Chapter 38
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: 37. Team Battle (4)
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There were a few more matches after that.
Each time, I handled everything on my own.
I had no idea how the causality would play out, so there was no need to show off Choi Si-woo's or the heroines' skills.
And finally, we reached the finals.
Unfortunately, the cadets from Goryeo and Seoul Academy all ended up knocking themselves out.
Ah, they're such idiots. In my eyes, those two academies put on a bloodbath that was no exaggeration.
"How does a double knockout where they steal each other's flags at the same time even happen?"
"And that blatant 10-man brawl at the end? Them collapsing after saying 'Well fought' and 'No, you' was hilarious."
It really happened like that. Well, it did in the original story too.
Whether the author Yoo Eun-ha got lazy writing it or wanted to push some friendship trope, the protagonist of Hansung Academy claws his way up by brutally defeating opponents, but Seoul and Goryeo end up with a bunch of draws from fighting each other.
But in the original, it wasn't described in this much detail.
Despite that, in reality, even if Goryeo and Seoul just beat each other, they're filming their own friendship story.
Hansung Academy really looks like the outcast among the top three academies.
[There's also the issue of causality adjustment.]
"As expected."
If that's the case, I can accept it. Rather than forcing the original story's plausibility due to causality adjustments, it turned into real people coincidentally staging a friendship drama.
[In particular, Hansung has undergone Galapagos-ization due to the Master's influence... It seems to have affected the bracket as well.]
Come to think of it, Hansung mostly bumped into itself.
Teams from Class A are riding on family connections, just as I thought.
The skill level is highest in Class A, but there are many in Class B who are on par with them. They even drew with Class C.
"So, what's next?"
[Hansung Academy Class A Team 1 VS Hansung Academy Class B Team 1]
Class B Team 1. The team with that reincarnation or constellation of Cheok Jun-kyung.
The finals anyway. I entered the exam hall with my teammates.
"Ah, that's the guy."
Across from us, Class B glared our way. The gathering of dirt spoons. And in the center was Park Jun-hyuk, who unlike the original story, had been thoroughly ignored by Choi Si-woo.
He looked pretty sleek, but with a delinquent vibe. His hair was a color that wouldn't look out of place if he were friends with Geum Tae-yang.
Speaking of which, that Geum Tae-yang guy attends the academy but didn't show up for the team battle, it seems.
He'd have stood out with that copper skin if he had.
On a whim, I texted him.
Yoo Eun-ha: Not doing the team battle?
NTR Specialist Actor: Sis. Let's not do this. I know your epithet all too well. I don't wanna die.
Instant reply. Does this guy have nothing better to do?
Yoo Eun-ha: Get your ass here and cheer for me, punk.
NTR Specialist Actor: Where's your conscience.
This mint choco-loving bastard is a total scaredy-cat despite being Geum Tae-yang.
True to form, he'd only go after women who are taken and try to corrupt them. Tsk tsk.
"Texting right in front of me? Got some nerve."
Then a guy from the front picked a pointless fight.
"Yeah?"
"You're the only ones left from Class A. How's that feel?"
There aren't any in Class A who surpass B-rank in skill anyway.
At best, the protagonist and heroine party.
It's an academy story mixed with a large-scale hunter world, so academy relationships outside the heroines aren't delved into much.
To the protagonist, male side characters are just bastards to skip through for heroine stories.
The fact that I, of all people, am treated like the protagonist by that Park Jun-hyuk is another twist on the original.
"So?"
"Thinking you're hot shit just 'cause you're in Class A."
Park Jun-hyuk. The top in combat skill in Class B.
But he harbors resentment toward Class A, challenges Choi Si-woo and loses, stubbornly sticks to his path, becoming a troll who feeds frustration in the original.
His encounter with Park Jun-hyuk was supposed to happen sooner, but it seems Choi Si-woo skipped that event, so it's exploding here now.
"Why are you so twisted?"
"Am I wrong? Class A is the privileged class. No matter how hard Class B tries, we can't climb up to A!"
Is there really a need to be so hung up on classes?
I recalled Choi Si-woo's line from the original.
Maybe you're right. There are a lot in Class A who got in through family power or wealth. But not everyone's like that!
The righteous protagonist Choi Si-woo spared no cool words to persuade the stubborn, hot-headed Park Jun-hyuk.
But I'm no saint, so no need to mimic Choi Si-woo.
"Do you get a thorn in your mouth if you're not in Class A? Or does seeing anyone with privilege make your blood boil?"
He just glared at me in response.
Park Jun-hyuk grew up poor from a young age.
Even now, he scrapes by with part-time jobs allowed by the academy. Tuition's on scholarship.
But that doesn't mean everyone in Class B deserves to be in A. Why don't you show me your skills? Beat me, the one you hate so much!
Choi Si-woo is the protagonist character.
But now, she's just watching with an emotionless face.
Seems she's leaving it all to me this time.
