This World Needs a Hero - Chapter 196

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Chapter 196

The beginning of the baptism dawned upon the Hero when the enemy forces first set foot on the iceberg.

Ssssss-

Swoosh-!

All surrounding coldness rushed into the central temple, emitting strange sounds.

A roar that pierced the eardrums like a spear.

Even though the enemy had arrived right before him, the Hero could only turn back and…

‘… Pillar?’

There, a solemn and dangerous sight unfolded.

Ssssss-

With tightly packed pieces of pale ice and snowflakes, it spiraled upwards.

Moonlight reflected off the massive white pillar, illuminating the entire sanctuary brightly.

The Hero let out a slight gasp, but before the terrifying sound of the wind could reach his ears, he grasped it.

If the blizzard of the white night were compressed within a radius of tens of meters, it would look like that.

The Hero’s eyes trembled slightly as they gazed upon the monstrous mouth that had opened wide, as if it would engulf the entire sanctuary.

‘Cuculli.’

…In the end, overcoming all obstacles, the baptism began.

The Hero turned his gaze forward once again.

Thud thud thud-

The momentum of the demon army advancing on the coast was urgent and fierce.

They rushed towards the entrance guarded by him, the shortest path to the temple.

If the baptism ended successfully, their plot would lose its meaning.

As much as he wanted to protect Cuculli, they would be driven by the desire for destruction.

Swoosh-

He drew out the Black Hope.

The number of those emitting ominous aura… was roughly…

‘About a thousand. It seems like there are fifty demonps.’

There might be even more.

The Hero gazed at the ‘giant’ with its monstrous mouth wide open, as if it would swallow the entire sanctuary.

Kuuuu-

They did not come on ships.

Inside the giant’s mouth, where deep darkness and stench flowed together.

From there, the demon army’s forces kept pouring out endlessly, like the gates of hell.

‘…To think they would use that as a means of transportation.’

That was why they could arrive quickly, piercing through the still-thawing Arctic Ocean.

Kwaaang-!

He had sent several halos flying, but the demons guarding the giant were blocking them with desperate defensive barriers.

Some spewed blood and fell, but they didn’t manage to inflict any significant damage on the giant.

They were of a size that could be suspected as lifeforms.

“Advance!”

“Ignore the obstacles! Head straight for the center!”

“We must stop the ritual first!”

“Kieee!”

…The landing of the troops continued.

Grotesque silhouettes descended upon the snowfield.

Each one was a powerful demon or demon underling, capable of tearing apart ordinary human fighters in an instant.

‘It might be dangerous.’

After a moment, the Hero corrected himself.

‘No, it’s definitely dangerous.’

A sense of crisis surged through his body from his toes.

These were not the kinds of enemies he had faced before.

An army… literally organized forces.

Even for someone as significantly strengthened as the Hero compared to before, it would be unreasonable to face them individually.

Even if there were members of the Dawn Knights like Felson here, it would be difficult to guarantee victory.

If Glendor and Wellington’s forces arrived in time, there might be some hope of success, but…

‘Unfortunately, it seems everyone is late except for Yussi’s flagship.’

The Hero’s eyes sank as he stared at the empty horizon.

…The situation was so unfavorable that calculations were meaningless.

There was no room for optimism to seep in.

It was going to be the most perilous battle.

‘I could lose my life if I make a wrong move.’

Being adept at meticulous observation and insight, he had already realized the almost zero chance of winning.

But his feet, which had dug into the snowfield, did not retreat a single step.

The conversation he had with Cuculli in Rosenstark echoed in his mind.

“You know, Professor.”

“After all, eventually, all life will disappear, won’t it? It dies.”

“There’s no need to be sad just because the end comes a little earlier in a different form. Especially if it ensures the benefit and safety of your loved ones. Weren’t you on the battlefield with that determination, Professor?”

…He couldn’t afford to casually dismiss her resolve.

This time, he was willing to take the risk.

The Hero glanced back at the towering ice pillar behind him and muttered quietly.

“… I also have a duty to fulfill.”

