor Aliza had said, I had sullied my mother’s name—a hero’s name.

“You’re giving up? Even after working toward becoming a hero for all this time?”

“…Those hopes may stay with me a little longer. But I know I must give them up. It’s pointless for someone with no talent to keep on clinging to a dream she can never fulfill.”

Saying this, I wondered how I should live my life from now on. If I gave up on becoming a hero, I would have no idea what to pursue instead.

I shook my head, trying to put such doubts out of my mind. I mustn’t be a coward about this. If I kept being indecisive, Ruchika would surely never give up on me, either. She had talent. It was possible she really could become the strongest hero of our generation. I mustn’t let her get mixed up with someone like me.

“Ruchika, thank you for everything up until now. We only knew each other a short while, but I appreciate the valuable time we spent together. While our paths may diverge now, I hope we can someday—”

“…you.”

“Hmm? What did you say?”

“I said, I won’t let you!”

She repeated herself and told me again in a strong tone of voice. That earnest gaze of hers made my breath catch in my throat.

“Ruchika…”

“You don’t have to give up. Who cares about talent or whatever? I won’t let you give up on being a hero because of some stupid reason like that.”

“‘Stupid’…?”

I couldn’t help but feel a little offended at the way she had put it.

“Don’t you realize how much I’ve thought this over? ‘Stupid’? Oh, sure! Of course you’d think that. A girl like you, who’s just overflowing with talent, must think my troubles are simply idiotic!”

I thrust my retort back at her. It was the first time I had ever revealed my feelings so frankly to someone, and it was as if a dam had broken as my thoughts came flowing out uncontrollably. I lost all self-control and said exactly what I was thinking.

“It’s not like I want to give up being a hero! Of course I don’t really want to give up! I don’t want to give up! I love my mother! And I’ve always wanted to be like her! If the heroes are the successors of my mother’s aspirations, then I wanted to be one no matter what!”

While I felt it was a heavy burden to have been born the daughter of a hero, I still didn’t mind. If only I could become like my beloved mother; if only I could become a beacon of hope to the people, then I was prepared to put in as much effort and hard work as I could.

But—

“But it’s pointless… No matter how much effort I put in, no matter how closely I follow my Gear, I can never be like you… I just can’t…”

At some point, my eyes had begun to fill with tears. While it was disgraceful, in my current state, I didn’t have the capacity to worry about it.

“Ruchika…I envy you. You’re stronger than anyone, even without using Gear. And I envy how you can be so free. I really…wish I could be like you…!”

I had reached my limit. I couldn’t stop my feelings from spilling out and simply sobbed, unable to even put those emotions into words anymore.

“Leonie.”

As soon as I heard her call my name, I felt a warm, soft feeling around my shoulders. Ruchika was embracing me.

“I’ll be your fangs.”

She said it like a kind of vow. Surprised at her solemn words, I looked up and saw Ruchika staring back at me with utter sincerity.

“If a hero needs strength to fight, then let me be that strength.”

“Ruchika…? What are you…saying—?”

I was perplexed, unsure of the point she was trying to make. Then as if to reassure me, she gave me a soft smile and hugged me even tighter.

“I said this before, too, but I don’t think heroes need to be alone. Don’t you think it’d be a good idea to divvy up the roles, like one person to handle the fighting, one person to handle gathering people, one person to handle logistics, or something like that?”

“Divvying up the roles…?”

“When your mama fought against my mama, she went up against her with a party of multiple people, right? Even though she was called the Almighty Hero, it’s not like she was some super soldier who could go up against the Demon Lord all by herself, yeah?”

Ruchika was correct. While my mother was talented in all areas, she wouldn’t have been able to defeat the Demon Lord alone. My mother had been blessed by her bonds with her comrades. She had been supported in combat by Danita’s father, who shielded her from enemy attacks; Nor’s mother, who excelled in singing songs with healing powers; and another mage, who specialized in wielding a variety of magic.

“Leonie, you don’t need to try to get stronger all by yourself. If you need fighting power, I’ll give it to you. So I want you to keep walking whatever path you really want to follow.”

“Ruchika…”

“Don’t give up, Leonie. Let’s become heroes together, okay? I want to keep moving forward with you. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

She gave me one last strong embrace before letting me go. Then she stayed silent for a moment and simply looked back at me. I think she wanted to give me time—enough time to think and shake off all my doubts. There were a number of conflicting feelings still inside me—hesitation, indecision, fear.

And yet there was only one answer for me to choose.

“…I have no grounding in fighting.”

“So I’ll be your fangs.”

“Even though I’m a hero’s daughter, I’m indecisive.”

“Or you’re being thoughtful.”

“I can’t live as freely as you can.”

“Then I’ll just have to drag you around with me.”

“The Gear didn’t pair us up.”

