The moment I clinched victory in the Rank Battle against the protagonist, the crowd erupted into a sudden, restless roar.
"That god-tier magic skill… and speed that leaves even Allen in the dust…?"
"It wasn't just speed. His power was in a different league entirely…!"
"As expected of Lord Hollow. That's the Vile Aristocrat for you. No wonder he's Rank One…"
For some reason, my classmates' faces were twitching with unease. This atmosphere… it's safe to say I've maintained the bare minimum dignity required of a Vile Aristocrat.
(But seriously, for things to go this smoothly… I guess this is what they call a stroke of luck.)
In terms of pure specs, I'm far superior to the protagonist. In a battle of attrition, he'd eventually run dry. That's why Allen was guaranteed to go for broke at some point. His only trump card was the Innate Magic¹ he was undoubtedly keeping up his sleeve. If I could just force him to burn that card early, my victory would be set in stone.
So, I baited him. I set up a conspicuous target by using <Wall> for a multi-layered defense. The result: misjudging the moment as his opening-no, being tricked into seeing it as one-the protagonist activated <Zero Counter>², oblivious to the fact that he was being led by the nose. Once I confirmed his hand was empty, I used my natural physical strength to take his back and ended it with a punishing kick.
(I'll admit, that plot-convenient stat boost at the end gave me a bit of a heart attack… but it's fine.)
That phenomenon was "Factor Resonance"³. It's a literal cheat code exclusive to Allen; when the protagonist is mentally pushed to the brink or faces a lethal crisis, the Hero's Factor and Demon King's Factor resonate, granting him a temporary explosion of physical power. The proc rate for Factor Resonance is a measly 3%. It wears off after a certain amount of time or damage… but until then, his stats climb at an exponential rate.
(To pull a Factor Resonance at that exact time, place, and moment… he really is the avatar of plot convenience.)
However, that massive surge in strength is nothing more than a temporary fix. By now, his stats should have returned to baseline.
(Ultimately, the protagonist only got a momentary taste of power. He barely walked away with a scrap of actual experience points! After all, I used nothing but <Wall>, and the finishing blow was a perfectly mundane kick, not even reinforced with mana. No matter how much of a protagonist he is, he can't level up without XP to feed on.)
I denied him that XP, kept my status as the Vile Aristocrat, and secured a clean win. This Rank Battle was my total victory. But-and this is the "but" that matters. The thing I should be focusing on isn't a trivial detail like that.
(Heh. Heh heh… I see. So it's still only <Zero Counter>!)
This, without a doubt, was the biggest haul of this fight. The protagonist is a descendant of the "Six Legendary Heroes." Specifically, the one hailed as the strongest "Hero" of them all. That's why his Innate Magic is <Zero Counter>, the same Origin Class as the legendary Hero. This magic was purged from history; even a Baptism Ceremony can't correctly identify it. That's why Allen was dumped into the "White-Vest" rank despite having an Innate Magic.
Because of its complicated history, it's a highly specialized magic… but its most unique trait is that it's the only "evolving Innate Magic" in the original Ronzolkia story.
(Going by the main story's progression, Allen's magic should have already evolved once by now-or so I thought.)
I'd been playing it safe because I was so wary of that evolution… but it turned out to be nothing but a false alarm. As of right now, the protagonist's unique ability is unexpectedly stuck at <Zero Counter>. And what that implies is…
(My Plan-the Protagonist Mob-ification Plan-is working!)
By crushing the duel event between Allen and Nia, the "honing your skills" training arc that followed was deleted. His leveling has been significantly throttled.
(Heh… heh heh. Ah-ha-ha-ha-ha…!)
Oh, what a delight. To have everything go exactly as planned. It's an exquisite feeling, seeing the Plan I slaved over finally bear fruit. As I was reviewing the battle in my head-
"Hey, are you okay?! Stay with me! I'm taking you to the infirmary right now!" said the Teacher.
"Hmph… a waste of my time," I spat out.
I spat out a classic Vile Aristocrat line and quietly took my leave.
* * *
Having lost his consciousness after being defeated by the Vile Aristocrat, Hollow von Heisenberg, Allen was carried to the infirmary. The school nurse of Redrick Academy was a legendary crone over a hundred and twenty years old. Her sight was failing, her hearing was shot, and her legs were stiff… but her skills as a doctor were as sharp as ever. Even in the Klein Kingdom, she was rumored to be a top-tier physician.
