Chapter 72
The Red Flower Falls (3)
“Blunt words, and eyes full of hostility fixed on me. I could immediately tell there were a lot of negative emotions mixed in there.
No matter how I thought about it, I had no personal grudge or connection with Jin Yeseo. But large waves often carry people to places they don’t know.
While I was away in the South, Jin Yeseo had made a significant achievement by single-handedly annihilating a branch of a notorious cult on an external assignment.
Not only that, but she also captured and handed over dozens of fiercely resistant cultists to the nearby security bureau.
If it weren’t for the incident in the South, the students’ attention would likely be on her rather than me and Yeon Minha.
“I admit it. You’re not as much of a nobody as I first thought.”
“…”
“But I can’t understand it. You single-handedly took down the Tendril Serpent, then lost to Senior Yeon Minha in a duel. And then you claimed to have killed dozens of bandits alone in the South? How can the abilities of the same person fluctuate so wildly?”
Her eyes, more menacing than ever, bore into me as I remained silent.
“You. Let me ask you this. Did you really take down that Tendril Serpent alone during practice?”
“…Do I have to tell you that?”
I continued to remain silent.
The incident during practice was bound by a secret agreement with the principal. My loss to Yeon Minha was staged, and much of the credit for the South was given to Yeon Minha.
Every question she asked was something I couldn’t answer.
T hi s w as c op i e d f ro m k i n g m t l . or g
“…Tsk. I thought you wouldn’t answer.”
The blonde student frowned in displeasure.
“Anyway, I’ll find out soon enough. We’ll see if you truly deserve your reputation or if you’re just a parasite who clings to a senior’s prestige and benefits from political maneuvers.”
“…”
“But I think you’re the latter. Achievements that are vague and lack a clear sequence usually belong to people like you. Am I wrong?”
Even considering each other’s positions, Jin Yeseo’s words were harsh. Every word she spat out grated on my nerves.
It made me wonder why she was so invested in this, but then I realized it might be more comfortable for her to see me as an opponent.
-If you’ve exchanged greetings, return to your positions.
Jin Yeseo looked like she had more to say, but she clicked her tongue and turned around as the judge’s amplified voice issued the instruction.
Just as I was about to return to my position, a commotion erupted from a section of the audience.
Someone who had moved aside the crowd and taken a prime spot in the center immediately caught my eye. Even from a distance, her beauty was strikingly apparent.
Our eyes met briefly, but Yeon Minha quickly averted her gaze with a cold expression.
-It’s the first time Minha is watching someone else’s ranking match, isn’t it?
-I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it…
Some of the murmured conversations reached my ears. To them, I had become Yeon Minha’s loyal champion. After experiencing the South together, the duel we once had meant nothing.
Yeon Minha frowned slightly as if something bothered her.
But her actions didn’t convey any particular hostility toward me. It seemed more like she was uncomfortable with the excessive attention.
Still, I was grateful she considered me one of her own now, even if it meant enduring some discomfort to watch the match.
Yet, a heavy sense of foreboding began to settle in my chest.
“Ah…!”
-Oh…? Over there…!
And then, the next moment.
Jin Yeseo’s face lit up with a radiant smile, and the students’ cheers grew even louder.
With a sense of dread that felt like a premonition, I squeezed my eyes shut.
I had to resist the strong urge to turn my head.
Even without looking, it was obvious who had come to watch this duel.
I had anticipated this situation. Of course, both would come. This ranking match had practically become their proxy war.
But despite having thought about it beforehand, my heart grew heavy and damp.
-Ding! Ding! Ding!
I shook off the thoughts and took my position.
The final bell signaling the start of the duel rang, and Jin Yeseo, with a confident expression, placed her hand on the particle array device, preparing to bombard me with magic.
How should I deal with Jin Yeseo? Though I had reassured Yeon Minha, my body wasn’t fully recovered.
T h i s was co pied fr o m k in gm tl . o r g
Deploying prediction paths for more than half the routes was impossible in my current state. After fighting beyond my physical limits, it was strange that I had recovered this much already.
It might be a tougher battle than I expected. But I had no intention of losing.
T hi s wa s c op i ed fr o m ki n gm t l. or g
In fact, I was determined to show a more victorious side. To Yeon Minha and to someone else who would be watching.
Moreover, there was no need to fake a loss this time.
-Ding!
The final bell rang, and the surrounding area was filled with cheers.
***
The masked boy drew his blade and charged toward Jin Yeseo. His swift movements elicited gasps from the audience.
Remaining calm, Jin Yeseo quickly manipulated her particle array device. Soon, a pillar of black flame erupted behind her, radiating heat in all directions.
The black flames twisted like living snakes before hurling themselves at the charging boy.
-Kwah!
The boy attempted to dodge the black flame snakes by abruptly halting his speed. He deflected some with his particle-infused blade, altering their paths, while evading the rest with agile movements.
His flexibility in maneuvering his upper and lower body left the spectators in awe.
However, he couldn’t evade all the attacks. One of the flame snakes he had deflected looped behind him and bit into his thigh.
“…Ugh.”
The effective strike left a large, burning scar as the flame disintegrated into the air.
The boy stopped with a groan. Jin Yeseo seized the moment, summoning a rain of black flames to bombard his position.
-Kaboom! Kaboom!
-Wow!
-As expected of Yeseo!!
Cheers erupted from the audience. Thinking of Baek Seoyeon’s supportive smile, Jin Yeseo couldn’t help but smile slightly.
