The moment the nameless old man appeared, Richard and his group had already fought their way to a distant spot, though they could still see the battle unfolding around Alice’s group.
"Hey, perverts! Had enough of the show? It almost looks like you’re fighting over me. Honestly, it’s kinda flattering. Now get back to it!" The girl cupped her flushed cheeks as she spoke.
This flush wasn’t from shyness—it was from the fierce battle, her breath still ragged. She rubbed her stomach where Zhang Yong’s punch had landed. *Damn, that hurt. Not an ounce of mercy just ‘cause I’m a girl.* She sighed inwardly. *When will I fully control this body again? True, it only takes over if I try to run… but I barely know how to use this form. I only fought this well because it controlled me. And didn’t it just force those words out of my mouth too? Is it planning to fight me to death? I really wanted to make peace…*
*Was that Albert’s skill just now? If so, time’s running out. I need to hurry—this body’s nearing its limit.*
"Dragon Slayer Hero! Where’s your Hero Skill? Can’t you activate it?" Lulu didn’t know if a Dragon Slayer could even use Hero’s Power, but right now, she had no choice but to rely on that unreliable skill.
Richard froze at her words—a split-second lapse that nearly cost him Zhang Yong’s fist. He blocked just in time. *Only Heroes know their own skills. How would she—?* Then he remembered: Lulu was friends with a Hero. Of course she’d know.
"My Hero Skill… can’t be activated. Conditions unmet," Richard replied. His skill, "Beloved," only triggered if he had a girlfriend—a luxury ruined by today’s failed confession. *If Lulu finds out about that… she’ll probably enjoy my misery too much to help.*
"Hmph."
(Incidentally, though Albert’s skill hadn’t been revoked, Richard’s presence as the true Hero here meant any wishes made to Albert would redirect to him. So Albert’s skill was useless too.)
"Hero Skill? You mean *Hero Skills*?" Zhang Yong suddenly cut in. "Wanna know what *mine* does?"
They hadn’t forgotten he was also a Hero—but if he activated his skill now, they were doomed.
"Not interested!" Lulu wouldn’t give him the chance. If he used it now, they’d never win.
As Richard’s sword slammed against Zhang Yong’s shield again, Lulu ducked low and surged forward. Her flurry of punches hammered the barrier—*crack! crack!*—making it shudder. The shield’s glow had dimmed from the prolonged assault. One more push, and it might break. *If* they got the chance.
"Thanks for the warm-up," Zhang Yong called out, letting Lulu’s blows rain down. "I was still getting used to fighting in your world. Now? I’ve got the hang of it." As long as the shield held, he’d only feel vibrations—not real damage. He’d even expanded its range; Richard’s earlier shockwaves couldn’t reach him now.
Richard, though newly minted as a Hero, knew enough to dread Zhang Yong’s words. "Fall back! His skill is combat-type—"
Too late.
*CRACK!*
Lulu crossed her arms just in time—but the sound of snapping bone echoed as Zhang Yong’s kick connected. She flew like a kicked football, arcing through the air before crashing down like discarded trash. She rolled several times before slamming into a wall.
"Lulu! Are you alright?!" Richard yelled. He knew her body was tough—she’d fought purely on physical strength until now—but that *crack* was unmistakable.
Lulu lay motionless on the ground. No reply. But the faint rise and fall of her chest proved she still lived.
"Battle Spirit. That’s my Hero Skill," Zhang Yong announced. "I don’t know your ‘activation conditions,’ but mine’s always on." He offered no further details.
*Battle Spirit…* Richard’s mind raced. *A skill that grows stronger through combat. That’s why he leveled up mid-fight. And it’s one of the few upgradable skills… That kick that broke her arm? His skill must’ve just leveled. Strength multiplies by tiers…*
"Time to test my new power!" Zhang Yong roared. In a blur, he closed the distance to Richard.
*Too fast!* Richard had just adjusted to his earlier speed. Now, Zhang Yong was upon him before the words faded. Richard barely raised his sword to his chest—
*THUD!*
A colossal force slammed into him. He skidded backward, boots tearing grooves in the earth for over ten meters before stopping. His arms went numb. His palms split open. Blood surged up his throat, spraying from his mouth in thick, choking waves.
*Combat-type skill… Even with my enhanced body and weapon defense, one hit did this. Is that girl… dead?*
Zhang Yong charged again. Richard tracked his every move this time—a fist wreathed in white Battle Aura swelling in his vision. Richard twisted his head aside. The fist grazed his temple—then the Battle Aura *detonated*. Teeth gritted against the searing pain, Richard thrust his sword forward with all his might. The shield flickered… and shattered.
*Thanks to Lulu’s earlier assault,* Richard realized. His blade sank deep into Zhang Yong’s side.
*Schlick.*
The wet sound. The resistance. Richard knew he’d finally landed a real hit.
"AAAAAGH!!!" Zhang Yong howled—not just in pain, but raw, human terror. Hero or not, he’d been an ordinary man before this world. The agony stripped away his bravado, exposing his fragility. He shoved Richard away wildly, but the sword stayed embedded. Both crashed to the ground. Instead of finishing Richard off, Zhang Yong clutched his wound, stumbling back while screaming:
"You—! You actually stabbed me! So much blood! It *hurts*! I’ll kill you for this! I’LL KILL YOU!!" Pain had shredded his coherence. Madness flickered in his eyes.
Richard looked worse. The explosion had shredded half his face and shoulder into raw meat. His breath came in ragged, wet gasps. But he stood. *A Hero must stand.*
Before becoming a Hero, he’d been a warrior. He’d endured worse.
"Hah… Hah… So you *can* feel pain?" A voice rasped from the rubble. Broken but blazing with fury. "…Good. *Real* good. Hah… This girl took your hits… Now your shell’s cracked…" Each word was a struggle, but the will behind them was iron. "…Watch me beat you to death. Hah… Hah…"
Everyone—even the students watching from a "safe" distance—turned.
Lulu pushed herself up against the wall, left arm trembling with effort. Her right arm hung limp, the forearm grotesquely dented where Zhang Yong’s kick had landed. Dust and blood caked her once-pristine sleeve, now torn to rags.
She planted her left hand on her broken right arm—not to set the bone. She didn’t know how.
"YOU RUINED MY NEW OUTFIT!" she snarled. "*Expensive* one!"
*RRRIP!*
She tore the sleeve clean off. Most stared at the fabric. Others saw what lay beneath her wrist.
"THE HERO BRACELET!" someone shouted.
All eyes locked onto the black band circling Lulu’s right wrist.
"Let’s see whose Hero Skill wins," Lulu roared, slamming her fist against the wall. Her voice cracked with pain and rage:
"**SUPER INVINCIBLE WORLD’S MOST LAUGHABLE DON’T FALL FOR ME I COULD NEVER BE A MAGICAL GIRL—TRANSFORM!**"
