The Extra is a Hero?-Chapter 267: THE LION’S ROAR
Chapter 262: The Lion’s Roar
The silence in the Arena of Gods was heavier than the gravity spell Arthur had just dispelled.
The score was tied, 1-1. The pristine white stone of the ring was cracked from the previous bout, a testament to the violence that had just occurred.
Now, the third match was about to begin.
"MATCH THREE!" The announcer’s voice boomed, echoing off the high walls of the coliseum. "THE GOLDEN HERO OF ARCADIA VS. THE SILENT MONK OF DRAGONSPIRE!"
Leon Lionheart stepped onto the platform. He looked every inch the hero the stories promised. His armor shone under the artificial sun, his cape fluttered in the wind, and his hand rested confidently on the hilt of his sword. But beneath the visor, Leon was sweating.
He could feel the gaze of his father, Arnab Lionheart, burning into his back from the Human Noble box. He could feel the weight of Aiden’s defeat. And most of all, he could feel the terrifying calmness of the man standing opposite him.
Chen Wu did not look like a fighter. He wore simple, loose-fitting grey robes and cloth slippers. He had no armor, no weapon, and no visible aura. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, smiling a smile that didn’t reach his dead, black eyes.
The Royal Box
"That monk..." Queen Helmina Ironbloom murmured, her emerald eyes narrowing as the metallic petals of her armor shifted restlessly. "He moves like water flowing over a grave. I do not like him."
"He is a vessel of the Soft Arts," King Thorgar Stoneforge III rumbled. The Anvil King sat heavily on his reinforced throne, his massive, rune-etched armor creaking. He stroked his braided beard, his molten amber eyes fixed on the arena. "Soft Arts are dangerous to iron. They do not break the shell; they rot the fruit inside."
Crown Princess Freya Stoneforge leaned forward, her knuckles white as she gripped the railing. The crystal circlet on her brow pulsed with a faint, anxious light.
"Leon is strong, Father," Freya insisted, her voice tight. "He saved me during the prelims. His armor is adamantite-weave. He can take a hit."
"Armor is only as strong as the man wearing it, girl," Thorgar grunted, though his tone was not unkind. "And some hammers strike where armor cannot reach."
In the back of the box, Prince Dorian tugged on Grandmaster Durak’s leather apron.
"Grandmaster," the young prince whispered, clutching his wooden training hammer. "Why is the crystal behind the monk flickering? It looks... sick."
Grandmaster Durak Hammerfall turned his mechanical golden arm, adjusting the monocle over his left eye. He zoomed in on the massive Revive Crystal positioned behind Chen Wu’s starting line. It was designed to cast an instant high-tier resurrection spell if a student took fatal damage.
Durak’s good eye widened.
"The rune flow is inverted," Durak hissed, tapping his tablet furiously. "That’s not a standard fluctuation. The conduction lines are laced with Nether Iron. If that crystal triggers... it won’t heal him. It will scramble his soul."
"Sabotage?" Thorgar’s voice dropped to a subterranean growl. Mjolnir, resting by his side, began to emit smoldering red cracks.
"I cannot stop the match without proof, Sire," Durak growled, sweat beading on his forehead. "If I cut the power now, the backlash kills the boy instantly. He has to win... or he dies for real."
The Arena
"Begin!"
Leon didn’t hesitate. He launched himself forward, a streak of white light.
[Lionheart Style: Flash Slash]
It was a textbook opener. Fast, powerful, meant to test the opponent’s guard. The blade hummed with holy energy, cutting the air with a shriek.
Chen Wu didn’t dodge. He simply shifted his weight.
He took a half-step to the left, letting the blade pass millimeters from his nose. As Leon’s momentum carried him forward, Chen Wu raised a palm. It looked gentle, like a caress.
He tapped Leon’s chest plate.
Gong.
It sounded like a temple bell being struck underwater.
Leon’s eyes bulged. He skidded to a halt ten meters away, dropping to one knee. He retched, coughing up a mouthful of blood.
"What..." Leon wheezed, clutching his chest. His armor was untouched. There wasn’t even a scratch on the adamantite. But inside, his lungs felt like they had been put through a meat grinder.
"Armor protects the skin," Chen Wu said softly, his voice melodic and terrifying. "But who protects the organs? Your heart beats so loudly, boy. It begs to be stopped."
"Shut up!" Leon roared.
He forced himself up. The white flame around him flared, chaotic and angry.
[Holy Cross: Grand Impact]
Leon swung again, this time releasing a massive cross-shaped wave of energy. It tore up the floor, rushing toward the monk.
Chen Wu sighed. He stomped his foot.
[Eastern Art: Earth Ripple]
A vibration traveled through the floor, intersecting with Leon’s energy wave. The holy fire didn’t explode; it dissipated, shaken apart at the molecular level.
Chen Wu appeared inside Leon’s guard.
Palm. Palm. Elbow. Shoulder.
Four hits.
Gong. Gong. Crack. Thud.
Leon went flying. He crashed into the barrier, sliding down, his sword clattering to the floor. He tried to breathe, but his diaphragm was paralyzed. His vision swam.
