How To Live As An Academy Extra Villain

✦ Chapter 107 ✦

「Translator – Creator」

𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝𒋝

The Academy had several training grounds, each with a specific purpose, but the main arena stood out as the largest and most commonly used for lectures. Situated on a vast plain in the midst of the academy’s multi-tiered stone towers, its central location afforded clear views from the classrooms in the surrounding buildings.

During breaks between classes, students from various divisions would frequently gather at windows or rooftops to observe the ongoing training sessions.

This was, in fact, part of the Academy’s design philosophy — to encourage students to observe and learn from their peers whenever possible. While those from affluent families may not have liked this idea, they made up only a small proportion of the Academy’s student body.

“Casper, victory!” the announcer declared.

As the matches progressed, the tally of winners and losers grew. Today, the faces of the defeated bore an unusually somber cast. The tale of the Hero and the Holy Sword had sparked a fierce competitive spirit, resulting in an intensity that far exceeded their usual training sessions. Today’s training saw few requests for adjudication, and a significant number of students were carried off to the infirmary.

Despite the increasing intensity, Professor Cedric, the instructor in charge of the training, made no attempt to intervene. Perhaps he saw this as a natural outcome of a fair and just training session in which participants pushed themselves to the limit.

On the contrary, he seemed to enjoy the students’ enthusiasm, nodding his head in apparent approval. His unbridled enthusiasm was rather perplexing.

“Alright, next up… haha, this is going to be good. Eugene! And Edwin! Step forward!”

A wide grin spread across Cedric’s face as he flipped through his papers. His announcement of Eugene and my names elicited a smattering of excited murmurs from the crowd.

By a stroke of unfortunate timing, the bells signaling the end of other classes rang just as Eugene and I were about to face off. Already, dozens of students had gathered around the training ground, their necks craned to catch a glimpse of the action, with many more watching from tower tops and staircases. 

Even students from the prestigious Class-A and Class-B showed interest.

Typically, matches between students from the lower-classes garnered little attention, but the participants’ reputations had piqued curiosity. Eugene was known as the top-performing commoner student among first-years, while I was the student who had been disciplined for bullying him and his friend.

Given the clear-cut nature of the situation, from each individual’s perspective, the students’ cheers were more fervent than ever.

“Edwin! Teach that upstart a lesson!”

“Yeah! Put him in his place once and for all!”

“Eugene! You can do it! You’re our hope!”

“This time, flatten his pride!”

Before the match commenced, I took a moment to survey my surroundings; thanks to my enhanced vision from Lakisia’s Eye, I could clearly see the faces of those even in the distance. 

Far off, in the second-year martial arts classroom, Patricia clasped her hands in a gesture of earnest support.

Claudia blended into the crowd of Class-A students, while Iris stood a short distance away. Claudia’s expression was unreadable, while Iris’s emotions were a whirlwind of uncertainty. Yet, both their gazes remained fixed on the training ground.

Among the crowd, I spotted familiar faces. Selene, who had already won her match, watched me with a mix of anticipation and nervousness. And there was Cecila, her usual cheerful smile plastered on her face.

While I wasn’t exactly thrilled at the feeling of being put on display like a caged animal, I had no intention of forfeiting the match either. Avoiding Eugene in daily life was one thing, but doing so during a training session would have far too many consequences.

Forfeiting a match without any legitimate reason would be the ultimate humiliation. My reputation would plummet to unimaginable depths if I pulled such a stunt.

On the other hand, I also saw this as an opportunity. While I had managed to defeat the anomaly called the Necromancer the last time, that victory owed much to the elemental advantage of Flame of Purification rather than pure skill.

Now, I needed to measure the true extent of the abilities I had honed through my family’s training and the Academy’s instruction, and Eugene presented himself as a formidable opponent for this purpose

“Edwin. Do you intend to use a sword? Not magic?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Hmm… I see… Let’s consider…”

In an Academy duel, the parties could choose between weapons and magic at their discretion, but in a first-year duel, magic was at a significant disadvantage.

While I was still unfamiliar with controlling the distance between myself and my opponent and had not yet fully mastered high-speed casting, my practicality in actual combat was also severely lacking. This was especially true when facing an opponent who possessed exceptional skills.

With these thoughts in mind, I reached for my wooden sword, and Cedric’s eyes widened in surprise. He frowned as if displeased and muttered something to himself.

Then, glancing between me and Eugene, he spoke, “If you both are okay with it, I have a suggestion. Would you like to hear it?”

“What is it?”

“How about we conduct the duel with real swords?”

The response didn’t come from us but rather erupted from the crowd first. The training ground was instantly transformed into chaos as students protested, their voices echoing with disbelief. Cecila’s smile faded, and Selene’s face turned pale.

However, Cedric remained unfazed and continued speaking, addressing us once more, “For someone of your caliber, a real duel might actually be more beneficial for your skill development. You might end up with a few minor injuries, but the infirmary should be able to heal those quickly. So, what do you say?”

“…I agree.”

“Me too!”

As I accepted Cedric’s proposal, Eugene also added his own words, his voice filled with determination. We immediately put our wooden swords aside and instead picked up our longswords, their blades gleaming sharply.

His suggestion was something I had not anticipated. To fully showcase my abilities, a duel with real swords was indeed preferable. Moreover, even if there was no guarantee, I knew that Professor Cedric would intervene immediately if the situation turned life-threatening.

Eugene and I stepped back onto the training ground. The once boisterous crowd had fallen silent, the only sound the occasional gulp of air.

“Face each other. Bow.”

And following Cedric’s instructions, we approached each other and exchanged a formal bow.

