The False Hero's Death Shall Summon the True One
The following is a passage from one of the rituals of the Death's Truth Church.
"Kill the false hero and summon the true one. Come forth, Apostle who shall purify this twisted world. For your sake, I shall offer this one body in service."
The Saintess Audrey and the Chief Heresy Inquisitor Torres have made locating the next Saintess their top priority. Torres then departs.
As he left, Torres fell deep into thought.
The prophecy cannot be wrong. If that's the case, then it must have been the Goddess who resurrected Lady Raphael.
But something felt off about her. It was as if she remembered us, yet spoke with the distant voice of someone who would soon leave...
Does this truly mean Lady Raphael is fated to die alongside the Demon King?
...If only that damn hero hadn't existed, Lady Raphael wouldn't have had to die.
Torres kept turning the prophecy over in his mind.
The Demon King and the Hero shall share the same fate...
I will stop it. I will absolutely prevent Lady Raphael from sacrificing herself... no matter what it costs.
His fists clenched tightly as he swore to protect her. It was then that unexpected news reached him.
"Lord Torres. We've located where Lady Raphael is."
"...!!! Where? I'll head there immediately!"
"...It's the Hero Academy. The one where the hero serves as a professor."
"That bastard's academy, of all places..."
"So my fate is to go to the academy. I heard the academy's demon hunter suspected someone of heresy..."
After pondering the academy for a moment, Torres spoke to Allen.
"Thank you for investigating Lady Raphael for me, Allen."
"Not at all. Lady Raphael is a hero and legend to us inquisitors. Please take good care of her!"
Allen bowed his head at a perfect ninety degrees.
"For Lady Raphael!"
"Yes. For Lady Raphael!"
📍 Origin: Death's Truth Church Ritual Text
📍 Warning: Twisted faith detected
Meanwhile, in the main hideout of the Death's Truth Church, a meeting was underway when a certain man appeared.
"What of the matter I mentioned last time?"
"...That is..."
"Hmm... It seems you still haven't found it?"
Three men dressed in black spoke in loud voices.
"We are sorry!"
"It's fine. It seems I asked too much of you."
"Seeker!"
The man called the Seeker sat at the head of the table and spoke.
"I knew it would come to this, so I searched myself. But it was there and then gone."
"More precisely, it was never even born... Do you understand what that means?"
"..........."
He slammed his hand hard on the table.
"It means someone has already uprooted that sprout!"
"How dare... How dare they harm a Saint!"
The Seeker, seated at the head, grew violently angry. Electricity began crackling across his body.
"We are sorry... By the time we arrived, a masked woman had already killed every single believer."
Upon hearing about the masked figure, the Seeker suddenly laughed, then his expression turned cold.
"Haha... Whoever it is, they will die a horrible death."
He ran a hand through his hair as he continued.
"By the way, they say a Saintess will be coming to the academy this time. Have you summoned the demon that will kill her?"
"Seeker... Approximately forty percent of the believers sacrificed themselves to summon a Hexagram Demon."
"Oh... A Hexagram Demon... You've done quite well. Make sure the families of those who sacrificed themselves receive generous compensation."
The Seeker pondered the Hexagram Demon for a moment.
Indeed... A Hexagram Demon... Even the academy's principal wouldn't be able to stop it. Its ferocity was widely known even in the previous timelines...
I don't need to worry.
"With their sacrifice, the academy will walk the path of destruction."
"If the academy falls, the hero and all the regressors there will be weakened."
"Never forget our ultimate goal is to bring forth the Fiend."
"My god. My everything. When that being descends upon this world, everything shall meet its end."
"We must gather enough causality..."
"Every day, ten devout believers offer noble sacrifices to replenish our causality."
"Hmm... Good. You're doing well. If the Fiend descends, all who sacrificed themselves will return from death."
"I, too, have returned from death..."
"Therefore, offer everything for the Fiend!"
"Yes!!"
"And two days from now, on the day the Saintess arrives at the academy, she will be helplessly slaughtered by the Hexagram Demon!"
"I can't wait for the day that Saintess dies... Hehehe."
Two days later, the moment the Saintess arrived at the academy, the entire campus was in a festive mood. Who could possibly dislike the Saintess of the Holy Kingdom visiting in person?
Upon arrival, Audrey immediately met with the academy's principal, Flora.
"Hoo... It's been a long time, Saintess."
"Hehe, there's no need to be so stiff."
"The reason I've come here is to find my successor."
