Tale of the Fake Hero

Chapter 30

Kaisen looked back on his memories before the battle.

It was said that Kerknude was originally a thriving tourist town during the era of the old empire. This meant that, unlike military fortresses, the basic design of the city pursued beauty rather than efficiency.

“A city of wonders, huh…?”

Moving to the south gate, Kaisen carefully surveyed the city.

The blood-red sun, obscured by volcanic ash, slowly set in the west, and the four moons rising in the east scattered dim light.

His mother’s voice floated in his ears like a spring breeze.

“Kai, in the distant era of the abyss’s rest, there were four goddesses who looked after this world with love.”

“Four goddesses?”

“Yeah. They created the moons.”

What kind of sentiment was he falling into? If he looked farther ahead, he saw the amazing sight of Ilanus in its pure-white beauty before him.

The square, surrounded by ancient manor houses, absorbed the moonlight and subtly glowed.

Then, he landed next to Lia.

“Kaisen…” She was taking deep, sharp breaths, each coming out as a thin rasp. The girl with elegant, curly hair looked into the distance, avoiding his gaze. “I want to apologize to you because this might be our last time seeing each other.”

“Apologize?” he asked.

“That day, at Aristapo… I’m sorry, Kaisen, really… for leaving you behind.”

Kaisen unconsciously felt his hands tremble slightly.

Aristapo…

He still remembered it—his teacher’s hand on his head, and the first and last smile that she gave him.

“When you said you were going to save Lady Kamila, I shouldn’t have sent you by yourself…”

“…”

“Even if I couldn’t help you, I shouldn’t have tried to dissuade you. For saying things like Lady Kamila was going to die anyway… I’m really sorry.” Lia’s voice sounded as if it would break at any moment.

That’s who Lia was. She had a gentle mind. It was why she had trouble talking to him during their reunion.

Kaisen replied with, “There’s no need to apologize. I never really resented you.”

“But back then, I…!”

“It’s true. Rather, I’m grateful.”

Lia looked shocked.

“If you or Sharon had tried to forcefully stop me, I probably wouldn’t have made it on time.”

“…!”

“Master died with a smile on her face, and she didn’t hold any grudges against you or Sharon. Don’t take it to heart. On the contrary, I’m sorry for insulting Sharon in the past,” Kaisen said.

Standing in front and overhearing their conversation, Sharon felt a twinge of pain in her chest—the pain of sadness and longing.

With her hair fluttering and shining even brighter under the moonlight, the lead Fake Warrior wiped hot tears from her eyes.

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“Hehe, let’s compete to see who will be the valedictorian again today, Kamila.”

“I’m not interested, you bitch.”

“Kamila, you were the student of a great hero. Why is your mouth so foul?”

“Olliere, stop it. Though she has a mouth fouler than a passing sailor, that is a part of Kamila’s charm.”

“What’s charming about that?”

“What damn charm? Come here, you two. Where do you think you’re running?! You’re both dead! Come here!”

That brilliance… she missed it so much.

Thinking back to her old days as a cadet, Sharon headed forward with lighter steps.

‘I’ll see you soon, Kamila.’

She’d wondered how she could atone for that day, but she guessed there wasn’t a need anymore.

That was a relief.

Yes… it truly was a relief.

* * *

Reaper Scans

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Dream Ender was the final secret technique that only Fake Warriors could use.

With it, they could reduce enemy numbers by close to a thousand, but such enemies were only small fry. What did their numbers matter?

‘On the battlefield, the process is not important at all. The battlefield is a place where only results speak.’

Lia Riley desperately approached Sharon, who was kneeling and coughing up blood. “Master, you need to come to your senses, Master!”

She took out a syringe of dragon’s blood serum from her waist and inserted it into Sharon’s body…

It was no use. She wondered why it had no effect. An ominous possibility arose in her mind, but she didn’t want to believe it.

In that moment, the positions of heaven and earth seemed to entangle.

Lia witnessed her teacher’s form being tossed through the air by a blast wave that seemed to have come from behind her.

‘From behind…?’

The Tahuf Clan suicide bomber had made a detour and exploded himself behind the outer wall Sharon was resting against.

The granite of the outer wall fragmented, stinging her face with small stones as the dust rose. It was almost a miracle that Lia Riley was able to grab her teacher’s arm in the midst of such confusion.

“M-Master, I got you…!”

Sharon, held up by her disciple, was covered in blood. Even her white hair was dyed in red, and her speech was slurred. “Lia…”

“Master, my arm! Please, you’re slipping… Hurry up…!”

“You were an excellent student.” Sharon’s voice was low and calm as she said her farewells. There was only a slight tremble in her tone. Sorrow at the thought of being separated from her disciple filled her.

Not even having the strength left to tremble, Sharon pulled Great Holy Sword Tas Alfo from her sword belt and held it out to her disciple.

“Take this and run straight to the port, alright? You can’t let it fall into uruk hands.”

Tears formed in Lia’s eyes.

Explosions rang out one after the other, sending portions of the human soldiers’ bodies everywhere.

It was impossible to support her teacher and push back the Tahuf bombers pursuing them from the right wing and behind while also watching over the holy sword.

