This World Needs a Hero

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[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

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Abandoned correctional facility bathed in dim moonlight.

A few initiates and uninvited guests, along with the adversary Ravias, watched, Luke Selsood walked slowly forward.

Thunk-

The sound of a sword falling from his hand.

Ravias’ expression twisted slightly.

But the boy paid no mind and reached out his hand towards the sword stuck in the ground.

Clang-

As the black steel rose into the air with a heavy sound.

Different reactions followed.

“…A sword?”

“He’s suddenly wielding a sword?”

The guild employees were surprised.

Flail was Ravias’ symbolic weapon, passed down through generations.

[TL/N: Pretty sure it was a sword, idk why suddenly a staff is mentioned??]

[PR/N: The pyeongon is a nunchaku-like weapon used by the Joseon army, inspired by a farmer’s flail. In the West, it’s known as a two-section staff.]

But suddenly, a sword.

Considering Dellum’s fate of life and death, wielding an unfamiliar weapon, even if it was the ‘Black Hope,’ touted as the strongest artifact, was reckless.

The children were equally surprised.

Their reactions were a mixture of anticipation and concern.

“…A sword?”

“It might be better than facing them with the same weapon.”

“Yeah, since he’s already injured, might as well give it a try.”

“Please…”

The children knew best how diligently Luke had dedicated himself to swordsmanship, despite the short training period.

But because the training period was so short, they expressed concern.

They looked to Leciel, who had helped Luke’s training the most, as if seeking reassurance.

Fortunately, she was looking down at the training ground with a not-too-dark expression.

‘Certainly… Luke is more talented in swordsmanship than with Flail.’

It was almost questionable why they had relied on Flail until now.

Moreover…

‘…It seems like he’s even gained Severance.’

The unidentified power manifested from Luke’s left hand, severing Ravias’ wrist.

That was definitely Severance.

Leciel narrowed her eyes.

‘Why has he already gained ownership of the Severance….’

What was most puzzling was that the manifestation was completely different from that of the Demonic Church Leader ‘Kalende.’

The movement, distribution, and emission of power.

The sensation in the sequence was compared to Kalende more similar to…

‘Similar to Grandma.’

The power of intent emitted by Luke was remarkably refined and sophisticated.

‘…Did Grandma teach him? At the request of the professor?’

Leciel let out a light sigh.

‘Anyway… Be strong, Luke.’

Just because he gained the power of Severance didn’t mean this fight became easy.

Ravias was not a foe to be underestimated.

Leciel looked back at the training ground.

.

.

.

“A sword.”

A sneer lingered on Ravias’ lips as he looked at Luke holding the sword.

Before he knew it, the bleeding from his wrist had stopped.

The pain also subsided, thanks to his madness.

However, his expression seemed somewhat more discontented.

Ravias glanced at the fallen Flail on the ground and muttered fiercely.

“Were you trying to erase all traces of this father?”

Luke chuckled.

“I’ve been curious for a long time.”

Whoom-

The Black Hope pointed at Ravias.

“How dare you call yourself father?”

Father.

In his childhood, Luke thought ‘father’ was someone like Ravias.

A being with a cruel expression and ruthless gaze.

A being who wielded reprimands and threats as easily as eating.

To him, children were merely tools for manipulation and transactions.

But it turned out there were many great fathers in the world.

Not to mention the ordinary peasant whom even Ravias scorned, who cherished and protected his offspring above all else.

He sacrificed his life not out of fear and pain, but to provide love and security.

Though he was just a father in name, Ravias had never fulfilled such a role even once.

It was someone else who had given Luke such things.

Ravias shook his head.

“You fool.”

“What?”

In that moment.

Ravias lowered his center of gravity and rushed towards Luke.

A rush reminiscent of a beast.

With just one arm, he struck with an incredible force.

Crash-!

Thus, the clash between Flail and the sword continued cautiously several times.

Ravias looked at Luke, who displayed the swordsmanship of a hero, and began to laugh.

“So, are you planning to find a new father?”

“What?”

“Are you saying that the Hero will accept you as an adoptive son, in addition to his disciple?”

“Shut up.”

“Innocent. Think carefully if that’s a position suitable for you.”

Despite having his wrist severed, there was no sign of anxiety on Ravias.

Ravias was already confident of victory.

It was thanks to Luke laying down Flail.

‘With just a year of learning swordsmanship, he couldn’t possibly oppose me.’

In fact, if Luke had only the skill level of Leciel, the course of the battle would have been even more intense.

If Leciel, accustomed to handling intent, were to use Severance, she wouldn’t be confined to the framework of ‘swinging or thrusting’ but could use Severance freely.

For example, launching the blades of Severance or creating them in the air.

