Chapter 51: I am a warrior and this person is a goddess

*Baek Yu’s POV*

A divine artifact so audacious and bizarre that it seeks to claim even the heavens, absorbing them into its own spirit and flesh.  

Yet, in the Central Plains’ Divine Sect, where the most majestic and supreme Heavenly Emperor resides, such an artifact could not be more fitting.  

As it was truly a divine artifact, Baek Yu, the Grand Master of Slaughter, could control the immense power flowing into him.  

Ten times his usual strength.  

A staggering force that even he, in his prime, could never have dared to challenge.  

It was a realm where he could stand toe-to-toe with the martial masters of the Divine Sect’s leadership or even the world’s greatest archmages.  

Thus, Baek Yu brimmed with confidence.  

Even if an unknown rival lurked within the barrier, as a warrior of the Divine Sect, he was certain he could face them in battle.  

“RAAAAAAGH!!”  

That was, until a radiant white brilliance, utterly incompatible with the dark energy of a demon, erupted from his chest.  

***

*Shin Yuseong’s POV*

A holy sword, bestowed by the Sacred Church, blessed by the Goddess herself.  

A holy sword, sacred in its very essence.  

A holy sword, wielded by a hero devoted to a doomed world.  

Though called a holy sword and indeed named as such, it was not merely a powerful or sacred weapon.  

Forged by the Goddess herself from fragments of a star, it was a divine sword.  

Wielded by a hero who had attained the divinity of destruction, it was a divine sword.  

Merely grasping it unleashed divine authority, making it worthy of the name divine sword.  

This meant the holy sword was a supreme treasure far surpassing ordinary divine artifacts.  

“Ignar.”  

Even if his energy had been stolen, it didn’t mean he or this sword would be so easily defeated.  

As radiant brilliance enveloped the pure white blade, the world was momentarily engulfed in light.  

A white flame imbued with divinity.  

A sacred fire that purifies evil.  

This was a sword that harmed only enemies, leaving allies unscathed.  

Thus, the First Strike.  

A wave of blazing fire surged toward the demon.  

A lethal blow, especially devastating to those wielding dark magic.  

***

*Baek Yu’s POV*

“Ugh, damn it—!!!”  

The demon, writhing in agony as sacred flames erupted from his chest, gripped his pitch-black sword tightly.  

His frantic, desperate movements betrayed his panic.  

The surrounding barrier spewed darkness, lending him strength.  

Grrrrk.  

The demon poured out the power he had absorbed, struggling to resist the flames. 

Dark energy surged along his blade, and, with the skill of a seasoned swordsman, he swung his weapon.  

A clash erupted at the center, pitch-black darkness against the white flames.  

“GRAAAAH—!!!”  

One exchange.  

A fleeting moment where the outcome became clear.  

In deflecting a single attack, roughly a third of the demon’s energy dissipated, and white flames began to spread across his upper body.  

Yet, somehow, he survived.  

Groaning in pain and grimacing, he refused to abandon the fight, gripping his sword tightly.  

Then, as if chanting in an unknown tongue, he began shouting incomprehensible words.  

Already exuding power comparable to a high-ranking demonic noble just by wielding his sword, he now revealed another trick.  

“Oh, Devourer, grant me strength—!!!”  

In an instant, as the demon’s aura exploded, he clasped his hands together.  

The barrier responded to its caster’s will, amplifying his power.  

A twisted, pitch-black face opened its mouth, and shattered arms and legs converged into a unified form.  

GOOOOOO—!  

***

*Shin Yuseong’s POV*

The pillars embedded in the barrier’s ground began to hum in unison, emitting an eerie sound.  

The grotesque noise was unsettling to hear, and the more one listened, the more it felt like a curse sinking into body and soul.  

Though the difference in power mitigated its effect on him, it could have been quite lethal to others. 

Fortunately, he had already erected a protective barrier.  

Within the hemispherical shield of radiant white light, Sephine Alabard widened her eyes in awe, while Seol Yeonhwa wore a warm expression, as if basking in the glow.  

“Tch!”  

The Pink Goddess, with an annoyed gesture, casually dispelled the curse, so there was no need for further concern.  

The eerie, unpleasant sound soon transformed into a curse of pure darkness.  

But cutting down both the curse and the demon before him would resolve everything.  

“Ignar.”  

Swinging a sword he had wielded for half his life was no difficult task.  

Feeling he had held back too much earlier, he infused a bit more power and swung again.  

Slash—  

The demon was cleaved in two.  

“Urk!”  

As the demon collapsed with a strangely hollow expression, Shin Yuseong nodded approvingly.  

“Not bad. You’re probably the most successful mosquito on Earth.”  

