This World Needs a Hero

Chapter 265

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[Translator – Night]

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Amid the dimness of dawn.

Two silhouettes clashed fiercely.

It was a fight so intense that those watching couldn’t even think about intervening.

“What on earth is that….”

The Hero and Yol.

No, should that really be called the Hero?

Although it wore a familiar shell, the one facing Yol was a monster as formidable as Yol himself.

Crack-kaboom-!

A massive iceberg, larger than a building, suddenly appeared in the air and fell.

Even before Cuculli’s ice magic struck Yol directly.

Valber’s pocket dimension formed behind the Hero.

The Hero, holding a great bow, fired dozens of arrows with incredible skill.

Whoosh—

The arrows flew towards Yol from all directions.

It was the archery of Evergreen and Karen.

After combining their strengths, the ‘Upscale’ technique replicated it many times stronger than the original.

As a result, the barrage of arrows was at a level even Taylor, known as the divine archer, would admire.

Boom—

It wasn’t the end.

While Yol blocked the ice magic and arrows,

the Hero, with a greatsword in one hand and the shadow spear Umbra in the other, charged at Yol.

Slash—

The aura Yol released severed the arm holding the spear.

But the Hero, unfazed, brought the greatsword down on Yol’s head.

The severed arm was already reattached and holding the sword’s hilt.

…Indeed.

To humans, this was a battle of monsters.

“…What.”

Felson, as usual, was extending his senses and was more shocked than anyone.

The flow of mana inside the Hero’s body changed entirely from moment to moment.

Of course, depending on the techniques one mastered, an individual’s mana could have various properties.

But he could confidently say that such a degree of ‘variation’ was impossible for a human.

‘Even the leader, known as a genius… couldn’t do that.’

Already, they had witnessed dozens of techniques with completely different properties.

Felson was the first to voice what no one else dared to say.

“That’s… not the leader.”

Zion responded.

“Yes, it’s something entirely different.”

There was some resistance.

“No, what do you mean? It could just be the leader with new abilities, right? Yes?”

One of the members said, but no one agreed.

Everyone… even the one who spoke, instinctively felt it.

That wasn’t something a human could be.

It felt like extending your senses in a densely packed square and being overwhelmed by countless pieces of information.

Within that ‘one’ were all sorts of colors, shapes, and existences.

When you opened your eyes, you saw the Hero, but when you closed them, you saw something entirely different.

Constantly changing form, never staying as one shape.

An intangible being that was simultaneously everything.

“…….”

A heavy silence fell.

Even combining all their strength, they barely held off Yol.

The unknown entity was fighting Yol on equal terms.

But no one was happy about this.

A storm of countless questions was crashing down on them.

If that wasn’t the Hero, then where had the real leader gone?

The real leader wouldn’t tolerate such a monstrous being impersonating him.

When had that thing taken his place?

Had the leader they’d been talking to, laughing with, really been the leader?

“Damn….”

Taylor muttered a curse under her breath.

A primal fear and uneasiness surged.

Some of the members even remembered Yol’s words, their faces turning pale.

[Wearing the mask of the dead, deceiving humans well, forgotten monstrosity.]

“No way.”

“It can’t be. It mustn’t be.”

“…If that thing killed the leader and took his place?”

Questions branched out in all directions, reaching excessively deep.

But they couldn’t find any answers right then.

All they could do was watch the battle before them, each grappling with their own shock and questions.

Their gloomy eyes shifted from Yol and the Hero… to a few children gathering on the hill.

“…….”

Yol had reclaimed all the demonic energy from his army to face the Hero, allowing Rosenstark to survive.

Therefore, most of the children who had been struggling at the extreme had come to the hill to assist in attacking Yol.

…Felson, who instinctively stepped forward to block them, stopped.

“Sigh.”

A deep, low sigh.

Realizing he had no right to stop them, Felson stood still.

The children who had reached the base of the hill were stunned by the incomprehensible sight before them.

What kind of storm would come next was entirely unpredictable for him.

* * *

An endless stream of comments followed.

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Error occurred

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Severe error detected in user’s condition.

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Some safety features are disabled.

