The True Duty of a Hero
Is an S-rank hero truly worthy of the title? The flames pouring from Flare carried a momentum utterly different from before. Even with my reinforced suit's perfect heat dissipation, the air brushing my skin felt scorching hot. If it hit properly, I'd be reduced to a lump of charcoal in no time—but hey, just don't get hit, right?
"Then let's get this started."
I mounted Purung, who had crouched low, and gripped the reins.
"Show me what an S-rank hero can do."
"Don't get cocky just because you're riding some scrap metal, villain!"
Whoa, big trouble. She probably meant to belittle the villain, but I could take it—Purung couldn't. Or rather, the rage exploding in my head from the Core Relic was beyond imagination.
How dare she call me scrap metal? That insolent bitch—!
I could feel the Core Relic's pride bristling at being called scrap metal.
I'll kill her! I'll definitely kill that human!!
Well, since the tin can's motivation was sky-high, I'd let it slide for now.
"Die!"
With Flare's shout, a massive fireball hurtled toward us like a shell. The overwhelming pressure felt like a meteor crashing down, but I calmly pulled the reins. Purung sprang away from the spot like a bullet, effortlessly dodging the fireball.
But my opponent was a seasoned S-rank. As if she'd anticipated my dodge, Flare unleashed a barrage of fireballs at our predicted landing point.
"Try dodging this if you can!"
It looked like indiscriminate fire, but she was meticulously targeting Purung's movement paths. Every step we took cratered the ground in explosions, making it hard to build speed.
Hmm, she's using her head.
It had been a week since the terror incident, so Flare must have seen the broadcast I aired. Knowing Purung's ability was acceleration, she'd prepared a counter as a veteran hero would. Against speedsters, deny them footing or restrict the environment. Any mediocre speed user would've lost their cool under that bombardment, but a Core Relic wasn't some half-baked toy.
"Let's go!"
"Hiiing!"
In response to my call, blue flames erupted from Purung's leg armor. Reaching max speed instantly without warmup or prep—that was the power of the Core Relic—Accel.
Before Flare's next attack could touch the ground, Purung's hooves were already past it. I wondered what face the hero made seeing her attack miss so futilely, so I glanced back—and she was grinning.
Why the sudden smile? I found out soon enough.
"Uwak! Turn! Turn!"
I saw the line. Thin as wire, a heat beam made of compressed flames glimmered faintly. The explosions and heat haze everywhere nearly made me miss it. If we'd touched that taut beam at full speed, we'd have been crispy bacon on the spot.
"Tch, sharp eyes for a villain."
As I wrenched us into a near-right-angle turn to escape, Flare clicked her tongue openly. Forgetting my villain persona, I yelled back.
"Hey, Flare! That was seriously dangerous! Were you really trying to kill me?!"
"I said it already, didn't I? I'm going to kill you! Villains like you need to die!"
"Damn, you're insane!"
Her eyes really seemed to be spinning—she was openly radiating killing intent. I'd planned to just beat her down a bit, humiliate her, and send her off, but if she wanted a UFC deathmatch, I'd have to get serious.
"...Shall we go a little for real?"
"Purrrung!"
I'll smash her to pieces!
Purung and the Core Relic ignited with fighting spirit in sync with my words. In that moment, the three of us resonated, becoming one. No need for words or reins. Purung moved on its own and accelerated again.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Sensing our shift, Flare shot compressed flames from her ten fingertips. Like the heat lines before, thin flames wove into a massive net to envelop us. Flare's fire was precise and deadly enough to punch non-lethal holes through flesh. A normal net captures—but hers was meant to shred and incinerate. It was so lethal, I wondered if a hero should even use it.
I'd thought she wasn't that strong since Nyangsi took her down in one hit, but seeing this, an S-rank hero wasn't to be underestimated. An unexpected lesson.
So I'd show her the real deal too. What happens when a Core Relic goes all out.
"Charge."
"Hiihing!"
Rooooaaar—!!
Purung raised its foreleg. Light flashed from the horn on its forehead. The snow-white iron steed slammed down, kicking off the earth—bang!—and in that instant, sound and color vanished from my world. The flame net and heat lines before us tore apart without touching. Passing the cackling Flare, convinced of victory, the world snapped back.
"A-aaahhh—!!"
