Chapter 171
***
“What…? Why the blade…?”
“Has she given up…?”
Baekgwang was a renowned family of the Expulsion System, known for possessing Unique Magic.
It was not easy to guess the intention of Jin Yeseo, the successor of such a family, appearing equipped with the armament used by Circulation System mages.
However, despite the ripple of murmurs, the blonde-haired girl showed no signs of agitation.
-Both sides. Face each other…bow.
Jin Yeseo and the masked male student exchanged a fleeting handshake.
There were no customary greetings, let alone provocations.
Although they were said to be like cats and dogs, in reality, Jin Yeseo had been unilaterally losing something continuously.
It was a relationship where harboring resentment akin to murderous intent would not be strange at all.
The judging panel was also composed of highly skilled professors, to subdue them in case of an emergency.
-Both sides, ready. One, two…
The announcer’s voice flowed through the amplifier.
The masked male student bent his waist, assuming his characteristic stance resembling a beast about to pounce.
Jin Yeseo also drew her blade, making her own preparations.
She closed her eyes tightly as if bracing herself.
Then, she began to write the magic formula with elegant finger movements.
Those who had speculated that she brought the blade as a show or a trump card were forced to close their mouths.
The hushed audience was all focused on Jin Yeseo’s movements.
And the next moment.
“Huh…?”
“Over there…!”
Starting from Jin Yeseo, the air began to shimmer as if waves were spreading.
Soon, particles of green light, resembling Jin Yeseo’s eyes, swirled like the wind.
“That’s… ‘color’!”
Professor Kwon Chanyul, adjusting his glasses, shouted.
It was a shock that even made the professors on the judging panel jump to their feet.
A commotion far greater than before erupted among the audience.
Color and scent arising from the chemical interaction between particles and the body’s constituents.
Not everyone who made it into the category 1 displayed this, but those who had manifested color and scent had invariably been judged as mages who had transcended the singularity.
Among the current students of the Cradle, only three were classified as such.
Paechun, Jeokhwa, Heukryeon.
And now, the name Baekgwang was added to that list.
“When did she switch to the Circulation System? Did the professors know about this?”
“She was aiming for something…!”
Unlike some others, Jin Yeseo was not unpopular among her peers.
In fact, she had the charisma and social skills to act as the leader of the first-year female students.
The duel arena was quickly filled with voices cheering for her.
Of course, not everyone was pleased with the current turn of events.
“…”
Yeon Minha, a second-year student, frowned as if displeased by the cheers, yet also tilted her head as if something was bothering her.
“No, no way…!”
And the one who had always been overshadowed by Jin Yeseo.
A girl trapped in the cycle of self-pity as the second-in-command.
Moon Yeowool.
“How…!”
She cried out in astonishment.
***
The commotion in the audience seats did not quite reach Jin Yeseo, who was holding the blade.
There were only two people in this space right now.
Jin Yeseo.
And the masked male student in the distance, poised as if he would rush in at any moment.
“…Ugh.”
A faint phantom pain in her lower abdomen caused her to let out a short groan.
It was a chronic symptom she always experienced before a duel with him, due to her body’s memory.
Jin Yeseo refocused, quickly shaking off a slight fear.
On the other hand, she felt a strange sense of relief at the ferocious aura emanating from the man.
If he had been swayed by unnecessary sympathy and treated her as if looking at a beggar, it would have only made her feel worse.
Around her, particles of green light flickered like falling leaves.
This, too, was a great blessing and gift she had obtained through her time with the man.
‘In that case… it’s only polite to use it properly.’
Jin Yeseo wrote the magic formula she had composed herself, drawing out the maximum power from her entire body.
Her expanded senses could even feel the boiling blood flow and the trembling of her muscles.
The colored particles in the surroundings pulsed like the beat of a heart.
-Crunch…
“One… two…!”
The announcer’s voice was heavy, as if it were a death sentence.
Amidst the seeping tension, she gripped the handle of the blade as if she would crush it.
“…Three!”
-Roar!
Finally, the signal to start the duel.
Along with it, thunderous cheers erupted from all sides.
-Boom!
The two charged at each other simultaneously, without any hesitation.
The point of impact was precisely in the center of the duel arena.
