"Heroes are nothing but filth."
At least, that's how it felt—judging by their warped sense of justice and the violence they wielded so freely, violence that only seemed to swell in proportion to their descent into madness.
Long before the great beasts—the earthbound kings and the sea-born sovereigns—were ever defeated...
In this place once known as the Labyrinth City—now arrogantly calling itself the City of Heroes—the tyranny and savagery of its so-called protectors had already reached intolerable heights.
Resist them? You'd be hurled through the air.
Speak out? They'd crush you underfoot.
Insult them? You'd find yourself embedded in a wall.
Be weak? Then you were beneath notice.
The "heroes" under the banners of the gods Zeus and Hera recognized no value in the weak.
Those who carried swords, shields, or staffs—anyone who aspired to stand on the same battlefield—were met with ridicule, humiliation, and contempt. There was not a single adventurer or warrior of that era who escaped their violence.
Back then, the city knew only two camps: Zeus and Hera. That alone was enough. Their might was absolute. Their dominance, unquestionable.
"Heroes... are scum."
Between the two major factions, it was Hera's that had the worst personality and principles.
But whenever Zeus's subordinates caused trouble—and they always did—it was Hera's that launched a manhunt in retaliation.
Like avatars of the goddess herself, they would chase Zeus's rabble across the ends of the earth, screaming bloody vengeance.
Naturally, we were caught right in the middle of that apocalyptic mess.
"Damn it all. To hell with the lot of them."
"I'll make you my husband in ten years."
That was what the Empress under Hera said to me, blocking my attack with nothing but her pinky nail—and smiling as if it amused her.
I stood, trembling and drenched in blood, my lips quivering with fury.
I'd rather be chained to a damn Minotaur.
Before I knew it, I'd crashed through dozens of homes and slammed full-force into the massive city wall.
"Well done! You too, pig-boy!"
A top-ranking subordinate of Zeus (Zald) roared those words with such raw force it shattered any will I had left to fight.
All while blatantly ignoring the commands of his god to stand down.
My legs trembling like a pathetic fool, I charged in again, screaming.
The next thing I knew, I was sprawled out on the ground in a star shape, coughing up blood, staring up at a sky warped by my own tears.
It was always the same.
Alongside boars, dwarves, and elves, we were steamrolled—again and again.
If you made them angry, they crushed you.
If you stood your ground, they obliterated you.
The outcome never changed.
"Heroes are goddamn trash."
"Even if you're not a mage, you should be able to handle a 'hill.'
Is that sword just for show?"
That's what a witch with silver hair (Alfia) said as she passed by—right after wiping us out just because we were making too much noise fighting monsters.
The most infuriating part?
Despite being a magic-user, she casually picked up my sword with her slender arms and sliced straight through that "hill" with a single blow.
Her overwhelming talent made any insult feel meaningless.
How many times had I nearly exploded from the rage and humiliation?
How many times had I cursed my own weakness, ignored everyone else, and thrown myself back into the fight?
How many countless defeats had I suffered?
The dwarves, the boar, and the others who fell alongside me called this humiliation "mud."
But I called it filth.
It was far too vile to be labeled something as refined as "mud."
"Back again, vulgar brat?
Can you cut the 'hill' this time?"
And yet, thinking back on it now—
Those so-called "heroes" were always pushing us beyond the filth, beyond the muck.
It was as if they were saying, "Get stronger."
They hurled challenge after challenge at us, and when we somehow clawed our way through the humiliation,
—we found something waiting beyond it.
They scorned us as worthless, but never delivered the final blow.
They acknowledged our screaming weakness and provoked it, regardless of our reasons or motives.
The absurdity and violence they rained down on us.
The destruction and the pressure.
And when those monsters finally vanished from the city—
What remained inside us was something real.
Something powerful.
And in our eyes, in our hearts—
a lingering pursuit of the shadows they left behind.
"Heroes are shit—but they carved a path for us."
They were always strong.
Always pointing toward hope… and toward the next challenge.
If you're weak, you're not allowed anything.
You must be strong.
Even now, with the end of the world looming, their message remains etched in our hearts.
Defeated by the Final Darkness, they left behind their final words upon this land:
"Surpass us."
Now it's our turn to reach for them—to rise beyond them.
Or perhaps, it is those who come after us who must surpass the peaks we now call "heroes."
But we don't have enough strength.
We don't have enough numbers.
We know all too well how powerless determination is without might to back it.
Time is scarce. The trials ahead are overwhelming and soul-crushing.
And yet—
Now, at last, these hands of mine can cleave through something as small as a "hill" with ease.
The Student Revolt.
Its repercussions spread swiftly through the Labyrinth City.
