Chapter 207 — Come Back Stronger

1

“Hey, you crazy bastard!”

“This way it’s fair.”

“Fair way to die!”

Guillermo was shouting with unprecedented volume.

Drake.

Just being grazed by those giant claws would shatter the safety measures.

And what about its breath?

The massive attack called Breath.

It would surely be more powerful than most high-class magic.

Both had the same thought.

‘At this rate we’ll be eliminated before even fighting Manus!’

The drake, consumed by rage, began rampaging without regard for anything.

Kwaruruk-!

Though virtual reality, its impact and some pain felt realistic.

Definitely too much for fifteen and sixteen-year-olds to handle.

Kwaang-!

Giant claws barely missed Manus, striking behind him.

An electrifying sensation seized his whole body.

Yes, this feeling.

Manus hopped along his pre-planned route.

Though the drake attacked frantically each time, they were blind attacks.

The two people behind Manus were having a harder time taking the aftermath of the attacks.

“Urgh!”

“Senior, I’ll definitely repay this debt.”

Fortunately, this drake was considerably scaled down.

The drake moved sluggishly and stuttered like it was lagging.

Manus dismantled the drake’s imperfect magic piece by piece.

“I’m going ahead.”

“Won’t let you get away with this.”

“If you can manage it.”

They struggled but gradually climbed up following Manus’s route.

Leaving the drake’s attacks behind, Manus could enter through the hole.

And so the final gate.

Manus felt dizzy seeing the text prominently written in the large arena.

[Defeat everyone and advance forward.]

Defeating everyone meant this was the end.

Indeed, there was a door with light seeping through ahead.

“Hah…”

[Hahaha! This is the true identity of the final gate! Fight and clash! In the real world, only those with power can have everything! A battle royale between those who survived until the end! This is the highlight of the sports festival!]

Plus one more thing.

Shadow figures appearing here and there.

Each one had extraordinary energy.

Manus crossed his arms and watched them.

‘All this trouble for one raw gem.’

Meanwhile, Castro and Guillermo came up.

This might be for the better.

Guillermo and Castro wanted to face him anyway.

Their formerly neat hair was a mess, having barely avoided the drake’s attacks.

Looking at the two catching their breath, Manus spoke.

“How about that, thought one would drop out.”

“Huff… huff… can’t drop out from something like that.”

“I still have things I must do.”

Though both were a mess, they seemed to have plenty of mana left.

Not just that.

Their eyes filled with fighting spirit were quite impressive.

They said they joined wanting to face him?

That level of spirit and guts was necessary.

A 30-something’s heart stirred.

The kind of heart that might be called old-fashioned or stuffy.

“Read over there.”

“That’s…”

“Seems we were destined to face each other anyway.”

“That’s right.”

Castro and Guillermo looked at each other.

The shadows.

And Manus and themselves.

The shadows were ready to pounce at any moment.

The professors’ discussion question about “what to do when struck by unexpected attacks.”

The shadows could attack them from anywhere at any time.

Even if quiet now, they would strike at the most critical moment when an opening appeared.

“This turned out awkward.”

“Senior. This is payback for what you did to us.”

“Oh? Coming at me together?”

Guillermo and Castro exchanged glances and naturally took positions.

So that’s how it’ll be?

Manus also took his stance.

He had been thinking he should show his skill sometime anyway.

“Come.”

Guillermo struck first.

He pulled out the shield on his back and charged.

Manus faced Guillermo the same way he had shown before.

Kwaduduk-!

Chains of mana tearing up the ground.

But Guillermo seemed to expect it, lightly swinging his shield to break the magic.

Right, Manus wasn’t the only one who had grown.

“Won’t fall for that anymore.”

“You’ve improved quite a bit.”

He took stance and punched the shield.

Kwaaang-!

With a huge sound, Guillermo slid back, overwhelmed by pure force.

Simultaneously, a sword filled with aura aimed for Manus’s neck, targeting the opening.

A powerful strike that would force retirement if it landed properly.

Manus slightly lowered his head to dodge, then shot magic.

[Folgetra]

“Kugh.”

“You react quite well.”

Magic shot at close range was several times faster than a boxer’s jab.

Castro dodged the magic right in front of his face.

Truly remarkable reaction speed.

Manus felt it clearly.

That Castro was indeed worthy to be Kael’s rival.

His shining talent alone was amazing enough to compare with him.

“But, still far to go.”

“Kugh!”

With a thudding sound, Castro’s form slid back.

Meanwhile Manus extended his leg, striking Castro’s wide open abdomen.

Though a momentary exchange, the difference in level was stark.