“That’s true. You called the Gear something like fate, right? I think it’s pretty cool to be a pair who fights against fate, don’t you?”

Ruchika’s smile spoke volumes. She had an answer for everything. She had already decided she would accept me and everything about me.

I still couldn’t believe my Gear could be wrong. But I was starting to think what Professor Aliza said had been incorrect…all thanks to this small, strange girl who I couldn’t find it in myself to hate.

“…There’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while now.”

“What is it?”

The life had returned to my face, and Ruchika seemed to notice. Putting my reservations behind me, I told this shameless yet dependable demon girl what was on my mind.

“I think Professor Aliza underestimates us too much. Let’s show her a thing or two about what the Almighty Hero’s daughter, Leonie Baez, really has in her.”

“Pfft! …Ah-ha-ha-ha!”

Ruchika burst into a fit of laughter. Her laugh was contagious, and it made me start laughing, too. I felt refreshed, like the fog that had been building up inside me had finally cleared.

“Ruchika, will you pair up with me?”

I asked her this question, holding out my right hand. She reached out and grasped it back.

“Of course. I’m ready to be with you till death do us part!”

Saying this, she grinned back at me with a smile as dazzling as the sun.

“This is all Aliza’s fault. We didn’t do anything wrong. So let’s shut her up once and for all!”

Ruchika puffed out her chest. Having been charmed by her declaration to stay by my side, I responded automatically—

“Yes, let’s do just that.”

—and nodded back at her.

“I’m starting to think you’ve been influencing me, Ruchika.”

“Does that mean you’re gonna be my mate?”

“Don’t be silly.”

Having regained enough energy to engage in light banter, I made up my mind. I would take on the challenge of the proficiency test with Ruchika as my partner.

(Danita)

“Heh-heh-heh… Now it’s really over for those two.”

My mom was sitting on the couch in my room, enjoying herself. She had a glass of wine in one hand. On the table in front of her were some snacks I had made. She seemed pretty happy that Ruchika and Leonie had fallen into her trap and was celebrating with one glass after another.

“Don’t drink too much, okay? You know you can’t hold your alcohol.”

“Oh, let me off easy, just for today. Especially now that it finally seems like I’ll be rid of those thorns in my side.”

Brushing off my warning, she took another sip from her class. I let out a sigh and left a glass of water on the table next to her wine bottle.

“You’re real happy just to get rid of them, huh?”

“Of course I am. They don’t deserve to be here. Only prodigies in body and mind like you should be allowed to become heroes.”

“‘Prodigies,’ huh…?”

If she was talking about people with innate skill, then Ruchika’s fighting sense could definitely be called a natural gift. And it wasn’t only her. Leonie’s bright intellect and noble ambitions were, in a way, like a talent bestowed by the heavens. I couldn’t help but feel repulsed that their talents would be wasted and lost because of this bullying.

“Did you have to go about it this way? If they really didn’t deserve to become heroes, then they would flunk out even without—”

“Danita, you don’t have to worry about any of this. Just focus on your own path to becoming a hero. There’s no need for you to pity those dropouts.”

It wasn’t pity. I was just judging them objectively. Ruchika’s strength and Leonie’s smarts were real talent. I’d much rather give them a fair and square fight and prove I was better than them on my own terms instead of letting my mom’s underhanded tactics get them expelled.

“Oh, right, I wanted to give this to you.”

Saying this, my mom took out a smallish roll of paper from her breast pocket and handed it to me. I opened it up to see it was some kind of magic scroll.

“What’s this?”

“A summoning scroll. There’s a powerful monster sealed in there. If you use it, you’ll be able to control it at will.”

A monster? Why is she givin’ this to me?

“What am I s’posed to do with this?”

“Use it during the proficiency test. I don’t expect Ruchika and Leonie will get anywhere close to passing, but just in case they do, this will take care of them—”

“Mom!”

I cut her off. I couldn’t listen to this anymore.

“You can’t do this! You’re obviously goin’ too far!”

“Going too far? But we must make those unworthy of being heroes take their leave as quickly as possible.”

“But if they are able to finish the exam, that means they do got a shot at becoming heroes, right?! So it’s wrong to go out of your way to get rid of ’em like this!”

“Danita…”

Mom set her glass down on the table, stood up, and walked over to me. Her face was flushed from the alcohol, and she had a strange look in her eyes. She looked like she was about to give a lecture to a badly behaved child. And I hated that look.

“Think of what your mother is doing as…cleaning.”

“‘Cleaning’?”

“That’s right. I’m cleaning up to create a worry-free environment for you and your prospective comrades who will also become heroes someday. I’m doing this for your sake.”

She hugged me. I wondered when I had stopped being happy to feel my own mother’s warmth. To me it, the sensation was more like some kind of mud or mucus clinging to me.

“Danita, you don’t have to think about anything. Just listen to what I say. If you do that, then you will become a hero. A splendid hero, just like your father was.”

