Chapter 95 Who Is the Real Hero?

Swamper showed no mercy towards Silva and didn't give her a chance to attack first. Without warning, he swung his massive claw toward her, catching her off guard. Silva tried to block the attack with her weapon, but it was no match for the strength of the monster. The force of the blow sent her rolling backward, and she hit the ground hard. 

Despite the pain, Silva refused to give up. She struggled to stand up, gritting her teeth as she prepared to face Swamper again. She knew she had to be more careful this time and couldn't afford to take another hit from the monster.

The swamper's steps were slow as it approached the quivering Sterling. Even though it was a monstrous creature, it seemed hesitant to attack someone so cowardly. Silva, on the other hand, was beside herself with panic and frustration. Turning to Suzuka, she yelled at her to do something, anything, to save the helpless student, "Don't just stand there, help them!"

Suzuka looked down at Silva with a sly grin, relishing the opportunity to get back at the woman who had held a grudge against her. "I'm afraid I can't do that, professor," she said, her voice full of satisfaction. "You specifically told me to stay put and do nothing, if I remember correctly. You said to me hide under a rock like a spineless creature. That's what I'm trying to do."

Silva's face contorted with rage, but she knew deep down that she had brought this upon herself. The swamper was now looming over Sterling, preparing to deliver the final blow. Suzuka continued to watch with a twisted sense of pleasure, knowing that this would be a lesson that Silva would never forget.

As Sterling was covering before Swamper, the rest of the students were being protected by the Royal Knights. However, the swamp was filled with more monsters and four additional Swampers emerged from the muck. Despite being outnumbered, these creatures were significantly stronger than any Royal Knight, and have a high resistance to magic attacks.

 It was a brutal fight as the Knights struggled to hold their own against the Swampers. The Magic Box Power Users had joined the fray and their powers were proving to be helpful. However, even with the support of the Magic Box users, the Knights were struggling to hold their ground, fighting with all their might and receiving much-needed support from the Magic Box power users. But it was a losing battle. The swampers were too powerful and the Royal Knights were falling one by one. Panic began to set in as the Magic Box users found themselves increasingly overwhelmed.

The Swamper was about to strike his fatal blow, Suzuka couldn't believe what she was seeing. The last person to come to Sterling's aid was none other than Silvia, the same girl that Sterling had been mercilessly bullying every chance he got. Suzuka felt a pit of despair in her stomach as she watched Silvia put her life on the line to save her tormentor.

With a wave of her hand, she erected a barrier, pouring every last bit of mana she had into its creation. The barrier shimmered and crackled with energy, blocking the swamper's attack.

Suzuka watched as her classmates scattered like frightened mice, including Sterling who cowered on the ground like a baby. Despite her best efforts, Silvia could only manage to block one of the monster's attacks before collapsing to her knees, utterly exhausted. Suzuka felt a wave of despair wash over her, realizing that they were no match for the monsters and their chances of survival were slim.

In the end, it was Suzuka who decided to act, she had enough of this. With a flick of her wrist, she unleashed a powerful blast of her magic that sent the swamper flying back. Sterling scrambled to his feet and ran, leaving Silvia down in the mud on her knees.

Suzuka was alone to face the monster but she was not afraid. She had survived much worse than this in the forest, and she had no intention of letting the swamper get the best of her.

Suzuka gritted her teeth as she faced off against the towering swamper, its massive form casting a shadow over the entire battlefield. The monster's eyes glinted with malice as it let out a deafening roar, sending chills down the spines of every member of Suzuka's class.

But Suzuka was not one to back down from a fight. With ferocity in her eyes, she charged forward, her sword glinting in the light of the setting sun. The swamper swung its massive arm at her, but Suzuka was quick, dodging the blow with a well-timed sidestep. As she circled the beast, Suzuka studied its movements, looking for an opening.

 Suddenly, the swamper lunged forward, jaws agape, and Suzuka leaped into the air, somersaulting over its head and landing behind it with a graceful spin.

But the swamper wasn't done yet. It turned on Suzuka, its eyes blazing with anger, and charged forward with a roar. Suzuka gritted her teeth, bracing herself for the impact, and then at the last moment, she sidestepped once again, slicing her sword across the monster's flank as she passed by.

The swamper howled in pain, swinging around to face her again. This time, it was more cautious, circling her warily, waiting for an opening. Suzuka waited too, eyes locked on the swamper, every muscle tensed and ready for action. She could easily kill the beast with her magic but as Bill would say 'Where's the fun in that'.

And then it happened. The swamper lunged forward, jaws gaping wide, and Suzuka sprang into action. She leaped forward, spinning in a tight circle, and brought both her swords down on the beast with all her might.

