This World Needs a Hero

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[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

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“I’ve come to punish humans.”

The wicked words spilled out of the celestial being as the Hero stared at her intently, then inquired,

“Why?”

Just as she had explained to Zero centuries ago, the celestial being elaborated on her reasons to the Hero.

Humans corrupted by evil, leading to the dominance of the demonic realm, and so forth.

The celestial being continued her narrative with a monotone reminiscent of reading from a history book.

In the process, the emotions the Hero felt were…

‘Not particularly intimidating, huh?’

In truth, it was harder for the Hero to feel threatened by a girl calmly recounting stories while sitting on a warm bed.

But above all…

“So, what now?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you still harbor hostile intentions towards humans?”

Before the celestial being could respond, the Hero added,

“It must have changed.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Otherwise, you wouldn’t have reason to see me.”

“Hmm…”

The celestial being gazed at the Hero silently for a moment before conceding,

“I must admit my initial resolve has waned. Witnessing the intricacies of your life has influenced me.”

“That’s… really fortunate.”

Yes…

It could be endured, the shameful past being shared for good intentions and leading to positive outcomes.

The Hero took a deep breath.

“Alright, so what’s your plan now?”

“What plan?”

“Rosalyn mentioned that Izaro’s mission as a guardian of the seal is soon to end.”

The mission of guarding the seal of the celestial being.

“You. Aren’t you about to be released?”

The celestial being grinned and waved her arms.

Clang –

An unseen chain rattled.

“You catch on fast. Yes, that’s right. No seal can last forever.”

“So…?”

Sliiiide –

The celestial being rose and reached out towards the swirling abyss with her hand.

“In about a month, I’ll be freed from this confinement, probably.”

It had endured far longer than the seal of the sorcerer who died centuries ago.

Perhaps it was due to Izaro’s efforts to maintain and extend its effectiveness.

But even that had its limits.

The celestial being’s liberation was imminent.

The Hero regained the lost tension.

“When you’re released, what do you plan to do?”

The hesitant Hero added,

“Just going back to your homeland wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

Setting aside the threat to humanity.

If the one who knew his embarrassing past vanished to another dimension, there would be nothing more satisfying.

The Hero looked at the celestial being with hopeful eyes.

But sadly, she merely shook her head.

“I wouldn’t have the power to open the door when I’ve been sealed away for so long. At least, I’ll need to rest for a year or two.”

“You don’t have to open the door alone. I have very capable allies. Not as good as Zero, but there are great magicians among them. With your help, it might be possible to open the door.”

“Well, I could open the door… But I still won’t go.”

“Why not!”

The Hero unintentionally raised his voice.

The celestial being remained unperturbed, simply continuing with her natural demeanor.

“…There are plans I’ve made while being trapped for so long.”

“Plans?”

“Yeah, a kind of pilgrimage. That kind of plan.”

The Hero chuckled.

…A pilgrimage?

Planning to visit the temples and sanctuaries buried in the east?

If so, there was no reason to stop her.

If the celestial being visited the demonic realm, it would be quite annoying to the demons.

He changed his attitude.

“That’s… a good idea. Travel around diligently.”

The celestial being smiled broadly.

“Isn’t it? By reviewing each step of your life, I can come to understand humans a bit more.”

The Hero doubted his ears. Well, he actually understood immediately but wanted to doubt.

“…What?”

“The stables where you agonized all night. The stream where you sobbed. The bridge where you were rejected and jumped. The gambling den in the harem where Bucks went wild…. Those places I’ve only experienced through stories or images, I can visit them in person. It’s so exciting.”

The Hero realized a terrifying fact.

No matter how resilient and mentally strong the celestial being might be compared to humans, being trapped for centuries could make anyone go mad.

In the monotonous and repetitive daily life, someone else’s story, which had become as cherished as a ‘holy site,’ had taken root in her like a belief.

The Hero clenched his fist.

“So… that means… It’s just a conjecture, but from our perspective, isn’t it better to kill you before you’re released? Because you’re a huge risk, yeah.”

