[Chapter 26 revised slightly in the late part, please confirm this before reading.]
“………..”
After sending Kang Ayul and Lee Seo-yoon to the arena and entering the spectator seats, I sat leisurely and watched the two’s duel.
‘There are a lot of people here.’
-Whispering
-Come on, it’s about to start.
From the idle freshmen to the third-year students who are about to go for internships at guilds.
Since the duel began immediately after the classes ended, and for some unknown reason, the news that Kang Ayul and Lee Seo-yoon would duel had spread widely through the Academy, half of the spectator seats in the gymnasium, which could accommodate 700 people, were already filled.
A crowd of this size would normally only gather for duels between top-tier students or simulation battles when guild leaders visited…yet here they were.
‘Ah, they’re both in the top tier.’
-Is that Kang Ayul? The granddaughter of the Swordmaster.
-Yeah, hmm… I’m going for an internship at the Renowned Blades Guild. I hope I do well.
-If you associate with her, you might also secure a good position, huh?
-Go away. How many third years last year got crushed after going against her?
-Sure, it was impressive when the current Student Council President, who’s a third-year, faced off against the top two students… but that was a Magician. As a warrior, she’s stronger… that blindfolded girl seems kind of pitiful now.
Notably, third-year students technically start their guild internships in practice with direct supervision from heroes regarding gate extermination starting in April, so similarly to high school seniors after the college entrance exams, they’ve been enjoying their free time by watching this match.
-So, the blindfolded one is wielding a sword? I thought she was a supporting Magician.
-I don’t know, she’s a transfer student… I think she paid her way in or something. Remember that Kim Director’s son or nephew who had a fit and foamed at the mouth during the entrance exam and got demoted three levels, then dropped out? I think this girl just quietly got in.
Certainly, most predictions leaned toward Kang Ayul’s surefire victory…
-Damn, if you’re a transfer student, you’d think you’d just stay quiet. She’s really stirring up trouble everywhere.
-That’s because people like her, who lack real talent, irritate those of us who managed to get into Raon Academy without connections.
“…but the truth is, Seo-yoon is the real deal.”
The transfer student, Lee Seo-yoon, is being treated similarly to those who allegedly entered fraudulently.
Though it may be, given her blindness and her wish to become a Striker, that she’s just being seen as an irresponsible parachuter who provoked the vice-president, Kang Ayul, sparking this duel.
Who knows.
That this fight was merely a silly squabble about a seat that no kindergartener should have, let alone them.
Considering whether to move my seat to a single-person one, I suddenly noticed a familiar presence behind me and turned to see some familiar faces.
“Ecclesia, this is where second-year seniors duel?”
“Yes, we can improve our skills by watching skilled people duel here.”
“Ecclesia, Gian, I’ve saved a seat for you.”
“Thank you, Sakura. But where’s Arin?”
“She’s probably asleep in the library or already returned to the dormitory.”
And for some reason, the protagonist’s group has also arrived at the arena.
‘In the game, the protagonist doesn’t meet Kang Ayul until the mentor lessons… but it seems everything is going well, so no issues for now.’
Still, he befriended Ecclesia and Hanae Sakura from the day of his entrance—truly social behavior befitting a protagonist.
In contrast to me, who didn’t start interacting with the heroines until a week after enrollment during character grouping in the game.
‘But, it seems like he hasn’t befriended Yoo Eun-ha yet. Though originally she’s a tsundere who gradually develops feelings for the protagonist after the Entrance Ceremony Incident.’
Hm… Since I didn’t place Yoo Eun-ha as the adopted daughter of Yoon Seong-ho and instead enrolled her directly into the Yuseong Group, maybe that explains the change.
While I sat in the spectator seats, masked and wearing sunglasses to avoid unnecessary attention from the students, I thought about staying back for now to avoid appearing suspicious when the protagonist’s group got friendly. Best to watch the duel from afar for now.
“Ahh, if we’re too loud and you’re moving because of that, we apologize…”
“No, it’s not that… the view of their duel from here isn’t clear. I’m just moving to a better location.”
At the risk of assuming that I was leaving due to noise, Sakura graciously apologized, and I reassured her before moving to another location.
‘Hmm… onion cheese popcorn is best.’
While tearing open a package of instant popcorn from a nearby kiosk and sipping zero cola, I watched as the two began preparing for the duel—checking each other’s wooden swords lightly.
Lee Seo-yoon, wielding a practice sword over a meter long, began a fluid foot technique, drawing her sword back while generating floating magic swords around herself, preparing for the duel.
