The Extra Can't be A Hero

The stadium breathed like a living beast. Every shout, every drumbeat, every clash of horns was its pulse.

Children waved banners from the upper tiers, vendors cried out as they fanned smoke from their roasting pits, and dignitaries watched from incense-laced balconies, jeweled goblets glinting in the torchlight. Dust rose from the arena floor and caught the glow, painting the coliseum in fire.

The stadium was the gem of Zephys, its magnum opus and eternal love. All parades, no matter how large, came through the gates of the storied stadium. From victory marches to tournaments crowning legends… innumerable epics had been created within this stadium, but today… it was the grounds for a different story.

A private gathering, though it wasn't exactly fully secret.

Thousands of elites from the Hyades Republic recorded their attendance, many of whom were powerful individuals who controlled one facet of the mighty Republic. Knights from the Army, Magicians from the Association, merchants from the guild… the list went on.

So what spectacle had brought together these lauded individuals?

A mere showmatch.

"What a large turnout! I'm impressed we managed to gather this many on short notice!"

"..."

"Well, it is the mysterious Eldorin who has been making a huge buzz recently! Everyone is curious to see what they've got!"

"..."

"Hmmm, Johann. I'm glad you're going to join this showmatch, but do not taint the honour of the Amaris House! I expect nothing less than a victory!"

"..."

Amon's mouth rapidly twitched, unsure of what to say against the three powerhouses who hijacked his Knight Order. Ever since the banquet thrown in Eldorin's honour, the whole Republic was buzzing about how skilled the famous Knight Order ought to be, especially since most of the members were relative unknowns before Amon brought them into the limelight.

Members such as the Hero, the Saintess, and the Fantasy Couple were already well-known, with many eager to see them take the stage. Unfortunately, none of them had any intentions of showcasing their strength to the public. Therefore, they had to make do with the less renowned members.

Many ideas were thrown around.

A tournament where the Eldorin Knights compete with talented aspirants from the Hyades Republic. A hunting competition to decide who would get the most points. And finally, pitting Eldorin against other Orders with missions to destroy secret Demon Cult bases.

In the end, pressed by logistics and time, Amon agreed only to a show match. Each member of Eldorin would face a challenge of their own choosing—some opting for one-on-one duels to display their prowess, others daring to battle multiple beasts at once.

Whatever the trial, the outcome was the same: the hidden strength of Eldorin's members, long shrouded from the public eye, would at last be unveiled for the entire world to witness.

"Bahahaha, the first match of Eldorin! I can't wait to see what you have in store!"

Lord Gerrick Ironblood beamed from ear to ear with earnest anticipation. Although Amon and Leon weren't participating, he had seen a few members of the mysterious Eldorin. He knew better than most that there were a few gems hidden who were going to announce their dominance through this showmatch. There was one individual who had especially caught his eye...

"Will the spearman join today?"

"No, he'd scheduled for the fifth day."

Lord Gerrick was talking about the man who served the Clay Emperor and was now an executive of Eldorin—the Sky Spear, Manon.

Manon's existence alone was a cheat code. He was powerful enough to challenge the best warriors in the Hyades Republic, let alone the youngsters who would step in the ring with him. Hence, to prevent needless injuries, Amon registered him on the last day, where they would leave the stadium and head into the forest and hunt a beast's den.

"That's a shame… I was hoping to see the heights of his spearmanship."

"... You have a good eye."

Amon praised the martial king. As expected, the Grand Marshall of the Hyades Republic's army had a keen sense of judgement, especially for talent.

"Bahaha, you think so? Well, I'm not picking favourites!"

Lord Gerrick scanned the room and each member of Eldorin. All of them were worthy talents, and just having one of them was enough to make an average Knight Order into a great one. Yet, Amon had an Order filled with them.

"By the way, any of you are welcome to join the Hyades Army!"

"Please stop trying to poach my talent right before my eyes…"

"Bahaha, you're welcome to join too!"

"..."

Amon held his head, questioning the sanity of the Grand Marshall. But fortunately, before his headache could worsen, the crowd erupted with a thunderous roar.

"Heh, it's beginning!!!"

Gerrick bellowed out laughing as he picked up his popcorn. By his side were the President of the Demon Hunter League, Lady Katrina Voss and the Archmagister of the Realm, Jex Amaris. Their eyes were like kids on Christmas morning as the first member of Eldorin entered the stage.

With hair that shimmered like a cut diamond and tanned skin etched with glowing runes across his bronzed flesh, the warrior stood tall and unshakable as the crowd roared his name. Every member of Eldorin had already been revealed during the award ceremony. So the audience recognised him at once: the foreign-born champion whose presence was as commanding as his legend.

Fenric Ashglyph.

"Oh? You're sending the Runic Monk out first?"

"He volunteered," Amon spoke curtly, but he couldn't hide his natural smile. "After all, we should start with a clear display of power."

Amon allowed every member of Eldorin to choose how they wished to showcase their talent, but for someone like Fenric, who had no experience in the finesse, he chose the simplest option. Fenric would duel with whoever wished to stand in his path, and well… there were plenty of volunteers.

"Bahaha, you're right! But, don't you think that you're underestimating our forces too much?"

"Hmmm?"

From the far side of the stadium, a towering knight strode into the arena. Like Gerrick Ironblood beside him, he stood well over two meters tall, his calloused arms encased in heavy steel gauntlets. Muscles bulged like boulders beneath his armour, each flex radiating raw strength. His mere presence made lesser men swallow hard, their faces flushed with a mix of awe and anticipation for the brutal clash that was about to unfold.

