Chapter 305
The Loser Named Kim Deok-Sung
Old School Building.
A hidden place at the entrance of the Broken World.
The site where Maeda Shinji, Kim Deok-Sung, and Aris fought during the cultural festival.
It took a solid 30 minutes on foot from the main arena to the Old School Building.
Seira and Kim Deok-Sung were walking that long path.
“……”
Thump.
Seira’s heart was racing.
‘…I was ready to die.’
Jude.
No, now referred to as Professor, her former disciple.
And the traitor.
His existence was always a sore spot and a blemish for Seira.
Except for her colleagues in the Five Crowns, she had no family; she was an orphan.
If the Sword Saint was her first love, the Professor was like a brother and son to her.
But on that day ten years ago.
Her companion died, and the disciple who was like a son betrayed her.
Seira’s heart had died too.
What moved her now was only the duty of revenge.
He corrupted her disciple and was suspected to be behind the mysterious deaths of her comrades.
The League Master.
Taking revenge on him was the last meaning of life for Seira, who had lost family, comrades, and personal happiness.
Amidst this, the Professor, her fallen disciple who betrayed her, directly called for her.
‘If I were to die at the hands of my fallen disciple, that too would be my responsibility and fate.’
Revenge was important.
She couldn’t die so empty-handed.
But if she were to die after fighting him, that would also be her destiny.
Even when her former disciple was under her wing, he had the potential and talent that surpassed her own in the Five Crowns.
As time passed, perhaps that potential had turned entirely into power, making him stronger than her prime self.
Yet still, Seira had to go.
The Professor.
As a member of the Five Crowns and representative of all heroes in the world, she was responsible for the fact that she couldn’t even manage her disciple properly and created the world’s worst villain.
Behind the name of a hero, there must always be responsibility.
Seira could never turn away from her responsibility.
Even if the cost of that responsibility was her life, Seira was not afraid at all.
Thus, she was not afraid of death.
‘Even if I die, I must stop Jude here.’
Her only worry was that she might die while the Professor lived on.
‘But my skills aren’t rusty enough that I can’t even compete against my fallen disciple.’
So, Seira steeled herself.
If necessary, she would burn her life and forcibly return to her prime mode to stop the Professor.
That was her thought.
Knowing her resolve, the Association President, Shinozaki Ichiro, had sent her off alone.
Under normal circumstances, he would have dispatched the full support of the Association to deal with the Professor, but now, it was a state of emergency due to the code red alert.
All EX-rank heroes from Japan needed to gather to halt the Omega-rank otherworldly threat.
Therefore, there could be no power leakage.
So, she had to go alone.
This was a fight that belonged to no one else but her.
It was time to wrap up the events of ten years ago.
That was Seira’s mindset.
Until this man, Kim Deok-Sung, standing beside her, interrupted.
The words he had just said echoed in her head.
[Who do you think you are to go alone?]
When he, no one but him, voiced his dissent, Seira’s heart raced.
[I will go with you, Chairperson.]
When he said he would accompany her, Seira thought she should refuse his words, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so.
Her emotions, her heart, her very being.
They were welcoming Kim Deok-Sung’s words.
[Someone has to do it.]
When Olivia questioned why he was stepping into a dangerous situation and he answered that way, Seira felt the blood rush to her face.
He had a sense of responsibility and kindness as a hero.
No, he had always been consistent from the start.
While he would grumble about things, he always stood at the front lines to stop the threats when students were in danger, and even defended Eri, who had harmed him, before the disciplinary committee.
Black hair, black eyes.
His appearance resembled that of a sword saint, drawing her in unknowingly.
Seira had thought that way.
But with what just happened, Seira realized.
‘Maybe…’
Maybe the reason she felt drawn to him being similar to the sword saint was just an excuse of her own.
Maybe she really…
At that moment, when Seira’s thoughts were still spinning in her head, she heard a voice beside her.
“What are you thinking about?”
It was Kim Deok-Sung’s voice, as indifferent as always, lacking any emotional weight in his tone.
Seira’s heart skipped a beat at the sound of his voice.
Her heart started to race.
“Th-that’s…”
Her face turned bright red.
Seira’s eyes trembled.
Having lived through countless trials and tribulations, she was no stranger to difficult situations.
But this was unfamiliar territory.
Suddenly every aspect of him—the tone of his voice, his expression, the warmth of his hand, his very essence—became painfully conscious for her.
Thud, thud.
Seira’s heart continued to pound.
“Are you perhaps nervous?”
At Kim Deok-Sung’s question, Seira’s gaze shook.
She covered her flushed face with the Black Lace Fan and replied,
“W-what are you talking about? This body is the Chairperson of Shuo Hero Academy and a Five Crowns champion! I will not easily be done in! And I won’t go easy just because you’re my former student!”
Seira was putting on a façade.
After all, he had come to help out of goodwill.
Then, as the Chairperson and a senior hero, she had to protect him.
‘Yes, that’s how it is.’
With that thought in mind, Seira clenched her fist tightly.
*
[Wow. Seeing you confident after a long time really puts me at ease, sis.]
I’m feeling all reassured now.]
The voice of the Black Prince echoed in my head.
[Thank you, partner. For stepping up for my sister. Now this Black Prince doesn’t need to teach you about the heroic mindset. A true hero is a partner who fights for others, not for themselves.]
The Black Prince was saying some embarrassing stuff.
What does he know about the heroic mindset?
I only jumped in because if Seira dies here, I’m in trouble too.
Plus, I’m not fond of fighting battles with no chance of winning.
