The Final Bell -3-
Juyeon's red eyes clearly captured the entire process.
It wasn't coincidence. Everything was deliberate.
To witness the explosion bullet's effect up close, Rohan had used his sword like a guillotine.
Juyeon's transcendent senses read the situation.
A flash of light in the air hinted at the impending explosion. Her judgment formed in an instant.
'The explosion bullet's power is far from weak.'
Mana concentrated at her fingertips. No intention of releasing it.
But she had no plans to take the hit barehanded either.
Without even a moment to smell the acrid scent of the blast, Juyeon arched her back, spinning her body away.
She pushed off the ground with both hands, evading even the sniper shot midair.
"…."
Rohan could only marvel at Juyeon's fluid movements and lightning-fast response.
'Dodging this perfectly from this range? Even with support fire?'
He hadn't expected massive results, but the fact that not even her suit was disheveled was absurd.
Rohan tamped down his emotions and reset his stance.
"Impressive. Was that your ace in the hole?"
Regardless of Rohan's disappointment, Juyeon felt like applauding.
This move from Rohan had completely exceeded her expectations.
She had plenty of experience slicing bullets mid-fight.
But firing the gun herself and splitting her own bullet? She'd never considered using it as a weapon, nor seen anything like it.
Innovative. Worthy of praise.
"No such thing as an ace."
"Is that so…? Can't wait to see what else you've got."
The bell dangling from Juyeon's waist jingled softly.
Like a starting bell, Rohan lunged again.
Whoosh!
Rohan swung his sword while unleashing a spinning kick fueled by rotational force.
Juyeon blocked the kick with her index finger, then followed with a throw.
Airborne and tumbling toward the ground, Rohan abandoned any proper landing, thrusting his sword instead. Reckless, but not a bad attempt.
"Kuh!"
His muscular frame hit the dirt with a thud and crash!
He sprang back up immediately.
Even after tumbling and slamming into the ground dozens of times, he rose without hesitation, resetting his stance.
'Fearless.'
That was Juyeon's impression.
It had to hurt like hell, yet he showed no fear of falling.
Even knowing Aiki awaited him, there was no terror or hesitation in his attacks.
Dawn Falling Sun
Mana drawn by the skill blazed into flames, surging upward.
Amid the wave-like inferno, Rohan's sword wove in, charging forward.
Yet, as always, it halted at her fingertip.
The pistol barrel aimed once more at the radiant blade, but Juyeon already knew his move.
So Rohan tilted his blade at an angle.
Detonating the mana explosion bullet directly on the sword itself.
Boom!
The blast's momentary force shoved the blade away.
"!"
The radiance caught on her finger broke free.
Her finger unscathed, but her suit sleeve suffered a shallow cut.
Pushing aside the joy, Rohan's piercing thrust followed.
Aiki redirected it. But the result differed.
Thud!
Rohan landed successfully for the first time.
Balance imperfect, but the significance was huge.
'Adapting to this already?'
Watching Rohan charge again without tumbling, Juyeon let out a wry chuckle.
An utterly inscrutable cadet.
Even she couldn't imagine how far his gun and sword would reach in the future.
Pew!
Juyeon dodged the sniper shot exploiting the opening.
Support fire had a fatal flaw; now that she'd analyzed it, it posed no threat.
'The problem is that one sniper's too damn good.'
The elf girl anticipated even Juyeon's dodges. Thus, ricochet paths were limited, and she couldn't fire toward Rohan's position.
Clara firing three shots from the opposite side meant only one in response.
Unable to match the breathing and movements of someone whose specialty was sniping.
'Even one shot opens paths for the elf girl and supports her.'
They were built as that kind of combo from the start.
With conviction, Juyeon reached out, spinning Rohan once more.
"Hup!"
Grasping the knack from his first success, he landed more cleanly than before.
Visible growth in real time. Juyeon's smile deepened.
And she confirmed it.
The watching girls behind were paying close attention.
'It'll be good stimulus for Ichinose Yui and Noah Frozenheart too.'