"Alright, alright, next patient… hmm, Allen Fortis-kun, is it? Yikes, he really took a hell of a beating… What, this happened in one hit? Hollow von Heisenberg, this year's Rank One? Man, they've let a real monster in this year!" said the school nurse.
Her mouth and hands never stopped moving, chattering away while she motor-mouthed her way through the treatment.
"And-presto. He's all patched up. Just shove him in a bed; he'll wake up sooner or later," she added.
After receiving high-end treatment-a mix of healing magic and potions-Allen was tossed onto a crisp, clean bed. An hour later, Allen's eyes snapped open, and he bolted upright.
"Is this… the infirmary…?" asked Allen.
The scent of disinfectant, the clean sheets, the stark white curtains-he realized where he was.
"…Right. I lost," Allen muttered.
As the reality finally caught up with him, his emotions came flooding out.
"That's weird… I went in there ready for anything… and yet… it still stings so much…" said Allen.
He ground his teeth together, his fists trembling. Tears fell, staining the bedsheets with small, damp circles.
"So that's the power of Rank One, Hollow von Heisenberg…" Allen said.
He had known. He knew he was the underdog. He understood his opponent was on a completely different level. But even so.
"…He's so far out of reach," Allen whispered.
He hadn't dreamed the gap would be this vast. Hollow was literally a being above the clouds, possessing a strength from a different dimension.
(Hollow-kun wasn't even trying. He didn't use his Innate Magic, <Refraction>, and just like he said at the start, he fought with a single <Wall>… and walked away with the win like it was nothing.)
The loss was frustrating-frustrating enough to bring him to tears. But more than that, he felt pathetically helpless that he couldn't even force Hollow to get serious.
(—No, stop it. Moping around won't do any good!)
He shook his head violently, cutting off the dark thoughts.
(Anyway… Hollow-kun was complete. He is exactly the kind of Mage I want to be.)
It's an old saying: "If you want to know a Mage's worth, look at their basic magic." Basic magic is the foundation of everything. By looking at its precision, you can measure a Mage's true caliber.
(His <Wall>… was flawless.)
Strength, targeting, cast speed-every metric was perfect. A distillation of the basics polished to a terrifying degree. In truth, Hollow's magical skill was in the realm of the divine.
(And then… that overwhelming physical power. Close combat is supposed to be a Mage's Achilles' heel. But he was dominant there, too. I was pretty confident in my own physical abilities, but… Hollow was on another level.)
The moment he had stripped Hollow's defense with <Zero Counter> and swung his dagger-the man had moved too fast to see. Losing his back wasn't a trick of magic. It was a pure, humiliating gap in raw physical ability. And above all, his tactics were refined. In the early game, he used <Barrier> as bait to gauge Allen's strength. In the mid-game, he ramped up the intensity and speed of his magic to suffocate the board. In the end, he used his overwhelming physical strength to finish the match with perfect timing.
It was as if he were looking down at the entire battlefield, playing a game of chess with cold, efficient precision. Every single move was a setup for the next. It was so flawless it was almost beautiful.
(…Alright, I've decided. I'm going to stay close to Hollow-kun and learn from him!)
Watch and learn. Primitive, but effective.
(For now, I'll try inviting Hollow-kun to lunch tomorrow. Oh! I wonder if he'd like it if I made him a bento…?)⁴
Spoken like a true protagonist-every action, born from 100% pure goodwill, was aimed directly at the things the Vile Aristocrat hated most. It seemed the Protagonist and the Vile Aristocrat were indeed destined to be at odds.
* * *
After winning the Rank Battle, I suffered through the dull afternoon classes until school finally let out. I headed to the roof of the main building alone. Watching the sunset paint the sky, I took a deep, refreshing breath.
(…Yes. Yes, yes, yes, YESSSSSS!)
In my mind, I was doing a massive victory lap. I survived! The Rank Battle with the protagonist! A total success! The Protagonist Mob-ification Plan!
"Heh… heh heh… ahaha…" I chuckled.
Wait, stop. I'm starting to let the mask slip.
(Ah… it's perfect. It's only been a week since the Main Course began. My performance so far? A solid 100 out of 100! I feel great. It's like finishing all your summer homework on the very first day. Heh. Maybe I'll go spar with Olvin-san today. I'm in such a good mood.)
With a spring in my step, I headed for the exit-
""-HAAAAAH!""
Two strangely familiar voices caught my ear.
(…Wait. Was that…?)
