Rei, wearing a mask disguised himself as a thief to steal the money transported by the guards every night.
Thanks to the cheat skill "Super Hearing" he was able to discover the trajectory they would take.
But a few minutes ago, the Vice-principal of the academy came to say that the barracks of the 9th squad of the Royal Knights was under attack since, Captain Bret Elliott is under suspicion of robbery.
Rei's face was the same as I would have made if I had heard that.
Since, it surely happened because of Rei.
If at some point Rose finds out what Rei does, it will be bad for him.
For that reason, he came to kill everyone involved in the attack. Except for the knights.
Rei came straight for the boss.
We encountered a weird guy, a random background character. Rei took him out easily and then we happened to find a guy who is clearly the boss.
His appearance indicates that he's not like the others.
Apparently Rei wanted to kill him in his own way, he grabbed a sword and didn't activate an ability. The guy also grabbed a weapon and they started fighting.
◇◇◇
After taking the sword, Rei lunged at the masked guy. The masked man took one and dodged the attack.
He ran off down the stairs, Rei followed him, he could defeat him using a skill or immobilize him. He didn't want to as it wouldn't be fun.
When he reached the top floor, Rei jumped hard and threw the sword towards him.
After dodging it, Rei used the ceiling to go full speed with a flying kick.
Again he dodged the attack, but he could see how the floor was destroyed.
He muttered to himself after backing up some more.
"Did he use any earth spells to be able to accomplish that?"
"No. It's impossible since I didn't see any magic circle... was it perhaps something his own body can accomplish?"
"Hey, hey, why are you running away?"
Rei said in a very haughty tone.
He came out from the cloud of smoke covered in dust and with a skill, the dust disappeared and his torn pants regenerated.
Rei opened his palm and the sword came flying to him.
With a wicked grin he sneered at the masked man.
"Are you afraid, you piece of shit?"
"It's good that you were able to recognize my greatness, but you running away makes me want to end this quickly. Make this waste of time worth it!"
After announcing to amuse him, Rei marched at high speed against the masked man who said.
"You're right."
As he dodged the attack again. Rei broke through the wall.
The outside was visible, the man could escape without a problem, in fact, he was going to, but his body froze.
"What?"
Rei floated up from the ground.
"Didn't I tell you?"
"Make it fun!"
With a light push, he sent inside again the masked man who crashed into the wall.
He spat out a large amount of blood from that light punch that sent him into high speed.
"How... how does he manage to do such madness?"
"It shouldn't be possible to achieve magic of this caliber..."
"What do I care. Come on, fight."
Rei walked in raised her hand and....
"Wall."
He created an invisible wall, no one could get in or out now.
Rei broke the bottom of the mask and his wicked smile was visible.
"You won't be able to run away anymore. Give me at least some entertainment since you trash are weak."
◇◇◇
Outside the 9th Squad barracks.
Oliver's father, along with the other captains were dumbfounded.
When they arrived, they received the report that the knights inside were taken out by a mysterious force. Then they heard cries for help coming from the attackers.
Someone killed them, their bodies thrown out of the windows.
Before entering, they heard explosions, then when they wanted to enter, an invisible force prevented them from passing.
Some court magicians were with them.
They wanted to find out what was going on here.
One of them approached Markus.
"Well?"
"I'm sorry to say, but we can't figure out exactly what it is."
"Excuse me?"
"Y-Yes. I'm afraid it's as you hear."
"There's a very powerful magical barrier, we're trying to decipher how it's formed in order to destroy it. But it's impossible."
"Impossible... you say?"
"The spell is no big deal. But it has super-fast automatic regeneration. Look..."
The court mage fired a fireball, which opened a small hole, before Markus asks the problem, it closed just as fast as the blink of an eye.
Even several court mages launched an ice tempane which made a bigger hole, but at the speed of nanoseconds it closed.
"I-Incredible... someone has a very strong command of magic."
"It's like you say, we're trying to figure out how it's that tough."
"That sounds pretty bad for Bret still in there."
