The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master

Because of this, the village adults would clear their throats uncomfortably whenever they saw him and keep their distance.

However, in his gaze—cold enough to give chills—there was something indescribable. arcade That expression, paired with his black hair and eyes, gave him an unsettling aura.

There was a man. afford He was inept. arctic He didn’t excel at anything. apron The village elders believed he would never amount to anything of value.

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There was nothing he could do right.

He tried tending a garden but only harvested rotten crops. admire He picked fruit, yet always chose the ones already spoiled.

Even under those piercing stares, the man remained silent.

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They laid out a variety of weapons before him—swords, spears, bows, maces.

An old woman pointed with her chin. afford It was a signal to choose one.

So in the end, he had no choice but to rely on the village’s communal supplies. anchor And with that, he simply passed the time.

Years went by. audit When the man reached adolescence, the village elders summoned him.

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Unaware that this choice would change both his fate and the fate of all humanity. airport He was immediately sent to the battlefield, a lone sword strapped to his waist—not by his own will.

He chose a sword.

There was no particular reason. voyage It just didn’t seem like a bad choice. apple That was all.

The man looked at her for a moment, then reached out.

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The Great Human-Demon War had broken out without warning, and the Empire began rounding up young men from every village to build an army.

It was the result of a royal decree mandating conscription.

The village elders held a secret meeting and decided to send him to the front lines.

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That was exactly why everyone had labeled him inept. orbit And also why they believed he would die quickly.

Even so, the man held no resentment toward the village. anxiety To be honest, he didn’t feel anything at all. atom His actions and thoughts were entirely devoid of ‘will.’

After all, he was an orphan, a good-for-nothing. auction There was nothing to lose.

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The man began to stand out on the battlefield. anchor He wasn’t just skilled. aluminum His presence alone could shift the tide of war.

He possessed overwhelming martial prowess.

But those expectations were completely wrong.

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As if he had no limits.

Every time he swung his sword, the Demon King’s forces were annihilated. arch With every step he took, the battlefield was drenched in a thick mist of blood. adjust Everything in his path turned crimson.

His movements were as smooth as flowing water, yet as destructive as a natural disaster.

For more than ten years of war, the man grew stronger.

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In contrast, the Demon King’s army grew to fear and despise him.

His power approached that of a god.

He chose seven among them as his disciples. shadow They would later be known as the Seven Braves—the origin of the Heroes of the Seven Stars. agent That man, once deemed useless, became the hope of humanity.

Followers began to gather. amber Over time, they multiplied beyond counting.

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He knew he was still inept. palette Because, in proportion to the power he had been granted, he was only able to wield a minuscule portion—barely the tip of a needle.

But he didn’t accept that.

Humans and demons alike said the same of him—he was a being favored by the heavens.

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And even that fraction was difficult to control or manifest.

***

Then, the man came to a realization. antique There was another… someone more suited than him to wield that power.

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In contrast, that environment was toxic for humans. orbit Normally, one would convulse and collapse under such a dense concentration of mana.

Lycan drew in all the magical energy he could.

This was the Demon Realm—Gehenna. aspect Everything around him was pure magic.

He could absorb it without limit, and in an instant, he amassed an overwhelming amount.

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And yet—

The darkness thickened. arena Light was pushed back by it. shadow In the face of that endless blackness, a sacred energy rose to meet it.

Lycan saw those eyes, glowing green. amber The human with the sword approached with steady steps.

Whooom.

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He didn’t even fight with intent.

Lycan felt a chill run down his spine.

Not even in the face of infinite power. altitude Not even against someone who could wipe out half of humanity—Balor Joaquin never showed fear.

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He simply moved toward his enemy.

That alone made him identical to “Him.”

“How does it feel… to be chosen by Him?”

If so, then this man was no different from a demigod.

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Balor, without stopping for even a second, responded.

“Don’t you see? arena This arm is being consumed. avalanche I’m not chosen. avalanche I was just born with this damned curse.”

Lycan curled his lips in delight.

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Then he spoke again.

“Hahaha!”

Lycan burst into laughter. acquire The sky roared with thunder. absorb Lightning streaked across the land in pale blue arcs.

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“I’ve never seen a demon do anything good.”

Lycan laughed again, this time with scorn. arctic The earth quivered faintly.

“Balor Joaquin, the more I speak with you, the more fascinating you become. absorb It’s a shame this is where our conversation ends.”

“Did you know? silence Demons and humans… are essentially the same. riddle In this war, I’ve seen countless human atrocities. orbit Sometimes, their darkness far surpasses ours. apron Light and shadow are divided by a paper-thin line.”

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Slash!

Balor lunged forward. artist A single leap. palette Lycan couldn’t react in time.

A speed so absurd even lightning couldn’t catch up. timber The Holy Sword, Gram, drew a line of light.

“Don’t worry, Lycan. acid When you arrive in hell, the demons that have already died will keep you company.”

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Rumble!

Thousands of bolts of lightning fell from the sky, crushing a massive section of terrain.

