In truth, I had thought that if I lived in an organization called the Hero Society long enough, I would bump into an S-class hero one day. I just hadn't expected that day to come so soon.
It had only been one day since I was issued a B-class hero badge, but I'd already fought against a B-class, an A-class, and now an S-class hero.
Typical day for Luan. Puhaha. I forced myself to laugh, but it wasn't funny at all. Thus, I changed the direction of my thinking. Should I be grateful that the S-class hero I'm fighting isn't the Iron-Blooded Lord?
I didn't feel the least bit grateful. Even I, the eternal optimist, didn't have a positive take on this situation. It seemed I had no answer for it.
To put it bluntly, I wasn't obligated to go so far just to join Corrupted. It was a bit much to face an S-class hero. These guys wouldn't stop me if I just admitted defeat. Even Corrupted wouldn't blame me.
The important thing was that I didn't want to do that, though. I was Luan Badniker, a man with a spring-like personality. If I was told not to do something, I wanted to do it even more. On the contrary, if I was told to do something, I didn't want to do it.
To me, this S-class hero acting as if he'd already won was akin to pressing down on my inner spring. Of course, doing that to a spring would only make it bounce back up.
"An S-class hero is participating in such a trivial matter?" I asked.
Of course, my physical condition right now was so bad that I decided to buy myself more time. At the very least, I needed to get my breathing under control.
Feed looked at me with a deep, silent gaze. He hovered in the air, almost motionless. His wings were spread out and not flapping at all.
I remembered hearing from a winged race mercenary that flying without flapping their wings was a skill that only the highest-ranking elites of their race could demonstrate.
As it happened, that mercenary had had one of his wings torn off. It was unsurprising, as most low-level mercenaries were half-crippled. I had been the same in the past.
"There are no big or small events when it comes to being a hero. Naturally, that means nothing is trivial," Feed eventually said.
"Hm. This is a lot of trouble," I remarked.
"What?"
"If I had known being a hero meant being ganged up twenty to one, I wouldn't have entered. I think I chose the wrong career path."
Feed maintained a blank expression despite my sarcasm. He said, "This is different from duty. I think it is more like discipline. Coordination and cooperation are essential skills for a hero."
I said nothing.
"Well, that was a joke. However, honestly, you will do even dirtier things if you stay in the Hero Society long enough," Feed continued.
So this man can joke, I thought. He looked like he was carved out of ice.
Feed looked at the wolf lying behind me and continued, "Didn't you just prove that you were worthy of cooperating with?"
"Huh?"
"Peter Fang is one of the strongest in A-class. You defeated such a person even with your body in this state. Once word of this spreads, there won't be a single person in the empire who doesn't know your name."
"That is a bit..." I trailed off.
For some reason, the idea of becoming famous sounded incredibly unpleasant. Just hearing those words made my chest tighten, and I was filled with annoyance. I realized that I had a desire for money but not fame. As for power, I didn't know yet.
Feed said, "I will make one last suggestion. Cancel your application to Corrupted."
"Did that clan commit a serious crime or something? It can't be. If they really did something wrong, they wouldn't be able to keep their clan or their position as heroes," I said.
After all, Heroes wasn't such a lenient organization that it would let criminals be heroes. I asked in genuine puzzlement, "Why is everyone so desperate to destroy Corrupted?"
A flash of contempt appeared in the eyes of the noble hero before me as he said, "Their very existence diminishes the reputation of the Hero Society."
There was the talk of reputation again.
Just as I was about to say something, Feed fell from the sky. However, his landing was almost silent despite the speed of his fall. It was like a feather falling.
Feed continued, "Do my words sound prejudiced? That's not really it. Their incompetence has already been proven through their performance. If it weren't for the benevolence and mercy of the great headquarters chief, they would've been expelled long ago."
I remained silent.
"On the other hand, your attitude is more questionable. For someone with the blood of the Iron-Blooded Lord, why do you want to enter such a garbage dump?" Feed asked.
"Well, it's just a coincidence of interests. I'm also the type to judge based only on what I see with my own eyes," I replied.
