This Story Didn't Start With Me As The Hero... It Started The Moment She's There

Somewhere deep within the ruins...

Julius and his two companions had managed to escape the relentless monsters they encountered a few hours ago. They pressed onward, determined to reach their destination at the end of the labyrinthine ruins.

Julius, lost in thought, quietly mumbled to himself, "It feels like we're nearing the end," stealing a glance at his two companions.

His sister Juliette cast her eyes around, surveying their surroundings before agreeing, "Yes, it certainly seems that way."

Tick-!

"....Huh?"

A peculiar noise interrupted their thoughts.

"Did anyone else hear that?" Julius asked, trying to locate the source of the sound.

Before they could investigate further, a thunderous explosion, like a beast's roar, shattered the silence of the ruins, sending tremors through the whole Ruins that made some of it's debris fall.

BAAAAM-!

***

(Saber POV)

Earlier....

The moment I pulled a small object from my pocket, I couldn't help but grin at the scene unfolding before us.

"What's that?" Solis asked, her curiosity piqued.

"It's a grenade," I replied with a nonchalant tone.

"What can it do?" she pressed.

I chose not to respond to her question, causing her to pout and give me an annoyed look.

Naturally, my grenade was no ordinary explosive. Its power was twelve times greater than any grenade from my previous life. I had meticulously crafted the gunpowder using sea shells and infused it with some of my mana, making it a devastating weapon.

"Everyone, follow my lead," I ordered, stepping forward to analyze the current situation.

Although Odium's attacks were effective, she was wasting her mana targeting a part that wasn't vulnerable. As I pondered the situation, my attention shifted to Occiditis.

Their leader, Occiditis, adopts an agility-oriented approach, given her lightweight weapon.... She can be the backup later.

As for Reaper, at first glance, she seems suited to be a tank role. While her speed might not rival Occiditis', her endurance allows her to endure attacks while maintaining her stance.

Consequently, positioning her at the forefront like earlier seems to be the most appropriate decision.

"Reaper, continue drawing the Guardian's attention from the front position. Simultaneously, Solis can employ Water Magic, supplementing it with Electricity to momentarily immobilize the foe. In the meantime, Occiditis, focus your strikes on its knees to destabilize its balance after it became paralyze. Once the opportunity presents itself, Odium can deliver the decisive blow to its heart. If not, near the heart is fine. I'll handle the rest," I directed, raising my arms in instruction.

"Don't give us ord—!?" Before she could complete her retort, the Guardian swung its imposing sword toward her, forcing her to shield herself with her scythe.

The impact sent her hurtling several meters back.

"That's a tough nut to crack..." Reaper's hand came away smeared with blood as she wiped her cheeks, her attention subsequently shifting to Occiditis.

"Leader, what course of action do we take now?"

"....." Occiditis's gaze flickered momentarily toward me before settling on Solis, the mage.

"Solis, prioritize attending to Reaper's wounds. Once she's back on her feet, we'll proceed as his plan."

"Don't tell me you're truly considering-"

"Given the circumstances, we have little choice. Without executing this strategy, the odds are stacked against us."

Despite her evident frustration, Reaper's annoyance was palpable as she acquiesced. "Fine. But if that bloke tries to escape, I'll personally ensure his demise."

Uh... I think you forgot that your leader and I signed a contract. There's no way I can betray you guys.

I remained quiet and didn't say my thoughts out loud, letting them execute the initial plan I had in mind.

Reaper returned to her position in front to confront the Guardian, just as I had instructed. Meanwhile, Solis began her incantation, weaving her magic.

My focus shifted to Odium as I observed her prepare herself. She positioned her right knee on the ground with the other forward, aiming her rifle at the Guardian, waiting patiently for my signal to fire.

At last, Solis completed her incantation and conjured a large, electrified water ball in the air.

"Reaper, move away!"

With a shout, she launched it toward the Guardian. Reaper leaped out of harm's way as the electric water ball struck the Guardian, momentarily stunning it.

Taking advantage of this opening, Occiditis launched her attack, channeling Air Magic into her sword to increase its cutting power. Since physical strikes were ineffective, she had opted to enhance her attack with Air Magic.

"Haaaa!"

The Guardian let out a creaking sound of agony as its right leg was injured, exposing one of its vulnerabilities.

"Odium, now!"

With its right hand clutching a pillar for support, I finally gave the order for Odium to take her shot.

BANG-!

The bullet whizzed past Occiditis by a hair's breadth before hitting the Guardian directly in the middle.

Fuuuu- Pu!

Finally.

Seeing the hole in its body, I couldn't help but grin in satisfaction.

"Get out of the way!" I shouted suddenly, throwing the grenade towards the small hole from the armoured guardian.

"What?" Solis began, but before she could finish her sentence, I yanked her wrist and lifted Reaper into my arms. With a firm grip on Solis, I sprinted away from the looming danger.

"Ah!" Solis exclaimed in surprise.

"Hey!" Reaper tries to protest, but she eventually gave in after noticing what I was planning.

As we distanced ourselves from the guardian, I initiated the countdown. My special grenade had an adjustable timer, and this time, I set it for an eight-second delay.

