The Lowest-Ranked Hero Has Returned
A boy burst out laughing, clutching his stomach.
Though his face was hidden by a mask, his small frame suggested he was barely ten years old.
"Well, since I’ve been caught, there’s no helping it,"
He said with a broad smile beneath the monkey mask.
Although his voice couldn’t be heard due to the distance, his lip movements clearly conveyed the words:
“Let’s. Play. Tag.”
Tag?
Before I could furrow my brows in confusion, the boy sitting on the roof with the monkey mask vanished into thin air as if dissolving into the air.
‘Damn it.’
I muttered under my breath, staring at the spot where the boy in the monkey mask had disappeared.
‘A member of the Beast Gang?’
No.
It didn’t feel like that.
‘Could it be...’
I thought back to the boy leisurely swinging his legs on the high roof, my face hardening.
The memories of the previous final exams briefly flickered in my mind, but I quickly shook them off.
What mattered now wasn’t whether he was part of the Beast Gang.
‘When a person’s heart bursts... it’s supposed to take the shape of a heart, right?’
An ominous chill ran down my spine.
Suddenly, Professor Lucas’s words surfaced in my mind.
The incident in Valhalla City.
A major criminal organization was annihilated overnight by a single boy.
“...Professor Elisha.”
“What is it now?”
“Do you know about the recent incident in Valhalla City where a major criminal organization was destroyed?”
“I do.”
Sensing the gravity of the situation, Professor Elisha nodded with a grim expression.
“What was the main activity of that organization?”
“Human trafficking and illegal distribution of magical artifacts, as far as I know.”
“What kind of magical artifacts, exactly?”
“Explosive magical devices restricted to military use.”
“......”
Explosive magical devices for military use.
These artifacts, made only with high-grade mana stones, were so tightly regulated by the three kingdoms that most people would never see one in their lifetime.
“Damn it.”
The ominous feeling grew stronger.
Grinding my teeth, I glared at the spot where the boy in the monkey mask had vanished.
‘He said he wanted to play tag.’
If so, he was likely still somewhere on the school grounds.
After all, without someone to chase, a game of tag couldn’t even begin.
“Professor Elisha.”
“Go on.”
“Someone has infiltrated the school.”
Professor Elisha’s eyes widened in shock.
“...Did you see who it was?”
“A boy wearing a monkey mask.”
“A monkey mask... could it be the Beast Gang?”
“It’s not confirmed yet.”
You couldn’t assume someone’s identity based solely on an animal mask.
“...So, what’s your plan now?”
“I’ll chase him.”
I couldn’t let an unidentified intruder roam freely within the school.
“Understood. I’ll assist you.”
“No.”
I shook my head softly.
“I have something else I need you to do, Professor.”
After explaining what I needed Professor Elisha to handle, I sprinted in pursuit of the monkey mask.
I could only hope my instincts were wrong.
‘Where is he?’
The first place I arrived at was the annex roof where I’d initially spotted the monkey mask.
Standing on the roof where the boy had been just moments ago, I scanned the area carefully.
Naturally, he was nowhere to be seen.
Nor were there any traces of mana or demonic energy.
Instead—
“...A note?”
Unfolding the piece of paper left on the ground, I saw scrawled writing, as if drawn by a child, in atrocious handwriting:
[Where am I right now?~]
The main building roof.
Central plaza.
Candidate cafeteria.
Be—
The rest of the fourth option was smeared in red stains, making it unreadable.
‘Demonic energy.’
The red stains on the note faintly emanated demonic energy.
‘If that’s the case...’
Fwoosh.
The faint embers dancing at my fingertips.
If the red stains weren’t real blood but instead demonic energy—
Ssssss.
With gray smoke, the stains gradually vanished.
Beneath them, more writing appeared:
4. Right behind you ☺
Whoosh!
Reacting instinctively, I ducked as a crimson blade sliced through the air just above me.
“Hahaha! You dodged it? Impressive!”
A voice laughed behind me.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Crimson spikes shot up from the ground, sharp and deadly.
With no time to draw my sword, I swung my fist at the spikes, stepping forward forcefully.
Berald’s Martial Arts.
Mountain Shatterer.
BOOOM!
With a thunderous crash, the crimson spikes shattered into countless pieces.
“Heh, impressive!”
The boy in the monkey mask clapped and giggled.
I frowned, glaring at the boy.
“Hmm~ Are you curious about who I am? Huh? Curious? Who could I beee~?”
“Sigh.”
Watching the boy’s playful gestures and the eerie red aura surrounding him, I let out a deep sigh.
Even with his face hidden behind the mask, there was no mistaking his identity.
“The Archbishop of Madness... What brings you here?”
“Oh? Archbishop of Madness? Who’s that? Look, I’m just a guy in a mask! See?”
