In the past, I once pondered what it meant to be a hero.
A hero could only exist in a fictional world where they defeat the demon king and rescue everyone they cherish.
Yet these days, there are too many stories that twist that glorious image into clichés.
From being expelled from the party for strange reasons, to being abandoned due to lost abilities, it’s quite absurd!
“Verdandi is the best hero I’ve ever envisioned.”
A saint devoured by their own sense of justice, a hero who rises again no matter how painful the circumstances.
Because of that, there were times when she was exploited by wicked beings, eventually becoming the final boss who fell from grace as a new demon king, relinquishing the hero’s position to future generations.
“In contrast, Zikhart is the epitome of the hero in my mind.”
I set Zikhart as the anti-hero counterpart. Unlike Verdandi, who is selfless, he fights solely for himself.
At that time, I thought this was the way to twist the traditional hero narrative.
“…I might be wrong.”
What I’m witnessing now is a scene that surpasses the author’s imagination.
“I can still fight…!”
With a smile as bright as the dazzling sun, Verdandi was ready to battle Zikhart once more.
“I knew she would get back up.”
As if anticipating her resurrection, Zikhart grinned and reached high into the sky to conjure his sword.
“This is only natural! After all, I’m a hero!”
With unyielding righteousness and a deeply personal sense of justice.
The clash of two heroes, who have walked paths in perfect opposition yet respect one another, shattered all of my preconceived notions.
*
“I need to end this as quickly as possible.”
The thought dominating Zikhart’s mind was singular. The divine armor offers absolute defense to its wearer and heals wounds and fatigue.
“…I heard that ordinary swords can’t pierce that armor.”
It was something Zikhart learned from Bing Seolhwa before entering this competition. The opponent was likely to possess special armor known as divine armor.
Time reversal that moves in reverse.
Segmentation that cleaves space in its entirety.
These two sword techniques could not solidify time and space into swords, and were merely like a downgraded version using a fraction of their true power.
“Even if I use all my means, can I win?”
No, it was impossible.
No matter how I racked my brain for a solution, none emerged.
Was the opponent feeling something similar? I realized once again that finding hope in overwhelming despair was the hardest task of all.
But,
“I will definitely claim victory!”
Verdandi, standing before him, spoke of victory, in stark contrast to Zikhart. Her resolute determination showcased an unyielding spirit. Where does that make her fit to be a demon king?
“If I use time reversal again here…”
Zikhart recognized that Verdandi’s divine armor was the most troublesome item. So, his first thought was to turn time back to the moment she was injured.
Tick-tock—, Tick-tock—.
As the sound of a clock’s second hand resonated, everything began to flow in reverse. The movements of Verdandi, who had been charging toward Zikhart, slowly slowed down and halted.
Now, he only had to move a bit further.
Zikhart felt his breath reverse in a strange, unpleasant sensation as blood surged backward.
Still unable to fully crystallize time into a sword, he faced the downside. For this reason, Zikhart could not maintain time reversal for long.
In that moment,
“I won’t fall for the same trick again…!”
“……?!!”
Verdandi’s voice echoed vividly amid the reversed flow of time. Following that was a critical strike.
Chaeng—!
Zikhart hastily blocked the attack, yet his expression was one of utter confusion.
“How on earth…?”
He was sure he had stopped time; how could she move? Until now, only that woman Bing Seolhwa had entered his realm of abilities.
“Your ability is what the East calls the unification of body and sword…! It doesn’t apply to the hero’s armor!”
Out of respect for her opponent, Verdandi explained how she was able to move. Her pounding heart was a testament to their rivalry.
In the original work I Must Kill the Hero, Zikhart couldn’t defeat the completely corrupted Verdandi. In modern web novels, that would be the ending where the protagonist dies, drawing criticism. But,
The world these two inhabit is not the original story, but reality.
“Did you discern my ability? That’s surprisingly impressive.”
“I won’t take your compliment lightly!”
Amidst the cheers of the onlookers, the two were locked in a contest to overthrow each other with their swords. The clash of iron spoke more truthfully and heavily than anything else.
“You don’t look so good; you might as well concede and aim for the next round, right? Even if you lose, there’s someone behind you.”
With genuine concern, Zikhart advised Verdandi. If the armor could counter his abilities, it would surely be effective against the outer god Shub Niggurath as well.
After this much fighting, he had proven his capability.
If he joined forces with that girl Bi Wol, who appeared earlier in the tournament, they might just isolate Bing Seolhwa from the outsiders.
