I WAS The Rank–1 Hero-Chapter 67: To The Human Continent [3]

The massive ice boulder smashed into Nathalia’s hovering form, shaking the ground with a ear piercing impact.

Shoot! Shoot!

Shards of ice scattered, shooting in all directions, piercing through the earth like sharp knives. A dense cloud of dust rose up, obscuring everyone’s vision.

As the dust settled down, the battlefield came into view.

But something was wrong.

What should have been a critical strike had taken an unexpected turn.

The faceless figure that was supposed to be crushed—had vanished. Her entire form had disintegrated into a thin, white mist.

At first, some believed Hope’s attack had finally worked. But that belief crumbled in an instant.

Hope stood firm, his stance unwavering, his confidence unshaken. His sharp silver eyes scanned the battlefield, analyzing every movement, every shift in the air.

Not only him, but the others present did the same, their minds struggling to process what was happening.

Every second brought some new unexpected surprises—nothing between their battle which followed was expectation.

And now, the same question echoed in every mind present there—

Where did she go?

Where was the next attack coming from?

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How would Hope counter it?

Would she strike from the right?

Or the left?

CLANG!

The sharp clash of steel against steel shattered the silence.

Every student turned to the sound.

There—right in front of Hope—stood Nathalia’s faceless figure. Her bare hand had caught his blade, the razor-sharp steel pressed against her white, flawless skin. Yet, it did not cut through. It was as if her body was forged from unbreakable metal.

Her featureless face betrayed nothing—no pain, no fear, no reaction at all.

Hope didn’t hesitate. He pivoted on his heel and sent a front kick slamming into her abdomen.

BOOM!

The sheer force of the impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air. Nathalia’s body skidded back—but only an inch.

She barely moved.

A flicker of realization crossed Hope’s mind. She’s stronger than I expected.

But that didn’t stop him.

Without wasting another second, he lunged forward, his katana cutting through the air in a swift, merciless arc.

Nathalia responded instantly. She twisted her body, narrowly dodging the first slash. The moment her feet touched the ground, Hope was already upon her again, his blade descending from above.

CLANG!

Her arm shot up, blocking his sword once more.

Hope’s grip tightened on his katana.

He changed his angle, twisting the blade to slice through her ribs—only for Nathalia to walk straight into it.

His katana cleaved through her side. Her bones cracked. A deep wound tore through her body—

And then…

It stitched itself back together in the blink of an eye.

Drip. Drip.

Her white skin reformed, smooth and unblemished, as if he had never struck her at all.

Hope didn’t stop. He slashed again. And again. Each strike was faster, and stronger, more precise than the last.

His blade carved deep wounds into her body—but every time, her wounds closed within seconds.

Blood spilled. Bones shattered. Organs were torn apart.

None of it mattered.

She healed. Over and over again.

Nathalia didn’t even try to dodge anymore.

She simply let him tear her apart and then mended herself before the damage could even occurred.

Or that what occurred to everyone else’s eyes.

"T-This isn’t working…" someone whispered.

"N-No…"

Fear.

Despair.

Helplessness.

It was happening again.

Nothing changed. Nothing moved forward.

If she couldn’t be killed—if she simply regenerated no matter how much damage she took—then…

How were they supposed to win?

For the first time, they began to doubt.

The all-powerful Hope, the one they trusted, the one they relied on, no longer seemed invincible. His continiousstrikes, his overwhelming speed, his unwavering confidence—none of it mattered anymore. What use was power if it could not bring victory?

When hope crumbles, it does not shatter all at once. It withers, piece by piece, until nothing remains but the bitter realization—there is no way forward.

Hope is a fragile thing. It shines brightest in the darkness, but the moment it flickers, doubt seeps in.

And when doubt takes root, it spreads like a plague—devouring trust, shattering resolve, leaving nothing behind but empty faith.

That was the cruelest part of despair. It didn’t destroy you instantly. It made you watch—watch as everything you believed in collapsed before your eyes.

Ten minutes passed…

Thirty minutes passed…

Nothing.

Literally nothing changed.

Hope’s blade moved relentlessly. His katana sliced through the air, cutting her into small pieces, her limbs severed, carving her body into small cubes. Yet, every time, she reformed. Every single time.

