Translator: Tsukii

Editor: Lilia

Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu!

Chapter 24 – The Descendant of the Hero VS the Third Demonic Blade

Zanba and I ended up engaged in a fierce sword fight while the school building creaked in the aftermath of the clash.　

Sparks emitted from clashing blades.

“It’s fun, it’s really fun, Harutooooooooooooooooooo!!”　

Zanba screamed with joy.　

His mouth split open so wide that it worried me.

“How far can I go?! How high can I reach?!”　

The speed increased every second, and so did his power.　

He gained experience through the accumulation of moments of success, stole techniques from me, and grew by leaps and bounds.

He was now completely different from how he was before. It would be more accurate to call it evolution.

“This is the best moment…! The pleasure I get from this is thousands of times better than sex…!”　

I didn’t experience what he compared it with, so I couldn’t understand. But it still pissed me off.　

I never thought that fighting felt good, but then, even if it did, sex would still feel good, right?!

You shouldn’t ruin the dreams of virgins, you asshole!

“You’re being noisy! All this time!”　

I swung the sword with all my might and sent out a slash of light.　

The waves of brightness that penetrated the school building and shot up to the sky were unable to catch Zanba, who was moving at high speed.

Every time there was a collision, a slight wound was carved on me, but was immediately healed.　

I might have been strong enough to block the direct attack, but I couldn’t avoid the scattering lightning from all directions.

At times like this, I was thankful for my body.

“What terrifying recovery ability── is that innate?”

Zanba landed in front of me and stared at me, with half of his body still transformed into lightning.　

“I can’t talk back if you accuse me of cheating. Sorry about that.”　

“No, you can’t call yourself a warrior without using all the cards you have.”

The passive skill I had was [Shining Cycle Constitution].　

It was a body that wouldn’t stop moving until it saved the world.

In game terms, it was a perpetual regeneration skill.

“Then I have no choice but to hit you directly!”　

His arms stretched out like lightning strikes. They were no longer human hands, but projectile weapons that hovered near his body.　

One arm held the sword straight, while the other broke through the classroom window and got behind me for a pincer attack.

I blocked the attack from the front and avoided the attack from behind.

“You see through it well! That’s not within the realm of human abilities…!”　

“I might need more time to read it if you made more complicated moves, but you are only making linear motions.”

“……I see.”

　

Immediately, the quality of the incoming attacks changed.

He would make a sharp turn right before making contact with me, then change direction, or he would split up in the air and attack from the left and right sides at the same time.

Fortunately, the trick could be seen from the way the lightning strikes intertwined with each other and twisted towards the new direction of movement.

“Did you expand your lightning body into a chain?!”　

“Nice observation!!”

It was no longer just a matter of turning into lightning and increasing his raw speed.　

Because I said something unnecessary, he was constantly refining his movements.

“I haven’t── mastered how to curve it, you seeeeeeeee!”

“So you chose to harden the substance to bend it instead…?!”

His ability to learn and adapt to situations was too overpowered.　

It was something unseen from turn based battle, but this man actually had a really high combat IQ……!

　

What did people mean by battle junkie, anyways? Hey, can we get some standardized terms here, please? There was no way someone who fought using this much logic could be referred to as a junkie!

If anything, it would be more of an intelligent gorilla.

“So this is still not enough to defeat you…!”　

Zanba was showing signs of impatience, as expected. He still thought the difference in power between us was too great. 　

It was simply a difference in speed: while both of us used a single sword, the number of moves he made was greater.

Perhaps it was simpler to say that for every move I made, he was moving three to four times.

Therefore, it was only natural for me to be forced on the defensive.　

Even so, I wouldn’t collapse.

As long as I didn’t misjudge, I could respond even if I was attacked simultaneously from all directions at lightning speed.

“……Tsk.”

　

I couldn’t help but click my tongue.

Since he was moving at that speed, I would need to increase my power output to land a direct hit.

But if I went further, I might accidentally kill him, and the school building might disappear.

Then the only thing I could do was……

　

I looked up sharply.

I looked at Zanba who was rushing at me from all directions.

“Your fighting style is admirable, Zanba SwordX! But I’ll end it here!”　

“Fuhah──just as I wish for! I‘ll defeat you and prove my existence……!”

　

He must be thinking the same thing.

Mere scratches from the aftermath of attacks wouldn’t be able to defeat me, who had automatic regeneration.

The only way to decide an outcome was to aim at each other with a direct hit capable of death.

“I love sunny days, and lazing around even on noisy days is the best way to spend my life!”

I took a defensive stance with my sword close to my body.　

In terms of knowledge and experience, Zanba was probably better as he studied the art of the sword systematically.

I might win when we fought, but I didn’t think I was superior when it came to swordsmanship.

Therefore, he should be able to see through the intentions of someone like me in an instant.　

Although this stance made it easy to defend against attacks, it wasn’t flexible enough for me to escape if the attack was too strong.

In other words, it was a declaration that I would no longer retreat or escape.

“It’s a counter battle…! Interesting, I’ll play along!”　

A bolt of lightning came in front of me and Zanba, who had converted most of his body into lightning, was looking at me.　

The way his lips curled up in joy was familiar to me.

Both I and the classmate I fought with back then wore that expression.

“Here I come!”　

His path of attack was a straight line at top speed.　

Or so he made me think. Just before reaching me, Zanba instantly turned.

He moved behind me and tried to strike at my blind spot, but that was also a trap. His real goal was to swing diagonally down from above. 

As I couldn’t dodge, I had no choice but to block it.　