In the original story, Yuji and Seira, who were just as strong as me, managed to push back the Professor.
If Yuji could do it, then so can I.
“Just you watch, kid. You’ll see how powerful I am…”
I could hear Seira mumbling beside me.
It was nice that her anxious look had faded, but now her unnecessary mumbling was becoming another problem.
“Yes, yes. Do as you please.”
I just wish she’d stop acting so horrifically cute.
As I was thinking that, she said, “…We’re almost at the Old School Building.”
Her voice had dropped slightly.
And she was right.
The Old School Building was right in front of us.
The Professor didn’t seem to be hiding his presence at all.
A powerful wave of magic energy radiated from the rooftop, almost tingling against my skin.
At this level, even a regular person could tell.
That the Professor was up there.
“Get ready, kid.”
While listening to Seira, I infused magic into Durandal.
Whoosh.
With a hissing sound, a black flash enveloped my entire body.
The black gauntlets wrapped around me.
[Partner. We’re doing the True Name Release and merging in at once. If the opponent is the Jude I know, he’s not someone to take lightly.]
The Black Prince spoke in my mind.
In this case, following the Black Prince’s advice seemed to be the right choice.
First, it’s best to buff myself up and dispatch the enemy quickly.
Not transforming carelessly in front of them.
Thud, thud.
The Magic Core in my chest was heating up.
The Black Stone resonated with the Magic Core, pumping out magic energy intensely.
The surging magic flowed through my entire body along the magic circuit.
I injected magic into Durandal.
Vwoom!
As Durandal absorbed the magic, it turned pitch black.
[Durandal]
[True Name Release]
[The Dark Sword that Burns Away Darkness]
Crash, crash, crash!
A black magic aura encircled my entire being.
I could feel my stats skyrocketing over double what they were before.
My body felt light, and magic overflowed through the magic circuit.
A thrill coursed through me.
[Partner, just like this…]
‘I know.’
Nodding at the Black Prince’s suggestion, I closed my eyes.
I could sense the Black Prince’s spirit dwelling within Durandal.
Having successfully merged before, it felt less strange and more familiar now.
[Partner! Let’s do it!]
Couldn’t we change that damned line a bit?
I unified my mind with the Black Prince.
[Merging]
Boom! It felt like fireworks were going off in my head as a black magic armor was layered over my full-body armor.
Clunk.
A black knight’s helmet, covering my entire face, was placed on my head, and the visor came down.
Just like when we merged, the Black Prince’s talent imprinted itself in my mind.
In that moment.
I felt it.
The presence of the Professor atop the rooftop.
The magic energy he was emitting.
A true EX Rank.
A villain with skills comparable to the Prime Five Crowns.
A villain with eating skills.
His abilities, which only appeared in the text in the original work and in sentences in the setting book, were now felt throughout his body through the talent of the Black Prince.
[That guy is strong. Partner.]
The Black Prince was right.
That guy is strong.
‘But he’s not someone I can’t defeat.’
If I was going to lose, I wouldn’t have come out here.
[That’s the attitude! That’s my partner!]
The Black Prince shouts in my head.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Then let’s go.”
Boom!
An unknown force lifts my whole body.
It was Seira’s psychokinesis.
[With psychokinesis strong enough to fly in the air with a hero in battle mode. My big sister… Even in her injured state, she still has that level of skill… Amazing…!]
The Black Prince’s voice narrates like a commentary character in my head.
Ignoring the Black Prince’s explanation, I focused my gaze forward.
On the rooftop of the Old School Building.
There he was.
A handsome man in a gray coat, with dark gray hair slicked back and sporting narrow glasses.
It was the Professor.
Thud.
Seira and I land on the rooftop floor.
Clap, clap, clap, clap.
The Professor claps as if he had been waiting for us.
No, not as if he had been waiting.
He was 100% just waiting.
Because that’s what a light novel villain does.
“Welcome. Teacher Seira!”
A smile forms on the Professor’s face.
His gaze that was directed at Seira now turns toward me.
The Professor’s eyes turn icy as they fixate on me.
“And… Mr. Kim Deok-Sung.”
Not only was he casually waiting for the enemy’s combat preparations, but he even greets us.
It couldn’t be more textbook-like for a light novel villain.
“Teacher, I have something to say to you.”
“I have no words to share with you.”
The gazes of the Professor and Seira collide in mid-air.
“It has been ten years since that day. However, you still haven’t found your happiness. Your forced smiles for the happiness of others during the Sports Festival, your actions that led people to believe that you were tempting this punk named Kim Deok-Sung, your false happiness and fake laughter as a master… I am beyond feeling sympathy, I find it disgusting now!”
The Professor’s narrow eyes slightly widen.
Pretending.
He places a hand on his chest and stretches the other hand out, shouting.
“Professor! I will persuade you one last time. Master, stop the clowning and accept true happiness in the New World. In the past, present, and future, I am your only disciple, and the only person who thinks about your happiness is me. Only me, Professor!”
Like a typical light novel villain, the Professor launches into a long-winded speech before the fight starts.
Who would have thought he was a possessive type of villain? Ridiculous.
Seira’s face darkens at those words.
Her eyes sink heavily.
“Kim Deok-Sung, that punk…”
Seira mutters with a stiff expression while staring at the Professor.
Wait a minute, why exactly?
“Kim Deok-Sung, you punk… What gives you the right to put our little kid’s name in your dirty mouth!!”
Seira shouts with a genuinely angry expression and voice.
No.
Why is she getting mad there?
Why is my name coming up here?
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