Chapter 247: Bloody Battle (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 247: Bloody Battle (1)
Countless are the times when yesterday's friend becomes today's enemy.
What about the opposite?
It is far rarer than the former.
After all, even a minor wound scars easily and takes months to heal.
How much more so with human relationships? If anything, it is far harder, not easier.
Unless mutual interests happen to align, yesterday's enemy almost never becomes today's friend.
And yet, on rare occasions, such a thing occurs.
The Association President and I were one of those rare cases.
"Feel free to drop by whenever you have time. You have no idea how glad I was to meet someone I could actually talk to after so long."
The Association President saw us off with a bright smile. The murky madness that had once lurked in his eyes was noticeably clearer. Watching him wave, a thought crossed my mind.
Is it a compliment or an insult that I get along so well with this old guy?
After his treatment, I had shared various conversations with the Association President. He passionately explained the project he was envisioning. Seeing him like that caught me off guard, though in a good way.
I thought he was just a lunatic, but I guess the Association President is the Association President for a reason...
I was inwardly impressed by his insight and erudition. I could somewhat understand why he was hailed as the greatest intellect of modern humanity. However, the technical jargon he sprinkled in was so difficult that I only understood about half of it.
Still, out of courtesy, I nodded along. In my past life, I had worked in the service industry. Playing the attentive listener to elderly people was my specialty.
However, the Association President seemed to have mistaken my service mind for "being on the same wavelength." No way. There was no way I could communicate so smoothly with a madman!
Even so, a true professional never reveals their inner thoughts.
"I enjoyed it as well."
My words appeared to brighten his mood even further, his smile deepening. Then, as if suddenly recalling something, he asked:
"Ah, I almost forgot to mention it. Heavenly Sword, did you know that the member limit on your fan site was lifted?"
"Yes. I heard about it from a friend right before coming here."
"I was the one who did that."
"...?"
The Association President pulled out his smartphone and held it out to me. The screen displayed my fan site, and written in small print was his username.
HeavenlyDemon_toxic?
What a bizarre username, I thought.
"The reason for capping the fan site's membership was to curb the influence of an individual hero. That was also the very reason the Hero Association was established in the first place. I don't know if you're aware, but organizations are terrified of an individual possessing overwhelming power."
"Why is that?"
The Association President shrugged.
"Do those higher-ups ever need a grand reason? They are simply afraid their own authority will diminish."
Hearing that gave me a strange feeling.
To see the man who reigned above those higher-ups mocking them so casually.
"However, an organization—or more precisely, the establishment—cannot oppress an individual forever. That is far too anachronistic. Besides, the world is in turmoil. Having three Corps Commanders appear in a single year is absurd, frankly speaking. In turbulent times like these, humanity needs a representative—a leader."
"Aren't you the closest person to being that leader, Mr. President?"
An escort spoke up cautiously. The Association President let out a hearty laugh and turned to Medea.
"Second Sister, your subordinate seems ambitious. He certainly knows how to say sweet things."
"That's not what I meant...!"
"I'm joking. Though seeing how flustered you are, it seems you were being serious."
"..."
"I appreciate your high opinion of me, but I am not chosen by the heavens. If a man who was crying out for death just a few hours ago were such a great person, humanity's future would be far too bleak. And above all, I belong to an organization known as the Hero Association. The qualities of a true leader do not stem from the power of a group. They come from the individual. Furthermore, one must be chosen by the times."
Mid-sentence, the President glanced up at the sky. He let out a soft sigh.
"You're all quite lucky. Before I depart, the heavens bestow such a precious gift."
My companions and I raised our heads as well. The next moment, everyone's eyes widened. A billowing veil filled our vision across the night sky. Clusters of purple and turquoise light intertwined like climbing vines, resembling a curtain woven from a carpet of light.
"An aurora..."
Someone muttered. Since it was a female voice, it must have been either the Academy Principal or one of the secretaries. Or perhaps their voices had overlapped.
Thump, thump.
My heart pounded. At that moment, only one thought filled my mind.
It's beautiful.
At least to me, no vocabulary existed beyond those words.
An aurora. It was a mystery entirely distinct from a Subspace Barrier.
A fragment of Mother Nature, the twilight of this blue planet we inhabit.
"It is an astronomical phenomenon observable only around the Antarctic or Arctic. Scholars sometimes call it the 'Heavenly Curtain.' The indigenous people of the polar regions refer to it as the 'Soul of God.' As grand as its names are, it is a phenomenon rarely seen. Even for me, this is only the second time I've witnessed it since coming here."
While everyone was entranced by the sight, the Association President turned to me and spoke.
"Indeed, the one chosen by the times is you, Heavenly Sword."
The Association President lightly patted my shoulder.
"Change the times. I shall spare no support from behind you."
Yet the weight behind his words was far from light.
* * *
The moment I returned from Antarctica, a mountain of backlogged work welcomed me. I had only been away for a single day, yet the stack of paperwork had grown sky-high.
My shoulders slumped in dismay. But what could I do? Delaying today's work until tomorrow would only mean returning to double the pile.
It was better for my mental health to process even one more sheet rather than spend time grumbling.
