[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero":3,"chapter-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-57":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","I Became the Academy’s War Hero",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1531664,1990,"Chapter 57 : You Dare to Command Me? (2)","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-57",57,"\u003Cp>Chapter 57: You Dare to Command Me? (2)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s have a quick strategy meeting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Gustav was preparing to release the seal, I called Rubia and Meriel to my side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s no need for me to explain the rules for facing an evil spirit, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And the methods of countering status ailments.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both nodded silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’ll leave the interception to you two. I’ll make sure the front line doesn’t break, no matter what.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah, and one more thing—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This time, you don’t have to hold back, Rubia.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean by that…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They may have taught you differently here, but that is by no means a denial of your own power.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is the perfect opportunity to prove it with your own hands… So don’t hesitate.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I gave a faint laugh at their puzzled faces, then turned back to the front.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gustav first began releasing the restraints binding Clina by using an unsealing spell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time a shackle fell away, it rang out with a loud clang—but the ground itself didn’t even tremble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, from his robes, he drew out a small orb—the symbol of the Master of the Magic Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A top-grade Barion Orb, refined to over 99%. There’s nothing more suitable to contain the Master’s Code.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I hadn’t asked for an explanation, but Gustav began to mutter on his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…As the current ruler of Duel, this will be my first time using it. And it had better be the last.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All towers under Duel were inherently conservative, and Gustav in particular was a man who loathed taking risks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it required the use of the Master’s Code, he would’ve preferred to never face it at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You’re confident, I hope?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Confident in what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I deploy Duel’s core power, suppressing the rampaging Clina White shouldn’t be too difficult—but only once. We can’t keep a being of that strength unsealed for long.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He cast a worried glance my way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There won’t be a second chance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And my reply to that was simple—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just don’t forget to thank me later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No words followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Resigned, Gustav placed the orb near the evil spirit and began to chant the incantation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At once, a green light flared from the orb, and the hourglass emblem of Duel flickered briefly across its surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The light extended outward and seeped into Clina White’s entire body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment, the seal suppressing her consciousness was released.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KWA-AAAAANG!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden shockwave hurled both Gustav and me backward at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir Eugene!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir Gustav!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I immediately adjusted my posture midair and landed on my feet, but Gustav didn’t manage to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meriel rushed to catch him, but I shouted sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No time to prop up the old man! Get ready for battle, now!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then I turned to Rubia beside me with a grin full of fighting spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She nodded back in understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step by step, I began to move forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the shockwave subsided, a thick, blood-red mist began to spread in all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rubia conjured a gust of wind with magic, scattering it away—and then came the sorrowful wail that followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the Queen of Banshees, that cry was a declaration of war.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Banshee’s lament was the herald of death—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meaning someone here was bound to die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Well, you’re not wrong.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It just wouldn’t be us who’d die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I drew Lukezax and charged forward with all my strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KWAANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>KWAAANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A harsh, thunderous pounding echoed through the chamber, like a giant hammer striking an iron gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The malignant entities around reacted at once, shrieking in unison, plunging the area into deafening chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But such noise was nothing compared to the overwhelming intensity of the battle unfolding before our eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gustav could only stare blankly at the three figures, stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Unbelievable.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a grudge from twelve years ago. Saying he had forgotten would be a lie, but the fury, humiliation, and pity he’d once felt had long since faded with time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, because of the link named Rubia Magnus, Eugene Carter had always lingered in the back of his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even his direct disciple, Meriel, held a complicated love-hate toward Rubia, so he’d naturally kept up with news of her—and through that, learned of Eugene Carter’s accident soon after.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he’d heard that the man had become crippled on the battlefield, and eventually a broken shell of himself, he hadn’t been shocked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a man that arrogant, it was almost expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had even felt a faint sense of grim satisfaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A fitting end for someone drunk on his own brilliance—he’d thought with an oddly calm relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so Gustav had watched the fight with a faint, dangerous hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That Eugene Carter’s regained memory was merely coincidence, and that his body’s weakness remained unchanged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wouldn’t that be the natural order of things?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that hope shattered not even ten seconds after the battle began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creak—creeaak!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was swinging the heavy, single-edged Lukezax like it was nothing more than a branch, his movements fluid and precise—showing a mastery that hadn’t been there before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time the blade clashed against the skeletal body of the evil spirit, an unpleasant metallic screech echoed through the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The skeletal form’s motions were purely instinctive—Clina hadn’t yet regained full control.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one wanted to act, now was the time—before she fully awakened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eugene Carter surely knew that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he said nothing, focusing only on carving wounds into her bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>CLAAANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time their blows had clashed more than thirty times, Gustav’s head was swimming with questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What in the world is he thinking…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t bother asking aloud—there was no way he’d get an answer—but the strangeness of this fight was undeniable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t declared it, but it was clear that man’s goal was to subjugate the evil spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then why repeat such a reckless approach?