Academy’S Gumiho Is A Magical Genius [EN]: Chapter 134

Academy Gumiho is a Magical Genius – Episode 134

Academy Gumiho is a Magical Genius Episode 134

Nightmare (4)

The war with the monsters had already spanned 70 years.

Their invasion hindered cultural advancement.

Instead, they succeeded in maintaining the status quo.

In fact, that alone was commendable.

The desperate situation at the time was ripe for regression.

But they preserved civilization.

The subsequent generation.

Our father’s generation left behind a civilization that had successfully maintained itself and focused on technological advancement, especially in fields geared towards war and victory.

Electronic devices advanced for more flexible communication and tactics.

Having lost major resource areas, including coal and iron, to the monsters, they named the monsters’ stone-like remains ‘magic stones,’ creating technology to replace resources.

Instead of firearms, which were merely consumable and difficult to imbue with magic, the era of swords and bows returned. Men with high tolerance to heat and fire hammered iron to revive the old blacksmithing techniques.

Facilities for training soldiers sprang up everywhere, and nations decided to prolong their miserable lives under a single, high regime.

Thus, the federal state of citizens and the military state of absolute power that protected them were born.

“…This is absurd.”

Thud───!!!

A massive monster collapsed.

As the monster fell, the earth rumbled, and the impact tore through the atmosphere, emitting a huge scream.

“Is this a lie? It was a 2nd Circle monster, no less?”

Although stronger than a 3rd Circle monster and possessing fewer powers than a standard 2nd Circle monster, the sheer mass of its physique was an overwhelming power and strength in itself.

One step, and the earth trembles.

Ten steps, and the ground cracks.

Hundred steps, and a city is naturally cultivated by the monster of monsters.

And that thing was cut down with just that small sword?

“Can…can a human cut that down?”

The military state’s history only records a handful of 2nd Circle monster captures.

Five times in total.

Humanity had only succeeded five times in 70 years, and each time, they invested hundreds of billions in bombs and firearms.

And that’s not all.

Not only did all the strongest fighters of the time participate, but one or two always died, and the rest suffered injuries that took months to recover from.

So, every time that happened, there was a gap in the front line, and even the villages beyond the front line suffered great damage.

So, the moment that giant monster appeared, everyone thought that soldiers and civilians alike would die en masse again.

In the eyes of a 20-year-old soldier who couldn’t hide his astonishment.

─Thump!

A man landed on the ground from the air.

Just moments ago, he had been in a helicopter, splitting a 2nd Circle monster in half with a single sword from the highest point.

“This one’s hide is tougher than I thought. It would be perfect for repairing the torn barracks of those below.”

Whether he knew he had achieved an unbelievable feat on his own or not.

The Sword Saint, nonchalantly shaking off the blood from his sword and naturally sheathing it, was utterly out of place.

Even though he had achieved a feat that would be recorded in human history, he didn’t seem to be moved at all.

At that sight, the soldier, who was only a private, realized.

That is the Sword Saint.

“The hope and light of humanity… I thought the war correspondents were just making false reports for morale, as usual.”

The Sword Saint was the protagonist of all sorts of articles and special reports.

His skills were one thing, but his handsome face made him easily noticeable.

A beauty that would have made him a fortune if he had been an entertainer instead of a fighter.

That’s why the private had been subconsciously ignoring him, but the reality was the opposite.

All the special reports and praise were not enough to describe the Sword Saint.

Still, after today, people’s gazes towards him would be even more admiring.

The private was unknowingly pleased at the thought that even one more person who thought like him would see the Sword Saint as amazing.

It was like a fan watching their idol grow up from nearby.

In that way, without anyone knowing, the Sword Saint gained one more person who believed in him.

But no one knows the hero’s agony.

A year had passed since the rank of Eight Great Saints was created.

The 19-year-old Sword Saint had achieved dramatic growth.

His body had been perfected long ago, and his mental growth had rather regressed. His growth was limited to power and status.

A leading figure in the military state, ranking among the top ten in power.

Even some radical citizens revered the Sword Saint as a savior and god, and there were those who worshiped him.

At first, many people laughed at the sound, but the more the Sword Saint achieved, the larger their church grew. Now, there were quite a few soldiers in the barracks who worshiped the Sword Saint.

But what good is being revered?

The Sword Saint was, after all, a child who hadn’t even become an adult, pretending to be more mature than an adult.

“Oh my~ Your Excellency, your swordsmanship was excellent today! It was so sharp and fierce that I felt like I was being cut in two!”

“…Ah, Colonel Gorbo, was it? You won’t be cut. I have that much control over my power.”

“Ah ha ha! Of course, of course. I misspoke.”

“Be careful in the future.”

The rising ruler of the military state.

There were quite a few who tried to cling to the Sword Saint.

Among them, Colonel Gorbo, with his chubby physique, made quite a strong impression. But the Sword Saint, who had no intention of creating a faction, silently walked towards the next battlefield.