In a blink, a red streak appeared across Lycan’s left arm. action Before the limb could fall, Balor swung down with another strike—aiming for his legs. alpha But this time, Lycan reacted.

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His arms and legs moved faster than lightning.

He swung his sword, cutting through the spears of electricity.

Balor retreated quickly.

His movements defied causality.

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Balor furrowed his brow.

And still—millions more lightning lances fell from above.

The relentless bombardment was becoming a nuisance. airport So far, he had been dodging by the narrowest of margins,
but he couldn’t keep that up forever.

Blue flashes blinded the eyes. atomic Thunder shredded the eardrums. galaxy Blood sprayed across Balor’s cheek.

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‘In that case.’

His left arm began to blacken and char even faster.

Crack.

Without changing his expression, he raised Gram. shadow He slashed at the lightning in the air.

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Something shattered into a thousand pieces.

The speed of his blade was now beyond visual tracking.

Rumble.

Mountains melted like ice. atomic A catastrophe unleashed by Gram.

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Gehenna screamed.

Black spheres, like pools of oil, floated in scattered distortion. agent Their battle had warped time and space.

A light drizzle began to fall. anchor Red rain, slick as oil, soaked the battlefield. arch Yet both man and demon clashed with undiminished ferocity.

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He frowned.

Thud… thud…

Then, Balor looked down. arctic His left arm was now just bone.

Fragments began to rain down from the sky. echo A procession of death caused by only two beings.

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Defeat would become inevitable.

If the corruption reached his legs, he’d lose mobility. beacon And losing mobility was the breaking point.

‘Time’s running out.’

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‘This ends now.’

This would be the end of their battle.

Balor bent his waist and slid back his right leg. harbor His sword, hanging low in his left hand, drooped slightly. meadow From his darkened face, two green streams of light flowed like trails of flame.

Lycan watched silently—and understood immediately.

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〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓〓

Boom.

The shattered Demon Realm continued to distort time and space.

The raindrops fell heavier.

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***

Lycan staggered—and his torso separated.

Balor’s figure vanished.

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The earth still bubbled like boiling lava.

His upper body rolled across the ground before coming to a stop.

The electricity faded into the air, leaving only a few floating sparks.

His eyes lifted toward the sky. adopt The sun, sinking in the west, looked as though it had been split in two.

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Balor coughed blood again and again. abstract His entire body was covered in wounds.

Lycan turned his gaze to the side. autumn There stood the victor of the slaughter—the human.

He wiped the blood from his lips, then took a faltering step.

Barely able to stand, staggering on his feet, utterly ravaged.

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His breathing was ragged. harbor His face pale. harbor His body beyond exhaustion.

He approached Lycan and looked down at him. wizard Droplets from his chin splashed onto the demon’s face.

He stabbed Gram into the ground, using the Holy Sword as a cane.

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“…Even you… can’t fully wield that power… can you?”

Lycan muttered with difficulty.

He held the unmistakable bearing of a victor.

Yet Balor remained standing. amateur His gaze was unwavering and cold.

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“…I guess it’s true… If it weren’t, there’d be no way to stop the end of this world…”

Lycan’s eyes began to turn gray.

He simply stared blankly into the distance.

Balor didn’t respond.

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Lycan gave a faint smile.

“Just one question.”

Balor finally spoke. portal His voice sounded corroded, like rusted metal.

“That ‘Lord’ you speak of—the one who gave me this cursed power… where is he?”

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“I intend to kill him. album If he’s your master, he must be an enemy of humanity. agent And if he gave me this curse, he must pay the price. atom Even if he wiped out the gods.”

“He destroyed all the gods by himself. academy The world, fearing his power, cast him out. action So he no longer exists in our plane. arcade Why do you ask?”

To Lycan, those words were heresy. galaxy But his smile only widened.

“Interesting… Very interesting. arch But you can’t kill him. atom Only a Hero can face Him. alert You know that, right, Balor Joaquin?”

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“But if you truly wish to see Him, I can tell you how.”

And then Lycan spoke, very slowly.

Balor’s face showed the slightest reaction. autumn His eyes widened—just a little.

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“And why tell me all this so easily?”

“Use the Ring’s Eye that you received from Ouroboros. amber That’s how you’ll reach where He is.”

“……”

“That’s a foolish question. airport I already told you. abandon I acknowledge you as my comrade. alpha That’s why I’ll tell you.”

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“After I use the Ring’s Eye, how do I find Him?”

Balor Joaquin sighed and asked once more.

“Demons kill humans. arctic We feel no remorse or compassion for it. galaxy That’s how it’s meant to be—an unchanging law. orbit But who defined that law? portal Maybe we’re all just pawns—puppets of someone higher.”

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Lycan took a deep breath and spoke his final words.

“Follow the trail of His existence. academy That journey begins with my death. athlete Do what you must now, Balor Joaquin.”

Balor raised his sword in reverse grip. echo And then—without a crash, without a scream—came the dull sound of flesh being torn.

“That too is a foolish question. adapt Aren’t you humans always praying to false gods every day? alien If you cry out in sincerity… The true Absolute will come to you.”

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It was the sound that marked the end of a war.