Chapter 228: Champion

"Now that all of you have gotten back your cultiva-- Who are you?"

As soon as Viel kicked out the intruder of his class, he just casually returned back in front of the class as if nothing happened. But as soon as he sensed an unfamiliar presence in the room, he immediately stopped his lecture before it even started.

"I…"

"You are… Edward?"

"Yes, I--"

"What are you doing here? Didn't you already quit this class?" Viel's eyebrows slightly furrowed as his head turned towards Edward. "I am afraid that I do not accept students who have already quit my class once. Please leave."

"But I--"

"You dare trick me, you cripple!?"

Before Edward could say his words, his brother, Arphonse, once again barged into the room, completely pulling off the door from its hinge and causing it to fly towards Viel. Viel, however, just nonchalantly pushed himself forward to dodge the darting door.

"Are you that much of a coward that you run away from a challenge!?"

"Run away? I am afraid I need to have working legs to do that."

"That…"

Arphonse slightly backed away as he heard Viel's words. When he heard that his brother's new teacher wanted them to destroy their cultivation, his blood instantly boiled. War was already looming over their skies, and he couldn't believe that there was someone crazy enough to teach something like that.

That won't only hinder the children's progress, but also damage them permanently. And so, without even slight hesitation, he followed his brother to teach this new teacher a lesson. Not to mention he might also be a spy sent by the Demon God to sabotage their inner defenses.

But in truth, as soon as he saw what Viel looked like, he started to hesitate.

But still, no good teacher would tell their students to destroy something they worked hard for for a long time.

And so, once again, his blood started to boil.

"You and me, right now!" Arphonse stomped his foot on the ground, causing the floor to crack.

"I will show your students that you're nothing but a fraud!"

Viel looked at Arphonse like some bumbling monkey. The only thing he could do was let out a sigh as he slowly pushed himself towards him.

"This is the second time you have disrupted my class. I take it you're really here to cause trouble?"

"What? Me!? You're the one disrupting the peace of the whole school!"

"I was just peacefully teaching my class when you came in and destroyed my door," Viel shook his head vehemently, the disappointment in his tone obvious for everyone to hear, "A door which of course you will pay for."

"What? I'm not paying anything! I am here to challenge you!"

"Then I refuse. Pay for the door before you leave."

Seeing Viel nonchalantly turn his back on him, Arphonse was no longer able to take it anymore. Even if Viel is a cripple, there was only so much disrespect Arphonse could take. And so, with a click of his tongue, he rushed towards Viel.

"T...Teach Viel!"

"Watch out!"

Viel's new students quickly shouted as they saw Arphonse rushing towards him, the panic on their voices echoing throughout the large classroom. Viel, on the other hand, just let out a short sigh while rolling his eyes.

'Wheelchair of The Lightning God!'

[...]

"What!?"

Arphonse could not help but blink as Viel suddenly disappeared from his spot. And before he could even do anything else, he felt his vision shift as a throbbing pain penetrated his stomach.

A loud cracking noise then entered the students' ears. And the next thing they saw was Edward's brother rolling on the floor like a ragdoll, his momentum only stopped by the cold hard wall.

"..."

"You're Edward, right? Take your brother and go. You are no longer welcome in this class."

"!!!"

The students could not help but blink a couple of times as they saw Viel suddenly appearing once again in front of the class. Their untrained eyes were unable to follow, much less see that Viel rammed his wheelchair straight towards Arphonse's stomach.

However, what they did know was that their new teacher was the one who did that to Edward's brother.

Seeing what just happened, dread instantly filled Edward's whole body. Was their teacher actually a hidden expert? If so… did he just lose the chance to have him as a teacher!?

As soon as he realized that, he quickly ran and kneeled in front of Viel, not even tending to his brother, who was already foaming from his mouth.

"P… please, forgive me!" Edward pleaded. "I… made a mistake, please! I won't do it again, teacher!"

"I am not your teacher, go. Shoo." Viel said as he waved his hand loosely.

The other students could not help but look at each other with a complicated expression on their faces. Edward was still their friend and they wanted to help him. But at the same time, he did come here to cause trouble.

They also don't fully know their new teacher. What if they also kick them out of the class because they vouched for Edward? And so, with that thought, Viel's 4 students remained quiet.

But still, since Edward's tone was filled with sincerity, surely, their new teacher would give him another chance? Edward thought so too as he continued to plead.

"Please, I won't do it again! I will break my cultivation right now to prove it to you!" Edward said, and he did. He started coughing violently as he pressed his meridians, completely crippling himself and destroying his cultivation.

"S… see? I… I am willing to follow your teachings without a question, teacher!"

Surely, with this kind of show of sincerity and commitment, anyone would be moved to tears.

"No, shoo. Shoo. Get out."

"..."

***

"W… what the hell!? Is there really no end to them!?"

Hundreds of kilometers away from Viel and Sofia, the allied soldiers of the Northern continent were risking their lives to protect the wall. They have been battling with almost no rest. Even with shifts, their rests do not last longer than two hours.

The Demon God's undead army was relentless. The soldiers have lost count on how many hordes they have cleared, but it didn't matter. Because as soon as they clear one, another wave emerges from the ocean.

The shores were already filled with skeletons and flesh. And the stench of rotten meat had already drowned the breeze of the endless ocean.

"This… this is much more than before!"

The veterans from the previous war were tasked to lead the defense of their walls as they had the most experience with battling the armies of the Demon God's. However, it would seem that even they did not expect this kind of number.

Their number did not make sense, they thought. The only way this kind of number was possible was if the western continent had already fallen. However, not only has the western continent not fallen yet, they were still fighting strong.

"Sir, there are more incoming!"

"What!? But this wave just arrived!"

"N… no, I think it's only one undead!"

"What?"

Some of the soldiers squinted their eyes as they looked at the single undead that emerged from the water. One of the veterans was annoyed at first that they were making such a big deal with a single undead, but as soon as he saw how different this new undead looked, he could not help but furrow his eyebrows.

The undead that emerged from the water had more… life than the rest of its kind. They could even make out its face, even showing an expression here and there.

It was definitely a woman, and there was a huge scar trailing across her body. The most noticeable aspect of the undead, however, was that it was holding a weapon.

A huge hammer with a long handle.

"..." The veteran could not help but slightly stutter as he saw the undead.

"W… why? Why here?"

"What should we do, sir? Should we engage the enemy?"

"Engage!? We should run!"

"What!? Why!?"

The other soldiers looked at each other in confusion as they heard the veteran's words.

"That thing is a Champion! We don't have anyone capable of stopping something like that here!"

"A… Champion?"

"Tch. Don't you rookies know anything!? Champions are capable of wrecking towns by themselves! They are not just thoughtless beings!"

"Is something like that even--"

"!!!"

The soldiers on top of the wall could not help but slightly back away as they saw their comrade's head suddenly being smashed into a paste by a huge hammer. They could not even react.

They were just talking to each other, but in a blink of an eye, the warm blood of their comrade already spewed on their face. His eyes, flying in the air as it popped out of his head.

"N… no."

The veteran could only shake his head as he stared at the undead Champion.

"Why… why is something like that here!?"