Turning around at the mysterious hoarse voice, they saw Commander Sieghart behind.
"C-Commander how quickly you got here!"
"Well, I couldn't believe it until I saw it."
"Stand aside."
"C-Commander... don't tell me you're going..."
"I said step aside."
Sieghart warned them to get out of his way, they did.
He got close enough and grabbed his great sword from the handle with one hand.
In a split second, he drew the sword, slashed and re-sheathed without anyone being able to see him.
This move was called... Iaido.
Commander Sieghart was a man who fought in many wars.
For that reason, he was the strongest ally of all, even the harem of the protagonist was weak compared to him.
The developers gave him screen from time to time so that he would not hinder the girls or the protagonist.
Seeing the large cut generated on the barrier, Sieghart smiled, but that smile was erased by seeing how it regenerated at the same speed with which he cut it.
Understanding that even with his best attack he could do nothing, Sieghart went to sit down and say.
"Let's wait for the court mages to figure it out. If I can't cut it then only they can do it."
Hearing the strongest man in the country say that, they understood how complicated this was.
Sounds of explosions could be heard inside.
◇◇◇
The battle inside was suffocating.
The masked enemy was dodging Rei's attacks, he was starting to get angry.
"Fight now, you fucking bitch, don't run away!"
Rei slashed a pillar, the masked one managed to know which direction the sword was coming from and managed to turn his body at a 90-degree angle.
All he was doing was running away and dodging.
Rei wanted to fight, but this opponent recognized that Rei was dangerous, so he avoided direct comfort.
He wanted Rei to exhaust himself so he could slit his throat.
But they had been like this for two hours.
Rei threw the sword at him, as he jumped to the ceiling and dodged it, the sword destroyed the top causing everything above to fall.
"Hey, stop playing with me!"
Rei was very angry.
The masked man said as he dusted himself off.
"I recognize your strength, that's why I don't want to fight you."
Rei went straight towards a destroyed pillar, he grabbed it....
"If you don't fight me seriously, I'll tell everyone who you are, Zebra. No... or should I say─"
He threw it, saying a name that made him freeze for a second, managing to regain his composure, but in dodging it he lost his mask.
"Vice-principal of the academy, Leonardo Beaudon."
The face of the masked man, the cult member by the name of Zebra, was actually Vice-principal Leonardo.
Zebra... or, rather, Leonardo, stared at Rei.
"How did you know?"
Kurono who was astonished said the same thing.
"That's what I want to know too, Rei!"
"It's simple."
Rei took off his mask so Leonardo could see his face.
"On the day of this semester's ceremony, I was so bored that I got to use Open Status with a few people."
"There was one that caught my attention. You."
Rei pointed at him.
"When I checked your information, something came out about the cult that was blurry, your codename which was Zebra and that you also killed the headmaster a while ago."
Leonardo burst out laughing.
"Hahahahaha, you're damn right. The headmaster's been the same as a shriveled potato since last year."
"Why did you do that?"
Leonardo proceeded to tell his reasons.
"When I was young, I was a renowned fencer. Everyone wanted my services, I even managed to fight in the festival of the king of the sword against Hogan when I still had no combat experience."
"I was recognized by the king of that time, I was given, fame, riches and a title of marquis, life was perfect for me... until, that is, it happened."
Leonardo who was in a euphoric mode after remembering his great moments of youth, clenched his fist at the same time that anger was marked on his face.
"I got old, like everyone else."
"The true enemy of a human being is to grow old."
"Your arms are no longer strong as they used to be, your legs tremble with the slightest of slight movements, your vision blurs, your ears can no longer identify whether someone is approaching or not, your own trained body rots with every passing second until it is just as useless as a rock in a lake."
"Thanks to the headmaster I managed to have a job. I spent my days listening to young people and their problems, sitting with them convivially and advising them the best."
"Many even after graduating came to thank me for my advice."
Leonardo looked up and tears were streaming down his cheeks, Kurono thought he was regretting making a bad decision.
But when he lowered his face he saw that regret did not bring him to tears.
