The Strongest Villain Sets Out: Reincarnated into a Merit-Based Clan, I Become the World's Strongest Swordsman

Aiden writhed in agony before me.

Stop trying to look like a tragic protagonist. I won’t sympathize with Aiden, and in this world, the weak are culled.

You’re supposed to be someone who guides others—don’t put yourself in the position of needing someone to extend a hand to you…

“What’s wrong? Hurry up and use prayer magic. Don’t tell me you—forgot?”

I waited for Aiden to stand up.

Then, the man who had exposed his pathetic state before many spectators groaned without even wiping the blood from his mouth.

“…Why…”

“Hmm?”

“Why can only you become so strong!”

Aiden’s sharp gaze pierced into my face.

Even in this situation, Aiden’s eyes weren’t dead. That’s what a protagonist should be. The heart that never gives up is essential for story protagonists.

“You ask why, but I worked hard to become strong. Working hard was natural. I struggled desperately. Do you need any other reason?”

I’d actually nearly died before. Many times.

Wasn’t Aiden the same? Hadn’t he struggled desperately to become strong?

In this world, might makes right. If you’re weak, you can’t protect anything or do anything.

I simply followed that rule. I wanted to become strong, so I became strong.

From his tone, Aiden seemed different.

Despite having blessed talent, he couldn’t struggle desperately.

I understood his feelings a little. Understood, but didn’t sympathize.

“Don’t mess with me…! I’ve been working hard this whole time because I wanted to beat you…!”

“For a short while since enrollment.”

“That’s still effort! Proper effort!”

Aiden continued shouting.

He somehow managed to stand while suppressing his trembling body. He should just quickly heal his wounds with prayer magic.

“You seem to be misunderstanding something.”

“Hah⁉”

“Effort is something you’re supposed to do. If you want results, there’s no path other than effort, right?”

“Tch!”

Hit where it hurt, Aiden’s mouth stopped.

That’s right, exactly right.

If you want results, effort is natural. Without effort, results won’t follow.

Because I was a genius? Wrong.

Talent certainly exists. It’s determined from birth.

But geniuses naturally put in effort. They naturally try to overcome walls that would make ordinary people cough up blood.

That’s why they’re geniuses.

Those who fall behind are ultimately just making excuses for everything and not putting in effort.

Don’t use your weakness as an excuse. If you’re going to use it, don’t seek results.

No matter how admirably you try to present yourself, the world moves by looking only at results.

Just as effort without results is meaningless, fools who deny effort are also meaningless.

“I’ll tell you again and again. Because you put in effort, results are born. What you’re doing is just pampering yourself and being jealous of others.”

“N-no! I… really tried hard! More than anyone… effort…”

“Enough. That’s sufficient.”

I readied my sword.

No more questions and answers were necessary. If Aiden wanted to affirm his own effort, the conversation would remain parallel no matter how much I denied it.

This too should be shown through results.

If your power surpasses mine, anyone could understand that Aiden’s effort was wonderful.

If not… then it’s over.

Seeing me ready my sword, Aiden also hastily readied his.

I’d given him enough time to use prayer magic. Perhaps noticing my intent, Aiden used prayer magic to return his body to normal condition.

Now we were back to square one. From here—I’d hit with even more force.

I increased my aura output. In that state, I kicked off the ground.

A sound like an explosion echoed, and my figure vanished from before Aiden.

“What!”

Aiden’s surprise was brief.

I approached from the front at a speed he couldn’t react to and struck his wide-open chest with my wooden sword.

“Guhah!”

Aiden spat blood and was blown away.

This time it was an unrestrained blow. Aiden tried to defend against my attack with aura, but aura at Aiden’s level couldn’t completely nullify the impact.

Magnificently, Aiden left the ring.

Scraping the ground roughly, he finally embedded in the wall below the spectator seats, creating a tremendous sound and dust cloud.

For a moment, the colosseum was filled with silence.

What cut through the silence was the announcer’s delayed voice.

“Th-the winner, Luka Salvatore‼”

The three—Sheila, Cornelia, and Lucia—sent cheers in loud voices: “As expected of Luka-sama,” “Luka, so cool~!” and “Not bad.”

The other spectators were silent. I wonder if they were surprised by my transcendent power?

While less flashy than Lucia and Sheila, simple brute force through aura instills a fair amount of awe.

Because aura is a power that’s hard to see. From the outside, it looked like I lightly swung a wooden sword, and Aiden, hit by it, embedded in the wall at ridiculous speed.

People fear power they can’t understand.

Especially power that’s hard to grasp visually, unlike magic.

“That was boring. I’m done with that guy.”

After glancing at the unconscious Aiden, I turned and headed back toward the spectator seats.

This was a story I didn’t know.

Perhaps this world was now for me.