第１９２２堀：説明しよう！ (Part2)
“I see. It’s certainly convenient to save on costs if you can establish a solid alibi that way.”
That made sense. The doppelgangers were ultimately just our stand-ins. However, this was a situation where *we*—or rather, the students—needed to be the ones present, so simply sending a substitute wouldn't work.
Then there was the issue of cost I mentioned earlier. There simply hadn't been enough time to prepare. Setting aside the doppelgangers themselves, creating a believable backstory and a reason for them to be in that specific town would require an immense amount of manpower to manage. Beyond the financial burden, the logistical costs were staggering.
We had to avoid any risk of those doppelgangers being outed as the Heroes. In that light, having Vilia and the others move personally while maintaining an alibi was far less of a headache.
...Though I suppose it was quite a headache for the girls themselves.
“Now then, let’s get back to the ‘Knightman’ equipment Vilia is wearing,” Yuki said.
“What is this ‘Knightman’ anyway? I mean, I get that it’s a name, but...” Dressa asked, sounding thoroughly exasperated.
I agreed with her. Even as I worried the conversation was drifting off-track, the origin of that name was so bizarre it was hard to ignore.
“It’s exactly what it sounds like,” Yuki explained. “Since it’s a Hero in the form of a knight, I took ‘Knight’ and added ‘Man’ to emphasize the masculine persona.”
“““...”””
It was... exactly as he said. No flair, no cleverness, nothing.
“Simplicity is vital. That’s what makes it important,” Yuki added.
Well, he wasn't wrong; it certainly wasn't a name anyone would forget after hearing it once.
“But for someone called a knight, he doesn't appear to be carrying any armaments,” Jessica noted. As a real knight herself, she found it strange. The silver knight running across the screen had nothing in his hands or on his back.
“That’s not an issue,” Agil chimed in. “That armor has a function to manifest weaponry according to the situation. Therefore...”
Agil trailed off as she turned her gaze back to the monitor. Vilia had apparently reached the scene and come to a halt. She seemed to be standing on a slight rise; judging by the drone footage and the map, she was still a considerable distance away from the fray.
『Uh, I’ve arrived at a vantage point where I can see both the enemies and our allies. Firia-chan, can you hear me?』
It seemed they were in direct communication. I suppose it was only natural to stay in contact with the creator during a field test.
“I hear you, Vilia. I am monitoring everything from here. All systems are normal. Given the distance, will you be using Arrow Mode?” Firia asked.
『Yeah. I’ll go with Arrow Mode.』
『Acknowledged. Arrow Mode, Change!』
As Vilia answered, a masculine voice I had never heard before rang out.
“That’s the Support AI,” Yuki explained. “It assists with the control of the Hero Suit. Naturally, it also handles the voice modulation for Vilia.”
I see. A bit of support like that was certainly welcome.
Just as I thought I saw a flash of light, the smooth silver armor shifted its shape, taking on an appearance reminiscent of an archer. However, the "bow" it held was so massive one might mistake it for a ballista. Yet, there were no arrows to be seen. Then again, carrying arrows for a bow that size would be nothing but a hindrance.
“Confirming thirty adventurers ahead in the strike zone. Issue a warning,” Firia commanded.
『Understood. *Ahem*...』 Vilia cleared her throat, and then...
『Adventurers! I shall now provide long-range support! The impact will be severe, so fall back!』
Oh, that definitely wasn't Vilia’s voice. It was deep, dignified, and commanded respect. Her shout reached the adventurers, who all turned to look toward her.
“They have noticed. All that’s left is to fire. The system is designed to prevent friendly fire,” Firia said.
『Understood.』
I see; she drew their attention first to make sure they recognized "Knightman." Then, Vilia—or rather, Knightman—drew the greatbow, and an arrow of pure light manifested on the string.
“Targeting... approximately sixty percent locked.”
『Here I go! Knightman Shine Arrow!』
“““...”””
Setting aside the literal nature of the finishing move's name, the fact that she shouted her own name left us all speechless. But on the screen, the arrow flew into the sky, trailing a dazzling radiance. Once it reached the airspace above the monster horde, the light detonated with a violent flash, and a rain of radiance poured down upon the earth.
*THOOM-THOOM-THOOM-THOOM!*
...Is that really under control? The enemies were one thing, but it looked like the very ground was being excavated. Are we *sure* the allied adventurers weren't caught in that? Really?
In that moment, a new Hero was born.
His name: Knightman.
Now then, I wonder how the adventurers are going to react to this...