Having lost his sight, Zikhart relied on his superhuman senses to acutely perceive how powerful his opponent was.
The protagonist and the final boss.
The adversarial fate that necessitated their deaths was now being transformed into a bond here before them.
“I refuse…!”
Though Verdandi had noticed this truth, she felt that if the fight stopped now, she would regret it. Giving up and getting immediate treatment might save her life.
But,
“I want to save my mentor with my own hands!”
If that happened, she wouldn’t be able to claim the eternal extreme blood treasure, the prize of the Yong Bong Gihwa.
The person who saved her from straying down the wrong path in life.
Someone selfless to the core, someone who would throw herself for others.
Though she could foresee the future, she did not use that ability to satisfy her own greed; she was undeniably righteous.
At a certain moment, Verdandi began to wish to be like her mentor, Bing Yeon. It was an embarrassing thought to speak of, and a sentiment too difficult to practice through actions.
“As you did for me, my mentor!”
Though Verdandi couldn’t yet grasp that this was love,
“That is the image of the righteous hero in my mind…!”
Even so, she was fully aware that the rhythm of her heart beat solely for her mentor, Bing Yeon.
“Your words ring true. This world calls those who continue to wield their swords in situations like this heroes.”
Noticing Verdandi’s resolve, Zikhart gently smiled. He discerned that she was striving not to fall because she wanted to save the man named Bing Yeon, whom she had met a moment ago.
He knew that Verdandi’s time was running out. She had long since surpassed her physical limits.
Even if they split their efforts to the maximum, it was a limit of swinging her sword twice more. Beyond that, her life would be in danger.
In that case,
“I will also fight you earnestly.”
With mutual respect,
A single strike filled with sincerity.
“The sword technique of flowing time – Reversal (逆行), the sword technique of cleaving space – Segmentation (分節), the sword of wind – Pure Wind (純風), the sword of light – Light Wheel (光輪), the sword of air – Formless (無形).”
In that one strike, he had to encapsulate them all.
A sword that was so fragile that it could be swung only once.
Even if it was still an unfinished sword, he had to polish and forge it as much as possible to overpower the opponent before him.
“…The sword is me, and I am the sword.”
With those words, a massive sword formed in Zikhart’s hand. Holding it high into the sky, it struck a silhouette that touched the sun.
“One-hit sword, Zikhart.”
And finally, like the sun splitting and falling, that devastating strike poured toward Verdandi, rending the world in twain.
*
As Verdandi witnessed the enormous sword strike directed at her, she momentarily closed her eyes. She neither trusted the defensive capabilities of the divine armor nor abandoned the competition.
— “Verdandi, do you understand what the essence of the Six Harmonies Sword Technique is?”
— “Isn’t it about mimicking the movements of the flowering tree better than anyone else?”
This was a conversation Verdandi had once shared with her mentor, Bing Yeon, and from it, she was seeking a way out of her current predicament.
No matter how absolute the defenses of the divine armor were, there was no guarantee it would withstand that blow without feeling any impact.
The bleeding from her abdomen became increasingly severe, and she was barely holding onto her sword, on the verge of dropping it.
— “No. The essence of the Six Harmonies Sword Technique is a soft emotion (心) that breaks the firmness (强).”
— “I am a person with a soft heart!”
At that time, she couldn’t comprehend what those words meant. Why following the movements of the plum tree was said to have the capability to overcome the strong.
After all, even a root breaking through a rock is not weak.
— “No. The start of a strong plum tree begins as a very soft sprout. A single blade of grass breaking through a rock crevice embodies the sword intent of transformation (變).”
Now, however, she might understand what those words meant.
Verdandi relaxed her grip and gently held the sword’s hilt. Taking a deep breath, she slightly lowered her shoulders.
An enormous strike, approaching her with the intent to swallow her whole, left a significant scar on the arena. Yet, what was needed now was gentleness.
One must know softness to understand others.
An inflexible emotion will one day shatter.
Suuuuuh….
Drawing a deep breath all the way to her chest, Verdandi extended her arm forward and positioned the blade of her sword vertically. She had to neutralize that strike by any means necessary.
She simply didn’t have the energy to withstand it.
Like a flower bud blooming, moving very slowly yet exquisitely softly.
She drew every ounce of mana and internal energy, connecting every movement and breath into a single motion.
“Six Harmonies Sword Technique, Blooming (開花).”
A gentle sword of plum blossoms that utilized the opponent’s attack against them.
In the arena, light pink flower petals fluttered around, effortlessly slicing through Zikhart’s massive strike.
