Surviving as a Villain at the Academy

114 – The end is always a cliché. (1)

The scenery of the arena changed, and before I knew it, darkness engulfed my surroundings.

In that emptiness, there was nothing but me and the swordsman.

“You’ve come this far. Impressive.”

The swordsman looked at me. I was honestly surprised too. I didn’t even know I could block or even shatter Bellator’s relentless sword strikes.

Perhaps, in reality, or if he had normal skills, it would have been impossible.

“I was honestly surprised too.”

“hehehe. Is that so?”

The swordsman chuckled as if delighted.

“Well then, it’s time for the final test.”

“Who is my final opponent?”

“You’ll find out when you see them. Anyway, need a break?”

“…I think I should.”

I honestly told the swordsman. It would be ridiculous to exhaust myself in a fight and end up losing in this weary state.

Moreover, the final opponent was expected to be even stronger than Bellator, so I needed to rest enough.

As I thought that, the space around the swordsman began to change.

To a cozy bedroom.

“If you’re resting, a comfortable place is better. Take enough rest, and when you’re ready to meet your final opponent, it will happen naturally.”

“Got it.”

I threw myself onto the bed in the large bedroom, without any hesitation. Let’s just sleep for now.

* * *

After taking a good rest, my body and mind felt refreshed.

Surely, if I try to meet the next opponent, it will naturally happen like that.

I clenched and unclenched my hand. There was nothing unusual with my body, and my mind was also in good shape.

Alright. Let’s finish this. If I can just win this battle, I can obtain the shackles’ sword… Then there won’t be any problem surpassing Chapter 2.

With that determination, I got up from the bed and the surrounding space distorted.

An ever-changing landscape. I’ve seen it many times, but it never becomes familiar. It feels like the world around me is shifting.

Feeling dizzy, I closed my eyes.

I’ll count to three and it’ll be over.

One. Two. Three.

When I opened my eyes, I saw the sight of a desolate land. But it was a landscape that was familiar to me like no other.

This place is clearly…

It was the scene that Umbra had shown me. The future where heaven and hell wage war again.

The ominous sky was covered in ashes and flames, while the land was destroyed and split apart, with no trace of green left to be found.

However, unlike Umbra’s trial, there was one difference here. I didn’t see the appearance of angels or demons. No, not just angels and demons. I couldn’t see any people.

This place must have been where countless people, demons, and angels fought together in a tangled mess.

It felt as if I was left alone in a solitary world.

Who could possibly be my final opponent?

While I was thinking about that…

Thump. Thump.

Someone was approaching me.

As that someone got closer, my eyes widened.

…Sigh.

Yeah, there it was, a cliché.

A young man with blonde hair bathed in sunlight. With eyes of a color similar to it, he stared at me with an overly familiar face. Naturally, there was no expression on that face.

Like a living wax doll, it only pulled out a somewhat rusty sword behind me.

A face covered in wounds, looking slightly aged. But who that face belonged to, I couldn’t figure out.

It was a face I would see if I looked in the mirror right now. Perhaps, if I aged a bit more, it would be like that.

The final test granted by the Sword of Restraint. The opponent was none other than…

My future self.

* * *

Words were unnecessary. I knew what situation my future self was in and what I was supposed to do. I could only guess that I failed to accomplish my tasks and ended up like that.

The appearance of my future self alone was enough to make me alert. If I couldn’t obtain the Sword of Restraint, if I couldn’t fulfill my duties… does that mean I would end up like that too?

That meant I had to win.

I gripped the longsword.

In that moment, an intense pressure emanated from him.

Kwung!

It surpassed the pressure I felt from Bellator. An immediate, suffocating oppression.

I felt my hands trembling.

Crazy. I couldn’t have imagined it would be this intense.

I clenched my trembling hands tightly. I must not be overwhelmed. I don’t know how this guy will attack, but there’s no way I can afford to be scared from the beginning.

Resisting the intimidation I felt from him, I readjusted my stance.

The moment I readjusted my stance,

Wooong-!