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he planned to overpower her through sheer force, he was making a grave miscalculation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That much was obvious—her opponent was a High-Rank Evil Spirit, Clina White.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it were a lower-grade spirit, perhaps brute force might have worked. But a supreme being like a High-Rank Evil Spirit would never yield to mere strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No, if this keeps up, she won’t just resist—she’ll…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crack—crack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The areas Eugene had persistently attacked began to fracture, and before long, cracks spread across all her bones.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that blatant warning sign, Gustav hastily reached out his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait! You can’t provoke her any further!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eugene didn’t even flinch at his plea. He simply focused on deepening the fractures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, those cracks became deep splits, and as if shedding her skin, the Evil Spirit cast off her skeletal shell and began revealing her true form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gustav shook his head with a heavy sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You fool… I told you, we only had one chance!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most High-Rank Evil Spirits acted while concealing their true forms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially those sealed or dormant for long periods—they often slept within their shells, waiting for a chance to awaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why, when attempting to subjugate a High-Rank Evil Spirit, one had to finish the battle quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once their consciousness awakened and they emerged from their shell, the difficulty doubled—or worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If she awakens her consciousness now, we’re doomed! We haven’t even made a basic attempt yet!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In her skeletal state, it would’ve been a waste of time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You think you can succeed after she wakes, when you couldn’t before?! How, in the world?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You wouldn’t understand, Gustav. You’re not the kind of person who could.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just stand back and watch. And don’t interfere.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though the situation was critical, Eugene’s demeanor remained utterly calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That serenity left Gustav speechless—he had no choice but to retreat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fsssshh—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bony fragments covering the Evil Spirit’s outer shell vanished completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What appeared afterward was a withered woman draped in a black, semi-transparent cloak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her skin was rotted and decayed, ready to crumble at the slightest touch, and her eyes glowed crimson with murderous intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone except Eugene flinched and took several steps back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Towering well over two meters tall, she looked down on them all with a crooked smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, where’s that wretch Aleph? Seems he sent a bunch of rookies this time. Well then—what sweet lies have you come to peddle today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eugene Carter, standing at the front, slowly lowered his sword and extended both arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s a better resting place. Would you consider joining me there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…She’s half-decayed, yet the pressure she gives off is overwhelming.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes, filled with hatred and killing intent toward humankind, were so intense that merely meeting them made one’s mind blur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d known this before, of course—but knowing it and feeling it firsthand were two very different things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how forgotten their kind had become, a High-Rank Evil Spirit was not a foe to be taken lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If compared to beasts, she’d easily rank at least SS-class.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even at my prime, facing her alone would’ve been brutal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were ways to bring one down—but not with just four people, and certainly not in a way that could lead to subjugation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that sense, Gustav’s earlier words weren’t entirely wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fundamental premise of subjugation was, after all, domination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether by persuasion or coercion, that came only after the opponent was subdued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you made your target stronger instead, achieving that premise became exponentially harder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If it were any Evil Spirit other than Clina White, he’d be right.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite her burning crimson glare, Eugene didn’t even twitch—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>and that seemed to amuse Clina.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you not afraid of me, human?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There it was—the first question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was where it began.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘One wrong answer, and the success rate drops below ten percent.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I wasn’t nervous in the slightest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because I already knew exactly what she wanted, and what answer she needed to hear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course I’m afraid. You’re one of the foremost commanders of the Evil Spirits—mankind’s natural enemy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, with a faint grin, I added—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But it’s different when the one standing before me is you, Clina White.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh? And what do you mean by that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not like those lesser spirits driven purely by malice and bloodlust. You have no reason to fight me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brief smile flickered across her expressionless face, only to vanish as quickly as it came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re at least better than that senile fool behind you. Interesting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then her gaze sharpened again, her eyes glowing as she glared at me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You said you had a better resting place for me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, that’s too bad. You’ve gone through all this trouble to wake me, but I’ve no intention of leaving this tower for another.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Because of your promise with Master Aleph?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s part of it. But mostly, things here are peaceful enough—I don’t get bothered much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She leaned back as if resting against the air itself and sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m old now, you see. If I’m just going to rot away among humans anyway, I’d at least like to have a place where I can rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In that case, that works out perfectly. I happen to know just the place, Clina White.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…And where would that be?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My heart.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At my audacious answer, she momentarily fell silent. I reached out my hand toward her once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Form a contract with me, Clina White— and step into the world outside, with Eugene Carter.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1891,"2026-06-06T06:11:51.334Z",1,"novelbin.me","7fa2163675267676c39c317726e9f5f0e63713047132135cbfa21aaa15620d5a","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-58","i-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-chapter-56",163,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-the-academy-s-war-hero-cover.jpg"]