Act 34: The Birth of the Mage Swordsman

With a modest gift of snacks that wouldn’t weigh much, I left "Captain" in high spirits.

Exiting through the staff-only back door to ensure no "zombies" slipped back inside,

『Ooooh... Ooooh...!』

A group of about five "zombies" spotted me.

"…Then,"

Let’s treat this debut as the birth of the Mage Swordsman.

Running my index and middle fingers along the blade of my grandfather's inherited sword,

"——Enchant."

I recited, coating it thoroughly with liquid magic.

Then,

"——Fire."

I ignited it.

Simultaneously, a flame erupted so intense it made the blade appear twice its size.

The fiery sword was complete.

But... hmm.

I just realized something.

Enchant Fire, right? That's the one, isn't it?

It brings to mind that famous collab illustration featuring "Kyouji of the Flowers."

...Wait, could this name actually be kind of awkward?

Hmm, hmm.

Well, whatever. When it comes to things like this, if you're too shy, you lose!

You'll look cool if you carry yourself with confidence. Probably.

Of course, those zombies couldn't possibly comprehend my noble inner struggle.

"Uuuu... aaaa..."

As usual, it approached at its own pace.

Oh well. I'll figure out my name when I get back to school.

For now, I swing the flame sword at the nearest "zombie."

"—Huh?"

To my surprise, even without putting much force into it, the zombie's head flies off.

It feels like hitting a foam rubber dummy.

There's absolutely no resistance at all.

A moment later, the smell of charred flesh spreads out across the entire area.

"―――Hnnn?"

One more. Then another. Yet another.

As I continued making practice cuts, I began to realize just how powerful they were.

The newly appeared "zombies" were cleanly severed from the top of their heads down to their thighs.

Huh?

Is this... not strong?

...Wait.

Is this really real?

Lost in the moment, I ruthlessly dispatched each approaching "zombie" one after another.

Before I knew it, I found myself having slaughtered every "zombie" within sight.

"Huh...?"

I stood there, dazed and motionless, in front of the midnight supermarket, letting out a blank, unthinking sound.

Of course, there were downsides.

The "zombies" tended to swarm toward light. As a result, using this magic carried the risk of attracting even more "zombies" than intended.

Still, its strengths far outweigh its flaws.

This is exactly why I've invested so much effort into developing this skill.

I returned home with a sense of satisfaction, strolling back as if on a leisurely walk.

...Wait.

Now that I think about it, wasn't there a military truck carrying the Hibiya family and Self-Defense Force members right before "Captain"?

When I came here earlier, I didn't have time to check.

I've been wondering the whole time if there might be something useful loaded on it.

Peering into the cargo bed, I found a bench built into it—likely intended for transporting people.

In the back, I discovered a plush doll of Pikanyan, the character from an anime who tames wild monsters through violence, turns them into livestock, and forces them to fight to the death.

It must certainly belong to Kyosuke-kun’s younger sister.

That she brought it all the way here suggests it’s something very precious indeed.

Let's take it back for her.

Having secured Pikanyan, I discovered a duffel bag hidden beneath the bench.

Pulling it out and checking its contents...

"Whoa!"

Inside was an astonishingly chaotic assortment—three handguns, tossed in haphazardly, as if from a country with the strictest firearm regulations in the world. Alongside them were numerous cases filled with ammunition, clearly intended for the pistols.

Probably, when that so-called "monster pig" attacked, it was the self-defense force member named Kohayashi who brought this out.

Anyway, this is lucky.

I don't really plan to use it much, but taking it back should be helpful to everyone, I suppose.

Holding my excellent haul, I hurry down the path toward the school gate.

For now, let's stash this somewhere and hand it out to everyone at some point. Maybe say we picked it up on the way back from the drugstore—something like that, with a little flair.

"Phew, phew, phew, hehehe, hahaha~♪ Everyone drop dead~♪"

Humming to myself, I climb the main gate,

"Ah, my, you're in quite a good mood today, aren't you?"

A sharp, icy voice.

I jolt violently, my whole body twitching.

Cautiously turning toward the source of the voice, I saw Ms. Suzuki Asaka, her face twisted into a smile I’d never seen before—pure, unfiltered fury.

Wow. She’s really mad.

Just behind her stood Yuuichi Takehata.

"...Huh?"

I thought I’d made sure to stay out of sight.

"Takehata-kun said he saw something flashing over there, so I’ve been keeping watch here."

Ah. So that’s what’s going on.

Was it possible to see "Captain" from the school rooftop?

That was careless of me.

"I'm going to talk to everyone now. Be ready."

"Yes..."

It was definitely going to be a lecture.

"……ah"

Takanao came over quietly and bowed slightly.

"I'm sorry. I never thought you were the senior."

"It's alright. You did your duty..."

But above all, there was something that bothered me.

Or perhaps they saw me using magic.

As usual, being talkative, Takehisa-kun started speaking before I even asked anything, sharing what he wanted to know.

"So, Senpai, you were setting off fireworks too, huh? The area around 'Captain' got pretty bright."

Ah, fireworks.

That’s probably the best way to interpret it.

"Yeah, something like that."

"But why again?"

"To attract the 'zombies'... something along those lines, actually."

"Oh, I see."

"Could you keep this mostly to yourselves, please?"

"Of course."

Takanao nodded understandingly.

Inside, I let out a quiet sigh of relief.

"But please don't do anything too reckless. Senpai's more depended on by everyone than even Senpai realizes."

"Huh..."

A gray reply.

I know I'm being counted on. I know that too.

If I were in their position, I'd have done the same.

But precisely because of that...

There are times when I feel so guilty, I want to scratch my whole body raw.

I can't help but wonder if I'm betraying everyone.

There are moments when I think that way.

▼

A girl who grows stronger the more monsters she kills.

And a world where monsters run rampant.

It's not difficult to see a connection between these two.

I've known this all along, ever since I was given that convenient item called "Dokukeshi."

If the time ever comes when my power becomes public knowledge,

I'll surely have to leave this community.