Besides, I'd talked to Lanfero and the goblin who had come after him, Ramon. They didn't seem like bad people, apart from their eccentric nature.
"I see," Feed said. Perhaps he decided then that persuasion would no longer work, as he tucked his long hair behind his ear and aimed his spear at me. "Can I start? I think you've had enough time to catch your breath."
So he knew, I thought. Perhaps the fact that he'd given me time to regain a minimum of stamina was his last display of pride as an S-class hero.
"Come at me," I answered. To be honest, I wasn't ready, but I tried to bluff regardless.
At the same time, I thought about some of the characteristics of the winged race and the rumors of Heavenly Wind Knight Feed. However, I could only think of fragmentary information, just like with Taon Gludd.
He was said to have the most noble bloodline in the winged race, wielded a spear as a weapon, and was skilled in elemental magic. That was about it. Perhaps I didn't know anything in the first place, I had forgotten the rest, or my current condition was too poor for me to think straight right now.
Still, there was one notable performance that I remembered. Feed had single-handedly defeated a mutant wyvern that terrorized the southeast area.
I'd heard that the wyvern had unusually black scales. It had been hit directly by arrows, cannons, and even magic from a high-level mage, but its scales weren't even scratched. In addition, it had been very intelligent, not showing up when heroes stronger than it arrived. I'd even heard that the damage it caused in just three years amounted to tens of thousands of gold, almost equivalent to the one-year budget of a big city.
It was the Heavenly Wind Knight Feed who had defeated that troublesome black wyvern in just three days.
Just how strong is he? I wondered. It wasn't something I should have been thinking about at this time, but I was a bit excited. It couldn't be helped, since this was the first time in my life fighting an S-class hero.
Feed was of noble blood, so he definitely had a blessing. He also had elemental magic, which I had no way of dealing with. Of course, what I noticed most prominently was the spear in his hand.
He looked like a sculpture as he aimed it at me. His beautiful appearance, the flowing material of his clothes, and the wings spread out behind him made him look like an angel descending from a kingdom above the clouds. However, the ferocity of his attacks was like that of a demon.
I had almost no internal energy left, so I could only respond with the Seven Sins Sword. For the record, I was trying to avoid using the Yin-Yang Dao. Someone could notice that it was the artifact of the Colorless Demon King.
Feed's spear thrusts came from just above me, so I could only barely defend.
Ugh. My wrists, I thought. They were already throbbing just a few seconds after the fight started.
Every thrust from Feed was twice as strong and three times faster than Laura's. That fight was tricky because I'd stupidly chosen the limited space of an alleyway to fight. Now, though, I didn't dare to dodge despite there being open space on all sides. I struggled like a man trying to block a pouring rainstorm with a knife.
I can block it, but what about the drain on my stamina? I wondered. How long has it been? Ten seconds? Twenty?
I was already incredibly tired, and drenched like someone who had been hit by a downpour. Of course, it was all my sweat.
I concluded that just taking the hits wasn't going to work. I needed to somehow create an opening. I aimed for a moment when Feed's spear rose a bit. In exchange for being stabbed in the shoulder, I fired White Sun Eclipse: Fire Wheel with my left hand. It was my first attack of the entire battle.
The palm-shaped flames flew toward him, but he struck them away with his spear as if brushing off sparks.
"Hah." I panted. No matter how hastily I attacked, this was still a move of the White Sun Eclipse. To think it only had this much effect.
I muttered in frustration, "Your spear seems pretty strong."
"Does it?" Feed replied.
I'd spoken without much thought, but Feed laughed and thrust his spear again. I barely blocked it, but this time, it contained even greater power, so much so that I was pushed backward.
As I slid across the rooftop, the tiles beneath my feet broke like cookies and fell into the alley below. I was driven to the edge of the roof in an instant. The soles of my feet were already halfway in the air.
Feed had a slim physique, but his monstrous strength felt like he'd eaten an ogre for breakfast. I barely blocked his next blow with the Seven Sins Sword, but the tip of the spear was always approaching my neck.
"Are you ready to give up—"
The moment Feed spoke, I lowered my body. His spear narrowly grazed my bangs. Meanwhile, I kicked his defenseless lower body.
