The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 219

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 219. Seven Star Cultural Festival (5)
The boy burst into bright laughter, clutching his belly.
Though his face was obscured by the mask, his frame was so small I doubted he was even ten years old.
Well, I’ve been caught. No helping it now.
The Masked Boy continued speaking with a wide smile visible at the corners of his lips.
The distance was too great to hear his voice, but I could read his intentions from the shape of his mouth alone.
L-e-t-‘-s-p-l-a-y-t-a-g.
Tag?
Before I could even furrow my brow in confusion, the figure of the Masked Boy sitting cross-legged on the rooftop dissolved into the empty air and vanished.
‘Damn it.’
I bit my lip and stared at the spot where the Masked Boy had disappeared.
‘The Beastkin Group?’
No.
Something felt different about this.
‘Surely not.’
I recalled the image of the Masked Boy sitting leisurely on the high rooftop, swinging his legs with a rigid expression on my face.
Memories from the recent midterm evaluation naturally flickered through my mind, but I shook my head.
Right now, it didn’t matter whether that bastard was from the Beastkin Group or not.
‘When a human heart ruptures… they said it takes the shape of a heart.’
An ominous premonition coursed down my spine.
Suddenly.
Lucas Kane’s words surfaced in my mind.
The incident that occurred in Valhalla City.
A massive Crime Organization annihilated in a single day by a young boy.
“…Professor Elisha.”
“What’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”
“Do you know about the incident where a large Crime Organization in Valhalla City was destroyed recently?”
“I do.”
Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Professor Elisha nodded with a grave expression.
“What did that Crime Organization primarily do?”
“As far as I know, they were mainly involved in human trafficking and distributing illegal magical artifacts.”
“Illegal magical artifacts—what exactly do you mean by that?”
“Explosive magical artifacts that can only be used for military purposes.”
….
Military-grade explosive magical artifacts.
These artifacts, which could only be manufactured from high-grade or superior magic stones, were so strictly controlled in their development and distribution by the Three Nations that most people would never lay eyes on one in their entire lives.
‘Damn it all.’
The ominous premonition swelled even larger.
I ground my teeth and looked up at the spot where the Masked Boy had vanished.
‘He said let’s play tag.’
Then there’s a high probability he’s still somewhere within the Academy.
After all, a game of tag cannot commence without someone to be “it”.
“Professor Elisha.”
“Speak.”
“Someone has infiltrated the Academy.”
“…!”
Elisha’s eyes widened in alarm.
“…Did you see who it was?”
“A boy wearing a monkey mask.”
“A monkey mask? Could it be the Beastkin Group?”
“I cannot be certain yet.”
One could not deduce an opponent’s identity from a single animal mask alone.
“…So, what do you intend to do now?”
“I must pursue him.”
I could not allow an unidentified eccentric to roam freely through the Academy.
“Understood. I will help.”
“No.”
I shook my head quietly.
“I have a separate request for you, Professor.”
After relaying my request to Elisha, I bolted after the Masked Boy without hesitation.
I could only hope my suspicions were wrong.
* * *
‘Where could he be?’
The first place I arrived was the Annex Rooftop, where I had initially spotted the Masked Boy.
Standing atop the roof where the Masked Boy had been sitting moments before, I surveyed the surroundings slowly.
Naturally, there was nothing visible to the naked eye.
Nor were there any traces of mana or demonic energy lingering in the air.
Instead.
“…A note?”
Upon unfolding the note on the ground, I found text written in handwriting so atrocious it resembled a child’s scrawl.
[Where am I right now~?]
1. Main Building Rooftop.
2. Central Plaza.
3. Candidate Cafeteria.
4. Yes
Something was written on option 4 as well, but crimson bloodstains obscured the text, making it impossible to decipher.
‘Demonic energy.’
From the bloodstains on the note, I sensed a faint but unmistakable aura of demonic energy.
‘Then.’
Whoosh.
Embers flickering at my fingertips.
If these bloodstains were formed not from real blood, but from magical energy—
Sizzzzle!
The bloodstains gradually vanishing along with gray smoke.
The message written beneath the stains read:
4. Right behind you ☺
“…!”
Whoooosh!
I instinctively ducked, and a crimson blade slashed through the space where I’d been standing.
“Hahahaha! You dodged that nicely?!”
Laughter echoing from behind me.
Crackle, crackle, crackle!
Following the crimson blade, sharp blood-red thorns erupted from the ground upward.
A surprise attack so sudden I had no time to draw my weapon.
I stomped hard and swung my fist toward the rising blood-red thorns.
Berald’s martial technique.
Mountain Shattering.
Boom, boom, boom!
With a thunderous roar, the crimson thorns shattered and scattered into fragments.
“Heh, impressive?”
The Masked Boy clapped and giggled.
I narrowed my eyes and glared at the Masked Boy.
“Hmm~ curious who I am? Huh? Curious? Who could it be~? Huh?”
“Sigh.”
I exhaled deeply, watching the Masked Boy bounce playfully.
That distinctive playful attitude and blood-red aura.
Even with the mask hiding his face, it wasn’t difficult to discern his identity.
