Chapter 12
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: Meeting (3)
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Sword Fairy.
It had only been about a month since I arrived in this world, and all I knew was from the original story, so I didn't have every detail. Still, I knew enough to recognize that the woman in front of me was no pushover.
There were plenty of annoying things about her, but the most troublesome was that her sword wasn't just any ordinary blade.
It was a sword born from her very heart.
The fact that simply manifesting a sword from her mind had made her an A-Rank Hero said it all about its power.
Her greatest strength was her mental fortitude.
A steel-like will that never wavered, no matter the situation—that was the driving force that had elevated her to A-Rank Hero status, or so the descriptions of her went.
Heart Sword.
Just from the name, you could tell it was something profound.
From what I'd heard, it could manifest as either solid or illusory.
The solid form was for directly slashing foes, while the illusory one was for subduing enemies without killing them.
'I wonder if that thing would even work on me?'
To be blunt, I was just physically strong—no martial arts or fancy techniques.
Even if I could block the solid form, the illusory one would eventually wear me down, and it'd only be a matter of time before she subdued me.
If that sword worked on me, this wouldn't be an easy fight.
'Not sure if it would or not...'
Which meant I should avoid a head-on clash at all costs.
'Running away might be the better option...'
Directly engaging her here was something I absolutely had to avoid.
My goal was to get my achievements officially recognized so I could operate as a Hero with full support. Hurting a Hero sent to capture me would ruin that.
That was the plan, but I couldn't bring myself to move.
A strange competitive fire was burning in me.
I wanted to know just how strong I really was.
Even knowing it could backfire, I stayed rooted to the spot.
Step by step.
She advanced toward me, sword held diagonally at the ready.
I backpedaled, keeping as much distance as possible.
For a moment, it was just me retreating and her pursuing.
"I'll go first."
Then she charged.
'Fast...!'
As expected of an A-Rank Hero—her physical enhancements were top-tier.
Of course, she was still the fastest I'd faced so far, but to me, she was slow.
Dodgeable.
I sidestepped the slash aimed at my neck and punched toward her sword to test it.
To see if it was solid or illusory.
As long as I didn't touch the edge, it wouldn't cut.
That was what the intel said.
"...!"
My fist passed right through the blade.
Meaning she was using the illusory form to deal with me.
'...Is this okay?'
I hadn't touched the edge directly, so it seemed fine, but...
"To think you'd reach out with your hand—thank you for cooperating... What?"
Whoosh!
Sword Fairy recoiled from the shockwave of my punch, staring at her sword in surprise.
'What?'
Her reaction was weird.
She'd thanked me for cooperating when I reached through the blade, but freaked out when she saw I was unharmed.
She checked her sword, then looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"Why are you still conscious? Even with strong mental fortitude, you should at least look strained."
"...?"
Wait, seriously...?
"I see... Your mental strength is exceptional too. Understood. Once won't be enough, then."
From her words, it seemed just touching the sword triggered the effect.
'Holy crap... Can't trust the info at face value...'
They wove truth with lies so cleverly, it was believable.
No one would think merely touching the sword—without even being cut—would unleash a mental attack.
'But I didn't feel a thing...'
No time for deep thoughts.
"Here I come again."
Whatever I'd done had ignited her fighting spirit; she swung more aggressively now.
'I just want to run without fighting...'
By now, there were eyes on us, and with my precarious position, stirring up trouble would make me an easy target for agitators. I needed to escape without causing harm.
Just bolting might draw pursuit, and attacking for an opening was risky—I didn't know her durability.
Of course, running wasn't impossible.
'Could I just sprint full speed?'
With my Stat Cheat, few could keep up if I went all out.
I hadn't pushed my limits in the past month.
I still didn't know my full potential, and there'd been no need to move that fast.
'Might as well try.'
No matter how I sliced it, fighting more here wasn't smart.
Clashing with her went against my goals.
"...Look, I don't want to fight. Can't you just let me go?"
"Sorry, that's not possible. The Hero Association and government issued orders to subdue you..."
"Sigh..."
"I don't understand it myself. Why not register as a Hero? I don't see a reason to operate unlicensed."
"...Don't you already know everything about me?"
I'd tried to hide my identity, but with detection Superpowers out there, I never assumed it stayed secret.
I'd based my activities on the idea that the government and Hero Association wouldn't publicly out me as Powerless nationwide. Hiding completely? Never expected that.
No one was helping me anyway—it was impossible from the start.
"That's... a misunderstanding. We don't forcibly uncover identities."
"Who knows? Your superiors might already have me pegged."
"..."
"Sorry, but I'm not going in."
I snapped my fingers.
Snap! Whoosh!
A shockwave shot toward Sword Fairy.
But she swung her sword and cleaved it apart like it was nothing.
'What the hell?'
I'd hoped to slip away in the gap, but no dice.
She easily blocked it, raised her sword, and pointed it at me.
"Surrender. Given your actions so far, you'll be treated humanely. If I vouch for you, you might even get a Hero license. I don't know why you're operating unlicensed, but please stop resisting."
"Yeah... You know I can't trust that."
"..."
No more talking this out.
Still, I'd gleaned some info.
'The Hero Association and government see me as a thorn...'
I hadn't expected easy acceptance, but official orders to subdue me? That stung.
"Then I'll have to subdue you myself."
Sword Fairy resumed her stance, resolve hardening.
Sorry, but I'm not going down.
I leaned back to dodge her charging slash again, clenched my fist, and thrust it close to her torso before stopping.
The sheer impact exploded outward.
Boom!
"Kuh?!"
Unable to block the overwhelming force, she tumbled backward.
Seizing the moment, I spun, slammed the ground, and bolted forward.
That was when it hit me.
'Something weird with my leg...'
Felt like I'd been sliced, but no pain, no other sensations. I shrugged it off.
Once I was far enough, I skidded to a halt.
I'd escaped easily, but breaking the sound barrier wrecked the asphalt and cars around me. Couldn't run far like that.
People had evacuated due to the Villain incident, leaving vehicles behind.
I hadn't thought it through and ran too long.
Surveying the smashed cars, I broke into a cold sweat.
'...This is fine, right?'
Escape successful, at least...
But wrecking what were probably people's property hurt.
I was worried...
'Should've fled into the sky...'
Still, since this was near the incident site, maybe compensation would come through.
That was all I could hope for now.