An itch of curiosity I couldn't ignore pulled me toward the sound. I veered off my usual route and peered over the riverbank embankment. There, standing below me, were Allen and Nia.
"…What the hell…?" I muttered.
A pathetic, bewildered sound escaped my throat.
(Wait… why? I didn't understand. Why were those two fighting? I worked my ass off to prevent the duel event between Allen and Nia!)
I dropped into a low crouch, hiding myself as I spied on them.
(Hey, Nia, don't screw with me! Why are YOU fighting Allen right now?!)
What the hell happened while I was busy feeling myself on the roof?!
(Shit, I have to do something!)
The contact between Allen and Nia-the gravity of the Main Course reasserting itself-had to be stopped. I immediately revved up my Hollow-brain, desperately trying to think of a way to sabotage their fight. But… I couldn't. There was no natural way for me to barge in and ruin their duel without looking like a complete psycho.
"Guh… ah…!" I groaned.
In the end, I could do nothing. I could only watch from the sidelines, biting my lip in powerlessness. As a result, the match ended with Allen's victory. It was a nail-biter. Which meant the protagonist probably walked away with a massive haul of XP.
(…Hey, cut that out! Don't start praising each other! You morons, why are you smiling like you just had a great workout?! Wait a second, don't you dare start a post-match analysis session!)
Five minutes later, Allen and Nia shook hands and went their separate ways.
As for me-I was on all fours, head in my hands.
(…This is the literal worst. The two people who should NEVER join forces-the Protagonist and the Heroine-have connected.)
Is this what they call the Correction Force of the world? The Main Course I twisted had been reassembled into its original form by some invisible, eldritch power.
"…God… dammit…!" I cursed.
Vibrating with pure, unadulterated stress, I rose like a vengeful spirit and warped to Void Town in the Void Realm.
"Ah, Boss! Welcome back!" shouted a member.
"Boss, about the magic tool factory construction, we have some questions-" another added.
"Boss, perfect timing! We finally succeeded in processing the magic crystals, but… wait, huh?" a third wondered.
I blew past the members of the Thief Brigade and stormed to the very edge of Void Town-the scrap heap.
"…MOTHERF-!" I roared.
I unleashed a surge of pitch-black mana and kicked the mountain of scrap with everything I had. Massive boulders pulverized into dust, giant trees were uprooted and sent screaming into the sky, and a localized tornado tore through the area. A literal natural disaster triggered by a tantrum.
"T-The Boss is even more unhinged than usual today…!" whispered a member.
"He's as terrifying as ever. A little mood swing from him is basically a cataclysm…" another said.
"S-Stop it, Boss! If you keep going, the Void Town we all built is gonna be a crater!" they cried.
After a while, I managed to get a grip on my emotions. I scratched my head violently with both hands.
(Why? How did this happen?! I was supposed to be at 100 points. I'd been preparing for seven years! I played it perfectly! I've worked so hard. I suppressed my natural Slothful Pride and tried to be humble and honest…)
(And yet, why?)
The fury in my heart suddenly cooled. The superior intellect of the original "Hollow" persona applied the brakes.
"…No. I'm not the one who's wrong. The one who's wrong-is this world!" I shouted.
A cruel destiny, a scenario written by some "God" who thinks they're clever, is playing an overture to my destruction.
"…Fine. No matter how much the world wants the Vile Aristocrat to die, I will survive!" I vowed.
No matter what it takes…!
Summary:
Hollow secures a dominant victory over Allen in their Rank Battle, successfully suppressing the protagonist's growth by denying him experience points. However, Hollow's celebration is short-lived when he discovers Allen and Nia sparring together at the riverbank, realizing that the world's 'Correction Force' is overriding his sabotage. Enraged and stressed, Hollow retreats to Void Town to vent his power before vowing to survive against the world's destiny.
Trivia:
- Zero Counter's lack of evolution: Confirms Hollow's previous sabotage worked temporarily, but the world is adjusting.
- Factor Resonance proc rate: The 3% chance is a meta-nod to shonen power-ups and suggests Allen will pull 'miracles' in future crises.
- Hollow's 'God' level skills: Allen's observation of Hollow's basic magic confirms Hollow is technically perfect, making him a benchmark for 'Ideal Mage'.
- The Correction Force: Introduction of a narrative gravity that pulls the story toward the original 'Ronzolkia' plot regardless of Hollow's interference
Character Insight:
Allen shifts from seeing Hollow as a rival to a 'Divine' idol he must learn from, inadvertently moving closer to the protagonist's traditional path. Hollow's mental state fractures from 'Developer' arrogance to 'Vengeful Spirit' defiance as he realizes he is fighting the world itself.