We separated, and she looked at me as she told me this. I knew she wasn’t really seeing me. She was always chasing an illusion—the illusion of my dead father. That fact made me feel unbearably lonely.

“Hey, Danita, I’m out of the bath now, so— Oh, I didn’t know you were here, Professor Aliza,” said my roommate. “Good evening.”

“Don’t mind me, I was just leaving. Good night, then, you two.”

“…Night.”

“Good night!”

As I watched my mom leave the room, I looked down at the scroll she had left in my hands. Use this thing “just in case”? She didn’t even ask me to take them down myself. That meant she was afraid of Ruchika and Leonie. She knew they were stronger than me.

“How many times…is she gonna make a fool outta me…?”

“Danita? What’s wrong?” asked my roommate.

“None of your business!”

“Whoa! What’s with that reaction? Someone’s in a bad mood.”

“…My bad.”

There was no use taking it out on her. That just wasn’t cool of me.

“Hey, so…if your parents gave you somethin’ you didn’t need, what would you do with it?”

“Throw it away behind their backs, I guess?”

“That’s what I thought.”

If only I could just throw this thing away. But knowing my mom, she’d probably check my belongings before the test started to make sure I still had it. And if she found out I didn’t, who knew what she’d do to Ruchika and Leonie instead? I needed to hold on to this thing. I squeezed the scroll in my hand.

…Why doesn’t anyone just believe in my strength…?

(Ruchika)

The proficiency test was about to begin.

The test venue was a deserted island covered in thick vegetation, and according to Aliza’s explanation, there were many different kinds of monsters inhabiting it. On top of that, there were traps all over the island; it would be essential to cooperate with your Gear-chosen partners to overcome them.

“We instructors will be leaving the island now. You will all need to find a way to return to the Institute using your own abilities. You may now begin the test!”

As the teachers signaled the start of the exam, everyone took off running. Since there was a five-day time limit, most students chose to approach the test in ways that prioritized speed. This strategy used tons of resources and energy so the pair could move forward as quickly as possible. Considering there was quite a distance to the finish line—a mountain peak on the northern part of the island—an approach that emphasized speed would be a safe choice.

But—

“Ruchika. There’s a trap about three meters in front of you.”

“Oops, close one! Thanks, Leonie.”

“You’re welcome. We have a long way to go, so let’s proceed steadily.”

Leonie and I had chosen to prioritize safety at a slower pace. We would avoid fighting monsters and preserve our energy as much as possible while also using trap-detection magic. If all we had to do was reach the goal, we could go at the same pace as everyone else, but we had decided against it. Being totally exhausted by the time we crossed the finish line would leave us in a vulnerable position. We needed to maintain some surplus energy to be able to handle any unexpected situations that came up. We wanted to be combat-ready at all times, if it came down to it.

But even if we progressed slowly and steadily, we couldn’t avoid encountering monsters and traps entirely. So I would handle any monster fights, and Leonie would be in charge of dealing with any traps. Aliza had said it would be difficult to complete the test without pairing up with your Gear-chosen partner, but I felt that Leonie and I were actually pretty good together when you considered each of our strengths.

“…Even my silly hobby of convenience magic is coming in handy.”

It was the end of the first day, and we had set up camp. As we sat by the fire, thinking back on the events of the day, Leonie commented this with an awkward smile.

“It’s not just a silly hobby! It’s seriously helpful.”

Leonie’s convenience magic was amazing. She could change sewage into drinking water, keep us warm on cold nights, guard us from the rain, and multiply our rations. In a survival situation like this, her magic made her a jack-of-all-trades.

“Still…Aliza really set us up here.”

“It seems she genuinely doesn’t want us to pass.”

Around the time we had started the test, I had learned from Nor that Leonie and I had received less food and water rations than the other students. Our test was blatantly being interfered with. This had enraged Nor, but Leonie and I didn’t let it get to us. We were confident we’d be able to pass anyway. And the truth was, since we had Leonie’s convenience magic to help us, getting food and water wasn’t going to be a problem. In fact, we had more than enough.

“…It’s gotten quite chilly out here,” said Leonie.

“Yeah,” I responded.

Apparently, the nights on this island were pretty cold. Since we didn’t want to risk the fire getting out of control, we couldn’t leave it going all night, but this was another area where Leonie’s convenience magic came in handy. With an improved fire scroll, she had managed a way to sustain the warmth of the fire for an extended period of time. The spell on the scroll reduced the actual strength of the fire but prolonged its warmth, which was perfect for our current situation.

“It’s still so warm… This is awesome, huh?” I said.

“It’s more effective than I expected. I’m glad I made this.”

We chatted back and forth as we lay in our sleeping bags. Side by side, we gazed at the stars in the night sky through our transparent tent.

“…Pretty.”

