A city bathed in gentle light.
A holy city, protected by a sacred barrier.
That barrier was the pinnacle of defensive wardcraft, refined and improved upon across long centuries.
It kept all invaders at bay, defending this city for a thousand years.
It was the very embodiment of the prayers of the city's inhabitants.
It could even block out sunlight and regulate the amount of light within the barrier automatically—bright during the day, dim at night.
The temperature inside the barrier remained nearly constant throughout the year: cool in summer, warm in winter.
In the divided farmlands, seasonal crops could be harvested at any time of year.
A utopia where no citizen would ever go hungry.
Every child received a certain level of education, and every citizen was given work.
A paradise realized under the rule of law—a place of perfect harmony.
This was the Holy Papal State of Lubelius, and the face of its capital, the Sacred City of "Lubelius."
Hinata walked along the road leading to the Grand Cathedral.
She was wrapped in a gentle warmth, the solemn atmosphere softening around her.
This country was prosperous.
No one was starving, and there were no beggars on the roadside.
Everyone was given a role and a task suited to them, and they carried out their duties faithfully.
They rose with the sound of the bell and retired when the sun set.
The capable worked to support the less gifted, and through the harmony it produced, every citizen was guaranteed an equally happy life.
An equal, ideal society, granted in the name of God. That was what the Sacred City spread out before her represented.
Hinata observed the faces of the people she passed.
Everyone wore the same gentle smiles, their expressions serene.
And yet, being in this city always gave her a nagging sense of unease.
The headquarters of the Western Holy Church in the Ingracia Kingdom and the Sacred City of "Lubelius" in the Holy Papal State of Lubelius could be traversed in an instant via a teleportation gate.
Two cities connected by large-scale magical circuits.
Ingracia's royal capital, where the Council headquarters and the Free Guild headquarters stood, was a city where the most advanced civilization's technologies were concentrated.
When it came to spreading the doctrines of the Holy Church in the Ingracia Kingdom, making travel between these two cities easy had been the top priority.
It was said that the exchange of teleportation magic from Ingracia and barrier magic from the Holy Papal State of Lubelius, which had bound the two cities together, had taken place a full six hundred years ago.
Thanks to that, it had become possible to establish the Western Holy Church's headquarters not in this holy land, but in the Ingracia Kingdom.
For Hinata, this holy land was the ideal city, and her grand vision was to make the Ingracia Kingdom—and eventually every nation—an equal society free of conflict.
A society where the weak were not devoured by the strong—that was the society Hinata strove for.
And yet, the appearances of the Ingracia Kingdom and the Holy Papal State of Lubelius were far, far too different from each other.
That was what gave Hinata her recurring sense of unease.
The free city of Ingracia. The harmonious city of Lubelius. Truly, they were nations of opposing natures.
The unease was strongest when she looked at the faces of children.
From the educational facility built adjacent to the Grand Cathedral, children's voices could be heard.
Several children were running down the hallway toward the building, apparently about to be late for class.
The faster ones were pulling the slower ones by the hand.
It was a common sight, and there seemed to be nothing wrong with it. And yet, Hinata felt that nagging unease.
For example, what had it been like in Ingracia?
There had been a school next to the Holy Church there as well.
She had seen children playing there too. What had that been like at the time?
It had been a morning scene. A child running late slipped through the gate with a smile. The slower one didn't make it and ended up getting lectured by the teacher.
The one who made it on time had teased the slow child, wearing a proud expression.
What if the children of Lubelius had been running hand in hand like this?
Everyone would certainly have been late and gotten scolded by the teacher.
Of course, it would all be solved if they simply woke up earlier.
Comparing them was wrong in the first place. It was truly a trivial matter.
And yet, Hinata's sense of unease simply refused to go away.
What was different? Was the fast child not kind? No, that wasn't it.
The child had been teasing the late one, but hadn't mocked or looked down on them.
Most of all, the late child had smiled sheepishly.
Even while being scolded by the teacher, they had looked like they were having fun.
So what about here in Lubelius?
The children running along all wore the same kind of expression.
Gentle smiles.
The same fulfilled expressions as the adults.
That expression, somehow, looked like one of resignation, and it made Hinata uncomfortable.
She had been seized by these thoughts because that slime had said something about children.
She must have been overthinking a frivolous remark, falling into a meaningless thought spiral.
Hinata shook her head and changed her train of thought.
She could not afford to appear in a wretched state when meeting her teacher, the "Seven Star Cardinals," who waited in the "Inner Sanctum" beyond the Grand Cathedral.
Last time, after being informed of Veldora's revival, she had received a report from an envoy who had returned from the Monster Nation.
Based on the results, she had requested an audience with the "Seven Star Cardinals" once more, but they had been busy with some matter and she hadn't been able to meet them.
In the end, a week had passed since her request.
Come to think of it, this might have been the first time she had seen all seven of the "Seven Star Cardinals" together. She suddenly noticed something trivial.