-The whistle blows!
At the signal marking the wrapping of magical energy around the wooden swords, the duel began.
-Thud!
In an instant, the two figures vanished.
…
…
…
-Clang! Boom! Crack!
The barrier erected to protect spectators from accidents is shaking violently under immense shockwaves as the two continue their fierce battle. Watching the sheer speed of their movements, it was hard to believe this was human.
‘Could I move this fast even if I pushed myself to the limit?’
My current agility stat is B+, one tier above the injured Lee Seo-yoon and matching Kang Ayul, but I still feel a clear gap where my body doesn’t respond to my intentions as well as it should.
Of course, considering I’ve reincarnated into Yoon Se-ah’s body rather than playing as myself, and the differences between the assisted game calculations and real world complexities, like vision and mana management, are significant.
-Crack!
“…It’s uncomfortable.”
Inside the academy, it’s strictly forbidden to use the Eye of Hypnosis or the fragment of Mephisto.
There might be seven Demon spies hidden within the academy who could relay that information, and as the game never specifies their identities beyond a traitor’s reference, I don’t fully know who or where the spies might be.
‘The abilities I can use within the academy are… Recover(S) and Star Magic, Psychokinesis only.’
To be usable in combat, I should master Star Magic thoroughly or gain the ability to wildly unleash void energy as Yoon Se-ah did.
‘Absolutely need a staff.’
In boss fights, Yoon Se-ah used her staff as a mana-eye combo, but regrettably, my use of Hypnosis is prohibited.
Even with the same specs, why is there such a difference in output?
Kang Ayul’s relentless assault, unleashing countless magic swords, was countered by Lee Seo-yoon using characteristic swordplay techniques to hold her defensive stance.
However, it became impossible for Seo-yoon to block all the swords flying in from every angle. When a magic sword pierced her abdomen, she collapsed with a short scream.
Her HP bar dropped significantly, from 100 to 12.
“Well? If you surrender now, I won’t knock you out.”
“…If you just strike now, it’d declare your victory immediately.”
As Seo-yoon fell to her knees, breathing heavily, Kang Ayul teasingly tapped her chin lightly with the wooden sword.
“Once the barrier fully disappears, the numbness is quite severe. You won’t be able to perform your regular training; this state will be quite mentally taxing. If you lay down your sword and surrender now…”
“I refuse.”
“Alright then, experiencing failure in the face of overwhelming power can be a valuable lesson…”
Realizing Seo-yoon’s lack of surrendering intent, Kang Ayul raised her sword high, forming a magic sword about 10 meters tall which plummeted towards Seo-yoon…
“Now, I can see… the sluggish path of your blade.”
-Clang!
“And aside from your magic swords, your swordsmanship seems far from being the granddaughter of the Swordmaster, really.”
-Slice!
“Do you truly believe your skills justify your role as Vice-President?”
“You fu… Ack?!”
Seo-yoon instantly shattered Ayul’s blade into ten pieces and successfully delivered a deep slash across Kang Ayul’s abdomen.
-Puff!
“Ugh?!”
“What the hell did you just call me?!”
The hastily formed magic blade of Kang Ayul pierced through Seo-yoon’s waist before both of their health bars dropped to zero, concluding the duel as a draw.
As the barriers slowly disappeared and people moved in to congratulate them for the efforts, something unsettling happened…
‘…!’
With a lethal intensity, the two injected enormous mana into their wooden swords and rushed at each other, seemingly intent on killing each other.
-Huh?! The barriers weren’t supposed to be down!?
-These lunatics!!! Someone could get killed!
Voices filled with confusion and alarm rise from the crowd.
-Kaboom!
Without any time to think, my body had already dashed into their midst, moving faster than ever before.
-Crunch! Crack!…
“…Alright, that’s enough.”
Somehow…I managed to stop their collision.
My broken right arm, my left arm contorted into an unnatural angle.
It was a cheap price to pay for stopping their duel to the death.
“Your arm..?!”
“Ms. Se-ah, are you alright?!”
Considering that their shouts sounded distant to me, stopping their fierce combat must have been quite sudden and shocking.
“You’ve… lost your mind… how long has the barrier been down..?”
Ah, my vision is getting dark… maybe from the tension? My legs feel weak and I’m exhausted.
‘It would be very inconvenient to pass out right here…’
-Thump!
“Se-ah!”
“Miss Se-ah!”
As the cries of the two echoed, my consciousness faded, much to my regret.
