The promised day had arrived.
Our preparations were complete.
The Venomous Jade Tiger was brimming with fighting spirit, and if everything went according to plan, victory might not be too difficult.
I wouldn't be fighting myself, of course, so all I could do was cheer them on.
"Teacher, do you think we can win?"
Hearing that anxious voice, I answered without hesitation.
"Like I'd know!"
That was my response.
"Do you think we can win," they ask? Are they still spouting that kind of naive nonsense? They needed the conviction not to "maybe win," but to *win*, period — and yet…
"It's fine. We *will* win!"
"That's right! Julius is correct. All we need to think about is doing what we must. If everyone fulfills the role they've been given, victory is certain!"
Oh, Julius and Karma said something good there.
That was exactly right.
Try it, and if it doesn't work, then you deal with it when that time comes. If you give up before you've even started, even things that could succeed won't.
"Precisely! Julius and Karma seem to understand well. Now, do your absolute best. Including myself, all the teachers will be watching over you!"
"Yessir!"
Whether my words had given them encouragement, the hesitation and anxiety seemed to vanish from the students.
They all began reviewing their procedures in unison.
At this rate, there should be no need to worry.
That said, Julius and Karma were quite different in their way of thinking, but they'd grown closer than I'd expected.
One was a noble — the heir to royalty, no less.
The other, the son of a common soldier, a beastman counted among the ranks of monsters.
Two people of such different standing, casually joining hands.
Just that fact alone made me think that putting this survival exercise into practice had been the right call.
Manufacture a crisis, expose people's true nature.
It was rough medicine, but this time it seemed to have worked out for the best.
In today's world, beastpeople were fully recognized as members of humanity.
Goblins, orcs — all the races called demi-humans were companions.
Companions, yes, but deep-rooted prejudice still existed among them.
Eradicating it would be difficult, but between children, perhaps they could cross the barrier called prejudice more easily than expected.
No — perhaps it *was* still difficult after all.
Changing that kind of awareness took time. Well, as long as things moved forward without rushing, that would be fine.
Even if you told someone to like the people they hated, it wasn't something they could accept so easily.
But if adults didn't intervene with their opinions, and children judged others with their own eyes, ears, and experiences, they might end up with a surprisingly different perspective.
Seeing things with an honest, open gaze… It might be an idealistic notion, but still.
Well, there was no point in forcing it, so the only option was to leave it to their initiative, which was frustrating in its own way.
Once you became an adult, you were exposed to the harsh, unequal waves of the world.
So, at least during their school years, I wished for a time when they could all live fairly, regardless of birth or species.
During this time alone, talent and effort should be everything.
Equality and fairness were not the same thing.
People were born unequal. There were differences in talent and gender — the idea that everyone could be equal was simply impossible. Add to that the standing of one's parents and the policies of one's nation, and the situation became hopelessly tangled.
The best adults could do was minimize that inequality as much as possible and help children by evaluating them as correctly and fairly as possible.
It wasn't about declaring everyone equal and handing out first-place prizes to everyone. The key was looking at each student individually and treating them correctly.
That was precisely why the school, as a unique environment, was supposed to be a space beyond the reach of the state — the very symbol of adult authority.
And yet, the "Human Liberation Alliance" had picked a fight with that philosophy head-on.
They really must have had a death wish.
Even I was taking a step back to avoid imposing my own views on others, but those people were selfish to the very end.
Bringing class distinction into a space that was supposed to be fair — it was an unforgivable act of tyranny.
I'd need to think about future countermeasures, including Magnus's punishment. At the very least, I should make it clear that they were never to lay a hand on the school again.
Ideally, the school's graduates would go on to become the educators of the next generation, but even so, the foundation mattered most.
That was a challenge for the future.
Setting that aside, for now it was Magnus.
As I watched Julius, Karma, and the students with a warm smile, the magic circle that Magnus and his group had set up blazed with light.
