I’m the Main Villain but the Heroines Are Obsessed With Me

4 – 2. Unable to Win Like That (1)

Vichan, located in the southern part of the Empire, has long been hailed as the land of knights.

Descendants of a warrior race, they all, regardless of age or gender, relished combat.

Their martial arts had a significant influence even on the Empire’s current martial practices.

It is rumored that even one of the Empire’s five pillars, the ‘Fist King’ Duke Vernogia, adopted Vichan’s martial arts as its foundation.

The land of knights and descendants of a warrior race.

Therefore, in combat, they always held an ingrained belief that they were the best.

Among them, ‘Ironwall’ Igor was a particularly outstanding figure among his peers.

Igor was a prodigy.

From the moment he took his first steps into combat, his growth was rapid. By the time he turned 15, there was no one who could match him.

From then on, Igor’s opponents were no longer human.

Monsters.

Beings born to kill people, whom skilled knights would prepare extensively to hunt, he would train against them alone and eventually toy with them.

It was said that he purposely got surrounded by orcs to toughen up, becoming a legend.

Thanks to those feats, Igor gained the moniker ‘Ironwall.’

That was why.

“His name’s Ian? He seems unremarkable.”

Ian was not afraid of Igor.

As Igor checked his equipment, he smiled. Seon, who had come from Bishen, seemed relieved and asked.

“Hey Igor! Do you have to win? Show the empire’s Saint-Nim your true worth!”

“No problem. I will win anyway.”

“But don’t let your guard down, dude. Even though he was the leader of the legendary warrior party.”

“The warrior party….”

Igor let out a bitter laugh at that remark.

Indeed, it was an impressive feat to become the leader of a warrior party at such a young age.

He had taken the position, whether it was a failure or a success, representing the fact that he was the most exceptional warrior in the empire.

Igor acknowledged that.

“However.”

Even so, the outcome would not change.

“The guy now is not the same guy who used to be active in the warrior party.”

The rumors of the warrior party’s failure had spread quickly, even in Bishen, which was far away from the center of the empire. This included the fact that Miles, Ian’s swordsmanship master, had cursed him, making him unable to wield his sword.

“A guy who has held a sword his whole life…. Put his sword down.”

From that moment, it was obvious who would win this match.

Ian’s strongest moment was when he wielded his sword. Without being able to wield his sword, he could not become his opponent.

If he had prepared a new weapon? It didn’t matter. He would still win.

“No matter how talented he is…. Is it possible for someone to grow their skills and boast about them in a short period of time?”

It was impossible. It might be mean to say, but that was how the world worked.

The same went for himself, who was also called a genius. It was an impossible task.

“Well…. It’s certain that I will win anyway.”

After finishing his thoughts, Igor cleared his mind. At the same time, he looked at Ian on the opposite side.

“Let’s finish this as quickly as possible.”

The plan was simple.

To quickly rush in and defeat Ian at the start.

Even though it was a simple and crude plan, it was the best respect Igor could give to Ian.

By dealing with him in an instant, he could send him away without pain and elevate the status of his peers who came from Bishen.

While Igor was checking his plan, the referee, a military officer, cleared his throat.

“Kim…. Ian Volkanoth. Igor Pendia. Come up when you’re ready.”

At the instructor’s command, Igor and Ian ascended the ring.

It was when Ian was casually stretching his shoulders. The instructor approached, tilting his head.

“Ian Volkanoth, are you ready?”

“Yes, Instructor.”

“Where is your weapon? If you haven’t brought it, we can provide a practice weapon.”

A weapon… Ian was grateful for the concern, but he didn’t need one.

Ian raised his arm lightly and spoke, “I don’t need a weapon.”

“So, you’re going to fight barehanded right now? Do you think that’s a wise decision? Don’t be arrogant; if you need it, just say so.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“Hmm… Fine, then.”

The somewhat disappointed instructor glared at Ian, but there was nothing more Ian could say.

‘I don’t have a weapon to use. What can I do?’

It was a fact, so what was there to be done?

Could he really learn to use a new weapon in just a couple of days?