Just like his mentor had in the past.

Just like what the proud disciple was doing now.

It was also his intention to fulfill his duty and responsibility in his own place.

Thud thud thud thud thud-

The sound of footsteps, now even more alert, pierced his ears.

The vanguard of the demon army had suddenly drawn near.

The murmuring of demons, the screams of demons, and the stench were vivid.

The Hero took a deep breath and raised the Black Hope.

‘Then what is my duty right now?

A clear sentence came to mind without hesitation.

‘I will defend this place until the baptism is over. And…’

Drawing on the power of paradox, the Hero opened his mouth.

“All children, return safely to Rosenstark… and back to their normal lives.”

That was it.

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Struggle and slaughter were ingrained in the instincts of demons.

Especially those who belonged to the Demon Army were slaughterers who viewed the battlefield no differently than a cradle.

They had killed countless humans and even their fellow demons, veterans in their own right.

They thought.

No battlefield, no struggle could give them any special sensation.

…It was arrogance.

“…”

A human stood on the snowfield.

Despite the incessant icy wind, the steam rising from his body did not dissipate easily.

It was because his body was saturated with black blood from head to toe.

“…Ted Ridymer.”

One of the demons spat out his name like chewing on something.

Initially, they planned to tie down the Hero with a portion of their forces and send the rest to the temple as much as possible.

It was a natural decision.

After all, stopping the ritual was the top priority.

But that plan had been flawed from the beginning.

“You cannot pass.”

Clang-

The Hero drew a line on the ice.

Whenever a demon or demon approached it-

Slash-

A blue blade cut through the air, and then severed limbs rolled on the snowfield without fail.

Attempts to push through with sheer numbers followed, but…

“Surround him all at once!”

“The rest, go around!”

The Hero was already prepared.

▼

The Domain activates

The 2nd stage of the Domain is implemented at maximum output.

▲

Oooong-

A pitch-black orb emerged in the air.

The intense gravitational force distorted the surroundings, pulling all the demons trying to pass through into a single point.

Demons losing their balance and being pulled in screamed.

Kieeeek-

It wasn’t over.

Whoooong-!

A storm emitting extreme coldness swept towards the tightly packed demons in the narrow space.

For a moment, their movements, enveloped in frost, slowed down.

The Black Hope glowed fiercely with intense vibrations.

A flare, a salvation formula that implemented an overwhelming concentration of mana.

The Hero gave a slight variation, applying the gravity of the Domain to it.

▼

The Domain activates

▲

Once mana takes on a form and conglomerates, it adheres to physical laws.

Unprecedentedly conglomerated mana surged densely along the black blade.

Strong recoil began to tear apart the mana circuit due to abnormal movements, but he was a doppelganger capable of physical restoration.

Impossible for Ted.

Only he could implement such a technique.

Despite the demons’ attempts to stop it, the gravity of the Domain and the ice storm hindered their advance.

‘Just a little more….’

Kwaaggg-

The gathered strength swirling at the end of the Black Hope.

At the moment when a faint groan burst from the Hero’s lips as he swung his sword.

That brilliant light shot out at the frozen demons at a speed that seemed to manipulate time itself.

Kwa-

The shock felt like the ground was flipping.

Fear, or rather the murmurs of foreign entities, echoed across the snowfield.

“W-What is this?”

“How can a human….”

The Demon Army, witnessing the sight of over a hundred demons turning into blood in an instant, could only stand still.

Without eliminating the Hero, no one could enter the temple.

It was a moment when everyone realized that fact.

The demons stared at the Hero with trembling eyes.

‘Huh, didn’t he weaken?’

His decline had been steadily mentioned in recent reports from the Demonic Church.

Even the demons did not particularly doubt it.

After all, in the ‘Great Battle’ where even the great demon king had fallen, there was no way a mere human could survive.

But contrary to expectations, when the Hero still showed the demeanor of a war god, the demons were visibly shaken.

…That’s when it happened.

“…No.”

It was a nomad who had survived the battlefield where he had faced the Hero in the past.

