"What... do you know?"
"I know a lot, but I know even more that I don't know. However, I won't say anything because I have no obligation to. If you want to know the answer, then defeat me! As long as you defeat me, I will tell you everything you want to know!"
Lancer looked at All Might, who couldn't hide his emotions at all, and seemed to be in no hurry. After all, there were probably only a few people in the world who knew about the other party's 'injury'. If people knew that the 'Symbol of Peace' was actually seriously injured, the entire country would probably be in turmoil, and countless evil thoughts that had been suppressed by All Might would slowly grow.
After all, before countless people act on an 'impulse', a sentence or a question often appears in their minds————Can you beat All Might? Or, can you escape from All Might's hands?
It was almost the same meaning, and most people who were originally about to commit a crime on impulse would choose to reconsider.
The year-on-year decline in the crime rate over the years was the best evidence.
So, after a moment of hesitation, All Might nodded directly.
Although he always felt that the other party was a little strange, his intuition was telling him that the other party should not have any ill will. After all, the recovery of his body was a fact.
'Who exactly is this guy? What on earth is he thinking?'
"Then let's go! You should have enough open space here, right?"
"Let's go to the gym."
Just after Lancer finished speaking, Shota Aizawa on the side suddenly interrupted, and Lancer just glanced at the other party, then nodded and agreed.
But just that one glance made Shota Aizawa's heart almost stop. He thought that his 'plan' had been seen through by the other party.
Although the 'Hero Academy' had never been breached, it also had its own 'insurance measures', such as a place for students to hide from enemy attacks, which was the 'gym'. It not only had the ability to resist all kinds of missile explosions but was also equipped with a large number of defensive facilities.
And when the four of them arrived at the gym, there were already a lot of people waiting inside.
'They're all familiar faces...'
After Lancer sighed, he had no other reaction.
Just as All Might chose to trust Lancer, Lancer also chose to trust All Might. As for why two people who were not familiar with each other, and could even be said to be hostile, would have such a tacit understanding? It was probably that so-called friendship between men.
As emotional people, their first impression of each other during their first meeting decided their views on each other.
All Might didn't think that a person like Lancer would do something as underhanded as poisoning wine.
And Lancer didn't think that a person like All Might would do something like bringing people to attack him.
However, those people also lived up to Lancer and All Might's expectations. At least when the two of them arrived in the middle of the gym, they all just stood on the side with their arms crossed and watched the two of them silently.
"Sorry, I need to make some preparations."
"That's fine."
After getting All Might's reply, Lancer didn't waste any more words. Instead, he opened the box and took out Gae Bolg and began to 'draw' on the ground.
However, this time it was not 'Runic characters', but a very special Technique that Cu Chulainn taught him————————'Shoal of Four Branches'.
The magic circle was not drawn with Runic characters, but with ancient Irish writing. With Lancer movements, the originally 'clean' gym floor began to become 'strange'.
"What is that?"
"I don't know... But what on earth is he trying to do? Is he trying to stall for time like 'Musashi'?"
Lancer strange behavior made everyone present feel incredible, but All Might just watched Lancer silently with his arms crossed. He was waiting for Lancer answer.
"Hoo~!"
As the last stroke of the long spear was drawn, Lancer also couldn't help but let out a sharp breath.
Although Cu Chulainn had taught him this 'magic circle' before, it was not a simple matter for Lancer, who was a 'poor student'. Only now that he was sure it was complete did he truly feel relieved. If he had failed, he would have made a huge fool of himself.
"Is it done?"
Seeing Lancer exhaling while leaning on the strange red long spear, All Might also couldn't help but ask.
"It's finally done. Sorry, I'm not very good at this, so I made you wait."
"It's fine~"
After the brief exchange ended, Lancer expression became serious.
Lancer had previously made a rough '3 options' for himself, but then he found that these so-called '3 options' were just ordinary actions, and he had other choices, such as————————
"This is a vow of no retreat! This is a battle of honor! This is a fair battle! In the name of the Knights of the Red Branch! I swear on the name of a warrior! Fight me!"
Lancer, who was shirtless, stepped into the magic circle under his feet, and held Gae Bolg in his hand, pointing it at All Might in the distance.
And as the 'vow' sounded, the magic circle under Lancer feet was also activated. A blood-red halo began to move back and forth under his feet, and the training gym, which was originally as bright as day due to the lights, was dyed with a layer of demonic red.