The crowd went silent. The Golden Hero, the favorite to win, was being dismantled like a novice.
On the Arcadia bench, Michael Wilson stood up. He walked to the very edge of the barrier. His face was impassive, but his fists were clenched.
"Leon!" Michael’s voice cut through the ringing in Leon’s ears. "Stop fighting like a Knight! You are not Arthur! You are not a wall!"
Leon gasped, trying to pull air into his bruised lungs.
"He... bypasses... defense..." Leon choked out.
"So don’t defend!" Michael shouted. "He’s using internal resonance! If you match his frequency, you shatter! You have to overwhelm the vibration with mass! Stop trying to be noble and start being a beast!"
Chen Wu walked slowly toward the fallen hero. "Your friend is loud. But he cannot save you. The crystal behind me... it sleeps. If you die here, you sleep forever."
Leon froze. He looked past the monk to the flickering Revive Crystal. He saw the dark, oily mana pulsing within it.
Death.
Real, permanent death.
He looked up at the VIP box. He saw Princess Freya covering her mouth, terror in her frost-blue eyes. He looked at the Human Noble box, where his father, Arnab, watched with a complicated expression—shame mixed with a strange, cold curiosity.
If I die here, I’m just another bastard who tried to be a king.
Leon’s hand gripped the hilt of his sword.
No.
The white flame that surrounded him began to change. The purity, the "heroic" light that he had cultivated to please the crowds, to please his father, began to darken. It became heavy. Dense.
It turned Gold.
"I am..." Leon gritted his teeth, forcing his body to stand despite the internal bleeding.
Chen Wu frowned. The air pressure in the arena was changing. The vibration arts he was channeling were being pushed back by a sheer wall of mana.
[Trait Evolution: Heart of the Lion King]
[Mana Density: 150\% -> 300\%]
"I am not done!" Leon roared.
The gold aura exploded. It wasn’t a flame anymore; it was a physical force. The floor beneath Leon cracked, not from a spell, but from the sheer weight of his presence.
Chen Wu’s eyes widened. "Internal energy? No... this is dominance."
Leon raised his sword. The blade turned a deep, molten gold.
"You like hitting the inside?" Leon stepped forward. He didn’t dash. He stalked. "Let’s see how you handle being crushed."
Chen Wu struck. A lethal palm aimed at Leon’s heart.
Leon didn’t dodge. He took the hit.
GONG.
Leon spat blood, but he didn’t move backward. He grabbed Chen Wu’s wrist. His gauntlet crushed the monk’s bones.
"My turn," Leon snarled.
[Lionheart Sword Style: Form 2 – Crushing Claw]
Leon didn’t slash. He brought the sword down like a hammer, infused with the totality of his gold aura.
Chen Wu tried to use a deflection technique. [Soft Water Stance].
But you cannot deflect a landslide.
CRACK-BOOM!
The sword struck Chen Wu’s shoulder. The soft arts collapsed instantly. The monk was driven into the ground, the impact creating a crater five meters wide. The shockwave slammed into the barrier, cracking the energy field.
Chen Wu lay in the center of the crater, unconscious, his robes shredded, his "internal arts" overwhelmed by brute, majestic force.
"WINNER: LEON LIONHEART!"
"SCORE: 2 - 1"
Leon stood over his opponent, chest heaving. The gold aura faded slowly, leaving him swaying.
He looked at the Revive Crystal. It flickered once, ominously, and then went dark as the match ended. He had survived.
The Aftermath
In the Royal Box, silence reigned for a heartbeat.
Then, King Thorgar Stoneforge III began to laugh. It was a deep, booming sound that shook the glass.
"HAHA! Did you see that, Helmina? He took the hit! He traded a rib for a victory! That is not a Knight. That is a Berserker in shiny metal!"
"He was reckless," Queen Helmina sighed, though she smiled, releasing the tension in her steel vines. "But he protected his life. That gold flame... it reminded me of the ancient sun kings."
Princess Freya slumped back in her seat, letting out a breath she had held for ten minutes. "He... he won. He’s alive."
"He is more than alive," Grandmaster Durak muttered, wiping sweat from his brow with a rag. He looked at the readings on his mechanical arm. "He just evolved mid-combat. That boy isn’t just a hero candidate anymore. He’s a King in the making."
Prince Dorian cheered, waving his wooden hammer. "Lionheart! Lionheart!"
Down in the arena, Leon walked back to the bench. He didn’t wave to the crowd. He collapsed onto the seat next to Michael.
"You took your time," Michael said, handing him a potion.
"Shut up," Leon groaned, drinking the red liquid. "I think he broke my spleen."
"He broke three ribs and bruised your liver," Michael corrected, his eyes scanning Leon with [Quantum Analysis]. "But you broke his spirit. Good trade." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
Michael stood up. The score was 2-1. One more win.
He looked across the arena. The hooded figure, Renzo, was standing up.
"Rest now, Hero," Michael said, adjusting his glasses. The lenses caught the light, hiding his eyes. "The real monster is coming out to play."
(To be Continued)
