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As Eden drew up the magic, I caught sight of the murky essence seeping into the magical barrier that had withstood my Holy Sword, turning it pitch-black.

Thanks to that—if I should call it that—because the divine power within my Holy Sword clashed against the barrier, it cracked just enough for me to escape.

The moment I got out, Eden’s spider legs plunged into my former spot. If I had been just a bit slower, I would have been forced to either take Eden’s attack or abandon the Holy Sword I held.

Swoosh!

However, even from a distance, concealed within the black fog, Eden’s spider legs came precisely aimed at me.

Crack!

Quickly lifting my Holy Sword, I barely managed to deflect Eden’s strike. The metallic sound that resonated was difficult to imagine as the sound of legs clashing against a sword. Just to check if it was a fluke, I knocked away the spider leg and hid again in the fog, but once more, his legs zeroed in on me with pinpoint accuracy. It seemed the thick magic enveloping the vicinity was tracking my location.

Even while dodging the spider legs, flames made of black fire repeatedly rushed at me, as if they intended to engulf me whole. Rolling on the ground, I avoided both the incoming spider legs and the flames before hastily getting back on my feet.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“If ending up with just minor injuries is the worst of it… well, that’s something.”

Since hiding was futile, I moved closer to Selian while Eden pulled back his spider legs momentarily. Despite the urgency of the situation, Selian tried to lighten the mood, half-joking and half-concerned, as she questioned me.

“Is there a brilliant plan that could help resolve this predicament?”

“Hmm…. How about the plan of giving it everything I’ve got while fighting for dear life?”

“That’s one we’re already executing.”

Truly, a Hero… or rather, a former Hero candidate, answering like something out of a textbook.

While we traded jokes, Eden’s attacks continued unabated. On the bright side, blocking his concentrated assault, aimed directly at us, was far easier than when we were separated.

Normally, we would be so close our shoulders would nearly touch, making it difficult to swing our swords. However, Selian and I moved fluidly, as if we instinctively knew how to maneuver without hindering one another.

The attacks aimed at Selian were deftly dealt with by me, while those targeting me were skillfully intercepted by Selian. Despite being two, we moved with more dynamism and efficiency than we ever could alone.

Perhaps it was because I had sparred extensively with Selian. It felt as if we had connected for ages; I didn’t need to think about how she would move—my body just knew.

But even that was temporary. As the battle dragged on, my body struggled to keep pace with my thoughts.

I clearly understood in my mind how Selian would move and how I should respond, but thanks to my inferior skills compared to hers, my actions lagged a beat behind.

Ugh!

The consequences of my delay hit Selian squarely. Ultimately, she, who hadn’t permitted a single attack to get through, was sent sprawling far away after failing to dodge the wildly swung spider leg that I should have blocked.

How pathetic of me to not only fail to help but to actually cause harm.

Damn it, what is it to be a Hero?

Just as Selian and I were separated, Eden lifted two pairs of spider legs high into the air and began conjuring a colossal magic circle far beyond the scale of mere human hands.

The movement of that dangerous magic was plain to see.

Selian and I wouldn’t just stand by and watch, so we charged toward Eden from different angles. However, as if changing tactics, Eden focused entirely on defense, no longer attacking us like before.

Now that two pairs of spider legs were sidelined, our strength proved insufficient to break through the defenses of the remaining pairs of spider legs and human arms.

With each progressive step toward completing the magic, I felt more urgency, yet no sudden epiphany or miraculous boost in strength arose.

No, there is one way.

Gritting my teeth, I tightened my grip on the Holy Sword and summoned my power once more. A bit faster. A bit stronger.

Recalling the moment I first awakened as a Hero, I pushed through the burden on my body, forcibly squeezing out the strength of a Hero.

Enduring the seemingly creaking pain throughout my body, I focused solely on swinging my sword faster and harder. Even if my whole body felt on fire, I refused to let such pain stop me.

The impact of my sword against Eden’s spider legs grew more frequent, unleashing a progressively louder clash.

“Ugh….”

But still, I lacked the force to breach Eden’s defenses. I could push myself to go faster. Like when I awakened as a Hero, I needed to grasp the future level I would reach someday.

More, more, more…!

Crack!

A sound echoing like something shattering resonated in my head, and I felt a burning pain in my lower abdomen. Yet I quickly dismissed it. If I could focus on that, I should instead hone in on drawing out even a little more of my Hero’s power.

If only I had a bit more time, I could elevate my power to the level I attained when I first awakened as a Hero.

But…. Because I was slow, weak, and pathetic.

My sword ultimately failed to make contact with Eden.

“That was somewhat entertaining. I think it’s time to end this.”

Eden, having just swung his spider legs to push us back, decided it was time to finish things.

Above Eden’s head, a massive magic circle was completed, revealing a tiny flame, no larger than a glass bead.

As Selian and I tensed up at the immense magic emanating from the small flame, it shot straight toward Selian.

Perhaps he thought that taking down the Sword Master Selian would allow him to easily deal with me on my own.

I felt completely useless, unable to even serve as a bait.

As the flame neared the ground, it grew larger, turning into a massive inferno that surpassed the size of any building by the time it reached Selian.

I noticed Selian biting her lip tightly as she gripped her sword, though her eyes held no trace of surrender just yet.

It was as if time flowed slowly for her alone, as she adopted the same stance she always took whenever she sparred with me, even while the flames approached to consume her.

And then, a deep breath.

Her straightforward downward slash, the type she swung every single day, was neither the vision of the Deretia family’s swordsmanship nor anything extraordinary—just a simple, ordinary downward strike.

Her sword traced an arc in the air. Like a brush painting on a canvas, her sword left a line in the air as fluidly as if she were making art. Even in this dire moment, I couldn’t help but gaze in awe at the pureness and beauty of that line—it mirrored her essence.

Even while the blade was pointed toward the ground, the line she drew seemed to cut through the giant flame.

As the flame split apart and fell to the ground, an explosion erupted. But while it appeared dazzling on the surface, it was mere flares breaking the flow of magic; it was not a magic-infused explosion.

Still, an explosion was an explosion—dust and smoke obscured the battlefield, already dimming our visibility.

Yet, seeing that Selian was safe brought me relief…

Whoosh!

Through the smoke from the explosion, all of Eden’s spider legs darted toward Selian.

But it seemed Selian had poured all her energy into the last strike, as she had not detected the danger approaching from beyond the smoke.

I rushed towards Selian the moment I noticed Eden’s attack, but it was futile—I couldn’t catch up to the spider legs that moved closer, faster, and before me.

It was as if the world had slowed down; every single spider leg aimed directly for Selian’s head, heart, arms, legs, and abdomen.

Just ten steps… ten steps away, the spider legs reached right before Selian.

Only then did Selian realize Eden’s attack, her face showing surprise.

Yet, instead of raising her sword to block, she turned away from the spider legs heading straight for her, looking at me instead.

On her face… was a smile. It was as if she had accepted her fate and embraced death.

She… would die.

Don’t kid around. Dying? Who do you think you are?

I promised myself that even if it cost me my life, I would protect Selian.

Selian. Didn’t you say that even death couldn’t tear us apart? No, you are not permitted to die.

As long as I am alive, you won’t die, even if you want to. I will make it so.

Just like before, I will protect you. That is the only atonement I can offer for all the wrongs I have committed against you.

 

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