The students watched in horror.

No matter how many attacks he unleashed, no matter how many skills he used, the result remained the same.

Nothing.

"W-What happened to him?" A girl asked, her voice trembling. The fear she had been suppressing was now etched onto her face.

Then, a boy called out, hesitating.

"Is he really… that almighty Hope?"

Silence.

They had only ever heard of him before. Seen his name flood the news, the rankings, social media.

Humanity’s strongest.

The symbol of strength. The one who always won.

But was this truly the power of Rank-1?

"How did he even become Rank-1…?" someone muttered.

Doubt.

Shattered trust.

For the first time, they questioned everything.

They questioned the humanities strongest.

They questioned Hope.

But, is this the truth?

Is he really that weak?

Only one person here understood his true strength.

A boy, jet black hair, silver eyes, 173 cm height.

He was standing there— behind every students.

His gaze for a few minute landed on Hope and then on Faceless Nathalia.

He is analyzing something.

He is finding something.

Only he understood this situation very well.

He already predicted Hope’s plan, he knows what was Hope planning to do.

And why despite being Nathalia keep regenerating, he is cutting him again and again.

A smile filled with amusement, appeared on his face, he tried to hide it, but he failed. His body shivered due his own deduction.

’What a sinister strategy." He thought.

***

How much time has passed…?

Since we arrived here.

Since this nightmare began.

How much longer do we have to wait for it to be over?

Is this truly the power of Rank-1?

Why is he—the Hope, humanity’s strongest, struggling to kill that thing?

That’s what everyone else is probably thinking.

"Heh."

A cryptic smile formed on my face.

They don’t get it.

This new Hope… he’s on a whole other level.

Never in a million years would I have guessed that I’d meet someone capable of pulling off such a complex yet evil strategy.

I wonder… where did the Hero Association even find this man?

At first glance, it looks like he’s just attacking blindly. But if you look closer, every strike is precise.

Every move of his is calculated. Not once has his stamina or performance dropped. Simply extraordinary.

I closed my eyes for a moment and reached out with my mind.

’Sera.’

She responded instantly.

’Yes. I’m here.’

’Did you figure out too what he’s doing?’

A brief pause.

Then, her voice echoed in my mind, it laced with pure admiration.

’I’m… kind of surprised. He knows exactly what he’s doing.’

Another pause.

’Truly a genius.’

See? Even she agrees with me.

Killing an immortal is hard.

Killing a being which is crafted to be the perfect version of oneself— the ideal version she dreamt of, the flawless form she wished for— one that still exists in her subconscious as a dream…

How do you kill something like that?

The answer was almost too simple.

"Pfttt!"

I bit my lip, I am trying hard to suppress the laughter bubbling up inside me.

It’s too damn funny.

How do you kill someone’s perfect dream version—one that is supposed to be immortal?

You simply break it.

You tarnish that "perfection" so completely that she would rather die than exist in that form ever again.

You strip her of everything she values—make her regret ever taking this shape.

You make her see herself as something disgusting.

In simple terms:

’Crush her. Tarnish this version of her so completely that she can never bear to be in this form again. Don’t give her a chance to react. Don’t give her hope. Don’t let her breathe, don’t let her think. If she regenerates, cut her down again. And again. And again. And again. A million times over if you had to, until the only thing left is despair.’

Sera’s thoughts echoed mine.

’That man… he’s truly sinister.’

I smirked.

Indeed, he is.

And that’s precisely what makes him worthy of being Rank-1.

Haaaah…

A long sigh escaped my lips.

’Sera, how much more time?’

She hesitated before responding.

’Are you sure you want to do this?’

I had asked her to activate one of her Authority skills.

As an Authority Holder over Emotion, Sera possessed abilities that could twist and alter the very being of a person’s mind.

And among them…

[Madness Manipulation]

She got that terrifying skill.

One that allowed her to induce any emotion of her choice—fear, rage, despair, insanity, anything—into her target.

And right now, I needed it.

’Yes. Use it on me.’

She didn’t respond immediately. I knew why.

Once she used this skill, I would no longer be myself anymore.

’Alright,’ she finally whispered. ’Brace yourself.’

End of Chapter.