An Uneventful Ending
I followed the Academy Regressor
"You're quite different from the Transcendents I've observed until now."
"······."
"Most Transcendents, including His Holiness the Pope, possess an overwhelming presence. Yet you are strangely quiet."
"······."
"Did you deliberately erase your presence? It's fascinating that it works so well. Even among fellow Transcendents, it shouldn't be that effective. My subordinate also has quite the presence, similar to—"
"That's enough."
I cut off Arie's endless chatter and took a step back to put some distance between us.
"I've listened long enough. Were you always this talkative?"
"Hehe, who knows? No one's ever pointed that out to me before, so I'm not sure."
Well, of course. What brave soul would dare stand in front of the Saintess and say, 'Saintess, you talk too much'? Unless they were close to her, most people found it difficult just to strike up a conversation.
"···I asked something pointless."
"Hehe···."
"Anyway, if you're satisfied, you may leave now."
"Leave?"
"I've known for a while that you've been keeping an eye on the core."
"······."
Arie gave an awkward smile, looking slightly flustered. She must have thought she'd hidden it perfectly, but it was obvious if you paid attention.
"I've removed all the magic circles connected to the core. If you speak with the Academy Director later, you should be able to claim whatever reward you want."
"······All I did was follow you around···. Is that really okay?"
"Didn't I tell you? This is compensation for stealing the holy relic···. Besides, I have no need for any reward the Director might offer."
If I went to that woman demanding a reward just because I'd helped, that would be ridiculous in its own way.
After listening to me until the end, Arie flashed a meaningful smile and said something absurd.
"Hehe, then, in exchange for keeping your secret this time too, could you answer just one question?"
"What kind of nonsense is—?"
"Hmm, think of it as an extension of the holy relic's price."
"······I don't understand why I should, but··· if it's something I can answer, I'll do so."
···It was a request I could have cleanly ignored, but since she'd willingly gone along with me, I accepted the increasingly brazen Saintess's request.
She seemed to ponder for a moment before cautiously asking me.
"This is a rather fundamental question, but··· why did you go so far as to enter the Academy and do all this?"
"All this?"
"I don't understand. What benefit do you gain from helping the Academy?"
There were several reasons, but if I had to pick one··· it was because the Academy Director's deteriorated condition was undeniably my fault.
"······Let's call it a form of apology."
With that short answer, I turned and left. When I glanced back, Arie still wore an expression that said her doubts hadn't been resolved. It probably wasn't the answer she wanted, but there was nothing I could do about that.
I couldn't exactly say out loud, 'Because I want to watch over those who are struggling to prevent Ruin.'
Hestia watched the fierce battle unfolding before her eyes without saying a word.
- Crackle-crack-crack! Boom!!!
Elisha moved across the battlefield at incredible speed, while Karl Myers relentlessly fired jet-black lightning at her. After observing their fight, Hestia finally understood why Elisha had called him a half-baked Transcendent at best.
'He's not even properly controlling his own power.'
He seemed to be using his corrupted energy in various ways—forming blades and shooting lightning—but Hestia's eyes saw far more than that.
Though he wasn't showing it, Karl was struggling. The corrupted energy and mana he'd forcibly absorbed hadn't settled properly, and he couldn't yet adapt to his rapidly grown body. That was why, even if Elisha couldn't land any effective blows, she could still dodge every single attack.
However, Hestia knew this balance wouldn't last long.
The corrupted energy Karl wielded was sharpening in real time. He was gradually getting used to his new body. His attacks still couldn't reach Elisha, but their accuracy was improving with every passing second.
If Karl fully adapted to his body like this, the balance would shatter in an instant.
That was why Hestia's role was even more crucial.
'I just need to do my part well.'
The finishing blow Elisha had entrusted to her. It was the only card that could completely turn the current situation around.
The Hero Hestia's most powerful weapon, the Holy Sword. And the devastating slash she could unleash with it.
The one thing Elisha had evaluated as possibly rivaling—or even surpassing—the Saintess Arie, who stood on the threshold of Transcendence··· was pure offensive power.
Even though she hadn't reached Transcendence, if Hestia could wield the Holy Sword to its limit, she could produce power close to that of a Transcendent.
But she was still inexperienced, so gathering and condensing that much power took time. Elisha knew this too, which was why she'd chosen to buy that time herself.
"Huu······."
Hestia let out a long breath and steadied her mind. While Elisha held on, her Holy Sword had already absorbed enough golden energy. The preparations were complete.
Now she just needed to wait for the timing Elisha created and strike at Karl Myers's opening.
In that fleeting moment, Hestia's eyes met Elisha's, and she gave a small nod.
"Hup!"