The two’s movement speed itself was different.

Manus appeared simply as a complete warrior.

A wall impossible to overcome.

But the other two challenged him because they too were advancing warriors.

“Still far to go.”

“I’ll push you to your limits today.”

From the first clash, the two sensed it.

That the current Manus was already beyond their level.

But they raised their weapons again with indomitable spirit.

There will be moments when you must point your sword at an enemy you cannot defeat.

Best to hope it doesn’t happen, but possibilities always existed.

[Ah, what a striking image of warriors challenging a tyrant. But it’s fine. Whoever wins, they’re all proud students of Mythos Academy!]

Naturally, the two still couldn’t overcome Manus’s stronghold.

Who could surpass someone using magic, martial arts, and body techniques together?

Santoreo, the third year who finished his match early, watched this sight.

Dave, who said he wouldn’t participate in individual matches after losing to Castro, also nodded.

‘Want to face him.’

One felt competitive spirit.

‘Good I didn’t enter. Still time to focus on training.’

The other felt relief.

It took 5 minutes to handle two superhuman students.

Through the sports festival, Manus proved himself.

“Huff… can’t even match your footsteps yet… is this your talent?”

“I told you, didn’t I? That I did something more valuable than playing at training.”

“…Right.”

Guillermo asked while sparks flowed through his whole body from taking mana power directly.

At Manus’s answer, Guillermo realized.

Even while learning magic, he never forgot training.

He always used the training room until last, and ran the training grounds earlier than anyone.

How about himself in comparison?

Training outside class time was just enough to start getting used to.

[Interference has begun.]

“I lost. But not next time.”

“Looking forward to it.”

Oil was poured on the flame burning calmly in Guillermo’s heart.

Manus could feel it.

Through this incident, Guillermo would grow stronger.

He might even learn the exclusive skills everyone had acquired.

Now they had to break through even harsher places.

The moment you’re satisfied with now is when you fall behind.

“And…”

“I’m not done yet.”

“Sometimes you need to value your life when an enemy shows mercy.”

“I…”

Castro was beaten until his safety measures were in tatters.

But that look in his eyes hadn’t died.

Though barely supporting himself with his sword, Castro didn’t know how to give up.

“Only when you truly can’t plan for the future, when there’s really no way back.”

Content that Kael and others would understand too.

They experienced two or three failures and knew what regrouping meant.

Enemies would look down on them.

Or might even let their guard down.

When you can escape, you must turn back without hesitation.

That’s how you could leap to greater heights.

“A warrior doesn’t spare their own life.”

“Then it’s just dying for nothing.”

Shwook!

Dodging a shadow’s attack, Manus instantly approached Castro.

Though Castro had excellent dynamic vision, his body wouldn’t respond.

Kwaang-!

The perfectly placed rising punch completely shattered the core of his barely functioning safety measures.

Castro groaned and was out.

In his fading consciousness, he heard the final words.

“Come back stronger.”

That voice stuck in Castro’s mind like an indelible imprint.

Get stronger.

Must get stronger.

With that, he lost consciousness.

2

The sports festival ended without much surprise.

Manus.

One of the current Academy’s strongest.

Defeating first year Castro and second year Guillermo simultaneously clearly proved why he was called a tyrant.

Actually, he faced more than just those two.

He took them down while handling shadows that could fly in from anywhere anytime.

“I don’t get why he’s not the second year student council president.”

“Indeed, student council president.”

“I hear he’s close with the first and second year council presidents?”

“Up to third year. He takes the same classes these days, with Nia.”

I see.

The one called student council president quietly observed Manus.

It was truly strange.

Somehow, all Academy matters seemed to revolve around that junior.

“Let’s watch a bit more and handle things later.”

“Being a Caesar, he’ll probably at least consider it.”

They nodded and watched the ongoing award ceremony.

Graduating class.

Officially called fourth years, but some couldn’t graduate even after several years.

Just like how real universities have fifth and sixth years, Mythos Academy was the same.

They lived fiercely day by day for graduation.

The title of student council president also involved helping the graduating class with various information and exam studies.

‘Someone like that would be perfect.’

The student council president smiled watching Manus receive the necklace.

3

Manus carefully stored the received necklace in spatial storage.

Now he had two of the three materials.

The last one would definitely come from defeating Cantati.

‘This confirms the end-game staff.’

He looked at the belt on his waist.

Getting the staff along with this meant securing minimum safety.

Until now he shot magic circles barehanded, but from second semester that would change.

‘Need to hurry with conquering the desert.’

Once he takes down Cantati and the second underling, he could safely end the first semester.

–TL Notes–
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