NOVEL WEB Chapter 286
I’ve always had confidence in my sturdy body.
No matter how much I rolled around and bumped into things, I didn’t get a single scratch, so I figured it out to some extent.
But the decisive moment came when I fell off a cliff.
During the march in the rookie training, there was one guy who kept falling behind.
As the squad leader back then, I couldn’t just watch, so I started carrying him on my back.
My vitality was far superior to others, so there was no major difficulty keeping pace.
However, the problem was the bridge made of ice.
While all my squad members crossed quietly, I had no choice but to step forward with my fainted comrade on my back.
And then *crack*.
With a chilling sound, the bridge collapsed, and I was thrown across, plummeting downward.
Since it was a gap that seemed endless, I naturally thought I would die.
So, when I woke up in a fairly intact condition, I was quite surprised.
To fall from that height and only break one leg is practically unscathed.
As soon as I finished some simple first aid, I began my climb.
About two days, maybe more, went by.
Finally, I made contact with someone.
It was the rescue team that came down from above, meeting me in the middle.
After a grueling six hours of climbing, I barely managed to reunite with my comrades.
No one believed that it took me two days to reach the rendezvous point.
Even if they did, they thought it took me that long because I hurt my leg.
But at that moment, I realized.
This body is a blessed one that wouldn’t even get a scratch from ordinary shocks.
“Hah. I think we need to completely revamp this barrier. The designer is, after all, the Majin chairwoman…”
“Professor.”
“Yes?”
“Is the Imperial University safe without me?”
“What do you mean by that?”
The senior professor’s eyes twisted.
It seemed like she was questioning whether I was joking.
“I’m terribly sorry. I think I need to go now.”
“Professor von Freust. Are you abandoning your duty?”
“Will you answer me, Professor? There’s a student in immediate danger right in front of you. He’s stronger than me, but if I leave him as is, he’ll surely die or suffer serious injuries. Should I go save that student, or should I stay here to protect the Imperial University?”
“…”
The senior professor closed her mouth.
Should I save several students from potential danger or save one student from a certain risk?
It was far from an easy question to answer.
“I’ve made my decision. Please take care of the Imperial University, Professor.”
*Thud*.
My hand came down on the desk.
When I opened my palm, a badge remained on the desk.
It was the emblem granted to professors of Freya Imperial University.
“I will now act not as an educator, but as Sergey von Freust.”
Having decided not to get involved in politics and the military as a former general, I chose to oppose only the monsters that directly threaten my students.
This blessed body has assured victories on every battlefield.
As my rank increased and medals began to pile on my chest, the sense of dissonance also gradually grew.
No matter how many fights I fought, there was never an end to the unrest.
In fact, it seemed to proliferate even more.
Killing fellow humans, elves, subhumans—I was filled with a sense of futility.
Was it possible that my very existence was creating wars?
That wasn’t strictly true, but it was also undeniable that the frequency of wars in the empire had sharply decreased since I retired from the military.
I had to distance myself from the battlefield.
While it would be impossible to create a world without conflict, if my absence could lessen the bloodshed, that would be sufficient.
However, the time had come to break that resolution.
“I wish you luck. Please take care of my foolish student, Sergey.”
“…”
A war to end wars.
This battle was tinged with that essence.
I instinctively felt that this might be my final war.
As I faced the unusually satisfied smile of the senior professor, I tightly grasped the hand she extended.
“Ugh?! It hurts! Sergey!”
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
*
“Draw your sword, Schlus Hainkel.”
Tiltitz’s fierce gaze shot toward me.
After all the surprise attacks from behind, now she expects me to wait until I draw my sword?
Was she planning to imitate a knight awkwardly?
“It seems you’re under a misunderstanding.”
“Draw your sword.”
“What’s with all this confidence coming into my home ground?”
*Kwah*…!
At that moment, a flash of light blasted behind me, as a pillar of flames whizzed right past me.
A warm sensation gripped my arms and side.
For some reason, it felt like déjà vu.
“Kuh…?!”
In the spot where the pillar of flames had passed, there was literally nothing left.
Buildings and roads melted away, leaving only a glowing red scar.
If I took a direct hit from that overwhelming firepower, neither I nor the Majin could guarantee our survival.
By now, Tiltitz and the Traveler had spread out on either side of the wide scar, assuming a combat stance, looking very tense.
“You know it’s a tough fight, right?”
