I WAS The Rank–1 Hero

BOOM—!

The sky cracked like thunder as my fist met his palm.

The impact surged through my arm like a bomb. My muscles tore, veins twisted into spiraled creating a chaotic mess, and bones shattered into splinters.

Snap—!

I snapped my fingers.

Slap—! Slurp—!

My entire arm rebuilt itself in an instant.

"Not bad," Karton said.

"But… Try stopping this."

A double-edged sword appeared in his hand, a midnight-black blade with an hourglass-shaped hilt filled with drifting stardust.

He lunged, becoming a blur.

But I didn't blink.

My [Elemental View] activated at full range.

I saw everything.

The flex of his knuckles gripping the handle tighter. The shift in his foot positioning. The minor paused in his breath.

And most importantly the swirl of dark matter concentrating behind the blade.

'He's going for a dimensional cut.'

The time started to bend.

And the blade glowed violet, the space surrounding the blade vivrated with a dark pulse.

As the slash drew near. I raced my mind to calculate the momentum.

I didn't move.

As the tip of the blade drew towards my head, I simply lifted my hand.

CLANG—!

A piercing metallic clang echoed as I caught the sword with my bare hand.

Dark matter bled out from the wound on my flesh, and in reality it started dripping like ink.

My regeneration was not taking effect for any divine attacks.

I stared at my wound.

"Not so soon." I whispered.

[Paradox Invoker]

Soon, the surrounding chaos, the ruptures, the collapsing fragments of space, the divine pressure, it all reversed.

Time snapped back into order.

ZOOOOP—!

Everything… ceased to a black dot in the air.

As if the chaos itself submerged into this tiny dot, I picked it up with my empty hand.

Applying enough pressure, I shattered it.

Karton's eyes narrowed for the first time.

"You erased the dimensional fracture?"

I tightened my grip on his sword.

"You told me to learn."

I smiled faintly.

"So I did."

He yanked the blade back, flipping into a new stance, the ground beneath him cracking with a loud thud.

"But can you keep up?"

"I've been doing that for ten years," I said, brushing the blood from my lip. "Let's see if I can finally surpass you."

I have been fighting him for 10 whole years, non stop.

Without drinking, eating or taking any sleep.

It's not like I need any of those.

For the first year, my body shattered every time we sparred.

A single blow from Karton was enough to reduce my bones to dust.

But now… things had changed.

I could regulate my metabolism down to the cellular level.

I could suppress pain, redirect muscle strain, and even heal a scratch before the blood had time to surface.

Looking up, I saw Karton raising his hand.

"He was summoning a phenomenon." I whispered to myself.

A black sun descended to reality. I feel my body pulling towards it.

'Is he planning to kill me?!'

"It's not like you will die!" Mue interrupted.

I ignored her.

'Mue! Do not interrupt him while he is fighting!' Sera scolded.

"Hmph! Alright grandma."

'Don't call me that!'

For the past 10 years, Sera was teaching Mue the basic ethics and rules for living in my consciousness.

'Now, keep your mouth shut.'

She acted like her Mother sometimes.

"Consider this as your last hurdle, Zane. Now survive."

"Oh, boy…" I narrowed my eyes as he threw that huge black star in my direction.

"Sigh, guess there's no point holding back."

Stretching my hand towards the attack, I activated my skill again.

[Paradox Invoker]

With a single thought, I whispered a contradiction into the fabric of existence.

"The truth is a lie, which I ended."

I crafted a lie so absolute, that reality couldn't help but believe it.

And as truth—the black star shattered, Karton's attack disappeared, as if it never had existed at all.

Silence followed.

Karton lowered his sword, he smiled then whispered.

"…You are now ready."

Ten years. For ten years I have been enduring this.

SLUMP—!

My knees finally hit the ground as the tension faded from my body.

"Haah… Haaah…"

I had pushed everything to its peak… and then beyond it.

No matter how much I train, my skill [Paradox Invoker] took more than 90% from my body.

It was tiring.

Karton approached me.

"This was the first time you held this long, " he muttered, half-laughing. "You really are a little monster now."

I couldn't even smile. I just stared at the dirt.

