The Tale of the Teapot Hero’s Revenge Chapter 96 Hero's Sphere

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Chapter 96 Hero's Sphere

 

"Ah, it hurts, it hurts!"

My entire body was slashed evenly and was now covered in blood while my clothes were tattered. It seemed I would return home looking as beaten up as ever, likely causing Beato to worry again.

"Ah, it hurts, it hurts!"

But such concerns would have to wait until after I got through this situation. Levia's secret move relentlessly slashed my body over and over. The attacks seemed never-ending.

-Slash, slash, slash!

"Ah, ugh, aahhh!"

Despite being repeatedly cut, there was a reason why my body wasn't falling apart. While the Fortify Body technique was enhancing my defense, there seemed to be more to it than just that. If her attacks were precise, my arms and legs would have been taken long ago, yet I remained intact. It felt strange.

-Guh!

Finally, the barrage of consecutive charges came to an end. Levia stopped, raising dust. Released from the storm of slashes, I collapsed on the spot.

This was bad; I might have lost too much blood.

"Guh, quickly... I need to stand up..."

If I didn't get up then, a follow-up attack might come, sending me straight to the afterlife. I planted my hands on the ground, using the sword as a cane, and managed to get back on my feet.

"Haa, haa..."

Don't worry; all the wounds were superficial. Despite being covered in blood, the injuries didn't seem as severe as they looked. As for Levia, she hadn't resumed her continuous attack. And for a good reason—just like me, she had been using the sword as a cane.

"Haa, haa, it's not over yet..."

She seemed even more exhausted than me.

"It looks tough for you... What happened? Feeling unwell or something?"

"Don't spout nonsense! With just this much, I can still—"

She probably intended to finish me off with that last attack, but it turned out to be a miscalculation on her part. My provocation threw her off balance, making her lose her composure.

"You managed to put up a strong front, despite your legs shaking."

Yeah, my breathing was gradually stabilizing. The Fortify Body technique was still active.

"Maybe because it's not your own power? You underestimated the repercussion of that move just now."

These ultra-high-speed maneuvers were beyond the limits of her body. The imprecise targeting was because her senses couldn't keep up. She hadn't used it until now because the after-effects on the body were too significant. Reinforcing the body with Renki was probably the correct way to use it.

They were only told 'what can be done.' Knowledge-wise, that's all they know. That's their common weakness.

"Now then, let's settle this."

Gripping the crimson Swordbreaker, I approached steadily.

"Silence! I won't lose yet!"

Forcing herself up with shaky legs, she swung her sword in place. Ultra-fast slashes cut through the air, but...

"You won't hit me with something like this."

It's just a desperate attack in the end. I easily deflected the slashes with a light swing of my sword while walking.

"I'm not done yet... I haven't lost!"

"You're persistent. You say that in such a condition."

"Silence!"

Yelling, she forcefully activates another high-speed charge. Such a struggle; she should stop already. I just rolled out of the way, and her speed caused her to tumble.

"Guaah...!"

"Now, what's your next move? Whatever you do, it's probably useless."

"Don't mock me! I won't die! Until I kill my enemy, I absolutely won't!"

"About that enemy, I've been curious for a while now. Do you know? This 'Godspeed'—it's the Gift of your enemy."

Now, let's see how she reacts. It would be great if she realized she was being used and her spirit broke.

"...!"

Levia's eyes widened. She looked down, gripping her sword tightly, and stared at the blue Hero's Sphere embedded in her bracelet.

"Did you think I'm being used? I've known everything from the beginning. This Hero's Sphere contains the soul of my enemy. I hold it myself because it's absolutely necessary to resurrect him. That's all there is to it."

"Soul...?"

What's that? What does it mean to have a soul?

"...That expression. A face filled with surprise and confusion. Is that the face you wanted to see on me?"

"What's this about a soul...? Why is the soul of a hero inside the Hero's Sphere?"

"If you don't know, I'll tell you. Do you know that when a hero dies, a Hero's Sphere is born?"

"...I know, but..."

That's all I know. I didn't know how it was created or what it really was. Even Beato didn't know the details.

"When a hero loses their life, their soul is guided to Empyrean. There, their soul is crystallized along with their Gift. That is the true nature of the Hero's Sphere."

...What?

The soul is crystallized?

"Gift is a unique power created by the soul of that individual. Whether the gods considered it a loss for that power to be lost with death, I don't know."

"Wait a minute. Are you saying that when a hero dies, their soul is trapped in the Hero's Sphere...? Unable to go to the afterlife, forever confined within the sphere...?"

"It seems to have been quite a shock for you. You're looking pale."

What the hell was this? They turned someone into a hero without asking, used them as they pleased, and even after death, they planned to bind them forever.

No way. No way!

"Heh... Don't fuck with me!"

Driven by anger, I raised my fist, wanting to punch Levia in the face. However, before I could land a hit, I was punched in the face by her first.

"Gah!! ...Cough, cough!"

Spurting nosebleed, I was blown away, rolling on the ground with a rumble.

No, I can't lose it. Stay calm. If I let anger get to my head now, I'd ruin the chance of winning this fight.

"...So that's how it is."

Wiping away the nosebleed, I stood up.

Stay calm, stay calm, and consciously focus on staying calm.

"The experiment with the artificial hero. Using it to resurrect an enemy..."

"Your voice is shaking, and your fingertips too."

Don't fall for provocation, stay calm.

"But yeah, I'll tell you. An artificial hero is a technique that transfers only the power of the Gift contained in the Hero's Sphere to the body of a living person. If successful, they can use both the power of the Gift and the Hero's Sphere."

"...And if it fails, they turn into that mass of flesh?"

"The Gift is like a fragment of the user's soul. If something incompatible is forced in, the body can't endure it and undergoes a transformation."

What kind of experiments are they conducting, those people from Paladis? Are they going to such lengths just to obtain military power?

"The application of that is the resurrection of a hero itself. Not only the power of the Gift but also transferring the soul and overwriting it onto the original body."

"...Resurrecting seasoned heroes, huh? It's sickening."

"To complete this research, we need a lot of Hero's Spheres. The current stock is not enough."

While talking, it seems Levia has recovered some stamina. She wielded the sword with both hands, assuming a low stance.

"So, I will kill all heroes. For revenge, I will keep killing heroes and increasing the Hero's Spheres. Until the day my enemy is resurrected. Starting with you, Hero Kyrie."

"I've said it many times. I have no intention of being killed by you, and I won't allow myself to be turned into a sphere by some incomprehensible god."

Preparing for the attack, I also gripped the crimson swordbreaker tightly with both hands. This battle seemed to be coming to an end with the next clash. Despite the various shocks, I told myself to stay calm. Another reason not to die has just been added. In other words, that's the whole story.

 

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