When she had reported Veldora's revival last time, it had been the first time she saw all seven assembled.
Before that, she had studied under one at a time, moving on to the next upon passing, and even after graduating as their disciple, she had never seen all seven gathered together when she received orders.
At most, six would assemble.
They were truly mysterious people.
They were probably traveling the world on business beyond her comprehension.
If so, then Veldora's revival must be a matter of extraordinary gravity.
For Hinata, who had never personally experienced Veldora's devastation, the news hadn't been particularly startling, but judging by the reactions of the world's nations, she could imagine it was a serious matter.
Holding off on responding to the Monster Nation had been the right call after all.
But a Demon Lord whose lair was located closest to the sphere of human influence could not be left unchecked.
Dangerous monsters had been confirmed as well—subduing them was urgent.
But was he, a monster who had seemingly reincarnated from the same homeland as her, truly an evil that needed to be destroyed?
If the doctrine was absolute, then monsters were evil without question, and there would be nothing to agonize over.
So why was she hesitating?
Or rather— (Oh... I was hesitating after all...)
Hinata finally became aware of this fact.
Hesitating—how unlike her. She mocked herself, but paradoxically, her heart felt lighter.
Because she had finally realized that even she could waver.
"Creating an equal society free of conflict"—that was the purpose of her existence.
A world where no child was abandoned by their parents, where everyone was permitted to live happily.
It was an ideal theory, perhaps unrealistic. She had been on the verge of resigning herself to that, when the Holy Church had appeared before her as the very embodiment of that ideal.
From that day on, Hinata had never once doubted that the doctrine was absolute, and had devoted herself rationally and with all her might to missionary work.
Unlike her mother, who had had no choice but to cling to religion, Hinata stood in the position of protecting the doctrine.
That was the source of her confidence.
She didn't actually believe in God's existence, but if He could be put to use, she was happy to acknowledge Him.
What mattered was achieving the goal.
Since joining the Western Holy Church, she had pressed forward without ever wavering.
Now, for the first time, a contradiction had arisen between the doctrine and her own thoughts.
Given all that, she must have wanted to consult her teachers about it.
Understanding this at last, Hinata realized she had already arrived at the door at the back of the Grand Cathedral without noticing.
Without hesitation, she placed her hand on the door and strode inside with composure.
Beyond here lay the "Inner Sanctum," where the "Seven Star Cardinals"—Hinata's teachers—resided.
As she stepped into the Inner Sanctum, she felt the air change.
This was the absolute last line of defense, a chamber built to protect the Pope.
Beyond this chamber lay the Pope's residence, a place sacred and inviolable, off-limits to the unpermitted.
Hinata proceeded down the passageway without the slightest hesitation.
She walked along a mountain path to a mansion situated partway up the slope. This was where she was to meet her teachers.
When Hinata arrived, four of them were already seated.
Those who governed the Seven Stars—four of them.
"I have kept you waiting. I am grateful that you have granted me an audience today."
Hinata knelt and offered her greeting.
The four regarded her and nodded with lofty composure.
Their expressions were hidden behind masks, impossible to read.
"First, relax. There is no need to be so formal."
"Welcome, Hinata. Is this about the Veldora situation?"
"You look troubled. That evil dragon is a natural disaster. There's no way for humans to deal with it."
"Surely there's nothing to worry about?"
The voices came at her from all sides.
As always, she couldn't tell who was speaking—or perhaps it was only one person talking, for all she knew.
They were strange people like that.
Even these teachers of hers had declared that Veldora was not to be touched.
But wasn't that contrary to doctrine?
When Hinata asked this, she received the answer that "the Dragon
The Dragon Species were a type of Holy Spirit, and their essence was a mass of energy, they said.
Therefore, even attacking them would make defeating them exceedingly difficult.
They went on to say: "That evil dragon seems to have joined forces with a recently born Demon Lord."
"Yes. That Demon Lord wiped out the entirety of Falmuth's army."
"It's unthinkable that a single being could accomplish that."
"With the evil dragon and the Demon Lord working together, humanity will be destroyed if we act rashly."
Currently, they said, because it was beyond human capability to act, any intervention would only expand the damage.
But such a thing was unacceptable.
Allowing atrocities simply because the enemy was strong was wrong beyond question.
Hinata raised her head and looked her teachers in the eye.
Then she spoke: "Forgive me for saying this, but I will not run. Whether it is Veldora or the Demon Lord—I will prove that I can defeat them."
She said it clearly, without wavering.
She couldn't forgive herself for having entertained, even for a moment, the possibility that a conversation might be possible with the Demon Lord, since they were from the same homeland.
They had said that the enemy had attacked first, but that might have been out of fear of the Demon Lord.
The human heart is weak. That was precisely why fear could prevent sound judgment.
And above all— A monster that simply went on a rampage was out of the question.
If it was evil, there was nothing to deliberate about—just destroy it.
"Don't be so conceited, Hinata. No attack will work on that evil dragon."
