Plan
Plan
I took back what I said about him being someone well-versed in magic.
"POOOOOWEEEEER!!!"
Because what that bastard Zeke used to break the wall was pure, brute physical force.
The guy who'd backed well away and pretended to cast a spell suddenly shouted, charged past me, and slammed his shoulder into the wall. In the split second cracks spread across it from the impact, an odd realization struck me.
By this world's standards, there were plenty of things I did that no one here would understand.
At a glance it looked like he was spouting memes from his past life without a care because no one would understand him anyway. But what if it was actually a way to keep from forgetting his own identity? Or if not that, maybe he was putting it out there without reservation, believing that if another reincarnator in the same situation existed, they'd recognize it and be able to meet him.
Of course, I didn't have the luxury to think about any of that deeply. My body, already clad in Magic Power, was sprinting after Zeke.
Fortunately, the bastard's physical force had no shortage whatsoever when it came to obliterating the wall.
-CRASH!
The wall, torn apart wretchedly by Zeke who'd slammed into it wreathed in aura, scattered in all directions like flying styrofoam. It was a bit different from what I'd expected, but it sure as hell made the people on the other side hesitate.
Still, as expected, it didn't reach the level of flying into people and causing actual damage. Tsk tsk.
There wasn't any belated turning of heads or shifting of gazes. How many people would only look after the wall broke when we'd already announced our presence that loudly?
"It's Zeke!"
"Shit! Take out Zeke first!"
"Humanity's technique prevails!"
The problem was that, of all things, the ones fighting were students, so they displayed incredible cohesion and aimed their blades at us. And what the hell was up with the bastard going on about humanity against a Hero, seriously?
"Kahahaha! Come at me, you whelps! As if what you couldn't beat for years is gonna change overnight!"
It was sad, but what Zeke said wasn't wrong. Since Zeke could use both magic and spirit arts, they might be able to match him with decent numbers, but gaining the upper hand was hard.
As for me, I was limited to fighting with just my own body, so even three warriors above a certain skill level who coordinated well would give me plenty to worry about.
"Huh...? Wait! If Zeke is here...!"
Which was why I preferred ambushes. Take out one, and the opportunity to take out two more emerged. Under the assumption that I could whittle them down sequentially like that, numerical superiority actually became a psychological pressure that caused unintended mistakes.
The student farthest from us had enough distance to assess the situation calmly, but before she could finish saying what she'd realized, the sharp stone I'd thrown tore through the scroll at her waist and sent her back by force.
"A Royal Knight!"
"Ethenera! Our team will handle Zeke!"
"Encircle! Anti-Zeke Formation! Objective: neutralization!"
Listening to them talk, you'd think they were some kind of special anti-Hero operatives, honestly. While I quietly admired the fact that Ethenera was leading one party, I checked the numbers charging toward me.
Two swordsmen, one male and one female, and a female mage keeping her distance while beginning an incantation. Aside from Ethenera, who was preparing something, the other five were targeting Zeke, so the female student I'd just sent back must have been in Ethenera's party too.
"Our fundamentals are on a different level!"
I was still a storybook knight in their eyes, so I kept speaking politely as I accelerated with Magic Power, shot between the two charging me from either side, and rushed the female student preparing a spell.
It was the same double acceleration that had even worked on Ogatorf's knights. No matter how high the academy students' level was, they couldn't react to this.
"Hyahk?!"
"You should protect your own body yourself."
If it came down to it, she needed to create distance even if that meant forcing the spell she was casting to discharge, but she probably couldn't think that far.
The student panicked and backed away, caught her foot on a small protruding rock, and nearly fell. As I passed, I sliced the scroll at her waist with my sword tip, and she was immediately sent back.
"Huh?"
But the rock that should have been where she disappeared was gone. Had she tripped over her own feet? No. I definitely saw a rock... huh?
"HAAAP!"
Watching the students who'd changed direction and were charging at me despite being too late, I couldn't resist confirming an absolutely insane hypothesis.
I quickly turned and pretended to scoop up a stone from the ground. The male student flinched backward, watching my hand as if to protect his scroll, while the female student tried to close the distance faster to stop me before I could act. Their movements threw the spacing between them out of sync.
"Ugh, no good!"
Naturally, even quick-witted Ethenera's shout came too late to serve as a warning.
Just the act of swinging my empty hand and pretending to throw something at her face made the female student flinch. I struck her sword upward, then pushed up from under her armpit and hurled her toward the male student. The panicked male student hurriedly caught the falling female student, and the two of them tumbled together.
I caught the female student's falling sword, and while the two of them floundered in confusion, I tore the scroll at her waist and sent them both back together.
"So it really was an area-of-effect return spell."