“Yes. When you look at the sky like this, I feel like our issues are insignificant.”

“I get that. It’s like, you wonder why you were even worried about that dumb thing in the first place.”

“Yes.”

For a while, a silence fell over us. The only sounds were the swaying of the trees in the wind and the chirping of insects. Thinking Leonie must have fallen asleep, I rolled over to try to drift off myself.

But instead, I locked eyes with Leonie. She was still awake, looking at me.

“Oh, you’re still up?” I asked.

“Yes.”

“You can’t sleep?”

“That’s not it. I was just thinking of how I never thanked you.”

“Thank me for what?”

I wasn’t sure what she was talking about. Leonie let out a small chuckle.

“Ruchika, thank you for helping me get back on my feet. If you hadn’t been there to encourage me that day, I think I would have given up on being a hero.”

“Leonie…”

“I was very happy when you told me you’d be my strength, that we could become heroes together. I’ve…been alone for so long.”

Leonie laughed bashfully.

“As the daughter of a hero, I’ve always had many people by my side. But with the exception of Nor, they only ever saw me as my mother’s daughter, not my own person.”

“Well, now I’m jealous.”

“Nor is my friend. It’s different with you.”

Leonie’s words made my heart start to pound.

“Oh? What do you mean by that?”

“I can’t really put it into words. But you’re different from Nor. You’re not a stranger, but I don’t feel like you’re a friend, either. If I had to put a word to it…”

“Yeah?”

My chest filled with expectation as I urged her to go on.

“…a partner, perhaps.”

With that, Leonie stuck out her tongue at me. Yeah, very cute.

“‘Partner,’ huh…? I was hoping for a little more than that…”

“Do you wish I had said ‘lover’ instead?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

“I still…don’t know much about love and romance. I’ve never had much time to think about it.”

Leonie looked up at the sky again.

“I’ve only ever thought about becoming a hero. Everything else was irrelevant. And I thought it was fine that way. But—”

“But?”

As I encouraged her to go on, Leonie fell into thought for a bit before continuing:

“But after meeting you, I think my way of thinking has started to change. I’m starting to come around to the idea that maybe I should have been doing more pointless things along the way.”

She assured me she meant that in a good way, and I nodded back.

“After being so fixated on becoming a hero, I think I had become a rather flimsy person. So at that time—when my lack of fighting ability was pointed out, and my accomplishments were brought into question—I was easily bent and broken.”

“No, Aliza was just being too—”

As I started to deny what she said, Leonie gave me a look that reined me in and made me shut up. I waited for her to talk.

“Professor Aliza is partially to blame as well. But that’s definitely not the only thing. I needed to be more thick-skinned. I needed a solid sense of determination that wouldn’t be destroyed by a little bit of criticism. I needed conviction. Especially if I want to become a hero.”

“‘Conviction,’ huh…”

I didn’t really get that part. To me, wanting to become a hero had always been simple. I just wanted to be strong—and that was that. All that other stuff, like saving people, would come after. So I didn’t entirely understand what Leonie was saying. But—

—the way she’d talked about it was really cool.

“But maybe I’m just thinking too hard about everything.”

“I don’t think that’s true. Hearing you say all that, I was really reminded that you’re the daughter of the Almighty Hero, who defeated my mama.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I’m not totally sure, but I bet there’s no one who’s thought about what it really means to be a hero more than you have. And because of that, I don’t think anyone has a better instinct for what it means to be a hero than you.”

And she had arrived this mindset precisely because she had been born the daughter of a hero and hadn’t always taken it for granted that she was.

“You’re exaggerating. I’m really just a little girl striving to become a hero someday.”

“Heh-heh, okay then. In that case, so am I.”

With that, we exchanged smiles.

—Ruchika. If you don’t sleep soon, it’ll affect your performance tomorrow.

Yeah, okay. Just a little longer.

Proto chimed in to give me a helpful warning, but I wanted to chat with Leonie a bit more. At least until we reached a good stopping point—and this beautiful starry sky was too good to give up.

“Ruchika, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“I am the daughter of a hero. That means I’m the enemy of your mother. Don’t you have any resentment toward me?”

“Oh, that?”

I wasn’t sure if I could really make her understand, but keeping that in mind, I did my best.

“My mama said she was exhausted by the never-ending, fruitless war with the human race. And the last human she ever fought with was the strongest in all humanity, the Almighty Hero. My mama was proud of her noble end, and I wouldn’t ever want you to feel bad about that.”

I hadn’t been born yet when it happened, but even my nanny, who hated heroes, told me that my mama had seemed happy with how she met her end. I think, for her, it was a satisfying death.

“I see…but I’m sorry. Honestly, I wish my own mother had made it out alive.”

“Then do you resent us demons?”

“…I believe that is a different conversation.”

Leonie seemed unsure of how to respond to that.

