Chapter 401
Chapter Title: A Shadow's Judgment
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401.
Clang—!
Chloe’s expression showed a hint of surprise at the unexpected arrival.
The other students were just as shocked.
The one who had blocked the blades of darkness was none other than Luke.
A magic circle materialized around Luke's body.
The mana that had been suppressed by Leo’s magic stirred.
‘Swing the sword.’
Luke swung his sword.
This was a stage he shouldn’t be allowed on.
He was the weakest student at Lumerne.
One wrong move, and he could lose his life in the blink of an eye.
‘Don’t break! Stoke your emotions!’
Luke’s mana amplifies with the tremors of his emotions.
He couldn't stand on the same stage as them.
But he could at least be of some help.
The magic circle drawn on Luke's body glowed even brighter.
“This could be useful.”
“I agree with Leo.”
That was Leo and Chelsea's assessment after seeing his magic.
Luke had no talent as a mage for weaving magic formulas.
So he thought of a magic that suited him.
The enhancement of his own body.
It was simple, but he designed the magic formula with his unique mana characteristics in mind.
And the result was a magic that drew out power beyond his limits.
Strength, speed, reflexes, even his kinetic vision.
It pushed everything past its breaking point.
Of course, it wasn't a perfect solution.
It came with side effects to match.
The overheating that came from wringing his body out beyond its limits.
Furthermore, the magic Luke created grew stronger as his emotions intensified.
If his emotions raged out of control, the power could run rampant and destroy his body.
***
“Still, to create such magic means you’re prepared for that, right?”
“Yes. This is the only way I can become a hero.”
“Why do you want to be a hero so badly?”
The day he showed his magic to Leo.
Leo had asked.
“You want to be a hero to help a lot of people, right?”
“Yes.”
“You could still help others without becoming a hero, couldn't you?”
“But as a hero, I can help even more people. I want to make the world a better place. A world where people can be a little happier than they are now.”
“What’s your reason for going that far?”
“The heroes in the storybooks always looked happy when they saved people. I admired them and wanted to be like them.”
“Fairy tales are just fairy tales.”
“Yes, I know. But there were those who saved the world for no reason at all, weren't there? Of course, I know I can't be like the Great Heroes.”
Luke smiled faintly.
“But if I can make the world they passed down even a little bit better for the next generation, I think that would be truly rewarding.”
He meant every word.
Lisinas, Luna, Ar-on, Dweno.
They didn't save the world expecting anything in return.
They saved the world simply because they wanted to protect the world they loved.
Luke was no different.
“Alright, if that’s what you want. Whenever you use that magic, always think about what you want to do. Think about the person you want to become. If you do, that magic will bring you…”
Leo smiled.
“One step closer to the ideal you envision.”
***
‘Unique Magic, Transcendence.’
Fwoosh—!
Luke’s sword moved with incredible speed.
Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!
A silver flash blocked the blades of darkness.
Everyone stared in astonishment at the incredible display from the first year’s weakest student.
Aina’s eyes widened as she watched Luke.
For a fleeting moment.
Luke’s swordsmanship had surpassed her own.
“Excellent.”
Chloe smiled.
Her magic was complete.
“Fimbulate.”
Her unique magic.
Absolute frost descended upon the darkness.
Crack-crack-crack-crack-crack-crack-crack—!
The darkness was trapped and frozen within the ice.
Crunch! Patter! Patter-patter-patter!
Soon, the darkness shattered and crumbled away.
Fwoosh—!
The main body vanished, sinking into the floor.
***
“Damn it! Damn it all! A bunch of mere brats!”
Deleanne spat out a curse.
While the Shadow Lord was away.
He had succeeded in infiltrating the Shadow Underground Labyrinth and usurping the power within.
He had obtained the overwhelming draconic magic, but he was furious that it was a power of darkness.
When he soon realized this power belonged to Lisinas, he felt a surge of ecstasy.
He had inherited the power of the King of Wisdom.
And then, he received a report about the unusual situation in Dobella and came here.
He hadn't yet managed to refine Lisinas's rampant magic, but that didn't matter.
He would use this power to deal with all the wet-behind-the-ears brats, then take his time to control it.
And once he used this power to eliminate the demons of Tartaros with whom he had made a deal.
He would officially become the successor to a Great Hero.
He would be able to make the world’s order, which had for ages revolved around Lumerne and the hero academies, revolve around himself.
He had dreamed of such ambitions.
Only to be defeated by mere second-year students.
‘It’s because I can’t control the power properly!’
Deleanne screamed inwardly.
From his perspective, it was a tremendous humiliation.
He, a graduate of Lumerne.
He, who had graduated and spent years honing his strength, had been forced to retreat, unable to subdue not high-ranking students, but mere first and second-years.
He had even obtained the power of Lisinas.
And yet, he had lost.
‘No! I didn’t lose! This is just a strategic retreat!’
It was absolutely unacceptable.
‘Lumerne is wrong! It’s not right! Is it even conceivable that I would lose to brats who grew up in such a system?!’
He denied his current situation.
‘Yes! If only I can properly wield this power…’
“What a pathetic sight, running away.”
Halt—!
Deleanne, who was moving through the alleys of Dobella, froze at the voice that came from ahead.
Step— step—
Leo walked out from around the corner.
Seeing Leo, the corners of Deleanne’s mouth curled up.
“Well, well. If it isn’t Lumerne’s youngest student council president, our esteemed junior. No. Are you even a junior?”