"That pathetic life was not mine. I hated it, I wanted to get back to my old fame, not that shit hearing them talk trash."
"Their dreams and longings repudiated me, it was so grotesque that I threw up after they left, I even laughed at many."
"Hahaha, I even gave bad advice to many at times to make them realize the reality, but the very morons said they stumbled and were grateful for my help."
"Don't you think it's funny?"
Rei's face doesn't change his expression.
After wiping away his tears, Leonardo told him the end of his story.
"Last year when I was out for a walk, I was approached by a man, Bishop Bloodman, he asked me if I wanted to be able to be like I used to be again."
"Without hesitation I agreed. He told me to kill the headmaster as a test and I did it that very night."
"Since we were close, no one thought I was lying. So they gave me some time later the red pills."
He pulled a bottle of pills out of his pocket.
"By taking over the school, the cult allies could keep anything there, even some Calvinists were also involved like Harrisburg and Catley."
Rei furrowed his eyebrows at the sound of Joachim's name.
"Catley too wasn't it?"
"Yes, but it doesn't matter anymore. I wanted to tell you this as a drunk blowing off steam in a bar, nothing more."
Leonardo moved into an attack stance with his hand raised and the other pointed his sword at Rei.
"I will kill you here and now so I can get back to my life, thanks to the pills I was able to rejuvenate my body. I'm almost in perfect condition."
Rei activated an ability to bring his sword back.
"Like hell you will. I'll kill you this instant, in less than thirty seconds I'll humiliate you before you can see your own body."
"It's a wager I'll gladly accept!"
Leonardo headed at high speed towards Rei.
"Admire the skills of the legendary sword king, Leonardo-sama!"
He slashed at Rei, or so he thought since what he slashed was a mirage, Rei was behind.
Leonardo didn't think anything of it and did the same strike again.
Only this time it was different.
"Leonardo triple execution!"
Creating a silhouette with his sword, Leonardo gave the visual image of attacking from his sides.
"No matter which one you dodge, the real one will hit you!"
Despite saying that, Rei did the same.
"What?!"
The three visual images collided with each other, the one on the left being the real one, Leonardo attacked Rei who was on his right, but to no avail.
"Another feint?"
That Rei was also fake, coming out of the ground, the original Rei jumped to attack him.
"Ten seconds goes."
Leonardo used air magic to block the attack, but to no avail. Rei's sword was blocked by a current, but he still managed to give him a deep cut.
"Kuh!"
With intense pain coursing through his back, the elderly man looked for a route to rest, but Rei prevented him.
Leonardo leapt to the roof, which had a hole in it, then ran until he reached some stairs.
As he climbed, Rei melted those stairs by turning them into mud.
"Twenty seconds."
Leonardo's feet were slippery, his neck was directed at Rei who was waving his hand like a beginner.
"Don't tease me, you impertinent brat!"
Leonardo used a cutting wind with his sword, the attack was directed at the ground which was mud and thus escaped straight into a rubble.
There lay a fractured spear.
Leonardo accidentally pierced his kidney.
The pain was unbearable but he would not give up.
He was going to live.
Everything he did, the fame, the respect, the power.
Age was an impediment to achieving that, but he wanted to feel that joy of being praised by everyone.
He wasn't going to give that up, despite murdering his best friend, cheating, lying, betraying his students.
He wasn't going to get rid of all that just because of a wound.
After pulling out his blood-encrusted spear, spitting blood, he marched straight towards Rei.
"I'm not going to lose to a kid like you!"
"You're wrong."
Rei disappeared.
He stood up on the sword held by Leonardo.
Turning around from what had happened, he understood everything.
"You're already more than dead."
The thirty seconds ticked by.
◇◇◇
(Why am I looking at the ceiling?)
Leonardo was confused.
(Why is it moving besides?)
The reason was simple but he didn't understand.
(No, the ceiling doesn't move around... it's me.)
He belatedly understood that his head was cut off and sent flying through the air.