“What brings the Archbishop of Madness here?”
“Huh? Archbishop of Madness? Who’s that? Look, look at this! I’m wearing a mask, see? A mask!”
The boy pointed at the monkey mask on his face and bounced up and down.
Tsk.
I clicked my tongue and narrowed my eyes.
“If you’re trying to impersonate the Beastkin Group, drop it. You’re nothing like them.”
“…Huh? Beastkin Group?”
The Masked Boy stared at me with wide eyes, then suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter.
“Hahahaha!!! You’re seriously calling the ‘Eternal Order’ the Beastkin Group?!”
“…Eternal Order?”
What is the Eternal Order?
Could it be that those masked figures we’ve been calling the Beastkin Group are actually the Eternal Order?
‘How does this bastard know more than me, a returnee?’
The Beastkin Group… or rather, Wolf Mask, who had been a member of the Eternal Order, appeared to be hundreds of years old. This suggested that the Eternal Order was not an organization created by a change in the future, but rather one that had existed long before.
But.
‘I’ve never heard the name Eternal Order before.’
The fact that I felt no sense of déjà vu meant I hadn’t heard it somewhere and forgotten it.
“Sigh. The Beastkin Group, huh… Well, it might be a fitting name for those bastards.”
The boy removed the monkey mask from his face and tossed it aside.
Beneath the mask was the face I had expected—Archbishop of Madness Seto.
“Long time no see. Dale Han.”
Seto grinned wickedly and waved his hand warmly, as if greeting an old friend he hadn’t seen in ages.
“I’m not particularly glad to see you.”
“Huh?! We haven’t seen each other in forever, and that’s how you greet me? I’ve been looking forward to seeing you again so much!”
“Really?”
I wasn’t looking forward to it at all.
“Hehe. So… do you want to know information about the Eternal Order? Should I tell you?”
Seto grinned mischievously, his smile infuriating.
“If you play a game with me and win, I’ll tell you about the Eternal Order.”
“A game?”
“Yep! A fun and exciting game!”
Seto spread both arms wide and laughed brightly.
“…Are you suggesting we shoot at each other’s heads like last time?”
“Aw, we already did that. The same game is boring!”
“Then what?”
“Hehe. Today’s game is….”
Crash!
Seto made the sound effect with his mouth and pointed toward the distant School Central Plaza with his hand.
“Today’s game is ‘minesweeper!’ Or more precisely….”
His eyes gleamed red as he smiled with unbridled madness.
“‘Bomb hunting’… would be more accurate?”
….
“I’ve hidden a bomb somewhere in the School Central Plaza. If you find it in time, everyone will be safe and sound. But if you fail to find it….”
Seto clutched his belly, his shoulders trembling with laughter.
“Boom! Everyone’s hearts will explode, creating a beautiful heart-shaped fireworks display!”
….
“What do you think? Doesn’t it sound fun?”
Fun, he says.
“Why did you specifically gather only couples?”
“Huh?”
“If you wanted to gather people, you could have spread different rumors.”
“Ah, that?”
Seto shrugged and continued speaking.
“The bomb I set up in the Central Plaza? I modified it a little, so it has quite a few ‘gaps.'”
“Gaps?”
“Yeah! Instead of exploding in a nice round circle like this, it bursts out spiky like thorns.”
“….”
In other words.
If the bomb were to detonate….
“If two people are stuck right together, only one of them would die, roughly speaking? Well, if they’re unlucky, both would die, but you know.”
“….”
“If I had a bomb like that, wouldn’t it be more fun to gather only ‘couples’ and detonate it, rather than just randomly collecting people and blowing them up?”
Seto spread both arms wide and spun in place like he was dancing.
“Imagine it! Your lover’s body exploding right before your eyes! You’d scream as hot, bloody, sticky gore pours all over your body, wouldn’t you?”
Hah! Hah!
Seto exhaled roughly, his cheeks flushed red.
“Doesn’t the thought of that fill you with joy?”
“….”
Yes.
I now understood exactly what kind of creature this was.
And what I had to do from this point forward.
“Hehehehe! So shall we start the game? The first clue is….”
“No.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
“From what I’m hearing, that game sounds pretty boring.”
“….”
Seto’s eyes widened in shock, blinking rapidly as if he hadn’t expected such an answer.
“Huh? If you don’t find it in time, the bomb goes boom! It explodes, right?”
“And?”
“And…what? Haha! I just explained what happens when the bomb goes off! Dozens of Candidates will be slaughtered!”
“So what do you want me to do about it, you bastard? Am I supposed to personally care about digging through their corpses?”
“Wh…? Huh? This isn’t… this isn’t right…?”
Seto stumbled backward, confusion written across his face.
“Besides, this time I’ll propose a game from my side.”
“…A game?”
“Yeah. It gets boring doing only your games every time, doesn’t it?”
I drew the sword from my waist.
“The rules are simple.”
Whoooosh!
Ash-colored flames wrapped around the blade, burning fiercely.
“From now on, I’m going to burn you to death.”
I twisted my lips into a savage grin and pointed my sword at the Archbishop of Madness.
“Go ahead and try to survive.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————