Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate! - Chapter 50

Chapter 50: Acknowledgment of Strength Chapter 50: Acknowledgment of Strength Serena unleashed her magic: [Winterfell Magic Swordsmanship: Frozen Starfall], followed by an incantation that cast [Winter Mirage].

A flurry of snow erupted, shrouding the battlefield in a frosty veil that blurred my team’s vision.

“What the heck is this?

Just snow?” I muttered, glancing at Envi.

“I’m not sure what kind of magic this is, Nao.

Stay alert.

But first, destroy that massive ice attack!” Envi warned, his tone sharp with urgency.

I quickly called out to Lyra.

“Protect the team!” Without hesitation, Lyra activated her magic: [Support Magic: Fire and Ice Resistance] and [Support Magic: Fortress and Knight].

Her spells bolstered our resistance to fire and ice while significantly enhancing our physical defense.

But Serena wasn’t about to let up.

She hurled the massive block of ice directly at us.

“Freya, use your strongest fire spell!” I shouted.

Freya drew her flaming sword, chanting with precision as she unleashed her power: [Magic Sword Release: Burning Strike, Maximum Output].

She directed her fiery slash toward me.

Without missing a beat, I activated my skill: [Resonance: Karyuu no Issen].

A fiery dragon surged forth, its strength doubling Freya’s original attack.

The colossal ice shattered in an instant, splitting in two and evaporating into steam.

Serena’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The arena became a foggy haze, steam billowing from the clash of fire and ice.

Luna seized the opportunity, dashing toward Serena with her twin blades, launching [Solarblade Swordsmanship: Radiant Sunstrike].

Two radiant slashes shot forth, aiming for Serena.

Though momentarily startled, Serena evaded the attack with ease, her movements barely more than a step.

Luna froze in astonishment.

“Impressive.

You’re from a branch family of Starlight, aren’t you?

I recognize that swordsmanship.

But it’s weak.

The main family’s techniques are ten times stronger!” Serena countered, her icy blade flashing as she executed [Winterfell Magic Swordsmanship: Frostfang Slash].

This was the same move that defeated Kael.

Luna blocked two of Serena’s strikes, but the third was unavoidable.

Just as the blade was about to connect, I intervened, leaping into the fray with [Blackmore Katana Style: Inazuma].

With a precise cut, I sliced through Serena’s icy strike, protecting Luna.

Serena smiled, clearly intrigued.

She began casting her signature magic, the one rumored to have overwhelmed countless Class C students: [Winterfell Magic Swordsmanship: Winter’s Embrace].

The arena’s floor began to freeze, ice crawling up our legs.

“Freya!

Keep the fire barrier going!” I commanded.

Freya nodded and activated [Magic Sword Release: Hell Fire].

A ring of relentless flames erupted, encircling the arena and halting the freezing effect.

Thanks to Lyra’s support magic, we weren’t affected by the heat.

But Serena’s snow magic didn’t cease.

Something felt off, but there was no time to dwell on it.

Serena attacked again with [Frostfang Slash].

Luna and I managed to block two of her strikes, while Marius intercepted the one aimed at Freya and Lyra.

As Luna and I launched a coordinated counterattack, Serena deftly parried, her blade colliding with ours.

The icy aura from her sword began freezing our weapons.

“Your swordsmanship is admirable, Luna,” Serena taunted.

“But you lack power.

If you were from the Starlight main family, you’d be hero material.” With a smirk, she summoned [Ice Clone], creating five identical replicas of herself.

Three clones lunged toward Freya and Lyra, but Marius stepped up.

Activating body reinforcement magic, he cast [Steel Body], his skin gleaming like metal.

“Marius?

He’s mastered that already?” I muttered in surprise.

With newfound resilience, Marius fended off the clones, countering with [Tempest Slash].

His spinning aura obliterated the icy duplicates-momentarily.

They regenerated almost instantly, ambushing Marius and freezing him solid.

“Marius!” Freya and Lyra screamed in horror.

I had no time to grieve.

My focus shifted entirely to Serena.

Using [Kasoseki] and [Tsurugi no Mai], I destroyed two of her clones.

But Luna was cornered, Serena and her last clone closing in on her.

Desperate, Luna unleashed her ultimate move: [Solarblade Swordsmanship: Solar Cascade].

A flurry of radiant strikes engulfed the clone and Serena.

The clone shattered, but Serena emerged unscathed, her expression now deadly serious.

“Enough,” she declared, summoning [Winterfell Magic Swordsmanship: Frostfang Barrage].

Five floating swords of ice materialized, striking at blinding speed.

Luna couldn’t keep up and was frozen instantly.

I barely managed to parry the barrage with my dark magic-infused blade.

Serena’s expression shifted the moment she noticed the dark magic coursing through me.

