You've Been Kidnapped (End)

It had been a perfect plan.

Cross-dress, sneak into the dorms, find Rania, and get her out.

Speech, elegant. Gestures, alluring. Gaze, crystal-clear.

I'd mapped every last mannerism onto the high-school-girl-chan template and given the performance everything I had. And yet—

So why had I been found out instantly?

"I definitely looked like an S-Rank pretty girl, though."

A twinge of regret washed over me after the fact, but—

"Well. It worked out anyway."

I sighed the leftover disappointment away and carefully lowered my gaze.

The cargo hold of a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠carriage bound for somewhere. There I sat, hitching a ride.

"...Nngh."

Rania lay across my lap.

I stroked her furrowed brow and whispered.

"It's okay. You can sleep a little longer."

"...Mm."

"That's it. Keep sleeping."

It had been four and a half hours since we'd left the dorms.

Clunk, clunk, clunk!

The ride was far worse than I'd expected, and yet she hadn't woken even once.

"Well. I guess she's earned it."

Even in the original novel, Rania's training regimen was described as something beyond imagination.

Even the official knights had been horrified by the sheer volume of her training.

But it wasn't unconditionally a good thing.

Pushing herself past every limit, Rania would eventually break—badly.

Because the family head, her only sanctuary, would die. And after that, she would never rest again.

It was a trial laid upon the protagonist, and of course Rania would overcome it and grow—

...but in the end, she would lose her family.

Her mother, acting as family head. Her cold, composed younger brother. Her youngest sibling, her only remaining refuge.

"Fuck that."

This was a happy ending?

You put a protagonist through two more disasters this big and then slap a "happy ending" on it?

"I refuse to accept that."

No matter how much I'd loved Protect the Academy!, no matter how reluctant I was to wreck the original—

That was only when I was a reader.

I'd already pulled every stunt imaginable just to survive, and the plot was already off the rails.

Even if I have to smash the original to pieces, I'll make a real happy ending happen.

Having made up my mind, I quietly reached out.

A shallow cut on her face. Both palms torn deeper than I'd thought.

Swish, rustle, slip.

I changed the bandages I'd wrapped and applied salve to the wound on her face.

The wounds Rania had taken. That was why I'd sworn to act big, even if it meant turning my back on the original.

Of course, even now I was afraid my actions might bring even greater misfortune. But still, I...

"Rania. I hope you'll be happy."

I whispered it like a mutter to myself, then brushed her hair aside so the medicine wouldn't get in it.

Anyway. We should be arriving soon.

I needed to finish preparing before we got off, or we wouldn't even have time for a simple meal.

No helping it.

Just as I was about to wake Rania—

"...S-snrrk."

A faint tremor shivered against my knee. And that wasn't all. The hair I'd neatly brushed aside was covering her face again.

"Rania?"

"...Hnn."

"Still asleep?"

I reached to sweep her hair back and check—

Swish...

Rania had already moved her bandaged hand to cover her entire face.

I was still wondering how to wake her when—

"We've arrived!! Mount Ragna Active Volcano!!"

After a five-hour journey, the carriage came to a halt.

"A-aah! How... how refreshing!"

Rania shot upright.

Creak, creak.

Her movements sounded like they were creaking.

"Hmph! A-a mighty and vigorous morning this is!"

She flailed around looking for the exit, then immediately came back—apparently she couldn't leave me behind.

"A-aah!"

Then she suddenly held out her hand.

"You are Eugene, are you not!"

"Hm?"

"I-it is good to see you in a place such as this!"

For all the confidence in her voice, only her torso was turned toward me. She wouldn't even meet my eyes.

I figured it out immediately.

She heard me say I hoped she'd be happy.

She was such a blunt character; of course she couldn't handle words like that. Which meant the urge to tease her came roaring up.

I asked in a sly voice.

"Rania. Do you know where we are?"

"Of course! This is a carriage, is it not! ...Hmm. But why am I in a carriage...?"

"I brought you here."

I stood up at once and moved somewhere she couldn't escape.

Swish.

I reached out, brushed her bangs aside, and looked straight into her glistening, reddened eyes.

"K-kidnapped?"

I answered with complete honesty.

And in the next instant—

The face of Rania, always so composed, always so blunt, always so grown-up—

"...Mm. I... I did, too."

—crumbled without a shred of resistance.

A flushed face. Glancing eyes. Fumbling hands.

Standing there was neither the cold, ruthless Iron-Blood Knight, nor the merciless Expressionless Empress.