A deafening roar, as if a bomb had exploded, pierced the ears.
A powerful shockwave followed, and sparks flashed from the blades that met.
-Clang… Clang…!
If it hadn’t been reinforced with particles, it would have shattered long ago.
Jin Yeseo felt the tingling sensation in her palm and looked at him.
And she knew.
The man was also making eye contact with her from behind the mask.
“…”
A situation akin to being cornered at the edge of a cliff.
Jin Yeseo had only one last chance.
With a single defeat, she would fall into the abyss.
However, what seeped through her skin was not desperation but joy.
Her body felt light as if it could fly, and her mind was clearer than ever.
“Haah!”
-Bang!
Jin Yeseo had to suppress the smile that naturally wanted to bloom.
On the other hand, a question lingered in her mind.
Why, even in this situation, was she filled with such joy?
-Boom!
-Clang!
The metallic sounds continued to ring out loudly.
The two had already engaged in dozens of duels.
Jin Yeseo remembered his habits not with her head, but with her body.
-Boom!
A downward strike aimed at the upper body was often followed by a knee strike.
-Clang! Clang!
The movement that seemed to aim for the chin was a feint to conceal the subsequent horizontal slash.
-Boom!
The left fist that aimed for the abdomen like a greedy snake in every momentary gap.
Jin Yeseo was skillfully avoiding his attacks, albeit narrowly.
At the same time, she did not forget to sharply aim for a counterattack.
-Clang!
The blade that penetrated the fleeting moment.
The man evaded it by leaning back with superhuman reflexes.
The sharp metallic sound of the mask and blade scraping against each other.
A fierce battle unlike any previous duel.
The audience roared with excitement.
‘Good…!’
It’s working.
It was working.
Jin Yeseo thought so.
It was the first time her blade, which had been gradually closing in during their dozens of duels, had reached him.
“Haap!”
-Clang! Clang!
Jin Yeseo, riding the momentum, fiercely pushed the man.
Every time her blade swung, a vibrant green light flashed in the air.
-Boom!
“You and I should have a fight sometime. It’s a good thing. I didn’t expect this opportunity to come.”
-Bang! Boom!
“Surrender.”
“Hic… No… No…”
-Clang! Clang!
“Help… me.”
-Clang! Clang!
Every exchange brought back past memories.
It was something that even she found strange.
He was a man she hated and loathed terribly.
Not only did he blatantly defy Baek Seoyeon, a senior she reluctantly followed, but he also constantly interfered with her own path.
If it had been mere interference, how could she have harbored such intense hatred?
Jin Yeseo had lost everything to him.
The glorious position of the top first-year, the attention of the professors, and even the several times he had defeated her in a humiliating and degrading manner.
Her magic stagnated, and even the one she thought was a friend left her.
Jin Yeseo had crumbled.
Fallen into the abyss, she wandered in the endless darkness.
But how could she have known?
That the very person who had broken her was, in fact, the only one who could pull her out of the mire.
“Haah!”
-Bang!
The scattered green particles fluttered like butterflies.
Along with them, a sweet fragrance spread, causing the audience to gasp.
Jin Yeseo thought.
The past few weeks with him had been the happiest moments of her life.
And it was only natural.
Not only had she trained in the Circulation System magic she so desired, but she had even manifested her own color and scent.
-Clang! Clang!
Every moment with the man was a new experience.
She also realized.
That he, whom she had thought was a hopeless villain, was actually a decent person.
Someone who was reliable and trustworthy, yet also had a precarious side that made her worry.
And that she had unknowingly started treating him without any barriers.
Even when she tried to brace herself and raise her guard, it always ended up being futile.
-Boom!
Recently.
Jin Yeseo had been suffering from a strange feeling, akin to a fever.
She considered it a manifestation of deep friendship.
He was someone who had cared for her almost to the point of devotion, even when he didn’t have to.
The first friend of the opposite gender she had ever made.
If such a person left her aside and mingled with others, it was only natural to feel upset and angry.
That’s what she had thought.
‘…Ah.’
But at the end of that thought, Jin Yeseo shook her head.
‘…I see.’
Jin Yeseo finally understood.
The nature of this emotion she had never felt before, that she couldn’t put into words.
