The meaning of “Keep Going.”
“Nishizawa Eri has disobeyed my commands as the on-site commander without justifiable reasons, driven only by personal feelings. In a situation where life and death hang in the balance, failing to follow orders is an unacceptable act of irresponsibility that neglects the duties of a hero. Naturally, appropriate consequences must follow.”
Continuing with a serious tone.
“For her future’s sake. If we overlook this irresponsible behavior simply because we’re classmates, Nishizawa Eri will never become a proper hero.”
After finishing my statement, I stare directly into Yoshizaki Seira’s eyes.
She smiles at me.
Another deadly charming expression.
It’s a positive sign.
I barely suppress a chuckle.
“Certainly a valid point. Very well. I will refer Nishizawa Eri to the disciplinary committee. As you said, disobedience on-site is a serious offense and disqualifying for a hero. The disciplinary outcome will probably be expulsion. Is that alright with you?”
Seira’s pupils narrow again.
Another test.
This one’s titled ‘Kindness.’
I’m getting tired of this.
It’s not like I’m taking midterms.
I don’t understand why she likes tests so much.
Anyway, since I’ve received the question paper, I have to submit the model answer again.
“Although she committed a serious fault, I don’t wish for her to be expelled. We do have personal grievances, but after all, she is my classmate and partner. If she were to be expelled, it would leave a bitter aftertaste.”
If I had impulsively asked for her expulsion here, my evaluation in Yoshizaki Seira’s eyes would undoubtedly plummet.
For not being kind, of course.
She might have set the trap with that intention.
“Oh? You wish for leniency?”
“Yes.”
In order to face the final boss, Messiah, I need Nishizawa Eri. So, from the start, expulsion was not an option.
As much as I’d like to enforce it, that final boss is a pain in the neck.
Thus, given the current situation, it’s impossible anyway; it’s more beneficial to pretend I’m being kind and leave a good impression on Yoshizaki Seira.
I expect her consequences to be a suspension, school community service, and a hefty amount of demerits.
In this kind world, that’s a serious punishment, but I can’t settle for just this.
“However, I would appreciate it if you could exert pressure in the committee to make it seem like expulsion is a possibility. That way, Nishizawa will realize her mistakes and reflect on them herself.”
The person Nishizawa Eri cherishes the most is her mother.
Given her mother’s expectations, she will definitely try her best to avoid expulsion.
So, I have to pressure her as much as possible during the committee process to crush her mental state.
It must be shattered.
Of course, I don’t care about Nishizawa’s sad family circumstances, and just because she regrets it doesn’t mean I have an obligation to recognize and forgive her.
Anyway, she will soon be my slave, so there’s no need to worry about a slave’s circumstances.
“…Regret, huh? That’s an interesting thought.”
Yoshizaki Seira laughs with a hint of danger.
“Alright. Let’s do it.”
Her permission is granted.
“Thank you for your kindness.”
“It’s nothing much.”
Yoshizaki Seira takes a sip of her matcha with a slight smile.
She sure can drink that bitter stuff.
Same with Rin; it’s quite impressive.
She sets down her teacup.
“This old bag has kept the young one too long.”
An old bag? With that face?
The disconnect is no joke.
“You can leave now, Kim Deok-Sung.”
Whoosh.
Yoshizaki Seira fans herself with a lace fan as she speaks.
“I enjoyed today’s meeting, Chairman.”
“And I found it quite impressive.”
Leaving her words behind, I exit the Chairman’s Room.
Having successfully referred her to the disciplinary committee, now all that’s left is the true education.
*
Tap.
As Kim Deok-Sung leaves, the Chairman’s Room door closes behind him.
Only Yoshizaki Seira remains in the spacious room.
Slurp.
She takes another sip of her matcha.
“Kim Deok-Sung…”
Seira’s eyes narrow.
Kim Deok-Sung.
He’s defeated Olivia and Shinozaki Rin and has been chosen by the spirit of Durandal.
The president of the Japan Hero Association, Shinozaki Ichiro, has taken an interest in him.
Seira met with him, as Kim expected, to test him.
“I can understand why the knight princess is so smitten with him.”
