Chapter 133: Graduation Ceremony

‘So… it was true that Yor could chase off most guys just with his gaze?’

Suddenly, the words Liolikin spoke in Chapter 112 came to mind, and I unconsciously looked at the speaker in question.

He was trembling, but he didn’t seem to have any intention of running away.

He held a folding chair in his hand, as if intending to use it as a substitute for a shield, and he had already activated the [Armor of Protection] skill.

‘Thank goodness…!’

I felt relieved at the sight of the fairly dependable-looking Liolikin and did what I had to do.

“Everyone, get close to the wall!!”

Even if I hadn’t shouted like that, most students had already moved out of the Boss Monster’s path by scattering to the left and right.

However, there were still some students who hadn’t.

So, I shook my hand again, ringing the Yeouiju bell, and used the [Goyang] skill on the students who were slow to move.

“Kr, Kwoooo…!”

The Boss Monster, having escaped its stiffened state, let out another roar, but the same momentum as before could not be felt.

It seemed to be wary of Yor.

‘Come to think of it, what are the professors doing?’

In the Original Work, the Boss Monster killed Hailga as soon as it appeared, and the professors stepped in almost immediately after.

It was strange that no one stepped forward while the Boss Monster was frozen thanks to Yor’s gaze attack(?).

‘Don’t tell me the professors only step in after Hailga dies? Just like in the Original Work?’

At that moment, as goosebumps rose on my skin, the Boss Monster’s head turned back toward Hailga.

‘Did it change targets because it identified Yor, who was next to me, as a dangerous existence?’

‘Or was it because killing Hailga was the role assigned to it?’

Whatever the reason, I couldn’t let all the effort I had put in until now go to waste.

I couldn’t stand to see Reysir Daudabina, after regaining his senses later, witness the death of his friend and fall into despair, blaming himself for being in a state of panic.

No, I simply couldn’t accept someone I face every day dying right before my eyes.

‘This is why I tried not to get involved with the characters in the Original Work as much as possible…’

I bit my lip and threw a dagger to draw the Boss Monster’s aggro once again.

I packed it with a much larger amount of Aether than before.

Since I threw it with the hand wearing the Cintamani Bracelet, the clear sound of the bell filled the auditorium once again.

“Nyaaaaa…….”

Yor hid behind me and pretended to be scared, making an effort to show that he wasn’t a dangerous existence.

The dagger was easily deflected this time as well.

“Kwo! Kwoooo!”

Perhaps the sound of the bell was annoying.

‘Or perhaps it felt ashamed belatedly for having frozen unconsciously out of fear of the momentum of a tiny baby Familiar with a cute appearance.’

The Boss Monster charged toward Yor and me in a fit of rage.

“U-Uaaaaah…!”

Liolikin let out a shout and jumped out, blocking the monster’s path.

-Crash!

The monster’s long arm collided with the folding chair wrapped in ivory-colored Aether, creating a thunderous sound.

Fortunately, Liolikin managed to withstand the Boss Monster’s attack.

However, seeing him stagger heavily at the moment of impact, it seemed he wouldn’t be able to last long.

‘It’s impossible for me to defeat that Boss Monster with my abilities…!’

From the start, the plan was based on the conviction that if I could just buy a little time, the professors would take care of it. No matter how much the Original Work states that a Boss Monster appearing during the Graduation Ceremony is on the ‘weak side’.

That only meant it was so ‘compared to other Boss Monsters’.

‘But as long as that monster has me as its target, the professors won’t be able to stand by and watch forever!’

This body belongs to the youngest son of the Dukedom.

If the Boss Monster attacked me directly, the professors would have no choice but to step in, if only out of fear of incurring Hard’s wrath.

‘But I can’t just play tag with the Boss Monster while holding onto such vague expectations…’

I intended to lure the Boss Monster and take it to where the professors were.

If I did that, regardless of the author’s will or whatever.

They would have no choice but to fight according to their survival instincts.

‘Didn’t the Boss Monster also charge this way because its aggro was drawn to me while it was trying to kill Hailga?’

So, if I created a situation where the professors had no choice but to intervene, they would move as well.

‘Seriously, does it make sense for professors to just sit back while a student is being beaten by a monster…!’

I judged that blocking the Boss Monster’s attack even once would be enough.

But Liolikin defended against two attacks and was sent flying far away, collapsing along with the broken folding chair on the third attack.

He did better than I expected.

‘I want to go and check on his condition right now, but…’

While Liolikin was holding out, I untied the Whip fastened to my waist and gripped it firmly with my right hand.

And the moment he fell.

I threw the dagger I was holding in my left hand.

‘I can’t let that monster take an interest in the fallen Liolikin!’

‘Is it just stupid?’

‘Or was I, who had been throwing daggers and making bell sounds for a while now, quite annoying?’

Once again, the Boss Monster showed its rage toward me.

‘It’ll probably roar and charge again.’

Predicting the monster’s next move, I tried to activate the Thought Acceleration skill.

However, it didn’t work well.

It was because distracting thoughts kept popping up, making it difficult to concentrate on analyzing the monster’s movements.

‘Was I too reckless?’ or.

‘There are too many folding chairs scattered around; what if I trip while trying to dodge an attack?’ or.

