Because of the Hero Summoned from Another World, I Got Replaced and Made the Backup—And My Childhood Friend the Saintess… - Chapter 23: I Wonder If I’ve Become the Hero Arianna Once Dreamed Of

Act 03: The True Hero

Chapter 23: I Wonder If I’ve Become the Hero Arianna Once Dreamed Of

With the Goddess’s blessing flowing through Arianna’s magic, I charged straight at the Demon King.

It was a spell that amplified my physical abilities—my body felt light, my movements sharp.

Faster. Stronger. Better.

But more than anything… Arianna’s magic felt warm.

And that warmth alone made my strength surge.

“Haaa—!”

I brought my sword down with both hands.

That floating black eyeball—didn’t matter where I hit it, it was gonna hurt.

But just before my blade could land, a glowing wall of light appeared out of nowhere—knocking my sword back.

“A barrier spell!?”

“I would’ve preferred you whole and unbroken… but so be it.”

Right in front of the Demon King, a human-sized magic circle lit up in midair.

Just from the symbols alone, I could tell—it was a piercing spell.

“Not happening!”

The Commander rushed in beside me, swinging to interrupt the casting.

But this time… no barrier appeared to stop him like it had for me.

So the Demon King can’t cast multiple spells at once?

“What!?”

Just when I thought we had an opening—

The Commander’s blade passed right through the Demon King’s body—

Like he was slicing through air.

His attack didn’t land at all.

The spell completed without a hitch.

A massive magical spike launched from the circle—aimed directly at my chest.

But I didn’t move.

I didn’t even try to dodge.

Because I knew…

I had someone at my side.

Someone I’d grown up with.

Someone who’d always protected me.

My childhood friend—the Saintess.

I didn’t need to dodge.

And sure enough—

Right before the spike could hit me, a glowing wall appeared in front of me and deflected it.

“My Hero won’t take a single scratch!”

“Arianna—”

…My Hero, huh?

Am I really living up to that title?

Am I the kind of Hero the Crown Prince imagined?

The one the Commander believed in?

…Am I the Hero Arianna once dreamed of?

I tightened my grip on my sword and stepped forward.

The Demon King looked frozen—just for a moment—still reeling after casting that last spell.

I swung with everything I had, aiming straight for his core—

But again, right before my blade could land, a glowing wall of light appeared and knocked it back.

“What is this…?”

I glanced over at the Commander and whispered my thoughts.

He gave a small nod.

Together, we squared up—shoulder to shoulder—against the Demon King.

It was me, the Knight Commander, and Arianna.

Behind us stood the Crown Prince, keeping watch over the battlefield.

All around us, knights were locked in battle with waves of monsters.

“Try not to resist too much. If you do… I won’t be able to save you.”

“Like I need saving from you!”

This fight—

was just getting started.

The Commander and I kept pressing forward while Arianna supported us from behind with her magic.

Buffs that boosted our strength.

Heals when we took hits.

Shields at just the right moment.

We moved in perfect sync.

Arianna and I had grown up together.

We’d trained side by side for years.

She didn’t need words—she always knew exactly what I needed, and she delivered every time.

From the backline, the Crown Prince surveyed the field.

He cast spells where they were needed, called out orders, kept everything moving like clockwork.

And as the Commander and I faced off against the Demon King—

Both of us started to realize the same thing.

“The Demon King’s only reacting to your attacks. Everything I throw at him just gets ignored—and it’s not even landing.”

“He’s ignoring His Highness’s magic too. Arianna’s spells seem to stagger him a little… but he doesn’t try to block them like he does with yours.”

“Same goes for the other knights. So basically, you’re the only one here who can actually hurt him.”

The Demon King… probably can’t be touched by normal humans.

Every swing from the Commander passed right through him.

The Crown Prince’s magic didn’t land either.

Arianna’s spells—blessed by the Goddess—seemed to do something, but not enough to change the tide.

He didn’t even bother defending against them.

And whatever damage they caused, he healed almost instantly.

But when it came to me—

Only my attacks triggered that full-on magical barrier.

Everything else, he brushed off like it didn’t exist.

That’s what he meant earlier when he called me the true Hero, isn’t it?

Because I’m the only one who can actually hurt him.

The only one who can really fight him.

From what the Demon King said before…

Even Kanda’s Holy Sword probably wouldn’t work.

If it could, the Demon King wouldn’t have dismissed him as a fake.

“…Commander. I’m going in—with just Arianna.”

“…Yeah. Makes sense. My sword doesn’t do anything anyway. If I stay here, I’ll only put more pressure on the Saintess.”

“…I’m sorry about that.”

What I’d just said was basically asking the Commander to step back—

Because he wasn’t going to be much help in this fight.

Honestly? Saying that to him felt terrible.

But the truth was, his presence only added to Arianna’s burden.

That’s why the apology slipped out before I even realized it.

And then… the Knight Commander gave me a rare smile.

“You’ve got nothing to apologize for. You’re the Hero now. If you can turn those words I once said—‘You could even beat the Demon King’—into reality, I’ve got no complaints.”

“…Yes, sir!”

I gave a firm nod, and the Commander turned to leave.

He’d probably stick close to the Crown Prince and watch over the battlefield from there.

The monsters the Demon King had summoned were no joke.

Every time they were close to being taken out, he’d heal them—making it almost impossible to finish them off.

Even so, the knights held the line.

And thanks to that, no one was getting in the way of my fight.

I walked over to where Arianna stood a short distance away.

“Arianna.”

“Yes!”

“It’s just the two of us now. You okay with that?”

“—Of course I am!”

Even in a moment like this, she nodded with the brightest smile.

And seeing that… made me smile too.

With Arianna by my side, I felt like we could take on anything.

There was no way we were going to lose.

“Let’s do this, Arianna!”

“Let’s take the Demon King down—just the two of us!”