This is the chapter where we yell, "What the hell are you doing, Innocent Zero?!" And, well, it's probably his last appearance.
Here we go—onto the main story!
Beatrice and the Savior of Evil
Overwhelming presence, sheer intensity, raw intimidation… Innocent Zero's Summons had conjured Chronos, a staff unlike anything ordinary. Beatrice broke into a cold sweat, her guard raised higher than ever before.
…Hehehe.
I have to finish him before he makes his move!
Energy gathered in her compound eyes. Seeing this, Innocent Zero took to the air, lightly waving his staff.
"Times."
The moment he muttered the word and the staff glowed red, he vanished. In the blink of an eye—less than a second—he was gone.
Where did he—?!
"To become the ultimate being you seek… what do you think is required?"
Behind me!
Beatrice whirled toward his voice, unleashing a crimson beam. But he wasn't there. Her eyes darted around, searching for him.
"The answer is simple… Power."
"I don't need you to tell me that!" she snapped. "That's why I've used every means to gain it!"
"No—you're still too naive."
"What did you say?!"
"You've acquired impressive power, true. But you could have so much more… Times Rewind." snap
Innocent Zero aimed Chronos at Beatrice's arm, unleashing a wave imbued with Roman numerals. Her arm withered as if time itself had accelerated, decaying in an instant.
"—! My arm… it's withering…!"
"You're too satisfied with what you have now," he said. "Is that enough? Can an ultimate being stagnate like this?"
"What are you getting at?!"
"You're afraid. Afraid you can't control greater power. Afraid it'll destroy you, reduce you to nothing."
"What kind of adult doesn't care for their own survival…!"
"Exactly—because you care for yourself, you must make your body stronger, Beatrice."
Innocent Zero had forsaken his humanity through countless magical modifications. His face was a featureless mask—no eyes, nose, or mouth. Yet he didn't die, didn't age, and remained impossibly strong. A perfect lifeform—that was what Innocent Zero, Cyril Marcus, pursued.
In that sense, he wasn't so different from Gematria.
"My Signature Magic is Times," he said. "As the name suggests, it manipulates time."
"Time manipulation… Even if that's true, there's no way you can use it so frequently!"
"Didn't I tell you? I've modified my body with magic."
"You feel no fear? No resistance to losing your own body?!"
"Fear? Of course I felt it. It's because I feared death that I changed this much… Times Arrow Rain."
His expression turned grave. With a flick of his staff, countless clock hands rained down on Beatrice like a storm. She struggled, firing light bolts to counter, but the onslaught was relentless.
"Beatrice—be greedier. Be more arrogant."
"I'm—ugh—an adult! For an adult to crave like a beast…!"
"What's wrong with that? Humans are the greediest creatures. You're a strong one, Beatrice. What's wrong with the strong seeking power? We, the elite among humans, the ones who surpass all others—what's wrong with indulging our desires?"
Even as Arrow Rain battered her, Beatrice fought back with beams of light. But each time the staff glowed, her attacks vanished, and she was met with counterstrikes—a one-sided slaughter.
"Beatrice, I—" pause
"Hah… ha… hah…"
"Oh? Already that exhausted? My apologies, I didn't notice."
"You… you love getting under people's skin, don't you?!"
"It's my thing—doing what others hate. I'd love to keep playing with you, Beatrice. It's been ages since I could use my full power. But you're at your limit."
"Spare me your nonsense!"
"Then let's do this." snap
Raising his staff, Innocent Zero muttered another spell.
"Times."
"Not on my watch!"
Beatrice lunged, sharpening her hand into a blade and piercing his abdomen. Even with dulled pain, damage was damage. She thought she'd stopped his time manipulation—but…
Flash!
"?!"
"Close, Beatrice. A few centimeters higher, and you'd have hit my heart."
"My body… it's back?!"
"Times Arrow Rain."
"Guh… agh…!" collapse
Innocent Zero had rewound time to before Beatrice's transformation, leaving her stunned. He struck her with Arrow Rain, piercing her human form.
Times, true to its name, manipulated time in countless ways—world time, enemy time, his own time, or that of objects. Its versatility was unmatched: teleporting to dodge attacks, rewinding to cancel enemy moves. Its only drawback was the strain of frequent use, but his enhanced magical capacity ensured he never ran dry.
He was invincible—the perfect moniker for Innocent Zero.
This gap…?! Me… me, pushed this far…?! What is this… this freezing dread, this burning sensation…?!
"That's the fear of death, Beatrice."
"Fear…? Me…?"
"Yes. You're dying. That wound will kill you from blood loss soon."
"Dying…? Me…? I haven't achieved anything yet… After all this time…!"