‘I’m scared.’ or…

I haven’t mentioned it until now for fear of disrupting the flow of the narrative.

But in truth, I had been trying to maintain the Thought Acceleration skill since earlier, but it kept cutting off after only a few seconds.

To be honest, I felt a little… no, a lot like crying.

“Kyaooong!!”

Yor glared at the Boss Monster and hissed once more.

Whether it had developed a resistance in the meantime, the monster’s movement only faltered for about a second or two.

At this rate, I was going to be beaten to death while trying to concentrate on entering the Thought Acceleration state.

Before I knew it, the monster’s shadow loomed over where I stood.

The distance had narrowed to the point where the monster’s long arm could reach me with just one step of its stride.

Seeing it up close, the sense of intimidation was no joke.

‘First, swing the Whip to keep it at bay… no, wait. Should I just dodge right now…?’

In the moment when the two opinions collided and turned my mind white.

A golden bolt of light shot past me and forward.

“Ke-heck…!!”

The monster, hit by that light, froze with its arm raised.

No, it wasn’t frozen. Its body was trembling.

It just stopped in place, unable to approach any further or swing its arm.

“Ah…”

An exclamation escaped my mouth unconsciously.

Because there was no way I wouldn’t know whose ability that brilliant golden light was.

Sure enough, the person I expected stepped in between me and the monster.

Holding a spear that crackled with golden sparks.

‘Is it really possible to be this happy to see the Protagonist of Another Novel…?’

As the stress from fear vanished in an instant, a thought like a joke took root in my dazed mind.

In my field of vision, I saw Reysir Daudabina, with his back to me, thrusting his spear and driving it into the monster’s heart.

My ears heard the ‘Bzzzzt!’ sound of an arc caused by high-voltage current, followed by the ‘Crack!!’ sound of something hard breaking.

The ‘Mana Core’, which could be called the energy crystal that maintains the Demonic Realm, had been destroyed.

I will have a chance to explain this ‘Mana Core’ later, so for now, I will just mention that its destruction is essential and move on.

Now was not a good time to unload settings.

“Reysir Daudabina… You managed to come to your senses.”

“Yeah… I kept hearing a clear bell sound from somewhere… and it’s also thanks to Vigdis slapping me across the face….”

I see. On Reysir Daudabina’s face as he turned around, red handprints were clearly visible, clashing with his somber expression.

The reason I cast a Buff on Vigdis was because I hoped she would take the dazed Reysir Daudabina and evacuate to a safe place.

But to think she would use the strength increased by the Buff to mercilessly slap Reysir Daudabina’s cheek.

‘Is it because I only told her to take care of Reysir Daudabina and didn’t give specific instructions on what to do?’

Anyway, the result is good, so it’s fine.

Just as I was feeling relieved with that thought.

“I thought I lost you again…!”

The Protagonist of Another Novel dropped his spear and suddenly pulled me into a hug before I could even react.

“Wha…, what do you think you’re doing?! Let, let go…!”

Naturally, I struggled with all my might to get out of Reysir Daudabina’s arms.

Even to the point of canceling the Buff applied to him.

But it was no use. Even though my arm strength had increased quite a bit from swinging the Whip, the difference in physical strength was too stark.

“I promised… I promised myself again that I wouldn’t lose anyone… but I…, I’m such an idiot…, and I almost lost someone precious again………….”

“N-No…, hey…”

I could feel the arms hugging me trembling.

The voice muttering self-reproach was strangely damp.

It seems this Protagonist of Another Novel is crying right now.

‘Should I comfort him…?’

Feeling like I should at least pat his back, I unconsciously placed my hand lightly near Reysir Daudabina’s shoulder blade.

Then I suddenly came to my senses and struggled again to get away from him.

The warmth of another person, which I suddenly became aware of, was so disconcertingly warm that I felt like I would end up giving away all my affection if I stayed like this.

“First, get off and talk…!”

“Can’t you just not pretend to be so cold at a time like this?! Just be a little kind to me! Do you know how surprised I was??”

“I was just as surprised! Suddenly the ground shook and plants grew, and a strange monster popped out….”

“If you’re surprised, you should watch out for yourself! Why were you confronting a monster one-on-one?! The sight I saw as soon as I came to my senses was like that…. I kept thinking about what would have happened if I had come to my senses even a little bit later… Do you know how scared I was…”

I wondered why he hadn’t gone to his childhood friend and the Heroine Candidate of the Original Work and instead stuck to me.

But looking at him now, it seems he doesn’t even know that Hailga was in danger.

Well, it makes sense since he just escaped from a panic.

“Just go to Hailga already! That monster popped out right next to her.”

“Eh…? By any chance, the reason you were confronting the monster was….”

“That kind of thing isn’t important right now, is it? Hurry up and get off! I have to go check on Liolikin’s condition.”

“Why Liolikin again?! Don’t tell me..”

“Ask Hailga for details! Since she was standing on the podium, she would have seen more than anyone else…!”

Only after saying that much was I finally able to escape from the arms of the Protagonist of Another Novel.

I’m incredibly exhausted.

However, I can’t tell at all whether this is because of the Boss Monster or because of Reysir Daudabina.