He fixed his eyes on the Hero and slowly shook his head.

“He definitely weakened.”

“…Weakened? That?”

“If it were really like before, we wouldn’t even be alive to talk to each other like this. Don’t stop, keep pouring in the troops!”

The demons continued their hesitant onslaught.

“…It’s true.”

“The movements are slowing down little by little.”

…It didn’t take long for the demons’ eyes to be filled with greed.

The nemesis of demons and the adversary of the demon king.

Killing him would mark the greatest achievement since the beginning of demon history.

An opportunity to gain immortal glory.

It was a mission incomparable to the previous goals of stopping the ritual or suppressing the northern territories.

‘I might be able to take the position of the legion commander.’

‘If by chance I decorate the end of that bastard?’

After much deliberation, the demon commanders gave the order.

“All forces! First, eliminate the Hero.”

“Advance!”

“Now is the only chance to deal with him!”

As if forgetting the temple completely, the demon army approached, aiming for him.

…The Hero regulated his breath, preparing for the second round.

It was what he hoped for.

* * *

Swish!

A year ago, it was a demon at the level where I would have had to fight with all my might but now it was decapitated in one blow.

But there was no time to be proud.

I rolled backward without delay.

Kwa-gang!

A small snowstorm erupted as hellfire erupted in the spot where I had stood.

It wasn’t just one.

The number of purplish hellfires narrowly avoided was proportional to the number of demons.

Tsuzuzuzuz-

Using Nova, I quickly turned behind the demons.

The hellfires that had been tracking me stopped after killing a few, finally ceasing their pursuit.

One, the gap was filled in a moment.

“……”

I stepped forward.

Clang-

I drew another rough line.

The demons’ tired gazes were fixed on me.

Whispers accompanied them.

“…Is he really human?”

“With those injuries, moving like that?”

“It’s ridiculous. He should have died by now.”

I looked down at my body.

Covered in blood, it looked like I should take it to a seamstress rather than a healer.

Hoo-

A long sigh dispersed faintly.

‘There’s about five hundred left.’

One to a thousand, this large-scale battle, I, who had experienced all sorts of battles, was experiencing it for the first time.

When I swung my sword to kill one demon, several sharp tentacles, horns, claws, hellfires, and more poured out endlessly from all directions.

…If I stop moving, I’ll die.

Tat-tak-

I rushed towards the front demon before my breath had even settled.

For a few minutes, the lingering demons retreated and the commanders gradually stepped forward.

‘They must think I’ve exhausted my strength.’

It’s actually better this way.

Pahk-

With a powerful blow, the Black Hope split a demon’s head from the forehead.

As I looked at the erupting black blood, I murmured quietly.

“…Cuculli will receive the ritual safely.”

I retrieved my sword and thrust it into the frontal demon.

Somewhere, a sharp thorn flew past my leg.

I exerted more force in my hand to keep the tip of the sword from wavering.

‘I have to give them something.’

Of what I could give, pain was the cheapest.

That’s the good thing about being a doppelganger.

“…Monster!”

With an outcry, the demon’s body was pierced through entirely, convulsing.

I stepped forward again.

“None of the children will die.”

Whoosh-

Demons attacking from behind and blades shooting from the front.

Kwach-

While holding the demon in place, I slashed the throat of the demon in front of me.

He managed to deflect the blow to his side.

Seemingly surprised by the extent of the attack, his expression turned to astonishment.

It was quite a gain.

He seemed to be a fairly high-ranking demon, but I easily dispatched him.

Puh-

With a punch, I tore the demon off my shoulder and said again.

“Until I confirm that fact, I will not fall.”

Paradox… No, from some point on, they became words that just came out like wishes.

Even if it’s the blessing of zero, I don’t know if such brute force will work.

I hope it does… but it’s probably impossible.

But it didn’t matter.

This was a vow and promise to myself.

Even if it doesn’t reach the world.

‘…Huh?’

The realization that the demon army had stopped came the moment my staggering body straightened up.

No, to be precise, they were slowly withdrawing.

