Summoning of the Hell Hound

Behind the Hero Academy rose a nameless mountain.

Even the enrolled students simply called it the back mountain. There, the commoner freshman William tore through the undergrowth that blocked his path, racing forward at full speed.

“William, do you really believe what the young master said?”

While they ran, the green-haired girl at his side spoke so quietly that no one else could hear.

“Enri, I don’t think the young master would joke around in a situation that urgent.”

“Still, it’s weird. This is the academy’s back mountain.”

“Doubting everything first isn’t a good habit.”

“Use your head a little. Do you even know how far it is from the auditorium to here? What kind of detection skill has a range that wide?”

“How should I know…?”

“You absolute idiot.”

Enri’s face twisted with frustration at William’s limp reply, but he had nothing more to offer her.

It wasn’t a matter of believing or not believing. His instincts had screamed that he had to stay with them, so he had followed. How was he supposed to make her understand that?

William’s gaze settled on the back of the boy running at the front of the group.

Black hair—rare on the continent—filled his vision. In any other nation that color might have been considered ominous, but to the people of the Carlisle Empire, black hair was something to revere and respect.

It was the color of the hero Albans Winchester.

Like everyone else, William had grown up hearing the legendary deeds of Albans Winchester. His grandfather had told him the epic of the Winchester hero: a man who helped the weak, overcame every crisis, grew into greatness, and received a title directly from the first emperor. William had wanted to become a hero just like that, and that dream had carried him across the threshold of the Hero Academy.

He had already known that the Winchester heir would enroll in the same year. The rumors had been so loud it would have been harder not to know. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠So when the freshmen gathered in the auditorium for the entrance ceremony, the moment he spotted that striking black hair he had recognized the boy at once.

Yet he had also heard the other talk—that the boy was the shame of House Winchester, a D-rank talent, a failure—so he had deliberately kept his distance, unwilling to tarnish the image of Winchester he carried in his heart.

Then the terrorist attack had erupted.

Watching the young master fight the monsters with astonishing skill had left William stunned. Once again he had confirmed that rumors were worthless.

And after that, something even more astonishing happened.

Young Master Taylor Winchester had singled him out and asked for his help.

“Your combat skill isn’t bad. Follow me.”

William had not shown it outwardly, but how could he describe the way his heart had pounded? Yes—he had felt as though he had stepped straight into a scene from one of those stories.

I expanded my senses with mana and crashed through the underbrush.

I had fed the kids trailing behind me a complete load of nonsense about detection skills and the like, but there was no way someone like Taylor possessed anything of the sort. That didn’t mean I couldn’t find the terrorists. I was simply navigating by memory of Hero Con Brio from my gaming days.

Damn it. I’m sure this is the right direction…

Even in the game it had been an early event, so the exact path was fuzzy. After running for so long without spotting the target, anxiety began to gnaw at me—until something alien snagged on my widely spread senses, like prey caught in a spider’s web.

I slowed and came to a stop. The others halted with me. Once I confirmed everyone had frozen, I pointed toward the source of that foreign presence.

“The mastermind behind the terrorist attack is just ahead.”

The three of them extended their own senses in the direction I indicated. Their eyes sharpened as they verified it for themselves.

“The enemy is strong. And we each have only one life.”

I looked at the three faces turned toward me.

“So I won’t blame anyone. If you want to run, now’s the time.”

I said the words, but inside I was burning black. Even if imperial law treated rank like a club, things worked differently inside the academy. By the first emperor’s decree it was practically extraterritorial—another small world running on its own rules.

If they claim later that I dragged them here, I’m finished.

So I was laying the groundwork to avoid future trouble. Honestly, though, if these kids bailed I was screwed.

Please don’t run. How am I supposed to stop that thing alone?

Whether they sensed my desperation or not, each of them met my gaze with resolve written across their faces.

“I am already prepared. I will follow to the end.”

“Ugh… We’ve come this far. No choice now.”

“I came of my own will. I have no objections.”

I nodded once at their words.

“I’ve clearly confirmed your resolve.”

Now you’ve all agreed to this.

Together we advanced carefully toward the alien presence. Soon a figure in a gray robe stood alone, chanting in an incomprehensible tongue. Around him a magic circle of deep violet light pulsed with unmistakable malice. Everything about the scene screamed suspicion, and I knew my old memories had not failed me.

“Halt, villain! Your evil ends here!”

William stepped forward, face twisted with righteous fury at the sinister sight. Apparently the word “ambush” was missing from this guy’s dictionary.

Talk about main-character energy. He’s spouting lines like he walked straight out of a story.

The robed man turned toward us, looking mildly surprised.

“My, my. To think little rats would scurry all the way out here.”

His oily, wicked voice slithered into our ears.

“Die!!”

William ignored the words completely, gripping his sword and charging.

“Heh heh heh. Useless.”

William’s strike rebounded off an invisible wall.

“Kh!”

“William!”

While Enri caught the rebounding boy, the robed man strode toward the center of the magic circle.

“Still, I’ll give you credit. You arrived right on time.”

As if to prove the claim, the circle carved into the ground flared with intense light. The man drew a sacrificial dagger from his waist.

“Heh heh heh… Ahahaha! From there, witness the birth of ruin!”

