A C-Rank Magic Student Who Deludes Himself into Thinking He Is SSS-Rank - Chapter 38.2: Two Heroes 〈2〉

“…What’s with you, Ted? You’re not seriously flipping sides just because you got saved once, right?”

“Don’t start acting like a good guy now. You’re one of us, aren’t you?”

“Don’t you hate that Alphonse bastard?”

Kevin, ranked fourth in the school year hierarchy, along with Marco and Dominic, ranked sixth and seventh respectively, confronted Ted.

“…Not really. It’s not like I’m suddenly pretending to be a good person. And it’s not something simple like changing my mind because I was saved. I had a hunch that the guy wasn’t a bad person. That hunch turned into conviction. That’s all there is to it. …You guys understand that, don’t you?”

Ted posed the question to the three.

“A good guy because he fought for everyone? Hah. Just a self-satisfied jerk who showed off trying to be a hero. And everyone’s lifting him as some hero. It pisses me off.”

Kevin spat out irritably.

“…Until recently, I was the same as you guys. So, I’m not trying to preach from a high horse. But let me say this as a friend we’ve hung out with for a while. Stop doing things that look lame from the outside.”

Despite his thoughts on Kevin’s argument, Ted spoke calmly, enduring it.

“…Hey, cut the crap. Not trying to preach? Stop doing lame things. Who are you to say that?”

“Acting all enlightened, think you’re better than us?”

“Suddenly flipping sides and acting all high and mighty, don’t you realize you’re the lamest of us all?”

Kevin, Marco, and Dominic rebuked Ted one after another.

“…Yeah, you’re right. I’m the lamest. I know that better than anyone. …But still, this is a duty I have to fulfill.”

Despite being attacked by all three, Ted spoke boldly, causing Kevin to exasperate.

“…Sigh. Ted. You’ve become boring.”

Kevin said coldly to Ted.

“Fine, we’ll do it without you if you hate it so much. Let’s cut ties with this guy, Marco, Dominic.”

“Right.”

“That’s right, Kevin.”

As Kevin looked at them, the two agreed.

“See ya, fair-weather friend.”

Saying this, Kevin tried to leave, but Ted grabbed his shoulder strongly.

“Hey, wait.”

Kevin turned around, glaring at Ted.

“…Let go, Ted.”

“What are you trying to do?”

Marco grabbed Ted’s arm, trying to pull him away from Kevin.

“I’m saying I won’t let you do it.”

Yet, Ted still held onto Kevin’s shoulder firmly.

“Ted! Enough already…!”

Dominic grabbed Ted’s chest in anger, creating a tense atmosphere.

…However, just at that moment.

“Ted, are you okay? What happened?”

Alphonse appeared amongst the four.

◆

After the dragon incident, Ted visited Alphonse at the royal capital’s medical facility, where he received treatment, to apologize for his past attitudes and actions towards him. The two successfully reconciled.

Seeing Ted in a conflict with the three he always hung out with, Alphonse hurried to the scene.

When Alphonse arrived, the atmosphere was tense, on the verge of exploding. He spoke to Ted, partly to restrain Kevin, Marco, and Dominic.

“Ted, are you okay? What happened?”

“Alphonse…! No, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Surprised by Alphonse’s arrival, Ted’s grip on Kevin’s shoulder loosened.

Taking advantage of this moment, Kevin shrugged off Ted’s hand and addressed Alphonse as if he hadn’t conflicted with Ted just seconds ago.

“Hey, Alphonse! I heard about your exploits recently! You’re amazing!”

Kevin spoke with a feigned smile, his words dripping with insincerity.

“I didn’t do anything special,” Alphonse replied coolly, sensing the hostility in Kevin’s words.

“Modesty again! That humble attitude is exactly why you’re hailed as a hero! It’s a spirit I’d like to learn from!”

With an overtly theatrical tone, Kevin praised Alphonse, who cast a skeptical look his way. Then, changing the subject, Kevin said, “By the way!”

