Reincarnated as a failed hero?! Watch me Defy Fate!

Chapter 36: Shadow of the Past

Chapter 36: Shadow of the PastThe stares I received today were different—much colder than the ones yesterday. People avoided me as though I carried some invisible plague.

The only person who spoke to me was my roommate, Marius. We walked together down the hallway toward our classroom.

This feeling... I’ve felt it before.

Ah... now I remember. This is the same as being bullied and ostracized. It’s just like what happened back in high school on Earth, I thought bitterly.

Back then, rumors started circulating that I came from a broken home and that my mother was... not an honorable woman. Hearing those things enraged me. I couldn’t let it slide, so I began

Morning lessons passed uneventfully, though the tension in the classroom was palpable. When lunch break came, Marius, Lyra, Freya, and I decided to head to the academy canteen together. The moment we sat down with our trays, I felt a looming presence.

Kael.

He strutted over with three of his strongest cronies, all of them from Class A. They stood behind him, glaring down at us like predators circling their prey.

Kael wasted no time teasing us. His words were sharp and biting, dripping with malice. At first, I tried to ignore him. I thought if I avoided escalating things, he might get bored and leave.

But then, Kael shifted his attention to my friends. He began mocking Marius, ridiculing Freya, and then...

He grabbed Lyra’s hand.

My patience snapped.

"Enough!" I said, rising to my feet. My voice was sharp and firm, cutting through the noise of the canteen. "Let go of her and stop harassing us."

Kael’s smug grin twisted into a scowl. "What did you just say to me, you useless Hero?"

I didn’t back down. "You heard me. Let her go."

Kael sneered and released Lyra’s hand, only to draw his weapon—a gleaming longsword. His cronies followed suit, pulling out their weapons as well. The air grew heavy with hostility.

I reached for my katana, ready to fight, but before things could spiral out of control, a familiar voice cut through the tension.

"Stop this at once!"

It was Luna von Solarblade, our class representative. She marched over, her golden hair practically glowing as she glared at Kael.

"This is the academy canteen, not a battlefield. If you want to fight, do it properly—in the dueling coliseum," Luna declared.

I took a deep breath and nodded. "Fine by me. Luna, will you be the witness for our duel?"

Kael grinned, baring his teeth. "A duel, huh? Alright, but if I win, you will admit that you used cheating to get back into this academy, and also if you lose then hand over Lyra to me." Kael said that with a sly face,

His words made my blood boil, but I kept my composure. "And if I win," I said, my voice steady, "you will stand in front of the entire student body, shirtless, and publicly admit that the rumors you spread about me were lies."

Kael’s cronies bristled with anger. "What did you just say, you little—"

"Calm down," Kael said, holding up a hand to silence them. His grin returned, more sinister than before. "Fine. But don’t cry when you lose, Failed Hero."

I smirked. "Actually, I’ll make this even more interesting. I’ll take all of you on at once."

The canteen erupted in laughter. Kael and his cronies laughed the loudest, their voices echoing through the room.

"You? Against all of us?" one of them sneered. "You must have a death wish."

"Maybe," I said calmly, "but don’t forget—I might just take you all down with me."

Kael’s grin faltered for a moment, but he quickly masked it with bravado. "Fine. We’ll see how long you last."

The duel was scheduled to take place in the academy’s dueling coliseum later that afternoon. Word spread like wildfire, and by the time we arrived, the stands were packed with students.

Most of them weren’t there to cheer me on.

"Get lost, loser!"

"You don’t belong here!"

The jeers and insults were relentless. I could feel their disdain like daggers stabbing into my back.

But I didn’t let it show. I kept my head high as I stepped into the arena, my katana in hand.

Luna stood at the center as the appointed referee. "This duel will be conducted under academy rules," she announced, her voice ringing loud and clear. "It will end when one side concedes or is unable to continue."

Kael and his five lackeys stood across from me, grinning confidently. They were armed to the teeth, each of them exuding an aura of strength.

"Hope you’re ready to embarrass yourself, ’Hero,’" Kael taunted.

I ignored him, focusing on my breathing.

I’ve faced worse odds than this, I told myself. This is nothing.

When the duel was about to start, a quest suddenly appeared:

----

[!!!NOTIFICATION!!!]

You got a Quest!

Quest: Defeat Kael and his five friends and humiliate them.

Reward: 20 Goddess Points.

Penalty: You and your friends will be exiled to the academy forever.

----

Seeing the quest made me smile slyly, I was even more excited to defeat them.

....

....