Story of a Cannon Fodder who Firmly Believed He was the Protagonist, Misunderstood the Actual Protagonist as the Cannon Fodder, and Ended up Victorious
Translator: Tsukii
Editor: Derpy
Read at Watashi Wa Sugoi Desu!
Chapter 004 – I am the Protagonist, Regardless of What Others Say [A]
Arthur was ridiculously strong. No, her strength couldn’t be defined to be merely “strong.”
The wooden sword seemingly changed into something like a whip. Having moved so fast to the point that I was unable to see its original shape. All the hard work I had desperately put in for two years didn’t work against this girl named Arthur at all.
My sword was flung away and flipped through the air like a boomerang.
Eh? What- what? She… really was absurdly strong though… wasn’t this ridiculous? It was too ridiculous, right? Truly, ridiculously powerful. This was very annoying. What was annoying you may ask? She never even used her sword to hit my body.
After she knocked my sword away, she had this face silently saying, “Hurry up and pick it up, will you?” When I noticed, the other applicants were laughing at my awkward state. It made me upset to be seen that way!!
But!!!
—I-I am the protagonist. Regardless of what others say or laugh at, I am still the protagonist.
That was why I wouldn’t give up. Something like an awakening or whatever that led to my victory will definitely happen.
Ah, my sword was sent flying again.
“…Why is it so ugly?”
“…What do you mean?”
“I mean it literally though…?”
This fool said something ridiculous while tipping her head down, pretending to be a cute girl.
…I will seriously beat her up. I also have my pride as a protagonist.
“Whatever. Let’s continue.”
“Yes.”
She may be the stronger one between us, but I would win no matter what.
“…Let’s just end it here… I can’t stand seeing it anymore, the thing that Fay showed me.”
Was she trying to provoke me? Even though she had such a grand name like Arthur. Uwah, so she was the kind of character who drew aggro from viewers through her sarcasm despite being a beauty, that was too bad.
But she had a decent amount of strength. Un, in that case, perhaps she would be more like a lifelong rival?
A rival-type character with a bad personality was quite commonplace after all… Well, I guess it was something like that. She might be the type of character who looked down on the protagonist at the beginning, until she eventually learns of the protagonist’s strength and changes her ways.
In that case, I was convinced.
“It’s over…”
You sure were annoying, constantly spouting that it was over. I was the one who decided when it would be over! I rushed at her! Then once again, I swung my sword upward.
This girl was totally underestimating me. She no longer held her sword properly and just had it in her hand.
I would make her regret underestimating me and hold my sword to her neck.
I swung up with that thought. She looked surprised, but then swung her sword at speed faster than before, and knocked my sword away again. It was a tremendously fast attack. Perhaps most people would have been unable to perceive it properly, including my current self.
Eh? She was really dangerous… I had doubted my own eyes due to her attack just now. But both her sword and mine were broken.
E-eeh… wasn’t that a little overkill? Didn’t we have to return the swords back? To destroy things we borrowed from others… Well, I guess that was good for a fantasy themed performance and it looked cool… I would like to be able to do that someday as well!
Just as I thought that…
“Alright, that’s it… that’s the end of the exam. Everyone passed. You may go home once you return the wooden swords. An owl will be sent to contact you later.”
What to do… I didn’t even show anything good even once… damn it…
The people around were laughing at me. However, this was the plot where the protagonist starts out as a failure and eventually grows into a hero. That kind of development was quite common after all. So I had to take a step back here and train even more!
As I thought of that, Arthur approached me.
“Thank you… I learned something new.”
“…I will defeat you next time.”
What did she mean by she learned something? As expected from a rival character with a horrible personality I guess.
I parted with such sharp remarks and left the place. Damn it, I’ll remember this, Arthur. You will definitely pay for the humiliation I got today.
A rival character with a horrible personality was only strong at the beginning!!
Ah, what should I do about the wooden sword?
◆◆
It was a surprise to the girl named Arthur because she thought a person with a noble-like disposition such as Fay would have a considerable level of swordsmanship. She couldn’t help but tilt her head in wonder once she shunted Fay’s sword away when he rushed at her.