The boy pointed at the monkey mask on his face, hopping up and down excitedly.
Tsk.
I clicked my tongue and frowned.
"If you’re trying to imitate the Beast Masked Gang, cut it out. You’re not even close."
“...Huh? Beast Masked Gang?"
The boy in the monkey mask widened his eyes at me, then suddenly clutched his stomach and burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!!! Don’t tell me you’re calling the 'Eternal Order' the Beast Masked Gang?"
"...Eternal Order?"
What the hell is the Eternal Order?
Could it be that the masked people we’ve been calling the Beast Masked Gang are actually the Eternal Order?
‘No way this guy knows more than I do, and I’m the one who’s regressed.’
Given that a member of the Beast Masked Gang—a wolf mask—was hundreds of years old, the Eternal Order wasn’t some newly created organization due to changes in the timeline.
It must’ve existed far back in the past.
But still...
‘I’ve never even heard of the name Eternal Order.’
I didn’t even feel a hint of familiarity, so it wasn’t something I’d heard and forgotten.
"Ha. Beast Masked Gang, huh... Well, maybe it’s a fitting name for those guys."
The boy removed the monkey mask from his face.
As expected, behind the mask was the face of Seto, the Archbishop of Madness.
"Long time no see, Dale Han."
With a smirk, Seto raised a hand and waved at me as if greeting an old friend.
"I can’t say I’m glad to see you."
"What?! After all this time, that’s how you greet me? Do you know how much I’ve been looking forward to seeing you again?"
"Really?"
I didn’t look forward to it at all.
"Hehe. So... do you want to know more about the Eternal Order? Want me to tell you?"
Seto grinned slyly, teasing me.
"If you beat me in a game, I’ll tell you all about the Eternal Order."
"A game?"
"Yep! A fun and exci~ting game!"
Seto spread his arms wide and smiled brightly.
"...What, are you going to suggest we shoot each other in the head again?"
"Aww, we already did that one. Repeating games is boring!"
"Then what?"
"Hehe. Today’s game is...."
Tada!
He even made sound effects with his mouth as he pointed toward the central plaza of the school.
"Today’s game is Minesweeper! Well, to be precise...."
With a crazed smile and gleaming red eyes, he continued:
"‘Bomb Hunter’... is what I should call it, right?"
"......."
"I’ve hidden a bomb somewhere in the central plaza of the school. If you find it in time, no one will get hurt. But if you don’t...."
Clutching his stomach, Seto burst into hysterical laughter, his shoulders shaking.
“Boom! Everyone’s hearts will explode, creating beautiful heart-shaped fireworks!"
"......."
"How about it? Doesn’t it sound fun?"
Fun, huh?
"Why did you specifically gather only couples?"
"Huh?"
"If you wanted to gather people, you could’ve spread a different rumor."
"Ohhh, that?"
Seto shrugged his shoulders as he explained.
"The bomb I set up in the central plaza, you see, I tweaked it a bit. It’s got some... quirks."
"Quirks?"
"Yep! Instead of a perfectly round explosion radius, it bursts out in jagged spikes."
"......."
In other words, if the bomb goes off...
"If two people are clinging together, only one of them might die. Though, if they’re unlucky, both could die."
"......."
"With a bomb like that, wouldn’t it be more entertaining to gather only ‘couples’ and set it off rather than just any random people?"
Seto spun around on the spot as if he were dancing, his arms spread wide.
"Imagine it! Watching your lover’s body go boom! right before your eyes! The hot, sticky blood splatters on you while you scream!"
Huff, huff.
Breathing heavily, his cheeks flushed red, Seto continued.
"Doesn’t the thought of it just excite you?"
"......."
Right.
Now I fully understand what kind of lunatic this guy is.
And what I need to do next.
"Hehehe! So, shall we start the game? Here’s your first clue...."
"Not interested."
"Huh? What did you say?"
"I said, the game sounds boring, so I’m not interested."
"......."
Seto blinked, clearly not expecting that response.
"Huhhh. If you don’t find it in time, the bomb will go boom! and—"
"So what?"
"So what? Haha! If the bomb explodes, dozens of candidates will be killed! I just explained it!"
"And why should I care, you little punk? Am I supposed to babysit everyone’s deaths?"
"Uh...? Huh? This isn’t how it’s supposed to go...."
Seto stammered, stepping back in confusion.
"Instead, I’ve got a game for you."
"A... game?"
"Yeah. Playing only your games gets boring, doesn’t it?"
I drew the sword hanging from my waist.
"The rules are simple."
Fwoosh!
Flames roared to life, wrapping around the blade.
"From now on, I’m going to burn you to death."
With a vicious grin, I aimed my sword at the Archbishop of Madness.
"Let’s see if you can survive."

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