Prince Sweet Potato, Seron Parmia

"Prince Sweet Potato," Seron Parmia. At her sudden appearance, both Ban and I stopped fighting and stared at her.

"...Seron?" Ban called out her name, making her shoulders flinch.

"I-I'm not Seron, though!" If she was going to hide her identity, she should have done a proper job. The forehead gleaming above her mask was unmistakably Seron's.

"Seron, what do you think you're doing?" Rina also recognized her and shouted, demanding to know why on earth she was siding with the opposition.

Seron looked even more flustered, but she bit her lip and tightly gripped her two axes.

"I don't care! Just bring it on!" Seron bared her hostility toward Isabel's group.

"What is she even saying? Does she even know what's going on right now?" Rina reacted with sheer disbelief.

"Then she's not Seron." In that instant, a razor-sharp aura of sword energy bled from Ban's blade. It was a chilling force, enough to make even Seron shudder.

"Anyone who stands in my way is the same." Ban made it clear he would cut down anyone in his path. Yet, Seron did not back down, raising her axes instead.

"...Try me." A honey badger standing before a lion, baring its vicious fangs. To me, the situation was utterly absurd. I had never expected Seron to suddenly burst onto the scene.

Had she been watching from somewhere this whole time? It seemed she had stepped in because she thought I was in danger. I appreciated the sentiment, but at this rate, she would be dragged into the boycott group's mess as well. Just as I raised my hand to stop her—

"I came here of my own free will." A firm resolve leaked through Seron's tightly pressed lips. She had come here on her own accord. Staring at her back, I slowly lowered my raised hand.

"Can you hold off Ban?"

"Of course." Seron clanged her axes together, her fighting spirit flaring. Fine. I would leave Ban to her. As for what remained...

Ruuuuuumble—

In that moment, flames began to swirl violently around us. My gaze shifted to the one conjuring the fire. A contractor of a high-tier spirit, and originally the top-ranked student among the spiritists: Beakirying Monem.

The high-tier fire spirit she commanded materialized, spewing torrents of flame. Resembling a colossal lizard, the high-tier spirit flicked its tongue. Even with my high resistance, the heat was palpable. Furthermore, the spirit's eyes were locked entirely on me.

Did it sense the Fire's Flame? I carried the remains of the Fire Spirit Sovereign within my body. It was highly likely that a high-tier fire spirit would sense something.

"I don't know what's going on here, but..." Beakirying beckoned with her hand, as if she had already waited long enough. "With Sharin and Ring here, you're being far too arrogant."

Beside her, Sharin stared at me with displeased eyes. She let out a sigh and smoothly raised her staff. "Senior Vicamon, this is going to sting a bit."

Sharin had come here today at Isabel's request. Thus, she had no intention of holding back. I was now facing a battle against a high-tier spiritist and the top student of the magic department. On top of that, Isabel wouldn't just stand by and watch forever. Just as I braced myself for a grueling struggle—

Whoooooosh!

A sudden gale swept in, pushing back the swirling flames.

"Huh?" Beakirying gasped in bewilderment. As she hastily looked up, a massive, jade-colored bird was descending from the sky. A bird so colossal its sheer majesty was overwhelming spread its translucent wings. With every beat, the resulting wind shook everyone present.

"A-A Spirit Sovereign?" Beakirying stammered. The bird was indeed a Spirit Sovereign—the very spirit contracted to Poara Silin.

Thud!

Riding the wind, a boy landed right next to me. "Whoa-ah!" He landed in an incredibly awkward posture, flailing before managing to stand ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠upright. Then, he pushed up the glasses he wore over his mask. "I-I've arrived as backup!"

"Poara Silin, why are you on that side?" At Beakirying's question, Poara shook his head frantically in panic. "I-I am not Poara! I'm just a passing spiritist!"

"What on earth..." Beakirying reacted with utter disbelief, her eyes narrowing as if asking if he took her for a fool.

It seems he sensed the spirit's power and came over. I could guess why Poara had shown up. Sensing the presence of a high-tier spirit, he must have come to fulfill his role as a member of the boycott group in his own way.

"I-I'll handle the spirit." Shrinking under Beakirying's piercing gaze, Poara averted his eyes and spoke. Good. With this, the odds had become quite manageable.