“There will be things about each other that we understand and things we can’t understand—I know it comes as part of the package, and I love you anyway,” I said.

“There you go again, making declarations of love like it’s nothing…”

“That’s just how demon love goes. The way humans do it can be so frustrating.”

“I wish you would consider the emotions at play a little more delicately.”

“Oh? Then will you finally turn my way?”

“That’s also a different conversation.”

“Aw, man…”

I laughed, and Leonie laughed back.

“Sorry for keeping you up like this. We should sleep soon.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Night, Leonie.”

“Good night.”

I closed my eyes and was soon overtaken by sleepiness. I let myself drift off without resistance and fell into a deep sleep.

“…What a mysterious person. Our origins are as different as oil and water, yet I can feel so close to you… I wonder why.”

I heard someone whisper this. But it just barely reached my fading consciousness, and the meaning of those words failed to register in my mind as I faded back to sleep.

On the fourth day of the test, we reached the goal: the island’s northern mountain peak.

—Ruchika, there’s something strange here.

Yeah, I noticed it, too.

Instead of returning to the Institute as expected, the students who had reached the goal before we had were grouped together at the spot, camping out.

“Leonie! Ruchika!”

“Oh, Nor!”

“Nor, what exactly is going on here…?”

There, we found Nor, who had arrived before us. She had a fretful look on her face.

“Come over here for a minute.”

We did as she told us and followed after her. There, at the mountain’s peak, was what appeared to be a kind of altar.

“Look at this.”

Nor pointed to a large spell circle engraved upon the ground. But there were scratches here and there all over it.

“Is this…a teleportation circle?”

“Yes. But it appears to be broken, so none of us can return to the Institute.”

“Whaaat…?”

“So that’s why everyone is camped out here like this.”

“Yeah.”

Since the expectation was that the students would each return to the school on their own via this teleportation circle, there were no instructors present on the island. If no one had come back by the expected time, the school would surely notice soon enough. But since this essential teleportation spell had now been damaged, the teachers and staff would have to arrive through another route, and that would take few days.

“Looks like we’re going to have to stick it out here, just us students, until they come to help us.”

Saying this, I looked around. Most of the students were sitting around with fatigue in their eyes.

“Apart from some of the high-achieving students like Nor and Danita, most of the other students look totally exhausted.”

“Yes, it appears so.”

Unlike Leonie and I, who had gotten here at our own leisurely pace, most of the others had pushed to arrive as fast as possible. I bet many of them had stepped into traps or needed to fight monsters along their way. But since they’d believed everything would be fine as long as they could cross the finish line, they were in dire straits now. Plus, we had all only been given enough food and water to get us through the scheduled exam period.

“What should we do, Leonie?”

“Huh?”

I asked Leonie what she thought our next step should be.

“Just guessing here, but if we leave everyone like this, people’s lives could be threatened. But with your powers, I think we can save them.”

Leonie had her convenience magic. If she wanted to, she could use it to extend the time we could feasibly survive here by leaps and bounds.

But that was if she was willing to use it.

“Obviously, I plan to do all I can to help. This is an emergency situation; we should work together to overcome this hardship,” Leonie answered without hesitation, as if it went without saying.

“You plan to help them, even after they bullied you?”

The other students had started ganging up on her after learning she had some shortcomings despite being the Almighty Hero’s daughter. There was no reason she had to help them.

But—

“That doesn’t matter. They’re my classmates. And this type of situation is exactly what we did all that research on convenience magic for.”

Leonie’s gaze was unwavering.

—So this is the kind of person Leonie is.

Yep.

And because that’s how she was—

“That’s why I love you so much, Leonie.”

“Stop it with your nonsense and help me, please. First, let’s secure our drinking water.”

After that, we began working at full speed. With Nor helping us, we prepared all the urgent supplies we would need to live here. For example, Leonie had that magical device that would change sewage into drinking water. Originally, she had brought it for our personal use, but she had found a way to disassemble and reconfigure it to allow a larger number of people to utilize it.

But that wasn’t all. We were able to set up a cooking space that used fire magic and a first aid station where students who weren’t feeling well could rest, and we assigned several students to be in charge of the various stations. The other students were deeply impressed by Leonie’s skill and leadership after only knowing her as a student who was failing in her practical training. Now they had really gotten a taste of her true abilities.

“I think that’s about it…”

“Great job, Leonie. Let’s take a break.”

Having briefly left her side, I walked back up to her and handed over something small and red.

“Wild strawberries?”

“Yup. There were a bunch of them growing out in the mountains. I gathered some other edible plants, too.”

“Thank you, Ruchika. That’s very helpful of you.”

Leonie popped one of the wild strawberries into her mouth. I always thought eating something sweet was a good way to refresh myself.

“How long do you think we can last out here?”