“Huh? There’s absolutely no reason for that.”

The celestial being shrugged.

“I’m a celestial being. I don’t lie. It’s just not possible.”

It’s a well-established fact that over the past centuries, I’ve overcome my hatred towards humans, the celestial being continued.

“Of course, that doesn’t mean I fully endorse them either.”

For a moment, her expression vanished.

It was the stern face commonly depicted in media, the face of a stern judge.

“As you know, humans are beings capable of both good and evil.”

“…I can’t deny that.”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t deny that the humans of the First Era were swayed by evil.”

The Hero nodded.

In Zero’s memories, humans persecuted the demi-humans and established human supremacism.

Amidst all that, they clashed with ‘him,’ and as a solution, caused the catastrophe of opening the gateway to the demonic realm.

From the celestial being’s perspective, it could undoubtedly be classified as evil.

But…

“Thinking that the humans of the present, striving for survival, are the same as the ones who ruled the continent with tyranny and committed wicked deeds in the First Era would be a mistake.”

“I’ve come to realize that through you. But repeating the same mistakes is also very human.”

The celestial being directed her transparent pupils towards the Hero.

“That’s why I want to learn more.”

“……”

“Anyway, if my feelings towards humans go further and I end up siding with you, that would be a good thing, wouldn’t it?”

“……”

“It’s not just about helping in terms of strength. I’m practically a conduit to the divine realm.”

A conduit to the divine realm.

The Hero anticipated what she would say next.

“…Really?”

“As expected, you are quick-witted.”

“Is that really possible?”

“Yeah. I could even restore the divine power that was taken away. Of course, since I’m the only conduit, it would be much weaker compared to before, but it would still be a significant help.”

The Hero fell silent.

Those who allied with the demons and became traitors could manipulate demonic energy to some extent.

Necromancy and dark magic were examples of that.

…The celestial being would likely be the same.

Of course, she alone couldn’t distribute power to many individuals, but it was something.

‘What if humans regain divine power?’

No matter how much alchemy and magic progressed, they couldn’t follow the fundamental ‘healing’ of divine power.

The Hero, who had indirectly experienced its power through the ‘god’s eye,’ knew that fact even better.

If, as the celestial being said, she returned divine power to humans, their strength would skyrocket.

It would naturally reduce the number of casualties and deaths, and everyone would be less reckless in battle.

‘If paladins or priests were to join the party, it would be revolutionary.’

The option of beheading the celestial being gradually disappeared from his mind.

The celestial being grinned.

“Oh, it would be really helpful for humans’ goodwill if the protagonist of the story guided them around personally.”

Instinctively, the Hero avoided her gaze.

“I, uh, I’m quite busy with my duties as a professor at Rosenstark. It’s a pity.”

——————

[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Join our Discord for release updates!

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“Ahaha, then it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go to Rosenstark. I’m really fond of your exploits there.”

“……”

The Hero suddenly remembered a conversation he had had with Ted a long time ago.

“Becoming famous isn’t always a good thing.”

“Huh? Why not? It seems like people would flock to you and it would be great.”

“There are damned bastards who go too far among them.”

Ted sighed and spoke softly.

“Sometimes I envy you, who can change your face as you please. Can you understand?”

“Not at all.”

“Even that’s enviable.”

Understanding Ted Redeemer more deeply…

The Hero hastily shook his head at the comments that flashed before his eyes like hallucinations.

.

.

.

The moment the Hero could be released was imminent.

Woooooom –

A portal shimmered and appeared in one corner of the room.

Ignoring the celestial being’s regretful expression, the Hero quickly got up.

“It’s time to go. It seems Izaro is urgently looking for me.”

“…Yeah, goodbye.”

The moment the Hero belatedly recalled his original purpose.

“Oh.”

“Why?”

“I actually came because of a curse… “

“Ah, that’s already in progress if you’re asking for a cure. No need to worry.”

The hero’s head tilted inquisitively.

“What?”

