Dante Hiakapo looked down.
There were bastards trying to set fire to the armory. When they opened the door, they would have found nothing but a bathroom. They had no idea they were looking at an [Illusion].
“Seize them!”
At Dante’s command, the Disciplinary Bureau swept in and eliminated them.
Due to the strain on his mana, blood began to drip from his still-unhealed eye.
‘This isn’t it.’
He quickly moved his feet.
He climbed the highest ‘Mana Transmission Tower.’ It could become a target of bombardment at any moment, but he factored that in.
And from there, as he gazed down over Zone 0, the names of his enemies appeared to him clearly.
Among them, one had been identified through 【Script】—someone moving specifically to harm a certain cadet.
‘......’
Found them.
After parting ways with Professor Gula.
The trio ran, scrambling up the ridge.
All three were running hard, but one of them had to try a bit harder.
That one was Dominic.
“......”
Dominic was confused.
In the last moment, Professor Gula had cast [Concealment] and handed the Shelter Port key to him.
And so, the key now lay in his hands.
The reason he’d been chosen?
He had simply been the closest.
But why?
Gula had always done nothing but hurl curses at him.
Why give this to him?
“......”
Meanwhile, Dominic was falling behind.
“Dominic! You need to run faster!”
“Apologies. I’ll push harder.”
His body shook with each step. The weight he had carried since childhood—due to a chronic condition—had never been much of an issue in his life. But now, it was dragging him straight into the ground.
His breath grew ragged.
And Dominic realized—had been realizing for a while now—that the other two had slowed down to match his pace.
“Faster, Dominic!”
“Y-yeah, got it!”
“Watch your step...! Lots of rocks!”
“Okay!”
Each of them threw out a line to keep him going.
But still, Dominic began to fall further and further behind.
Uneasy glances fell on him.
From Hwaru and Forte—alternating.
As if asking him to make a decision...
Maybe it was just paranoia.
‘......’
In truth, from long ago—
Dominic had always known.
How others looked at him.
That he was not like those two.
Even if they were all repeating a year...
One of them was the son of a prestigious White Saber family, a cadet from Moonshadow Institute.
The other was kind, adorable, and popular.
But him?
He wasn’t Black Abyss or White Saber. No background. No exceptional talent. He had entered the Academy through a merit-based veteran exemption.
Just the fact they were lumped together as repeaters felt wrong.
There was a time, once, when another cadet had said something in passing—
—“Why would those two hang out with someone like him?”
Right?
“Dominic! Just past that ridge, it’s all downhill—”
“...Hey.”
Dominic cut off Forte’s words, panting hard.
“You two should go ahead.”
The other two stopped in their tracks.
“What??”
“What are you talking about, Dominic?”
“I’m slowing you down. Just go.”
“What kind of bullsh*t is that? Run!”
“Yeah, we don’t have time for this!”
“......”
He clenched his teeth and ran again.
But maybe—
Maybe Forte and Hwaru’s expressions had looked just a little different than usual.
Maybe it wasn’t just his imagination.
And then—
BOOM!!!
A massive explosion rocked the air. The guard post they had passed moments ago erupted.
“Damn it, they’re already here...! Run! Faster!”
“Y-yeah! Got it!”
As the two in front sprinted—
Dominic shouted:
“Shelter!”
“Huh?!”
“Let’s head for the Shelter Port! It’s just 100 meters ahead!”
“But the port key—!”
“I’ve got it! The port key! I picked it up on the way here!”
“R-really?!”
It made no sense. But it wasn’t a time to doubt.
And so, the trio sprinted toward the Shelter Port.
At that moment, Dominic became confused about Gula once more—
Because the port was a lot closer [N O V E L I G H T] than he remembered.
If only this had happened yesterday.
If they had come just a bit earlier—
But when they arrived, and stopped before the transparent cylinder inscribed with a magic formation—
Dominic finally realized.
This Shelter Port...
“...It’s disposable.”
“Looks like it.”
It was single-use.
“And...”
It was made for two people.
“......”
Dominic stood there, dazed, staring at the key.
Then slowly raised his head and looked at the other two.