But for Luke, such methods of operation were still difficult, and he could only use Severance as a kind of ‘intangible sword.’

‘…It means creating and then grasping it, then swinging it.’

Therefore, hitting the target was not easy.

He didn’t know when he would be hit before he knew about such abilities.

If he kept his guard up, the chances of being hit by the blades of Severance again were low.

Clang-!

Having regained composure, Ravias began to circle around Luke, unfolding a reconnaissance.

Luke wielded the Black Hope in response.

The admonition of the hero echoed in his mind.

“Forget about Severance after causing injury.”

Luke was surprised by the unexpected words and asked,

“…What?”

“Three weeks is too short a time to become accustomed to handling the power of intent. Hastily trying to use Severance will only expose vulnerabilities.”

“But…”

“It’s okay. Even if you forget about Severance, Ravias won’t.”

Luke immediately understood the meaning of the hero’s words.

“Ravias thinks he can exploit your vulnerability just by ‘reloading.'”

Just the fact that he has Severance restricts Ravias’ actions in battle.

“You’ll realize when you ‘need to remember Severance’ again.”

It was the moment when Luke recalled the hero’s last words.

Whoom-!

Flail approached Luke with dozens of variations.

The sound of chain striking fiercely against his ears.

The hallucination of the mace’s illusion filled his vision.

Whoom-

Luke immediately used Felson’s martial technique to detect the core between reality and illusion and barely avoided it.

It was the moment when Ravias’ confident expression, convinced of landing an effective blow, subtly stiffened.

“…Ha! Grappling techniques.”

It was the moment when the stepson, who had been taught everything from one to ten, confronted him with another person’s skill.

To Ravias, this fact provoked strong resentment and anger.

Crash-!

Ravias inserted his foreleg into Luke’s torso and shouted,

“You…!”

“Ugh-!”

“I was born and raised as a mercenary.”

Ravias’ martial technique invoked anger and madness.

With his movements becoming faster and faster, Luke was busy avoiding and blocking, unable to counterattack.

“You sold your pride and conscience for money. Forgot about dignity and honor and rolled in the battlefield like a worm!”

“Ugh!”

“Do you dream of being a hero like that!”

The one-sided attack continued.

Meanwhile, Ravias’ expression only grew more demonic.

‘Why….’

Luke’s body was battered.

It was because he had endured many effective blows since the beginning of Dellum.

The pain was considerable.

However, since Luke wielded the Black Hope, he hadn’t used Ravias’ martial technique at all.

He fought only with the hero’s swordsmanship and Feelson’s martial technique.

…As if erasing all traces left by Ravias.

“You hypocritical piece of shit.”

Ravias sneered like that.

He claimed the Empire artificially created idols to incite people’s heroism.

So, Luke wanted to come to Rosenstark to confirm.

Whether he was really such a great person.

Or just an idol created by Ravias’ words.

‘…He was really that person.’

The salvation Luke received at that moment was difficult to explain.

It was also the first time he felt such a strong desire.

‘I want to become like that person.’

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[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

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Looking at Ravias, an emotion he had never felt before surged within him.

Luke murmured quietly.

“…Yes, I’ve come a long way.”

He wielded the hero’s sword, confronting his own past.

As he realized this fact, the fear and pain that had enveloped him since the beginning of Dellum gradually began to fade away.

“I’m moving forward… I’m improving.”

Suddenly, Luke remembered the question he had thrown to the hero at the drinking table.

“Can someone like me… live as splendidly as the professor… or the other friends?”

That answer led him here.

Kwaaang-!

Luke intercepted the flying Flail with his sword.

“Have you already given up!?”

The two staggered back.

One step from Ravias.

But Luke retreated four steps.

Yet, Ravias seemed somewhat anxious.

‘…What is it?’

Due to numerous combat experiences, Ravias possessed exceptional analytical skills.

Therefore, he was even more confident of victory.

Swordsmanship learned in just a year.

No matter how talented Luke was, he believed that after a few exchanges, the underlying truth would be revealed.

But why?

Luke was holding off the attacks.

‘It doesn’t make sense.’

Quietly recalling the image of the person he admired and idolized the most in his mind.

Thus, he was deflecting each of Ravias’ strikes.

Ravias, as if determined, opened his eyes wide.

‘…Continuing like this will be disadvantageous.’

The wrist injury was the problem.

Even if he staunchly applied pressure, it was still a severed limb.

With his left hand completely incapacitated, his attacks would become predictable, and if Luke managed to land a blow on his upper body…

‘I need to end this quickly before other variables arise.’

Wuuuuung-

As his martial technique reached its climax, its destructive power was maximized.

‘…His body condition isn’t normal either. Engaging in a firepower battle is the best option.’

