Entering the Game with a Cheat Physique

Duel (5)

36 Duel (5)

Silence falls in the coliseum.

Herac’s disadvantage, which had persisted until just now, was overturned in an instant.

The first to speak were the instructors in the upper seats.

“…What is that?”

Vice Principal Chiron tilted his head.

It was an unfamiliar technique to him, who had no aptitude for either swordsmanship or magic.

He asks Angelina about this strange magic of wielding flames in one’s hand.

“I don’t know.”

Angelina didn’t respond immediately.

Her pupils rapidly scan the arena.

She observes the mana flow surging through Herac’s body, how it travels to his fist and becomes fire.

“It must be a magic unique to Herac. It seems similar to elemental magic, but it’s clearly different. That… it’s probably a magic unique to a Battle Mage.”

“Ho ho.”

Chiron, a layman, simply marvels.

However, there was also someone who frowned at Angelina’s assessment.

Robert, the judge from the Knight’s Department.

He answered with a sharp scowl:

“That wasn’t the agreement. That Herak student could wield elemental magic wasn’t disclosed beforehand.”

“And did you not hear about your department spraying mana-eater solution?”

“……Tch.”

He’d tried to steer it towards unfairness, but it didn’t stick.

Robert clicked his tongue, looking out at the dueling arena.

‘This isn’t good.’

The momentum had completely shifted.

Whether it was elemental magic or battle mage magic, whatever.

It was certain that the damn b*stard was trying to beat Apollo.

‘……Damn it!’

Defeat meant expulsion.

If Apollo really did lose, Robert, tangled up with him, wouldn’t have a good future either.

*

The arena buzzed.

Breaking the long silence, everyone started to speak.

Each one with a shocked expression, all because of Herak’s flaming fist.

─Whoa. What kind of magic is that?

─Is that even magic?

─It is! Maybe it’s battle mage magic, something like that?

─Freaking amazing. There’s magic like that too.

The magic department’s reaction was nothing short of fervent.

Herak, who seemed to be at a disadvantage, had shown his wit and landed a blow on Apollo.

Even using a technique that he had never shown until now, a technique that had never existed in the magical world before!

Naturally, the knight department was like a funeral home.

─Dammit. What the hell is that?

─Shit, is Apollo going to lose?

─No way. Look at the difference in rankings…!

In short, every single student in the coliseum was in complete shock because of Herak.

And that included even the top students from the magic department.

“It’s magic I’ve never seen before.”

“Yeah.”

At the words of Cerise, the top student of the third year, Natalia, the top student of the fourth year, nods.

Even they, who have already gained a wealth of experience at Olympia and are maturing into accomplished mages.

The magic Herak just displayed was unheard of.

“Flames flowing along his fist… Is it a type of elemental magic? But there’s never been any magic like that before.”

“It must be that junior’s own unique magic.”

“Amazing. How did they even think to create their own magic?”

At Cerise’s question, her eyes sparkling, Natalia hums briefly.

Of course, she agrees.

The magic Herak independently developed is definitely remarkable.

However.

“That’s not it, Cerise.”

“Huh?”

“Haven’t you realized it? The strategy that junior’s been hiding until now.”

“What is it?”

Natalia chuckles at Cerise, who tilts her head in confusion.

She’s still a junior with so much to learn.

“…That junior didn’t stop attacking even while taking continuous blows that were peeling away his flesh. And then, he landed a huge strike.”

“Ah!”

“A strategy of literally giving flesh to take bone… It’s not something someone with ordinary courage could do.”

Exactly that.

Currently, the students are mesmerized by Herak’s new magic and have forgotten it.

But Natalia’s cold gaze is meticulously assessing the war situation.

Drip, drip…

Blood is streaming down Herak’s body.

The red liquid is soaking his clothes and scattering onto the floor.

That’s how much he’s been hit by Apollo’s Flamberge.

‘It must be painful.’

How much must it hurt?

How much endurance was needed to withstand that pain?

But he endured.

With superhuman will.

‘That junior.’

He’s no pushover.

*

KWA-AANG!

“Kkyaaak!”

Apollon screams as the explosion rips through his upper body.

He’s thrown back, tumbling across the floor.

Even so, he somehow manages to swing his sword and wound Herak.

Though, he did wound him…

“……”

Even with flesh torn away, Herak shows not a flicker of reaction.

He just calmly walks towards him.

Apollon can’t understand it for the life of him.

‘Again!’

Let’s exchange blows again.

Then he’ll get scared. He’ll hurt. He’ll struggle!

“Iyaaah!”

Apollon charges, wielding his Flamberge.

Herak’s response is simple.

It’s similar to Apollon’s own previous stance.

─No thought given to defense.

Only a sure attack.

A steadfast commitment to landing his fist of fire on Apollon and triggering an explosion.

With that singular purpose, Herak ignores the wave-like blade hurtling towards him.

Tteudeudeuk!

Skin is ripped away.

Red blood splatters from Herak’s body in a shower, but

Puh-wung!

“Kreeee!”

Having thrown all his nerves into the attack, Apollon rolled on the ground again.

It hurt.

It felt like his entire body was burning, from the flames erupting across his upper torso.

What the hell kind of trick was that, making flames burst from a fist?

And why did it explode on contact with his leather armor!

…No.

More incomprehensible than that was this:

‘Why aren’t you… afraid…!’

Why the hell wasn’t he afraid?

The fate of all those who had resisted Apollon until now was the same.

Their flesh ripped open by his flamberge, screaming in agony.

Their faces filled with fear, begging on their knees.

Saying they were wrong.

Pleading for mercy.