Two pairs of eyes—one amber brown, the other red-brown—
Were looking straight at him.
Looking only at him.
‘...Ah.’
Dominic realized something.
Why would those two hang out with someone like him?
He still didn’t know the answer.
But what could someone like him give them?
That—he knew.
His resolve hardened.
“Here. I’ll stay behind—”
In the next instant, a rough hand yanked him by the collar.
At the same time, Hwaru was shoved into the port.
Forte was left outside—alone.
Immediately, the port’s magical barrier activated.
“Wait, no...! Forte’s—!”
Right after Hwaru screamed, Dominic grasped the situation.
“Forte! What are you doing?!”
But by the time he shouted, the Shelter’s 『Teleportation』 had already begun.
Enveloped in magical light, their bodies began to vanish into the distance.
Only one person remained outside.
“......”
Forte stood with his back against the now-dimmed Shelter Port.
From the moment he heard the Kreutz faction had started assassinations, he had been preparing for this.
After all, Kreutz’s greatest enemy... was his family.
15 Years Ago.
During the Second Assassination War.
Forte’s father served as a sniper for the White Saber Accord, protecting the kingdom and its citizens.
When he returned home, he would always give advice to young Forte.
“Forte,”
— An assassin is someone who saves lives.
That’s what he used to say.
— You should never become an assassin with the intent to kill.
And again...
— What does that even mean?
To young Forte, the words made no sense.
Assassins were created to kill. That’s their entire function.
How could that possibly save people?
Doctors or firefighters saved people—not assassins.
But now, as his mind had matured, he understood.
The world always provided just enough for four out of every five to survive.
And humanity, from the very beginning, had poured everything into killing one another just to survive.
Somewhere, someone will always try to kill your family or your friends.
If you don’t strike first, you’ll die.
Even if they already struck first—you still have to kill.
But if it’s already too late...
Forte thought.
“......”
If it’s already too late...
If you’re going to die and there’s no way around it...
Then maybe, if even one life could be saved...
“That’s what it means to be an assassin, right, Father?”
He’d protected the two of them.
Which meant, as a son of House Asimov, he had lived by his father’s words.
But as the bloodlust in the air thickened—more distant explosions and gunfire echoing closer—
Forte’s legs started to buckle.
Something overwhelming was approaching.
‘Is this...’
...really the right thing?
“......”
When he finally saw them—assassins of the Kreutz faction, rising like shadows from the trees—
Forte asked himself one more time.
Was this really the right path?
“Target located. Rat of House Asimov. Confirming coordinates.”
The first assassin spoke into a comm, and four or five more immediately emerged around him.
Forte gasped, pulling out his sniper rifle and aiming.
Thunk—!!
A shuriken embedded itself in the barrel.
He hadn’t even seen it thrown.
The blade split the muzzle nearly in half, then ricocheted—slashing deep across his forehead.
Spurt—!
The edge scraped his skull.
‘Tch!’ Forte winced in pain. Blood began to pour.
Throwing-types had an advantage over close combat and sniper-types at that particular distance.
And even if their skills were equal, these enemies were stronger than him.
“So you are him. Asimov. Right?”
One of the masked assassins finally spoke.
“......”
“You know how many people had to suffer just to kill you?”
“......”
“Let’s end it. Die already.”
Clink—!
The assassin drew another shuriken from his wrist and began walking toward Forte.
Thunk.
The sniper rifle fell from Forte’s trembling hands.
He pulled out a dagger and screamed.
“Come on! You bastards! Yeah!? COME ON!!”
But no amount of bluffing would work here.
The assassin was already charging.
Crackle—!
Magic energy erupted in all directions.
The assassin closed in.
And in that moment—
Forte instinctively shut his eyes tight.
All he could do was wish...
Wish that, at the very least, he had been an assassin.
──And then.
Forte experienced something unbelievable.
The world... lit up.
Even with his eyes shut, he felt it—an overwhelming brightness flooding the earth.
It wasn’t just light.
It was as if an angel’s blessing had engulfed him.
The brilliance swept through the world in a single instant.
And even then, Forte hesitated to open his eyes, afraid it might burn them out.
