Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

Bearing in mind the lessons forged by the blood of countless heroes, we stand tall and face the end.

The hero is gone, but the myth of the hero will never fade away.

As long as the tradition continues, the teachings will continue to be passed down.

As long as there are still younger generations following in the footsteps of those who went before, it will continue to be passed down.

"I want to become a 'teacher'."

After the former "sea fortress" was transformed into an "academy".

Guided by the Lord God, I finally shed my unruly nature and found my own path.

"I want to pass on the skills of those guys, the glory of heroes... that 'afterglow' to more people."

That was a slashing light that both warriors and witches had used.

It is also the light that will forever be etched in my heart from that fierce battle at sea.

Now, I call it "afterglow".

"I fight only for the goddess."

Aside from those heroes, the one with whom I most frequently clashed was this wild boar before me. I chose a time when we were alone to tell him my determination, and his rusty eyes stared at me as he responded somewhat clumsily.

"Leon, I'm entrusting your education to you."

"—Haha. What a willful guy."

The man before me, deeply influenced by martial arts, is also a seeker of the Dao.

For wild boars that only know how to charge blindly on the road, this arrangement couldn't be more suitable.

I burst into laughter and made a promise to fight him again.

"That brat is actually going to be a teacher."

"One has to admire the teachings of God Badr."

"I must say, he truly lives up to his title as the God of Light. Compared to our main god, he's worlds apart."

To fill the labyrinth city's thirst for talent, the university is recruiting from all over the world. Shouldering this momentous mission known as the "Centennial Project," the "Academy" finally sets sail. Even the dwarfs and a few others have made a rare appearance to see it off.

"It'll probably rain swords tomorrow," we joked with each other, and agreed to keep fighting on our respective battlefields.

I have traveled all over the world and gained many students.

While practicing spiritual cultivation, I also continuously learn. I will never allow myself to slack off in my role as a teacher.

I never imposed my mission on anyone, but chose to respect everyone's wishes, guiding only those with ambition to the Labyrinth City. Promising adventurers emerged one after another. That talented mage also joined the hero and his companions. Yet, even so, the successor capable of wielding that 'Residual Light' has yet to appear.

To recreate that group of absurd and almost irrational heroes is truly a pipe dream.

Is it truly only with these two hands that we can face the end?

That burden of will, just as worry was about to turn into endless regret.

The world has found "you".

You, at a speed that even gods and goddesses can only dream of, swiftly ascend the ladder of "heroes".

After the hero's curtain fell, on the other side of the myth, I finally encountered you.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god—finally, finally, finally! After keeping everyone on the edge of their seats, the broadcast is finally connected!!!"

At this moment, the cheers rose like waves, as if they were about to reach the sky.

The announcer Ibri's exceptionally loud voice resounded throughout the area, and immediately, people in Oralie and the school district all looked up at the sky.

In mid-air, a giant "divine mirror" slowly unfolded.

The scene depicts a knight and a boy confronting him.

"Here it comes! Ahh ...

"It's [White Rabbit Swift Foot], and [Knight Among Knights]! Just as I thought!"

"We've come this far; if it were anyone else, I wouldn't let him off the hook!"

"But why is that brat wearing the 'school district' uniform...?"

"Are you stupid? Who cares about this kind of thing! It's obviously role-playing! Here, take the idol's drink, hurry up and drink it!"

"I don't quite understand, but if her beauty is only partially concealed, then it should be fine!"

"Hey, compared to that, look at..."

"Oh yeah, their current location... isn't that 'the end of the North'?"

"Could it be that 'Dragon Nest' thing?! That's incredible, I've never seen anything like it in my life!"

Although the battle has not yet begun, the circular arena is already buzzing with excitement.

Some cheered and laughed at the silhouettes of Bale and Leon, while others looked puzzled by their clothing and location, as if they couldn't believe their eyes. The audience's reactions were incredibly varied.

"Asphie's coordinate system is finally activated. Now we can project the image onto the 'mirror' without any worries."

"If we're too far away, the 'divine power' we unleash will have to increase dramatically! But thankfully, we have a positioning feature, so the output is just a tiny bit enough (energy-saving and environmentally friendly)! I really don't want to provoke those dragons in the 'Valley' right now!!"

"Thanks for the explanation, Ganesha. But these things don't need to be said to the children, and you're too noisy, could you please keep your voice down a little?"

"Hey, sorry Ganesha☆!!"

In the broadcasting booth, Hermes and Ganesha are putting on a little comedy routine.

Faced with the god's thunderous voice, the elegant god simply covered one ear, but a smug smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

He stood up, put his feet on the edge of the table, grabbed the magic stone microphone, and his voice resounded throughout the venue like thunder.

"The wait is over, everyone! The grand finale, round five, is here! The battlefield carefully selected by the Divine Assembly, as you can see, is at the very edge of the world! The Dragon Nest area!!"