Please, not to hurt them anymore.

But why…!

‘This b*stard…!’

Like a superman who knew no fear, he was charging at him─!

“hhh, hhh…”

─His momentum was broken.

Apollon felt it acutely.

The game had fallen apart.

He couldn’t pull off the performance he usually enjoyed, crushing his opponent.

No, it was the opposite, actually.

Apollon was being cornered by Herak like a rat.

It was so unfamiliar.

“Die!”

Apollon screamed and rushed in again.

*

It hurts.

It fucking hurts.

My head’s spinning from the blood pouring off me like rain.

But even that fades quickly.

Thanks to the body cheat I have.

────────────────

【Ultimate Physique】

※ Lionheart: Vessel of a hero.

In battle, unleashes greater power than normal and is immune to status ailments.

────────────────

‘Lionheart.’

A cheat that prevents status ailments.

But it’s not just for CC effects.

Every situation that tries to break you mentally.

Even amidst that, it keeps my mind at its peak.

‘In battle, unleash greater power than normal.’

Literally, my mind is too clear, too calm.

“Kh… “

Of course, that doesn’t mean it can hide my body’s exhaustion.

I catch myself before I stumble, taking a breath.

The damage has piled up and the bleeding is too much to drag this out.

So, I need to pull out a little trick.

Use words to break their spirit.

Clump, clump.

I walk, covered in blood.

Anyone who saw me would think I was a ghost.

Especially Apollo.

“Die!”

Apollo, enraged, charges towards me.

But the initial composure is gone.

The b*stard twisted his whole body, swinging his sword, but.

Such clumsy swordsmanship had no chance of landing.

*Clap!*

His hand was caught weakly in mine.

Apollo trembled, desperately trying to pull his hand away, but it wouldn’t budge.

Like before, with my hand clenched tight around his, I whispered.

“Shall I tell you what led to your defeat?”

“…What, did you say?”

Why was Apollo pushed this far into a corner?

Was it because I constantly took hits while hiding a single blow?

Was it because I unleashed my own unique magic, the Flame Fist?

No, it wasn’t that.

“Arrogance.”

Apollo was arrogant.

He didn’t come with a different strategy.

He didn’t meticulously plan to fight me.

Apollo was only thinking about unilaterally humiliating me at will.

Even the fact he bothered to bring the mana-eater drug proves it.

This drug doesn’t boost combat power.

It’s simply a tool to lower my attack and defense.

Meaning, he was only obsessed with how pathetic and ugly it would make Herac.

‘He looked down on me.’

That’s the result.

He believed he could win with just the mana-eater drug and didn’t bother with other plans.

That’s why he didn’t realize the mana clumps building up in his body, and got hit by the Flame Fist.

If he had prepared another option, the tide of the battle might have been unknown—

“…But it’s meaningless now, isn’t it?”

“You, you b*stard…!”

—Spilled water cannot be recovered.

Apollo’s eyes became bloodshot.

You might not grasp the precise meaning of my words, but you’ll get the drift.

“What do you think I am? You, a mere thing, have no right to look at me like that. I am a scion of the House of Simon, from the Knights Department…!”

“So?”

The moment I spit out the word, my hand shoots out.

“Gack!”

The b*stard yelps as my hand grips his collar.

Still using the fire fist.

His neck must be burning like hell.

“You’re finished here anyway, Apollo. You’re about to be expelled, so let’s not make pointless speeches.”

“Kuh, ugh─”

“Oh no. I haven’t stated my other price yet.”

Apollo had offered me a slave contract as payment.

If it’s a weight like that, I should be able to offer anything as a counter.

Naturally, with this I could milk anything I want from Apollo, but—

“Apologize.”

—I chose a different path.

I don’t particularly care for payment for myself.

It’s more than that.

“Wh-what…? How dare you, to whom… Gack!”

“Looks like you still have some room for another answer.”

For all the other guys who’ve been tormented by Apollo so far, this should be enough.

Whoosh!

The flames surge in intensity.

My hand, almost searing, grips his collar, as if ready to cook his flesh.

I say clearly,

“Apologize. Figure out for yourself who you need to say it to.”

“Wh-what… Krrk!”

“Or die if you don’t want to.”

Sizzle!

His leather armor melts.

The blazing inferno engulfs him, and Apollo screams.

Probably thinking it inside his head,

Who the hell he needs to apologize to.

Considering the endless shit he’s pulled, it’s more than enough.

…Who I’m specifically talking about, even dumbass Apollo can figure that out.

“To her, I apologize…! So please…!”

“It’s over.”

*Thud!*

I let go of the collar I was gripping.

Apollo crashes to the floor, gasping for air.

It’s over.

The wounds we inflicted on each other are about the same.

But the mindsets are different.

I’m prepared to fight to the end.

And Apollo’s already lost his will.

“…”

*Grind-*

Apollo grinds his teeth.

A reality he can’t possibly accept.

The fact he lost to the lowlife he’s been ignoring.

Even so.

“I… I lost…”

He has to admit it.

“Yeah.”

I nod.

Then I look around.

– He won! Herak won!

– Woah, am I really here for this historical moment? Am I gonna be in the papers?

– Fuck… That was insane. Holy shit.

Every single gaze directed at me is filled with shock.

There was even a sense of awe mixed in.

The feeling you get when you encounter an unfathomable superhuman.

I realized it, and chuckled.

Should I do some kind of ceremony?

I raise my arm.

Like a hero who won a battle, declaring victory.

I thrust my right arm into the sky and said,

“My victory.”

…And then I passed out cold.

Well, I did lose a lot of blood. Hmm.