“As long as everything goes smoothly, maybe five days. I’m not so sure about any longer than that.”

“When you think about the distance between here and the capital, we’ll just barely fall short…”

I had gotten some information about the island’s location in the kingdom before coming here. If it took two days for someone at the school to notice something was off, then three days by horse to the nearest port, and two more days to get here by ship, we could estimate it would take about a week for our teachers to get here.

“There are already some people in bad shape due to their fatigue and the stress of the unfamiliar environment. For their sakes, I hope a rescue team will come as quickly as possible…”

Leonie’s face was downcast.

“Don’t overburden yourself with all this, Leonie. Your abilities are amazing, but you’re just a kid.”

“That’s true, but…”

“Hmm…I bet if I phrase it this way, it’ll get through to you. Right now, you’re our lifeline. So if anything happens to you, we’re all back to square one. You have an obligation to take care of yourself.”

“…You’re right. I’ll be careful.”

She said this with a serious look on her face, and then her expression softened.

“You’re getting pretty good at dealing with me, Ruchika.”

With that, she put on a playful smile.

Afterward, the two of us kept on working hard. Using convenience magic and the island’s natural resources to the best of our abilities, we worked on making sure all the students would be able to get back to safety.

It was during the fourth day of our group campout when the trouble started.

—Ruchika. Wake up.

……?

I was in the middle of a catnap when Proto’s voice woke me up.

“Well, what’ve you got to say about this?!”

“Aaah… What’s going on…?”

As I yawned, I heard some kind of commotion outside our tent. I woke up Leonie, who was sleeping next to me; let her know something strange was going on, and quickly started getting ready to get up for the day.

“I-it wasn’t me!”

“Then why are Danita’s rations gone, huh?!”

“I—I don’t know… Maybe some wild animal took them…?”

“Huh?! Don’t play dumb with me!”

The commotion was happening around the food pantry.

—That sounds like trouble.

It’s one of Danita’s gang. I wonder what happened?

The pantry was a space where we kept all the foodstuffs we had gathered from the mountains; it was maintained at a low temperature thanks to one of Leonie’s devices. And the person in charge of this station was Nor.

“What’s going on?”

“Oh, Ruchika, Leonie! Help…!”

“What happened?”

“This girl thinks she can get away with pocketing Danita’s food rations!”

“……”

One of Danita’s flunkies was stirring up a fuss. Nor had shrunk back into a cowering pose, while Danita stood by with her arms crossed. A crowd had formed around them, and everyone was staring at Nor coldly.

“Her food?”

“Wh-when I went to distribute this morning’s rations, Danita’s portion wasn’t there…”

“So why don’t we just go get her some more? There’s no need to make a big deal about it.”

“It seems Danita has very particular dietary restrictions… She can’t eat rice.”

In other words, Danita’s food had been specially prepared for her, and we wouldn’t be able to come up with a replacement right away.

“So what are you planning to do about it?! Are you gonna make Danita go without breakfast?!” asked Danita’s flunky.

“I’m sorry…,” said Nor.

Oh? Okay, I see. I think I get it now.

“We’ll prepare a replacement for Danita’s meal as soon as possible, so let’s all please put the pitchforks down,” said Leonie.

“Huh?! Leonie, you think you can just let her get away with this because she’s your friend?!”

“That’s not my intention, but there’s no use in just arguing back and forth about it. That would delay Danita’s breakfast even further.”

“If we don’t straighten this out, the same thing is just gonna happen again! Right, Danita?!”

“…I don’t really care if my breakfast is late. I don’t care, but—”

“See?!”

Danita sounded like she wanted to say something else but just swallowed her words with a sigh when she saw her crony getting so carried away.

“Hey, you,” I said.

“Whaddaya want, Ruchika? You gonna cover for Nor, too? You guys are nothin’ but a bunch of—”

“—Can you shut up for a sec?”

I let a fierce aura come over my body and glared back at Danita’s follower. The girl took one step back, as if overpowered.

“’Scuse me.”

“Wh-what are you doing?!”

I got up in the crony’s face and gave her a sniff.

“Uh-huh, I see.”

“See what?”

“Just hold on a sec and let me do my thing.”

Next, I went into our food pantry and smelled around, then lastly, I sniffed Nor.

“Yup, I got it.”

“Got what, Ruchika?”

Leonie was watching on suspiciously at my sudden, strange behavior. I brushed it off and shot her a smile, before turning back to Danita’s follower.

“You’re the one who took Danita’s food, aren’t you?”

“Wha…?!”

“Huh?”

Danita’s crony put on a startled look when I said this. Leonie looked perplexed.

“See, I’ve got a really keen nose. And when I sniffed around in the pantry, your scent was a whole lot stronger in there than Nor’s. That means you went into the pantry sometime after Nor distributed the evening rations last night. Why?”

“Uh…?!”

