Festival (4)
Festival (4)
"Let's just watch the recording...."
The students who'd already swallowed defeat turned ghostly pale. Even through clenched teeth, the words ringing in their ears were impossibly clear.
"Grrrrrgh...!!"
Kang Han-na, who'd been grinding her teeth, swept her bangs back and let out a long breath.
"Cutie... you can handle this, right?"
"Yes. Don't worry."
"Good. If I can't believe in my cutie, who can I believe in?"
"Ha, haha...."
Baek Ha-na smiled wryly as she looked at Kang Han-na, who was patting her on the shoulder.
With hearing several times sharper than a normal person's, she'd accidentally picked up on exactly why Kang Han-na was so furious.
They'd actually been gambling on the outcomes of the matches.
Still, she didn't think poorly of her.
The reason Kang Han-na was so angry was because she'd been so certain that not a single student would lose. She'd bet her money on a clean sweep for this side.
How could you dislike someone who believed in your victory enough to put money on it?
"Miss Ha-na."
"Ah, yes. Professor, I'll be off."
"Cutie, fighting...."
The voice carried absolutely no energy, but Baek Ha-na gave Kang Han-na a soft smile before heading toward the stage.
[ And speak of the devil—the new ruler of Arena Academy has finally taken the stage!! ]
[ Not just Miss Baek Ha-na, but I'd also like to applaud the professional conduct of Miss Yoon I-seul and the other top-ranked students. ]
[ Exactly. Their elimination is already confirmed, which means they could have gained an extra chance through the losers' revival match. So if you're seriously aiming for the championship, strategically speaking, the right move would be to forfeit and minimize exposing your full capabilities. ]
[ Indeed. But even after their elimination was set, not a single competitor from Arena Academy forfeited. Every one of them faced off against First Academy's students. ]
[ The performances of the new faces, Miss Na Ju-hee and Miss Nam Seo-hee, were especially astonishing. ]
[ Mark my words: after today, no one will belittle those two based on skill. ]
[ I agree. Which is why my expectations for Miss Baek Ha-na, who's stepping onto the stage now, are even higher!! ]
[ That's right!! When we first looked at Arena Academy's roster, a lot of people had their doubts, correct? ]
[ I'm embarrassed to say I was one of them. ]
[ Ha-ha, that's perfectly fine. I was one of them, too. But how about now? ]
[ What do you mean? ]
[ The two new faces before her just proved their skill with victories. ]
[ They did. ]
[ That naturally leads us to infer that Miss Baek Ha-na, too, possesses skill worthy of the ruler's seat. ]
[ So what's the conclusion? ]
[ What else? Everyone watching this match right now is looking forward to seeing this new powerhouse!! ]
'Looking forward to it....'
Standing on the stage, Baek Ha-na tightened her fists slightly.
'I have to become someone who suits him.'
Not a person who's always being protected. Someone who can stand beside him.
Someone who can meet his eyes with her head held high.
"Please present the armaments you intend to use."
At the referee's instruction, Baek Ha-na pulled a pair of black half-gloves from her chest.
Wooong.
A faint yellow light enveloped the gloves.
"No irregularities. You may put them on."
Baek Ha-na slipped the returned half-gloves onto her hands and studied Jane Moore, who stood across from her undergoing the same inspection.
'They were about thirty percent stronger than the summoned entities I fought in the rift.'
She wasn't talking about Jane Moore.
She hadn't yet gauged Jane Moore's ability. But the students from F.A. who'd clashed with the upperclassmen earlier were definitely stronger than the summoned beings she'd faced in the rift.
And her opponent was the ruler of the world's top-ranked academy.
Crack—!!
Baek Ha-na clenched her gloved hand tight and steeled her resolve.
Here, today, she'd prove that she at least possessed the bare minimum qualifications.
**
"No irregularities. You may use it."
"Thank you."
Jane Moore thanked the referee descending from the stage and fixed her gaze straight ahead.
A girl with dazzling long white hair and fierce eyes was glaring at her.
'My skin's prickling....'
She knew the cause.
It was the fighting spirit radiating from the opponent standing across from her.
'Her mana is unremarkable, but her presence is formidable.'
Jane Moore fastened the rapier the referee had returned to her onto her hip.
Then she slowly began to release the mana she'd kept in reserve and steadied her breathing.
She intended to show her opponent, plain and clear, that a battle couldn't be decided by spirit alone.
[ Both competitors, step forward. ]
At the referee's command, Jane Moore moved to the center line of the stage.
[ Salute. ]
Jane Moore extended her hand and spoke.
"Ten times."
"......."