"As I said before," I raised my fists toward Isabel's group. "This area is strictly off-limits to unauthorized personnel."

An explosive roar reverberated as the high-tier spirit clashed with the Spirit Sovereign. Caught in this sudden disaster, the regular students were tossed about. Amidst the chaos, Seron charged forward, her weapons clashing with Ban's as they became entangled in combat.

Seron's desperate Talisman Magic had improved to a level that even surprised Ban. Beyond their duel, the sky was painted with magical light. Every time Sharin's light magic rained down, the surrounding area was utterly devastated. It was practically a meteor shower.

Step!

In that instant, piercing through the afterimages of the light, Isabel's friend Rina appeared. She attempted to corner me with her skilled swordsmanship. However, I was someone who had fought on equal terms with Ban. My heightened dynamic visual acuity caught every trajectory of her blade, allowing me to evade effortlessly.

"How is a mage this fast?!" Rina screamed, panting heavily. Sorry, but I'm not a mage. Feinting by pulling my upper body back, I instead lunged forward. The distance between Rina and me closed in a split second.

Capitalizing on her panic, I drove my fist toward her wrist. Boom! An explosion magic triggered at my elbow, giving my fist explosive propulsion. Crack! "Agh!" Unable to react in time, Rina took the direct hit to her sword-wielding hand.

As her grip loosened, I channeled a faint electrical current along the flat of her blade. The moment the electricity stored in the Lightning Caller surged from my hand, she flinched and dropped her sword. She had seen what had happened to the paladin Pacen earlier, so she let go the instant she felt the shock.

Clang!

I kicked the falling sword away with all my might. With that, Rina was disarmed. But Rina was never the real threat to begin with.

Whoosh!

Isabel burst through the smoke where a light bullet had just detonated. Her vermilion eyes narrowed into beast-like slits. Her sword lunged toward my neck in a flash. This was unavoidable. I immediately raised my hand and swung.

Clang!

Deflecting the strike with the edge of my hand, I plunged into the smoke along with Isabel. Inside the blinding dust storm, I quietly sharpened my senses. Holding my breath, I caught sight of Isabel's silhouette. Her sword pierced through the haze even before her figure did.

Clang! Clang!

My hand-blade collided repeatedly with her sword without hesitation. Her blade was alive with intent. In terms of sheer sharpness, she's surpassed Ban. I realized anew just how hard Isabel had been training. Come to think of it, this was my first time fighting Isabel like this. To think the duel I had kept putting off would happen here. Life truly is full of surprises.

The moment I dodged her rising blade once more—thud! I realized my back was against a wall. Ah. I had focused too much on the tip of Isabel's sword and neglected my surroundings. Just before her thrusting blade could pierce my chest, I swung both hands simultaneously.

My fingers clamped onto the blade heading for my chest. The same trick I had used against Ban: Sword Breaker. Screeech! Just as I shattered Isabel's sword, I caught a flash of light from another angle. Another blade was already sweeping upward.

Isabel had abandoned her shattered weapon and was already swinging a new one. It was Rina's sword, which I had kicked away moments ago. She read me. Isabel had witnessed me using Sword Breaker against Ban and had anticipated it. That was why she had planned from the start to discard her own sword and seize Rina's.

I met Isabel's vermilion eyes. She was willing to use any means necessary to defeat me. Before I knew it, a chuckle escaped my lips. Yes, that's how a main heroine should fight.

The Magic Engraving on my back, pressed against the wall, erupted with light. Isabel realized it, but it was already too late. Kaaaa-booom! With a deafening roar, the entire wall collapsed.

"You!" I heard Isabel's voice, but I quickly rolled backward through the debris. Then, I kicked off the ground and sprinted away. I had bought more than enough time anyway. This was plenty.

I gripped the Lightning Caller. I unleashed the maximum output of the remaining electricity I had absorbed from Professor Barchio. Activating Magic Engraving: Lightning Catcher, I gathered the black lightning in my hand and hurled it toward Ban and Seron without hesitation.

Sensing the danger, Ban, who had been trading blows with Seron, leaped back. "Kya?!" Seron also jumped back in surprise, and I reached out to scoop her up by the waist. "Kyaa!" This time, her scream carried a completely different tone.