Then he added, quieter.

"You reminded me of Maria, you know. The first student I ever taught… She also stood up after every fall, just like you."

I raised my head slightly, confused. But Karton only waved it off with a small chuckle.

"And now you've surpassed even her… even my expectations."

He extended a hand to me.

I didn't take it.

Instead, I forced my legs to move, my muscles screaming with the fatigue of a decade.

And then— I lowered my head.

A full, respectful bow.

"…Thank you," I said. "For everything."

'Ten years… and finally I earned it.'

Mue whispered.

"You only withstood because lord Karton was holding back."

I know that.

There's no way I was equal to him.

Sera joined.

'You did well, Human. I am so proud.'

"Hahaha," Karton laughed, "there's no need to thank me, and also…"

His gaze turned to my hand, to the golden helix.

"...Mue," he called out to her.

"Y-yes my lord." Mue hesitated.

I wonder, is he going to scold her?

I hope he does.

"You are now his relic, so, you must obey every order he gives, is that alright my dear child."

"Of course!" She answered.

"Now then," he pointed to the villa on the very back, "let's wake them up."

"Mhm," I nodded, glancing at the villa with a gentle smile.

***

Steam still curled up from Maria's cup, frozen in time.

Ruby was just mid-turn, her fingers wrapping around her sandwich like no time had passed.

"Nothing has changed." I whispered, taking my seat beside Ruby.

"Ready?" Karton asked.

I nodded.

SNAP—!

The world resumed.

Ruby blinked once, then smiled and took a bite.

"Mmm. Delicious," she mumbled, taking a mouthful, then she looked at me.

I was still sitting exactly where I had been… ten years ago.

Her smile hadn't changed.

Those deep crimson eyes, her soothing voice… it brushed away a decade of exhaustion like it never existed.

"Isn't it?" I replied, casually lifting my own cup. "The coffee's even better."

She leaned forward.

"Oh, is that so? Let me taste that too!"

Then she giggled, completely unaware.

"Honestly, I still can't believe I'm inside a god's house." She whispered leaning towards me, "I mean, he never even did anything miraculous. Hah! He feels more like a billionaire than a god."

I laughed softly with her, matching her tone.

'If only she knew.' Sera added.

Maria tilted her head slightly, her gaze drifting from her cup to me… then to Karton.

She didn't speak at first.

Instead, she gently closed her eyes just for a moment, and when they opened again, there was a soft smile curling on her lips.

She knew.

Of course she did.

Holder of the Authority of Time… how could she not?

Without saying a word, she raised her cup and took a slow, measured sip.

Then, calmly, she looked at me.

"Shall we take our leave?" she asked.

I nodded. "Sure."

That's when Ruby perked up.

"Wait… Zane," she leaned toward me, puzzled. "Didn't you have any questions? You said you wanted to ask him so much."

I gave her a gentle shrug and a smile.

"I already got my answers."

"Eh? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," I said, brushing the dust from my coat, "everything I once sought… I now know."

Before she could push further, I added with a playful grin.

"Anyway, Ruby… look at the time."

She blinked. "Time?"

"Don't we have that Nova academy tour to attend? Pretty sure the first-years already landed in Aquadore."

Her eyes widened.

"Oh no, You're right! I almost forgot. They must be searching for me."

She bolted up on her feet, grabbing her sandwich with one hand and Maria's wrist with the other.

"Let's hurry back! The headmistress is running this late…!"

"Zane, hurry up, I won't be saving you this time!"

As she dragged Maria along who was still holding her coffee.

"Miss Maria, prepare the boat!"

Karton let out a low chuckle behind me. "Visit again."

I stood up and walked toward the door.

Just before stepping outside, I paused and turned to glance back at him.

He sat there, calmly sipping his coffee.

As memories of the past ten years with him resurfaced, a strange emotion stirred within me.

I never imagined gods could be so... grounded.

But Karton, Agroth, and even Goddess Ylthea—they entrusted me with this path.

They chose me. And because of that, I will prove starting today that their faith wasn't misplaced.

"For them… and for the greater good… we're in this together."

I whispered those words and stepped outside.