"Look at this punk. You're just salty 'cause your stomach hurts. Jealous of Class A kids? Then grab a mythic weapon or something. Or the Divine Sword. Or claim you're from another world or a hero's sibling."
"......"
Park Jun-hyuk's face twisted viciously.
Come to think of it, his backstory is orphan, dirt poor upbringing.
Let me say it again: I'm never becoming a saint. No intent to make obstacles understand me or rehabilitate them.
So why not exploit this and roast him hard?
"What, did you rack up so much karma in your past life that you're born without parents, dirt poor as karmic retribution, and now you're bitching at us? What? Cheok Jun-kyung? You'll hurt less if you get beat where it doesn't show."
Just seeing how the originally righteous Choi Si-woo is staying silent now tells you the answer.
Objectively, he's not helpful.
Frankly, he's an obstacle.
Maybe his personality changed a lot with the regression too.
Rather than repeating the same actions, it's all for protecting the world. That's the top priority.
And same for me.
Park Jun-hyuk isn't a villain, but he makes the protagonist's life a real hassle.
Not even a heroine, yet he tsunderes around, ignores Choi Si-woo's advice, acts stubborn, delaying response to the massive monster wave near the academy later.
So I'd rather not get involved.
"If it bugs you that much, come at me."
When I beckoned with my finger, Park Jun-hyuk drew his signature weapon, a crescent blade.
The guy has no sense at all.
This team battle is all about flag stealing, but with zero concept, no wonder he's perpetual B-rank.
His teammates seemed displeased with me too, drawing their weapons.
Reina and Han Su-ji by my side quietly took up their bow and spear.
"They don't know their place."
"Forget the flags. They need a beating to wake up."
No reason to get dragged into their bait. Choi Si-woo just meets my eyes, nods.
"Hey, wait. This is the finals, right? Not the time for trash talk."
The academy heads came into the exam hall and stopped me and Park Jun-hyuk's team. But Park Jun-hyuk grinned, not done yet.
Confidence in winning?
"Does it even matter at this point? It's all Hansung anyway. Let's change the rules."
"Sigh, to what?"
Academy heads including Kim Young-hee sighed.
Faces like, this kid's finally gonna break academy rules.
"It's called flag stealing, but isn't the real goal beating each other down from the start?"
"True enough."
"How about 5v5, one-on-one fights here?"
Park Jun-hyuk's lost his mind.
In flag stealing, you'd focus on the flag alone, where's this confidence from?
Way more arrogant than I thought. Strong sense of pride, huh.
"Not a bad idea. No individual matches scheduled this year anyway. Plus, Yoo Eun-ha and Park Jun-hyuk are top cadets even in Hansung."
"I like it too. Spectators seem eager."
Looking at the stands at the heads' words, everyone was expectant.
They just want to ditch annoying rules since it was all brawling under the guise of flag stealing.
And so, it turned into individual matches as Park Jun-hyuk wanted.
[Yoo Eun-ha vs Park Jun-hyuk]
Park Jun-hyuk, standing in the exam hall, glared at me like he wanted to kill me.
Sharper aura than usual.
Fine. Big sis will graciously let you have first strike.
When I beckoned, Park Jun-hyuk charged with his crescent blade swinging.
"Arrogant fool! No matter your lightspeed, can you block this?"
He must know I use Acceleration.
So he's aiming to catch me with speed too.
He vanished from my front suddenly.
But I see it all clearly.
Now that I've awakened and gained all of Azidahaka's power, a thought strikes me.
Do I really need to keep attending this academy? Dealing with weaklings is getting annoying.
At this point where my future's changed, the academy's meaningless.
The heroines would be better off doing dungeon practice than sticking here.
The catch is, to insert into the story, I kinda need to stay enrolled.
Since I survived, Park Jun-hyuk's strength doesn't make him necessary firepower anymore.
Nothing worse than incompetent allies over enemies.
That's exactly Park Jun-hyuk.
In the original, he's a powerful ally but pulls a lot of troll moves.
Better to bury him here.
"Useless."
"What're you babbling? Too late to block now!"
Park Jun-hyuk, called Cheok Jun-kyung's reincarnation, swings his massive crescent blade freely.
If Han Su-ji's in Class A, Park Jun-hyuk's in Class B, that kinda thing.
Of course, his weapon's no mythic grade—just a spear his dad left him as a kid. A normal human wouldn't dodge that or it'd cleave them in half.
Clang!
I just took it.
Unfortunately, my body's humanoid on the outside, but inside it's Azidahaka.
Infuse mana into the body, and I can draw out the evil dragon's scale defense.
No way a guy who can't even sync with a constellation pierces evil dragon scales.
Not even Flame Spear or Demon Dragon Spear can, let alone this lower-grade one.
"Told you. Useless."
After taking one hit, I casually shoved his spear aside.
"How... this."
Why act surprised now? You should've been prepared.
"Why would I bother with an attack that just tickles even if it lands?"
Block it?
Park Jun-hyuk's face flushed beet red at my muttered words.