I took a breath in the library. So I had returned to the start of today. I wanted to avoid triggering another loop, was it really that hard? Out of all the days, why did everyone decide to go shopping today as well?
If Tohime and the others were here, maybe we could fight that lizard monster. But how?
Travis had completely turned into a monster, Beatrix was killed by Travis and ended up killing several students. None of this made sense. These were new variables that didn't exist in the original story. Unless, this was the butterfly effect caused by my actions.
Should I report this to the teachers? No, even if we moved fast, students would still die. This area was heavily populated by students, and all the main characters were out. So who could help us?
Wait, maybe… this could work.
Umbros flew out from my shadow. It seemed he sensed that I had looped time again. He perched on the table and looked at me seriously.
"What happened? Did you mess with the concept of time again?"
"Yes, but this time we have to be fast."
I stood up and left the library, spotting Arthur walking toward me. He waved at me, but I immediately grabbed him and pulled him along.
"Leon? What's going on?"
"No time. Follow me, or more people are going to die." I said, and Arthur looked into empty space with a serious expression.
"Alright. What do I need to do?"
We headed to the dormitory before the lizard monster attacked. The place looked peaceful, filled with students going about their daily activities.
"The girls' dormitory? Why are we coming here?"
Without answering, I walked straight inside. Arthur looked a bit embarrassed about entering, but it didn't matter. I could do this. The kind-hearted protagonist should remain noble here.
As other students began to grow wary of me,
I took a deep breath and gathered strength into my voice to shout.
"Ah! I want to see girls' underwear! Show it to me!"
I yelled so everyone could hear. Arthur, who was outside, froze in shock, while the female students began running out of the dormitory.
"Show me! Show me those seductive bodies!"
I knocked on every door, forcing them out of the building, receiving curses and getting objects thrown at me. But I didn't stop.
I chased after the girls with a blank expression. This was the only way to get them out of this building.
"You shameless bastard!"
"Pervert!"
"Just die!"
I was holding back my tears. If only they knew what was about to happen, maybe I would be seen as a savior. But from the start, I already held the title of troublemaker across the entire kingdom, so this didn't matter.
Finally, I reached Beatrix's room at the end of the corridor.
I kicked the door open hard and saw Beatrix changing clothes. For someone planning something vile, she was wearing cute underwear with a cat pattern.
"W-what is this!? Leon Moriet?"
"Get out of here!"
Beatrix threw a thick book at me, making my nose bleed, before running out in her pajamas.
"Honestly, you deserved that." Umbros said.
"So you think they'd follow my instructions if I said, 'hey, this place will turn into a sea of blood, let's get out,' with a smiling face? Who would believe that." I said while wiping the blood from my nose.
Arthur then came upstairs and saw my bleeding nose.
"Are you satisfied now?" he asked with a serious face. This idiot. If not for him being the protagonist, I would have punched him.
"Forget it. Check every room and look for weapons, potions, anything useful." I said.
We searched every room and gathered everything we could use. This time, Arthur might be better prepared than before. Even if this counted as stealing, no one would call it that once this place turned into a battlefield.
When Arthur was carrying various potions he found, I asked, "If you face a strong monster, how long can you hold out?"
Arthur fell silent. Of course it was a sudden question, but I needed to know. To avoid looping again and again, I had to decide carefully.
If that lizard keeps growing stronger and stronger, then I'll be trapped in this loop forever and eventually go insane.
"With all this equipment, around 10 to 15 minutes."
"10 to 15, that might be enough. Any extra time?" I asked.
I stood up and grabbed Arthur by the shoulders. "A few more minutes, maybe? Alright, this might help. When it tries to move fast, it raises its tail into the air. Attack its joints, and it doesn't handle light well, so blind it with light magic."
I gave him all the information I could remember. Maybe with that, Arthur could last longer.
Then the ground shook violently, and the roar of a monster echoed from Beatrix's room.
Arthur and I nodded to each other.
"Umbros, help me run faster." I whispered, and his power flowed into my leg muscles. I dashed down the stairs, leaving Arthur behind to fight the lizard monster.
"So you're the strong monster?" Arthur raised his sword and gripped it tightly. Magic flowed into his hand as he fired a beam of light at the monster.
DUUUMM!
That sound marked the start of Arthur's battle with the monster. I had to hurry before the loop happened again.
Everyone gathered below screamed and ran as the fight between the lizard monster and Arthur erupted. The battle destroyed a large portion of the building.
HSSSH!
The lizard monster raised its tail high into the air, and Arthur remembered Leon's words that it would move extremely fast when its tail was raised.
"You want to attack me with that speed?"
When the lizard lunged at him, Arthur dodged, catching it off guard. With all his strength, Arthur struck its tail.
But his power wasn't enough to sever it. Instead, the blade got stuck. The monster yanked its tail, shattering the sword.
"Sigh, good thing there are still a few weapons here I can use." Arthur picked up a spear and pointed it at the lizard monster. Looking into empty space, he let out a heavy breath.
"I'll give Leon as much time as possible. So come on, fight me." Arthur said, and as if accepting the challenge, the lizard monster roared loudly before the two of them clashed.
The lizard monster attacked with its claws and lifted Arthur into the air. Arthur reacted quickly, releasing light magic that blinded the creature. But it did not stop there. The lizard slammed Arthur's body into the ground, and both of them crashed down to the lower floor.
Arthur broke free and stabbed the lizard at its joints. However, even while blinded, the creature could still sense the movement of Arthur's spear and snapped it in half.
He leaped to the side and spotted a yellow potion marked as a strength-enhancing potion. He drank it immediately, then grabbed a sword lying not far from him.
The lizard was able to track Arthur's position through the sound of his footsteps and launched an attack by firing spikes from its tail. Fortunately, Arthur managed to dodge in time, and the spikes embedded themselves into the shattered remains of the building.
A hissing sound followed, revealing that the spikes on the lizard's tail were poisonous. Arthur leapt forward and slashed at the creature's body, but the lizard's reaction was faster, as if Arthur had struck an illusion. Arthur was knocked away.
HSSS!
The lizard tried to attack while Arthur was still in midair, but Arthur released wind magic, forcing his body to float. He twisted himself in the air, repositioning to strike back at the monster.
The monster's claws collided with Arthur's sword. Like blades clashing, the sound echoed in all directions, and the surrounding area began to crumble under the sheer force of their battle.
The echoes from the battle were heard by the students outside the dormitory. Helen, who was there, sensed that something was wrong and immediately moved to report it to Lyena.
On the other side, Leon was still running north.
He should be in the northern forest. The only character who might match Arthur's strength, and someone who acknowledged Arthur as a strong opponent.
Bearing the blood of a wilderness warrior and known as the Child of Bear.
Fernando of Kunlun!