‘Even if I’m a talent, a couple of days won’t be enough to master the technique.’

Ian wasn’t foolish enough to chase after an impossible task.

He would rather fight with his bare fists than awkwardly handle a weapon.

And there was another reason.

‘It’s what I’m most familiar with.’

In his previous life, Ian had learned boxing and jiu-jitsu. In just about four years. If he could incorporate what he had learned over that time, it would be more than enough.

‘And using Natalion, the best fit for me is bare fists.’

Natalion could be absorbed into the body, strengthening it.

A reinforced body had an incredibly durable endurance, and even a lightly thrown punch was as powerful as swinging a sledgehammer.

From that moment on, Ian’s fists became both a weapon and a shield.

As if saying there were no problems, he stared back at the instructor. The instructor took a deep breath and beckoned them to the center of the ring while keeping his gaze fixed on Igor, explaining the rules.

“First, remember that this match is not a matter of life and death but a place to assess skill level. Avoid attacks that could threaten your life as much as possible. Especially, Igor, be even more careful.”

“Understood.”

The swordsmanship instructor warned Igor, who was wearing a gauntlet, and stepped back.

Ian exchanged a few punches with Igor and then took his stance.

At the moment when the instructor dropped his arm to signal the start.

“Finish it quickly.”

Thud!

Igor quickly approached Ian.

***

Heroic Academia was a game that received praise for its compelling story.

However, as with all games, it was impossible to satisfy all players,

Of course, some players expressed dissatisfaction.

“If it were characters using a weapon like a sword, it would be understandable, but the combat of characters based on martial arts was a bit dull. It lacks the authenticity of martial arts such as boxing and wrestling that have existed since ancient times.”

The combat style of fighters in the game was simple. They concentrated mana into their fists or kicks to deliver powerful blows.

And that was it.

The process of footwork or stances for building up and engaging with the enemy was completely omitted.

“So, those who prioritize combat scenes received criticism. Just gathering mana and striking strongly, how can you call it combat?”

Ian, who only valued the story, couldn’t understand their grievances… but now he seemed to understand their feelings.

As he watched Igor rapidly approaching, Ian raised an eyebrow.

“What’s up with that guy?”

Because his upper body was leaning forward, his weight was excessively shifted forward. The front leg, which supported the center of gravity, was positioned vertically instead of diagonally.

“If the front leg is like that, the center will collapse and it will become difficult….”

The memory of being beaten badly because he couldn’t correct the habit of placing his front leg vertically when he first learned boxing remained vivid.

Look. Igor’s center of gravity hasn’t collapsed as if he’s about to fall over, right?

Thanks to that.

He realized the importance of the “no-knee” where the front leg is bent at a 45-degree angle and the back leg is placed vertically.

And.

He was confident that he could easily bring him down.

“Neltalion. Strengthen the leg.”

– Understood!

Ian’s right leg, strengthened by Neltalion, quickly surged with explosive energy.

Then, Ian elegantly extended his leg towards Igor’s front calf.

There was no need to strike strongly.

Just this much should be enough to break the balance of that guy.

Igor, who was completely ignorant of martial arts, had almost no chance of responding to Calf Kick that quickly approached without any preliminary movements.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

Ian’s Calf Kick struck Igor’s shin directly.

Thunk!

An unpleasant resonance echoed in the ring, distorting Igor’s front leg strangely.

Igor, who claimed that not even a scratch would appear even if he were hit by a steel wall or an orc, had been completely torn apart by a single light kick.

Thud! Bang!

“Gah! What the…!”

Igor, experiencing pain like never before, groaned for a moment while rolling on the ground, but he managed to regain his composure.

Even in that moment, Ian was preparing for the next move.

Crack!

“He can’t keep up with my movements anymore.”

Ian continuously changed the height and stance with rapid level changes, deceiving Igor’s judgment by switching between Orthodox and Southpaw stances.

Due to the cruelly significant difference in skill level, Igor kept showing openings.

Whack!

“Argh!”

Ian promptly threw a punch without hesitation.

After accurately landing a left jab in the Orthodox stance, he extended his right straight.

Hop!