"Even the Hero could do nothing but seal it away!"
"Your current arsenal probably won't even scratch it."
"All you'll do is make it angry. And you still say you'll defeat it?"
But Hinata did not waver.
If she needed to defeat it, then she would defeat it.
"I came here today with a request."
Without answering her teachers' questions, Hinata got straight to the point.
Truthfully, she had also wanted to consult them about the reincarnation of someone who appeared to be from the same homeland into a monster, but after hearing about Veldora joining forces with the Demon Lord to slaughter Falmuth's army, her resolve had solidified.
Humans and monsters simply could not coexist. They had to be destroyed before they could cause harm.
Her inner conflict cleared, and she felt at peace.
Then, quietly, she continued: "I would like your approval to use the Holy Spirit Armament."
She waited quietly for their response.
The Cardinals stopped moving, and a brief silence fell.
Before she knew it, laughter echoed around her.
"Fufufu, fuhahahaha!!!"
Hinata was unmoved.
She simply waited quietly for their answer.
"So you're serious."
"Very well. We've seen your resolve."
"You might just be able to defeat it. You, at least."
"We grant you this, Hinata, current "Hero." We authorize your use of the Holy Spirit Armament!"
The Holy Spirit Armament.
It was the Church's ultimate anti-monster weapon, permitted only for use by the Hero.
An armament designed to combat dragons and monsters alike, it could only be wielded by a Hero beloved by the Holy Spirits.
Hinata possessed a unique constitution beloved by the Holy Spirits.
And yet, despite having mastered martial arts to the highest degree, she had never once claimed the title of Hero.
One reason was that her overwhelming strength had always been enough to overwhelm any enemy on her own, making the Holy Spirit Armament unnecessary.
But that wasn't the real reason.
For Hinata, the word "Hero" had referred to the person her first teacher, Izawa Shizue, had spoken of.
A person who possessed overwhelming strength combined with kindness.
Someone whose mere presence gave courage and hope to those around them.
Hinata understood this.
She knew that she, cold and emotionally stunted, lacked the capacity to become someone else's hope.
But now she had finally confirmed it.
She could not, after all, tolerate the existence of monsters.
And even if she couldn't give people courage, even if she couldn't become their hope—she could still become the sword that destroyed their enemies.
She didn't think that made her right, but a monster that destroyed people's towns without reason—that was something whose existence could not be allowed.
Thus, Hinata took on the title of Hero.
What she took into her hand was a single greatsword.
Larger than a normal greatsword. In terms of weight, even a massive man would struggle to swing it.
Given the structure of the human body, that weight would cause injury just from handling it.
Even a weightlifting champion wouldn't be able to lift it.
As was obvious from her preference for a rapier, Hinata's physical strength was nothing remarkable.
Her fighting style relied on speed to outmaneuver her opponents.
No matter how powerful a weapon it was said to be against monsters, it seemed hardly suited to Hinata at all.
And yet, Hinata reached for the greatsword without hesitation and lifted it easily with one hand.
She gave it a few practice swings to test the feel.
The tip of the blade reached supersonic speeds, and the greatsword moved as freely as if it weighed nothing.
It was a beautiful display, like watching a sword dance.
There was no problem at all.
This wasn't achieved through physical strength alone. A giant might manage it, but no amount of raw strength could wield this sword.
What Hinata had done was a simultaneous application of "Weight Manipulation" and "Inertia Manipulation."
No matter how heavy the weapon, its weight could be reduced to zero.
And the moment it made contact with an enemy, releasing that weight would deliver devastating power and impact.
Likewise, no matter how fast she swung, she could kill the inertia and instantly halt and reverse the blade.
Added to her versatile swordsmanship, these skills made Hinata truly invincible.
Hinata's Unique Skill, "Usurper," had integrated two Extra Skills, which were perfectly controlled under the oversight of her Unique Skill, "Mathematician."
That was the secret behind Hinata's strength.
And this greatsword was not the Holy Spirit Armament.
Naturally, this greatsword was also a cutting-edge weapon developed by the "Seven Star Cardinals" after years of research as a countermeasure against Veldora—a sword designed specifically to fight dragons.
The Holy Spirit Armament was something Hinata was already wearing.
In truth, she didn't need the Cardinals' permission—she could deploy it at any time by her own will.
The only reason she sought the Cardinals' permission was a restriction she had placed on herself.
And that permission had been granted.
Hinata was freed from the constraints that bound her, and she regained her true form.
A transparent membrane enveloped Hinata's body, transforming into armor that covered her entire form.
This was why Hinata didn't wear armor. It was because she was already wearing it.
By Hinata's will, the Holy Spirits materialized and transformed into Holy Armor.
It housed the power of an exalted Holy Spirit, bestowing superhuman strength upon its wearer.
Hinata, now manifesting before them clad in Holy Armor, had truly been sublimated into the existence called Hero.
Clad in the Holy Spirit Armament—the ultimate anti-monster weapon—Hinata marched forth into battle.