With a grunt, Feed lost his balance and staggered. I took advantage of the opportunity to slam my elbow toward him. I naturally didn't have time to control my strength.
However, just before my elbow touched him, a gust of wind swirled around Feed. In an instant, my body was swept away and thrown off the roof. I wondered if that was his blessing.
The moment I landed on the ground and looked up, the spear fell like a thunderbolt. I once again leaned back and managed to dodge, but immediately afterward, Feed fell at almost the same time as the spear and punched me.
Ah, does he want to fight bare-handed now? Isn't he looking down on me too much? I thought.
I was a bit displeased, so I immediately plunged the Seven Sins Sword into the ground and engaged him in hand-to-hand combat.
It was difficult to use anything except my hands. I didn't know if he'd intended it, but the spear between us was exquisitely placed. The space of roughly one meter around the solid spear became our battlefield as we competed at super close range.
As the battle continued, I realized that Feed's placement of the spear was intentional. This man's close combat skills were impressive. By planting the spear into the ground, he'd turned his disadvantages into an advantage.
The spear was nothing more than an obstacle to me, but it was a barrier for Feed. Thanks to that, my fists struck his weapon instead of his body.
Bam!
He even flicked the spear with his hand. It bent like a reed and hit the top of my head.
What the hell is it made of? I snapped internally.
"Is this pace too fast for you, B-class hero?" Feed taunted.
This guy was surprisingly good at provocations. I was dumbfounded, but didn't show it. Instead, I silently focused on Feed's every move. My physical strength and internal energy were at their limit. This wasn't an easy fight where I could afford to think about the next battle. Next battle, my ass.
The opponent was S-class. So, I had to fight with everything I had. I needed the desperate mindset of finishing everything with one blow.
It was a fact that hurt my pride, but for the time being, Feed was underestimating me. At least, I thought so. I was already tired from the start of the match, so perhaps this was just his way of making the fight more even.
Either way, I had to take advantage of this fact. Even though my opponent was S-class, I didn't think I was at all inferior when it came to hand-to-hand combat. My strengths were still intact.
Once again, Feed flicked the spear with his finger. The shaft bent and aimed for my head. At the same time, Feed reached out to me.
There were two attacks: the spear and his fist, one after another.
Which one is the feint? I wondered. They couldn't both be real. They looked equally threatening, but since it was an attack carried out by one person, there could only be one true attack.
At that moment, a deep sound entered my ears. The spear shaft strongly pierced the ground, causing the earth to shake.
It's the spear, I concluded. I made my decision and grabbed the attacking spear with both hands.
Normally, slapping a stick with bare palms would feel like being whipped. Still, the impact wouldn't be that great. On the other hand, this was different. The skin of my palms was torn and my bones trembled violently. It had hit my palms, but the shock went all the way down to my buttocks. Despite receiving it with both hands covered in internal energy, I'd still received an incredibly strong impact.
Then, Feed's palm slammed into my chest, right where Peter Fang had previously wounded me.
The shock made me think that my heart had stopped for a moment. Blood poured out of my mouth as I coughed violently.
This was to be expected. Still, I came away with the conclusion that Feed's bare-handed attacks were bearable. I was still conscious and my energy channels weren't distorted. Some bones were fractured, but my internal organs were fine. That meant I could still move.
I grabbed the shaft of the spear as it rebounded due to the elasticity and kicked off from the ground. I twisted into a strange posture, as if doing a horizontal bar routine midair. Using the motion, I rotated my wrist to spin around the spear. I focused all my strength into the soles of my feet and kicked Feed.
Baaaang!
Feed let out an exclamation of surprise for the first time. He hadn't expected his spear shaft to be used against him like that.
I fell to the ground immediately after the attack. To be honest, I barely had any strength left to move. From this position, I could only raise my head to see where Feed had flown to.
It felt like the attack had connected well. Surely he would've been knocked down, at least.
"How impressive."
However, there was no chance. Feed stood up perfectly fine from the dust. He did look worse than before, since he had quite a few injuries on his body, but they were mostly minor.