She was a companion of the Black Prince.
Naturally, she has some acquaintance with Olivia.
The Olivia she knows is a candidate for hero with a sense of responsibility that exceeds anyone else’s, an attitude not typical of this year’s students.
Thus, even though it was the result of a bet, when Olivia fell into the role of Kim Deok-Sung’s personal maid, Seira raised an eyebrow.
There’s no way the prideful French Princess would voluntarily become the maid of a man she wouldn’t even acknowledge.
But today, Seira confirmed it.
“…A sense of responsibility as a hero.”
To be honest, what Nishizawa Eri did to Kim Deok-Sung was harsh enough that even Seira would nod in agreement if he referred her to the disciplinary committee out of personal feelings.
However, he acknowledged his private emotions but drew the line, persuading her only as a hero.
“And he’s a man who possesses kindness as well.”
That said, he didn’t wish for her expulsion.
The measures against Nishizawa Eri clearly warrant expulsion, yet he pleaded for leniency.
But he didn’t back down like a pushover either.
He firmly held the line with the condition of her regret.
The two virtues of a hero that Yoshizaki Seira thinks highly of.
He displayed an ideally perfect combination of responsibility and kindness.
“I like him.”
A crescent smile forms on her lips.
“…If I were 40 years younger, I might have fallen for him.”
Seira murmurs in a wistful voice.
A man who possesses both responsibility and kindness.
Thus, he reminded her of a man she loved, but ultimately their love remained unfulfilled and turned into unrequited feelings.
The swordsman Kurosawa Akira died ten years ago.
He, too, had black hair and black eyes like Kim Deok-Sung.
As Seira reminisces about her memories with him, she bites her lips.
“I shall take my revenge. Akira… surely…”
A spacious Chairman’s Room.
Seira’s trembling voice lingers sorrowfully as she is left alone.
*
The day of the duel with Nishizawa Eri.
Main Arena.
It seems the rumor about Nishizawa Eri and me fighting Olivia over a dog collar bet has already spread widely, as the audience in the main arena was packed to the brim.
‘All that work interviewing Nodoka paid off. The journalist skills are definitely solid.’
Amano Nodoka.
I couldn’t figure out where she gathered her information, but I accepted her request for an interview about the duel with Nishizawa Eri.
Spreading provocative rumors and gathering an audience to humiliate her in front of all the students was the plan.
Given her dislike for men, losing in a public duel against one would be nothing short of disgraceful for her.
‘And since I subtly hinted at the disciplinary committee and disobedience issues, after the duel, Nishizawa Eri’s reputation will surely plummet.’
Amano Nodoka’s yellow journalism wouldn’t miss out on something as juicy as a disciplinary committee.
Once that journalist Amano posts her article on the academy channel,
Nishizawa, despite having many fans due to her unique personality, also has a fair share of haters.
If this incident comes to light, her reputation will undoubtedly tank to levels far below where I currently stand.
She might even end up becoming an outcast.
‘It’s all her own doing.’
She deserves it for sure.
Nishizawa Eri’s misfortune is my happiness.
“Look, there’s the black-haired one.”
“Is that Kim Deok-Sung?”
“They say he suggested a dog collar bet to Nishizawa…”
“I heard he wants to make Nishizawa his slave? Total creep…”
“Is he planning to walk her naked with a leash like Princess Hero?”
But damn, I still can’t get used to the students’ trashy banter.
I can’t even guess how far those creepy rumors and the leash walks have evolved.
It’s seriously making my stomach turn.
[Nishizawa Eri, Kim Deok-Sung, please enter the arena!]
The announcement from our judge, Mayuzumi-sensei, echoes through the space.
I stand up.
“Kim Deok-Sung. You must win.”
I hear Shinozaki Rin’s voice.
I turn my head to look at Olivia.
Her face turns red when our eyes meet.
“Hmph, we talked everything out that night! What more do you want? Fool! Idiot!”
Olivia crosses her arms, turning her head away.
“That night?”
“What exactly happened between you two?”
“They’ve been secretly meeting every night in a hidden room, getting all…you know…”
The students’ nonsense spreads again.
I can’t stand it.