“…!”
Why should I fight a 2-on-1?
There’s no need to engage disadvantageously from a strong position.
As I pulled out Vafe and charged at Tiltitz, the Traveler barreled toward my side, baring his teeth and targeting my ribs.
*Thud*!
“A barrier?!”
However, there was an intangible wall blocking us.
As soon as I slammed into it, swords surged in and shattered the barrier, but—
“It’s been a while, Teacher.”
“You…!”
I had enough time to stall.
The moment Trie’s sword rushed in, it narrowly grazed the Traveler’s neck.
It wasn’t just Trie that jumped in.
Hertlocker and the head of the royal guard joined in the assault, and I found it quite amusing to see the befuddled expression on the Traveler.
Erica and Aintz were hiding in the back, quietly providing support.
“Let’s move somewhere far from here.”
“Ugh!”
Putting momentum into my kick, I sent Tiltitz flying.
Now that I think about it, it was my first time facing off against another Majin since becoming one.
It seemed like Tiltitz was startled by my speed, as she didn’t manage to evade and had to raise her arms to guard.
Tiltitz’s new model bounced back as if hit by a car, crashing through a building.
With that, the front lines were separated.
The Traveler would be roasting with Trie, Hertlocker, the royal guards, and the magicians.
From this point on, I would focus solely on Tiltitz.
“Hey, wait! Schlus Hainkel! Are you serious?!”
“What? Your words are getting longer. Are you scared?”
“It’s not that—!”
Tiltitz staggered out from the crack in the wall.
Though she looked wide open, I quickly realized she was trying to lure my attack.
Tiltitz wasn’t foolish.
She wouldn’t charge at someone who already took her down in hand-to-hand combat using the same method.
Tiltitz still had cards she hadn’t played yet.
Durandal.
Although it seemed she had exhausted the power to tear dimensions, Durandal was still a powerful sword.
I couldn’t recklessly go all-in on “Selection and Concentration” until she played her final card.
“Leaving the likes of humans to handle a Majin? Are you out of your mind?”
“Like humans?”
“You’ve made a judgment more foolish than I expected. Certainly, if you and I fought 1-on-1, I would have no chance. But what about over there?”
“Cough…!”
“Can you hear that ruckus? By now, they’re probably dropping like flies. You’ve gained strength that surpasses what a mere human should possess, but at the core, you’re still human. Your weaknesses lie not with you but with those around you. If you were to lose all your beloved comrades, would you be able to show your true skills? A bit of vengeful spirit can be powerful, but when it becomes excessive, a human collapses. You’re no exception.”
“Kuh…!”
“Schlus Hainkel?”
“Ahahahaha!”
I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
It seemed this girl was thoroughly mistaken about her assumptions.
As I threw my head back and laughed for a while, Tiltitz stood frozen, seemingly too shocked to say anything.
“Hey, Tiltitz. There’s only one person I’ve never defeated in hand-to-hand combat since gaining Majin powers. Do you know who that is?”
“Who… is it?”
“It’s Trie. Trie, who learned swordsmanship from the Traveler.”
“That’s impossible.”
“That crazy person who beats Trie is Hertlocker.”
“Uh…?”
“And do you know how the madman died? He was ambushed by those guys. I was merely the one who happened to jump in last.”
“…”
Tiltitz’s expression gradually worsened.
The poker face that had shown no emotion had crumbled long ago.
“Do you understand the situation now? Instead of worrying about your enemies, shouldn’t you be concerned about the few remaining of your kind? Got it?”
“…”
If I converted my comrades’ abilities into levels, they’d be nearly max level by now.
Compared to the end of the original work, they surely wouldn’t be any less or even more powerful.
Therefore, it wouldn’t be Hertlocker and the others who were struggling now, but the Traveler.
There’s a limit to dealing with them with just an ordinary longsword.
“I understand.”
“…?”
At that moment, white smoke began to curl up from Tiltitz, who had bowed her head deeply.
I’d seen something similar before.
Right. It looked just like when a fanatic from Asylum self-destructed.
Sure enough, Tiltitz’s body began to heat up red.
“You mean if I don’t defeat you here, I have no chance of winning, right?”
“Ugh, what on earth…”
Clenching her crimson fist, Tiltitz prepared herself for combat.
The mana and mana energy overflowing from Tiltitz’s body soon engulfed the surroundings.
This is going to get insane.