Is it only to this extent? I let out an empty laugh. I hadn't expected the difference between me and an S-class hero to be so great. I had thought so before, but experiencing it firsthand made me sigh.
"You are still young. Is that kind of improvisation an innate talent? It is terrifying. I am certain you will become S-class in the next few years," Feed remarked as he looked down at me. "However, you are still immature, young Badniker. Thus, lie in a hospital bed for a few weeks. Once Lanfero returns to his jurisdiction, we will let you join another, more proper clan. It isn't a bad thing for you, either—"
At that moment, a black figure burst out of an alley like lightning. The person lunged at Feed like a beast and swung a heavy weapon at him.
Feed retrieved his spear in an instant and blocked it, but the force contained in the blow was so strong that he flew back tens of meters despite successfully defending. He even destroyed some buildings along the way.
The unexpected intruder let out a long breath. The air that escaped her mouth was hot, as if she was blowing volcanic smoke. It seemed as if her deeply suppressed anger was leaking out.
"Um." I gulped the moment I saw the figure revealed in the darkness.
"Who are you?"
"What did you just do?"
Seemingly having failed to recognize the person, two B-class heroes close to me stepped forward foolishly to confront her. Then they were hit by the heavy mace and sent flying.
Oh gods, I thought. Unlike Feed, these two couldn't even defend themselves from the attack. I hoped they wouldn't die.
The nun, Verita, who had just sent an S-class hero flying, turned to me. She was still smiling, but it didn't seem to be because she was happy. She asked, "Brother, I'm not the one who made a mistake this time, right?"
"Well, no. However, calm down a bit first—" I began.
"Sister Razbet, what are you doing?" Before I could finish, Zach approached and called out to her, shooting a glare at me.
There were three A-class heroes who were still fine, though the same couldn't be said of the B-class heroes.
Behind me, the sound of flapping wings filled the air. Feed had returned. True to his S-class status, he had no wounds despite being blown away. He remarked, "Bloody Mace Razbet? The secret weapon of the Seventy-Two Churches... I heard some enthusiastic people say that your strength was comparable to S-class. It seems those rumors aren't baseless."
Verita remained silent.
"I heard rumors that you were hanging around the Golden Fairy. I understand your intention in helping, but are you confident you can handle it? We are in the middle of a Heroic Battle. Interfering like this is against the law of the organization—"
Verita cut him off, snapping, "Shut your mouth before I tear off your wings, you half-baked bird."
Verita's fierce insults silenced the people around her. Even Feed scratched his ears as if he had heard incorrectly.
This situation meant I was facing a new crisis.
I don't think she'll listen to anything I say right now, I thought. In all honesty, I could understand Verita's attitude. My current condition was so ugly that even a defeated soldier would look noble in comparison.
And yet, a slaughter could break out here, right in the middle of Heroes. I might've experienced some unreasonable things, but I didn't want such a tragedy to happen. Besides that, I didn't want to risk our identities being exposed as a result.
Then, the next moment, Verita's rampage unexpectedly stopped. The fierce bestial aura that surrounded her faded as she looked toward an alleyway.
We all instinctively followed Verita's gaze.
I didn't know how long he had been standing there, but at some point, everyone present naturally became aware of a man's presence.
"Can I handle this?" he asked calmly.
Despite his small figure, his presence was explosive. It was as if a strange monster had crawled out of the alleyway.
A few B-class mercenaries couldn't resist and collapsed completely from the pressure. Yet this person didn't even look at them.
Perhaps the world's truest embodiment of a Dark Fairy stood in the center of the street and looked around. His purple eyes seemed to briefly meet mine. Then his eyebrows twitched slightly. It was as if he had seen something he shouldn't have.
No, this is unfair, I thought. Perhaps it was pathetic to see me on the floor like a loser, but I had fought against B-class and A-class heroes in a row, before finally facing an S-class hero. It meant these were wounds of honor.
Of course, I knew that kind of excuse wouldn't work. For some reason, I humbly clasped my hands together.
The Iron-Blooded Lord let out a sigh, perhaps caused by my unsightly appearance, before asking, "Didn't you ask if I could handle it?"
Feed said nothing.
"Why don't you keep speaking, Feed Albero?"