Chapter 68 – Heroes (Not) Are Always Late to the Party

Many labor under a misconception. They believe that a defensive ability user stands at the team’s forefront, weathering all attacks. An unbreachable shield, standing firm to the very end.

It’s not wrong, but it’s not the whole truth. If that were truly the extent of it, would the Empire even bother to create the position of ‘Guardian General’ and station them right beside the Emperor?

“Hgh?!”

Beleth, who had been acting like royalty, never losing his composure, now appears quite flustered.

He too knows well what a shield is for. To block. That is its primary purpose.

And yet, this lesser being wields the shield like a weapon. And so freely!

— ooong! ooong!

Semi-transparent so as not to overly obscure the wielder’s vision.

That doesn’t mean it lacks weight. On the contrary, it is immensely heavy. The ominous sound of it crushing the air, the killing intent felt with each passing swipe, are no jokes.

— Kwa-jik!!

Dodging was a bit awkward, so I deliberately took a hit. And Beleth became certain that his judgment was a blunder born of his arrogance.

“Kuh…! You insignificant thing!”

The destructive force is beyond ordinary. Surpassing the level of a simple bludgeon. My body is simply being crushed.

If any other demon had been in his place, they would have died instantly, he assures himself (not really). Beleth once again catches the giant shield falling from the air with both hands.

“For a lesser being, you possess considerable strength. Impressive. Very impressive. This body commends you.”

“…”.

“However! You are merely a pitiful, inferior being! It is still only the strength of something so lowly! Kuaaa!!”

Purple smoke erupts from Beleth’s body. Seeing this, Ethendel widens his eyes and hastily retrieves his shield, stepping back.

‘Poison!’

Luckily, it seems it doesn’t maintain its form as it spreads out in all directions.

But this means that approaching carelessly is impossible. I’ll have to completely revise my plan to beat him to death with my shield.

‘No. Perhaps it’s for the best.’

I was too focused on offense. If that devil hadn’t indulged my shield-play and had instead targeted Luciel or Neferti first, I would have been in a much worse predicament.

Still, even now. The position of Guardian General weighs too heavily on me. Compared to the heroes of the past, I still have much to learn, I think to myself. Ethendel returns to his place as a shield for the two female students.

*

The swordsman’s fight begins in the interval. It encompasses not just the gap of the sword, but every space created with the body.

Therefore, a swordsman cannot simply be skilled with a sword. More than that, they must move well. Without sufficient stamina, they are no more than a doll holding a blade.

And so, Luciel dedicated herself to physical training. As much as she swung her sword, she never neglected the play of her feet.

And that thought did not waver even during the early days of her training with Deus.

“Um, Senior? As much as you’re adjusting the length of the sword while standing still, it seems… incomplete. Shouldn’t we be moving around, even now?”

Luciel still remembers Deus’s reply to that.

“You’re thinking of running before you can even walk properly. I won’t stop you, but if you do, then I’ll have to run too. Is that alright?”

In a word, it meant that if she raised her level, he would raise his accordingly, pushing her even harder than he was now.

At that terrifying warning, Luciel immediately changed her tune.

“Sorry. Pretend you didn’t hear that.”

The pride of a princess? Or the pride of a senior? Clinging to such things could lead to a sudden, ignominious death.

She already experiences enough threats to her life. What’s even scarier is the thought that, without intending to kill her, she could actually die.

In any case. For a little over a month, Luciel only underwent training in handling the sword.

Precisely in the blink of an eye, in that gap before the enemy could even perceive it, freely adjusting the length of the sword and maintaining perfect control over the interval, in the truest sense of the word.

―*Swish*!

That was being properly executed, thanks to this man who was said to be the Empire’s strongest shield.

No matter how far the demon was from her. Or whether it was closing the distance. Such things were no longer a consideration for Luciel.

If it moved away, she lengthened the blade. If it came closer, she shortened it. She could follow whatever choice the enemy made. And, ultimately, it could not escape the interval she defined.

“Annoying!”

As expected, she still wasn’t inflicting any real wounds. At best, she was merely being evaluated as ‘bothersome.’ That was the reality.

But Luciel actually smiled. Just hearing those words from such an immense being. Just being able to annoy the demon. The results of the training were clear.

“Certainly. You have changed greatly from before.”

Etendalle, having blocked Beled’s attack once more, wiped away a bead of sweat and smiled.

“It is thanks to Lord Lansadorute.”

It wasn’t an empty compliment. She couldn’t have done it without him. She still had to focus all her attention on adjusting the length of the sword.

“So, I am sorry, but could you endure a little longer?”

“If I were two, no, three years younger, I would say there wouldn’t be a problem. The truth is, it’s already a little precarious, so you must keep that in mind.”

At that moment, Etendalle protected his flank. Immediately after, dark scars were etched into his shield.

“Hoo.”

Catching his breath, Etendalle lightly rotated his increasingly stiff arms.

Thirty minutes had already passed since he began dedicating himself to defense. He might not have minded if it were a monster, but it was a demon. An enemy he was encountering for the first time.

Its strength had already been revealed to be so great that even the ability users on the scene couldn’t handle it.