Danita’s follower went pale when I asked her this.

“Y-you’re just making up lies, trying to cover for Nor—”

“You’re the one who’s lying. Come on, everyone, just think about it.”

I turned to address the gallery of onlookers who had gathered.

“You all know what Nor’s like from getting to know her the past few months, right? Do you really think a shy, reserved person like her would do something like this? For the sake of argument, even if she did have some reason to steal food, do you really think she would steal Danita’s of all people? It’s just not possible.”

The audience buzzed. Because of the sensitive nature of the issue surrounding food, they had seemed to lose their composure a bit. But once they calmed down and thought about it, I knew they would understand. There was no way Nor would do something like this, and she had no reason to. If anyone had a motive to do something like this, it would be—

“So it was you.”

“N-no, she’s wrong, Danita! This is…! I wouldn’t…!”

“The hell did you do, then?!”

Danita approached her crony and slapped her across the face. The girl fell on her behind.

“…I-it’s not like I wanted to do it!”

“Then why did you?”

“Professor Aliza told me to! She wanted me to rile you up!”

“—?!”

Danita’s follower grimaced and continued accusingly:

“I wanted to get close to you ’cause you’re supposed to be the great Battle-Ax Hero’s daughter, but now you’re always getting overshadowed by Ruchika!”

“What…?!”

“If Professor Aliza or I don’t do stuff like this to get you angry, you’ll never do anything about it!”

“—!”

Danita’s face warped with grief. Not only had someone she trusted betrayed her, but now she was having insults to her pride thrown at her, too. No matter how arrogant Danita usually acted, of course she would react to this. She was being publicly humiliated, and her reputation was being ground into the dirt.

“……!”

Danita restlessly looked around. She was no longer her usual haughty, tyrannical self, but a poor, shaken-up animal cornered by cold stares.

“D-don’t look at me like that! I… I…!”

It was painful to watch. I didn’t hate her. And while she was a bit of a tyrant, I knew she wasn’t a bad person at her core. It was hard to see her have to go through something like this.

I wanted to say something to her—but my feet stopped in their tracks.

“Don’t look at me!”

A malicious aura flowed out of her body and began to react with something in her bag. My demon senses were telling me it wasn’t anything good.

“Danita, stop! If you release that dark aura, something bad is gonna happen!”

“I… I…!”

She had become overcome with despair, and my voice wasn’t reaching her. A strikingly strong light shone from her bag before something tumbled out from inside it. It was a scroll.

“That’s a summoning scroll!”

Leonie was the first person to grasp what it was. Apparently, it was the military scroll that had gone missing.

“We have to destroy it and stop the summoning!”

“It’s too late. It’s already being summoned. Everyone, get back!” I yelled.

I blocked the scroll from Leonie as she tried to approach it and made everyone stand back.

The scroll Danita had activated with her aura had already drawn a huge spell circle in the air. Within it, a large shadow began to materialize.

(Leonie)

I looked up at the monster’s huge frame, which seemed like it was made out of tempered steel. It was a one-eyed giant that moved like a sentient mountain. It held a club made of stone in its right hand. It was…

“A cyclops…”

Ruchika, standing beside me, spoke its name as if talking to herself. It was indeed a cyclops—a demon soldier that was said to have single-handedly mowed down dozens to hundreds of humans in the Great Human-Demon War.

“Leonie, get everyone to safety. This isn’t the kind of opponent regular humans can take on.”

“…What do you plan to do?”

“I’ll buy you all some time to escape.”

“You can’t! This isn’t like a child fighting an adult—you’d be crazy to take that thing on!”

Her opponent was gigantic, like its own fortress. While Ruchika was certainly strong, I didn’t think there was anything she could do against it.

“I’ll use Gluttony at full power right from the beginning. It’ll be okay. I can at least buy you some time. Now go!”

She pushed hard at my back, making me stumble forward. When I looked back, she was already standing within reach of the cyclops. Slipping past the storm of club attacks, which looked like they could pulverize her with the slightest hit, she closed in on the giant.

“Ruchika… Please, stay safe…!”

There was no room for carelessness now. I needed to use the time Ruchika had bought for us and get the others evacuated to a safe place.

“Everyone, please remain calm and keep your distance! Slow and steady!”

Even though we hero cadets had been trained in this kind of thing, the students couldn’t help but be shaken by a threat of this level. Yet still, thanks to that training, they didn’t end up panicking. Without any pushing or shoving, they moved in an organized manner away from the monster.

“Leonie!”

“Nor? Please, get back!”

“I want to help Ruchika. I promise I won’t get in the way.”

“—!”

I was surprised. Nor was usually so timid and fearful. While she was surely one of the most-skilled students in our class, people overlooked her ability because of her disposition. But now that very girl wanted to stand up and fight against this terrifying cyclops.

“It’ll be dangerous.”

