I Became A Third-Rate Villain In The Hero Academy

ng the presence of nothing more than a minor extra.
Considering the total playtime of the original work was nearly 20,000 hours, it was impressive that I could remember him at all.
'Anyway, I don't have much information about him.' Maxim was just a pitiful fellow who was rejected by Irene after confessing to her in every route.
His preferences and primary techniques remained unknown.
He must have impulsively challenged me because I was Irene's fiancé.

[Name: Maxim Markin] Gender: Male Age: 16 Race: Human Affiliation: Elinia Academy, Knight Department Strength: 9 Stamina: 9 Mana: 6 Tenacity: 7 Traits: Spear Expert (Passive Effect) [View Details] Throwing Expert (Passive Effect) [View Details] Fighting Spirit (Passive Effect) [View Details]

However, I had his status window.
'Judging by his stats and traits, he's not an ordinary extra.' Irene, the top student, had Strength and Stamina of 10 each, while Maxim had 9.
The students of the Knight Department's A-class were certainly something else.
Nevertheless, he was a worthy opponent.
Having honed my Natural Power and various techniques, I had a good chance of winning.
Losing never crossed my mind.
I didn't want to experience the powerlessness I felt when Piel defeated me.
'If necessary, I'll use Overload.' Before long, all the students stopped their sparring and stared at Maxim and me.
The supervising professor, seemingly intrigued, crossed his arms and focused on our impending duel.
“I'll go first.
Hero Department.” Surveying the surroundings, Maxim lowered his upper body and thrust his spear towards my face—a blatantly insulting gesture.
“Fine, I'll give you the first strike.” Feeling quite irritated, I snapped my fingers at him—an equally insulting gesture.
'I'll teach him a lesson.' This would be my first time actually facing a spearman.
Still, I had seen plenty of them during the practical evaluations.
The most popular weapon in this world is the spear, after all.
“Don't mess around!” With that, the excited Maxim charged at me with his spear, true to the Fighting Spirit trait he possessed.
However, I could clearly see his movements.
Whoosh! I easily dodged Maxim's thrust and immediately closed the gap between us.
A battle between a spear and a sword favored the spear user, as the reach difference usually meant that the spear users would win nine times out of ten.
The most effective strategy against a spear users was to close the distance.
Of course, spear users knew this and typically had countermeasures in place.
“Not much of a challenge.” But that only applied when their opponent's couldn't read their movements.
Thanks to my Observer's Eye, I could clearly see Maxim's blind spots.
Thud! After closing in, I swiftly struck Maxim's abdomen.
“Ugh!” Maxim doubled over with a single scream of pain.

***

Clutching his stomach, Maxim refused to accept reality.
'How could there be such a gap between us?' Two weeks ago, Theo's performance at the domed stadium flashed through Maxim's mind.
At that time, Maxim had fervently wished for Theo to be struck down.
The reason was simple: jealousy consumed him.
Irene had rejected Maxim's confession outright, and today, he had clearly seen her looking at Theo with admiration in her eyes.
'Damn it.' Anger boiled within him, and he couldn't concentrate on the morning lectures.
Two weeks had been more than enough time for a passionate teenage boy to forget the past.
That's why he had planned to provoke Theo with a duel.
Maxim hadn't planned to win from the start.
His goal was a draw.
It would be humiliating enough for a student from the Hero Department to tie with a student from the Knight Department.
There was a possibility of victory.
Theo's main weapon was a longsword, while Maxim's was a spear—a distinct advantage in compatibility.
“Uh, ugh,” Maxim retched, clutching his stomach.
Fortunately, he had eaten a small lunch; otherwise, he would've disgracefully vomited all over the place.
“…Heh, heh.” Maxim gasped for breath, lifting his head to gaze at Theo.
However, Theo's expression was as indifferent as before the duel, displaying no sign of joy in his victory.
'Did he never even consider the possibility of losing to me?' It was devastating.
To Theo, defeating Maxim was probably akin to breaking a mere toy.
As Maxim's body trembled with shame, his classmates swarmed around Theo.
“Will you duel me next, Theo?” “I want to go first.” “Ah, please! It's always been my dream to face someone from the Hero Department.” Not a single person showed any interest in Maxim.
The students of the Knight Department were no fools; they all knew that Maxim's challenge had been anything but pure.
To them, Maxim had become a disgrace, a blight on their sacred duels.
“…” Maxim sniffled as he stood up.
With his head bowed, he moved desolately to a corner of the room.