Sharon spoke again. “Go, come on. I have a bit of dragon spirit left. I’m going to use their own trick against them and explode, bringing the entire area down.”

“I don’t like it. I don’t like it…!” Lia tried to argue.

“I really love you, Lia.”

The burning pressure on Lia’s shoulders disappeared.

Sharon smiled brightly.

That would’ve been Lia’s last sight of her teacher, had she not rushed forward to stand between Sharon and the suicide bombers, her mind going blank.

“Lia…!”

“I’m not going. I’ll never go alone!”

“This isn’t just a problem between us! You have an obligation to take Tas Alfo to the Imperial Court and become a Fake Warrior!”

Lia couldn’t refute what her teacher was suggesting, nor could she follow it; she could only shake her head in refusal.

“Lia! You’ve always been so obedient; why are you doing this now? You can’t do this!”

A nightmare approached from beyond the collapsing buildings of the city—The Tahuf Clan Chief, Ranikikan. A slimy liquid emerged from the staff the chief held in his right hand, and hundreds of the elite bombers limped along around him.

Were there four seconds left? No, there were only three.

The teacher and disciple would become prey to those bombers, and Tas Alfo, along with the other five holy swords previously taken, was destined to be lost.

‘What? What should I do?’ Lia Riley tried to think and calm her frantically beating heart. ‘First, steal the breath of the charging uruks and pierce their neck, and then…’

She tried to think of a tactic, but nothing came to mind.

‘How many of those madmen could I really cut down?’

The lines of fate darkened, threatening to drown the world.

The moment Ranikikan stretched out his staff, she would inevitably lose her life when the madmen rushed at her and her teacher with their bizarre movements.

Clang一!

A dazzling series of crimson flashes, reminiscent of lotuses, cut through the air in that pivotal moment, saving them from a dark fate.

Believing themselves to have dodged the slashes, five of the Tahuf Clan uruks were sent flying in pieces a moment later.

When they thought they had successfully dodged that light, the heads of five Tahuf were already flying in the sky.

Again and again it repeated, and about a dozen of the bombers were beheaded by the scarlet slashed one after the other, soaking the stone ground with their corrosive blood before exploding.

“Lia…”

Perhaps it was due to being saved in a hopeless moment, or maybe it was because he became her flame of hope…

Unbefitting of the grace and bearing of a noble and disciple of a Fake Warrior, tears poured from Lia’s eyes.

“Kaisen…!”

He didn’t look very good, and his exposed skin beneath his tattered quilted armor showed mixed patches of pale and tan flesh—evidence that he’d been wounded and regenerated.

“Sorry, I’m a little late.” Kaisen sheathed Aradamantel in the scabbard tied to his back; then raised Sharon up and put her on Lia’s back.

“Kaisen, it’s not too late,” Sharon tried to say, her voice dying like a flame, “take Lia with you and—”

“I refuse,” Kaisen bluntly said.

“What…?”

“Do you think saying goodbye in such a way is heroic? Really?”

Sharon’s eyes widened as Kaisen placed her on Lia’s back.

“Kaisen, it’s an order, an order!” She screamed. “Take Lia away! There’s no way you can do it alone一”

“Why the hell do you think I can’t do it?!” Kaisen argued.

Humanity’s driving legend was simple:

A Warrior never lost. A hero never abandoned his comrades, and he saved everyone so he could laugh with them in a better future.

“Aren’t I a hero?” he asked. Even as a fake, a hero was still a hero. Was it truly a question? His low tone of voice and dazzling golden eyes stunned Sharon into silence.

Lia, who’d been trying to support her teacher in their escape from the battlefield, felt a sharp pain near her heart.

Kaisen spoke again. “Lia, finish treating her in a safe place and rally the soldiers.”

“Kaisen, what about you?”

Complex emotions flashed in Ranikikan’s dark eyes. He was both perplexed and intrigued. His gaze was locked on Kaisen, and the cruel bastard drooled in anticipation.

When Ranikikan extended his staff, the suicide bombers rushed forward, letting out bloodcurdling screams.

“The strategic goal is to finish him off here.”

Rachel Dune Jeraye had said it was a Fake Warrior’s mission.

He had to do it.

Standing face to face with the bombers rushing at him like a swarm of bees, he unsheathed Aradamantel again.

Clllaaaaaaannnnnggg—

一一

Look, I’m not very smart. Still, there’s a truth I’ve clearly realized: heroes are no longer ‘born’ in this cruel world.

Still, someone has to be a hero, though such a title requires the sacrifice of their love, happiness, and laughter in the future, past, and present.

In return, such a hero can bloom into a Warrior who brings love, happiness, and laughter to the land.

My mother had been such a hero, and so had my master.

“Three minutes…”

I hadn’t been sure if he was the chief before, so I’d refrained from using my power right away.

Things had changed though, and with clear evidence of the uruk shaman being the chief, I could give it my all.

Ting一!

Using my index figure, I pulled the suppressor’s pin from my left wrist, liberating my dragon spirit.

Great vitality swirled above my mortal body, and I only had one thing to say…

“I’ll finish this in three minutes.”

一 一

—Accounting from the start of one of Kaisen Alter Aradamantel’s legendary military achievements, ‘The Slaughter of 3,000’.

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