Carrying Seron, whose face had flushed beet red, I shouted, "Poara, retreat!" "Ah, y-yes!" Poara stopped his ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clash with Beakirying and retreated.

"Stop right there! Not after you've made a mess of me!" Beakirying shrieked at the fleeing Poara, but she couldn't bring herself to give chase. No matter how powerful a high-tier spirit and its contractor were, they were helpless against a Spirit Sovereign. Covered in soot and dirt, Beakirying gnashed her teeth. It looked like Poara was going to suffer quite a bit later on.

As I ran, I spotted Sharin in the distance. She was glaring at me with slightly disgruntled eyes. Her face practically said, You could have at least warned me if something like this was going to happen. I'd have to apologize to her later as well. For now, making a run for it was the best option.

After running for a long while, Isabel's group finally stopped pursuing us. Putting Isabel aside, their primary objective was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to pacify the boycott group causing chaos in the academy. There was no reason for them to chase me to the ends of the earth. Once we successfully shook them off and slipped into a building, I panted heavily. No matter how much hellish physical training I had endured with Aisha, fighting like that was bound to leave me exhausted.

Boom! Crash!

In the distance, the clash between the Student Council and the boycott group was still ongoing. Though they were quite far away, everyone was fighting desperately.

"Ah..." Seron let out a soft gasp. Realizing I was still holding her, I quickly set her down. Seron wasn't looking at me; her trembling eyes were fixed on the window.

"Seron?" I called her name in confusion, and she bit her lip hard. "Prince... No, Senior Vicamon." So she had finally learned my name. In all that chaos, the name 'Vicamon' had been shouted repeatedly. It would have been impossible for her not to know.

As I wore a bitter smile, Seron lowered her head. "This whole thing... you did it because of Senior Nikita, didn't you?"

Vicamon loved Nikita. Because of that obsession, he had harassed Lucas, eventually crossing the line and getting expelled. Even if Seron hadn't known my face, she must have heard the rumors. For her, asking this was equivalent to acknowledging her own heartbreak.

"It's fine. I would have done the same." Seron spoke in a slightly sorrowful voice. Seeing her force a faint, tearful smile, I couldn't find the words to respond.

"But this is as far as I go to help you." Seron's eyes remained fixed outside the window. "A close, if somewhat dimwitted, friend of mine is in the Student Council."

Only then did I realize what Seron had spotted outside. It was Hania, currently disguised as Hanon.

"I can't betray my friend any further. She's the only precious friend I have." Seron smiled faintly as she spoke. "Even if she's a bit of a brat."

My fists clenched tightly. Seron turned around. "That day, thanks to you, Senior Vicamon, I realized I wasn't entirely unhappy." She offered her honest feelings. "Thank you."

With those final words, Seron walked away. Staring blankly at her retreating figure, I bit my lip until it bled. I had lost the ability to feel love because of the Bandage of the Veil. Yet, I could still clearly understand the weight of the friendship Seron had shown me.

I was Seron's friend. That was true now, and it would remain true in the future. How long was I going to keep deceiving her? With such misunderstandings between us, could I ever reveal my true self to her? My intuition whispered to me: This is your only chance.

"Bruised Tomato!"

This was entirely an impulsive act on my part. I was a stranger to this world. Yet, even to someone like me, Seron had genuinely offered her friendship. But an impulse was fine. Just once, I wanted to clear the air in this suffocating world. So, I forced a bright smile onto my face.

Calling out the nickname I had given her in the past, I pressed down on the Bandage of the Veil. Under the moonlight streaming through the window, my appearance shifted back to Hanon in an instant.

I held the pendant she had seen before—the one she had mistakenly believed I had given to Vicamon. Clutching it tightly, I raised it high above my head.

"Huh?" Seron turned back, her voice laced with belated shock. Her eyes widened ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to the size of saucers, completely unable to comprehend the situation. Looking at her familiar, dazed expression, I grinned.

"Let's talk again tomorrow." With that, I beat a hasty retreat. I didn't know what would happen, but I had taken the plunge. I'd leave the consequences to tomorrow's me. I'm counting on you again, tomorrow's self.