“The corrupt aura of Theo within you, you mean?”

The celestial pointed a finger at the Hero’s heart.

“They’re burning away on their own, so don’t worry. Though the power is quite intense and might require spending time together like today, maybe about seven times…”

Perhaps this celestial.

Might be more remarkable than he thought.

The hero entertained such thoughts.

“Seven times…”

“Yes, it’s too few.”

“…….”

Whoosh –

The Hero hurriedly jumped into the portal.

* * *

-Rosenstark.

After the Hero left.

The daily lives of the Extreme Children were filled with training sessions conducted by the Dawn Knights.

Among them, those specializing in close combat were mainly trained by Iira.

Thanks to her, the condition of the members was the most favorable.

Ki-yak-

In the center of the training ground, a training dummy was engulfed in white flames and roared in agony.

Standing in front of it with a broadsword in hand, Luke turned to Iira with a face full of joy.

“Did… did it work?”

“Yeah. Well done.”

White Sword.

Luke was the fastest among the children to grasp Iira’s techniques.

It was because of the perfect harmony between the explosive techniques of Ravias’s martial arts and the precise control emphasized by Felson’s martial arts.

“Let’s do it again.”

Without hesitation, Luke rushed forward and thrust the broadsword into the dummy’s knee.

The ensuing fierce flow of mana.

Kwaang-!

As mana exploded from the wounded area, white flames engulfed the creature’s flesh.

Although it was a monster with excellent regeneration, it couldn’t recover and only screamed in agony.

Iira explained while nodding her head.

“Demons, especially Malekia’s kin, have strong regenerative abilities. It’s effective.”

“Wow…”

“But it’s not allowed against people. It’s illegal. It’s not even allowed in sparring.”

“…What?”

“Of course, the chances of being caught are slim. But nothing will be left, not even bones or flesh.”

“……!?”

Simply put, the principle of the White Sword was explosion-ignition.

It involved exploding mana through the inserted sword, then directing the dispersed mana back to the target.

Simultaneously, manipulating the nature of the mana to drastically lower the ignition point of all adjacent materials.

This resulted in an ever-burning flame that wouldn’t extinguish even with water.

As long as there was even a bit of flesh remaining, the inferno would reignite in an instant.

Luke admired the sight, his face filled with wonder.

How could such destructive power come from such a petite body?

Although Iira was smaller than Evergreen and slightly larger than Nyhill, her output seemed to be twice that of Luke’s.

Considering that she was injured, it was simply astonishing.

As Iira returned to her position, Luke applauded her.

“Amazing.”

“You’re amazing too. A genius.”

Even Iira couldn’t help but admire him.

Her deep hazel eyes scanned Luke up and down.

“You look like the leader. When he was young.”

…That was the highest praise for Luke.

His stiff face suddenly flushed red.

“R-Really?”

“Yeah. Handsome.”

…Handsome?

At the sudden appearance of the word, Luke shook his head in confusion.

‘Oh, her Imperial language must be awkward.’

She probably meant to say ‘well done’ or ‘impressive.’

Luke smiled broadly.

“Hahaha… Thank you. I’ll try to look even better.”

…Suddenly, without any warning, someone slapped him on the back.

It felt as severe as the sword of Ravias striking right in front of his nose.

‘A surprise attack?’

Luke turned around in surprise.

“Hey, Luke.”

And faced the beaming Evergreen.

Behind her, Karen and Taylor could be seen whispering something.

Why?

The gaze wasn’t exactly friendly.

“You look extremely pleased.”

“Evergreen? When did you get here?”

“Oh, I’ve been here since you were busy receiving praise.”

“…Huh? Huh?!”

In a corner of the training ground.

Gerald, who was diligently honing his broadsword in isolation, watched the scene and sighed deeply.

White flames flickered at the tip of his spear.

“Wow, Gerald, impressive.”

It was the praise from his peer, Aidan (male).

The depth of his sigh increased.

“…What are the demons up to?”

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[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

Join our Discord for release updates!

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