The colonel followed behind him, and as they walked, he suddenly realized that a woman was lying in the path he was walking.

“What is it? An injured person?”

“Ah, no. I’ll take care of it!”

“No, I’ll go. And Colonel Gorbo.”

“Yes!”

When his name was called, the pot-bellied middle-aged man straightened his back and saluted. The Sword Saint glared at him and said.

“Do not use the word ‘handle’ [treat/deal with] to your soldiers. I deeply despise such expressions.”

“Yes!”

“For the record, this is not a warning.”

The heat of the cheers and people.

And the battlefield, reeking with organs and blood pouring from all directions.

Somehow, a cool breeze brushed against the colonel’s neck.

The wind was like a sword, and blood was slowly seeping from his neck.

It was a light wound.

For now.

“Um…”

“There’s no need to be afraid. I won’t hold you accountable for what you said without thinking just now. It’s not like I’m going to punish you.”

“Your Excellency, what happens if I… disobey an order?”

The Sword Saint smiled.

His face was handsome, so his smile would have been pretty, but it felt like a puzzle that had been forced together.

“Do you really… want to know?”

There are definitely things in the world that are better left unknown.

With eyes devoid of any emotion, only raising the corners of his mouth, an unknown bizarreness formed an uncanny valley [a feeling of unease when something looks almost, but not quite, human].

In fact, because the original was excellent, there was beauty like sculpting a statue, but Gorbo, who witnessed this directly, couldn’t help but tremble.

Incomprehensible.

It felt like facing something that could not be understood.

Would the characters in the strange Cthulhu myth [a subgenre of horror fiction] that his hometown daughter liked be like this?

The moment that atmosphere overwhelmed Colonel Gorbo.

His interest left the colonel.

He had no interest in a guy who couldn’t even handle this much.

“Are you treating the injured?”

“H-Huh?! C-Loyalty! I see one of the Eight Saints of the military state!!”

“Yes, you’re working hard.”

A soldier sealing the wounds of a woman lying on the floor.

Looking at his uniform, he didn’t seem to belong to the medical unit.

Perhaps the two were close, so he opened his mouth.

“Are you two married?”

“S-Sword Saint…?! My sister, no, Sergeant, already has someone…!”

“Not anymore, though.”

The woman spoke while lying down.

Her body was down, but her spirit was not.

Resilient.

But that was just the Sword Saint’s delusion.

“I! Sword Saint, I’ll explain about that part…!”

“I didn’t ask you, though?”

“Still, she must be suffering right now…!”

“It’s okay, I’ll talk.”

The soldier stepped up to speak for himself, but in the end, the person who would answer my curiosity was the woman herself.

In fact, I can already sense it just by listening to this far.

She probably just lost her lover─.

“─My husband died trying to protect your back.”

“…”

“Ah, I’m ruined.”

The woman’s story was not long.

It wasn’t a tragic story with a backstory, nor was it a futile end, but just the death of a supporting character who had lived a decent life.

However, the interesting point was.

“Do you know that the 127th Airborne Unit just took the rear of the monster?”

“Yes, I know.”

“My husband went out to assist you in that situation and died without lasting long. I, who am exhausted in this place, can only hope that his body was not crushed by that huge mass.”

Her husband’s death was because of me.

The 127th Airborne Unit.

The name of the unit that had just been annihilated.

There was a moment when the response to the 2nd Circle monster’s attack was slightly slow, and those soldiers risked their lives to buy time.

In the end, everyone died.

Thanks to that, there was no difficulty in defeating the monster.

Their sacrifice will be recorded with medals.

But there won’t be many people, including me who received help, who remember their faces. That’s how sacrifice usually is.

“…Puhah.”

And the woman in front of me was one of the few who would remember their faces forever.

“Hahaha!”

“Y-Your Excellency?”

The colonel trembled at the suddenly changed atmosphere.

He thought something was strange.

“Puhahahaha!! Hahahaha!!!”

The Sword Saint burst out laughing.

The widow, who had lost her husband at his laughter, looked up at him with bloodshot eyes, thinking he was making fun of her, but what was there was the face of a child who seemed to have lost even the ability to laugh.

The Sword Saint’s eyes curved.

I don’t know if he’s laughing or crying.

The Sword Saint’s mouth twisted.

I don’t know if he was trying to sneer or if his muscles were spasming.

“Why, why are you laughing like that?”

“You! How dare a sergeant be rude to a Saint [a title of respect]. Do you think I’ll stand still even if you’re a female sergeant?!”

“Colonel.”

It’s noisy.

I should have given enough warning earlier.

He didn’t need a moron who couldn’t even understand this much.

The colonel turned to look at the Sword Saint, his neck shaking greatly at the low, mid-bass voice that was heard quietly from behind him.

The terrified colonel had an expression as if he was about to scream.

