The Academy’s Doomed Young Lord Dies Ten Thousand Times

Chapter 26 - Gargoyle Subjugation (2)

Possibility. How long had it been since I had heard that word?

Yuna recalled the time she received the recommendation letter for the academy. The moment she received the letter, enclosed with a note from an unknown sender.

Just thinking about it still made her heart pound.

What had been the trigger? Many things came to mind. Yuna had always been exceptionally athletic and strong, and because she took great interest in others (or was rather meddlesome), she often got involved in the various commotions in her village.

And those commotions were always resolved by Yuna's abilities.

Such experiences of success amplified Yuna's confidence. And Yuna could feel it instinctively. Her talent was a gift from heaven.

Upon receiving the recommendation letter, Yuna had a vague thought. I don't know for sure, but maybe someone saw the incidents I resolved and recognized my abilities?

The letter vaguely stated, ‘Through a chance encounter, I came to know of the outstanding potential Ms. Yuna possesses,’ so she couldn't know the exact reason.

Although Yuna had little interest in the affairs of noble families or the lives of the upper class, she had heard of Archenia Academy's reputation.

An educational institution that trains knights to protect the continent, a gateway to success where graduates, even if they didn't become knights, were eagerly sought after everywhere.

To think she would be admitted to such a place, and by recommendation at that! It was something that made her heart pound even now.

Although, the blacksmith, Grandpa Duit, who had picked her up from the back alleys and raised her, had seemed none too pleased.

Yuna had no doubt that her admission to the academy was the first chapter of the legend she was about to write. At this point, Yuna's confidence had reached its peak.

...But, after that, it was all downhill.

Yuna had suffered a bitter defeat in the entrance examination. 752nd out of 800. Archenia Academy was not as easy as its reputation suggested.

Of course, thinking about it objectively, it was a remarkable feat for Yuna, who had no prior experience, to have surpassed 48 others.

However, there was no one by Yuna's side to remind her of that fact.

What she felt was a self-awareness of her own shabby skills, the label of being a commoner without connections, and the condescending gazes that came as a result of being a poor student.

It wasn't that she was particularly discouraged. Yuna wasn't that weak-willed.

Rather, the desire to give the ones looking down on her a piece of her mind was stronger.

...However, how was she to surpass those who had likely trained for ten years more than her... that path seemed a bit daunting, it was true.

Perhaps she might have thought so.

‘Maybe I’m not that outstanding.’

And that's when the boy approached her.

A boy with a slightly, no, a considerably gloomy and dark impression... but who, frankly, was right in her strike zone.

It was only for a week, but it was a grueling training. Yet, he didn't let her neglect her studies either. It was hard to tell if he was a classmate or her supervising teacher.

It was harsh training and studying, something she was not used to. The only time she could rest easy for a week was the short period when she went to bed, and it was a continuous life of falling asleep as if fainting from exhaustion every day.

She wanted to give up. She wanted to quit.

She had never lived like this before, and it was even more so due to Yuna's nature of being unable to tolerate restlessness.

In fact, even looking at it objectively, the amount of training Rain prescribed was excessive.

If one were to consider simple efficiency, the series of training sessions was certainly correct, but considering Yuna had just stepped into the world of training, it was right to increase the intensity step by step.

It was only right to give up on this week's training, both personally and objectively. But, she couldn't.

She didn't know why. She just vaguely felt that she didn't want to.

***

I felt the heat of the blazing flames around me. I had used 『Moment of Decisive Battle』 to momentarily increase my magic stat as much as possible to resist the flames, but since my base magic was only F+, even after using the skill, my magic stat was merely C.

Crackle- Crackle.

[ Strength: D- → B ]

[ Agility: C+ → A ]

[ Stamina: D- → B ]

[ Intellect: B → A ]

[ Magic: F+ → C ]

[ Dexterity: B+ → A+ ]

That meant that taking the beast's breath head-on was no longer possible.

I had already squeezed out all the magic in my body.

On the other hand, the Gargoyle had a composite stat of B+, a formidable foe on the level of a high-ranking Regular Knight.

By expending all my magic, I was able to split the flames this one time, but there would be no next time.

Though, since my agility was now A-rank, I wouldn't have to face its breath head-on anymore anyway.

I slowly turned my head and looked back. There, Yuna, who had her eyes tightly shut, had just opened them.

"You, how...?"

Yuna seemed confused, seeing me suddenly become stronger and blocking the attack for her... but there was no time to explain everything.

"One minute."

"Huh, what?"

"One minute. That's how long I can overwhelm the Gargoyle. I'll try to hold out for that long, so please regroup."

"W-wait. I-!"

Yuna seemed to want to say more to me, but there was no time to continue the conversation.

[ Time Remaining: 51.49 ]

The time for 『Moment of Decisive Battle』 was already ticking away.

Thud-!

I leaped from my spot and charged towards the Gargoyle.

It was preparing to swing its trident as per its pattern, but... I was already familiar with all of its patterns.

During the entrance examination, although I was ultimately eliminated, holding out as long as possible in the 9th stage to familiarize myself with the Gargoyle's patterns had been a great help.

Fwaat!

I dashed forward at an explosive speed and got behind the Gargoyle as it swung its trident.

The attack the Gargoyle had prepared for, futilely cut through nothing but my afterimage.

Whoosh-!

And then.

Slash-!

I once again carved a sword strike into the back of its head.

Graaaaaaah-!

The Gargoyle's pained roar ringing in my ears was quite piercing, but there was no time to falter.

