Chapter 17
This is a fictional story by realTensai
Alvis hid near Mr. Zweistein's lab, waiting for the scene to unfold. He had already laid all the traps, so they should arrive soon. All he had to do now was wait and observe.
The first to enter the scene was Nero. Her furrowed brows and darting eyes betrayed her confusion as she scanned the surroundings, searching for the person who had called her. A knot formed in Alvis' stomach as he watched Nero's perplexed expression, a silent apology lingering on his lips for orchestrating the situation.
It didn't take long for the two bullies to arrive. A glimpse at Nero's shocked face was all one needed to see to understand how severe the situation was. The two girls trapped her, not leaving her room to escape.
"If this isn't the demon girl?"
"W…What do you want from me? I-I thought Trez was the one who called me?"
"Trez? Don't you dare say his name so casually!"
The elf girl's eyes blazed with hatred as she cornered Nero, pushing her forcefully. The human girl's voice dripped with venom as she launched a verbal assault, her fingers gripping Nero's hair in a cruel grip. Their bitterness reached heights Alvis couldn't even have imagined. As if they wanted to kill her!
Alvis forced his nails into his palm, biting his tongue to control himself. The warm metallic taste of blood spread through his mouth, calming him down.
I can't interfere.
Nero's hands instinctively shielded her head as the first blow landed, tears welling up in her eyes. She hunched over, a silent plea for the torment to end. But this made her even better prey. Alvis winced, his eyes unable to watch this horror show any longer. Yet he did it regardless.
"W…What did I do? Just because I'm a demon?"
Throughout various interactions with Nero, Alvis discovered her low self-esteem. Nero thought she was worthless because she was a demon. She probably had to deal with a lot of racism to get to such a state. Somehow, she reminded him of his past self.
"Yes, because you are a shitty demon. How dare you talk to my ex! I saw how you wanted to seduce Trez with your demonic red eyes."
The human girl went on a rant, pulling on Nero's hair while doing so.
It was just like Alvis had assumed. The reason Nero got bullied was this guy named Trez. The last time they bullied her, Alvis also heard the girls mentioning his name, and this was also how he got to this conclusion.
To sum it up, Nero and Trez had the same mentor, which led to them spending time together. Those two girls probably had a crush on Trez, so seeing him with another girl, who was also a demon, made their blood boil. This was why they went to threaten her, so Nero wouldn't get closer to Trez. Nero, who saw herself as worthless, thought she didn't even deserve Trez's kindness. That led to her not fighting back against those two girls. This situation was the end product of all this.
"We will send you back to your country, you ugly refugee!"
"N-no, no I can't go back, I..."
The two girls kept abusing Nero, who didn't defend herself. It was an ugly sight, especially because Alvis could see Nero crying. His heart shattered, questioning his humanity. However, Alvis still wouldn't step in. His job was to watch and let it all happen.
"You filthy demon bitch, if I see you talking to Trez one more time, I will…"
"You will what?!"
They only had to hear his voice to realize they were doomed. The life vanished out of their faces, their trembling bodies testament to their fear. By turning around, they could see a tiger beast man towering over them, his gaze as dangerous as that of a mana beast. He didn't have his usual goofy smile on his face, which meant they had earned his anger. And by making him angry, they have chosen the worst enemy.
"M..M-Mr. Woltzer…."
"I-I-It is not how it looks like we can explain!"
"I have seen enough. You two come with me to my office. This will have consequences."
"P..Please, we can explain! We…."
"Shut up and follow me!"
There was nothing they could do except to follow him. Seeing their downcast faces as they realized they were doomed put a grin on Alvis' face.
A pleasant sight, indeed.
Calling Mr. Woltzer was the only right choice.
Alvis knew Mr. Woltzer would punish the girls enough that they wouldn't even dream about bullying Nero again. He may even expel both of them. And with those two out of the way, Nero could live a peaceful life.