“I know. But I’m a hero cadet. And I think if my mother was in this situation, she’d do the same. I can’t just sit by and watch this thing kill Ruchika!”

“…Very well. Please, lend her your strength, Nor!”

“Okay!”

We exchanged determined nods as we headed back to the battlefield together.

“Leonie?! And Nor?! What are you doing back here?!”

Ruchika let out a scream when she saw us. Kicking off the cyclops’s boulder-like chest, she took a moment to retreat toward us.

“We don’t want you to fight alone.”

“We can help you!”

I used healing magic on Ruchika, who was already covered in wounds from just a short period of fighting. Then Nor chanted a support magic spell and cast it upon us all. I could feel power welling up inside me.

“Man, you guys never learn, do you?” said Ruchika.

“Speak for yourself,” I responded.

“This isn’t the time to chat, you two. Here it comes!” shouted Nor.

We ended our short meeting and scattered, and an explosive attack immediately came slamming down on the spot we had just been standing.

“Such strength…”

We had learned in detail about cyclops monsters in lecture. As soldiers, they adopted a fighting style that prioritized brute physical strength over using mana or battle aura. They excelled in both attack and defense and would rush into battle without even bothering to defend against superficial attacks.

“Tch…! Gluttony doesn’t work on this thing!”

It sounded like Ruchika was getting irritated. Gluttony allowed her to consume her opponent’s mana and battle aura and convert it into her own power. But this cyclops relied on brute strength alone, so there wasn’t anything for her to absorb.

“I’ll stop it from moving. Ruchika, Nor, you attack it!”

“!”

“G-got it!”

I quickly chanted a spell, aiming at where the Cyclops was standing.

“Muddy Soil!”

“—!”

One of the giant’s thick, log-like feet began to sink into the ground. Having lost its footing, the monster was momentarily rendered unable to move.

“Go for it, Ruchika! Air Burst!”

“Yaaaaah!”

As Ruchika threw a punch at the monster, Nor cast a wind magic attack in its direction as well. Their target: its gigantic eye. That was the cyclops’s only weak point.

But—

“Oh no! Ruchika, watch out!”

“?!”

“Grrraaah!”

My Gear had shown me a prediction of Ruchika being deflected and thrown backward. But my warning was too late; the cyclops let out a resounding roar, and Ruchika was sent flying back like a ball. Her small body bounced once, twice against the ground before stopping and going motionless.

“Ruchika!” I shouted.

“Leonie, I’ll distract it, so you heal her!”

“Okay!”

As Nor began a magical chant to stop the cyclops from moving, I ran over to Ruchika. It appeared she had managed to put up her guard before taking a hit from the cyclops, but still, she was covered in injuries from head to toe. Of particular concern was her left hand, whose bones were pulverized, appearing to have taken the brunt of the cyclops’s club.

“Ruchika, hold on!”

I used all my power to cast healing magic on her, but the damage she had taken was too great. She remained unconscious.

“Kyaaaaa!!”

Hearing a scream, I turned to the cyclops and saw that it had clasped one of its hands around Nor and started to squeeze her entire body.

“Aaaah…!”

I heard a faint sound—Nor’s bones were beginning to creak under the pressure. At this rate, our defeat was inevitable. I racked my brains for something I could do.

Then I remembered the time Ruchika had spoken about how auras had different flavors.

“Ruchika, your Gluttony is an ability that absorbs others’ aura and mana and converts them into power. And the more compatible the wavelengths of that aura, the more power you receive—isn’t that right?”

In that case… Ruchika was still unconscious in my arms. Looking down at her innocent face, her eyes still closed, I began to charge up my mana inside my body.

“Ruchika, I believe in your power—and in our bond.”

Even if Ruchika did wake up, I wondered how much more she could fight against that monster, and how her Gluttony ability would vary based on our compatibility. Both factors were uncertain, but I decided to trust in them.

If we wanted enough power to take down the cyclops, I couldn’t be stingy with my mana. I gathered it from every nook, every cranny of my body. I had to give everything I had to Ruchika, even if it meant my life. Feeling a strange sensation begin to bubble up within me, I drew close to Ruchika’s face.

“I entrust myself—my everything—to you. So please, Ruchika—”

I pressed my lips against hers.

Drunk on the ecstasy of my burning, overflowing mana, I poured everything I had into Ruchika. I could feel my power draining from within me, from the root of my very being. But I still didn’t stop sending mana into her body.

Please, Ruchika. Wake up.

I sensed my body empty out, and just before my consciousness faded away, I felt power beginning to overflow from someplace even deeper.

What is this…?

A dazzling, explosive light began to shimmer.

(Ruchika)

When I woke up, I was in Leonie’s arms, surrounded by light. It looked like she had blacked out. Since my consciousness had still been faint, I understood what had happened. Leonie had done something really bold for me.