At the same time, with the appearance of the challenger, 'Shoal of Four Branches' was finally preliminarily activated, but it was obviously not complete, because in addition to the 'challenger', the consent of the 'challenged' was also needed!
This was the honor of a 'warrior'! Only when both sides agreed would the battle truly begin!
And All Might, who was standing in the distance, had not yet woken up from his astonishment at Lancer strange declaration, but looking at the long spear in Lancer hand and the dazzling magic circle under his feet, he felt his blood boil for the first time in a long time.
How long has it been... how long has it been since his blood boiled like this?
Who was he now? He was All Might, he was the Symbol of Peace, he was the person who absolutely could not lose!
All this gave him honor but also gave him a huge burden, but... he did not regret it!
Everything he had now was the choice he had made!
He chose the path he was on now!
He had long known that this path was full of thorns!
He knew even more how heavy the burden he carried was!
But he did not regret it!
This was his teacher!
His senior!
This was what all the martyrs who had sacrificed themselves on this thorny path had insisted on!
He did not live for himself!
He lived for the countless people who placed their hopes in him!
Now, what supported him was no longer the passion he once had, but something called 'responsibility'!
Being a hero had become an instinct etched into his soul!
But the scale between the blood of the warrior in his body and his responsibility suddenly began to shake!
It had nothing to do with winning or losing! Nothing to do with justice! It was simply the desire to fight as a warrior!
He stepped into the red magic circle in front of him without hesitation, and the red magic circle, which had only been glowing faintly, instantly gave off a dazzling light, and Lancer, who was holding 'Gae Bolg', also smiled and slowly retracted the long spear that had been pointing at All Might.
Then, the small technique at the four corners of the magic circle began to operate first. Under the magic circle representing Elhaz (protection), Nauthiz (binding), Ansaz (information), and Ingwaz (fertility), both Lancer and All Might felt as if a shackle had been placed on their bodies.
"This is a shackle, and it is also protection. In this duel, each person will have one 'protection', which will 'bind' the attacker. This is the only insurance. Besides that, it will not restrict anything, and there is only one way for this magic circle to be opened, and that is for one of us to be unable to fight anymore!"
There was no doubt that All Might could basically understand what Lancer was saying when he broke it down, but when he put it all together, he was dumbfounded. After all, he had never studied 'magic'. But he did hear clearly about the 'method of release'.
"Then let's begin!"
As Lancer voice fell, he held the spear handle with both hands, and All Might also clenched his fists.
The two stood at opposite ends of the magic circle, and suddenly, a message appeared in both of their minds.
'Begin!!'
The person who gave the order was a sacrificed warrior of the Knights of the Red Branch. They would be the judges and spectators of this battle. Of course, because the 'world' was different, only a phantom appeared, which was a program-like existence. But Lancer saw a familiar figure.
A young man with a single ponytail and earrings was watching him with his arms crossed...
A hint of a smile flashed across the corner of his mouth, and then Lancer expression became serious again, and his eyes became sharp.
'Eagle Eye!'
Unlike a simple skill, Eagle Eye not only increased his viewing distance but also strengthened his dynamic vision and other aspects to a certain extent. And the most obvious change was——————
"Bang!!"
The magic circle on the ground made a huge sound when it was hit, but what was strange was that the ground, which should have been shattered by a single punch, was completely unharmed.
All Might, who encountered this situation for the first time, was stunned for a moment, but then the corners of his mouth curved up.
There was no doubt that what he was most afraid of when fighting was destroying the surrounding buildings. After all, he was a 'hero'. But now it seemed he had a good 'venue'!
"This 'arena' will draw power from both of us at the same time. Unless someone can defeat the combined strength of the two of us, it will never be destroyed by external force."
Of course, Lancer didn't tell the other party that if this 'magic circle' was used in the previous world, the power of all the 'judges' and 'spectators' would also be added. To break through the combined strength of all the Knights of the Red Branch with one's own power was almost a nightmare. But now it was fine, as it only drew power from the two of them. But even so, it was not something that an ordinary person could break.
However, compared to the surprised All Might, Lancer, who had already experienced it, was not surprised at all. He just looked at All Might with a serious expression.
At first glance, the other party seemed no different from before, but Lancer could keenly sense that the speed of his punches was getting faster and faster. It seemed that he was gradually recovering or getting used to his current body.
And this gradually increasing speed also began to put more pressure on him.
With his eyes wide open, he desperately searched for the trajectory of the other party's punches, and his body was like a small boat in a storm, desperately dodging the other party's attacks.