It appeared that, as promised, they had come for their reception.
Well then, let's give them a grand welcome while we're at it.
I wondered how it would turn out.
First, I would calmly watch the outcome of the students' battle.
◇◇◇ Julius and Karma stood at the forefront and greeted Magnus and his group.
When Magnus saw them, his eyes went wide in shock.
It was only natural — the person he had believed to be dead was alive and well.
"You lot, you're alive…"
Despite his surprise, Magnus looked somewhat relieved.
Perhaps there had been some inner conflict within him as well.
"Yes. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm perfectly fine."
"Same here. And none of the teachers have died either."
"What?!"
"Is that true?!"
The one who reacted to Karma's words wasn't Magnus — it was the escort knight Clad and the research instructor Irina.
"As regrettable as it may be for you, it's the truth."
Master William stepped forward to confirm that Karma's words were accurate.
There was no particular reason to hide it.
There had been a proposal to have the teachers hide and launch a surprise attack. However, that plan had been rejected.
The students had decided to fight fairly and squarely.
The purpose of this battle was not only to win, but also to question Magnus's true intentions.
That was the students' will.
Mondo had said he wanted to know whether Magnus had truly betrayed them.
George had said perhaps Magnus had some other real intention.
Masha and Aina, as students of the NNU Magic Science Research Academy, shared the same desire to believe in Magnus.
And it wasn't just the NNU students — Julius and Karma felt the same way.
Karma in particular, who had always been close to Magnus, harbored a particularly strong wish to believe in him.
"There's definitely something going on with him!" he had insisted.
They might be betrayed. It might be naive.
But even so, they made the decision to believe.
All I could do was watch over them.
—Whatever the outcome might be.
The first to recover was Irina.
She quickly assessed the situation and set a course of action.
"Well, there's no helping it. Now that things have come to this, there's no turning back. Just to ask — is there anyone here who agrees with our 'Human Liberation Alliance'?"
Irina posed the question to everyone as though delivering an ultimatum.
But naturally, there was no answer.
"I see. Can't be helped then…"
A cold light settled in Irina's eyes.
It was the gaze of someone who had steeled their resolve.
"I don't believe my thinking is wrong. So you too should hold firm to your convictions and—"
"That's enough! If they won't side with us, then eliminate them all!"
The one who cut Irina off with those words was the white-robed figure who had always remained silent behind Magnus.
If I recalled correctly, this was a combat instructor named— "Bernard! What on earth are you—"
"Exactly. It's not as though they can be made to understand our ideals, so taking rash action—"
That was right. Bernard.
He was said to be highly capable as a combat instructor, but with a forceful personality.
He was reportedly taciturn by nature, with minimal interactions with other teachers.
There hadn't been any particular incidents of problematic behavior, but…
Magnus and Irina tried to stop Bernard, but he scoffed at them.
"The Demon Lord is our enemy! The idea of monsters and humans joining hands is enough to make my skin crawl! Don't you all have a grudge against the Demon Lord Rimuru as well? If so, those who take his side are equally guilty!"
Bernard was someone who held a grudge against me.
And judging from his tone, it seemed Magnus and Irina harbored one as well.
Unfortunately, I couldn't think of any reason they would.
Bernard continued: "Julius! Surely you too hold a grudge against the Demon Lord Rimuru! As a citizen of the Ingrasia Kingdom, you should understand how I feel! If you took a firm stance against the Demon Lord, none of the other students would have to sacrifice themselves!"
He flung those words at Julius.
For a citizen of Ingrasia, it wasn't surprising that some might harbor resentment toward me.
After all, the Ingrasia Kingdom had previously been a center of governance and the most advanced city in politics, economics, and culture among the nations.
That position had been seized by a nation of monsters, and Ingrasia's decline was an indisputable fact.
However.
I had my own side of the story as well.
Even as I thought that, I kept quiet for now and listened.
