Chapter 102
Chapter 102
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 102
Chapter Title: Chicken Game
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A few days after the banquet ended, the special training officially concluded, and the end-of-term evaluation began right away.
The end-of-term evaluation took the form of joint sparring matches across the three classes.
First, they tallied up the total scores from classes taken during the semester, added the practical evaluation scores, then divided the students into three broad groups based on those totals, excluding any penalty points.
Students within the same group were then randomly matched for three spars each.
Unlike friendly matches, this was a true blade duel where Abyss Cores, Shards, weapons, and Arts were all fair game.
The evaluation began under the watchful eyes of the Instructors.
My opponents were Richard, Eugene, and Senia.
“I won’t hold back at all!”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
My first opponent was Richard.
He charged at me ferociously with movements that transformed the Regal Imperial Sword into a spear form.
His weapon was the Shatter Spear I’d given him.
I could even see the broken keychain dangling from the shaft.
Thanks to our steady exchanges, he’d been grinding away at collecting Shards, so most of the ones he wore were Rank 3. Excluding special Shards, it was about on par with mine.
Richard’s spearwork was fast and vicious. Enough to throw off my Just Guard timing several times.
But it wasn’t enough to overcome me, and in the end, I claimed victory in the spar.
“Urgh… I gave it my all this whole semester… but I still can’t reach you?”
“You did great.”
“…I’ve lost to you twice now. And I even showed that disgraceful side of myself at the banquet. You still think highly of me?”
Instead of answering, I held out the hand I’d used to block his attacks.
The hand gripping the sword hilt was trembling faintly.
……
“Thanks.”
Seemingly satisfied with that response, Richard gave a wry smile and stepped back.
Having lost to me, Richard then swept through his next two spars in a dominating fashion.
My next opponent was Eugene.
He’d saved me for last, standing before me without a single scratch from his previous two matches.
“It’s been a while since we’ve faced each other properly.”
The look in his eyes as he regarded me had reverted to the one from the entrance exam.
“The result will be different this time.”
“Will it?”
“I didn’t have this back then.”
In Eugene’s left hand was a one-handed shield.
It radiated the aura of purified demonic energy. Dungeon-made. From the design, it looked like the [General Shield] from the Orc Dungeon.
‘Yeah. That’s Eugene.’
In the original story, wielding a one-handed sword and shield together was Eugene’s core setup.
Even the original artwork showed him equipped with a rapier and shield simultaneously.
A sign he was going all out.
“Aegis.”
The moment the spar began, Eugene activated Aegis.
But it wasn’t the previous dome-shaped barrier.
Three inverted triangular shields orbited around him like satellites.
[Abyss Core - Aegis evolves.]
Aegis’s evolved form, the Trinity.
On top of its existing abilities, as long as even one shield remained, the damage reduction and super armor effects persisted.
Plus, since they followed the user, stepping out of the barrier didn’t dispel them.
Naturally, marking a weak spot with Corner Slash was impossible.
‘It’s grown.’
Eugene had conquered multiple high Rank 3 dungeons alongside Senia during that time.
Meaning he was at least at my current level now.
That was also why I hadn’t actively mentored him lately.
Given his personality, he’d grow just fine on his own.
My first strike was blocked by the Trinity and came to nothing. When his turn came, Eugene raised his sword straight up.
“Sovereign Stance.”
The Level 27 Art and aggro taunt skill, Sovereign Stance.
In the original, it was the must-have powerhouse skill whenever deploying Eugene.
“This is my answer, Halibal Belder.”
I’d always wondered what it felt like to be on the receiving end of a taunt. The instant Eugene raised his sword, my vision narrowed, and everything around him faded from view.
‘So this is what getting taunted feels like.’
In this state, it’d be hard to watch for blindside ambushes.
If Richard had come at me with raw fury, Eugene pressured me with textbook swordsmanship.
Aim for the side, and the side shield intercepted me before his sword could. Go low, and the low shield reacted first.
Meanwhile, Eugene targeted only my blind spots.
My blurred vision let several attacks land.
Eugene’s swordsmanship had improved by leaps and bounds over the semester. Even without any help from me.
It reminded me of the time I’d gone into the Doll Dungeon to get Sun Shine for Arren.
She probably would’ve claimed it on her own, just like these two.
Maybe that was why. Even as he pushed me back, I couldn’t stop the corner of my mouth from curling up.
I retreated, readjusting my grip on my sword.
Unfortunately for him, I knew the Trinity’s weakness all too well.
The original Aegis barrier’s health was dispersed across the three shields, making it vulnerable to combos.
And conveniently, I had Gale Rush.
Pabababak!
The flurry of Gale Rush shattered the Trinity shields and pulverized the barrier.
As the final decisive blow surged toward Eugene…
“Imperial Judgment!”
‘…He hit Level 36 too?’
The Level 36 Art, Imperial Judgment.
A counter Art that parries incoming attacks.
I hadn’t expected Eugene to reach 36.
No wonder his expression didn’t change even after all the shields broke.
He’d been aiming for that perfect counter.
A flash of sword light traced a silver arc, clashing with the ashen gale.
Creeeeang!
Moments later, Eugene and I stood back-to-back at opposite ends of the arena.
Eugene’s rapier clattered to the floor, and he dropped to one knee.
Imperial Judgment was perfect for countering single strikes. Like the Return Stroke he’d eaten during the entrance exam, for instance.
But it fell short against a combo like Gale Rush. Seven strikes in total—even after smashing the barrier, two remained.
The final one decided the match.
“…My loss. To think the gap would be this wide.”
“No. That was an excellent counter. If you’d known my Art, the outcome might’ve been different.”
“…Is that so.”
Eugene took my hand and stood.
I hoped that settled things cleanly, but fighting spirit still burned in his eyes.
