Yoo Seora (Part 2)
A month had passed since the league began, and the rankings had finally begun to solidify. Team 2-A, which Yoo Seora and I belonged to, was sitting comfortably near the top. This was largely thanks to Seora running wild, abusing her Overload trait to her heart's content. And then, the inevitable match finally arrived: a face-off against Team 4-B, the team Elsie belonged to.
To be honest, regardless of Seora, Elsie was the last person I wanted to run into right now. It wasn't because Team 4-B was particularly strong. In fact, despite having Elsie, they were languishing near the bottom of the standings. Their teammates played entirely for themselves, and Freira's tactical guidance was practically nonexistent. Even so, looking at the matchup, only one thought crossed my mind: I'm screwed.
The moment I caught sight of Elsie before the match, my instincts screamed at me. Her eyes were like those of a predator stalking its prey. I felt as though the second I stepped into her line of sight, she would tear me to shreds. I need to play it extra safe today.
Of course, if Elsie did manage to close the distance, I could always use my Wind Authority to escape to high ground. However, the battlefields generated by the Trial weren't always forests. Just last match, we had been thrown into a barren desert, which had made things incredibly difficult. I'll have to assess the terrain first and adapt. With that final thought, I stepped back into the Lake.
The battlefield materialized as a ruined cityscape, cluttered with crumbling walls and debris that severely obstructed everyone's line of sight. Elsie moved stealthily through the enemy territory, her eyes constantly scanning her surroundings. She wasn't looking for just any opponent, though. Where is Alan?
Of course, there was no guarantee that the cadet she was looking for, Sung Yu-rang, was actually Alan. There were too many discrepancies between the Alan she knew and this stranger. Height, build, face, weapon—not a single physical trait matched. For all intents and purposes, they were completely different people.
But for some reason, their presence is identical. There was an unmistakable aura unique to Alan. While Sung Yu-rang possessed a complex mix of different vibes, Alan's distinct presence was undeniably woven into them. That gut feeling was the sole reason she linked the two in her mind.
Yet, she knew she couldn't make a definitive judgment based on intuition alone. That was why she had been waiting so eagerly for this match—to obtain concrete proof. If I back him into a corner, he might be forced to draw his sword.
Although she had never seen him use it during their time together, Gwen had mentioned that Alan practiced the Lidval family's swordsmanship. She might not recognize other styles, but she was absolutely confident she could identify the Lidval style. The only problem is finding him first.
She had spent her free time spectating every match Sung Yu-rang participated in. Through her observations, she had realized that he rarely fought on the front lines. Instead, he preferred to hide on high ground in the rear, quietly observing the flow of battle. Where are you hiding?
As she roamed the ruins in search of him, a cadet blocked her path. He was a swordsman wielding a two-handed greatsword. She had no time to waste on him; she needed to reach Sung Yu-rang as quickly as possible. "Out of my way," she muttered coldly.
The cadet showed no intention of stepping aside. Left with no choice, she raised her relic sword, Breeze Bringer.
"Whew..." Yoo Seora exhaled slowly as she sheathed her sword. Against an opponent of this caliber, she hadn't even needed to use Overload. Just as she was about to resume her search, a voice crackled in her ear.
It was an order from Setia, their instructor.
There was only one person who could be considered the enemy's ace: the girl with the short black hair. For some reason, every time their eyes met, a chill ran down Seora's spine. That girl's swordsmanship was undeniably lethal. Seora had spectated her previous matches as well; the way she swung her blade, as if consumed by a manic frenzy, could hardly be called human.
Can I win? Seora had defeated numerous opponents up to this point, but she couldn't summon any confidence when imagining herself facing that maddened blade. But maybe...
She had yet to push herself to her absolute limits. Perhaps this fight would grant her the breakthrough she needed. Though she didn't know what that breakthrough might look like, she decided to follow Setia's instructions. Guided by her instructor's coordinates, she began to move.
Moving as fast as her legs could carry her, she managed to locate Elsie before long. Unfortunately, her teammate Jake had already been eliminated. Am I too late?
However, Elsie hadn't escaped unscathed. Fighting Jake, a trickster-style swordsman, right after exhausting herself against Rick had clearly taken a toll. Shallow cuts marred her body, and her breathing was ragged, her stamina severely depleted.
This might be easier than I thought. It wasn't arrogance, but a cold, objective assessment. The key was to deny her opponent any chance to catch her breath. Seora drew her sword from her inventory. Then, as she always did, she triggered Overload, pushing the blade to its absolute limit—enough to withstand exactly ten clashes.
