‘…There are many people.’
Sion entered the dojo wearing a gi.
The interior was indeed the judo dojo he was familiar with.
A blue floor and several students in gis sitting against the walls.
Receiving their gazes, Sion stood in the center of the dojo.
“You both know the basic rules of judo, right?”
“… Yes.”
“Hmph, of course.”
Sion faced Miyu.
In terms of height, weight class, and muscle mass… it was an unfavorable fight for Sion.
However, his expression was calm.
‘It doesn’t matter if I lose or win. But… winning would be nice.’
Sion straightened his gi and gathered his thoughts.
If he wins, he can earn two gold coins for free.
Conversely, if he loses, he can’t even show his face near the judo club.
Both outcomes were what Sion hoped for.
There was no disadvantage for Sion.
“You both, to your positions! The referee will be everyone around me.”
At Misako’s words, Sion and Miyu spaced themselves out.
Students filled the walls, quietly sitting in their gis.
“Ready!”
Sion fixed his gaze on Miyu.
She was looking at him with shining eyes.
He had no thoughts of losing.
“Start!”
“Uwaaa!!”
Tadadak!
Miyu charged straight at Sion.
‘Unlike last time, there’s no handicap.’
In the previous match against Misako, she only faced Sion with one hand.
But now, Miyu’s both hands were free.
It was a completely equal situation.
“I got you!”
Miyu grabbed the collar of Sion’s gi.
With a violent motion, her center of gravity shifted.
“That’s…!”
“A sweep throw!”
The voices from the crowd echoed in his ears.
Sion’s body was lifted off the ground.
As the collar was pulled, he was about to be thrown.
Kuwung!!
Sion barely managed to avoid having his back fully hit the ground through a breakfall.
“Half! Back to your positions!”
Half.
Simply put, it meant that half of his back touched the ground.
In other words, if he gets ‘half’ once more, it would mean a ‘full point’…
And that would end the match.
A practical half defeat.
“You scum like you need to be humiliated.”
“…!”
As if to help Sion up, Miyu whispered.
“A guy who doesn’t even know the ‘yu’ in judo is causing trouble for this to happen.”
“……”
“Oh, are you going to hit me? Go ahead. But you probably don’t have the guts.”
“Miyu! What are you whispering about? Get back to your position now.”
“Y-Yes~ I’m sorry.”
At Misako’s scolding, Miyu sheepishly returned to her place.
Sion glanced at Miyu for a moment and then readied himself again.
At that moment, Misako approached him.
“… Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.”
“There’s no need to overdo it. Your opponent is my sister Horiya Miyu… a first-year in the Combat Department who has been practicing judo since she was young. Her combat experience, understanding of judo techniques, and weight class… everything is superior.”
Misako looked at Sion with a worried expression.
“It might be better to consider this match nonexistent, even now…”
“No.”
Sion stood firm.
Due to the aftermath of the practice match against Professor Mehdun, his joints creaked all over…
He was still achy from being thrown, but…
“I think I can handle it.”
“…!”
Sion smiled slightly.
In that moment, a scene formed in his mind.
A future scene of himself winning.
‘Sometimes, you encounter someone like that. Just a guy with rumors.’
Horiya Misako looked at Sion in front of her.
His frail, scrawny body seemed like it would fall over with just a kick.
Could it be because he was a student of the Magic Department? He seemed entirely distant from any form of exercise.
‘That guy beat my sister? Ha, what a ridiculous thought.’
She couldn’t accept it.
Whatever unfair means he had used to win against the sister she idolized…
It wouldn’t work on her.
‘He probably did something underhanded with black magic or something. But I’m ready for anything.’
She fiddled with her necklace.
It’s common to remove jewelry when practicing judo, but she wore it for a reason.
Because of the necklace’s ability.
[Product Name: Hama (破魔) Necklace]
[Effect: Negates magic effects of 2nd circle and below on the wearer, reduces magic effects of 4th circle and below by 50%.]
Although the price was steep, the effect was incredible.
It was something Miyu had secretly brought from the Horiya family.
And it was glowing now.
‘As expected, he’s not able to exert his strength. Men really are…’
Sion, without any form of resistance, admitted the half point.
He looked like a paper doll waving around.
Perhaps he was flustered because his magic didn’t activate.
‘What they’re talking about, I don’t know… but next is the end.’
Horiya Miyu watched as Misako and Sion conversed.