At this point, he could take a step back and take a break using a backstep, but there was no need for that from the beginning.

“Since this guy can’t even read my movements.”

The assumption that the characters from Heroic Academy wouldn’t be able to follow modern martial arts movements was correct.

As evidence of that, Igor couldn’t keep up with Ian’s movements at all.

Ian didn’t miss the opportunity.

“Neltalion, reinforce both hands.”

– I’ve already done that! Did I do well?

“Yeah. You did well. I’ll pat you on the back after this is over.”

– Pat! Good!

Ian smiled as he watched Neltalion happily jumping on his shoulder, and he repositioned his stance.

Shwik!

Bending his upper body, Ian dug into the left side before throwing a body jab. As a result, he struck the guy’s face when he raised his upper body.

Pffung!

The sound that seemed unbelievable to come from a fist echoed through the gym.

Before he knew it, blood was flowing down Igor’s face.

Due to the injury on his foot, his steps slowed, and the flowing blood obstructed his vision.

Igor, who distanced himself from Ian, wiped away the blood and looked at him.

“What is this? Who exactly am I fighting against?”

He was on the verge of going crazy.

It wasn’t a boast, but Igor thought highly of himself.

Wasn’t he called a genius? Even though the Empire had many strong individuals, he believed he had reached a certain level.

He also thought he had a strong spirit. He believed he was excellent in combat skills as well.

Even in that sense, didn’t he defeat all his enemies with his fists?

He thought that no one in the Empire could surpass him when it came to fist fighting.

“What are these movements? What the hell is this? That inexplicable power and that eerie footwork! Could he be a ghost?”

He was completely defeated. He couldn’t read even one of Ian’s movements. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he was ridiculed.

If his front leg was unharmed, he wouldn’t have had the same thoughts.

Because his accumulated experience had been telling him so. Even if his condition was at its best, he couldn’t defeat his opponent.

“It feels like the martial arts I learned are so pathetic.”

At that moment, Igor ignited his determination.

“Ian Volkov… He truly is a warrior, unlike the rumors… I’m glad I came to the Empire.”

How long had he longed for this?

To engage in a battle with a master surpassing himself! Being born as a martial race, Igor had yearned for it, knowing how rare an opportunity it was.

That’s why he adjusted his posture again. Because it was an opportunity he couldn’t afford to miss.

The trembling foot made his mind faint, but Igor clenched his teeth and endured.

Kuoo!

The powerful aura of mana gathered in Igor’s fist. Its target was Ian’s jaw.

The fist, full of fierce momentum, reached towards Ian’s head but…

Woosh!

Ian never touched him.

In an instant, Ian dodged Igor’s straight by bending his hind legs and gathered strength in his fist.

“If it’s going to come to this.”

He’ll return it with equal sincerity.

“Neltalion usually stays in the form of a slime. It strengthens when absorbed into the body.”

But it is not limited to only that form.

“Neltalion, manifest an incorporeal hand on my right hand.”

– A hand? What kind of hand?

“Your true form… Manifest one hand of the Primordial King of a Thousand Hands.”

– Got it! But it doesn’t have the same power as before!

“It doesn’t matter, it’s not like I’m going to kill anyone. Manifest it at an appropriate level.”

Hwaak!

The body that had been enhanced by Neltalion so far slowly returned to its original state.

Instead, Ian’s right hand was covered with a giant hand.

The hand of Neltalion, the Primordial King of a Thousand Hands, once threatened to bring the empire to the brink of destruction, now manifests in reality.

With the condensation of immense magical power, everyone’s eyes widened.

Ian swung his right hand towards Igor’s body without hesitation.

Body Blow.

The technique that Ian had used most effectively in his previous life now showed its light once again.

Kwa-ahh!

Igor’s body was pierced through the wall and flew off the ring due to Ian’s Body Blow.

“Ugh!”

Igor lost consciousness.

“The ring breaking? It shouldn’t have broken, especially not because of the drink the professors made….”

Ian muttered, as if he couldn’t believe reality, leaving the officer who blinked as he doubted his own eyes behind.

“You won’t win if you do that.”