Slice-!

*Shhhk-.

Slash-!

I raised my sword again and, in an instant, landed three attacks on the Gargoyle.

[ Time Remaining: 45.32 ]

I had to press on. Before using 『Moment of Decisive Battle』, despite having the advantages of B+ dexterity, A-rank swordsmanship proficiency, and a precise understanding of the opponent, I could barely hold on due to my poor physical specs, but...

For the one minute I used 『Moment of Decisive Battle』, I could overwhelm the Gargoyle.

However, even if I gained the combat power to clearly overwhelm the Gargoyle for a minute, and though I could land effective hits, it would be impossible to subjugate the Gargoyle within that time.

To achieve subjugation, I would probably need to fight with these stats for at least 10 minutes.

The reason lay in the matchup between me and the Gargoyle. The Gargoyle's composite stat was B+, but that didn't mean all its stats were B+.

As its massive size proved, it was a monster with relatively low agility at B and relatively high stamina at A. In other words, it was an enemy that had to be pushed back by continuously projecting powerful firepower.

That was why the manual recommended a multi-person subjugation, which could increase the absolute amount of firepower, rather than a solo one.

My agility, after using 『Moment of Decisive Battle』, reached A, so I could attack it one-sidedly. But my strength was only B, and my magic was even C... so my firepower was absolutely lacking.

It could be called a blind spot in my combat style, which was specialized for interpersonal combat.

Fwoosh-!

As the Gargoyle spewed its breath once more, I leaped from my spot again.

Fwaat-!

And, I carved another sword strike.

Shhhk-!

But from the beginning, what was required of me in this battle wasn't immense firepower; Yuna would take care of that.

Yes, I firmly believed that Yuna would overcome her frustration, that she would spread her wings and soar.

***

Yuna's mind was still filled with a confusion as thick as dark clouds. There were many reasons.

Being crushed by the pressure emanating from the Gargoyle was one reason, and self-reproach for her own immaturity was another.

Rain's sudden, drastic increase in ability was, of course, another factor that added to the confusion.

She had heard his magic stat was close to F, so how did he block the flames that even she had struggled with?

Besides that, how did his speed and attack power increase so explosively? Had he been hiding his strength? Such were the questions.

However, among all those factors, the one that stirred her mind the most was... the image of Rain's back, still lingering before her eyes.

The flames that flickered precariously on the left and right, as if split in half, the soot-stained sword from parting those flames, and... that back, which looked as if it could shatter at any moment, yet stood firm against the enemy.

‘...I can't be like this, I have to get a grip.’

Slap. Yuna raised her hands and slapped her own cheeks. Then she looked at the Gargoyle—and at Rain, who was fighting it.

But her reason still told her so.

That she could do nothing.

The current Yuna was clearly a non-combatant. Her only advantage, her mana, was depleted, and even if she were in perfect condition, she would be knocked out by a few breaths from the Gargoyle.

Nevertheless, Yuna stood up.

And she remembered.

-I just saw your potential. I felt that you would become the strongest in this class. Perhaps, you might even become the strongest person in the academy.

The words of a boy who seemed somewhat dark and gloomy, but who marched straight towards his goal.

The boy himself might have said it casually without much thought, but it was a phrase that she couldn't erase from her mind.

This series of thoughts wasn't escapism or a convenient luxury.

Yuna's intuition, the intuition that had always pointed her to the right path, was instructing her to continue this thought.

The more she thought about it, the more absurd the boy's words seemed.

Especially since they were said to Yuna, a stranger who was at the bottom of the academy—close to being a failing student.

Yuna could have asked back, what do you know about me? She could have cut off his approaches with much suspicion.

Perhaps he was sweet-talking her to use her for something bad.

Yuna still knew nothing about the thoughts Rain held.

And that was natural, as the days Yuna and Rain had spent together were merely seven.

But there was something Yuna could feel even during those short days. She could pride herself that her intuition was sharper than anyone else's in this world.

It was the fact that there was no falsehood, no sinister scheme in the boy's attitude towards her.

"...He really had expectations for me."

Now she understood.

The reason Yuna couldn't quit the harsh training, and couldn't stop facing the Gargoyle, was because of the unconditional trust and expectations Rain had sent her way.

Yuna can do it. She didn't want to betray that trust. She didn't want to let down those expectations.

That's why she didn't give up.

"That guy, he believed that I would naturally overcome this."

She wanted to repay his expectations. Yuna could only realize that simple reason now.

And a hero is one who repays expectations.

When she reached the answer to that deliberation. Yuna had definitely taken another step closer to the existence of a hero, to the existence of a ‘protagonist’ in this world.

Though she herself couldn't accurately feel that progress.

And at that moment.

*Flutter-.

It was a feather.

A beautiful feather, made of pure white light that shone brilliantly and immaculately.

The feather appeared suddenly, without any warning, and entered Yuna's field of vision.

"...A feather?"

*Fizzle-.

The feather, floating in the air, soon turned into particles of light and disappeared, but its beautiful form forced Yuna to focus her gaze and consciousness on it.

And after the feather disappeared.

Yuna, whose consciousness returned to reality, realized that a single wing made of light had sprouted on her back at some point.

The wing was so small compared to Yuna's body that it was shabby, and even then, there was only one.

Such features would have been enough to make an observer wonder if it was really a wing.

But it was unequivocally a wing.

The path of a hero. It was a wing—that would allow the girl, who had unknowingly reached the entrance to that path, to soar far into the distance.