That guy, who seemed overly friendly with her precious sister.
‘How dare he touch my sister?’
Horiya Misako.
A senior, a blossoming flower in the judo club, and her only real sister.
She was always known for being cold towards men.
“I-I like you!”
“I’m sorry. I prefer men who are stronger than me.”
“- …?”
“You’re weaker than me. Then, goodbye.”
Misako coldly rejected the males.
She had never shown a smile to any man.
And she consistently rejected all claims of love directed at her.
But what was that gaze?
As though she was worried about that wretched, scrawny guy from the Magic Department…
Was she showing him a warm look?
‘This time, I have to utterly humiliate him.’
Simply winning the match wouldn’t be enough for her.
Should she twist his joints so he can’t use them?
Or should she choke him into unconsciousness and make him wet himself?
As she was plotting such sinister thoughts and getting into position.
Miyu was startled by a chill that ran down her spine and immediately got up.
‘…That guy.’
The look in Sion’s eyes as he stared at her.
It was like the gaze of a predator watching its prey.
Cold and sharp, finely honed.
‘Am I… scared? Of that scrawny guy? Ha!’
Miyu shook her head immediately, rejecting the instinct.
There was no way she misread that.
She averted her gaze and tried to regain her composure.
“Ready!”
While doing that, Misako’s command rang out.
“Start!”
“Uwaaa!!”
Once again, Miyu charged first.
Sion lowered his stance and watched her movements.
“Hmph, it seems like you’re too scared to even move.”
She lightly grabbed the fabric of Sion’s gi.
Due to the difference in weight class, her center of gravity was easily shifted.
If she executed a throw like before, she could secure a half point easily.
‘First, I’ll lightly throw him, and then I’ll choke him… hmm?’
As she pulled like before, Sion’s movements were unusual.
Although her center of gravity should have been disrupted, his leg extended out naturally.
It accurately kicked her ankle.
‘A kick…?’
In the moment when her center of gravity was about to shift from her back foot to the front.
She thought she would fall if she just gave a slight push.
An attack that can overturn the opponent with even a little force.
But it required reading the opponent’s weight distribution accurately.
If failed, it was the perfect moment to be countered.
Conversely—
If the technique landed properly, it would be almost impossible to counter.
Thunk!!
‘…I avoided half!’
As Sion’s right elbow hit the ground first, half wasn’t declared.
The match was still in Miyu’s favor.
But while she was distracted by the half, Sion had already climbed on top of her.
With both hands, he firmly grasped the collar of Miyu’s gi.
The fact that half wasn’t called out meant that the match wasn’t over.
Sion’s hands held onto Miyu’s collar and began to choke.
It was a judo choking technique,
‘Cross Choke.’
“This idiot… Cough!”
Guguhk!
Sion lowered his center of gravity, applying pressure with his arms.
Of course, the pressure around her neck intensified, leaving her in a speechless state.
‘Damn… I have to respond soon…’
In her blurred vision, Miyu could see Horiya Misako behind Sion.
“Tap…! Consciousness… lost… quickly…!”
The sounds reached her in bits and pieces.
It was the signal just before fainting.
She could declare submission by tapping out, but…
‘No… I can’t… submit….’
Her stubbornness kept her from declaring surrender.
Ultimately, Miyu fell limp, collapsing without any strength.
“Enough! It’s over since she’s fainted.”
“… Yes?”
“One point victory! The winner is the freshman of the Magic Department, Sion!”
With a flash!
Misako confirmed Miyu’s fainted state and lifted Sion up.
His right arm raised high and Sion’s dazed face contrasted with Misako’s pride-filled expression.
‘I… I won.’
Sion looked down at Miyu, who had lost consciousness.
He had defeated someone several weight classes above him.
It was the result of purely utilizing 2nd circle judo techniques.
“What? Miyu lost?”
“In the Combat Department, losing to the Magic Department… to a freshman who hasn’t even learned judo…”
Murmurs spread among the students.
Their gaze towards the fallen Miyu wasn’t pleasant.
They had not liked her oppressive demeanor to begin with.
And her shameful display wouldn’t end there.
Shiiiii—
“…What’s that sound?”
“Ugh! The smell…”
“The gi is turning yellow… no way….”
Miyu’s lower half started to soak wet.
Yellow puddles formed on the blue floor.
…Sion and Misako stepped back from her in horror.
Shock spread across the faces of those looking at Miyu.
