Chapter: 121. Advice from the Elemental Sovereign
All progress has been too smooth.
As Heikawa said, Kanade and others’ strength is not on the same level as other students.
Especially he and Mana, the gap in strength compared to ordinary students is too large, and the outcome goes without saying.
Due to his unique abilities, Uemon was almost always chosen to face a surrender from his opponents during individual matches to avoid encountering a humiliating defeat; only a rare few courageous challengers could manage to defeat him before he activated his abilities.
Thus, Uemon’s overall score was more wins than losses.
As for Nagisa, who had no combat abilities at all, she surprisingly achieved complete victory in the individual matches, which left Kanade and Mana in disbelief.
Clearly, she only had healing abilities, yet her pure and cute appearance, along with her sunny disposition, was enough to prevent her opponents from launching attacks.
In the end, opponents would voluntarily surrender when they could no longer withstand the pressure of the audience’s gaze.
Kanade and Mana were simply astonished.
So, at the end of the first day of the academy league, Kanade’s team firmly held the top position by total score, closely followed by the team where Amane was.
“Is this another year for Ark Academy to claim the championship?”
“Are there just too many monsters in Ark Academy?”
“However, the beautiful girls in Ark Academy are indeed high-level; be it last year’s Kamiyuki Mana or this year’s Amane Tsubasa… not to mention Lord Seigong~~~”
…
Students of Infinite Academy watched the day’s matches and excitedly discussed among themselves, with many turning into fans of Nagisa on the spot.
As the sunset fell, the first day of competitions had all concluded.
The students of Infinite Academy slowly walked out of the underground competition area while discussing the day’s battles.
The girls’ group planned to stroll through the shopping street of Infinite Academy tonight. Seeing this, Nagisa, wanting to seize the opportunity, actively requested to join.
Her real purpose, of course, was to find a chance to hand over the extraordinary items she had prepared in advance to Tsubasa.
This shopping trip was a good opportunity since Mana was not very interested, and while she could shop with Tsubasa, she could secretly pass the items to Tsubasa under the cover of the other girls.
That’s right.
Over these two days, Nagisa maintained her usual sunny and cheerful image, and nearly made friends with most students at Infinite Academy, so many would participate tonight; although she might inevitably become a dress-up doll, she at least collected quite a bit of useful information thanks to her popularity.
One point particularly piqued her interest— the “Hero Project.”
This seemed to be a secret plan known only to a very few teachers and higher-ups at the school, with all clues deeply hidden. Nagisa learned of its existence through small hints in conversations.
Moreover, this plan seemed closely linked to the Special Organization SEMA and the three major academies.
The reason Nagisa was so concerned about it was simple—
Because neither in the original works of “Hoshihiki 1” nor “Hoshihiki 2” had there ever been any mention of something called the “Hero Project.”
—Is it the consequence of my past life excessively interfering with this world?
From some clues, Nagisa learned that the essence of this project was to create a new savior.
In a sense, this was not so different from her own long-standing actions.
However, it seemed that the Hero Project at Infinite Academy had recently been put on hold.
And the timing coincided perfectly with Kanade awakening her powers—
—Could it be that they had already determined that Kanade was the new savior? That’s why they temporarily halted other Hero Projects?
—Does this relate to Kanade’s recent secretive interactions with Heikawa and others?
Nagisa felt she finally understood the reason behind Kanade’s unusual behavior lately.
But another question also arose in her mind—
—If Kanade was initially one of their selections for the Hero Project, then who would the other “Hero” candidates in SEMA and the three major academies be?
————————————-
“Ah, it seems there are no girls I fancy at Infinite Academy…”
“So, Uemon, your preferences are a bit special!”
Kanade and Uemon chatted casually as they walked back to the dormitory.
The sunset’s afterglow cast a golden light on the campus path, filtering through the tall trees to create mottled shadows.
The evening air was fresh, mixed slightly with the salty humidity of the sea.
Kanade couldn’t help but glance at the dormitory nearby, bathed in golden light.
Just then, she noticed a figure at the door of the dormitory from a distance.
The person stood by the entrance, leaning against a pillar. He seemed to sense Kanade’s gaze and slightly raised his head, their eyes meeting.
Though it was Kanade’s first time meeting him, she felt an aura of familiarity emanating from him.
He was a tall young man dressed simply in casual attire, with dark bangs lightly obscuring his eyes. His facial features were sharp and well-defined, but he always gave an impression of being “ordinary” and “average.”
His demeanor was calm, appearing as just a tourist taking a casual stroll.
Their gazes intersected in the air.