For a split second, she seemed…

excited.

“So, you’ve mastered dark magic.

Interesting,” she murmured with a smirk.

Her eyes gleamed with anticipation, but instead of targeting me directly, she launched an attack at Freya, freezing her in place along with her fire pillars.

“No!

Freya!” Lyra cried out, her voice trembling.

Even so, Lyra didn’t waver.

Determined, she stood her ground against Serena’s relentless onslaught.

I signaled to Lyra with a subtle nod-it was time to execute our combo move.

Lyra summoned a barrier to hold off Serena’s strikes while chanting a new spell.

A surge of magical energy swirled around her, culminating in the release of [Water Magic: Water Dragon Torrent].

A massive torrent of water in the shape of a dragon roared toward Serena with ferocious speed.

“I see…

Lyra von Waterfall.

A branch family of Winterfell,” Serena remarked calmly.

“That makes you my cousin.

I remember meeting you once as a child.

To think you’ve grown this strong.” With a flick of her hand, Serena froze Lyra’s water dragon in mid-air, shattering it into glimmering shards of ice.

“That’s right, Serena-sama,” Lyra replied, her voice steady despite the tension.

“I’ll become even stronger!

Together, Naoki-sama and I will defeat you!” Taking advantage of the moment, I darted forward, activating [Blackmore Katana Style: Inazuma] to strike Serena from behind.

But Serena didn’t flinch.

With her eyes closed and an air of complete composure, she whispered, “[Absolute Zero].” In an instant, a five-meter radius around her turned into an icy wasteland.

I was frozen solid before I could even react.

Serena strode toward Lyra, her blade glinting with frost as she prepared to deliver the final blow.

Lyra, refusing to yield, braced herself with everything she had.

“You’ve done well,” Serena said, almost kindly.

But just as she was about to strike, a loud crack echoed through the arena.

The ice encasing me shattered as I forced dark magic through my entire body.

“What?!” Serena gasped, spinning around to face me.

With a burst of speed, I lunged toward her, my blade glowing with dark energy.

Our swords collided with a force that sent shockwaves rippling through the training grounds.

The sheer pressure of our clashing auras made the entire arena tremble.

Even the exams for Classes A and B came to a halt as everyone turned their attention to our fight.

As my strike closed in on Serena, she began to cast another spell.

But this time, my attack broke through, forcing her to kneel under its weight.

“Looks like I win,” I said, panting heavily.

But just as I thought it was over, Serena’s form flickered.

“No way…” I whispered, realizing too late.

Her body dissolved into an ice clone, and before I could react, the real Serena appeared behind me.

In one swift move, she froze me and Lyra with [Absolute Zero] and ending the match.

The professors called the fight in Serena’s favor.

Serena released her magic, the frost receding as I shivered from the dissipating chill.

But instead of reveling in her victory, she offered a warm smile.

“You’ve impressed me, Naoki,” she said, her tone genuine.

“Your team has remarkable potential.

Lyra’s supportive magic is exceptional, and her ability to wield water magic offensively adds versatility.

Freya’s endurance in maintaining her fire spells was commendable.

Marius surprised me with his resilience and his ability to defeat three of my clones.

Luna’s speed and relentless attacks even caught me off guard.” Her gaze locked onto mine, her expression softening.

“And you, Naoki-you’re the strongest among them.

If we were to fight seriously, there’s a chance I might’ve been injured.” She paused, letting her words sink in before adding, “Consider this my acknowledgment.” …

When I came to, I was lying in the academy infirmary.

My body ached, and a lingering chill made me shiver.

My teammates were resting in nearby beds, all of us bundled under warm blankets.

“Why does this blanket feel so…

cozy?” I muttered, groggily turning to my side.

A soft groan startled me.

Lifting the blanket, I froze in shock.

Serena was nestled against me, her arms wrapped tightly around my torso, fast asleep.

“What…

is happening right now?!”  My face turned red, and I had a slight nosebleed.

I was really weak to women when they were this close, especially Serena.

I didn’t know why.

The commotion drew the attention of my team.

Lyra and Freya, who had just woken up, stared at the scene in utter disbelief.

“Serena-sama, what are you doing?!” Freya demanded, her voice sharp with shock and…

jealousy?

Serena stirred, opening her eyes with a sleepy smile.

“I’m trying to keep my gift.

I’m not leaving until he gives me what he promised before the match!” “What?!” Lyra and Freya exclaimed in unison, their faces red with frustration.

Meanwhile, Envi chimed in with his usual snarky tone.

“Well, well, Naoki.

Looks like you’re quite the ladies’ man now, huh?

I hope you’re prepared for the consequences!” CREATORS’ THOUGHTS NAVIRUNAVIII Creation is hard, cheer me up!

Your gift is the motivation for my creation.

Give me more motivation!