Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Your Hero Academy
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It's not a mistake. Right? He was definitely a dangerous guy!
Valkyrie pursued the faint energy lingering in the air.
But the trail was too hazy. It was on the verge of vanishing at any moment.
She heightened all her senses to the extreme and continued the chase.
Finally, she latched onto the target once more, who was gradually pulling away.
The opponent was clearly heading toward a sparsely populated area.
Evading combat? Or luring her to the target?
There was no way to read the opponent's intentions. But one thing was certain.
She couldn't settle this as easily as Holy Knight could.
'Don't lump me in with that pervert. You cheeky villain bastard.'
To think he'd try to infiltrate the Hero Academy of all places.
He'd navigated pretty well, but he just had to run into me.
Finally, the energy of the target she'd been tracking surged strongly from up ahead.
She stopped in her tracks. He was waiting for her. The villain was right in front of her.
That meant the trumpet signaling the start of battle was blowing.
Shaaa!—
Golden haze bloomed around one of Valkyrie's hands.
She was ready to defend and counter at any moment.
"Hey. Villain. I'll give you special praise. There are a few outstanding cadets around here, and plenty of official heroes too. Slipping past all their eyes without getting caught? Impressive."
No reply came. It felt like talking to herself into the empty air.
But Valkyrie was certain. There were eyes watching her.
She didn't need to search for where. He'd show himself anyway.
If not, she'd chase him down until she caught him.
"But you can't fool my eyes. How dare you try to hide that filthy energy in front of an S-Rank hero like me, Valkyrie."
Should she call for backup? No. It might cause even greater damage.
Better to handle it now. She'd confirmed there were no people around on the way here.
If a fight broke out, they'd evacuate on their own, and heroes would arrive.
So, she was enough as she was. Against this villain.
"You're under some grand delusion."
Behind her! Valkyrie instantly generated a shield and spun around.
But there was nothing. An empty world faced her alone.
The voice had clearly come from here. What the hell was going on?
"Over here."
Up ahead? She turned again. But the situation was the same.
Nothing entered her field of vision. Not ahead. Not above. Not below. Nothing.
'What is this?'
Her hearing insisted it was here. But it wasn't in her sight.
Valkyrie was briefly flustered, but as expected of an S-Rank hero, she adapted.
She ignored her hearing and focused on the vibrations touching her skin.
Detecting the faint tremors created by sound waves.
A skill few heroes could even attempt.
Valkyrie controlled it perfectly and soon pinpointed the opponent's location.
The sound came from the right, but the vibrations from the opposite side.
An obvious trick. And... gotcha.
"Hide-and-seek is over..."
The moment she turned. A man suddenly appeared before her eyes.
With a bizarre smile. Pushing his face close like he was playing a prank.
Valkyrie, caught off guard by this, stepped back.
"Oh dear. I've been caught. As expected of an S-Rank hero. Your instincts are sharp!"
It had been the perfect ambush timing. But he didn't attack.
He just burst into laughter and clapped, nothing more.
Valkyrie bit her lip at his words.
Caught? No way. He'd let himself get caught.
Absurd. But looking at him, it didn't seem impossible.
That smile. That face. And that ridiculously overwhelming power.
"Smiling Man."
The culprit who'd murdered Holy Knight not long ago, shaking the world.
He'd been Highest Danger Class, but now he could be considered Catastrophe Class.
Perhaps on par with the Seven Evils. Or even more dangerous. The Smiling Man.
And he'd revealed himself in the heart of Hero Academy.
"You bastard!"
She swung her shield wide, but the Smiling Man had already retreated.
Not even a footstep sounded. Like he was walking on air.
It felt like facing a ghost. Then, a sudden question crossed her mind.
If he could hide both sound and vibrations, then just now...?
Had he deliberately not hidden them to lure her here?
"You. What did you do to that person?"
"What do you mean?"
"Those clothes. They were what the guy I bumped into was wearing. Name tag's the same too."
"Ah. You mean the owner of these clothes? Well, what do you think I did?"
He grinned playfully and even started dancing like he was daring her to guess.
Valkyrie ground her teeth. How dare he taunt a hero like this.