The moment she received the signal that preparations were finished, Elisha's movements changed completely. She abandoned her previous focus on defense and maintaining distance, instead launching aggressive attacks.
- Boom!
Her spear, thrust forward at blinding speed, struck Karl Myers's armor with a bizarre explosive sound.
"Kuk, how fast···. But an attack like this can't pierce my armor···!"
"Really? Then try holding out until the end."
"What···?"
Before he could finish speaking, dozens of strikes rained down in a surprise barrage. Each blow carried the same destructive force as her earlier sharp thrust.
- Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwaang!!!
"Kugh!"
The explosive energy bursting from Elisha's spear carved large and small wounds across Karl's armor. They were minor injuries that would heal in moments, but because they came so suddenly and he had allowed most of them, he staggered backward.
'Now!'
Hestia, who had been watching for an opening, charged in. The Hero's destructive mana, compressed to its limit, radiated a blinding light. An overwhelming aura that even a Transcendent could not ignore···.
Hestia swung the Holy Sword with the intent to reduce her opponent to dust.
"I've been waiting!!!"
At that moment, Karl Myers's head twisted at a grotesque angle, turning toward Hestia. Sensing danger, she instinctively turned her head to the side.
Only then did she see the jet-black pillar rising from the ground.
In the critical situation, Hestia's mind spun rapidly. Judging by the pillar's direction and speed, it wasn't aimed at her. It was targeting the side of the Holy Sword. If it collided, the angle would twist.
Why was he aiming for the Holy Sword of all things···.
'No way···!'
The moment Hestia instinctively realized what Karl Myers was after, she tried to pull her sword back··· but the Holy Sword, having used too much mana, had already lost control and was surging forward.
"Elisha!!!"
Hestia cried out in desperation. If things continued like this, the Holy Sword's blade—deflected by the jet-black pillar—would swing toward Elisha, and the accumulated mana would explode, erasing her from existence.
As Hestia's face hardened at the thought of the worst possible ending, and Karl Myers smiled viciously at what he believed was the best possible ending···!
- Clang!
A pure white energy spread in an instant, completely shattering the rising jet-black pillar. Hestia's Holy Sword maintained its angle···.
- Crunch!!!
It struck Karl Myers's body cleanly. The armor covering him shattered completely along the path of the Holy Sword···.
"Aaaaaaaaagh!!!"
- Kwaaaaaaaaaang···!!!
Along with his scream, the intense light bursting from the Holy Sword illuminated the sky, and a massive explosion echoed across the entire Academy.
"Uwaaaa······."
Elisha let out a groan as she collapsed onto the ground. Her spear, which clearly looked in bad shape, had already been thrown far away some time ago.
"Elisha···!"
Hestia called her name in a panicked voice.
Elisha gave a weak laugh and replied.
"How many times have you called my name today?"
"That's···."
"Ahaha, I'm just kidding. Don't take it so seriously."
When Hestia hesitated, Elisha laughed loudly to reassure her.
Even so, Hestia still wore an expression full of guilt. She carefully took Elisha's hand in her own trembling ones and spoke softly.
"···I'm sorry."
"Hm? For what?"
"Because of my poor judgment, I almost put you in danger, Elisha. I sincerely apologize······."
"No, no. It was a good decision. Look, everything worked out in the end, right?"
"······."
Hestia couldn't agree with her casual tone. If that pillar hadn't been destroyed by chance, the Holy Sword would have swung toward Elisha instead of Karl Myers.
Hestia felt guilty for nearly cutting down her friend due to her own mistake, while at the same time being awed by how calm Elisha remained despite the dangerous situation.
'But··· why did that pillar suddenly get destroyed?'
The question suddenly occurred to her, and just as Hestia was about to ask Elisha about it···!
"Hehe, it seems this was the problem after all."
"?!"
At the sudden mysterious voice, Hestia drew her Holy Sword. Her arm, still recovering from the full-powered attack moments ago, trembled like a leaf, but she didn't lower her blade.
Where Hestia pointed her sword, a woman with snow-white hair had appeared at some point and was examining the fallen Karl Myers.
"···Who are you?"
"Hmm······."
Whether Hestia was wary or not, the woman didn't even glance at her. She crouched down and muttered something. A faint light seeped into Karl Myers's body, and she pulled out a dagger so mangled it was hard to recognize its original shape.
"It's already completely empty. Still, just to be safe, should I destroy it?"
"Excuse me···?"
"Hehe, I wasn't asking you, Hero."
She smiled ominously and slowly turned her head. After seeing her face and finally realizing who she was, Hestia lowered her Holy Sword.
"···When did you arrive, Saintess?"
"Hehe···. Who knows?"
The Saintess, Arie, smiled.