The source of that sweet yet faint taste.
What she truly desired.
And the reason why she wished this moment would last forever.
***
Destroyed walls.
Fragments of the broken floor.
The duel arena was filled with the traces of a fierce battle.
“Haah… haah…”
The now quiet duel arena was filled only with the sound of someone’s heavy breathing.
Disheveled hair, a limp right arm that didn’t even twitch, a body trembling from exhaustion.
A blonde-haired girl, wearing a torn and battered anti-particle suit, was barely supporting herself with an upside-down blade.
Step, step.
From the other side of the dust cloud, a shadow appeared along with footsteps.
Soon, a tall man with a smooth, white mask on his face came into view.
“Haah…”
The man had also sustained some injuries, but unlike Jin Yeseo, he didn’t appear to be seriously wounded.
The contrasting appearances of the two made it easy to guess the winner of the fight.
Even though she had manifested color and scent, she ultimately couldn’t overcome him.
The faces of the spectators were filled with disappointment and regret.
However, Jin Yeseo, upon seeing the man, had a faint smile on her lips.
“Haah… I lost again. Are you… really a monster?”
Jin Yeseo opened her trembling lips and barely managed to speak.
Her tone conveyed relief rather than regret.
“…”
He seemed to be contemplating.
Even though he was wearing a mask, it was clear.
“…What are you doing? Why aren’t you finishing it…?”
-Hey! Just let her off the hook this once!
-Yeah! Don’t you feel sorry for Yeseo? You’re really too much…!
-Enough! Excessive heckling can result in ejection and penalty points. Students in the audience, please be quiet…!
Instead of the man’s answer, what was heard was the loud jeering of the spectators watching the ranking match, and the voice of a professor struggling to restrain them.
“Don’t… mind the jeers… just hurry…”
Jin Yeseo ignored all the noise.
And she urged the masked male student again.
“Everyone’s watching. It’s between you and me. We’re practically enemies…”
“…”
Jin Yeseo threw a provocative joke at the man who stood motionless.
“…It’s what you’re good at. Intimidating women with force. Taking them as you please. Surely you’re not scared just because people are watching? Huh?”
“But…”
Unlike Jin Yeseo who was chuckling, the man’s voice was full of hesitation.
He had fought earnestly in the duel as she had asked, but he seemed to be struggling with the final blow.
“Do as you always do. Roughly… and forcefully. Otherwise, people might start to doubt our relationship…”
“…”
After a brief silence.
The man’s feet finally started moving again.
He was now so close that she could feel his breath.
“Hey.”
Jin Yeseo, seeing him, finally lifted the corner of her mouth slightly as if satisfied.
“Thank you for everything. I really enjoyed the past few weeks thanks to you.”
“…”
“More than… all my previous life combined.”
She had said everything she wanted to say.
Now, only the victor’s final performance remained.
The man reached out and grabbed Jin Yeseo’s neck, choking her.
It was a rather gentle touch, so it felt more like a tingling sensation of pleasure rather than pain.
“Ha…ugh… hek…”
“…I’m sorry.”
The masked male student, lifting Jin Yeseo with one hand, whispered so that only she could barely hear.
“I’ll go easy.”
-Thud!
“…Ha…ugh.”
A tingling pain spread below her navel.
Jin Yeseo thought for a moment that the sky was turning upside down.
“Ugh… id…iot…”
Soon, the cold touch of the stone floor seeped through her cheek.
Jin Yeseo realized that he had thrown her to the floor of the duel arena.
Thinking that this was his way of being gentle, she couldn’t help but smile slightly.
“You said… you’d go easy…”
A complete defeat without any room for argument.
But why?
Instead of fear of the future, a strange sense of anticipation took precedence.
Her fading consciousness soon turned to black.
The announcer’s voice declaring the winner.
And the loud jeers against the masked male student filled the duel arena.
“…”
The masked male student stood there for a while, looking at her.
Then, without saying anything about his victory, he silently left the duel arena.
The final ranking match of the first quarter, which had been the talk of everyone, ended just like that.
And a few days later.
Just before the start of the social period.
Rumors spread among the students that a servant had come to find Jin Yeseo, carrying a personal letter from the head of the Five Families, Baekgwang.
End of Chapter