"…I see. Your brother was that Lainer, wasn't he. He conspired with my brother to cut down my father… But pinning the blame for that conspiracy onto the Great Demon Lord seems rather far-fetched, don't you think?"
Though Julius wasn't exactly well-disposed toward me, his way of thinking was surprisingly reasonable.
He didn't blame everything on others and understood the consequences of things correctly.
"Enough! If you're going to spout such spineless drivel, my loyalty will never extend to you!"
Compared to Julius, this Bernard had fallen into tunnel vision.
He was completely convinced that his own way of thinking was correct and showed no desire to verify its truth. He only supported ideas that were convenient for him — a deeply problematic individual.
"Listen, Bernard. Granted, the Great Demon Lord Rimuru is selfish, unreasonable, and does whatever he pleases—"
What did he just say? Seems like I hadn't roughed Julius up enough…
"—capricious and whimsical, and it's true, as you say, that the Great Demon Lord's influence played a part in our nation being knocked from its seat as the leading power of the western nations. However—"
Spouting whatever he wanted, wasn't he.
But more importantly, what caught my attention was that some of the students were sneaking glances at me.
Why was it that every time words like "selfish" or "unreasonable" came up, they looked my way?
Don't tell me they actually think *I'm* selfish and unreasonable.
"The Great Demon Lord also left an opportunity for our nation, and that too is an undeniable fact!"
Hmm? Left an opportunity?
What were you talking about, Julius? I wanted to ask, but now wasn't the time.
"Let me be clear, Bernard! I don't like the Great Demon Lord Rimuru. But I do not believe that everything he has done is evil. It's true that we ourselves had shortcomings, and while the Ingrasia Kingdom lost its political and economic prominence, he showed us a path to survive as a place of cultural creation. He even opened that massive rail transport facility! This very fact is irrefutable proof of the Great Demon Lord's fairness!"
Well, he said some things that made me raise an eyebrow here and there, but it seemed Julius had a higher opinion of me than I'd thought.
Still, being told outright that someone didn't like me stung a little.
That was just his honest way of thinking, I supposed, and I had no right to complain.
"You're too soft! It's because you say such naive things that the Ingrasia Kingdom gets trampled on! Enough — no further words are needed. If our paths are irreconcilable, then perish here and be done with it!"
Julius's persuasion fell on deaf ears. Bernard drew his sword.
As if responding to him, Magnus, Irina, Clad, and Rosalie all took up their swords as well.
Those with fundamentally different beliefs couldn't easily come to terms through conversation.
It was unfortunate, but in the end, a verbal resolution had not been reached.
And so, the battle began.
◇◇◇ The "Human Liberation Alliance" — Magnus included — numbered five.
It seemed their individual convictions hadn't been unified into a single will.
Well, they were human after all, and not everyone could share the exact same way of thinking.
That was precisely why I had factored in the possibility of an anti-Demon Lord organization emerging.
Now then — how would it play out?
Irina and Rosalie couldn't perform "Demon Fusion," so they served as magical support.
However, having three A-rank knights in the mix meant things could get rough for the Venomous Jade Tiger alone.
Among them, Magnus and Bernard's abilities were in a class of their own.
This was going to be a tough fight.
The first to move was Bernard.
Wrapping his sword in fighting spirit, he lunged forward, targeting Julius first.
The one who blocked him was the Venomous Jade Tiger.
With swift movement, it surged forward and deflected the slash with a Sonic Crush.
The Venomous Jade Tiger's fighting style was markedly different from the previous encounter — its movements were refined to an almost unrecognizable degree.
That was because Karma's friends were issuing commands from behind.
Using something akin to the telepathy unique to beastpeople, they could communicate directly with beast-type monsters.
"Tch! Clever little trick!"
With supplementary magic of various kinds bolstering its performance, the Venomous Jade Tiger's combat capabilities had increased dramatically.
In the previous fight, it had been kicked aside by Magnus in a single blow, but now it was holding its own against Bernard.