Girls raised under world-renowned powerhouses, but seeing a peer with such differences provided unique inspiration.
Rohan had charisma and goodwill.
Juyeon believed they'd influence each other positively.
…
…
The exchange continued for three more minutes.
Rohan's mana was depleted. Sweat poured like rain from his entire body.
Ingenious explosion bullet attacks persisted, but after the second, Juyeon didn't allow even a hem to be damaged.
"…."
Juyeon sensed the end too.
'I'd love to hand over the bell.'
But she couldn't.
Unlike other instructors, only one bell existed. Giving it just because she was satisfied wouldn't do.
'Still, outstanding. Plenty of bonus points.'
Scoring meticulously, Rohan would top anyone else's.
She could only hope he'd turn regret into fuel for growth.
"…."
Rohan rolled his eyes to the pistol in his hand.
Pulling the trigger yielded only pathetic clicks.
'Out of bullets.'
He holstered the pistol, gripping the radiance with both hands.
Reset stance. Juyeon pulled her left hand back, raising her right index finger taut.
"…Here I come."
"Mm."
With Juyeon using no mana on Aiki itself, just gauging force, landing odds were high.
If he committed to taking the hit, Rohan had confidence in recovering his stance.
Not just bullets—mana empty too.
One real chance now.
Thud! Full-power stomp.
Sword thrust with speed. Simultaneously, agony struck his solar plexus, vision spinning.
Now he knew this inexplicable sensation.
Juyeon had jabbed his solar plexus in a flash, flipping him.
'Now…!'
Midair, he twisted his core. Legs powered to stick the landing.
Unlike before, fully intending to take it, the landing was pristine.
Shoulder charge inward.
Distance closed rapidly; the world spun again.
Juyeon's red hair flashed in Rohan's vision.
Midair, blade thrust deep.
Confidence now that mixing attacks wouldn't topple him.
Aim near Juyeon—good enough.
Crunch! Sword plunged into the ground.
To Juyeon, it looked like his usual all-out effort. But this time, different.
Rohan withdrew the Scorching Blade from the embedded blade. Mana maintenance depleted.
Simultaneously, precarious balance for landing.
The blade, losing mana-born heat, became the final signal he'd held back.
His partner girls didn't miss it.
Bang!
Clara, waiting for this moment, fired bait at Juyeon's optimal defense spot.
Sion, unleashing pent-up power, recalled Rohan's plan.
"…."
Sion prone on the building rooftop, carefully squeezed the trigger.
Kaboom!
A qualitatively different report shattered the air.
The muzzle silencer shattered, unable to withstand the mana.
The bullet from Sion carried unprecedented speed.
But the target wasn't Juyeon.
It was the sword embedded beside her.
Ting—!
Sion's ricochet struck Rohan's embedded sword with a clear ring.
The bullet deflected off the flat, angle changed, soaring up.
Then toward the true target.
No time to react, no way to counter.
The thin thread holding the red bell snapped!
The sequence unfolded in a blink.
"…."
Juyeon stared blankly at the bell rolling on the ground.
Ichinose and Noah gaped in shock.
Rohan snatched the rolling bell, ignoring heaving breaths, and straightened.
"Haa… Instructor. I… huff, I win…!"
Panting, he finally grinned wide.
Before recovered Juyeon could congratulate, Rohan voiced the popup.
"Whew! Instructor. This exam taught me one thing."
"Mm…? What?"
"To make a world where you can drink carefree, we gotta crank up training intensity."
Perplexed, Juyeon blinked.
Then remembered.
The day Rohan part-timed at Flower Lily Bookstore.
When she'd visited, buying him a meal, sharing such talk.
—I'll get strong fast so you can relax with a drink.
—Then I'll pour you one myself.
Back then, Juyeon took it as light, mood-driven banter.
But Rohan's eyes burned with unjoking fervor.
"…Chatty as ever."
Unlike usual, her smile transparent with emotion, Juyeon chuckled softly.
Practical Exam 1st Place!
Achievement Accomplished
Growth rate increases when receiving practical lessons from your assigned instructor Juyeon.