I heard the sound of a trembling sword. Not my sword, but his.

Dangerous.

I sensed it. The guy who raised his sword was about to bring it down.

Instinctively, I exerted force in my hands and lifted my sword.

Kwaang!

Certainly, it’s a situation where two swords clash. But why do I hear a sound like something is exploding?

It wasn’t just a loud noise. A merciless pressure was pressing down my sword. It felt like I could lose my sword at any moment if I made a wrong move.

What is this?

I found myself staring at the guy who had come so close to me. His glass-like pupils were capturing me. However, there was no emotion in them.

This can’t end so emptily.

I gathered all my strength and deflected his sword strike.

Kaang!

Fortunately, it seemed I could resist in some way. Damn it. How strong is this guy?

But I realized it was not just my delusion.

Wooong-!

The sound of the guy’s sword crying out again. Thinking that the same sword strike as before would come, I forced strength into my arm that didn’t have enough power and swung the sword.

But.

Clang!

A clear sound, different from the one before, echoed in my ears. And what I saw with my own eyes was the sight of the broken blade passing through my field of vision.

And the world split in half, and along with it, a terrible pain engulfed me.

Without even letting out a scream, I simply closed my eyes in that pain.

Blackout.

The world went dark.

* * *

“Ugh!”

I opened my eyes. What? Why am I alive? I should have been dead… No, wait. This was definitely the world of the test.

No, rather, that’s why it’s even more incomprehensible. How am I alive? I looked around. Where did the desolate land I was just looking at go, and instead, the appearance of the bedroom where I rested before taking the test came into view.

-Are you awake?

At that moment, the voice of the sword was heard. It seemed to be talking to me from a corner of the bedroom.

“What’s going on?”

-What’s going on? You lost.

“Is that so.”

…In the end, is it over here?

It was unbelievable. How strong am I, the me of the future? I never imagined that I would be split in half without even putting up any resistance.

“Is the test over?”

“No.

At that moment, the sword negated my words.

‘…What?’

You’re saying the test isn’t over?

-What did you feel when facing the final test subject?

‘I felt that it would be too difficult for me to win in my current state.’

-No. I’m not simply asking how strong you will be in the future. I’m asking about the feeling you had when you saw your future self.

Feeling? What feeling are you talking about… Ah.

Come to think of it, all the opponents I’ve faced so far had their own egos. They talked to me, laughed, or showed hatred towards me.

But my future self was different. He had no emotions. He didn’t even talk to me. I just felt like he was a well-made doll.

‘It felt like… he was like a wax doll.’

-Accurate. However, what was the essence of the test in the end? It was to show the qualification to become the master.

‘That’s right.’

-The one who acknowledges that you have the qualification in the final test is not your future self, but me.

‘Ah.’

-That’s right. It’s not about defeating your future self. I just want you to confront your future self and prove your qualification to me.

‘…So you mean.’

-It’s okay to die many times. You will surely gain something from the battle with your future self. If you grow after seeing your future self, I will acknowledge you.

So the words of the binding sword were simple.

There’s no need to win. Just don’t give up. Don’t give up, and grow while facing your future self.”

That was the final test to obtain the Sword of Restraint.

– And… I’ve been waiting for a long time for someone to acknowledge my existence as Umbra. If I’m deemed unfit by you, how much longer do I have to wait? I don’t like that. I’m tired of waiting without any certainty.

Ah, so that’s why I took the final test so lightly. It’s because I’m tired of waiting for so long in the end.

Well, if it was just an egoless sword, I wouldn’t know, but the Sword of Restraint had a clear ego. So, I might have arrived at such thoughts.

Anyway, it was a good sign for me. I thought it was the end, but it wasn’t.

Then… there was no reason for me not to succeed.

I stood up immediately from my seat.

“I will challenge again. It’s okay to die many times. I must obtain the qualification.”

– That’s a good attitude. I hope your spirit will not be broken.

With the pleased voice of the sword, the scenery around me changed again.