Then, a bloodcurdling scream pierced my ears. Turning slowly, I saw Flare rolling on the ground, blood gushing from her side. I'd worried I overshot in my speed, but luckily, I'd hit true.
"I returned the donut you gave my side—how's it feel, Flare? Care to share your thoughts?"
"Grrgh, you worm...!"
Just as she'd punched a hole in my side, I'd graciously returned the favor. Hmm, up close, it looked like flesh was torn clean off. Just a graze, and this much damage?
"Uwaaaahhh!!"
Forget dying—she cauterized the wound with her own flames. No more bleeding, but scorching herself without hesitation? Tough woman.
"I'll kill you... I'll kill you... I will kill you...!!"
A massive flame shockwave erupted from Flare. Point to line before, now area attack? Impressively versatile, I thought as we leaped high. Thankfully, it didn't reach airborne.
"Got you!"
As we hung in the air, Flare clasped her hands, compressing flames. That would've vaporized us.
"Can't move in midair, right? This ends it, villain!"
From the broadcast, she'd seen Purung vulnerable in the air—victory gleamed in her eyes. But Flare, life's not fair, right?
"Die!!"
As we stalled midair, she fired the ultra-compressed blaze. Overwhelming heat beyond anything before surged at us.
"Boost."
Blue flames jetted from the leg armor vents, accelerating us midair. Airdash, technically? Anyway, her finisher whiffed entirely, piercing the dark clouds.
"What?"
Stunned as we landed lightly, Flare gaped.
"How... how in midair...?"
We answered her bewilderment.
"How what? Just jetted like you saw."
"But in the broadcast, you didn't! You got hit floating there!!"
That was a WWE match with Nova, so I held back. Our Nova lacks combat experience and couldn't fully use the Core Relic's power yet—can't go all out from the start. But no explaining that to Flare.
"If it was a fatal weakness, you'd prepare countermeasures, right?"
"Urgh...!"
Irrefutable logic—she ground her teeth.
"No more tricks up your sleeve, looks like. Fight's over."
I'd donut-ed her back, mission accomplished. Dismounting Purung.
But clutching her side, Flare staggered up unyieldingly.
"N-no... it's not over! Not until I kill you, villain...!"
"Dunno. Keep fighting in this mess?"
"Huh?"
Only then did she look around as I gestured.
Roaring flames. Crumbling buildings. A deserted street, but her reckless barrages had set shops and structures ablaze or collapsing.
"Wh-what? The buildings...?!"
"What else? Your handiwork."
"Mine...?"
Pale, she pointed at herself.
"Firing AOE without checking surroundings? Hero fail."
"Sh-shut up! You bombed first...!"
"I'm a villain, not a hero like you. And my bombs just cratered the road—no buildings hit."
Though her flames had melted the asphalt clean, erasing traces.
"Shut up, shut up, shut up! Don't yap, villain!"
"Sure, sure, villains shut up now."
But I spoke again.
"Oh, right—can't forget a villain's duty first?"
Slowly raising my hand, I pointed behind her. Thinking I meant her at first, she glanced back realizing otherwise.
"Ugh, is anyone there...? Help, please...!"
From burning debris, a human shape emerged. Smoke obscured it, but a survivor amid the disaster. A girl's voice—Flare's eyes widened, turning to me. Grinning back.
"Take care of it, Accel Unicorn."
"Neeooom—!!"
Purung vanished instantly. Reappearing right behind the survivor! Now, no one guarded me. Defenseless. What would she choose? Kill the villain, or save the citizen?
"Urgh—!!"
Enraged, Flare wreathed in flames, thrusting both hands at me. Compressing fire—I felt true contempt.
Ha. Villain still priority to the end?
An S-rank who'd forgotten a hero's duty—disappointing—
"—Don't make me laugh!!"
Boom! Her flames exploded instead of firing. Before I could process, the blast propelled her straight to the survivor. Simultaneously, Purung's foreleg accelerated down at her.
Two beings charging one person for different reasons—
"Uwaaak—!!"
Flare detonated flames underfoot for extra boost, arriving first.
"Kyaaak!"
She shoved the survivor aside.
"Kuhuk!"
Purung's hoof smashed her into the ground. Already at her limit, one hit knocked Flare out cold.