The swamper let out a roar of agony, thrashing wildly as Suzuka landed the blow. The beast stumbled backward, then collapsed onto the ground, writhing in agony. She watched for a moment, as swamper lay still.

Suzuka wiped her brow and turned to face professor Silva, a triumphant smirk on her face. "Well professor, I guess I didn't need to hide under a rock after all," she said, before walking away to finish off the rest of the swampers before anyone gets killed.  

Silva extended a hand to Silvia, helping her up with a gentle grace. Suzuka wasted no time in moving forward to take care of the remaining swampers. She knew that hesitation in this battle would be fatal, it was time to put an end to this fight.

Suzuka summoned her gravity magic, her power was overwhelming. The swampers didn't stand a chance against her, their feeble attempts to resist her magic were like trying to hold back a tidal wave with a broom. The ground shook beneath their feet as the weight of the universe seemed to bear down upon them, crushing their bones and leaving them writhing in agony.

Silva watched in awe as Suzuka moved with a fluid grace that was almost otherworldly. Every movement was deliberate and precise, her magic flowing through her like a river. Silva couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy at Suzuka's sheer mastery of her craft.

When the last swamper had fallen, Suzuka stood amidst the carnage. She turned to Silva, a look of triumph in her eyes. "That's how it's done," she said, a smirk playing at the corner of her lips.

Suzuka's expression softened, and she smiled at the rest of the group, "That wasn't so bad, was it?" She said, her voice light and teasing.

The group was in awe of Suzuka's incredible fighting skills and they couldn't thank her enough for saving their lives. Even Silva, who had been bitter towards Suzuka in the past, had to admit that she was impressed. However, as the adrenaline began to wear off, Silva took charge and ordered everyone to gather their belongings and start heading back to the university.

Once they arrived, Silva declared that the test results would be announced at a later time. The students were exhausted from their battle with the monsters and the long journey back, but they were relieved to be back at the university. 

Suzuka received many compliments and praise for her bravery and skills in combat. However, she remained humble and simply nodded in response to the compliments. She knew that her skills were a result of her hard work and training, and she was happy to have been able to put them to good use.

As the group dispersed, Silva approached Suzuka with a condescending tone, questioning her decision not to participate in the group's fight against the monsters.

"Helen, I was disappointed in your performance today. When the monsters attacked, you didn't do anything to help the other students. You were leaning against a tree, relaxing while the rest of the group fought off the monsters."

"Excuse me? What are you talking about? You told me yourself to do nothing and even then, despite YOUR orders, I took out a whole group of swampers by myself."

"That's not the point. You could have done that from the start. Instead, you just stood back and watched while enjoying the scene."

"That's ridiculous. You should be grateful that I was even there to help at all. I even saved your sorry behind!"

"I am grateful, but I still think you could have acted sooner. Instead, you chose to act petty. You have all this experience in battling monsters, and yet you didn't use it to help your classmates."

"Hey, I took care of the monsters, we all made it out alive. That's what matters, right?"

"Don't try to take credit for what the group did, Helen. They were the ones fighting the monsters while you were doing nothing. Sure, you might finish them off, but it was a team effort." 

"You have no idea what you're talking about. Did that swamper hit your head too hard? I'm the one who took charge and saved everyone."

"You may have taken charge, but that doesn't mean you did all the work. You're not as great as you think you are, Helen."

"Excuse me? I just risked my life to save all of you, and this is how you repay me. You're the one who's not as great as you think you are. You ensured the class the trip will be safe and that you will protect them. What happened to that? Huh?"

"Don't try to turn this around on me. You're the one who's full of yourself and thinks you're better than everyone else."

"I don't think I'm better than anyone else, but I do know that I'm a damn good fighter. And if it weren't for me, you and the rest of the group would be dead. This was all your fault, not mine. I knew I should have just waited for monsters to kill you all and leave. Next time I won't be there to save your useless asses." 

"That's enough. I don't have time for this argument. Just remember that the results of the test will reflect your performance in the field, and we'll see who the real hero is then."

"Oh! Let me guess! Your precious Sterling will be top of the class, right? Oh, how brave he was, did you see how courageous he was? A true role model student and let's not forget the supportive kick to your back he gave. I bet you're so proud of him." Suzuka said with a sarcastic tone.

"No, I am not. But he's just a young man, just a boy. He was scared and acted rashly. I am disappointed in him, that is true, but I am more disappointed in you than in him. You are a grown woman, an expert in combat and magic. And yet, you act so immaturely. Either way, you can go, Helen. We have nothing else to discuss."

"Well! At least on something we can agree on. Bye, professor."