Voice thick with madness, he drove the dagger straight into his own heart without a moment’s hesitation.

“Ah… O great one, all is as you will…”

Even knowing it would happen, the unhesitating strike still made me flinch.

“What…!”

“!!”

While everyone reeled, the blood spilling onto the ground was sucked greedily into the magic circle.

“Snap out of it! Everyone, brace for impact!”

I warned the party and raised my spear, eyes locked on the circle.

—Kreeeeeeeeek!!!!

A grotesque howl tore the air as the magic circle collapsed inward, twisting into something like a black hole. Dense mana exploded outward, shaking the surroundings. The robed man’s corpse sank into the void as if into a swamp, and a massive monster clawed its way free to take his place.

“That pressure…”

“What is that…?”

“A Hell Hound.”

At my words Elizabeth’s voice rose in startled recognition.

“That can’t be. Hell Hounds are mid-tier monsters only seen on the front lines.”

More precisely, it was an incomplete Hell Hound. The academy housed the first emperor’s sacred relics and numerous holy artifacts, creating a special wavelength that weakened any evil power above a certain threshold. It did nothing against low-tier scavengers barely worthy of the name “evil,” but a mid-tier Hell Hound was another matter entirely.

Four level-one newbies had no business hunting a mid-tier monster in the first place. Even summoned unstably, its overwhelming presence made me swallow hard without meaning to.

I expected it would be tough, but seeing it in person… the pressure is on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠another level.

Can I really take this thing down with these four newbies?

Honestly, running right now might be the correct answer. Worry began to claw at me—until the monster decided we had no time for that.

—Kyaaaaak!!

It moved.

I barked at the tank who was still standing there like an idiot.

“Green girl—Indomitable! Use the skill, now!”

Even weakened, a direct hit from that thing would end the same way. Hero or not, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a fragile human body would tear like paper.

“The guardian never yields.”

A thin, transparent barrier bloomed around her just as the Hell Hound’s razor claws slammed into it.

Boom!

“Kyaaak!!”

“Enri!”

Dirt exploded outward as if a shell had detonated, tearing up the ground. Yet the girl who took the hit was only shoved back a short distance; the shock that reached her body itself seemed manageable. Still, the barrier had not blocked everything. Blood trickled from the corner of Enri’s mouth.

“Yellow commoner—charge with me!”

I signaled William and sprinted toward the Hell Hound, which had paused after its attack was blocked.

“Elizabeth—give us Tailwind.”

“O wind that opens the traveler’s path.”

Elizabeth’s skill settled over us and my body lightened at once. This was exactly why Elizabeth Spencer remained useful deep into the late game of Hero Con Brio.

Buffers are gods.

There was no time to adjust to the sudden speed. I reset my grip and drove my spear into the Hell Hound’s massive torso.

Thud!

The sound was nothing like metal striking hide. William’s sword, aimed from the opposite side, likewise failed to deal real damage; he was forced to retreat.

—Kyaaaaaaak!!!

Enraged at those who dared attack it, the Hell Hound’s counter was far too merciless and fast for us to endure.

There’s no way I can dodge this.

“Damn it—Elizabeth, skill!”

“O wind, become a wall that bars the enemy!”

Boom!

A translucent wall sprang up before my eyes—and shattered in the same instant. The following shockwave hurled ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me away.

“Guh…”

Blood poured from my nose and mouth; my insides felt wrecked. Even after the wind barrier absorbed one hit, I was still in this state.

“Young Master Taylor!”

“I’m fine. Help the commoner and the green girl.”

Elizabeth, who had been rushing toward me, hesitated at my order, then spun and returned to William and Enri’s side.

I forced strength into legs that wanted to give out and pushed myself upright, watching the three still locked in combat.

I slipped away as naturally as I could.

Luck had been on my side. The monster’s attacks had been sharper than planned, so the damage was worse than I wanted, but in the end everything had unfolded exactly as I needed. I had been looking for a chance to step out of the fight without finding one—never imagining a Hell Hound would create the opening for me.

I turned my head away from them and murmured quietly,

“Status window.”

Still garbage stats, but just getting this far in three days made me want to pat myself on the back. For the plan I had drawn up I needed MP 10 as fast as possible, yet I had failed to hit that mark even by entrance day. The early elixirs could only raise that pathetic zero to nine.

That limit had finally been broken by the fight in the auditorium moments ago.

“Hahaha.”

After checking the status window I quickly opened my inventory and pulled out a single item.

This was the key item of my entire plan. Luck had dropped it into my inventory when I hunted the Twelfth Apostle, Kumar.

In the game it would have been completely useless. Not anymore.

Outwardly it looked like an ordinary ball of yarn. The description, however, was strange—nothing but vague talk of potential and mystery. In short, it was a quest-type item: the kind you explored the field for, pestered NPCs about, and finally obtained a rare special reward at the end. Pure RPG flavor.

And I had already completed the Evolutionary Cocoon quest dozens of times.

I pulled one of the quest-reward items from my inventory.

Those with low mana, huh…

To prevent reckless growth, the item carried a restriction against beginners under MP 10.

“Ha. Never thought I’d be the one caught by a restriction like this.”

At last the shackle holding me back had fallen away. The foundation for a comeback was set.

Nothing can stop me now.

All right. Time for the counterattack to begin.