Without a word, Baek Ha-na took Jane Moore's outstretched hand.
"If you endure my attacks ten times, I'll apologize for my rudeness at the party right here."
"......."
Baek Ha-na stared into Jane Moore's eyes for a moment, their hands still clasped, then shook her head.
"That's fine. You don't need to apologize."
"......? Does that mean you admit your wrongdoing?"
"No. I just don't think it was worth apologizing for."
"Th—"
[ Both competitors, please return to your positions. ]
At the referee's voice, Jane Moore closed her mouth and released the hand she'd been holding. She was just about to turn around when it happened.
Once.
'......?'
A chill voice brushed past her ear, and Jane Moore turned her head—only to find that Baek Ha-na, whom she assumed was the source, had already put considerable distance between them.
'Is she telling me to try blocking even a single attack?'
Back in position, Jane Moore fixed her stare on Baek Ha-na across from her and furrowed her brow.
'...Fine. I'll see for myself.'
Jane Moore changed her approach: she'd go all out from the very start.
She'd been the one to provoke first, but since her opponent had fired back with provocation of her own, answering in kind seemed like simple courtesy.
[ I will begin the count. ]
Jane Moore rested her hand on the rapier's hilt.
[ 10, 9....... ]
The numbers ticked down one by one.
[ 4, 3, 2....... ]
She gripped the hilt tight.
[ Begin!! ]
"Sanctuary of Light."
Fwooooosh—!!
The moment Jane Moore drew her rapier, her body was dyed in white radiance.
In an instant, the entire stage was flooded with blinding light.
The whole stage was swallowed into the domain Jane Moore had constructed. It all happened in the span of a single blink.
"Prêt."
Jane Moore's rapier aimed at Baek Ha-na, who stood with her eyes closed.
"Allez."
In that moment, Jane Moore's form became a streak of light hurtling toward Baek Ha-na.
Her target was the left shoulder.
'She thinks she can provoke me with only that much...?'
Transformed into light, Jane Moore had rendered the concept of distance meaningless. She closed in until she was right in front of Baek Ha-na, who still had her eyes shut, and without the slightest hesitation thrust her rapier at the shoulder.
The tip of the rapier touched the uniform.
Shhhhk.
Baek Ha-na's closed eyelids slowly lifted.
'......?!'
The moment those blue irises began to reveal themselves, every hair on Jane Moore's body stood on end.
When she became light, her perception and cognition transcended the human category.
Meaning, her subjective experience of time itself was completely different.
Yet Baek Ha-na had unmistakably opened her eyes.
Before the rapier touching her uniform could pierce through it.
That wasn't all.
While her rapier was still moving forward at what felt like a crawl, a pair of white beast ears were sprouting atop Baek Ha-na's head.
There was only one thing that could mean.
Her opponent was faster than she was.
'That's impossible....'
Jane Moore denied what her own eyes were seeing.
At that same instant, the world, which had felt frozen in place, began to move again.
Crunch—
"Ngh...!!"
The rapier that should have pierced her opponent's shoulder was now caught in Baek Ha-na's hand, unable to advance any farther.
Jane Moore detonated her mana for a split-second burst, but the rapier didn't budge. She understood then that her opponent's physical strength was beyond imagining, and she immediately released the weapon and flung herself backward.
Ssshhhp.
"......?!"
And yet, the distance between them hadn't increased at all.
It was only then that Jane Moore noticed something foreign coiled around her waist.
But by the time she realized it, it was already far too late.
**
[ W-We can't see the stage because of the light!! ]
[ That's Miss Jane Moore's specialty—Sanctuary of Light!! Inside that domain, even active-duty rankers find it difficult to pin her down— ]
KWA-BOOOOOM—!!
A thunderous roar that felt like it would tear their eardrums shook the entire auditorium.
[ Wh-What's going on... Ah!! The Sanctuary of Light has vanished!! ]
[ What's the, what's the status... th...? ]
[ Aha, Miss Baek Ha-na is a transformation-type ability user!! That long tail and those pointed ears!! She's the picture of a noble lone wolf!! But where is Miss Jane Moore? Could she be moving around transformed into light?! ]
[ ....... ]
[ Commentator Bill? ]
[ ...Over there. ]
[ Where are you pointing? That's outside the stage.... ]
Forgetting they were broadcasting live to the entire world, both commentators stared with their mouths agape, expressions blank.
At the same moment, the hundreds of cameras surrounding the stage captured what lay beyond it.
Beneath the audience seats, where over a dozen mages had layered barrier upon barrier.
Right at the bottom, Jane Moore lay crumpled like a doll with its strings cut.