A chilling crackling sound pierced my ears.

The air felt charged.

I quickly turned my gaze towards the source of the sound.

Ssaeaeaeaeak-

It was a coastal giant.

Something shot from its mouth across the sky, heading straight towards me.

It still looked small from a distance, but in the blink of an eye, its massive silhouette became distinct.

Muscular and savage, its eyes emitted an ominous light.

‘…Is that the giant’s main body?’

Frankly, it didn’t make sense for it to just handle transportation.

Compared to the coastal shell, it was indeed smaller, but it was truly gigantic.

The rising figure cast darkness over the surroundings, as it nearly obscured the moon.

‘Facing that as well would be hopeless.’

Now was the turning point of victory or defeat.

The giant needed to be dealt with while it was still in the air.

I clenched the Black Hope in my hand until it was white-knuckled.

‘I’ll unleash everything at once.’

Pain would come.

But it was nothing.

I could endure it.

I replicated every essence to its limit.

Every form entering my sight began to blur faintly.

As the power coursing through my body reached its threshold, I swung the tip of the Black Hope.

No, I unleashed it.

The domain, the flare, the halo, the nova, the annihilation…

Every ability I possessed was unleashed at once.

A pillar of white light streaked across the northern night sky.

Shoooaah-

With a nauseating smell of blood and viscera, slimy things poured from the sky like rain in the next moment.

Giant’s blood and flesh were raining down from above.

“……”

The demons that had been spreading out, as well as the demons who had been eyeing the opportunity, froze in place.

The gaze of ‘Fear’ that the Original always received was directed at me.

They seemed to be considering retreat.

But…

“Cough…”

I couldn’t stop the flowing blood without plugging my mouth.

The color would have stood out very much in the white and black snow field.

The eyes of the demon commanders crossed.

I raised my sword again.

It was as hot as lava inside.

“Attack!”

They rushed towards me like a swarm of ants towards a cake.

“…I will keep you safe.”

I replicated Luke once and pushed Ravias’s aerial technique to its limit.

Madness suppressed the pain and forced my body to move again.

Ssqueak-

Six demons at the forefront were cut off at the waist in an instant.

It seemed unlikely, but there seemed to be hesitation in their eyes, borne of fear.

“Push on! He’s reached his limit!”

…His limit, you say.

‘Not yet.’

Kkaga-

The demons looked back at the drawn line on the snowy field with tired eyes.

I stood right on it.

“Not yet.”
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“…Professor.”

The Hero blinked, trying to locate the source of the voice.

He looked around but saw no one.

…Was it a hallucination?

‘No, wait, what was I doing?’

There was a momentary disconnect between mind and body, then the feeling returned.

Sight, memory, and pain all came rushing back suddenly.

‘Yes, right, the battle…’

It was just before the resumption of combat.

Suddenly, the ice surrounding the temple shattered with a roar, and then…

A tremendous cold engulfed him, that was his last memory.

The Hero exhaled heavily and turned his head from side to side.

Broken weapons and corpses littered the ground around him.

These were traces of a harsh battle.

But something was off.

Everything was frozen solid, as if left out in the cold for days.

And come to think of it, even the ones charging straight at him had turned into ice sculptures.

‘…The rest of them?’

The Hero’s eyes flickered faintly.

He spotted the remnants of the demon army still surrounding him.

‘Why?’

But why were they keeping their distance?

Just a moment ago, they had been charging at him recklessly, but now they maintained their distance, looking at him with intense wariness.

No, more precisely, they were looking a little behind him.

“Professor.”

The voice rang out again, familiar yet strangely unfamiliar.

It had a monotone quality, devoid of any emotion, speaking with a steady and unchanging tone.

…It was a voice he hadn’t imagined would come out of her.

A voice as cold as ice, devoid of any emotion or burning passion.

The Hero slowly turned around to face the owner of the voice.

He had anticipated it, but his heart still sank.

In front of him stood a pair of cold, emotionless eyes—the eyes of a detached observer.

She called out to him again.

“Professor.”

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