"Allow me to lend a hand."
Clad joined Bernard's assault.
Prioritizing the elimination of the greatest combat threats before dealing with the students — a sound judgment.
But it wouldn't be that easy.
Seeing Bernard struggling, Irina and Rosalie immediately cast their spells.
They attempted to dispel the buff magic on the Venomous Jade Tiger and apply debuffs instead.
But in reverse, the students' magic neutralized Irina and Rosalie's spells.
"Impossible! Students' magic canceled out mine?!"
Irina's astonishment was understandable.
She knew the students as they had been just days ago — the idea that their magic could surpass hers would have been inconceivable.
But this was reality.
Led by Masha, the magic students had mastered card magic.
Each person learned only one spell.
They had each been given a single card, inscribed with a spell in their area of expertise.
From a tactical standpoint, mastering and coordinating multiple spells in just a few days was impossible.
That was precisely why each student had learned only one spell in which they excelled.
And they had been divided into groups of several students each.
For instance, fifteen students had learned healing magic.
Those students were split into five squads of three.
The frontline consisted of three people: Julius, Karma, and Mondo. Plus the Venomous Jade Tiger.
That meant even with one squad supporting each frontliner, there was still one squad — three people — free to move as they wished.
Mondo's combat ability was inferior to Julius and Karma's, but his defensive capability was quite impressive. He had been hesitant, saying "Someone like me?" but had been persuaded by the others to take on the important role.
With six recovery specialists rotating their healing, the frontliners could fulfill their duty as long as they didn't take catastrophic damage.
And naturally, magic wasn't limited to healing alone.
Support, disruption, defense, and offense — each group had been assigned their respective roles.
It had been a squad of disruption-specialized students whose interference magic canceled Irina's spells.
The enemy's magic users numbered two.
They were far more powerful, but that was magic as it had been.
This new-style magic had drastically shortened the time between activation and recasting.
So even students of lesser ability could, through coordination, surpass Irina and the others with a high degree of probability.
"We can do this! We'll protect our frontliners!" Masha shouted.
Encouraged by her words, the students' fighting spirit surged.
The magical battle appeared to be progressing in the students' favor — but that assessment was perhaps a touch too optimistic.
"What kind of magic is that, I wonder? To think such a thing existed — irritating, but outside our expectations. However, you're not the only ones with a trump card."
Irina likely concluded that the new-style magic was the product of another teacher's research.
She quickly abandoned dwelling on it and pivoted her thinking.
As a researcher, she was an exceptionally composed individual.
And she produced her own hidden trump card from her Spatial Storage.
"One last question — you really won't become our allies?"
"Irina-sensei! You are in the wrong! Crushing others' beliefs and forcing your own way upon them — isn't that precisely the very domination through force that you despise the most?!"
Masha answered Irina's final question.
It was a rejection, and also an attempt to persuade Irina to reconsider.
For a fleeting moment, Irina's expression was filled with pain— But she immediately reverted to her cold composure.
"…You're right. As a teacher and as a researcher, I am a failure. I prioritize my own emotions over sound judgment. Someone like me was never qualified to guide you in the first place. But even so… I simply cannot forgive the Great Demon Lord Rimuru! I know full well that I can't win against him in a straight confrontation, but I still want to land at least one blow. I can't let my plans be leaked here."
Irina apparently held a deep grudge against me.
We'd never met, so where had this grudge come from?
That was perplexing.
Seeking direct revenge against me was clearly impractical — she had to have realized that.
So she must have decided that a covert approach was the only viable option: quietly prepare behind the scenes and seize control of the world's power.
If you can't win from the front, work from the shadows.
Even I would have done the same, and it was arguably the right choice — but only if it hadn't involved dragging the school into it.
There were things in this world that should never, ever be done.
"Sensei…"
"If at the very least you won't interfere— No. Still some lingering attachment. I suppose I should steel myself as well."