"I... I did... miss you... a little......"

Just Rania Vulcanus.

"Ah!"

Realizing what she'd just said, she startled and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠started flailing.

"A-ah! That's— I couldn't protect you— I mean, I failed to protect you! I was merely curious as to the state of your body... Something of that nature! No— of that sort!!"

Maybe it was from watching her like that.

Of course, even now I was afraid my actions might bring even greater misfortune... but those stray thoughts died out like a dampened ember.

A happy ending.

To achieve a happy ending, I had to pull misfortune out by the roots anyway. So the misfortune right in front of me, and the enormous misfortune that might follow because of it—

I have to stop all of it. Every last bit.

This wasn't the time to doubt myself and agonize. It was time to act.

I took Rania's hand.

"Listen carefully, Rania."

"A-alright. I mean—very well."

I hesitated over where to start, then decided to just go in order.

"This is Ragna."

"Ragna? If it is Ragna, then surely... the volcano where the dwarves dwell, is it not?"

"That's right."

Whoosh!

I threw back the canvas and stepped down from the carriage, and a massive volcano filled my vision.

Clang...! Clang...! Clang...!

Countless forges had been built around the great volcano, and the ringing of iron and fire born from them echoed across the land.

"...My chest feels lighter."

"Hm?"

"Ah, it is nothing!"

For some reason Rania's expression had brightened. She barely managed to rein in her excitement and asked,

"So? Do you require a weapon?"

"No."

"Then for what purpose have you come here?"

"To collect damages."

"Damages?"

Rania asked as if she had no idea what I meant, and I drew in a breath as if answering her.

"Hahh..."

Saving Rania's dad.

The second plan was this:

"Vivian!!! I'm here to make a deal!!!!"

Shake down the strongest being in the world.

And in the next moment—

"How'd you know to come looking for me."

Vivian, who had appeared in front of me at some point, added without giving me a chance to answer.

This time, she might actually kill him.

Deep beneath the earth stood a temple belonging to those called the Salvation Cult—or the Heretics. And in its deepest chamber, a meeting room that only the Six Apostles could enter.

Everyone except the 1st Apostle and the 2nd Apostle sat with black robes pulled over their heads.

The first to speak was Number 3.

"Number 2's absent again?"

"W-well, of course."

That was Number 5.

"I-I still want to kill him."

The stammering voice and the voice that corrected it sounded like two different people.

"......"

"......"

Number 6 and Number 4 kept their silence.

Rrrrk.

Number ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠3, who had been watching them, stood and approached Yeonhwa from behind.

"Hey, Number 4. Quiet today, aren't you?"

"...Fuck off."

Pale pink eyes flashed from behind the mask.

"Oof. Scary."

Number 3 chuckled and replied—

GRAB!!

In the blink of an eye, he reached out and wound Yeonhwa's hair around his fist.

"What's wrong, Number 4. You know what happens if you get scared of me after I beat the crap out of you and stole your number. The Restriction kicks in, yeah?"

"Ahh, right. There was a moronic Restriction like that, wasn't there? It was so pathetic I forgot."

Number 3's face crumpled. He tore off his mask and clenched his fist.

"Just die. You fucking bitch."

"Hey."

Yeonhwa's eyes narrowed to slits.

"Let's keep the language pretty, yeah?"

Following a seductive flick of her wrist, a pale pink scythe spun and came to rest between Number 3's legs.

Number 3 let out a sigh.

"A bitch who couldn't even get a Restriction, and you're still running your mouth?"

"Dunno. It's not like I'm running my mouth because I believe in you."

"Aha. Then I guess you need to die?"

"Go ahead. It'll ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hurt a bit, though? Oh wait—you're so small you might not even feel it?"

"You fucking—!!!"

Just as the two of them were about to clash—

Creeeak...

A massive stone door opened, and someone walked in.

Step. Step. Step.

He was the only one wearing white.

"......"

He had merely walked in without a word, and yet not a single Apostle could move.

It was a matter of instinct.

They had all received the same Baptism, but even the other five combined wouldn't reach the 1st Apostle's feet.

The moment he sat down after walking in in silence—

"......"

"......"

Number 3 and Number 4 quietly drew apart.

The 1st Apostle murmured quietly.

"Number 6... and Number 3."

The instant he named them, a black-red gate opened.

The expressionless Number 6 and Number 3, wearing a vicious smile, stepped through the gate.

The destination beyond the gate was—