Bonus chapter...
Leon raises his voice in agitation at the sudden declaration of war.
Leon apologizes for the trouble he caused at the school, and I accept
his apology. This means that we have made peace.
But then I asked him to fight with me, and he must be in a confused
state.
But... that's what I brought Leon here to the park for in the first
place.
"Hey, Leon. You said it at the entrance ceremony, right? 'I'm going
to be a hero.'"
"Oh, yeah. I said that, but... what about it?"
"So... what have you been doing in the last few months since you
joined the academy? Have you been making a real, full effort to be a
hero?"
"That's... of course, I'm trying. I was trying to be strong!"
Leon nods his head firmly, though his words are slightly slurred.
"Hahaha!"
But I laugh it off nonchalantly and lift my lips in mockery.
"Then why is Nagisa under me? She said that even if she works with
you, the Brave, she won't get the power she wants!"
"...!"
Leon gasps, his eyes wide with astonishment.
In the first lesson on dungeon exploration, Leon, Ciel, and Nagisa
fought against gargoyles together.
Their joint battle led them to form a party, and they continued to share
the same fate until the decisive battle against the Demon King, which is the scenario
of the game as it should have been.
However, in this world where the game has become a reality, Nagisa has
been working together only for a short period of time after the battle against
the gargoyles, and soon Nagisa has been acting alone.
She has come to the Slayers Kingdom with the goal of avenging her
family's death, and she has set herself the supreme mission of gaining the
strength to avenge her family's death.
For this purpose, she has given up Leon as a partner.
"If you were serious about making great progress in your quest for
power, Nagisa would never have left your party. So, are you really aiming for
the top with all your might?"
"B-But Seikai-san..."
Leon opens his mouth to defend himself, making a bitter face at my
questioning.
"Seikai-san left of her own volition. She didn't like the fact that
Ciel and I were helping the other classmates to overcome the dungeon, and she
didn't like the fact that we were working together with everyone else, so she
left the party."
Well, Nagisa had told me earlier that Leon was leading the
lower-performing students to the dungeon.
The reason for the difference from the scenario is probably that Leon is
no longer seeking more power than necessary after I saved Jean from the
gargoyles.
Leon is probably doing a great job as the head of the class, taking on
dungeons with the rest of the class who can't do it. But he was not a good
match for Nagisa, who was looking for the power to avenge her father's death.
"...I'm not going to go along with a weak guy, huh? That's just
like Nagisa."
"But... is that my fault!? Is it wrong to act for the sake of
classmates in need!? Doesn't Baskerville think so too?"
"......Hmph"
I sniffle and glare at Leon, who is questioning me in the opposite direction.
"I'm not talking about right or wrong, okay? I'm just asking, 'Is
that how you strive to be a hero?'"
"...Yes, it is. Helping people in need, that's what I'm trying to
be a hero for!"
"Haha! I disagree. A hero is a person who can do what no one else
can do. Not the majority who stands out from the crowd. They are the minority
that stands out above the rest!"
Still, I don't think what Leon is doing is wrong at all.
Help the weak.
Stand in line with others.
It's not about one person taking 100 steps. But everyone should take one
step together.
I am sure that this is a very moral and honorable way of thinking in a
peaceful country like Japan today.
If Leon had been an ordinary boy in Japan, he might have been a popular
boy in his class with a strong sense of justice and leading everyone.
But that is a far cry from being a 'hero'.
There are many monsters in this world. There are people who are more
corrupt than monster. Moreover, there is the Demon King who is a greater threat
than monster.
So, it is not 100 ordinary people who can stand against the Demon King.
It is only the individual with overwhelming strength that can defeat the Demon
King.
"I don't say it's wrong to help people. I'm also not saying that
it's wrong to feel sorry for the oppressed and weak. But... if you keep walking
along with the slow runners, you'll never get to the top of the mountain you're
aiming for in your life, will you?"
"That's..."
"The hero you're aiming for... will never be as heroic as the hero
who once sealed the Demon King and saved the world. I assure you... you will
remain an ordinary man for the rest of your life."
"...What do you know about me!"
Leon's rage is finally getting the better of him as I repeat to hit him
with my words.
He stands up and grabs my chest... but I throw him away without mercy.
"Kahah!?"
Leon exhales in pain as his back is slammed hard against the ground.
"That was neither skill nor technique. It's a judo technique called
'Koshi Guruma'... but that's okay."
"Ugh...!"
Leon gets up from the ground with a groan of pain and glares at me.
I throw the sword I took out of the item box at Leon's feet.
"Use it! You're not carrying a sword on your date, are you?"
"Baskerville. You're not seriously..."
"We're not trying to kill each other. This is just a mock
battle."
I looked around briefly. The streets are deserted as the sun is setting.
It is a good time for a fight. Even if it is a mock battle, it would be
troublesome to explain if the guards are called.
"Part of the reason for your fall is that I killed a gargoyle and
saved our classmates in the first dungeon. So, I'll take the responsibility and
open up your mind."
"......"
"If you are truly proud of your efforts to be a hero, take up the
sword. Prove yourself right by winning!"
"...All right. If you say that much, then I'll do it!"
Leon picks up the sword lying on the ground and stands up.
His will to fight surges through him. The aura of a warrior that
permeates the air tells me that the man in front of me is a talented man.
"I got a better score in the entrance exam than you! Don't regret
it!"
"Yes. That's what I want!"
I laugh, my lips pursing into a smile, and pull out another sword.
Leon Brave, the hero who takes the right road.
Zenon Baskerville, the villain who takes the wrong path.
It's the first time that these two men faced each other head-on, without
the company of their comrades.
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