Suddenly————————
He couldn't dodge!
This thought suddenly appeared in his mind.
Gae Bolg was held horizontally in front of him, and a heavy punch smashed onto the shaft of the spear. Lancer was sent flying horizontally.
"Cough cough~!"
Lancer, who stood up, began to cough. He felt his lungs burning.
He had just held 'Gae Bolg' horizontally in front of his chest to block the other party's punch, which was originally aimed at his abdomen, but the price was that Gae Bolg was slammed hard into his chest.
"Hoo~!"
Seeing Lancer being sent flying by a punch, the onlookers on the side couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. After all, Lancer performance had been too bizarre before. Now that the battle had just begun, he was sent flying, which undoubtedly temporarily put their hearts at ease.
"That guy seems to be all show."
"It's not that simple."
But at this moment, Nezu, who was the 'principal', interrupted everyone's thoughts.
"All Might's blow just now hit that strange man, but aren't you curious? Why didn't All Might follow up with another attack?"
"Why?"
To his subordinates' confused question, his expression was incredibly calm——————
"I don't know!"
"If what that man said is true, then All Might should have recovered to his peak state now. At this time, the other party can definitely be called the 'strongest'. To make him hesitate, honestly, I can't imagine."
But before they could finish speaking, a change occurred again in the red magic circle.
Lancer, who had been sent flying by All Might, suddenly launched a fierce attack, and this time, Lancer also proved to them the 'reliance' he had for daring to challenge All Might.
If All Might's speed was based on the explosive power of his strong body, then Lancer speed was obtained through his countless hours of training. This included not only explosive power but also comprehensive quality, which was an extremely important part.
Lancer could even strike with his spear from an angle that All Might could never have imagined.
I have to say that no matter how rich All Might's experience was, he had no experience fighting a master of spearmanship. After all, in modern society, even if someone used a cold weapon, it was only as an 'auxiliary tool', and the main part of the battle was based on 'quirks'. He had never encountered a situation where someone completely abandoned 'special abilities' and fought solely with skill.
Lancer was trying to get used to All Might's strength and speed; while All Might was adapting to Lancer fighting style through his own experience in their exchanges...
Although it sounded like there was no difference between the two sides, Lancer was actually at a 'disadvantage'. Because once All Might adapted to his attack style, Lancer would completely lose the possibility of victory. And even if Lancer was familiar with All Might's attacks, he didn't dare to face him head-on. That last blow had already given him internal injuries, and he felt that at least one of his ribs was broken.
There was no doubt that even though Lancer had temporarily maintained a balance through 'skill', he knew that he was falling step by step into the abyss of failure, but——————
This is so great!!
This feeling of being overwhelmed! This desire for survival that grew wildly under immense pressure!
Lancer felt that the 'bottleneck' that had been gradually loosening before had a possibility of being broken through!
It sounds a little ridiculous, but during his 'sparring' with Skaha and Cu Chulainn, he sincerely trusted the two of them. Even when the two of them sparred with him with killing intent, he still believed that they would not kill him.
So even as his strength continued to improve, and even though he had found his future 'path', that last thin film had always been there, firmly blocking him. But now, facing All Might's tyrannical physical strength, Lancer felt a threat of death and at the same time began to try to find that one sliver of a chance...
As for All Might on the other side, while he was feeling his strength gradually recovering, he also couldn't help but sigh in his heart about how long it had been since he had this feeling.
Ever since that battle back then, he had always deliberately suppressed himself, because if he were to go all out, this scarred and even broken body would not be able to withstand his full strength, and it was even possible that he would destroy himself before he could defeat the enemy.
This feeling of being able to freely exert his strength made him feel as if he was back a few years ago...
He was grateful to Lancer!
Although he didn't know how the other party was able to make him recover, he was undoubtedly very grateful to the other party!
So, what was the most suitable way to show his gratitude?
Without a doubt, it was to fight him fairly, as the other party requested!
He didn't hold back. Every time he threw a punch, it would stir up a gust of wind, and with hundreds of thousands of punches, the area where he was became a complete storm eye. The chaotic airflow inside the entire 'magic circle' could even be seen with the naked eye.
And it was at this time that Lancer performance made the onlookers on the side understand Lancer 'terrifying' side.
Indeed, All Might's strength and speed were terrifying. Once he was hit head-on, Lancer combat power would be sharply reduced, but the problem was that under All Might's mad attack, Lancer was actually able to not be touched!
