Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate! - Chapter 37

Chapter 37: An Unbalanced Duel!

Chapter 37: An Unbalanced Duel!

—- [!!!NOTIFICATION!!!] Quest Received!

Quest: Defeat Kael and his five cronies, humiliating them.

Reward: 20 Goddess Points.

Penalty: You and your friends will be permanently exiled from the academy.

—- I accepted the quest without hesitation, a fire burning in my chest.

“This is your chance to teach those bastards a lesson, Nao!” Envi, my ever-sarcastic system, seemed unusually supportive for once.

“Hahaha, true.

Want to join the fun?

I’ll treat you to dessert afterward.” I teased him.

“I’ll take you up on that,” Envi replied with a sly grin that I could almost feel.

Luna, as the duel’s referee, asked us to finalize the duel contract.

Both parties agreed to the terms we’d set earlier, and with that, the match was on.

I glanced at the status screens of my opponents.

—- [STATUS] -Kael von Flamemore (Knight, Level 46) -Kane von Volg (Knight, Level 48) -Vincent von Burst (Knight, Level 48) -Leopold von Flamemore (Knight, Level 49) —- Seeing their levels, I felt a twinge of anxiety.

They were all stronger than me by raw stats alone.

Moreover, two of them shared noble surnames-Kael and Leopold were likely related.

But I couldn’t let that intimidate me.

I had a plan.

Kael sneered.

“What’s wrong?

Scared already?

Hah!

Let’s make this fair, then-we’ll take you on one at a time.

Not that it matters.

You’re still going down, Hero of Failure!” “Could you shut up, Kael?

Your laugh alone is enough to make everyone in the arena cringe.” A few chuckles erupted from the audience, though the jeering against me persisted.

Kael’s face contorted in rage.

“You’ll regret that, you-Kane!

Go first!” Kane, a muscular warrior wielding a large spear, stepped forward with a confident grin.

“Begin!” Luna declared.

Kane wasted no time, charging at me with a barrage of spear strikes.

His attacks were relentless, each thrust aiming for vital spots.

He used a skill that unleashed five rapid strikes in succession, the spear glowing faintly with energy.

But to my eyes, his movements were slow, almost sluggish.

“Is that all you’ve got?

A snail would be faster,” I taunted, dodging effortlessly.

Kane’s face turned red with anger.

“You cocky-take this!

!” The spear emitted a fiery red aura that resembled a dragon, surging toward me with immense force.

This attack was leagues above his earlier ones; if it hit, it could be fatal.

Still, I dodged every strike with precision, frustrating him further.

“Why won’t you stand still?

Coward!” Kane roared, his breathing heavy.

“Fine, if you insist,” I said with a smirk.

In a flash, I sidestepped behind him and delivered a swift kick to his rear.

“UGH!” Kane yelped as he was sent flying, landing face-first on the ground.

His backside remained comically raised, and I couldn’t resist kicking him again for good measure.

The crowd burst into laughter, while Kael’s face turned red with fury.

“KANE, YOU IDIOT!” The next opponent stepped forward: Vincent von Burst, a flamboyant noble who wielded a rapier.

His overly elegant demeanor and smug expression were enough to make my blood boil.

“Prepare to witness true grace and beauty, Failed Hero!

I am Vincent von Bur-” Before he could finish his pretentious introduction, I dashed forward and landed a clean uppercut to his jaw.

“UGH!” Vincent’s body soared into the air before crashing unceremoniously to the ground.

The audience gasped in shock, and even Kael looked stunned.

“Grace?

Beauty?

What nonsense,” I muttered, shaking my head.

“HAHAHA at least let him finish his sentence, you bastard!” I could hear Envi laughing out loud.

Vincent lay unconscious, his once-perfect expression now a drooling mess.

Next up was Leopold von Flamemore, Kael’s brother.

He stepped forward with a calm, almost disinterested demeanor, his long red hair tied neatly behind him.

He wielded a one-handed sword and immediately assumed a combat stance.

Without waiting for an invitation, I charged at him.

Our blades clashed, sending sparks flying.

Leopold’s skill was evident.

His movements were calculated, each strike flowing seamlessly into the next.

