Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate! - Chapter 36

Chapter 36: Shadow of the Past Chapter 36: Shadow of the Past The stares I received today were different-much colder than the ones yesterday.

People avoided me as though I carried some invisible plague.

The only person who spoke to me was my roommate, Marius.

We walked together down the hallway toward our classroom.

This feeling…

I’ve felt it before.

Ah…

now I remember.

This is the same as being bullied and ostracized.

It’s just like what happened back in high school on Earth, I thought bitterly.

Back then, rumors started circulating that I came from a broken home and that my mother was…

not an honorable woman.

Hearing those things enraged me.

I couldn’t let it slide, so I began searching for the source of the gossip.

Eventually, I found the culprit-a lackey of the bullies I had fought before when they were bothering my big brother, Naki.

He had escaped punishment and remained at the school.

When he found out that I, Naki’s brother, was attending the same school, he spread those lies as revenge.

I snapped.

I confronted him and beat him so badly that he passed out.

I thought that would put an end to it, but instead, the rumors only escalated.

Now, they labeled me as a short-tempered and violent lunatic.

The torment didn’t stop during my entire first year of high school.

It drained me to the point where I seriously considered quitting school altogether.

“Should I just start working instead?

At least I could earn money sooner,” I mused while eating lunch alone on the rooftop, my thoughts heavy and bitter.

That’s when someone unexpected approached me.

“Hey, whatcha doing?

Having lunch?

Whoa, share some with me!” His boldness caught me off guard, but somehow, it didn’t feel annoying.

I handed him part of my lunch, and he sat down beside me, grinning.

His name was Mamoru.

A big guy with an easygoing personality, he didn’t hold back his words and was always cracking jokes.

His laughter was contagious, and he didn’t hesitate to scold anyone who dared gossip about me.

Mamoru became my first real friend in high school.

We ended up in the same class all three years, and over time, his presence helped me build connections with others.

Slowly, life in high school didn’t seem so bad anymore.

By the time graduation rolled around, I felt like I had finally found my place.

But the day that should have been the happiest moment of my high school life turned into the worst.

On the morning of the graduation ceremony, news spread that Mamoru had died in a traffic accident on his way to school.

I couldn’t believe it.

I didn’t want to believe it.

The day that was supposed to mark a new beginning became a living nightmare.

I couldn’t stop crying over his loss, and even attending his funeral felt unbearable.

Still, I forced myself to go, trying to come to terms with the reality of it all.

But no matter how hard I tried to move on, I never truly could.

I lost my one and only best friend.

That loss left a scar so deep that I developed a hatred for the idea of high school, academies, or anything similar.

I vowed never to let myself have a best friend again-it was too painful.

Even in college, I remained a loner, deliberately keeping my distance from others.

I didn’t want to risk forming another bond only to lose it again.

That kind of pain…

it’s unbearable.

…

In this new world, Marius reminds me so much of Mamoru.

It’s uncanny-his demeanor, his easygoing nature, even the way he tries to talk to me all the time.

At first, I didn’t want to get too close to him.

I had sworn not to make another best friend, not after what happened.

Losing Mamoru was a pain I never wanted to feel again.

But avoiding Marius proved difficult, especially since we were roommates and he was naturally friendly.

In the end, I decided to let it be.

Maybe keeping some distance wasn’t the answer.

Still, there was one thing I was sure of: this bullying and ostracization weren’t just my burden.

It would inevitably affect those close to me.

I couldn’t let that happen-not to Marius, Lyra, or Freya.

Suddenly, Envi spoke up in my mind, offering words of reassurance.

It was rare for the system to be so kind.

Normally, it would be teasing or mocking me.

I couldn’t help but smile faintly.

When I arrived in class, the atmosphere was no different from the hallways.

Whispers followed me like a shadow, and the other students kept their distance, as though I was some kind of outcast.

At the corner of the classroom, Kael was seated with his usual smug expression, letting out a low, mocking laugh.

His cronies surrounded him, feeding off his arrogance.

Lyra and Freya leaned in to tell me something in hushed tones.

“It’s Kael and his lackeys,” Lyra said, glancing toward him.

“They’re the ones spreading those nasty rumors about you.” Freya nodded in agreement, her eyes narrowed.

“He must be trying to get back at you for what happened yesterday.” I sighed inwardly.