Elsie glared at her and rasped, "Get out of my way..." It was a warning, but to Seora, who had already resolved to fight, the words fell on deaf ears. Without a moment's hesitation, Seora lunged forward, swinging her blade.
"Ugh...!" Elsie groaned, barely managing to parry the blow. The momentum was entirely in Seora's favor. Seora immediately followed up with another strike. I'll overwhelm her and break her right here.
Elsie blocked the second strike as well, but her movements were stiff and labored. She looked like a fragile glass doll on the verge of shattering under just a bit more pressure. Seora unleashed her third strike to maintain her relentless momentum.
She blocked that too? Seora gritted her teeth. Despite looking like she would collapse at any second, Elsie somehow managed to deflect the blade. Determined to shatter her defense once and for all, Seora poured more weight into her next strike. Yet, it was parried once again.
Why? It made no sense. The girl who had been on the brink of defeat was suddenly surging with renewed vigor, like a dying ember catching fire. And then, the unthinkable happened.
"I told you to get out of my way!" Elsie shrieked, suddenly launching into an aggressive counteroffensive.
Startled by the abrupt shift in momentum, Seora hastily retreated. But Elsie pursued her relentlessly, her blade snapping forward like a viper. What in the world...?! Seora barely managed to raise her sword to block. That was the fifth clash. She knew she couldn't let this continue. To make the most of Overload, she had to dictate the pace of the fight. But...
I can't find an opening. She couldn't counterattack. Elsie's consecutive strikes weren't exceptionally fast, nor were they technically flawless. However, the sheer, murderous intent infused into each blow was suffocating. Seora tried to back away and dodge rather than parry, but her hesitation cost her. She overextended, and Elsie's blade found its mark.
"Agh!" A deep gash opened along her flank. But Elsie showed no signs of stopping. Seora was forced to raise her sword to block the onslaught. Eight clashes, nine... Even when she had fought the top swordsmen of Class 1, she had never been pushed back like this. She was being utterly, helplessly overwhelmed. And yet, objectively, her strength, technique, and speed should have been superior.
Ten clashes. Seora's overloaded sword finally shattered into pieces. Oh no! In that split second, Elsie's blade plunged straight through her chest. It wasn't Seora's first time dying in the virtual space of the Trial, but it was the first time she had been so thoroughly and utterly defeated.
"How on earth did you...!" Seora tried to ask, but the words caught in her throat. She realized Elsie's eyes weren't even looking at her. In fact, even during their fierce clash, Elsie's gaze had been fixed on something far beyond her. What is she looking at?
Pulling her sword from Seora's chest, Elsie asked coldly, "Where is Al—no, where is Sung Yu-rang?"
Sung Yu-rang? Why was she asking for him? Before Seora could process the name, her vision faded to black. The system had officially registered her death.
She's completely lost her mind since I last saw her. That was my honest assessment after watching the duel between Yoo Seora and Elsie. I had figured Elsie would win, but I never expected such an overwhelmingly one-sided slaughter.
In the original Hundred Braves, Elsie had always been driven by a dark, vengeful obsession. But my interference seemed to have evolved her into something on an entirely different level. I can't let her catch me like this.
Now, while she was exhausted, was my best chance. I waited until Seora's body dissolved into light, signaling her official elimination, and then released my fully drawn bowstring. An arrow imbued with Overload screeched through the air toward Elsie. It was a considerable distance, but I had picked up a great deal of archery knowledge just by watching Wilhelm over his shoulder. A sniper shot at this range was well within my capabilities.
Thwip! The arrow tore through the wind. In that split second, Elsie snapped her head toward me. Her eyes locked onto my exact position just as the arrow pierced her forehead. Sorry, Elsie.
I turned away as her avatar collapsed limply to the ground. I made a mental note to apologize to her properly once I was finally in a position to reveal my true identity. Though, to be honest, I was a little terrified of the inevitable fallout.
Anyway, I wonder if Yoo Seora managed to learn anything from that. Of course, it wasn't really my concern. Unlike Elsie's situation in the past, Seora's life wasn't on the line here. This was a matter for Seora and her Constellation to resolve. Yet, for some reason, I couldn't shake a lingering sense of unease.
Why does it feel this way? It wasn't just Seora. Elsie, Wilhelm... even Gwen. It felt as though I was missing some crucial piece of the puzzle. Something is deeply unnatural. But no matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn't figure out what it was by the time the match finally came to an end.