He unleashed a powerful technique: [Flamemore Swordsmanship, Second Form: Comet!] A fiery aura enveloped his blade as he leapt into the air, descending toward me with the force of a falling comet.

I braced myself, blocking the attack with my katana.

But something felt off.

Despite his impressive display, Leopold wasn’t fighting with full power.

His strikes lacked conviction, and his expression was one of boredom.

I parried his attack with [Blackmore Katana Style: Yanagi Uke], redirecting the force of his blade.

As he landed, I closed the distance and delivered a precise strike with the hilt of my katana to his abdomen.

He staggered slightly but didn’t fall.

Instead, he chuckled softly and whispered, “You caught me.

I’m too lazy for this.” With that, Leopold collapsed to the ground, feigning unconsciousness.

Kael’s face twisted into a mask of pure fury, a deep crimson coloring his cheeks as he stormed into the arena.

“YOU USELESS IDIOTS!

I’LL DEAL WITH HIM MYSELF!” he roared, unsheathing an enormous longsword.

Finally, I thought, gripping my katana tighter.

Kael’s weapon gleamed with a fiery brilliance.

It wasn’t just any ordinary sword-it was a magic relic.

The entire blade pulsed with flames, and its imposing presence was suffocating.

“This is Ignis, one of the treasured swords of the Flamemore family,” Kael announced smugly.

“With its power, I’ll reduce you to ash!” He charged at me like a raging inferno, his movements unrestrained yet devastatingly powerful.

I was forced to stay on the defensive, deflecting blow after fiery blow.

[Flamemore Magic Sword Release: Fire Slash!] Kael swung his sword, unleashing a massive wave of flames that roared toward me.

I barely dodged, the intense heat grazing my arm and searing my jacket.

“You’ve got some skill,” I said, smirking as I tried to mask the sting of the burn.

“But skill alone won’t be enough.” Kael growled, his attacks becoming wilder with every passing second.

Frustration was eating at him, clouding his judgment.

He gathered a tremendous amount of mana into his sword, roaring as he activated another technique: [Flamemore Magic Sword Release: Hellfire Crescent Slash!] Three crescent-shaped waves of fire tore through the air toward me.

Each slash radiated raw destructive force, enough to obliterate anyone caught in its path.

I clenched my teeth.

There was no room for error.

[Blackmore Katana Style: Nisshou Giri!] My katana shimmered with aura as I struck three precise, horizontal slashes to counter the crescents.

Each clash sent a shockwave through the arena, but my technique successfully neutralized his assault.

Kael froze, disbelief written all over his face.

“That…

that can’t be possible!” I didn’t waste the opening.

[Blackmore Katana Style: Kasoseki.] In an instant, my speed doubled.

Before Kael could react, I vanished from his sight and reappeared behind him.

“What-?!” I didn’t hold back.

A hard punch to his face staggered him, followed by a swift strike to his sword arm with the back of my blade, disarming him completely.

A low sweeping kick sent him sprawling to the ground.

Kael groaned, scrambling to get back up, but I pointed my katana at his throat, the cold steel halting him in place.

“Yield,” I commanded, my voice icy.

But Kael refused.

His pride wouldn’t let him accept defeat.

He struggled to his feet, battered and beaten, his eyes blazing with desperation.

“I-I can still fight!” he shouted, his voice cracking.

I sighed, glancing toward my friends in the stands.

They looked worried, their concern etched across their faces.

The distraction was enough for Kael to seize the moment.

With a burst of speed, he retrieved Ignis and funneled all his remaining mana into the sword.

The air around him crackled with energy, and the flames burned brighter than ever.

“You’re finished!” he bellowed, activating his ultimate technique.

[Flamemore Magic Sword Release: Ignis Strike!] A titanic wave of fire erupted from the blade, roaring toward me with devastating speed.

The sheer heat warped the air, and the ground beneath it melted into molten slag.

“Naoki-dono!

That attack can’t be blocked!

It’ll melt everything in its path!” Freya’s voice rang out from the stands, panic clear in her tone.

My stomach twisted.

There was no way to dodge without endangering the spectators behind me.

“Just dodge it, Nao!” Envi’s voice cut through my thoughts, his tone sharp and furious.

“Let those idiots take the hit.

They’ve been jeering at you the entire time anyway.

