This World Needs a Hero

Chapter 31

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It was a usual morning, Pia was busy with paperwork in one corner of the lab, and I was contemplating how to conduct next week’s classes.

The intrusion of an unexpected guest happened about thirty minutes ago.

“Come to think of it, Miss Joyce looks quite similar to the professor, doesn’t she? The hair and eye color are similar.”

“Let’s avoid making inappropriate comments about the professor.”

“Why? What’s inappropriate about it?”

“The professor is unusually handsome.”

“Miss Joyce is beautiful too, haha!”

“…Really annoying.”

Leaning against the desk partition, Kasim continued with trivial stories.

Before Pia’s sigh could deepen, I spoke up.

“What’s with the serious face early in the morning? Such a face full of concerns.”

“…Oh, you noticed right away.”

Doppelgangers are observant.

Sometimes you see things you don’t want to see, like Kasim’s sinking expression every time he makes a joke.

“Even down to the details, the Professor is perfect.”

Approaching with a coaxing smile, as if he had been waiting.

I regretted pretending to know him and looked at him.

“That’s what I wanted to say…”

“Keep it simple.”

“Okay.”

I thought it would be a trivial matter like a girl’s problem.

However, contrary to my expectations, Kasim’s concern was quite substantial.

“My swordsmanship skills have hit a plateau.”

“Yes, it’s been a year already.”

“….”

Kasim got frustrated at my expression.

“Just now, you thought it was because of my female companionship, didn’t you?”

“It’s more strange not to think so.”

“You might not believe it, but it’s really not like that!”

It was an unjust expression.

“I’ve never been negligent in practice. Rather, I’ve increased my training recently, but there’s no progress as if hitting a wall. It’s frustrating.”

It was then that I noticed his palms spread out in front of him.

The calluses on his worn-out skin were revealed.

His talent in swordsmanship was something I had heard before.

To secure the position of a professor at Rosenstark at such a young age, he must have had remarkable talent.

I remembered admiringly watching him train a few times by chance.

Talent and effort.

Even though he possessed both, there was one reason he faced a wall.

“When were you appointed?”

“It’s been four years this year. Why…?”

“You were appointed right after graduating from graduate school. Have you fulfilled your mandatory service?”

“Well, due to certain circumstances…”

Kasim blurred the end of his sentence, avoiding eye contact.

There are few cases where a healthy noble avoids military service.

Without further probing, I spoke.

“Seems obvious. The lack of practical experience is probably hindering you.”

“Even though I train as close to real combat as possible with my colleagues every time.”

“As close to real combat as possible?”

“Well…”

Kasim’s gaze naturally went to the scars on my forearm, visible beyond the shirt sleeves.

“I… I said something stupid.”

I teased the disheartened him.

“In any case, immediately leaving the professorship and heading to the battlefield isn’t feasible, is it?”

“…That’s correct.”

“Then, how about traveling around during the vacation and engaging in some sparring?”

“Sparring?”

“If you meet opponents who are significantly stronger than you and not familiar with their patterns, you might realize something.”

In simpler terms, it was a suggestion to change training partners.

Preferably, someone stronger.

“…I didn’t leave for real combat without reason.”

Talented individuals gain a lot even in battles against overwhelmingly skilled opponents through martial arts, unlike in regular training.

The last martial arts opponent for the Hero was the legendary swordsman ‘Zion Hiyashin.’

Initially, facing such a powerhouse would have been impossible, but through martial arts, he became stronger and eventually defeated the era’s strongest swordsman.

“If you face overwhelming opponents, you might see what lies beyond your current limits.”

The moment I finished speaking, our eyes met under the sparkling lights.

“… … …”

“… … …”

“Sparring with overwhelming experts…”

“I refuse.”

“I’ll do better from now on!”

And thus, the sparring arrangement was settled.

* * *

Wow!

As we arrived at the faculty training ground, enthusiastic cheers erupted as if they had been waiting for us.

I looked at Kasim with a sense of unease.

“I didn’t expect there would be spectators.”

“I only told one person… Sorry. Should I shoo them away?”

The crowd was quite small.

Faces filled with deep admiration and eagerness to learn were visible.

Most of them were young professors, associate professors, and contract lecturers, not much older than Kasim.

Their gaze toward me was more friendly compared to the veteran professors.

If I were to needlessly provoke them, the goodwill might turn into resentment.

Probably, there would be a few posts on Connector about this.

– I went to watch the sparring between the Hero and Kasim, but they said it was private. Why kick us out?

└ “What’s the big deal if it’s open to the public? They show off their upper bodies well, but why not the sparring?”

