The Final Battle (2)
“Sorry, Riena… for being such a failure of a Hero in the end.”
I apologized, unable to fulfill the duty that once defined me.
“No, Hero-sama, you have nothing to apologize for. My role is to offer divine guidance when you lose your way. But whether to follow that path… that choice is yours alone.”
Yet Riena’s voice was bright and gentle, as if to say there was nothing in my decision to regret.
“Riena…”
“That’s why I will support whatever choice you make, Hero-sama. That has never changed—and it won’t, even now.”
Yeah… she’s right.
Riena had always been there, watching over me with quiet kindness—like a mother helping her child grow into a true Hero.
“I’m glad you said that. Not just now—every step of the way, you’ve lifted my heart. You’ve saved me, more than once. I’m truly grateful.”
“Fufu. Hero-sama was never allowed to lose. You’ve carried the fate of the world on your back. So having even one person by your side to affirm who you are… surely that’s not too much to ask.”
“Thank you, Riena. For everything you’ve done until now.”
Those were the last words I offered to Riena, and then—
“May the blessing and guidance of the great goddess Athena be with you…”
With Riena’s prayer like a warm wind at my back, I locked eyes with Hasumin and began closing the distance—one step, then another.
“I told you not to come near me! Rain of Magic Arrows [Meteor Bullet]!”
Countless bullets of magical power burst forth for the fourth time, each one striking true—a searing wave of agony crashing through me.
I gritted my teeth, digging in hard against the force that tried to hurl me back—but still, I kept moving toward Hasumin.
“I’m sorry, Hasumin… I didn’t see how much you were hurting. I should’ve noticed. It’s all my fault—truly, I’m sorry.”
“It’s far too late for that…!”
“Yeah, I know. It’s way too late. But I figured—better late than never, right?”
I forced a smile through the pain and spoke from the heart.
“If you think you can fool me with some sentimental line, think again! I’m not falling for cheap pity! Go—Rain of Magic Arrows [Meteor Bullet]!!”
Hasumin, now just a breath away, unleashed a storm of magical bullets straight into my chest.
Each one struck again—merciless, unrelenting—battering me from every direction.
“Gah…! I wasn’t trying to trick you. I said it for myself, really. I just hoped… maybe it’d reach you.”
(Damn… this pain—it’s like electricity crawling through my whole body. My consciousness is slipping…)
With that final barrage, the faint silver aura that had clung to me vanished.
The divine protection granted by the goddess Athena had finally reached its limit—its light all but gone.
The impact of dozens of magical bullets from point-blank range… it felt like being hit by a convoy of dump trucks at full speed.
There was no enduring that without divine shielding.
On top of that, my Hero skill, [Regeneration]—which had been slowly restoring me—had shut down completely.
Right now, I had lost every last drop of Athena’s strength—the power that made me the Hero.
Right now, I was just a slightly fit high school boy.
But even so.
Even so—I…