Tick-!

"Five..."

"Four..."

"Three..."

"Two..."

"One..."

My heart raced as adrenaline coursed through my veins, urging me to move faster.

"Zero."

BANG-!

The explosion rocked the area as the guardian was engulfed in a violent blast.

"Woah!?"

The impact of the explosion sent us flying, but thankfully, Occiditis caught Solis and Reaper while Odium had her arms around me.... Who knew her petite frame had hidden strength?

The whole place shook with the pillar barely able to remain standing.

As the dust settled and the ringing in our ears gradually faded, I glanced around to check on everyone.

Solis seemed disoriented, but otherwise fine. Reaper, although initially shocked by the sudden explosion, appeared unharmed as well.

"Everyone okay?" I asked, relieved to see no serious injuries.

Solis nodded, rubbing her ears to clear the ringing sound. "Yeah, I think so."

Reaper grumbled, still a bit startled, "What the hell was that?"

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Just a little surprise from your contractor."

Occiditis, with her usual stoic expression, merely glanced at my direction and nodded in acknowledgment.

Turning my attention towards the guardian, my lips couldn't help but twitch upon seeing that there's nothing left.

...The guardian was completely obliterated.

Solis, on the other hand, looked at me with a bright expression. "That was amazing! What kind of magic was that? No! Was it an artifact? Can we do it again?!"

"...Let's not." I responded in silence.

While this was happening, I noticed Reaper approaching my direction.

Reaper's frustration was evident in her raised voice as she confronted me. "If you had that kind of artifact, you could have informed us from the beginning to finish this faster!"

"....."

...Annoying.

I didn't immediately answered and thought about my response. And just then, I had an idea that could simply turn the situation around.

I turned my head towards her, and I had to restrain myself from smirking. "The contract states that I'll be your patron, which means part of my responsibility is training you all. After seeing the guardian, I realized using it as a training exercise would be beneficial. If I end every fight quickly, none of you will get the training you need."

I paused briefly, then continued, "Besides, I need training too. Not just physically, but mentally. I need to practice leadership in high-pressure situations. If you find my actions unnecessary for the group, I apologize and promise not to do it again."

As I bowed, everyone, including Occiditis, seemed taken aback... I guess the apologizing method can work.

Reaper, in her typical bratty fashion, clicked her tongue and turned her head away. "It's not that... But fine!" She spoke with her eyes closed, clearly trying to hide any embarrassment. "It's my fault for not listening to the plan earlier, but... It's just a minor mistake! Don't get the wrong idea!"

With a final swing of her scythe into the ground, she turned around and added, "Still... I apologize."

Despite her brash demeanor, it was a relief to see her willing to admit her mistake... That's what made this group unique and worth dealing with.

In the novel, it wasn't the Nameless Squad that Junior had to work with; there were three other groups to choose from. However, based on my observations and interactions, this group was the most manageable.

Solis, the mage, was like the group's golden child. She had a playful and friendly personality and had a cute hobby of taking care of flowers.

Reaper, as I'd seen, was the troublemaker, always ready to stir up mischief. Yesterday, she vanished for a moment when I wasn't looking, only to reappear arguing with an adventurer I knew... It was difficult to put a finger on why, but it seemed like she was always in her period.

Odium, the youngest of the group (?), appeared to be an introvert. She often preferred the company of Solis rather than engaging with others. Given her backstory, it was likely she had some form of social anxiety due to past experiences.

Lastly, there was Occiditis, the group's leader. She acted like the eldest sister, looking out for everyone. From what I'd observed, she was meticulous in cleaning but struggled with other tasks.

It was quite the ensemble of personalities, and I couldn't help but often wonder how I could develop my partnership... I guess there's some truth about 'friends and companions are not the same'.

After shaking my head lightly, I turned my attention towards the throne... No, at the box floating above it.

I made a slight hand gesture for the others to wait as I slowly approached it.

"Finally... I'll be taking what's mine."

I slowly reached out my fingers to touch the box.

As soon as my finger touched the glowing box, my head suddenly raised as I saw a vision of a girl before me.

The girl had a long sky-blue hair that's violet on the inner side, long bangs that cover her left eye, and a loose braid tied on her left side.

One thing that was really noticable was a floating halo located overhead but leaning slightly to the right. The halo is a white ring with sharp edges that looks almost like a crown with a golden star in the center slightly to the right.

I wasn't sure why, but the girl was wearing a uniform. She had a long white shoes, and gold buttons in the middle of her shirt. On her right chest is a wide crown badge whereas on her left chest is a badge supported with blue cloth and gold stars. On her collar are stars situated both slightly to the left and right.

There was also a text written on her other badge.

[Paradisus Principal]

While my attention was focused on her uniform, the girl began to speak.

«I've found you.»

She tilted her head lightly and showed me a soft smile.

Before I could even speak, she was... Gone.

Blinking my eyes, I looked around and saw that the box had disappeared.

"What in the...? That wasn't mentioned in the novel."

By the time I turned around, I finally noticed the people who had come.

And he's not supposed to be here either...