“…I will never lose to you.”

“…Hmph.”

I had intended to maintain my composure by avoiding conversation, but Eugene’s comment instantly shattered that resolve; the moment I heard his voice up close, the peculiar disgust I felt towards him and his gang filled me. Anger surged within me, and my grip on the longsword tightened.

We took our positions, stepping back. Eugene’s face, as he prepared himself, bore an expression of tension. There was also a hint of unwavering determination, reminiscent of a Hero facing great Evil.

It was then that a thought struck me — While I understood my own feelings, what drove Eugene’s intense reaction? His emotions seemed to match, if not exceed, my own in intensity.

Perhaps, apart from himself, I was the one who understood Eugene the best in this world.

After all, the story where he was the protagonist still lingered in my mind.

But what exactly was this complex character of his? Why was he portrayed in the story in a certain way, and why did so many who read it agree with that portrayal? Of course, it was impossible to grasp someone’s entire personality in a few lines, but even considering that fact, it was still difficult to understand.

Was it this personality that caused him to harbor such feelings towards me and certain others? In his seemingly black-and-white worldview, had I already been labeled as Evil?

If we had some personal interaction, I might be able to understand him better, but unfortunately, that has never happened. And it probably won’t in the future either. I could confidently assert that neither of us harbored even a shred of desire for such a thing.

We were destined to remain forever at odds.

“Ready… Begin!”

As soon as Cedric’s signal rang out, Eugene charged towards me; his animalistic speed was truly astonishing. It was almost as if sound couldn’t keep up with his movements.

Clang!

The clear sound of metal clashing against metal reverberated throughout the training ground. I met his attack from below, countering his downward thrust.

Clatter!

Deflecting his weight-laden attack to the side, I immediately thrust my longsword forward.

This time, Eugene managed to deflect my attack with the side of his blade. The tip of my sword grazed his arm, causing a small amount of blood to splatter. Gasps and cheers erupted from the crowd.

Clang!

“I will never lose to you…!”

Eugene shouted as he launched his attack. His eyes were filled with a burning sense of justice.

I blocked his upward strike, but this time his sword managed to pierce my thigh slightly. I thought I heard someone from the stands shout, “No!” The image of a familiar girl with emerald green hair immediately came to mind.

“For my friends…! For those who cheered me on…!”

Clang!

Clatter!

The clash continued, neither side gaining a clear advantage. Before we knew it, our swords were aimed at each other’s vital points. However, Cedric made no attempt to stop us. Instead, he simply nodded his head in apparent satisfaction. I could clearly hear him clicking his tongue as he watched me.

“What a shame. Such a pity… that he’s going to the magic department…”

Clang!

After a few minutes of fighting, I realized that I was doing better than I had expected. I was even a bit surprised by my own performance.

Eugene’s talent was undeniable — while his swordsmanship was still unrefined and sloppy, his wild and raw movements made up for all of that; he attacked me from all sides like a ferocious beast.

But I was not completely outmatched. Lakisia’s Eye allowed me to track his every move and provide me with information on his next actions.

The duel continued, with me mostly deflecting his attacks and occasionally counterattacking. However, after over a hundred moves, cracks began to appear in my defense. While my eyes could still track his speed, my body was accumulating fatigue.

Sensing this with his animalistic instincts, Eugene’s attacks became even more relentless.

And while I had initially only intended to test my skills, now that I had come this far, the idea of a close but unsatisfying victory felt even more bitter.

I already knew that the longer the fight went on, the less likely it was that I would win. After all, it was confirmed that Eugene had acquired the Swordmaster’s technique. If I wanted to defeat him in a fair sword fight, now—before he could fully absorb that technique—was my only opportunity.

Clang!

As I parried another of Eugene’s strikes, a sudden realization flashed through my mind like an electric current. Perhaps there was a way…

Clang!

I wanted to take a moment to consider the feasibility of my idea, but Eugene wouldn’t let me. I was slowly losing ground in terms of strength, and there was almost no time left to think rationally.

Whoosh!

I used a powerful, weighted attack to push him back and regained my stance. My body, not my head, dictated my actions.

Eugene, sensing the end was near, gathered all his strength and prepared to break through my defenses. He glared at me and made his final declaration.

“Prepare yourself! With this one blow…!”

Clang!

Clang!

However, our duel came to an abrupt and anticlimactic end.

My sword-wielding hand was suddenly forced open, and the longsword I was holding clattered to the ground. Looking at the other side, Eugene was also staring blankly at his own longsword, as if he couldn’t understand what was happening.

“What on earth is this…! A duel with real swords between first-years! Cedric! Have you lost your mind? And… good heavens, why these two…!”

Approaching us, shouting, were Professor Marissa, a third-year teacher from the MArtial Arts Department, and Professor Kayla from second-year Magic Department.

While Marissa berated Cedric, Professor Kayla reached out and retrieved our longswords; the swords, which had been flying around erratically, landed neatly in Professor Kayla’s hands, one in each.

“Marissa… let me explain…”

“Quiet! You two, go back. Today’s sparring session is over.”

Professor Marissa ordered us to disperse. Then, she grabbed Cedric by the collar and disappeared from the training ground in an instant.

The students, disappointed by the inconclusive match, began to scatter. Eugene too was quickly surrounded by his friends and disappeared from sight.

Selene heaved a sigh of relief, while Cecila regained her usual cheerful smile.

And so, the much-anticipated duel ended without a clear victor. Soon after, rumors circulated that Professor Cedric had received disciplinary action, including a pay cut and probation.

— End of Chapter —

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