While he managed to avoid direct hits by deploying a barrier, the duel had quickly turned into Jin Yeseo’s one-sided assault.
The fundamental strategy for an Expulsion System mage against a Circulation System mage was to prevent them from approaching at all costs.
Directly confronting a Circulation System mage with overwhelming physical enhancement was akin to suicide.
However, in a well-organized, open arena, unlike the battlefield with various obstacles, the fight favored the Expulsion System mage.
Though inexperienced freshmen often allowed Circulation System mages to approach, Jin Yeseo’s extraordinary talent made this a non-issue.
-Boom! Boom! Kaboom!
Jin Yeseo continued to bombard him. The area beyond his barrier was obscured by dust and flames.
“…”
The fight was going easier than expected, making Jin Yeseo feel a bit anticlimactic. His movements were fast, but not beyond her ability to counter.
He had allowed a hit and could no longer move. In a flat area, stopping against an Expulsion System mage meant the fight was heavily tilted against him.
She had always suspected he received undue praise for his abilities.
The solo defeat of the Tendril Serpent seemed implausible. While he contributed to stopping the rebels in the South, the credit mainly belonged to Yeon Minha, who had killed their leader.
But still, it shouldn’t be this easy.
T h i s w a s co p ied from ki n g mtl. o r g
Perhaps he was withholding his true strength. Or his injuries from the South hadn’t fully healed.
Either way, it was his own doing. There was no reason to hold back for his sake.
The only move left for him was to break through the bombardment and attempt a desperate melee attack.
As Jin Yeseo expected, a figure emerged from the dust cloud, charging toward her.
Calmly, she summoned another wave of black flames. She shaped them into dozens of burning cones and hurled them at him.
Faced with inescapable attacks, he twisted his body and angled his blade to minimize the impact.
-Kaboom!
T h i s was c o pi e d f ro m k in g mt l .o r g
-Clang!
The explosion shattered his particle armor, scattering debris across the ground. His upper body, already tattered, continued to charge at her.
Though she had allowed him to approach, he was in no condition to fight back effectively.
-Clang!
As he neared, he raised his blade, attempting to strike her. Jin Yeseo deployed a barrier to deflect his attack. The blade shattered the barrier like glass but missed her as she dodged.
She generated a spear wrapped in black flames and swung it at him.
Thi s wa s co p i e d fro m k i ngm t l .o r g
He tried to counter with his blade, but it snapped under the accumulated stress.
‘Got him!’
Jin Yeseo celebrated inwardly.
To win the ranking match, the opponent had to be rendered combat ineffective or declare surrender.
Though his blade broke, he wasn’t technically out of the fight. He could still continue with his enhanced body.
But in their current state, she was the clear threat.
He had taken several hits, and his blade was broken. Her particle array was still functional, and she had plenty of internal energy left.
“Fool! Did you think just getting close would ensure victory? You’re finished…!”
Confident of her victory, Jin Yeseo taunted him, preparing to throw another flaming spear.
But then.
In a moment that felt like slow motion, she glanced down.
The masked boy had discarded his broken blade and ducked, moving toward her lower body.
Before she could fully process the situation, his clenched fist struck her abdomen.
-Kwack!
The impact was so intense that her pupils dilated in shock.
T h i s w a s c op i e d f r o m k i n g m t l . o r g
“Ugh…!”
A wave of excruciating pain coursed through her, nearly making her buckle. She bit her lip and tried to counter with a spell.
T h i s w as co pi e d f r o m k i n gm t l . o rg
-Bam! Bam!
“Ouch…!”
T hi s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k i n g m t l . o r g
But her effort was in vain. His strikes to the back of her knees made her stagger, and the incomplete spell dissipated into particles.
“Ugh… cough…”
The boy then grabbed her throat and lifted her into the air.
-Kaboom!
He tightened his grip, choking her before slamming her into the ground. She rolled across the hard stone floor, her pristine particle armor shattered.
“Haah… ugh…”
“…Phew.”
The boy finally exhaled and approached her leisurely. The audience, stunned by the sudden turn of events, fell silent.
Then began a one-sided show.
***
-Bam! Crack!
“Ugh…! You…! Ack…!”
-Bam! Bam!
“Ugh… this is harsh…”
“I thought Yeseo would win easily…”
Behind the chatting girls with grimaces,
Yeon Minha sat in silence with a cold expression, struggling to maintain her composure.
T h i s w as c o p i e d f r o m kin g m t l . o r g
-Bam! Crunch!
“…Huh.”
Her body shook slightly. The phantom pain returned, making her shake her head.
Yeon Minha took a deep breath, calming herself. His hostility wasn’t directed at her anymore. He was fighting for her.
Though she had no personal grudge against Jin Yeseo, the girl had sided with Baek Seoyeon, diminishing Yeon Minha’s position.
Given their traits and circumstances, seeing Jin Yeseo being thoroughly beaten should have pleased Yeon Minha.
But an odd, unsettling feeling crept over her again. She couldn’t understand why.
Yeon Minha tried to distract herself by looking at the opposite stands. What expression would she see there? It surely wouldn’t be a pleasant one, given the situation.
“…?”
But as Yeon Minha glanced at the opposite side, confusion set in.
The expression Baek Seoyeon wore was unexpected.
She slightly furrowed her brows, tilting her head as if she couldn’t understand what she was seeing.
End of Chapter