“But next time will be different.”
‘Sigh.’
Total rival flag.
I sighed inwardly and returned his fallen shield.
“Looking forward to it.”
Eugene took the shield wordlessly, his face impassive as he left the arena.
My final opponent was Senia.
“Everyone’s giving it their all. Were you all sharpening your blades for revenge from the entrance exam?”
“And you?”
“Hehe. Naturally, I’m the same. And…”
Boom!
Senia slammed the Shatter Greatsword she’d had slung on her back into the arena floor, sending up a faint tremor.
“I have something to take back.”
Senia had fully transformed into a greatsword user in the meantime.
I’d heard she’d returned her old one-handed sword, Azure Night, to her family.
“Sorry, but I can’t give it back. [Mercy] saved my life more times than I can count.”
“Then I absolutely have to take it back. With life-saving interest, even.”
With that, a pair of ice wings unfurled from her back.
“Lapis Lazuli.”
Ice crystals bloomed at her feet.
Lapis Lazuli grew with the user, adding up to four pairs of wings and boosting speed stacks proportionally. Probably the freeze chance too.
Seeing those wings at two pairs already, I realized this spar would be tougher than expected.
In the original, there wasn’t a single named greatsword user.
Her Arts, attack patterns—all unknown.
Never thought I’d be thinking this against a person.
Time to test it out.
Senia swung the greatsword one-handed like a pair of chopsticks, then raised it behind her back into stance.
Instructors and students gasped and cheered in awe.
After Cecelia’s Doll Dungeon clear, public opinion held that the gap between her and Senia had narrowed significantly.
Senia had scored low back then, tied up fighting Luna.
These days, you even heard people saying Cecelia had surpassed Senia.
But Senia’s display right now seemed to call all that nonsense.
Swinging a greatsword one-handed like that meant inhuman strength. Even Adelin would struggle.
I got why Cecelia said only Senia could wield a greatsword.
My turn.
From the start, I unloaded my strongest combo, excluding Death Sentence.
Chrono Dive - Corner Slash - Gale Rush - Halibal Break, all poured into the poised Senia.
Kwarung!
I expected her to block or parry as much as possible.
My attacks always hit, but defense could mitigate some damage.
But no.
“...!”
Senia withstood every blow without a scream, standing firm in place.
Why isn’t this ending?
Oh, right. She’s a tank build.
I thought she’d switched setups in the meantime, but no.
Still a tank.
As my attack power grew, so had her defense, armored in Rank 3+ Shards.
“…My turn now?”
Senia’s turn.
Whoooong.
She thrust the greatsword she’d raised behind her back at me.
It was slow. Unfortunately, I couldn’t dodge.
‘Not off-beat like Ice White Sword Dance. Should block easily with Just Guard.’
I raised my sword at an angle to meet the attack.
But.
Crack!
“?”
The instant the greatsword’s blade touched mine.
I heard one of my joints snap.
“Ren Sword Style Secret Sword. Frost Mark.”
‘What the hell is th—’
Kwaaaang!
The follow-up strike blacked me out instantly. When I came to, I was sprawled spread-eagled on the ground.
‘Where am I? Wasn’t this the arena?’
It was.
But Senia’s single strike had wrecked the arena beyond recognition.
My Just Guard pierced, downed.
This level of destructive power didn’t show up in the original until the late game.
Mountains crumbling, seas parting from a single sword stroke—total chaos.
And already this strong?
Shaking off the daze, I saw Senia frozen mid-motion, greatsword slammed into the ground across from me.
Spiderweb cracks radiated from where her blade pierced the floor.
She’d split the ground itself in one hit.
Insane.
“Urgh…!”
Pushing myself up, agony shot through my leg.
Couldn’t withstand the greatsword’s weight—right leg bone fractured. At least it wasn’t my arm.
Wrapped around my arm was Lichi’s armband.
I’d gotten it from my deal with Arren right after the banquet.
Without it, my arm would’ve gone too.
“You blocked my attack. And that was my full power… As expected of Halibal?”
‘That was blocking?’
I wanted to ask what happened if you didn’t.
But that sense of déjà vu from her attack.
Taking hits head-on without dodging or deflecting.
I’d seen this somewhere before.
“No way…?”
“Yes. Exactly. You saw my Ice White Sword Dance and created a new Art from it, right? I did the same.”
Bullshit.
“Frost Mark is an Art that adds the damage taken from the opponent to your own power and returns it. The stronger Halibal’s attacks, the more damage I reflect back. However…”
Blood trickled from Senia’s mouth.
“I have to tank every attack fully, which is a drawback.”
Thanks for the explanation, Senia Wagon.
Now I got it. Frost Mark was an Art she’d created herself. Inspired by me.
Reason she stuck to tank build: endure enemy attacks with bulk, then refund all the damage in one shot.
‘Of all styles, berserker…’
Fine. Got it. Greatsword attacks work like this.
No fluidity penalty on Shatter Sword either. Might even favor stealing the next turn.
Dirty, brute-force style. And the absolute worst matchup for my turn-based combat.
Game’s fucked.
But that wasn’t the issue now.
[Weak!]
The last attack had triggered a weak spot.
Not sure where it hit, but my whole body throbbed—must’ve been a vital.
Even blocking did this much, so like Corner Slash, assume every hit pops a weak spot.
With her follow-ups this strong, I had no confidence in winning.
Yet for some reason, Senia didn’t move.
As I watched, the red gem above her head vanished, and my turn returned.
“Haa… haa…”
Harsh breaths escaped her.
‘…Backlash too?’
Yeah, power like that needs some conscience-balancing recoil.
Now the battle’s direction was clear.
I hit once, she hits once.
Whoever can’t endure loses.
The chicken game began.