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Some safety features are disabled.

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Certain attributes of ??? are reactivated.

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Limited synchronization with ??? begins.

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The user’s unique ability, ‘Evolving Polymorph’, is growing.

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…is being replicated.

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…is being replicated.

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.

.

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…is being replicated.

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Replication is in progress.

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Some techniques are reinterpreted to suit the user.

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Having abandoned ‘Ted Redymer’, I resolved to face Yol as a doppelg?nger.

This decision was made while healing the children’s injuries at the control tower, and finally, I acted upon it.

In front of countless eyes, I revealed my true identity.

I saw the eyes filled with love and respect turn to distrust and fear.

It was the moment when everything ended.

This was the life form granted to a doppelg?nger.

The times shared, the laughter and tears.

Their meaning always faded at the moment of final exposure.

I had anticipated this, so I was neither sorrowful nor sentimental.

It was a calm confrontation with the changing hearts pouring in.

Unexpectedly, the above comments appeared.

The content and form of the comments were entirely new.

The comments blurred like writing on wet parchment, filling my vision and then disappearing.

…and then a force surged as if my body would be torn apart.

I froze in shock.

‘Synchronization with ????’

I knew the identity of ??? thanks to the comments that appeared when I accessed Zero’s memories last time.

The source of my being, the progenitor of doppelg?ngers.

I knew exactly what was happening to me now.

The polymorph of ??? was incomparably more powerful than mine.

He didn’t need to experience or understand anyone to replicate them.

It was an exceptional ability that allowed replication just by sight.

The essences he had collected numbered in the tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands.

And I realized that a part of those vast essences resided within me.

Enoch, who had entered my mental world, was defeated without using any power.

The reason Kalende, who had seen me with the eye of discernment, fled in fear.

The power I held, separate from myself, was slowly merging with me.

Of course, it wasn’t all of it.

Just a fraction.

But even that allowed me to wield power on a different level than before.

Crack-kaboom-!

Yol’s feet were pushed back several steps as he countered the Black Hope.

But the skeletal knight was undaunted and charged again, swinging his sword.

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The relentless will and murderous intent materialized, piercing my skin like needles.

[You’ve grown considerably weaker than before, monstrosity. Take this sword too!]

…And this ridiculous sword strike.

The ground flipped from the wind pressure alone, and my body ached as if struck by a hammer.

I clashed with Yol’s sword with all my strength.

This time, neither of us retreated, our swords locked.

Scrape—

Yol bent forward, bringing his face close to mine.

A chilling cold, the hypnotic blue flames flickered right before my eyes.

[I too have collected the dead, absorbing their strength. We are the same.]

“…….”

[This is a battle of monsters, no bard will sing of today.]

“…Who would wish for that?”

Crack-crash-!

The relentless exchange continued.

I used every possible means to press him.

Yol was far stronger than in the avatar duel we had before.

If not for the timely growth of my polymorph, I would have struggled immensely.

Perhaps the immense ‘power’ the First Legion had harvested from Rosenstark over the past three hours was the reason.

Instinctively, I glanced to the side.

Under the dawn light, Rosenstark burned.

I took a deep breath.

Thump—

The sound of my slowly beating heart echoed in my ears.

My vision turned red and narrowed, the surrounding noise gradually disappearing.

The most intense emotion I felt today swept through my body like a storm.

I swung my sword again.

[…Yes, you finally have the face of a monster!]

Yol leapt back.

Neigh—

A ghost horse was summoned again, and Yol’s silhouette rose high into the sky.

As vicious demonic energy swirled, exuding a terrifying presence,

I realized where Yol’s gaze was directed.

[Let’s see if they can find any light in you now…]

Boom-!

I kicked off the ground and ran.

[Let’s find out!]

Szzzz—

Black demonic energy, condensed into the shape of a cloud, hovered above the children.

Purple lightning flashed within the demonic cloud.

‘What is that?’

As the children raised their weapons with anxious faces—

Iris of Laplace, recognizing Yol’s technique, immediately output a comment.

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Black Rain

A black liquid that drains the life of all living beings it touches and absorbs it….