He was holding out well against such an entity, but the problem was how long his own body could endure.

‘Thankfully, the wind from the princess over there is helping.’

She was flailing a little. Even stumbling at times. But still, the student council president was, after all, the student council president. Her skill in manipulating her ability was truly remarkable.

When Nefertiti’s wind enveloped him, it didn’t simply make his movements more agile.

That wind even absorbed some of the impact that would have reached his body and shield.

He was curious as to how she grasped such a concept and mastered such a technique.

“Haa, haa!”

Of course, even that Nepheerti isn’t in good shape. In fact, he’s the worst of the three.

That’s because he’s constantly maintaining that technique, even using it on himself whenever he has the spare capacity, meaning his stamina is being drained twice as fast by his ability.

‘I can’t just collapse like this! One more time! Just one more!’ He grits his teeth, desperately trying to maintain the wind swirling around his body.

His Self-Buff. The last resort for amplifying his ability – an ability that, with simple attacks, is nothing more than a gust of wind – several times over.

To achieve this, he not only honed his technique but also endured hellish stamina training alongside Deus. A continuous stretch of time that, without exaggeration, felt like he was spitting blood.

He was still weak. He realized that acutely during this encounter.

This technique is still difficult to control. At best, he can only support Hogyeong and hinder the demon from focusing all his attention on him.

Unlike Luciel, who’s steadily accumulating ‘wounds,’ though not seriously injured. That fact infuriates Nepheerti. He’s the one who suffered first, yet his efforts are proving largely ineffective.

A sense of unease suddenly creeps in. Even after all this, am I still ultimately unable to accomplish anything? A wave of negativity threatens to wash over him.

“Don’t say such foolish things.”

Instantly, Deus’ voice seems to resonate right beside him.

“It wouldn’t make sense if it suddenly became overwhelmingly powerful. Unless it were me, that is.”

One day, after training had ended, Deus said, clicking his tongue after Nepheerti had voiced similar worries.

“For us, it’s merely a simple gust of wind. But to someone, it becomes a refreshing breeze that helps them overcome a difficult moment. To something else, it marks another new beginning of life by taking seeds elsewhere. It can create waves and ventilate this whole world. The beginning might be insignificant, but the end will be glorious.”

So, he told Nepheerti to get up already. There was still more training to be done. Nepheerti barely had time to soak in the emotion when he was dragged away for another grueling session.

“…Ugh!”

He still couldn’t collapse. If he had the luxury to indulge in such foolish thoughts, then surely, he had the strength to squeeze out just a little more!

The very last thing… yes. Just like how he let Hogyeong use his wind before, this time, he’ll restrain the opponent’s feet.

Don’t fixate on attacking. Accept and acknowledge his limitations for now. Create an opening by weakening the enemy, and then cede it to those who are more capable.

‘Hogyeong is currently expending the most stamina. Luciel, our senior, is the only one who can land a valid attack.’

As that thought solidified, Nepheerti drew out two last strands of wind.

Then, he intertwined the two strands in his hands, merging them back into one.

It wasn’t a blade to slash at the enemy like before. Instead, it would be a weight.

If he couldn’t defeat them with a cut, he would crush them with weight. Wind wasn’t limited to merely blowing.

“Hmph?!”

Beleth, who had been moving with ease, glanced at Nepheerti with a slightly flustered look.

He had dismissed it as nothing more than a whirlwind to slow his steps, but suddenly, his body felt heavy.

It felt as if dozens of steel plates had been placed on his head and shoulders.

Without missing the opportunity, Etendel lunged forward and firmly grasped the demon’s body.

He slung his shield onto his back and became another wall. Because of that, it was much easier for Luciel’s sword to reach and he didn’t need to worry so much about dodging.

Luciel’s eyes shone, and he swung his sword with all his might. Because the other’s movements were restricted, he still had stamina left. Thanks to that, he could fully concentrate all his power into the ability.

Immediately after, the sword, even grander than before, flew like an arrow straight towards the center of Beleth’s chest.

Their teamwork was exceptionally smooth. If the opponent were Jagan, this tactic would have worked.

But Beleth was a being above even that Jagan. He could break free from this weight, this pressure, all on his own.

“You dare!”

First, he breaks free from the oppressive pressure that was weighing him down. The shockwave causes Nepheerti’s self-buff to collapse.

Immediately after, he slams Etendel, who dared to engage him in a battle of brute strength, into the ground. He desperately tried to get back up, but unfortunately, his depleted stamina couldn’t support him.

The blade of light that was nearly upon him couldn’t be stopped, even by Beleth. However, with his astonishing reflexes, he somehow managed to twist his body, narrowly avoiding a fatal wound.

“You troublesome wretch! I’ll kill you first!”

That mountainous bulk drew nigh, nigh enough to touch. Luciel bit her lip, quickly shortening her sword’s length. She was just preparing for one last, desperate close-quarters fight when, suddenly, Beled turned. He swung that enormous fist towards someone who had appeared at his side without a sound.

— *Kwaang!*

“…?!”

Just what *is* this insignificant creature? How can it be stopping my blow with a single hand?

“Here you are,” the man before him said, a chilling smile spreading across his lips.