Bloodied and collapsed, Beatrice desperately clung to life. She hadn't yet reached her goal, hadn't reshaped Arius as she planned. She refused to die now, after everything.
Not here… not like this… I haven't been recognized by anyone…!
Her thoughts, her very existence, had always been rejected by the world. Her domineering terror, her pursuit of ultimate existence, her sense of self—all to prove herself, to rise above.
"You've struggled greatly, haven't you?"
"…!"
"Unrecognized, alone, in pain… it must have been unbearable."
No one could accept Beatrice's malevolent ideals—not ordinary people, certainly not the virtuous. But to him, the embodiment of evil, her thoughts were understood.
"You worked harder than anyone, yet the world denied your talent, your power, your very ideas. I understand, Beatrice… I know how you feel."
"You too…?"
"Yes. Despite my innate talent, my mentor never acknowledged me or my ideas. Instead, he favored… that inferior man."
Gripping his staff tightly, his face twisted in a familiar grimace—one Beatrice recognized, having worn it herself. She felt drawn to him.
"The weak are celebrated, while we, the strong, are ignored. Don't you think so?"
"Yes… yes, I do!"
"But then I thought—why care about being recognized by those beneath us?"
"…!"
"If you're satisfied with yourself, that's enough. Why bother with others? We're on a different level."
Beatrice froze. He's right… I'm different. Why should I care about their gazes?
"If no one else will recognize you… I will. As someone who stands where you do."
Innocent Zero touched her face, healing her wounds. His voice was gentle, enveloping—almost magnetic.
"You're safe now, Beatrice. I'll save you. I won't deny you."
"—!"
Evil needs its own understanding, its own savior. The one who acknowledged and saved Beatrice, the villain, was Innocent Zero—the ultimate evil.
Just as Mash reached out to students no matter how they treated him, Innocent Zero extended his hand to Beatrice.
"There's still time before you return to your world. In that time, I'll teach you the pinnacle of magic I inherited from my mentor. Not just that—rhetoric, magic, skills, knowledge, projection magic—I'll give you everything I can. Don't worry… you have me."
The scene shifted back to the Gematria meeting room.
"Ah… even now, those memories are so precious…"
…
They're insane… both of them!
Beatrice worshipped him—Innocent Zero. The one who saw herself as worthy of worship was, ironically, enthralled by another. A bizarre twist.
"An evil charisma… I never thought you'd fall for someone like that," Kurofuku said.
"He's not just charismatic. He's pure, perfect evil—the truest form," Beatrice replied.
"Your story's clear, Beatrice," Maestro said. "So what's your goal now?"
"To become the ultimate being… no, a perfect lifeform."
Perfect… to stand beside him.
To match Innocent Zero, Beatrice needed to become worthy. That's why she sought Mash's body and Atsuko's power.
"He desires Mash Burnedead's heart," she said. "He told me we could share that body."
"Take Sensei's body to gain the ultimate form, and give the heart to Innocent Zero…" Kurofuku mused.
"Exactly."
"Beatrice, once you become a flawless lifeform, what then?" Maestro asked.
"To protect Kivotos from all threats, to rule its people—including the students—and prepare for his arrival. That's my purpose."
"You'd hand Kivotos to him?"
"Of course."
"We each pursue our own goals," Kurofuku said. "We have no right to interfere with each other's plans."
"But, Kurofuku," Maestro interjected, "if this succeeds—"
"I've prepared some 'gifts' for you all," Beatrice cut in, "as fellow Gematria members."
Chuckling, she rose from her seat. She was danger incarnate, and the others could do nothing.
"To ensure my plan succeeds, that man must die. From what I've heard, the heart doesn't need to be beating."
She treats Sensei like an object…!
"There's a little rat eavesdropping, but… no matter."
She knows I'm here?! She's even more absurd than Sensei…!
Beatrice ignored Seia, her eyes fixed only on Mash and her plan's success.
"I'll take my leave."
"Beatrice," Maestro warned, "don't underestimate Sensei."
"Thanks for the advice."
Covering her mouth with her fan and clutching her chest protectively, Beatrice left. The remaining Gematria members lingered, grappling with the complex shift in her demeanor.
Sensei… I have to warn him!
Seia struggled to regain consciousness, desperate to protect Mash and Arius. Beatrice's very existence was a key to a bad ending—she knew it now.
"Seia-san."
"—! Hah?!"
"Oh, you're awake. You okay?"
Seia opened her eyes to find Mash beside her.
Next time, we're finally back to the students and Mash-kun. Sorry for the wait!
A coupling? Nope, it's one-sided love. The guy has zero interest in romance and sees Beatrice as just a useful pawn. Because, y'know, InoZero-papa.
The Beatrice battle is coming up… get ready! But first, a dogeza and redemption chapter, yup.
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