After all, managing to drain the blood of a hero and a goddess was no small feat, wasn’t it?  

“…Ugh, Reverse Black Soul Flame…!”  

But as the demon kept trying something,  Shin Yuseong sighed and trudged forward.  

WHOOSH!  

As if confirming his instincts, the demon’s latent power erupted, birthing jet-black flames around him.  

What was this? 

Was he copying the flames  Shin Yuseong had used?  

It was a flashy final struggle, and though it piqued his curiosity slightly, the growing annoyance outweighed it.  

Stab.  

He drove the holy sword into the demon’s chest once more.  

“…Damn it.”  

Finally reaching his limit, the demon muttered bitterly before his head slumped to the side.  

Hmph. 

Was it finally over?  

As the caster’s life faded, the pitch-black barrier surrounding them grew faint and soon vanished.  

What appeared in its place was no longer a space filled with grotesque human pillars but a clubroom adorned with “Happy Birthday” cards and balloons.  

“Oh.”  

He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t hoped for this, but seeing it actually unfold lifted his spirits.  

He even spotted some gift-wrapped packages peeking out from under the desk.  

In the festive atmosphere prepared for his birthday, he flashed a wide grin and said,

“Thanks for the surprise. When did you guys even set all this up?”  

Meanwhile, Sephine Alabard blinked dreamily before managing to stammer, 

“Uh?”  

She looked even more shocked than he was.  

***

*Shin Yuseong’s POV*

Due to the demon infiltrating the academy, the birthday party couldn’t last long.  

It turned into a brief gift-giving ceremony.  

And, well, there was a veritable mountain of presents waiting for him.  

“Oh, uh…”  

Sephine, moving as if in a daze, handed over all the wrapped gifts. 

Only then did she seem to snap out of it, her face flushing bright red.  

It almost felt like she’d mistakenly given him something not meant for him, but when he asked, she confirmed they were all indeed for him.  

Grateful for his generous friend, he accepted the pile of gifts.  

Though he sensed a faint demonic aura—similar to the one from the demon earlier—lingering in the items, he didn’t press her about it.  

It was clear the energy had been embedded to aid in maintaining the barrier.  

He wasn’t tactless enough to make her uncomfortable by bringing it up.  

Whatever her motives, she wasn’t the type to summon a demon to harm him.  

And if this was all an act, she deserved the Academy’s Best Actress award.  

“…You said you like games, so I got these. Let’s play together sometime…!”  

He couldn’t imagine someone faking affection so convincingly.  

And in a situation where he’d suffered no harm, he didn’t want to suspect his school friend any further.  

As for what needed to be done…  

He figured he should probably consult with a teacher.  

***

*Shin Yuseong’s POV*

“Hey, I know it’s late to say this, but thanks for taking down that demon.”  

Arhen Gustav, the academy’s chairman, who he’d thought was just a young blonde girl, gave him and the Possessing Goddess an awkward look.  

It was something like a witness interview.  

As someone responsible for protecting Earth, there were questions that needed answering.  

And so, he found himself dragged to the chairman’s office.  

He didn’t recall ever being a troublemaker, so ending up here felt oddly nostalgic.  

As he glanced around, intrigued, Chairman Arhen, visibly nervous, sat across from them on the sofa and asked, 

“So, um… where are you two from? I mean, are you… gods?”  

Being called an “ancient” at barely thirty felt strange.  

Perhaps sensing his thoughts, the Goddess beside him smirked, and he returned a wry grin.  

Their exchange must have seemed unusual because Arhen, the chairman and grand mage, grew even more serious and asked again, 

“Uh, what’s the relationship between you two…?”  

They were as close as sworn enemies, in a way.  

He wasn’t keen on spilling every detail about himself and the Goddess, but to live comfortably moving forward, he figured he should at least give the person in charge a rough explanation.  

“I’m a hero, and she’s a goddess.”  

It wasn’t quite that blunt or simplified, but he conveyed it in a way that was understandable.  

A hero from another world and a goddess who came to check on him.  

When Arhen grasped the context, for some reason, she made a bizarre face.  

But she seemed relieved afterward, so the conversation, considering it followed an attempted academy attack, went rather smoothly.  

***

*Shin Yuseong’s POV*

As soon as he stepped out of the administrative building, he encountered another guest.  

“I’ve been waiting.”  

It was his friend Imir, who had shown up with a birthday cake during the gift-giving, and—  

“Ugh.”  

The top student of their department, who shielded her eyes as if blinded the moment she saw him.  

Her name was Cheon Juyeon, if he recalled correctly.  

Did she get something in her eye?  

As he stared, Imir glanced at her, sighed, and said, 

“Uh, we came to explain ourselves.”  

After school, some people claiming their innocence had shown up.  

To be continued…