This technique, which can be considered Yol’s ‘ultimate skill’, requires an enormous amount of demonic energy, nearly equivalent to his full power.

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Does he consider this the turning point of the battle?

I kept running.

Sssss—

Wherever the shadow of the cloud touched, trees were already withering, and the ground was becoming barren.

The black cloud spread as if to devour the world.

The air was filled with the stench of decay.

…Fortunately, I arrived just in time.

I stood before the children.

Evergreen’s trembling voice reached my ears.

“…Professor? Are you alright?”

I couldn’t help but smile.

Still calling me professor.

In that case, I had to meet their expectations.

As I always did during lectures, I shouted in a stern voice.

“Everyone, get down!”

The children reflexively followed my command.

At the same time.

[Are you sacrificing yourself for humans, monstrosity?]

Crack-kaboom-!

A thick, sticky darkness poured down heavily, freezing the surroundings with a chilling cold.

The raindrops fell to the ground with sharp sounds like the wails of souls.

Sizzle—

As I activated Nova at full power, the thousands, no, tens of thousands of tiny dark bullets filled my vision.

I couldn’t block them all.

But I could block those heading toward the children behind me.

Flare.

Rumble—

Mana condensed and surged through my body’s circuits.

With that power, I swung my sword to create a barrier.

The barrier deflected some of the deathly rain.

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Black Hope’s unique ability: Domain activates.

It exerts strong attraction and repulsion to scatter the rest—

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Buzzing—

I used Stellar Lift to send some into a subspace.

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Ultimate skill: Infinity, Massacre activates.

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Dozens of ice arrows with destructive properties formed a web of fire.

I activated Dispel.

I exhausted all the dispels engraved on my robe.

With my eyes dimming from melting, I looked straight ahead.

Leaves turned black and twisted, grass withered and burned.

From afar, I could see the squad members resisting the black rain.

Rumble—

Amidst the silence and fear as if a death shroud had descended on the world,

only the sound of the rain was loud.

Sizzle—

My skin, touched by the black rain, turned cold as ice and then burned with pain.

Where the raindrops touched, it turned black, slowly corroding, revealing white bones.

…I swung my sword.

.

.

.

Thunk—

I didn’t need a mirror to know what I looked like now.

I would look no different from the skeletal Yol.

Even the doppelg?nger’s regenerative power couldn’t completely resist the ‘absorption’ of the black rain.

My flesh peeled off, and my muscles melted, making me look like someone who had been thrown into a fire for five minutes.

Creak—

My eyes were the last to regenerate, bringing my extinguished vision back.

I turned to look at the children.

“…….”

Fear? Disgust? Gratitude? Revulsion?

Honestly, I didn’t care how they looked at me now.

Everyone was safe, and that was enough.

I looked forward again.

Whoosh—

Yol was falling from the sky.

The neck of his phantom steed was severed.

His torso was half cut off as well.

The flames inside his helmet flickered like a startled candle.

[…You!]

…The enhanced polymorph gave me a brief moment of respite.

I had a few seconds to endure the raindrops with my body and land a full-force ‘Horizon’ strike on Yol, who was focusing on casting the black rain.

Perhaps he didn’t expect me to endure the pain of my body melting in real-time and counterattack, so he was unprepared and took a critical hit along with the neck of his phantom steed.

And at that moment,

Felson and several other squad members seized the opportunity to land their all-out attacks on Yol.

It was possible because most of the black rain’s power was concentrated on me.

[How dare you!]

Sssss—

Yol’s body, which had been screaming in pain, started to fade.

The desperate shouts of the squad members pierced my ears.

“He’s escaping!”

“Stop him!”

“Finish him!”

“It’s now or never!”

But the squad members had exhausted all their strength, making pursuit difficult.

I looked at them with fading vision.

…That was it.

▼

All of the user’s mental strength has been exhausted, making further polymorph impossible.

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Thunk—

I laid down the Black Hope and stood in my original form.

Now it was time for me to face judgment.

[TL/N: DAMN.]

[PR/N: Will they banish him?]

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[Translator – Night]

[Proofreader – Gun]

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