“I’ve been waiting for you, Mr. Tsukimi Kanade.”
The young man spoke, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable weight.
Kanade was slightly taken aback, while Uemon next to her showed a curious expression: “Uh, do you know him, Tsukimi?”
“…Um, sorry, Uemon, could you head back first? I might need to talk to him for a bit.”
Feeling from the young man’s gaze and tone that he was here specifically to find her, Kanade wanted Uemon to temporarily withdraw since she wasn’t sure whether the person was friend or foe.
Uemon looked at Kanade and, though confused, nodded and stepped toward the dormitory.
Upon hearing this, the dark-haired young man also nodded slightly and began to walk away from the dormitory: “Just in time; I know a suitable place to talk.”
Kanade followed the dark-haired young man.
As they distanced themselves from the crowd, their pace gradually slowed.
The dark-haired young man spoke first: “By the way, I haven’t introduced myself yet; my name is…”
He paused, seemingly considering his words, then smiled gently: “Yes, they seem to prefer not to call me ‘Hikari’ and would rather refer to me as ‘Nikyō.’ Mr. Tsukimi Kanade, you may call me by this name.”
“Nikyō… sir?”
“Of course, if that sounds awkward, I have another title.”
The dark-haired young man turned his head, seemingly unhurried, “You can also call me—’Elemental Sovereign.'”
“Elemental Sovereign…”
The moment the dark-haired young man spoke this term, Kanade abruptly stopped.
“Ah, speaking of which, we are the same kind of being, Mr. Tsukimi Kanade.”
“Products of the ‘Hero Project.'”
————————————-
“Mr. Adam, are you really going to personally participate in this year’s academy league tomorrow?”
At the headquarters of Special Organization SEMA, a man in a secretary outfit hurried toward Adam, a hint of unease on his face as he asked quietly, filled with concern.
Adam sat at a modern long table surrounded by complex holographic images and floating virtual screens, his stern expression concealing an undeniable pressure.
He did not respond immediately but continued to scan the reports in front of him.
“We recently detected that the fantasy monsters seem to be moving; now is not the time to leave headquarters easily.” The secretary spoke hurriedly while flipping through documents, “As for this year’s award ceremony, it could easily be handled by someone else…”
However, Adam interrupted him, his tone cold and clear: “Let the other board members handle the matters at the fantasy monster front.”
He set down the materials in his hand.
“The new hero is participating in the academy league this time,” Adam said in a steady tone, “I believe it’s necessary for me to take this opportunity to visit in person.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he waved his hand, and a large holographic image projected into the air in front of him.
On the screen, various data reports of the academy league scrolled quickly, showcasing Tsukimi Kanade’s figure during the competition; his appearances seemed to be magnified by the holographic image, with each detail clear.
“But, but, Mr. Adam, according to the records in the Book of the Future, you cannot appear before the hero—” the secretary began but hesitated.
Adam interrupted him again, calmly and indifferently responding: “Ah, I know, I won’t appear before him.”
With that, he turned around and looked behind him.
The massive wall behind him came into view, embedded with rows of transparent frames, each containing shards of broken stones.
On the surface of these stones were engraved countless exquisite and mysterious patterns and symbols.
The Book of the Future.
————————————-
“…SEMA will not meet me?”
At the clock tower of Infinite Academy, the Elemental Sovereign brought Kanade here and informed her of the most concerning matter at hand.
The sunset’s afterglow cast on the edge of the clock tower, and a faint tranquility filled the surrounding air.
The Elemental Sovereign sat at the edge of the clock tower, his legs dangling freely as he gazed into the distance.
“Ah, according to the records in the Book of the Future, they will try to avoid contact with the ‘hero’ until the hero fully awakens—of course, there may be interpretative deviations involved, but based on my memory, there seem to be similar records, so it should not be mistaken,” the Elemental Sovereign explained casually: “【The hero will only contact the higher-ups of SEMA after fully awakening】.”
His starry eyes reflected the distant Infinite Academy, and the sunset’s glow adorned the entire campus with a golden frame; the tranquility of this moment seemed incongruous with the surroundings.
“What does that… mean?” Kanade stood beside the Elemental Sovereign, leaning against the pillar of the clock tower, her brows slightly furrowed, a hint of confusion in her eyes.
“In the end, what exactly is a ‘hero’?”
The Elemental Sovereign slowly turned his head, his starry eyes sparkling with brilliant light as they landed on Kanade: “In the recognition of SEMA and the three major academies, the ‘hero’ is the destined savior who will appear, and also the target of the fantasy monsters.”