└ “They charge a ridiculous amount for admission.”

└ “Why not have sparring when you’re going to show off the upper body so well?”

It was a dizzying imagination.

“Leave them alone.”

“Yeah, as expected. Your influence is broad.”

“Enough of that. Let’s get started.”

I slowly drew the Black Hope.

In reality, sparring with Kasim wasn’t a losing proposition for me either.

It was an opportunity for me to directly experience the growth of the Polymorph.

Before visiting the Library of Memories, I couldn’t guarantee victory.

Even disregarding how much stronger I became, it was difficult to predict a defeat given the potent effects of the modified Salvation Ritual.

“Now, let’s get started.”

As the sparring began, I thought, ‘Even if Kasim is highly regarded among the young professors, it doesn’t seem likely that he’ll win, however, he’s not a pushover either.’

While observing Kasim on the opposite side, I couldn’t help but think.

‘It might be a good idea to make Kasim indebted to me now. He’s already favorably disposed towards me. If I continue building rapport, he might become completely supportive.’

Without realizing it, I had moved to the opposite side, closely watching Kasim as he adjusted his stance.

His weapon of choice was a rapier.

With one hand holding the sword in a forward position and the other poised for a follow-up attack, he seemed to have no visible openings.

‘… How strong is he?’

The goals of this sparring match were twofold:

To assist Kasim in his improvement and to gauge and internalize my growth.

The plan was to engage in a balanced exchange of attacks and defenses.

“Here I come!”

Kasim forcefully struck the ground and rushed towards me.

Thud!

The silhouette that had been in the distance suddenly loomed large.

A thrust.

Clang!

Clang!

I used the wide surface of the Black Hope like a shield to deflect his rapid attacks.

The grip of my hand holding the polymel transmitted a strong rebound.

…He was faster and stronger than I expected.

Swish!

Through the rising dust and dirt, something sparkled.

In an instant, the tip of his sword approached me.

I turned my body halfway to evade the follow-up attack, using my heel to strike Kasim’s thigh from behind.

Crack!

It was an unarmed blow, but there was an undeniable difference in our ranks.

A considerably loud groan echoed through the air.

I waited patiently as I watched Kasim limping, as he created distance between us.

‘Certainly, my movements are much lighter than before. Am I reaching the level of a true undergraduate student now?’

But that wasn’t the only change.

If the previous growth had focused on overall combat strength enhancement, this time, my detection abilities had also improved.

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‘… I can read his movements.’

I lowered my head.

Swish!

The tip of the sword grazed past my throat narrowly.

I easily avoided the subsequent attacks.

Wooooong!

Kasim solemnly raised his magic power.

The sensation of rapidly increasing mana with one-second intervals.

Whether he thought I wouldn’t be hurt or if he intended to give it his all, his determination was evident.

‘Now, it begins.’

I gripped the sword firmly.

I planned to fight in a somewhat different manner.

“Waaaah!”

“Kasim, you can do it!”

“Show us!”

Kasim charged towards me.

* * *

The rapier is trash.

‘It has more than one or two drawbacks.’

The low destructive power is due to its lightweight.

This inevitably leads to larger movements.

High risk, low return, so to speak.

Although the quick thrusting motion is powerful, encountering someone in armor was a sure defeat.

Unless you are lucky enough to strike through the gaps in the armor, you won’t be able to deal any significant damage.

And yet, against tougher foes clad in even sturdier leather, the rapier was practically useless.

Generally, rapiers weren’t used in major battles against formidable creatures.

They were mainly reserved for personal defense in urban settings.

…But the moment people gained the ability to use mana, all these weaknesses disappeared.

The piercing power, once confined to a single point, transformed into an area-of-effect spell capable of pulverizing a certain area, just like now.

Swoosh!

Quaaaa!

The sound of air being torn preceded the attack.

What followed was a hefty thrust, with Kasim swiftly shifting his center of gravity up and down, assaulting me with various stabs.

Neck, thigh, flank, shoulder—target points changed several times in a single second.

“…”

However, the Hero’s response was simple.

Kuung!

The black hope delved into the floor of the training ground.

The massive sword planted on the ground formed a shield-like posture.

Kkigigigik-!

The thrusts flowed through the inclined sword face without much impact.

The decreasing force was evident.

The spectators marveled at this creative defense.

Kwajik!

The Hero, leveraging his weight on the polymel, lifted the floor.

Stones, gravel, and earth on the sword’s face were tossed upwards.

‘Using the sword as a lever!?’

Kasim exclaimed in surprise.