The audience fell completely silent the moment they heard the name.

However, as if everything was under control, the gods announced loudly.

"Now, even if the first-tier adventurers wreak havoc, it won't be a problem! Previously, due to the surrounding environment, we had to use various rules to restrain those super-strong idiots, but now they can finally unleash their full potential! Come on! Let's witness it together! The fifth round's competition is naturally—a pure free-for-all with no rules and no restrictions!!!"

The moment people understood the will of God, the amphitheater erupted once again.

The roar of the audience was comparable to the spectacle of the "factional wars" of the past, and the sound waves swept through the entire city like a tsunami.

"Lord Bell is the final representative?! Lily has never heard of this before?!"

"To be honest, from the moment he disappeared for so long, I had a vague feeling that this was going to happen..."

"Lord Bell, are you alright...?"

"Lady Hestia asked me to prepare weapons, so that's why...?"

Sitting in the middle row of the audience, Lily, Mikoto, Haruhime, and Welf each expressed their shock, helplessness, worry, and speculation.

"However," Welf grinned, looking at Lily and the others.

"Let's cheer him on. Even though the result of the city's sports festival doesn't really matter, he's our team leader."

Upon hearing this suggestion, Lily and the others exchanged a smile and then nodded in unison.

They shouted at the "divine mirror," their voices even drowning out the surrounding noise.

"Lord Bell—!! Lily will give you a good talking-to later, so please win back quickly!"

"Please stay calm! The opponent's movements are flawless!"

"F, Fight~~! Fight!! Lord Bell—!"

"Don't lose, Bear Grylls!"

The cheers from the Hestia Familia were like tinder, adding fuel to the ever-increasing heat of the event.

Whether civilians, adventurers, or gods, everyone cast their burning gazes at the screen, watching intently, not wanting to miss a single moment. Just then, the narrator, Ibri, licked his lips and began to perform his duties.

"Even we were kept in the dark about the final battle of the City Arena Festival! The pairing is...it really is!! The district's strongest teacher, Leon Wadenberg, versus Orario's number one troublemaker, Bell Craney!!!"

At this moment, there are no more voices of concern for the world here.

At this moment, there is no fear of the end.

The "City of Heroes" chases after that scene of adventure, unleashing a deafening roar towards the distant northern wilderness.

"A battle...? Teacher Leon and Lappy... and Senior Bell are going to fight here!?"

Nina was left behind by the sudden turn of events, her confused voice echoing among us.

I felt the same way when I confronted Professor Leon.

Why must we fight? Why can't we just do it this way?

Despite this confusion and anxiety, a corner of my heart couldn't help but think, "Ah, so that's how it is."

—This time, it's my turn to go on an adventure with you, Bell.

Let me personally verify your 'capacity'.

Professor Leon's statements so far seem to be hinting at this matter. Every word he utters reveals his expectations.

They want to know me and confirm my abilities.

Professor Leon must have been waiting for this moment for a long time.

Even if only for a moment, to shed the sacred duty of being a 'teacher' and return to being a pure 'knight'.

And that moment is now.

"As you think, I do have my reasons. However, in this situation, whether it's the students or the gods, they would all be lenient towards me for drawing my sword."

"...!"

"Let me reiterate: Let's have a 'one-on-one' match, Bear Grylls."

For some reason, I seemed to hear the hallucinatory cheers behind my ears again.

I realized it. This battle was unavoidable.

(And... in my heart, there truly is a desire to fight Professor Leon.)

I've always thought he was very strong.

He was so strong that he had no flaws whatsoever, and was in no way inferior to Mr. Otto.

Even after becoming a first-class adventurer, I know that he still stands at that unreachable height.

This intuition gradually transformed into conviction during this field investigation journey.

Nevertheless—no, that's precisely why I, as an adventurer, would say at this moment: I want to challenge him.

The person in front of her was someone even Miss Ais admitted was 'stronger than her'.

"There's no escaping it, is there?"

"Exactly."

"Refusing won't change anything, right?"

"That's right."

"Then, may I issue a challenge?"

"Of course."

After a few brief questions and answers, both of them quietly hid the smiles that had appeared on their lips.

Stop making excuses for this adventurous spirit.

He wants to catch up with the person he admires, protect Winnie, and defeat his formidable rival.

All the desires and goals that I have gained can be summed up in one thought—"I want to become stronger."

If so, I must reiterate this statement.

I want to become stronger so that one day I can fight alongside the 'Knight' before me.

I drew Goddess Blade from my waist.

Teacher Leon calmly assumed his stance.

I caught a glimpse of Nina, who was barely breathing, out of the corner of my eye. After silently apologizing in my mind, I met the eyes of the lion before me.

The next instant—I pushed off the ground and leaped out.