"The recruitment from the School District was canceled!?"As announced, the School District officially declared an indefinite suspension of its recruitment.
The Familias of Orario, who had been preparing to travel to the massive ship Flinghorni to recruit students, were forced to cancel all scheduled visits.
For the city's Familias, the news was devastating.
The arrival of students from the School District had always represented a golden opportunity to acquire new talent.
Even if they lacked experience, students from the Academy possessed unmatched potential.
The cancellation of the long-anticipated recruitment event plunged the Familias of Orario into chaos:
"What the hell is the Guild doing!?"
"Damn pigs—go rot in hell!"
"The School District side was extreme, but the Guild acted far too rashly as well. —I'm looking at you, pig."
"A disgrace to our kind!"
"Roiman, death penalty later."
Such voices—brimming with fury—echoed equally among the Academy members and the gods.
Faced with this unexpected situation, the Guild immediately dispatched emissaries to the School District. However, their half-hearted stance during negotiations only served to further enrage the student representatives, who unceremoniously expelled them. The School District's fury did not subside. They left the port city of Meren entirely. With the powerful magical nation of Altena—who loudly declared they were ready to welcome them—offering their full support, the School District even hinted at the possibility of breaking ties with the Guild completely.
Panic then spread among the Guild members. Though they tried to raise their voices and condemn the "unilateral decision," the School District responded with scorn, as if to say, they were merely retaliating against the Guild's betrayal. Even unrelated gods simply shrugged, remarking that the School District's will was nothing more than the voice of its students.
Among them all, the palest was Roiman, the Guild's leader.
How did it come to this...?
Unable to comprehend the sheer hostility they had brought upon themselves, he writhed in agony, doubling the dosage of his stomach medicine.
Meanwhile, a half-elf—once a student of the School District and now a Guild official who had opposed the requisition of Orichalcum—could only look to the sky and mutter, "I told you..."
The so-called "special economic effect of the School District" came to a sudden halt at that very moment. The students—who had once poured large sums of money into Orario—vanished without exception from that day on, after being expelled in front of the Guild's headquarters by the guards of the Ganesha Familia. Professors and other School District-affiliated personnel also ceased traveling in and out of the city, leading to inevitable consequences.
Criticism from merchants came swiftly. Several trade associations that had rented out properties tailored specifically to students were left with empty storefronts and massive losses. The economic blow even reached the working class, while Meren—the port city long treated as a subordinate to Orario—began to thrive, creating a paradoxical situation.
"This was predictable... but how do you intend to take responsibility, Ouranos?"
"Hang in there, Roiman."
"This borders on cruelty..."
It's said these words were spoken—or perhaps not—between a black-robed mage and an elderly god within the underground altar of the Guild.
As a result, the "Student War" escalated into a major incident and complete disaster, involving citizens, merchants, Familias, and even other nations. The rift between the School District and the Guild became irreparable, and the governing body of the city—the Guild—faced its worst public condemnation in years.
Today, all members of the School District have been summoned back and are now taking refuge in the port city of Meren, where the enormous ship Flinghorni is docked. This includes students who had been participating in internship programs with the various Familias.
"Ahhh!! Miss Nina's been taken back!! We've lost a valuable person! An irreplaceable healer vital to the economic exploration of our Familia!!"
Lili's anguished scream echoed through the entire hall of the residence.
Surprisingly, no one seemed more devastated by Nina's departure than her. She lay face-down on the sofa, flailing her arms and legs as if swimming through the sea.
But she wasn't the only one mourning. Mikoto and even Haruhime shared in her sorrow.
"They've canceled the internships! Even Nina-dono was forced to return!"
"D-Do you think this means Miss Nina won't be able to join the Hestia Familia?"
"That would be awful! Didn't you say she was incredibly talented?"
"She's more than that—she's indispensable! With how she boosts level-ups and enhances abilities, there's no going back to the old days after seeing what she's capable of!"
Hestia leaned forward with fierce resolve, while Lili lifted her head from the sofa with a just-as-serious expression. The three of them—plus their goddess—huddled together, muttering like mourners over "the loss of a promising rookie" and "how that healer is absolutely vital to our party," to the point that their grief was practically tangible from the outside.
"Ever since the School District came to take that half-elf back, they've been like this…"
"It's understandable. Her skills and personality were both truly charming. Even I was looking forward to her joining."
"Yeah... If this really is goodbye, I'll be pretty heartbroken too."
Watching the others from a cautious distance with Welf and Ryu at my side, I couldn't help feeling uneasy too. Ironically, the over-the-top reactions from Lili and the others helped me keep my own nerves in check.
The School District wasn't playing around.