"Lord Gerrick, is that…"

"Yes, he's an Ironblood! My grandnephew, Willet Ironblood, to be exact! He was the champion of last year's boxing tournament! Although he's only thirty, he's well on his way to becoming a colonel by age thirty-five."

"I see… You sure are giving us credit."

"Bahahaha! If you send the best, we must do the same!"

While they were here to present Eldorin's might, that didn't mean the Hyades Republic was going to pull any punches. In fact, it was the exact opposite. It was a matter of pride for the citizens of Zephys that their own Knights were just as capable as those from the Solaris House. Therefore, they were going to pit the best of the best against Amon's Eldorin.

"Willet Ironblood. Major of the Second Legion."

"Fenric Ashglyph… Eldorin Knight."

"Pleasure to meet you."

Willet smiled wryly and got into his stance, prompting Fenric to do the same. As pure martial artists, there was no need for an umpire or judge; they could tell when their bout began… and how it would end.

Even without exchanging blows, they calculated their battle within their minds. Each is looking for openings and weaknesses to exploit. When there were none, Willet beamed with all his might and said:

"Amazing! It seems like the rumours weren't all overblown! You're a true martial artist!"

"You too! Your muscles… they're amazing!"

"Heh, thanks! I could say the same for you!"

It was far too cordial for a duel. But, soon enough, the temperature was about to change.

"Since it's a showmatch, let's put on a show, shall we?"

Willet was the first to move. His body sped through the air like a swan, and his thighs were already lifted above Fenric's neck. Slicing his shin through the air with relentless precision, Willet aimed at Fenric's head, hoping to end the bout with a single kick. But Fenric's eyes didn't waver in the slightest.

'Hmph, compared to Sir Manon's punches… this is nothing.'

As someone who fought against the Sky Spear in Olavaguel, and multiple times since their return, Fenric didn't feel a single threat from the Ironblood's kick. More importantly, he felt his heart pounding as he realised the lengths to which he had improved.

'Let's play around then.'

Fenric tempered down his strength and faced Willet without any mana or aura. Using pure physical ability, the two goaliaths clashed. Thunderclaps that broke the sound barrier deafened the crowd as air pressure broke rock. Fenric's punches were strong enough to shatter bones, while Willet's kicks could split a person's torso in half.

Both of them showcased their skills without harming each other, and that was enough to get the crowd riled up.

"Ohhhh!!! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

The laymen were all anticipating a good match, while the elites fell silent, all examining the skills that the two behemoths used. Gerrick was the first to speak among those seated in the VIP booths.

"Impressive! He's forcing Willet to his limit! And he hasn't used his runes yet!"

"..."

Amon remained silent and allowed Fenric to speak with his fists. And speak, he did.

Slowly but surely, Fenric dissected Willet's martial arts apart and found major openings to exploit. His fists increased in speed while his body grooved with the flow. It was a spectacular martial dance, and it wouldn't be long until Willet's defences crumbled apart.

But the Ironblood wasn't going to give in that easily.

"Beautiful… With your build, you should join the army!"

"Unfortunately, I'm contracted to Eldorin."

"Heh, once your contract ends, my legion will welcome you with open arms!"

"Hahahaha, openly poaching me, huh? While tempting, my employer would be pissed."

Fenric chortled and glanced up at Amon, who was silently enjoying the show. Amon wasn't just his employer, but also his saviour. Amon took Fenric in when his home was destroyed by the Demon Cult and guided him on the path that significantly increased his strength. So, other than the prestige of working for the Solaris House as a Knight, loyalty also played a significant role in Fenric's decision to stay.

Besides…

"Also… The army won't produce a better training ground for me to grow."

"Hoh… Then there's no helping it!" Willet gave up on recruiting talent and took a deep breath. "Since I failed to make your heart waver, let's put an end to this bout."

"Heh, I agree."

"Since it's a show we're putting on, show me your strongest strike and I'll do the same!"

"With pleasure!"

The two warriors spoke heartily with their fists. No schemes, no underlying tones. They just wished to explore each other's limits, to see what their respective peaks were.

Willet coated himself with pure mana, creating an armour of aura. At the same time, heat rose from his body, cracking the bottom of the arena as every vein in his muscles popped. His right fist clenched, Willet condensed all of his aura into a single point and condensed it so densely that it felt as heavy as a dying sun.

Seeing this, many in the audience cheered while others started to worry that the barrier wouldn't handle Willet's strike. But alas, there were two things they needed to worry about.

Fenric pulled off his robe, allowing himself to go completely topless. Runes shone from various parts of his flesh, and he enhanced his speed, strength and defence. Levitating up to the skies, he gathered what remained of his mana onto the rune behind his palm. White lightning condensed all around the Runic Monk as the entire stadium fell into stunned silence.

Two unstoppable forces, each showing immense power beyond anything an average human could withstand, were now going head-to-head.

And sure enough, the battle was going to be decided here.

The two energies collided violently. Fenric threw his runic lightning while Willet sent all of his aura flying. The exchange was swift, but the outcome was clear.

Kneeling on the ground, Willet held his charred hand with his other, panting heavily as he desperately tried to stop his wounds from taking his arm. Floating down from the sky like an imperial prince of thunder, Fenric glanced down at the kneeling Willet and solemnly asked:

"Do you yield?"

Willet felt his heart race even faster as a terrifying thought crept into his mind… Fenric had actually… held back.

If he so wished, he could have turned Willet into dust, and there was nothing that the Major of the Second Legion could do. Snorting with a defeated laugh, Willet Ironblood, one of the most promising Knights of the Hyades Army,

"Hah… Hah… You Eldorin members are monsters… Yes, I yield."