After harming someone and disguising himself in their clothes. Less than a beast—
"He's alive."
"...What?"
"The owner of these clothes. He's alive."
For a split second, Valkyrie's shield wavered slightly.
But she reminded herself he was a villain and raised the fundamental question.
"Why should I believe that?"
"This is awkward. I only speak the truth, yet you won't believe me."
"I'd rather become an idiot than believe a villain."
"That's harsh. Sometimes villains tell the truth too, you know."
"Your bullshit drags on too long."
Anyone who spoke the truth couldn't be a villain.
Villains always stood on the opposite side, committing evil deeds.
This wasn't discrimination. It was plain fact.
"Calm down. I have no intention of fighting you."
"Goldfish memory? I just said I won't listen to a villain's—"
"If I wanted to fight, I wouldn't need to do this, right?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Villain-style. I could've grabbed hostages around here and forced penalties on you."
At those words, Valkyrie checked her surroundings once more.
No one approaching. No one coming to find her.
It was just her and the Smiling Man here, perfectly isolated.
"You planned to take me out where there are no witnesses."
"I get no trust at all. It breaks my heart."
He even clutched his chest like it was true.
Valkyrie was dumbfounded. He showed no will to fight.
Even after luring her here, face-to-face.
'Am I crazy? Why am I even entertaining him?'
Golden haze bloomed in her other hand, the one not holding the shield.
Soon, a spear brimming with radiance revealed its brilliant form.
She raised the shield and leveled the spear over it toward the enemy before her.
Like a goddess from myth preparing for battle.
"Now, now. Hear me out first..."
"I have no conversation for villains."
Thud!—
The opening was a basic thrust. But far from light.
The air tore viciously with a ripping sound, generating wind pressure.
A power too overwhelming for words. Speed surpassing all.
The reason she was an S-Rank hero shone through.
The Smiling Man yelped "Ow!" and dodged every which way.
A single strike severed the mana threads he'd pre-set.
"I have no intention of fighting you."
Valkyrie ignored the Smiling Man's words.
A villain who'd dared sneak into the academy.
"I have business here."
He'd even harmed innocent civilians here.
"He didn't die. He's probably sleeping soundly somewhere."
How the hell was she supposed to believe that?
"That's exactly it. You're mentioning the owner of these clothes, but not Holy Knight, your comrade."
"... ."
"You know. The Holy Knight the world knows and the one you know are different."
Creak!—
Valkyrie halted mid-preparation for another thrust.
She readied herself to press anytime. But she waited for his next words.
She couldn't dismiss what he'd just said as mere villain talk.
"What are you saying? Smiling Man?"
"Looks like you're finally willing to have a real conversation with me."
"... ."
"If you want to hear it, will you apologize for those attacks just now? I poured my sincerity into this, but getting no trust is quite upsetting."
"Want to start over?"
"Hahaha. Just kidding. Kidding."
The Smiling Man, ever relaxed and smiling, pulled something out.
He tried to hand it over directly but backed off with "Ow, your glare's killing me."
Soon, a mana thread fluttered through the air toward Valkyrie.
"...What is this?"
"As you see. A memory card."
"So why are you giving me this?"
"A gift."
Valkyrie suppressed her anger and spoke again.
"Deaf? I mean, why hand this over?"
"It has recordings of my dashing self. Bunny headband version, even bunny boy outfit!"
"... ."
That damn squinting smile. She'd kill him with her own hands today.
Valkyrie's form seemed to vanish, then she closed in before his eyes.
The spear tip, laden with killing intent, plunged down precisely.
The speed she unleashed in that instant broke the sound barrier.
A sonic boom formed at the spear's tip.
From the Union Korea Branch Special Task Force. Specialist in villains and monsters.
Almost nothing in the world could block her genuine charge!
Kwang!—
"...!"
But... he blocked it?
"It's in the memory card I just gave you. Hero Valkyrie."
With mana threads looped around his fingers, he effortlessly pushed the spear aside.
The Smiling Man tilted his head slightly and whispered into Valkyrie's ear.
"What happened on the day Holy Knight died."