Even at the cost of upsetting their host Familia, they'd forcibly suspended all internship programs and active student work. Orario was far too stirred up now for this situation to resolve easily.
As I mulled it over with growing anxiety, the soft aroma of black tea drifted in the air—as if trying to calm me.
"Hey, Syr… what exactly happened while we were away on the expedition?"
"Hmm… We only noticed that things were getting a little tense over in the port city of Meren, but right after you left, it sounds like the Guild started seizing Orichalcum."
Syr, who had once again brought us tea, lightly touched a slender finger to her chin as she began to explain.
"From what I heard, Baldr and the others tried to settle things peacefully, but the Guild's head, Roiman, got way too pushy. He said stuff like, 'The School District exists thanks to the city's support, so of course we should be entitled to its resources,' and, 'Ouranos has already approved it!' In the end, they basically took the Orichalcum by force and brought it back to Orario."
The students—freshly returned from their internships and specialized training in the Dungeon—witnessed everything unfold, and that's when the disaster truly began.
Syr was recounting all this secondhand, through acquaintances from the port city, but even so, her explanation made perfect sense.
Faced with the Guild's authoritarian demands, the gods aligned with the School District, led by Lord Baldr, responded firmly:
"Do as you wish. But we won't take responsibility for what comes next."
It was clear that Baldr and the other School District deities had foreseen this outcome. In response to the near-militant pressure from Orario, the District played its hand with calm resolve.
Even without their gods raising their voices, the students of the School District—renowned for their strong sense of justice—would never tolerate such injustice. After all, even I had come to understand that firsthand during my short time as a student there.
(Just like with Nina... What's going to happen now between the School District and Orario?)
The uncertainty was overwhelming. Belonging to Orario, and in a way, to the School District as well, all I could do was hope things would be resolved peacefully. As I wondered if there was anything I could possibly do...
An unexpected mission.
——"This can't be happening! Isn't there any way to fix this?"
——"Even if we wanted to, we have far too little information! At the very least, we should investigate the School District's current state or try to find some common ground..."
——"But they say the District has completely shut its doors. If someone wanted to look into things, it'd have to be a student officially recognized by the District gods..."
Just as Lady Hestia, Lili, and Mikoto argued up to that point... they suddenly stopped.
——"Huh?" Haruhime tilted her head in confusion.
And at that exact moment, the three of them turned to look at me—all at once.
"Eh?!" — My shoulders shook in surprise, and beside me, Haruhime reacted the same way. Then, the three of them said in unison:
—— "Bell-kun."
—— "Bell-sama."
—— "Bell-dono."
—— "Could you infiltrate the School District again and find out what's going on?"
Needless to say, I opened my eyes wide, my face twisting in horror. It's also worth mentioning that Syr had already prepared a full disguise — a School District uniform — before I could even protest.
The Return of 'Rapi Flemish'
—— "Rapi-kun!"
As the salty sea breeze and cold lake wind surrounded me, the steps of the ramp echoed loudly. Nina ran down toward me.
He wasn't dressed like Bell Cranel, but in the white student uniform, wearing a Hume Bunny wig, embodying Rapi Flemish once again.
—— "Sorry, Nina... I showed up all of a sudden."
—— "No, no, I'm glad you came! I didn't want to say goodbye like that either..."
Although I apologized, feeling guilty, Nina shook her head several times. Her eyes looked slightly moist, as if on the verge of tears.
I stared at her in surprise, but before I realized it, I also smiled softly.
(It's alright! Master Baldr explained to the elders that he was sending me on an errand for personal reasons.)
Infiltration into the School District
We climbed the ramp leading to the port, which began closing with a loud clang. The School District, in its current state, was practically a territory sealed off from the outside world. If I hadn't been disguised as Lapi, I probably would have been stoned.
—— "Did you come alone, Rapi-kun?"
—— "Yes. Lili and the others preferred to stay at the base to avoid raising suspicion."
As we made our way through the depths of the giant ship Hringhorni, Nina explained the situation to me. The Hermes disguise, which I had ruined during the school district excursion on the 25th floor, was now as good as new, thanks to Syr.
(How did she manage that? Did she know this would happen? Syr is kind of scary...)
Nina seemed to remember something and murmured with a smile:
—— "Ah! I can't call you 'Rapi-kun,' can I? I should say 'Bell-senpai'."
—— "N-No, 'Rapi' is fine! If you call me Bell, they'll find out."
—— "Really? Then, can I keep calling you Rapi-kun when we're alone?"
—— "Eh? I-I guess so... no problem."
Nina clapped happily and grabbed my hand, pulling me forward.
(Why did she ask that? Well... whatever. She looks happy, and that makes me glad.)