Chapter 22
Gamers fall for training simulators or growth games for many reasons.
But if I had to choose only one—
without hesitation, I would say:
“A sense of accomplishment.”
That fleeting moment when the time and effort I invested prove they were not in vain.
When the care and devotion I poured in are not betrayed.
And when that proof becomes a reason to keep moving forward.
“Haah!”
From that perspective, Uriel’s growth fit perfectly into every case.
She was holding her own against a demon.
Not overwhelming it, but not being crushed either.
Considering that this was her first real battle, it was an incredible feat.
Just a few months ago, she was stiff, hesitant—
even though she trained earnestly, she lacked everything else.
Effort meant nothing if one was sprinting down the wrong path.
So I showed her the right road.
A more effective method.
And perhaps what she’d been thirsting for all along—expectation and recognition.
Because I knew.
She could become so much stronger—
not because she lacked talent,
but because she had only ever been taught to bloom the wrong way.
One day, she would soar—
wings unfurled, radiant and unstoppable.
And so I erased the wrong lines, sketched truer ones,
filled them with color,
and slowly—
a picture began to emerge.
“…Not bad.”
Uriel struck down the demon, chest heaving with heavy breaths.
“Instructor! What’s next?”
“We’ll target the weaker magic instructors next. This way.”
Battles raged across the campus.
I didn’t bother worrying about them.
These demons were merely diversions—
meant to buy time for the real ones lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike their true targets.
They had, at most, half a day—
no more than a full day before reinforcements would arrive.
Even in my memory, the reinforcements didn’t show up until nightfall.
Until then, this was their hunting ground.
And we had to slay as many as possible.
“If we move this way… we should meet that man.”
There were a few people whose fates I wanted to change.
First, Uriel.
Then Linne.
And third… someone else—
whose introduction had been delayed by the sudden involvement of Erich and the princess.
I was supposed to meet him here.
But not yet.
He wasn’t in the academy yet.
His appearance required a trigger event—
a sort of “unlock condition.”
And that condition… was the academy assault.
“Poor guy. First day on the job, and the place gets wiped out. Like clocking into work only for the company to collapse that same afternoon.”
“Instructor? What did you just say?”
“…Nothing.”
Apparently, I’d muttered aloud. I quickly steered the topic away.
Fortunately, Uriel didn’t press further—
too busy fighting for her life to care.
“Kh! They’re coming again, Instructor!”
“Let them! I welcome any trial worthy of a hero!”
“Stop saying weird things and help me, Linne!”
The situation was serious, but Linne and Uriel somehow managed their usual banter.
The number of demons was higher than expected—
in the game, they were just sprites and text.
But here, seeing them for real, they seemed endless.
Watching the three of them gradually wear down made me uneasy.
Erich and Linne were still stable enough.
Erich, after all, was born broken—one of those “privileged” characters.
Linne’s concept might have been strange, but his skill wasn’t.
Uriel, though—
she’d only just learned to wield her talent.
Throwing her straight into real combat was like teaching a child to walk
and then forcing them to run a hundred meters.
Crunch!
Her axe slammed down, shattering the demon’s shoulder.
Good hit. But…
“Uriel.”
“Haah… yes, Instructor?”
“Your last strike. You used too much force.”
“Ah…”
“It’s fine now, but on a real battlefield, that’ll get you killed.
The enemy will be armored, better armed than these.”
Heavy resolve, light body.
That’s what seasoned soldiers used to say.
Those who mocked the phrase died early.
Those who ignored it followed soon after.
Combat with demons left no room for mistakes.
“Erich.”
“Ha! Yes, Instructor!”
“Switch places with Uriel.”
“Are you sure?”
“Instructor, I can still—!”
I said nothing. Only met her eyes.
Was she arguing out of reason, or pride?
She wasn’t foolish enough not to realize which.
“Don’t overthink it. I’m not pulling you out—just giving you a breather.”
“…Understood, Instructor.”
As much as I wanted to give her more experience,
pushing now would be pure greed.
Erich took the forward flank beside Linne, and sure enough, their pace quickened.
“Ha-ha! Linne, was it? You wanna be a hero? Perfect! I do too!”
“New heroes are always welcome!”
“But you look tired. Want me to carry that door for you?”
“How dare you! This is my burden and mine alone to bear!”
Their ridiculous back-and-forth grated on me,
but it meant they were still in control.
“The academy’s too big, isn’t it?” Uriel murmured behind me.
“The demons just keep coming.”
She was right.
Every last one of the lesser demons had fixated on us—
drawn in by our movement, by design or accident.
“That means there’s something important up ahead.”
“And if we’re too late?” she asked quietly.
I turned toward her.
Her face was etched with worry.
I touched my own face absently.
Her expression—
and mine—
couldn’t have been more different.
Hers was human.
Mine was long past that.