“…I will win. Absolutely. If I lose, I’ll never look at you again, so be prepared!”
Olivia says to me in a trembling voice.
Now that’s the tsundere I know.
“Kim! I’ll cheer for you!”
“Bro! You have to win, for sure!”
I can hear Ishihara and the protagonist cheering.
Not that I need your support.
I make my way down to the audience.
I enter the arena.
I see Nishizawa Eri on the other side.
“Creep… Trash…”
She glares at me disdainfully as she speaks.
Let her cuss all she wants.
There’s not much time left for that now.
[Please switch to combat mode!]
Mayuzumi-sensei’s announcement can be heard.
Clank, clank.
Nishizawa Eri switches to combat mode.
Her slender figure is fully revealed in her battle gear.
The full-body gloves are revealed as they are.
Nishizawa Eri, armed with a chain sickle, glares at me menacingly.
Wooong!
Durandal vibrates.
It seems the Black Prince is eager to switch to combat mode.
I infuse magic into Durandal.
[Durandal Online]
A familiar notification sound rings out as full-body gloves cover me.
Thump, thump.
The Black Stone in my chest and the Magic Core resonate, unleashing double the magic power.
This is my first real battle since swallowing the Black Stone.
Perfect timing to test its performance.
[BATTLE START!]
The moment Mayuzumi-sensei finishes speaking.
Suuuuh.
The chain sickle in Nishizawa Eri’s hands disappears entirely.
Her gift, Invisibility, has activated.
Nishizawa Eri earned the title of National Beauty Kunoichi entirely because of her Invisibility gift.
[Synchronization]
The ability manifests.
The Black Prince’s talent and experience imprint into my mind.
A headache pierces through.
I can’t tell if it’s the influence of the Black Stone or if I’ve gotten used to it, but the pain has significantly decreased compared to before.
Chwaaaaaarrrr!
I hear the sound of chains in my ears.
Wooong!
Durandal rings out.
The Black Prince’s talent instinctively senses the direction of the chain’s sound.
I grip Durandal.
Clang!
The transparent chain sickle rebounds with a spark.
‘Facing it directly is a pain in the ass.’
In Volume 3 of the original, Yuji instantly noticed Nishizawa Eri’s Invisibility with his colorless magic perception ability and nullified her gift to win.
But I don’t have a cheat skill like that protagonist.
Chwaaarrrr!
The sound of chains is heard again.
Wooong.
Durandal rings out. The Black Prince’s talent is on high alert.
Clang!
I knock away the transparent chain sickle flying back at me.
I can barely defend against the attack relying on the Black Prince’s talent, but if this drags on, Nishizawa Eri will win.
Without the extraordinary magic perception, I need to create something similar.
‘Now that I’ve swallowed the Black Stone and my magic power is doubled, I can do it.’
I activate my gift.
The Black Stone and the Magic Core resonate.
Darkness engulfs Durandal’s blade.
As I plant the dark-imbued Durandal into the ground, I infuse even more magic.
Thump, thump.
My heart races wildly.
From the Durandal stuck in the ground, darkness rapidly surges and spreads throughout the arena.
The pitch-black darkness rises like mist, quickly shrouding the entire arena.
“What the?!”
I can hear Nishizawa Eri’s flustered voice.
The dark mist created by my gift can’t be perceived by the naked eye without using magic.
But that doesn’t matter to me.
Just like Yuji’s extraordinary magic perception, the dark mist enveloping the arena is my eyes, functioning like a high-performance radar.
I synchronize with the dark mist spreading across the arena.
“Ugh.”
Countless pieces of information imprint into my mind.
I filter through the meaningful information.
‘Found it.’
I close my eyes and then open them.
Detection successful.
Wooong!
Durandal vibrates as if urging me.
[Switching to Flight Mode]
Boosters pop out from my back.
[Vajra Body]
I use my ability.
This time, a rather strong headache crashes over me.
“Ugh!”
I bite my lip and endure the pain.
Using Flight Mode, I dash straight through the dark mist toward the direction where Nishizawa Eri was detected.
In my vision connected with the dark mist, I see something new flickering unnaturally.
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