Nero still stood there, as if rooted to the spot. Her hollow eyes explained her state of mind. The shock she just experienced wouldn't let her stop shaking, even though the situation was already over. Alvis' legs almost moved on their own, yet he disciplined himself to stop.
I'm not the one she needs. It's him.
"Nero, are you all right?"
Running from a distance came a young human boy with ginger hair. His worried expression told volumes about his connection to Nero.
The moment Nero saw him, life came back into her eyes and she broke out in tears.
"T-Trez?"
She was taken aback, yet the moment he arrived, he enveloped her in a protective embrace, his trembling hands betraying the worry that had gripped him.
"I'm sorry Nero! I'm sorry! Because of me, you had to suffer."
Nero's tear-streaked face lit up as Trez embraced her. She clung to him as if he were her lifeline, whispering words of gratitude amid relieved sobs. She cried her heart out to the only person who genuinely cared for her.
Alvis, satisfied that the pieces were falling into place, silently retreated from the scene, leaving Nero in the comforting embrace of Trez.
He knew that this was the only way to save her. Trez would become her mental pillar, and he would make sure Nero would be safe. It wasn't something Alvis could do. All he could do was create a situation where Nero could be saved. He had done his job.
Now he only had to wait and see if he met the conditions to pass the level.
——
Alvis lay in his bed, his blue box floating in the air. No matter how long he would stare at it, it wouldn't change. No notification, no mission complete, nothing. Just the same blue screen.
Shit!
"What else do I have to do to clear this level?!"
His voice echoed through his room as he slammed his fist against the wall. However, he immediately went silent again, not wanting his parents to wake up.
Even though he would like to cope, he couldn't ignore the obvious any longer. There was no doubt that he had saved Nero. Not only did he prevent the bullies from ever bullying her again, but he also strengthened her connection to Trez, which should result in her happiness.
Yes, I did everything I could.
Yet, he still didn't clear his level. This could only mean one thing.
"Nero isn't the girl I have to save."
He sighed, sinking deeper into his bed. The comfort of his bed did little to ease his raging heart. He clenched his fist, gritting his teeth, his brain burning. No matter how much he would shake his head, reality wouldn't change. He had to accept it. Alvis just grabbed his hair, another sigh escaping his throat.
"Damn it."
There was no guarantee that Nero was the girl he had to save. He went in knowing that. Yet after all these trials and troubles and after saving her in the end, it just hit way harder. As if everything he had done was for naught.
"What am I even doing?"
Defeated, Alvis sank even deeper into his bed. He didn't even have enough energy left to sigh and just turned his head off. At this point, he just wanted to sleep. He would think about the future after sleeping.
"WOOOOSHHH!"
Alvis' eyes shot open as a violent, yet still calm, wind forced his window open. His heartbeat accelerated in an instant, all his senses on alert. He jumped out of his bed, facing his window. But what his eyes then saw had every cell of his trembling.
A figure coated in red stood before him.
Memories of the assassin's last words rung in Alvis' head, the figure's killing intent triggering unpleasant visions.
This is an assassin!
Alvis couldn't identify their face, red garment covering their entire body. Yet the way it enveloped their curvy athletic body showed that this had to be a woman. But it was her shining green eyes that had Alvis holding his breath.
The assassin raised her hand, wind gathering around her palm. All the alarm bells within Alvis rung, death already breathing down his neck. His brain hadn't caught up to the situation yet, but his mana already left his mana core, flowing through every pore of him. However, when he tried moving his arm to fire a spell, he couldn't.
What?!
Alvis tried moving his body, yet it wouldn't obey. No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, his body wouldn't listen. It was as if he was hypnotized.
He couldn't even gulp as he noticed the wind around her palm molding into an arrow. With his eyes wide open, he had to see how the arrow was let loose. A forceful gust tore through the room, ruffling the edges of the red cloak and revealing strands of her blonde hair, adding an eerie familiarity to her lethal presence. However, in the next instant, the wind arrow penetrated his heart.
[YOU DIED!]