Fay’s swordsmanship wasn’t good, to put it kindly. It was so poor, it couldn’t be considered as a particular school’s style or even as self-taught sword art. Arthur couldn’t help but be disappointed by that.
He is not strong at all… his swordsmanship is terrible… Even though he had such amazing mental fortitude and insight, how is this possible?
I’ll feel bad if I hit his body, so let’s just knock his sword away.
Uh-n, it’s a really weird way to wield a sword… anyone could do better if they knew the basics…
As questions piled up, Arthur asked him directly.
Err, why do you swing your sword so oddly, should I ask him that way? Ah- err, uhm… If I try to be concise then…
“…Why is it {your sword hold} so ugly {even though you have amazing mental strength}?”
“…What do you mean?”
“I mean it literally though…?”
“Whatever. Let’s continue.”
“Yes.”
He won’t tell me… but we aren’t close yet, so it can’t be helped.
After that, Arthur kept disarming his sword. He wasn’t strong, and his skill level was below hers. However… he kept rushing at her.
He doesn’t give up…
At first, Arthur thought he was hiding his skill. But that wasn’t the case as she could feel the force from his sword increasing. It was her first time seeing such an unbalanced swordsman.
He immediately retrieved his sword. Regardless of how many times she disarmed him, he kept picking it up again. She could feel that Fay was getting stronger each time it happened.
She kept her eyes on him. Unable to look away because Arthur felt like she would lose if she did. That was how she felt.
“Ehehehe”
“What’s with that?”
“How weak… he can’t even use art?”
1
Art was a necessary concept to enact a paranormal phenomenon and was also commonly known as magic, everyone has it.
But for Arthur, that thing didn’t matter in the struggle that took place in front of her eyes.
Because he has something more important, that fundamental strength…
Even as people laughed at him, he paid no regard and kept charging. Arthur felt as though she saw the true power and appearance of a warrior there.
However…
…Why are they laughing? There’s nothing funny here…
Even if the person with true hero potential (Fay) didn’t mind, the person with fake hero potential (Arthur) couldn’t help but be annoyed by the voices around them. After all, he was an important figure that fascinated her.2
As such a figure was being laughed at, she couldn’t help but feel strong indignation for him. To her, his appearance was that of a hero. Regardless of how many times it took, they would keep persevering and keep going.
She felt as if she was reading a page (fragment) of a heroic epic.
—Reality was ruthless. This world was cruel.
She was aware of that. Strength was everything, no matter where you were. And mental fortitude was important. However, be it simple power, violence, vile experimentations, the Abyss, or a great criminal, they were all eating away at good people. It was truly an ugly world.
Power was everything. One could do anything if they had power. Everything was decided with power.
She wished for such cruel reality (Arthur) to be broken down by the beautiful ideal (Fay).
However, it wasn’t possible. While the honest, good, and hardworking youth (Fay) was to be rewarded, the world just didn’t work that way. The ideal (Fay) and reality (cruelty that laughed at ideals) stood before her.
She didn’t wish for such a beautiful ideal to be denied. She had finally seen the most precious and ideal figure for her.
“…Let’s just end it here… I can’t stand seeing it {your wonderful figure be laughed at by the people around us} anymore, the {ideal} thing that Fay showed me.”
She loosened her arms. Then, she poured her art into her violet, left eye. Her violet eye gave out a suspicious glow. It was the magic eye.
A magic eye refers to an eye which holds a special power. It was something that could only be awakened if one possessed innate talent for it.
Her right eye was the magic eye of domination. By consuming art, she could control people with her eye. The ideal (Fay) met the reality (Arthur). There was no way for Fay, who couldn’t even use art, to come out victorious.
The match was over.
…Shame… for it to have ended like this… go to sleep.
The ideal collapsed.
Indeed, she saw it that way… she totally stopped focusing and relaxed her combat stance, her form was completely loose…
And just before it happened…
Every little part of her body screeched in alarm.
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Arthur lelouch lol
So MC has some sort of resistance?
First comment, wait what why no one comment this ep, it nice though