A look of disgust filled Deleanne’s eyes.
“Just a filthy shadow playing hero.”
Leo smirked at Deleanne’s words.
“That’s not something a filthy traitor who sided with Tartaros should be saying, is it?”
“Hmph, I am merely using that pack of fools from Tartaros.”
Leo let out a sigh at that.
“I’m so tired of that pathetic excuse.”
“You speak as if you’ve heard it many times.”
“I have. It's a line I've been hearing for an annoyingly long 5,000 years.”
“I don’t know what nonsense you’re spouting… but I am different.”
Deleanne’s eyes flashed.
“I! I was supposed to become a hero! After graduating from Lumerne! I was supposed to be the one to conquer many Worlds of Heroes and have my name etched into the Hero Record!”
Deleanne shouted, agitated.
“But! Lumerne never gave me the chance to conquer a World of Heroes!”
“Lumerne gives graduates a chance to conquer the Hero Record, too.”
“I have no interest in the records of such low-class heroes! What I want is the record of a top-tier hero!”
At those words, Leo’s eyes narrowed.
“You don't know your place.”
“What did you say?”
“Just because you conquer a World of Heroes and inherit a hero’s power doesn’t mean you can get your name in the Hero Record.”
Thump— Thump—
Leo walked toward Deleanne.
“Inheriting a powerful hero’s strength doesn’t make you as strong as them. That’s basic, isn’t it?”
A murderous aura emanated from Leo’s body.
“You’re just a failure who can’t overcome his own limits. You’re just blaming others for it.”
Leo’s eyes turned cold.
“Who do you think you are to insult a hero who achieved a feat acknowledged by the gods?”
“Shut up! Even a filthy shadow like you enjoyed the glory of conquering a Great Hero's world! Youngest student council president? A great hero? What a joke! You just got lucky and conquered the Great Heroes’ worlds!”
Fwoosh—!
Blades of darkness erupted from Deleanne’s body.
It was the unique magic of the black dragon that Lisinas had sealed.
A ferocious and cruel magic.
A magic so dangerous it was never passed down to future generations.
Even Rhodia, upon encountering this magic, deemed it too dangerous and chose to seal it.
Stab—!
A blade of darkness pierced Leo’s body.
Seeing this, Deleanne scoffed.
“This is what you get for being arrogant. You’ll die an early death. You should have known your place.”
“You’re right about that.”
“…!”
Deleanne’s eyes shot wide open.
Leo, who had been pierced by the dark blade, trudged toward him.
“If you had known your place, you wouldn’t have met such a grim end.”
Swoosh—!
The blade of darkness seeped into Leo’s body.
Deleanne stared at the sight, his face a mask of horror.
“H-How! How did you block it?!”
Crrrrrrrack—!
Once again, blades assaulted Leo.
Stab! Stab! Thwack!
Blades struck Leo from all directions.
But not a single scratch appeared on him.
Swoosh—
They were simply drawn into Leo and absorbed.
“What kind of trick is this?!”
“You can't harm me with Lisinas's power.”
Lisinas’s power belonged to Lisinas.
And as long as Lisinas was not present, that power belonged to Leo, who had accepted everything about her.
Trying to kill Leo using Lisinas’s power was the same as trying to kill Leo with his own power.
“So? Is that all you’ve got?”
“Gah!”
The moment Deleanne stretched out his hand to draw on his mana.
Slice—! Splat—!
“Aaaaaaaargh!”
A blade of darkness that shot out from Deleanne’s own body sliced off his wrist.
His hand fell to the ground, and blood sprayed from the stump.
Deleanne, clutching his wrist and screaming in agony, saw Leo approaching and hastily turned to run.
If I stay here, I’ll die.
Just as Deleanne thought that and tried to flee.
Crunch—!
“Kraaahk!”
The power of Lisinas, which Deleanne thought he controlled, crushed his leg.
Thud—!
Leo slowly approached Deleanne, who had fallen to the ground and was thrashing about.
Swoosh—!
Leo exerted his will over Lisinas’s magic that had taken root in Deleanne’s power.
His body was forcibly pulled to its feet.
“S-Spare me! Please!”
Fear filled Deleanne’s face.
Looking at him, Leo spoke calmly.
“Stop your pathetic struggling and just die.”
“I’m your senior! A senior from the hero academy! You’d kill a senior so brutally? And you call yourself a hero candidate, dreaming of becoming a hero?!”
Deleanne shrieked.
Leo burst out laughing at the sight.
“Sorry about that.”
Leo flicked his finger.
The darkness enveloping Deleanne began to slowly tighten around him.
“A moment ago, you called me a shadow, didn't you?”
“Mmph! Mmph-mmph!”
Squeeze! Crunch—!
The shadow gagged Deleanne and squeezed even tighter.
“A shadow's job is to kill traitors.”
Leo smiled nonchalantly and turned his back.
“And I've never had a senior like you.”
“Mmmph!”
Splat—!
A sickening sound echoed as his body was crushed and then burst.
Patter-patter—
The sound of bones, flesh, and blood raining down followed.
The magic of Lisinas, which Deleanne had mistakenly believed he possessed, was sucked into Leo’s shadow.
Leo leaped to a height from which he could see all of Dobella.
He saw the hero candidates, standing firm against the danger without backing down.
Watching them, Leo smiled.
‘These kids are the future of the world.’
The legacy left behind by Lisinas in the past was still shining brightly in the world.
‘Don’t worry too much, Lisinas.’