Several seconds passed.
“You can open your eyes now.”
A voice—so familiar—reached his ears.
Without thinking, Forte opened his eyes.
Slowly,
as his sight adjusted to the shifting contrast,
Forte’s skin crawled.
All the assassins that had closed in on him were lying dead.
It had taken just a second or two. Maybe less.
The absurdity of the scene sent a violent shiver through him.
“You’ve done well. Holding out.”
A man approached, standing at the very center of it all.
Blood trickled from one eye as he placed a hand on Forte’s head.
The pressure made Forte stagger slightly.
He was someone Forte had never imagined seeing here.
“......”
Professor Dante Hiakapo.
“Are you hurt?”
“Y-yes...”
“You ran pretty damn far.”
“Th-thank y—...”
“No need. If you can walk, let’s go. It’s dangerous to linger.”
Forte’s heart pounded uncontrollably.
He tried to move, but hesitated.
“Uh... I... I...”
“What is it?”
“...My legs gave out. I’m sorry... I got really scared just now...”
Shameful as it was, he confessed.
Dante responded with total emotional flatness.
“You were the one who sent the others down. And now you’re scared?”
“Y-yeah... I was scared... It’s embarrassing...”
“I see.”
The professor replied shortly.
“Honesty is good.”
From those few words,
Forte felt something powerful stir inside him.
“......”
A few more steps and his legs began to move again.
“I can walk.”
“Let’s go.”
As they descended the mountain together,
Forte thought to himself.
His father’s words hit differently now.
Assassins really were the ones who saved lives.
Just like the professor in front of him.
***
After returning Forte to the Moonshadow dormitory, I climbed back up the mountain trail.
On the way up, my mind was unsettled.
‘......’
The Kingdom of Hiaka is nothing more than a game background.
My time as a professor amounts to only a month and a half.
There’s no reason for me to be emotionally involved in this situation.
No reason at all...
Maybe it’s because of the synchronization with Dante’s emotions.
He’s a native of Hiaka. He signed up to be a professor himself.
It makes sense that this would weigh on him.
The problem is that I’m Dante now.
‘......’
I didn’t feel good.
It wasn’t as bad as the time I encountered the demons—but it was still rotten.
Seeing my student bleeding... Watching the Academy I taught at fall apart...
‘...Just useless sentimentality.’
There’s no need to be this immersed.
I shook off the thought.
I’m a player before I’m a professor.
The only one aware of this world’s end—and the only one who can resist it.
I have to think further ahead.
Clank...
Right now, even 「Liberator⁺₊⋆」 is screaming.
It’s just a rifle, yet it hits with the power of a cannon.
That’s because every shot eats away at its [Durability] like a monster.
And now, it was starting to fall apart. As a [Stigmata Weapon], it couldn’t even be repaired.
‘...Maybe ten or so shots left, tops.’
If I let my emotions get the better of me, I’d waste the few rounds I had left.
That’s unacceptable.
I’ll defend the Academy, yes.
But I’ll also collect what I need—for my long-term survival.
First, I returned to the location where the Kreutz Special Operatives ambushed Forte.
The corpses were already fading.
Still present—but slowly dispersing into violet mist.
They had used the 『Curse of Dissolution』 because they couldn’t afford to be identified.
But their equipment remained.
Dozens of gear pieces still clung to their bodies.
And I would be taking all of them.
These were assassins sent with royal vengeance from the Kreutz line. The quality of their gear was exceptional.
[Rare] at minimum. Several [Heroic] items. One of them had even brought a [Legendary I] accessory.
No need to pick them up manually.
A dead man can’t claim ownership.
Ownerless equipment is absorbed into the [Inventory] the moment it’s touched.
I walked up to their vanishing bodies and looted everything.
Just as any good assassin would.
Not a single piece left behind.
And when a locket popped open to reveal a family photo...
That’s when I realized:
This was my first kill.
There are things you only notice once they’ve passed.
Long hair that needs cutting. Overgrown nails. Faded receipts tucked inside your wallet.
Even after living here for a decent stretch of time, only now did I feel it—my true position in this world.
I am someone who teaches how to kill.