Ravias’ eyes gradually clouded over.

The frenzy spreading like flames completely engulfed him.

In fact, it wasn’t a wrong judgment.

The more his martial technique intensified, the more it pushed his physical abilities to extremes.

‘As soon as I sense the intent, I must react immediately.’

He had already pioneered to the extent of sensing intent.

With the explosive increase in physical abilities he had now, he should be able to react sufficiently to dodge the intent of the sword.

“It’s over!”

Ravias, having completed all calculations, immediately detonated the mana throughout his body.

‘Now!’

It was at that moment when Luke poured all the mana he had into the Black Hope.

Brief screams erupted from the onlookers’ mouths.

“Why?”

“Foolhardy!”

The opponent was gaining momentum.

Normally, Luke would have missed the attack or focused on defense to seize an opportunity.

But a head-on confrontation.

It was too bold a challenge in a situation with such a severe disparity in strength.

Even Leciel’s face contorted.

“You’re arrogant!”

Elation spread across Ravias’ face.

‘It’s a chance for a reversal!’

The baptism of victory.

It wasn’t an exaggeration that pouring out all mana would lead to a contest of stamina.

The loser would suffer severe injuries.

Whether it was a severed limb or not, it didn’t matter.

“No!”

At the moment when the children, who had forgotten they were watching, let out cries, a clash ensued.

Kwaaaang-!

Flail and the Black Hope collided.

To everyone’s surprise, upon impact, the mana surrounding Luke shattered into pieces.

The Black Hope quickly lost its light.

If it had been any other weapon, it would have shattered into fragments immediately.

In recoil, the boy knelt, blood trickling from his mouth.

Even from his torn grip, fresh blood flowed.

It was a critical injury that required immediate transfer to the infirmary.

“……”

…The outcome of the match was decided in an instant.

Considering the tense atmosphere that had prevailed, the shock was even greater.

A cold silence descended.

“Oh, no….”

“Luke! Get up!”

The children looked with shocked eyes at Luke, who was kneeling, and at Ravias standing tall in front of him.

Evergreen rushed towards the battlefield, howling, only to be stopped.

The unexpected figure to intervene was at that moment.

“…It’s over.”

With arms crossed, the Hero stood motionless.

In contrast to the fact that he had just witnessed the death of his disciple, his demeanor was remarkably calm, which brought the children back to their senses.

Simultaneously, stifled groans echoed from the ground.

Click-

It was from Ravias.

Tsutsutsutsu-

With blurred eyes, he looked at the wound that started from his chest and extended to his abdomen.

“How…?”

Surprisingly, the answer came from the hidden corners where the children were hiding.

Leciel muttered with admiration.

“He deliberately concealed the edge of intent beneath his attacks with intense gestures.”

Intentionally drawing all the mana into the Black Hope, he layered the edge of intent within it.

Normally, Ravias would have seen through this deception at once, but he was already engulfed in madness, fiercely attacking and defending with all his might.

It was impossible for him to react to the second overlapping edge of intent when he became aware of its presence.

“Huk…”

Ravias fell to the ground, clutching the wound.

Luke looked at him through his blurry vision.

Ravias desperately tried to block the torn part of the wound.

This was a scene he had never imagined.

‘…Did I win?’

Luke slowly stood up, his breath steady.

It didn’t even feel real.

And it wasn’t as joyous as he had thought.

It just felt unfamiliar to be in this position, looking down at Ravias.

Likewise, it would be unfamiliar for Ravias to look up at him.

It was a situation neither of them had experienced before.

“Kuluk.”

Ravias looked at Luke, coughing up blood.

When their eyes met, Luke remembered the words he had to say.

With a grimace, he spoke each word as if chewing them.

“You made me cut down people like family to me.”

Ravias sneered.

“That’s right.”

“You made me see the blood of innocent people.”

It was a suppressed groan of a sentence.

A faint resentment settled on Luke’s face.

“…Because of you, I lived like trash in a dustbin.”

“That’s right, you became that kind of person. And you’ll continue to live like that.”

“No.”

Luke raised the Black Hope.

Ravias scoffed at his appearance.

“Hehe, I see. You’re enjoying the feeling of being a hero who defeated the villain.”

Luke raised his head expressionlessly.

“A hero… I’m not even aiming for that.”

Ravias’ eyebrows twitched.

“I’m just going to become a better person.”

Underneath Ravias, desire was suppressed.

Luke tightened his grip on the hilt, remembering the answer the hero had given him.

“As long as there is a heart that wants to move forward and improve, humans are no different from stars. Sometimes, clouds may obscure their brilliance. But the fact that they shine remains unchanged.”

“……”

“Luke, you will become a good person.”

The boy lowered his sword.

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[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

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