"Are these documents mating or something? Why does it feel like the pile keeps growing instead of shrinking no matter how much I do?"
...The moment I resolved to focus, I immediately lost my temper. But what was I supposed to do? It was frustrating. Sitting at my desk when everyone else was asleep made me feel utterly pathetic.
"Should I ask Weapon to come over and hang out?"
I could dump some work on him while I was at it.
Yet no sooner had the thought crossed my mind than I shook my head. It was currently 11:30 PM. Calling someone at nearly midnight wasn't just rude—more importantly, Weapon's endless chatter would guarantee I'd get no work done.
If I called Weapon, I'd have to give up both work and sleep.
I can't sacrifice sleep just to cure a moment's boredom.
Just then, the office door slunk open. Thinking it might be a thief, I reflexively reached for my Sashimi before stopping myself. The only things worth stealing here were documents.
In fact, a small part of me secretly hoped a thief would take them off my hands.
If that happened, I was fully prepared to turn a blind eye to a thief daring enough to try. If I felt like it, I might even pretend to be asleep.
That's the kind of person I am. Merciful even to thieves.
Screeech.
Regrettably, the person entering the office was no thief. It was Abel, sneaking in like a stray cat and cautiously gauging my reaction.
What is she doing here at this hour?
Peeking her face through the crack in the door, Abel asked,
"Are you busy...?"
"No, I'm fine."
I was busy, but I didn't say so outright. I had to consider her feelings—she looked so hesitant that giving a blunt response would be embarrassing for her.
Abel quietly closed the door behind her and stepped inside.
"I was worried I might be interrupting... I'm glad."
She cleared her throat, trying hard to act composed.
What's this?
This scene felt somehow familiar. When was it again?
Ah, it was like this when I was staying at the Nibelung Estate.
Back when Abel visited my room to return the rabbit blanket. By the way, I was still using that blanket to this day. The fabric was so nice that just covering myself with it made me drift right off to sleep.
"So, what brings you here so late?" I asked.
Abel hesitated before speaking in a barely audible whisper.
"I heard from Grandfather... that something big is going to happen near the Gehenna Gate soon. Ah, not that I was told any classified information!"
"It doesn't matter even if you were."
Abel blinked at my straightforward tone. I rested my chin on my hand.
"The Sword Emperor is your family, Abel. If your grandfather is facing something major, it's only right that you, as his family, know about it. Classified information or not, worrying about your family's safety is completely natural. I'll tell you."
With that, I laid out the current situation honestly.
What the Sword Emperor was doing at the Gate, why he was doing it, and what kind of crisis was brewing. I explained the chain of events as I had pieced them together, hiding nothing.
In truth, predicting the outcome of this impending battle was harder than ever before. Even Permush's full military strength breaking through the Gehenna Gate remained unclear. Exactly how powerful she was, or what specific magic she commanded, was unknown. We could only make educated guesses based on historical records.
That was why we had to prepare for every contingency. While I hoped all participating heroes would return alive, I couldn't guarantee it with absolute certainty.
That wasn't a matter solved by effort alone; it relied heavily on luck. But as the one commanding the heroes, I couldn't simply offer hopeful words.
I was a commander, not a soldier. A commander must always consider both the best and worst possibilities together.
"Anyway, that's the gist of it."
"..."
Abel, who had been listening quietly to my story, showed surprisingly little change in expression. However, the slight stiffening of her features showed she hadn't known the full extent of it beforehand.
"I see."
Her desensitization to shock—the results of the Heaven Class training were finally showing.
"You'll be joining the battle too, of course."
"Yeah, that's the plan."
"Aren't you scared? Like you said, it wouldn't be strange for anyone to die."
"I'm scared."
I didn't deny it. Though my fear was of a different kind—worrying that our side might suffer catastrophic losses—it was still fear.
I lightly clenched my fist and tapped on the office desk.
"But given my position... if the person meant to stand on the front lines is trembling, what will happen to the morale of the heroes in the rear? Even if I'm scared, this position requires me to act fearless and calm."
Abel let out a quiet giggle, then teased,
"Add one more thing to that: acting cool."
"Hey, I was being serious."
"That's why it's even funnier!"
With a smile still lingering on her face, Abel headed back toward the door. For some reason, she looked relieved. Right before stepping out of the office, she slowly turned halfway back.
"Still... knowing that you're by Grandfather's side, Geomma... gives me peace of mind."
Visible through her hair, the tips of her ears were as red as cherry tomatoes.
"So I'll make a special exception and drop the 'acting' part for you."
Leaving only those words behind, Abel departed from the office.
* * *
Hawaii Island, right in front of the Gehenna Gate.
Director Seong and the Sword Emperor stood side by side, gazing at the Gate. The rift carved into the Gate had grown large enough for a person to pass through.
Behind the two men, Association staff and Japanese heroes were assembled, every single one of their faces pale with dread.
A somber silence enveloped the area. At best, the prominent Warrior-rank heroes, including Director Seong, were managing to keep composure, though their expressions were equally grave.
"It's finally time," Director Seong muttered.
The Sword Emperor nodded.
"Call the Heavenly Sword."