Even though his body was covered in small cuts from the windstorm, and even his forehead and shoulder blades were injured by the force of All Might's punches, he still stood firm. The 'higanbana' on his left shoulder, watered by his blood, even looked even more demonic, and it even gave people the feeling that the petals that were originally open seemed to have opened a little more.
There was no doubt that no one present thought that they could last that long under the other party's attack. At least they knew one thing, which was that their attacks probably wouldn't be able to hit Lancer either.
But at this time, Lancer had completely forgotten about the people outside the arena. At this time, his eyes were only on All Might!
Dodge! Find the weakness!
Dodge! Find the weakness!
Dodge! Find the weakness!
...
There was no doubt that he was constantly repeating similar things mechanically, and the result was self-evident, but he was not discouraged at all. After all, if it were that easy for him to find it, then the other party would not be All Might.
He always felt as if he had caught something...
At the same time, as the battle continued, All Might also seemed to notice Lancer special condition.
After all, from Lancer excited smile at the beginning to his current seriousness and solemnity, he knew that Lancer had entered a 'special' state. At this time, he had two choices.
The first was to continue fighting the other party as before, gradually increasing his speed and strength, but unlike before, when he was adapting to his body, he was now deliberately controlling it.
As for the other, it was to go all out without hesitation.
Did he even need to choose the answer?
He was All Might, he was the Symbol of Peace, he was a warrior, and he was also————a teacher!
Looking at Lancer pure and battle-filled eyes——————he showed a hint of a smile.
Unlike the smile of being immersed in battle and passion before, the smile on his face at this time was more gentle and open-minded.
But there was no doubt that Lancer, who had completely immersed everything in his heart, did not notice the change in All Might's expression at this time. At this time, he was only wholeheartedly looking for that fleeting 'flaw' in All Might's body!
Even though the intensity of the battle was gradually increasing, his mind became more and more focused under the immense pressure, until——————
Like a morning star in the night, that dazzling light made Lancer, who was in the middle of a complete darkness, widen his eyes, and the long spear in his hand stabbed out without any hesitation——————
"Sizzle~!!"
The piercing sound of friction woke Lancer up. Looking at All Might, who was half-crouching on the ground clutching his side, Lancer face first showed a look of ecstasy, but this ecstasy was fleeting and turned into 'doubt' and 'confusion', but then it turned into 'anger', but this anger didn't last long and finally turned into silence...
Because Lancer had figured it out.
At this time, half of his face and his body were completely stained with blood. This was the result of the previous wound reopening during the intense movement, and he himself was leaning on his long spear and panting constantly after thrusting that spear.
The victor was stained with blood all over, while the loser was just half-crouching there clutching his side.
The victor had a gloomy face, while the loser was all smiles.
This strong contrast made people feel incredible.
"I lost..."
As Lancer voice fell, the magic circle that had been surrounding them also gradually became quiet.
This originally strange battle came to an end under the bewildered eyes of the crowd.
And All Might, who was clutching his abdomen, had a face full of a wry smile.
"No, I lost."
All Might naturally knew the reason why Lancer had conceded, but he didn't think so. After all, that last sliver of a flaw was not something he had deliberately shown.
But Lancer shook his head.
"No! I lost! But I won't thank you for it! Because this victory has no honor at all! But... I still have to thank you. You helped me take that crucial step..."
Battle was battle, and a duel was a duel.
On a real battlefield, as long as it didn't touch Lancer bottom line, he would do everything he could. Whether it was taking advantage of an opponent's wounds or weaknesses, or even using poison, but in a duel, he would never do that, because it would be meaningless. Because even if he won, he wouldn't feel happy at all.
Lancer words were incredibly contradictory and even grammatically incorrect, but All Might instead laughed because he was right about Lancer. During their battle before, he had seen a kind of 'purity' in the other party's spear. He believed that what he had done would not be in vain, and now, looking at Lancer reaction, it undoubtedly proved the correctness of his decision.
Looking at the laughing All Might, Lancer instead felt a little strange.
"Why did you do that? Don't you know the consequences of you, the 'Symbol of Peace', losing in a 'duel'?"
"I know! Of course, I know! But I trust the others here, and you... will you tell them?"
Looking at this man who had a serious face a moment ago but was now asking with a face full of a smile, Lancer also turned his head away in an annoyed manner.
"No!"
The deliberately raised voice proved the owner's mood, but it seemed to be only that.