Let them deal with the consequences!” “No, Envi.” My grip tightened around my katana.

“If I’m going to be a hero, I have to protect them.

Even if they don’t deserve it.” Envi was silent for a moment before sighing.

“Fine.

Let’s do it your way.

We’ll use [Resonance] to counter it.” “Already thought of that.

Let’s try.” Kael’s inferno bore down on me, the heat searing my face even from a distance.

My heartbeat thundered in my ears, but I forced myself to focus.

I raised my katana horizontally in front of me, steadying my stance.

[Resonance.] Mana surged through my body as I activated the skill, channeling it into my blade.

The flames clashed against my katana, roaring with incredible intensity.

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to absorb the fiery magic, converting it into my own energy.

The strain was immense.

My arms trembled, and beads of sweat poured down my face.

But I couldn’t falter-not now.

Finally, with a loud crack, the flames dissipated, leaving me standing amidst a cloud of steam.

Kael collapsed to his knees, his mana completely drained.

I exhaled sharply, but before I could lower my blade, Envi took control.

My body moved on its own, my katana glowing with fiery energy.

[Resonance: Karyuu no Issen.] A dragon-shaped wave of fire surged from my blade, racing toward Kael.

“What are you doing, Envi?!” I shouted internally.

“You’ll kill him!” “Relax,” Envi said calmly.

“This idiot needs a real lesson.” The flaming dragon slammed into Kael.

He screamed, the fire engulfing him completely.

For a moment, I feared the worst.

But as the flames died down, the sight before me made my jaw drop.

Kael was unharmed-physically.

His clothes, however, were completely burned away, leaving him stark naked.

Even his once-pristine hair had been reduced to a bald sheen.

“Yield,” Envi said through me, his tone sharp.

“Or next time, I won’t hold back.” “H-Hikkh!

A-A-Alright!

I yield!

I yield!” Kael wailed, curling into a ball to hide his humiliation.

The arena fell silent.

For a long moment, nobody spoke.

Then, slowly, scattered cheers began to break the silence.

“Unbelievable…” “He actually won!” Luna stepped forward, her voice cutting through the noise.

“Naoki von Blackmore is the winner.

The terms of the duel will now be enforced.” Kael and his cronies were dragged into the center of the arena, where they were forced to publicly confess to their lies about me.

The shame on their faces was almost palpable, but I felt no sympathy.

Envi switch with me, and I stepped off the arena, Marius, Lyra, and Freya ran up to me, their faces glowing with pride.

“You did it, Naoki-dono!” Freya smiled softly.

Marius slapped my back.

“Man, you were amazing out there!” “Thank you for standing up for me..umm i mean for us.” Lyra said, her eyes shining.

I smiled back at them.

I gently patted Lyra’s head, her soft hair brushing against my fingertips as I smiled apologetically.  “I’m sorry, Lyra,” I said, my voice tinged with guilt.

“I shouldn’t have put you at stake in this duel.

I promise I won’t let it happen again.”  Lyra looked up at me, her bright eyes shimmering with warmth.

Her cheeks flushed a delicate pink as she gave me a wide smile.  “Umm… it’s okay, Naoki-sama,” she said softly, her voice carrying an unshakable trust.

“I knew you would win.

I never doubted you.”  Her words made my chest tighten-not with guilt this time, but with something softer, something warmer.

I felt a sense of responsibility, not just as someone who owed her an apology, but as someone who wanted to honor her faith in me.  As I watched her bright smile, I couldn’t help but think that maybe, just maybe, I could let myself trust people again.

Not everyone was out to use me.  I looked at my friends gathered around me-Marius grinning like a fool, Freya offering me a serene nod of approval, and Lyra still blushing faintly as she stood close.  A faint smile tugged at my lips.  “I’ll protect them,” I whispered to myself, gripping the hilt of my katana tightly.

“I’ll protect my precious friends.

Always.”  Then I heard someone shouting at me, the voice was very familiar.

“You did it!

You made me proud Brother Naoki!” It was Milly, she smiled widely while laughing seeing me who was surprised to know she was here.

“MILLY?!!!!” …

…

CREATORS’ THOUGHTS NAVIRUNAVIII Creation is hard, cheer me up!

Your gift is the motivation for my creation.

Give me more motivation!