They'd disappeared together even though I hadn't torn the male student's scroll, so there was no room for doubt. Maybe it was designed that way in case of emergencies?
Still, the fact that the scroll the male student had been wearing remained in its place was unexpected. Did it work that way because the same magic was applied? It was such an expensive item that I'd never had occasion to use one, so I couldn't know.
"Damn. Nothing's ever easy!"
Clicking my tongue, I met eyes with Ethenera, who smirked at me.
I quickly scanned with my eyes to see if that relaxed attitude meant he had some hidden card... but even though he'd clearly been preparing something just moments ago, it now felt less like he'd finished it and more like he'd simply given up.
"It ended way too fast, so I'll show my skills next time!"
And then, without any hesitation, he tore his own scroll and forfeited.
In the end, all I could do was be impressed as Ethenera vanished in an instant, sent back by the scroll.
"Wow. That one's no pushover either."
I'd thought he was just a cheerful mood-maker, but his situational judgment was oddly quick. Though, I supposed that was why he could exercise command in a situation like this.
"No matter how I look at it, the levels don't quite match. I'm one thing, but you're pretty damn versatile too."
Admiring Ethenera like that, I pocketed the scroll the male student had left behind just in case. Zeke approached casually, looking like someone who hadn't swung his sword even once.
No, seriously, it looked like he really hadn't swung it?
I glanced behind him. There were still only the three baggage-carriers eyeing us from the other side of the wall we'd come through.
"When did you finish them all off?"
"Do the wind spirits look like decorations to you? Ethenera might've figured it out, but the others are a bit thickheaded. I played along for a while, then ripped up all their scrolls."
I'd wondered if I'd been too focused to hear anything, but no—Zeke had literally steamrolled them while I'd been busy watching my own fight.
Spirit arts were seriously unfair. Or wait, was this the Hero buff being unfair?
"Hmm. So unlike your sloppy swordsmanship, you've been working hard on the rest, I take it?"
"I'm not great with proper forms. But ever since I lost to you, I've been taking my swordsmanship lessons seriously, asshole."
"And yet you keep using that absurdly huge greatsword?"
"Against small fry, this is plenty. Just wait. I'll show you some damn impressive swordsmanship later."
It wasn't a very convincing response, but well—if the man himself had realized something and changed his attitude in class, there wasn't much for me to say.
I nodded along, and was about to call the three baggage-carriers over so we could move again, when—
"As expected of a Hero chosen by a god. That confidence is truly heroic."
I looked toward the voice, thinking these bastards still hadn't given up. The baggage-carriers were nowhere to be seen, and only the delegation party—whom I'd briefly seen before entering the dungeon—stood there.
Honestly, I hadn't sensed any presence at all, so I was considerably startled. Zeke was apparently no different, his eyes going round as he threw out a question.
"What the—where'd you come from?"
Well, now. We were the ones who'd ignored the perfectly fine path and smashed through a wall, so honestly, hadn't they just come from the opposite side of the path we were originally supposed to take?
Sure enough, the answer that came matched my prediction exactly.
"We came from the opposite side. If the Hero hadn't made a hole in the wall, you would have fought us first."
The fierce-looking woman I'd also spotted briefly before we first entered the dungeon seemed to have been designated leader, as the others said nothing.
"What about the morons who were over there?"
"Of course we sent them back. Reducing the enemy's numbers is the best choice, isn't it?"
"Ah, shit. If I'd known it'd turn out like this, I would've just come casually. In the end, they were useless except for killing one goblin each."
I'd thought that inside the dungeon, a situation might arise where the three of them would need to tie down at least one monster if we encountered any, so I'd tensed them up thoroughly and brought them along. It had turned out to be nothing but a waste of time.
Actually, they'd given me a good laugh, so from my standpoint, they'd served their purpose. But Zeke apparently didn't see it that way.
"Either way, it's convenient to clear them all out at once. Dealing with students after defeating the Hero would've been a nuisance too."
"What're you yapping about like you're gonna win for sure?"
"Hehe. We've simply been through far too much to play around at the student level, you see."
The woman adjusted her grip on her short spear and smiled, and the ones behind her drew their swords almost simultaneously.
"Don't take it too hard. Under the hollow title of Hero, you must have enjoyed days you couldn't have dreamed of as a commoner, is that not so?"
"...Hey. Do you have any idea what the hell she's going on about?"
Zeke's face broadcasted the sentiment of 'these guys appeared out of nowhere spouting weird-ass shit,' so I gave him a simple explanation.
"She's saying she thinks you're a fucking joke."
Even I thought it was a perfect summary, and though everyone was impressed for different reasons, impressed they all were.
I was pretty damn good at one-line summaries, I had to admit.