I already knew. Zanba’s aim was to make me block his first attack; then he would swing his second blade at his highest speed.

That was why I wouldn’t let him do that.　

To prove that you weren’t able to catch up to me, despite all your calculations, I would crush you in your first move!

“……?!”

“I caught you.”

His downward slash, swung with all his might, was blocked by my swordless left hand grabbing the blade.　

Blood gushed out from my palm.

“What──what are you…?!”

“You don’t understand? It’s my present.”

I grabbed Zanba’s weapon.　

I activated [Salvation Device (Fake)]” and overwrote his sword into the Hero’s Sword.

The change was dramatic.　

Zanba’s sword had become the holy sword of brilliance that emitted mysterious light ── and it was attempting to activate its enormous power. Without the control of its supposed master (the Hero), it went berserk and exploded.

The result was simple.　

The mysterious light flowed backwards through Zanba’s body, tearing his inner organs to shreds, even though his body composition had been changed to channel lightning.

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh?!”　

Zanba, forcibly released from his lightning state, screamed and collapsed in the hallway.　

As he writhed around with an expression of agony, I thrust the tip of my sword at him again.

“What’s wrong? Be happy, that’s the sword of the Hero you wielded just now, you know? You can even boast about it to Erin, aren’t you glad?”　

An ordinary person couldn’t wield the Hero’s Sword.　

That was simply because they didn’t know how to use it.

There was nothing scarier than a super weapon that one didn’t know how to use.　

To people other than me, it was nothing more than a dangerous device constantly leaking mysterious light that served as the embodiment of destruction.

It was definitely an excellent weapon, though.　

Well, for anyone other than me, it would be like giving a grenade to a baby. The results would be terrible. 

“Guh, uuh…!”　

I ripped the sword from Zanba’s hand as he writhed in pain.　

The mysterious light no longer flowed into him, and he looked up to me as he breathed heavily.

“I’ll tell you the reason for your defeat. Your overall output is low.”　

“……!”

“If you intend to win against greater demons, you will have to be able to generate output at least several dozen, no, hundreds of times as you currently have. If you do, then I will have no choice but to fight you head on, seriously, and then you will have a better chance of victory, won’t you?”

To be honest, the method of overwriting the opponent’s weapon and causing it to self-destruct wouldn’t always work against an opponent of equal rank.　

They might even be able to adapt and use it properly after the change.

When the female Knight’s weapon was overwritten into the Hero’s Sword for the first time, she still swung it around, turning into a storm of violence until the transferred energy ran out.

In the end, she said she didn’t need it since it was faster to just get closer and cut down the enemies normally.

“Don’t say it, so easily, please… something like that…”　

“But now that you heard it, you have no choice but to do it. You are that kind of man after all.”

But well, even if he fought against some greater demon, I think his lightning state was pretty compatible for agility and strength, so he could have a good fight.　

I wouldn’t really recommend that, though. He probably wouldn’t win.

Anyway, the battle was decided.　

I put my sword back to my waist and sat down next to Zanba.

“……You aren’t going to kill me?”

“I have a request after all.”

Our gazes connected.　

“Please don’t give up on SwordX.”　

“……Isn’t it I who’s supposed to request that of you, considering our standing?”

“You are necessary to that family. Could you please support Estia-san, your adoptive mother?”

Once the Demon Lord revived, the production of greater demons would start again and begin attacking humanity.　

If preparations were finished in time and the necessary personnel were present at the place of resurrection and able to subdue the Demon Lord immediately, it wouldn’t be too much of a worry. But I guess it would be difficult to line things up that perfectly. 

That was why it was better to have more swords and shields to protect people.

“We’re on the same side. Your personal wish might be different… but people who can fight should do their best for the sake of people who can’t fight. In that case, why don’t we join forces for the sake of people?”　

After saying that, I couldn’t help but let out a groan of self-mockery while muttering, “Ugh, what a cheesy way to say it.”　

I wouldn’t have a hard time if convincing people was so easy. Everyone had their respective calculations for profit and damage, and there was no way those calculations would line up perfectly.

“……I guess you are a hero, since you can say something like that without any shame… huh.”

Zanba muttered in wonder as he stared at the ceiling of the partially destroyed school building.　

“It’s my defeat. And-”　

“ ‘I will eventually win,’ right? I’ll be waiting.”

When I replied with a smile, he smiled too.　

It wasn’t like I was denying the strength he had accumulated so far.

However, I intended to make sure this incident didn’t happen again.

“Would you do me the honor of crossing swords with you again?”　

“Of course. I’m the one who is asking you for a huge favor, after all.”

“……I understand. I will support the SwordX family and Estia.”

“Aah, I’m counting on you.”

With this, everything was finally resolved.　

I exhaled and looked around.

　

There was a broken hallway where wind passed through.　

There were classrooms where one could directly see the starry sky through the ceiling.

It was like a scene after a typhoon passed.

No good.　

I would be killed.

“……W-well then, I’ll go to have dinner, so-”

“Haruto-kun?”

I heard a voice that should never be heard.　

I slowly turned toward the direction of the voice, my body stuttering and reluctant to move.

“Haruto-kun, what is this?”　

At the end of the hallway, some distance away from me…　

I saw the vice principal with a big smile on her face.

Her face might be smiling, but everything else about her showed her anger.　

She was pissed. She was extremely angry.

“Zanba… I might pee my pants.”　

“Don’t pee your pants.”

“You’re going to be scolded as well, you know.”

“Yes…………”

　

Two adult men were forced to sit in seiza, and after being scolded for several hours, they quietly began repairing the school building. ¹

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