“Would you mind practicing with me? I’d love to learn from a hero like you!”

“Hey!”

As Kevin proposed a sparring session to Alphonse, Ted immediately raised his voice in protest.

But Marco and Dominic physically blocked Ted, stopping him from confronting Kevin again.

“Let go! Hey, Alphonse, you don’t have to accept this!”

“Come on, Ted, calm down,” Kevin turned to Ted, speaking as if to scold him gently.

“We’re in the middle of practical lessons, and I’m just asking for some practice.”

“You’re just spouting nonsense!”

Though Marco and Dominic pushed him back, Ted glared fiercely at Kevin.

Kevin turned back to Alphonse, ignoring Ted, saying, “You’re making a big deal out of nothing. I’m just trying to engage seriously in the lesson. …You agree, don’t you, Alphonse?”

“Yes, that’s true,” Alphonse agreed after a pause, acknowledging Kevin’s claim.

“Fantastic! You understand! So, will you do the practice with me?”

“Alphonse! It’s not just practice! They are…”

“Shut up!”

Ted tried to warn Alphonse, but Dominic shouted at him.

“Listen, Alphonse.”

“—Ted,” Alphonse stopped him with a calm voice.

“Thank you. But I’m okay.”

“Alphonse…”

Worried, Ted looked on as Alphonse accepted Kevin’s challenge.

“Okay, let’s do it.”

“Really? It’s an honor to learn from a hero like you!”

“…Alphonse.”

Then, the four, excluding Ted, headed to the simulated combat field, with Ted watching their backs anxiously.

In the field, surrounded by a magical barrier measuring ten by fifteen meters, Kevin stood at the forefront, Marco and Dominic at the back, and Alphonse in the center facing Kevin.

The practice requested by Kevin was not a mock battle but a demonstration of defending against fire magic with wind magic, specifically blocking Kevin’s “Fireball” with Alphonse’s “Typhoon.”

However, the situation was irregular, with Marco and Dominic standing behind Alphonse in the field, hinting at a malicious setup despite their previous hostility towards Alphonse.

Alphonse guessed this timing, with the supervising teachers occupied elsewhere, was deliberately chosen by the trio.

Nevertheless, Alphonse prepared the magic as instructed, deploying a “Typhoon” magic circle around him and signaling Kevin to begin.

“Ready whenever you are.”

Kevin, seeing the “Typhoon” circle correctly laid out, gave a signal to Marco and Dominic not to cast “Fireball” but instead,

“Blood-red Lightning!”

He pulled a pre-prepared magic paper from his pocket and instantly activated his highest level of lightning magic.

Kevin’s intention was never to practice but to trap Alphonse and take revenge for personal grievances.

Using magic paper allowed Kevin to cast “Blood-red Lightning” instantly, bypassing Alphonse’s “Typhoon” preparation and launching a fast lightning strike at him.

Lightning magic, exceptionally fast and difficult to defend against after being cast, would penetrate wind magic without resistance, making it impossible for Alphonse to defend using “Typhoon” against this surprise attack.

Despite this, Alphonse, being an S-class magician, might have been able to react and deploy a different defense after the lightning was cast. However, Kevin also counted on simultaneous high-level lightning attacks from Marco and Dominic from behind, overwhelming any possible defense Alphonse could muster.

“(What do you mean ‘I’m okay,’ idiot! You’ll see!)” Kevin thought smugly, confident in his plan.

But at that moment,

“Typhoon!”

With a roaring sound as if slicing through space, a tremendous gale repelled Kevin and his accomplices’ magic, blowing them all away.

◆

“Alphonse… you, you bastard…”

Slammed violently against the magical barrier of the field, Kevin, with his body aching, forcibly lifted himself from his fallen posture to glare at Alphonse.

“…Sorry, I only meant to show you an example, but it seems I accidentally put too much power into it.”