Lore And Worldbuilding Context:
Introduction of 'Origin Class' magic and the 'Six Legendary Heroes' lineage. 'Factor Resonance' is established as a specific mechanic triggered by mental/physical trauma. 'Void Town' is shown to be a developed base under Hollow's command.
TL Notes:
Hollow's internal thoughts use gaming terminology like 'proc rate', 'XP', and 'cheat code' to reflect his perspective as someone who knows the world as a game.
TL Notes:
1 ↩ Innate Magic (固有魔法): A unique magical ability born within an individual, often rare and powerful.
2 ↩ Zero Counter (零相殺): An Origin Class magic capable of nullification, historically erased from records.
3 ↩ Factor Resonance (因子共鳴): A surge in ability caused by the resonance of Hero and Demon King factors in the protagonist.
4 ↩ Bento (お弁当): A Japanese-style packed lunch; in this context, Allen suggests a homemade offering of friendship.
Notes:
• Allen - The protagonist of the original story. A student at Redrick Academy who has unexpectedly become attached to Hollow. He possesses the Innate Magic and is noted for his innocent, friendly demeanor. The original story's protagonist. A descendant of the Six Legendary Heroes, specifically the 'Brave'. Possesses the Origin Class magic Zero Counter. Currently sorted as a White-Vest rank. A Preparatory student known as a White-Vest. He is diligent, kind-hearted, and possesses surprising physical strength. He is an outlier in the Special Advanced Class.
• Hollow - A calculative and immensely powerful individual with a 'villainous' mana signature. He is currently training Nia. He views his own overwhelming power with a detached, analytical perspective and has a social disconnect regarding 'tact'. The protagonist, a reincarnated individual with original knowledge of Japan. Operates as 'Void', the leader of a secret organization. Focused on avoiding a 'Ruin End' by neutralizing the protagonist Allen. A vile aristocrat and universal genius. He has crimson eyes and a pointlessly perfect face. Known for his slothful pride and overwhelming magical power. A villainous noble and reincarnated individual with meta-knowledge of the world. He possesses the unique magic and is currently a student at Redrick Academy. He maintains a cold, haughty exterior to play his role while internally managing complex plans to avoid his 'ruin end'. The eldest son of Lord Heisenberg, part of the Four Great Noble Houses. A prodigy described as the incarnation of sloth and arrogance. He is highly skilled in 'breaking humans' and psychological torture. The protagonist who has reincarnated as a Vile Aristocrat. Currently Rank One at Redrick Academy. Possesses the Innate Magic Refraction and the unique skill Slothful Pride. He is working on a Protagonist Mob-ification Plan to avoid his ruinous end.
• Nia - A determined girl described as a 'heroine' with a strong inner core. She has a signature fire-based mana. She is training under Hollow to defeat Zoeva and save lives she feels responsible for. She has short-tempered and embarrassed reactions to Hollow's bluntness. A girl with the Primordial Flame magic factor. Described as having a sparkle in her eyes and being easily influenced. She is training to prepare for a fight against Zoeva. The heroine of the original story. She was seen sparring and shaking hands with Allen Fortis at the riverbank. Born into the Ainsworth house. Jewel-like baby girl. Five years old during the primary events. Possesses the Origin Class Innate Magic 'Primordial Flame'. Has blue/jewel-like eyes and a small frame. Later described as looking like a 'tattered doll' after being disciplined. A girl under ten years old belonging to the Four Great Noble Houses. She has spent years in rigorous training to atone for a sin and kill Zoeva. Possesses overwhelming physical and magical strength for her age. A heroine from one of the Four Great Noble Houses. She has long hair and is described as having soft skin and a sweet scent. She is desperate to defeat the Great Elder of her family to inherit the headship and seeks Hollow's training. The protagonist of this chapter. A noble girl with a high-minded spirit. She possesses the Primordial Flame. She has white hair and soft features, currently a student at Redrick Academy.
• Heisenberg - Lord of the Heisenberg family. One of the Four Great Noble Houses. Noted for his immense wealth and territorial holdings.
• Olvin - Tall and composed, with a refined gravelly voice, he serves as Hallow’s swordsmanship instructor and loyal knight of the Heisenberg family, reporting on territorial security while showing deep respect for Hallow’s status. As a servant at the Heisenberg estate, he escorts Hollow to his exam.