And then, with a clear, unwavering gaze, she surveyed the students and administered the substance in her hand to herself.
A syringe filled with liquid.
It appeared to be a human enhancement drug that Irina — who was knowledgeable about herbs — had formulated, condensing a variety of medicinal effects.
"If magic won't work, I'll carve a path with this Physical Body of mine! Now — I'll take on whoever has steeled their resolve first!"
All trace of hesitation had vanished from her eyes.
The mask of a teacher had been cast aside, replaced by a warrior.
And Rosalie, too…
"Lord Magnus, allow me to be of service as well!"
With those words, she too injected herself with a drug-laden syringe, just as Irina had done.
The muscles of Irina and Rosalie swelled, housing power that exceeded the limits of a human body.
According to my Analysis and Appraisal, that power was on par with the strength of Bernard and Clad, who housed Greater Devils.
A staggering level of enhancement.
And now that I noticed — Magnus had not summoned any devil.
He was fighting at his true strength against the three defensive pillars.
Julius and the others were operating under a strategy of pure defense — holding out until the Venomous Jade Tiger took down at least one knight.
For them, Magnus not going all-out was convenient.
But with Irina and Rosalie joining the melee, the balance of the battle had been shattered.
◇◇◇ "If the opponent is Irina, then we'll handle her!"
With that shout, Brown led three combat-specialized teachers into the fray.
I had wanted to leave things to the students alone, but this couldn't be helped.
Compared to Rosalie, Irina was overwhelmingly stronger.
Yet Irina faced all four A-rank teachers alone.
Irina's fighting style resembled that of a magic brawler.
She converted magic power directly into offensive force.
That was why she could take on armed teachers with her bare hands.
"Very well. If you wish to protect the students, then try and stop me!"
The battle between the four teachers and Irina commenced.
Four teachers had moved against Irina, but Rosalie was now free.
The remaining students couldn't stand against her, and the situation rapidly turned dire.
It was Mondo who acted in that critical moment.
"WAAAAAH!!"
With a scream, he charged body-first into Rosalie, who had been attempting to neutralize the magic squad.
Magnus would end up facing both Julius and Karma, but as an impromptu judgment, it was an excellent call.
Mondo couldn't defeat Rosalie.
But if it was just buying time…
All that was left was to hope that Mondo would hold on.
Meanwhile, the battle between the Venomous Jade Tiger and Bernard and Clad had reached a stalemate.
"Damn it, this infuriating beast!"
"Don't lose your cool, Bernard. If we don't stay composed, we'll be the ones who fall."
"Don't tell me what to do!"
A stalemate meant the students were holding their own.
The magic squad's support and the beastpeople's precise instructions were functioning in harmony.
The flow of this battle would decide the outcome.
If they could take down even one of the enemy's main fighters, the tide would turn decisively in their favor.
But if the Venomous Jade Tiger fell, the students' defeat would be assured.
Judging the situation correctly, relying on the magic squad's healing — it was a heavy burden for students with no real combat experience. All I could do was hope they would keep pushing through to the end.
And the final matchup — Julius and Karma versus Magnus.
Magnus, it seemed, truly did harbor inner conflict. In a direct confrontation, his sword had become sluggish.
Perhaps striking down a fellow student was against his true will.
Magnus showed an anguished expression in the face of Julius and Karma's persuasion.
Whatever his true feelings, the time for a resolution was drawing near.
The human heart was complex, and truly understanding one another was difficult.
But if they wished to understand each other, there was nothing to do but clash with their honest hearts.
If that led to a falling out, then so be it.
As these thoughts ran through my mind, I watched over the battle.
The release date had originally been set for the 24th, but due to holidays, it appeared that copies were already on sale in some places.
Yesterday, I confirmed that volume 3 of *That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime* and volume 1 of *Blue Justice* were sitting side by side at a bookstore inside Shin-Osaka Station.
If you're interested, please consider picking them up!