Alphonse apologized to Kevin for the situation that had deviated from their prior arrangement.

“Don’t mess with me, you! This isn’t what we talked about! We told you to use ‘Typhoon’!”

“You had a different magic prepared from the start, didn’t you!”

Kevin and the others displayed a perfect example of indignation towards Alphonse.

“…That sounds bad. I did use ‘Typhoon’ as I was told. But aren’t you guys the ones whose story is different? I wasn’t informed that you’d use high-level lightning magic.”

Alphonse responded to the three with utter calmness.

“Joke around! As if our lightning magic, enhanced by the wind attribute, could be defended against by mere beginner-level magic…!”

“Exactly! A man who descends from a great hero shouldn’t be puffing up with such worthless bravado…!”

“The hero would be appalled without following the agreement before the match!”

Kevin and the others’ accusations were incoherent due to the unbelievable confusion, anger from being outsmarted, or perhaps both.

Alphonse coldly asked them, “…Do you guys mean that?”

“…What?”

Displeased by Alphonse’s attitude, Kevin twisted his expression as Alphonse continued, “Indeed, wind and lightning are critically incompatible, but if the magic power density in the magic is high enough, it can overcome a disadvantageous attribute. My wind magic had a much higher magic power density than your lightning magic, which is why the outcome was like this.”

“…”

“Well, overcoming a disadvantageous attribute with a higher magic power density is common knowledge among magicians, and given the difference in our abilities, this result was inevitable. I hope you can accept that as a normal conclusion.”

Alphonse explained the nature of magic power, a common knowledge among magicians, and completely refuted their accusations.

But his statement infuriated Kevin and the others.

“Normal, you say…?! Even if it’s normal for you, we’re struggling to become stronger in our way…! Just because you were born into a good family, don’t act so high and mighty!”

“Even if everyone calls you a hero, you haven’t changed since the entrance exam…!”

“Looking down on those not born special, belittling them…! You’re not a hero, just a self-satisfied jerk!”

Despite being insulted, Alphonse did not simply bow his head as before.

“…Right. People are born with different abilities, and I think I was born into a fortunate situation. …But that doesn’t mean I look down on others, I swear.”

Saying so, Alphonse directed a strong gaze at Kevin and the others.

“However, I believe I won’t lose to you guys.”

“What…?!”

Taken aback by his unexpected words, Kevin and the others visibly shook.

Alphonse firmly stated, “Because I’ve been working harder than any of you.”

The confidence that allowed Alphonse to say this stemmed from his days of relentless effort.

“Maybe you guys have been trying hard in ways I don’t know about. But…”

“People who focus on belittling others rather than becoming stronger themselves can’t possibly defeat me.”

“!”

Despite being treated like a pariah and subjected to criticism and slander, Alphonse had always resigned himself to his fate.

Such strong statements were unimaginable from the Alphonse of the past, leaving Kevin and the others disconcerted and unable to retort.

“Feel free to belittle me if you want. Use cowardly tricks like today again if you want to get one over on me.”

“But, let me say one thing,” Alphonse continued.

“It’s painful to be disliked by someone.”

“It’s scary to face malice from someone and to stand up to it… But still…”

With conviction, Alphonse declared to Kevin and the others, “Your malice will never again break me.”

“Because I am the descendant of a great hero.”

“Because my hero told me, ‘Hold your head high.'”

…

Thus, the crisis that seemed like it could endanger the world, the turmoil caused by Schwaldius, the Black Dragon of Demise, was resolved without a single casualty, thanks to the efforts of two heroes.

One hero gained “the courage to face malice,” while the other experienced “an indescribable pleasure.”

And a few days later, when Alphonse reunited with Shion, he asked, “Shion, who are you?”

To which Shion replied with a smile that seemed to contain a secret, “I’m just an ordinary girl.”

The truth behind these words would only be revealed much later in a story that intertwines fate and encounters beyond imagination under the guidance of the stars.