Nothing fazed me anymore.
Because this wasn’t about saving everyone.
It was about using this chaos for what it could give us.
Even if people died.
Even if I was the reason they did.
“That’s why they’re needed more than me.”
Heroes.
They were the ones who could end the war.
Not because of strength alone—
but because of their ability to lead, to inspire.
I could fight for them.
Teach them.
But never be them.
That was the law of this world.
“If we’re late,” I said,
“then whatever happens isn’t your fault.”
I didn’t want them burdened with guilt.
Not yet.
They had too far to go.
Too much to bear.
If blame was to fall on anyone, it would be on me.
It should be.
“Instructor!”
A shout jolted me. Ahead, several teachers lay crumpled against a wall,
the ground soaked red.
“Teacher! Wake up! Please, stay with me!”
“…Linne. Stop.”
“Let go, Instructor! Why are you—”
“They’re gone. No amount of shouting will bring them back.”
Linne froze. Then a broken sigh escaped her lips.
I knelt to check the bodies.
Signs of resistance—
traces of powerful magic.
They’d fought hard,
but it was a surprise attack. It couldn’t have lasted long.
“…There it is.”
A faint mark etched on the youngest teacher’s wrist.
A sigil—proof of someone once capable, perhaps even remarkable.
For demons, that made them a priority target.
And I wondered—
If I’d told him to rest today, would he have lived?
I knew this would happen.
Could have known.
Was it indifference? Or calculation?
Maybe both.
Even if I had warned him,
would he have listened?
Would any of them?
Of course not.
So yes—his death was on me.
But I had no way to stop it.
And truthfully,
I hadn’t wanted to.
“I feared things might spiral out of control if I did.”
“I’m sorry, sir,” Linne whispered, voice shaking.
“I’m so sorry we were late…”
Erich’s jaw tightened.
Uriel’s eyes shimmered with guilt.
And I—
I felt nothing.
Just the faint reminder that I was no longer like them.
“Move out.”
“Instructor, just a moment—”
“Every moment we stop, more people die.”
It was true.
Cruel, but true.
Maybe I’d broken somewhere along the way.
Maybe I still saw this all as a game.
But one thing remained certain—
I would make them heroes.
Heroes who could save others.
And themselves.
“…Let’s go,” Uriel said softly. “You’re right, Instructor. We can still help someone.”
Erich nodded.
Even Linne, face pale and grief-stricken, picked up her shattered door and followed.
“Now I understand,” Uriel murmured.
“What?” I asked.
“Why you always emphasized real combat.
Why you said we were still lacking.”
“So this is what it means… to be on a real battlefield.”
I had no words for her.
At the beginning of the demon assault, the Princess had enough time to escape.
Her guards had sensed the anomaly first.
They secured her route and urged her to flee.
But she refused—
choosing instead to evacuate the students first.
Her knights tried to dissuade her,
but they could not overrule her will.
That single decision saved two groups.
The first: the academy itself.
Because of her, trapped students managed to flee.
The second: the demons.
They hadn’t expected the Princess to stay.
Clang! Clang!
“Gahh!”
“How dare you stand in our way!”
The royal guards fought valiantly, felling demon after demon.
The invaders had known the Princess was present—
but none had dreamed of targeting her directly.
Killing teachers or students was one thing.
Assaulting imperial blood was another.
She was protected by elite knights—
even an attempt could unravel their entire operation.
And yet—
she had stayed behind.
And now, from the demons’ view,
they saw her—fighting, issuing orders, sword in hand.
“Change of plans,” said a woman cloaked in shadow.
“Anyone who hasn’t found their target—assemble here.”
“We’ll capture the Princess. Let fear sear itself into the Empire’s heart.”
They’d already succeeded in killing a few marked targets.
That was enough to cause chaos.
They didn’t need to win—
just to terrorize.
And if they could capture the Princess?
All the better.
Her guards numbered fewer than five.
If they could make her slip just once—
“Kh!”
One knight staggered back, a dagger buried in his shoulder.
Not fatal, but enough to weaken their defense.
Dozens of demons surrounded them.
Numbers were on their side.
“I’ll fight too,” the Princess declared.
“Your Highness!”
“I trained for this moment. I will not stand idle.”
She drew her sword.
The demons rejoiced inwardly.
A target who stood still was one thing—
a target who stepped into the open was a gift.
They exchanged knowing glances,
ready to pounce—
Until a sudden roar split the air.
“Your Highness! We’re coming for you!”
“You vile creatures! You’ll never reach Her Highness while I stand!”
A young man charged forward, sword flashing.
Beside him, a girl hefting a broken door like a shield.
And behind them—
A silent boy, steady gaze, unwavering resolve.
And at last—
A bloodstained instructor, shaking his head in exasperation, gripping an axe.
“Damn it,” he muttered.
“Always the same timing.”