What’s with the fear, even though he’s a field officer.

Shh.

When he gestured to be quiet, covering his mouth with his index finger, the colonel froze.

The new power of the military state.

The likely successor to the absolute power who has to do what he says and die if he tells you to. These days, the top brass, including the commander-in-chief, are slowly changing to support him.

There’s no point in going against him.

Haven’t you personally experienced the earthquake-level impact when the 2nd Circle monster fell so futilely just now?

The colonel sealed his talkative mouth with magic.

“Hey, Sergeant. I’m just asking, but do you resent me?”

“…Yes?”

“It was my mistake that killed your husband. In the end, I killed him. How about it, do you resent me? Do you want revenge?”

“…No.”

“It’s okay, don’t deceive yourself. I won’t punish you for this, and my feelings won’t be hurt. I hope you’ll tell me seriously.”

He asked persistently.

If she admitted it willingly, he was going to give her a chance to take revenge.

He couldn’t die because he had things to do, but he was willing to take a knife in the abdomen once.

“…No, it’s okay. I understand everything.”

“There’s no need to pretend to be okay.”

“My husband would have died with pride in the fact that he helped you and contributed to the survival of mankind. So how can I resent you?”

“…”

“Rather, I am grateful. Thank you for giving my husband’s death a legitimate value called cause.”

“…Hey.”

“Yes…?”

“Don’t accept it. Don’t try to understand!”

Ah… really.

It was so heartbreaking that it was a sincerity that didn’t feel a bit of a lie.

The widow missed her lost husband, but she accepted the fact that his death was intertwined with the cause. I had no choice but to accept it.

Is it really the best thing to accept even though you’ve lost a loved one?

Instead, if you’re going to resent, resent me.

Why couldn’t I understand why I had to take such a difficult path?

I didn’t want to.

“You lost your husband because of me. Then hate me! Stare at me with the momentum to kill!! Don’t look at me with such pitiful eyes!!!”

“Sword Saint…”

“Kill me if you want to kill me! Of course, the military state, the world, won’t forgive it, but I’ll forgive you over and over again!”

Crack!

With the sound of something breaking with his bare hands, the Sword Saint’s shoulder slumped.

“!!!!”

“Your Excellency! You dislocated your bone! I’ll go find a soldier with healing abilities right away!”

“Colonel! If only you run away, what about us who are watching from the side… He’s already gone.”

“Pig bastard, he’s so fast at times like this.”

“Now, quickly stick that proud sword into my shoulder and turn it around! Then my shoulder will be completely crippled. Would that be enough to satisfy your revenge?!”

The Sword Saint turned his left shoulder with his right hand.

He trimmed his shoulder so that it could be broken at any moment, beyond the range allowed by a human shoulder.

Why? Is this not enough?

Okay, good.

If you want, take my legs too.

My heart, my head, take it all.

If this wretched sword can somehow relieve the resentment that has settled in my heart, I will give it to you as much as you want.

Just when his arm was about to be torn off.

“Stop it!”

“…”

The woman who had been lying on the floor looked up with a venomous look.

For someone who lost her husband, her eyes are alive.

Did she finally make up her mind?

Is she enduring because of the resentment that she will take revenge on me, who killed her husband?

Revenge is like a bonfire.

Unless you keep putting firewood in it, it will eventually die out, so I was about to slowly take my attention away from the woman who was destined to be destroyed.

“Don’t run away.”

“!!!”

“You… still have a lot to do. My husband knew that, so he willingly gave his life. It’s not like the Sword Saint’s arm was sacrificed to fall futilely in a place like this.”

“…”

I never thought she would say this.

Then, is that eye, which is alive and not dead like a pollock [a type of fish, implying lifelessness], not because of the trivial emotion of revenge, but because of the will to create meaning and value in her husband’s death?

Wow… that person is better than me.

The Sword Saint, who was inferior to her, couldn’t think of anything to refute.

Even if he had thought of it, he would have buried it in his heart.

He erased it from his mind because it wasn’t a valuable word.

Instead, he suddenly wanted to try one thing.

I am a sword. The sword of the military state.

A sword that can’t even protect a single person properly.

A very sharp sword that hurts everyone.

What good is strength?

There is no value in a sword that can only cut down monsters well, but cannot even protect someone’s loved one.

So this is.

Swoosh──!

It was a very natural step.

The sword aimed at his neck.

The black sword of execution, which usually becomes the execution of the guillotine, punishes and punishes monsters, was aimed at its owner.

He was about to move as it was and leave a red line.

The colonel, who was running from afar with the military doctor, was so embarrassed that he didn’t know what to do, so his movements were slow.

At the moment when the propaganda weapon was about to be scratched.

“What are you doing?”

One person stopped the Sword Saint.

It was the woman who had just lost her husband and became a widow and fell to the floor.

Ah… really.

I don’t like that woman very much.