He paused, pointed at Kanade, then at the Elemental Sovereign himself, his tone calm yet carrying undeniable significance: “Just like me, or perhaps you.”
Kanade was momentarily stunned, thoughts of the hero rumors flashing through her mind, a flicker of anger in her eyes.
“Why would I be the hero? What exactly is this so-called destined fate?”
Just as Kanade finished speaking, she suddenly recalled something the young man had just said, as if realizing the key causal relationship within: “Could it be—”
“Correct, your intuition is quite accurate; it relates to the Book of the Future.” The Elemental Sovereign shrugged lightly: “You should have seen quite a bit of related artistic creations, right? You can think of the Book of the Future as a kind of prophecy.”
He turned to look into the distance: “After founding SEMA and the three major academies, the Elemental Sovereign previously assisted in deciphering the hidden symbols and patterns in the Book of the Future.”
After finishing, the Elemental Sovereign paused for a moment before adding: “Of course, I’m referring to the true Elemental Sovereign, not myself.”
Upon hearing this, Kanade couldn’t help but scrutinize the man before her again.
He is the Elemental Sovereign, without a doubt.
Although Kanade hadn’t recognized him at first glance, after hearing his self-introduction, the name “Elemental Sovereign” seemed to have bonded with him.
According to his introduction, he, like her, is a product of the “Hero Project.”
He was not the deceased true Elemental Sovereign from back then but rather a kind of “revived” product inheriting his memories.
However, this aligned with the information Kanade learned from Ayako, that the Hero Project of the Star Academy aimed to “revive” the Elemental Sovereign, and they truly succeeded.
“Your name is written in the Book of the Future—Tsukimi Kanade.”
“My name… in the Book of the Future?”
The Elemental Sovereign nodded and continued: “That’s right unless there is an error from the true sovereign… but based on my memory, there seem to be no discrepancies, so the chances of error are very low.”
He pointed at his head again, the brilliant glow in his eyes becoming even more dazzling:
“【Tsukimi Kanade, the new hero, will awaken as the true hero only after the death of the one and only female lead by their side】.”
He paused, his voice lowered: “This is the original sentence deciphered from the Book of the Future; unfortunately, this point also corresponds with my memory, fundamentally ruling out the possibility of translation errors—”
“—But I have already awakened!”
Kanade abruptly interrupted him, raising her right hand, her fingers slightly trembling as magical power quickly gathered, golden light flashing in her pupils, while at the same time, pitch-black flames enveloped her arm, transforming into sharp beast claws.
“I have already awakened! And there is no one dying beside me! Doesn’t this prove that the hero mentioned in the Book of the Future cannot be me?!”
The Elemental Sovereign quietly gazed at the pitch-black flames she released, and after a moment, slowly spoke: “I believe you, Tsukimi Kanade, because according to my memory, the new hero candidates are not just one; besides Tsukimi Kanade, there is another…”
“Then… then…” Kanade was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she heard the Elemental Sovereign add.
“But unfortunately, this is not up to me to decide, Tsukimi Kanade.” The Elemental Sovereign slowly shifted his gaze away, looking towards the gradually sinking sun, his back lengthening in the afterglow, and solemnly said.
He paused, his voice growing lower, containing a hint of resignation.
“Only when SEMA officially admits to abandoning the Hero Project and leaves a record can you escape.”
“The Hero Project of SEMA and the three major academies is, to some extent, a competition; whichever side successfully obtains the new hero will obviously gain greater discourse power. They will not easily give up, and similarly… the fantasy monsters will not back down.”
“The so-called savior is the primary target for the fantasy monsters to return to this era.”
“So I appeared; Lily… the dean of the Star Academy ‘revived’ me, allowing me to become the true hero, in order to end this never-ending farce.”
Kanade’s eyes fixed firmly on the Elemental Sovereign. After a long silence, she withdrew the black flames in her hand and calmly asked: “…Why should I believe you?”
“You don’t have to believe me.” The Elemental Sovereign slowly stood up, still facing away from Kanade, his voice remaining indifferent: “In my memory, Tsukimi Kanade, you have good intuition and can discern the truth of other’s emotions from their words…”
At that moment, the sun on the horizon completely sank below the sea, and the night descended like a tidal wave, dyeing the entire world with a deep ink color.
“Tsukimi Kanade, if you don’t want to become the hero, the only way is to stay away from the extraordinary world. SEMA cannot possibly give up on you as an imminent hero, so…”
“Run away, take your female lead with you, escape to a place where SEMA and the fantasy monsters cannot find you.”
“This is the last advice I can offer you as the Elemental Sovereign.”