The principal set down her teacup. Her body stiffened as if she'd heard something unimaginable.
"Wh-what... did you just say...? Could you repeat that?"
"Hehe... I've come to find my successor. To be precise, the next Saintess who will follow in my footsteps."
The principal set down her teacup with composure and spoke seriously.
"May I ask the reason?"
"You already know, don't you? The Demon King's resurrection."
The principal's hand trembled.
"How did you..."
"With the demon race and demons running so rampant, it's obvious."
"Our hero party has grown old. It would be rude to even compare us to our prime."
"Hehe... The next hero party to follow in our footsteps... I'm looking forward to it. I feel sorry for placing such a heavy burden on them, but I hope they understand that it can't be helped for the sake of the world..."
"However..."
"That is precisely why we must find them."
"To overcome the tremendous trials that will come! Trials so immense that the Demon King's resurrection will seem like a mere drop in the bucket."
"So please, help me find the next Saintess."
"The existence of a Saintess allows the hero to soar... The fates of the hero and the Saintess are bound together as one."
"We've already found the hero... Baden must be training him hard right now."
"...Are you referring to Ian?"
"Yes. The boy named Ian. I'd like to meet him once. They say he follows in Raphael's footsteps? I'm very much looking forward to his funeral."
"For now, I'll search for children who might become the next Saintess. The Goddess said there is someone with the qualities of a Saintess here at the academy, so there must be."
"I'll go look for them now."
"Farewell."
Audrey said only what she wanted and vanished. Watching her leave, Principal Flora thought of Raphael.
That way of saying only what she wanted and disappearing... It was exactly like Raphael. That child really only taught her the bad habits. Tsk tsk...
Audrey ran toward the plaza. She wondered if Raphael would be waiting there again like last time. But perhaps she had run too fast—she ended up colliding with a professor walking ahead.
"Kyaa! Ugh... Hic! I'm so sorry!"
"I was running too fast... I truly apologize!"
Audrey kept apologizing.
"Are you... hurt anywhere...?"
"Hmm... Ah, I'm fine. Are you alright as well?"
"........."
".....??"
"........."
"...Excuse me...?"
"Found you."
"Pardon...?"
Audrey embraced the masked person before her and spoke.
"My morning star. My best friend, Raphael."
"I've finally found you."
But the masked woman seemed flustered as she replied.
"Um... Aren't you mistaking me for someone else...?"
"No. I couldn't possibly be mistaken. And why are you pretending not to know me? You know who I am!"
"And why are you wearing that mask?"
The masked woman looked even more confused and asked.
"I'm sorry, but... I really don't know who you are."
"I am a specialized demon-hunting instructor. This is the first time I've seen a student like you. Are you a transfer student?"
"Also, you shouldn't speak casually to a professor."
"...Why... Why...!"
Why don't you recognize me...? I'm Audrey. Audrey!!!
"Now, now. Raising your voice will earn you demerit points. I'm only letting it slide because it's me, you know?"
"So please return to your class. The Saintess has arrived, so you should wait in your classroom until—"
While Raphael was speaking, Audrey cut her off and ripped off her mask.
"See... It is you, Raphael... That small scar on your face. You are Raphael."
"......!!"
"Return the mask at once! With this attitude, I will assign demerit points! What is your name, rude student?"
"Audrey. My name is Audrey."
Right before colliding with Audrey — Raphael's perspective.
Hoo... This is exhausting. Teaching about demons is hard enough~ And I have no idea why Professor Tallen keeps glaring at me. I'm going crazy...
Thud—
"Ugh..."
Who is that? Running so fast... I should give them demerit points...
...?
Audrey? Isn't that Audrey...?
"My morning star. My best friend, Raphael."
Shiver—
Whoa... How did she recognize me right away? What the hell? And why is the Saintess coming to the academy in the first place?!
I need to play dumb. I don't know anything...
"Um... I'm sorry, but... I really don't know who you are."
"I am a specialized demon-hunting instructor. This is the first time I've seen a student like you. Are you a transfer student?"
"Also, you shouldn't speak casually to a professor."
This should do it, right? Whew, that was close. I was genuinely surprised.
Audrey... Now isn't the time for us to meet.
The moment I thought I'd overcome the crisis, Audrey snatched my mask.
This crazy—! Audrey, what the hell are you doing?! Is this how I raised you?! You ill-mannered little—!
"Return the mask at once! With this attitude, I will assign demerit points! What is your name, rude student?"
Please, just stop obsessing... You idiot, Audrey...