The Hero swung the blade, hurling the debris away.

It was an unexpected, unorthodox, and creative attack.

“Kreuk!”

Kasim hastily covered his eyes and retreated.

The Hero’s elbow, charged with magic this time, struck Kasim’s side, sending him rolling several times through the air.

“…Kkuk.”

“Not bad, Kasim,”

The Hero said with a raised corner of his mouth, watching Kasim rise.

In that brief moment, he had raised his knee to deflect the attack, defending himself.

“Heuk, heuk.”

Kasim shook his head as if trying to shake off the shock.

Beyond his swaying vision, motionless gray pupils could be seen.

This was not the ‘Simulation combat’ you have experienced so far.

Those eyes seemed to say that.

Even for a moment, it was a gaze that seemed to oppress him.

For a while, the sense of helplessness dominated…

“…Interesting.”

Kasim burst into laughter.

This wasn’t the usual exchange of sword blows but a training full of various abnormalities.

It was like the wall that poured out everything you had on but you still couldn’t overcome it.

Kasim felt the joy of breaking free from the constraints of conventional swordsmanship.

He grabbed his sword, and a wide grin spread across his face.

Of course, the Hero was also thoroughly enjoying the sparring.

‘If I hadn’t grown stronger this time, it would have been a bit much, but…’

Now, he could play with ease.

▼

Targeting the sternocleidomastoid muscle…

Piercing targeting the pectoral muscle…

▲

Moreover, with the comments from the Iris of Laplace—

The Hero, as if possessing foresight, avoided all of Kasim’s attacks as if there were only a paper-thin difference between them.

Perfect evasion.

And perfect evasion movements turned into excellent attack preparation.

“Chit!”

It was the moment after Kasim made a big thrust and retracted the sword.

From the Hero’s twisted waist for evasion, a tremendous rotational force erupted.

*Kaga-ga-kang!*

Kasim’s rapier, which barely blocked the counterattack, shook as if it were about to break.

If it weren’t for the full magical power, the blade would have shattered immediately.

With a wobble, Kasim dropped one knee, but without yielding, he hit the ground with the opposite palm and stood up.

The eyes, once full of mischief, now burned with intense seriousness.

The Hero’s eyes showed a hint of satisfaction.

‘Even thought this attack was supposed to end the spar, he still reacted to it.’

He was growing in real-time.

“…”

The onlookers fell silent.

They had expected an entertaining spectacle due to the overwhelming difference in skill, but what unfolded before them was a lesson about growth.

“You should use short and concise thrusts.”

“Your fastest weapon doesn’t reach, why do you keep mixing in big attacks?”

“Don’t rush. Forcing complexity into your patterns will only reduce your effectiveness.”

*Ching-!*

“Yes, just like that. When pushed into a corner, relying on tricks will only hasten your downfall.”

Heaving breaths.

“Being hasty. Forcing complexity into your patterns reduces your power, you know.”

*Ching-!*

A subdued voice.

A sharp clinking sound echoed in the training ground.

The spectators looked at Kasim with eyes mixed with envy and admiration.

“If only I were there instead of Kasim!”

The desire for learning that had been forgotten wriggled within them.

At that moment, Kasim declared.

“Professor! It’s time to end this!”

The Hero chuckled in response.

It was about time, anyway.

There was no need to show a balanced performance until the end.

“…I need an impressive finish.”

For the first time since the sparring began, the Hero took a step back.

Kasim, about to pursue, stopped abruptly, feeling an inexplicable sense of crisis.

The two stood facing each other, about thirty meters apart at the ends of the training ground.

Srrung-

The greatsword was lifted parallel to the ground.

Underneath the tunic, taut muscles and veins became prominent, and simultaneously, the massive and pitch-black lump of iron began to vibrate.

…Everything darkened.

The indoor lighting remained the same, but the spectators felt as if an inky darkness enveloped them.

Woo-woo-woo-woo!

“What, what’s that?”

“I-is that possible?”

From the origin of the darkness…

A ring of light gradually revealed itself.

A halo.

“Is that, by any chance!”

Its appearance resembled the radiant circle that surrounds the sun and moon, hence the name.

One of the spectators unconsciously spoke up.

“The Salvation Sigil… It’s the Salvation Sigil.”

Soon, simultaneous cheers erupted.

“Oh my goodness…”

“Halo, it’s a total eclipse!”

The Hero took a deep breath, then, with a small but clear voice, he said,

“Do not block it, evade.”

With that, the greatsword swung.

Red, blue, white, and yellow hues swept around, creating a dazzling display.

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