Rei was talking to him as he headed to the dungeon to get Bret out.
"I'll make sure everyone knows what a scumbag you were, don't worry."
As his head drifted to the ground in slow motion, certain movie-like memories came to him.
"Vice-principal, thanks to you I was able to overcome my fear, I thank you deeply."
"Vice-principal, it's good to have you with us, we didn't know how to organize ourselves, but thanks to your advice, we managed to be number 1 in the festival."
"Hey, Leonardo, let's drink like in the old days. When you get old drinking and a friend is what makes you feel young again."
(I get it.)
His head dropped to the floor.
(The answer was always there.)
It bounced like a ball.
(I didn't want to see it, or even take notice of it. It was always in my face.)
Before his conscience shut off forever, a tear of utter regret fell down his cheek.
(The fame and prestige was fleeting, but the affection and respect my students, coworkers and friends had for me was what I had left and I put it aside. I'm sorry, I deserve this.)
Leonardo, still with his head cut off, used the last of his brain's strength to close his eyes and visualize that image of the academy once.
Someone picked up his head and said.
"Tch. What an idiot, trying to repent while already dead."
◇
When Rei went down to take out the guy locked in the cell, he found him unconscious, with urine on the floor and another strange smell.
I said to him.
"What now?"
"Rose would preach to me if she knows I was here, so let's make this idiot take the glory this once."
Rei used an ability to clean him up, then used his fist to wake him up.
"Hey, asshole, wake up."
He slapped him so hard that he ended the guy like a blowfish.
He regained consciousness and saw Rei.
As if he had a lot of food in his mouth he said.
"Who are you?"
"That doesn't matter. What matters is that when everyone comes in, you'll say it was you who did all this."
"All of it?"
"Yes, all of it. Are you deaf or an idiot?"
Rei dragged the guy upstairs to show him Leonardo's corpse.
At the sight of it, the expression on his face indicated regret.
Rei clicked his tongue and grabbed his head for Bret to see.
"Hey, also say this guy came to help you and he was killed by the guy who is buried. did you hear right loser?"
Bret who was still confused nodded his head.
"Well, I'll see you around. Rose is sure to ask where I went, so I better buy her a present so she doesn't say anything."
And with that, we went back to the academy.
◇◇◇
When the knights entered, they found a pile of corpses.
Among them the only survivor was Bret.
They all asked him questions, but he did not know how to answer.
Sieghart entered the place and observed everything. Seeing how Bret had a sword and near him was the corpse of Matt, a young man who killed his partner for pleasure and had to be the mind behind it all because he was the only one capable of causing so much havoc.
He walked over to Bret and touched his shoulder.
"Well done."
He said. Which made everyone understand that it was Bret who was responsible for wiping everyone out.
On that day, a legend was born.
◇
We were currently at the funeral of the vice principal.
After returning to the academy, Rose asked Rei where he went.
But he told her to bring her some chocolates.
Rose blushed and asked no more.
Then came the news that the vice principal had died.
The official report said that after hearing the news he came to help, that the enemy created a barrier to keep anyone out, and that he helped Bret fight Matt.
Matt in the game was a very strong minor character.
But to Rei they were all weak.
Of course, no one knew what he was doing there, but Bret said he helped him so only the deceased will know why he did it.
Rei then went to look for the director's body, he left it near a mill along with Matt's fingerprints so that it will be known that he was the one who killed him.
When I asked Rei why he did so much for a scumbag, who also wasn't a character in the game.
He said.
"If everyone is going to squeal like bitches, it better be a bearable one at least."
When I wondered why he did that, being at the funeral I understood.
Almost all the students, whether graduates or those at the academy, were crying over the loss of the vice principal.
If they found out what a scumbag he was, it would have broken their hearts.
Even Sig who was next to Rei said.
"The loss of the vice principal will be great, but his teachings will stay with us."
Sometimes I wondered, if the villain Reidel also had regrets before he died. And if the current Reidel, is he the same as the one in the game?
I don't know, and I don't think I'll ever know what Rei really thinks.