Of course, he wouldn’t let it go.

People like Kael never did.

Morning lessons passed uneventfully, though the tension in the classroom was palpable.

When lunch break came, Marius, Lyra, Freya, and I decided to head to the academy canteen together.

The moment we sat down with our trays, I felt a looming presence.

Kael.

He strutted over with three of his strongest cronies, all of them from Class A.

They stood behind him, glaring down at us like predators circling their prey.

Kael wasted no time teasing us.

His words were sharp and biting, dripping with malice.

At first, I tried to ignore him.

I thought if I avoided escalating things, he might get bored and leave.

But then, Kael shifted his attention to my friends.

He began mocking Marius, ridiculing Freya, and then…

He grabbed Lyra’s hand.

My patience snapped.

“Enough!” I said, rising to my feet.

My voice was sharp and firm, cutting through the noise of the canteen.

“Let go of her and stop harassing us.” Kael’s smug grin twisted into a scowl.

“What did you just say to me, you useless Hero?” I didn’t back down.

“You heard me.

Let her go.” Kael sneered and released Lyra’s hand, only to draw his weapon-a gleaming longsword.

His cronies followed suit, pulling out their weapons as well.

The air grew heavy with hostility.

I reached for my katana, ready to fight, but before things could spiral out of control, a familiar voice cut through the tension.

“Stop this at once!” It was Luna von Solarblade, our class representative.

She marched over, her golden hair practically glowing as she glared at Kael.

“This is the academy canteen, not a battlefield.

If you want to fight, do it properly-in the dueling coliseum,” Luna declared.

I took a deep breath and nodded.

“Fine by me.

Luna, will you be the witness for our duel?” Kael grinned, baring his teeth.

“A duel, huh?

Alright, but if I win, you will admit that you used cheating to get back into this academy, and also if you lose then hand over Lyra to me.” Kael said that with a sly face, His words made my blood boil, but I kept my composure.

“And if I win,” I said, my voice steady, “you will stand in front of the entire student body, shirtless, and publicly admit that the rumors you spread about me were lies.” Kael’s cronies bristled with anger.

“What did you just say, you little-” “Calm down,” Kael said, holding up a hand to silence them.

His grin returned, more sinister than before.

“Fine.

But don’t cry when you lose, Failed Hero.” I smirked.

“Actually, I’ll make this even more interesting.

I’ll take all of you on at once.” The canteen erupted in laughter.

Kael and his cronies laughed the loudest, their voices echoing through the room.

“You?

Against all of us?” one of them sneered.

“You must have a death wish.” “Maybe,” I said calmly, “but don’t forget-I might just take you all down with me.” Kael’s grin faltered for a moment, but he quickly masked it with bravado.

“Fine.

We’ll see how long you last.” The duel was scheduled to take place in the academy’s dueling coliseum later that afternoon.

Word spread like wildfire, and by the time we arrived, the stands were packed with students.

Most of them weren’t there to cheer me on.

“Get lost, loser!” “You don’t belong here!” The jeers and insults were relentless.

I could feel their disdain like daggers stabbing into my back.

But I didn’t let it show.

I kept my head high as I stepped into the arena, my katana in hand.

Luna stood at the center as the appointed referee.

“This duel will be conducted under academy rules,” she announced, her voice ringing loud and clear.

“It will end when one side concedes or is unable to continue.” Kael and his five lackeys stood across from me, grinning confidently.

They were armed to the teeth, each of them exuding an aura of strength.

“Hope you’re ready to embarrass yourself, ‘Hero,'” Kael taunted.

I ignored him, focusing on my breathing.

I’ve faced worse odds than this, I told myself.

This is nothing.

When the duel was about to start, a quest suddenly appeared: —- [!!!NOTIFICATION!!!] You got a Quest!

Quest: Defeat Kael and his five friends and humiliate them.

Reward: 20 Goddess Points.

Penalty: You and your friends will be exiled to the academy forever.

—- Seeing the quest made me smile slyly, I was even more excited to defeat them.

….

….

CREATORS’ THOUGHTS NAVIRUNAVIII Hello readers!

I need your help.

I didn’t make enough money last month.

I hope this volume will bring me good luck.

I have to keep my spirits up to finish this novel.

Even if I don’t get any money I think it’s okay, as long as I can finish this novel.