Chapter 308: 2nd Semester Ranking Tournament. But Now, More Serious Than Expected (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 308: 2nd Semester Ranking Tournament. But Now, More Serious Than Expected (3)
Kang Ha-ni stepped onto the arena with confidence, but in truth, she was feeling a strange sense of tension as time passed.
It was a bit awkward to say it herself, but So-hyun cherished her deeply.
The problem was that because he cherished her so much, she had rarely sparred with him compared to others—and she certainly had never faced a version of So-hyun who was as serious as he appeared now.
He had thoroughly exploited Cheon Yu-hak’s weaknesses to break him, and he had crushed Lilac with sheer volume, preventing him from even approaching.
If he had used a similar strategy both times, she could have prepared, but because he had shown completely different styles of combat, she had no idea what was waiting for her.
“Phew, no. This won’t do. What the opponent does is important, but I can’t let my own fighting style waver.”
No matter how he came at her, the only thing that mattered was whether she could cut him or not.
Whether it was shadows swallowing the arena or iron flowers embroidering the sky, if she could dodge them and strike the main body, the victory would be hers.
She had ascended the stage tense, thinking he might even use Demonic Energy in the worst-case scenario. However, the sight that greeted her caused more confusion and doubt than anything else.
Contrary to her many assumptions, his appearance was quite different from what she had feared.
Perhaps that was why, upon seeing him standing there in a slouching posture with a long staff—not even a sword—slung over his shoulder, a strange sense of anger followed her initial bewilderment.
“…Hey, are you seriously discriminating against me compared to them?”
Was this a side effect of her recent efforts to show a more feminine side?
Rather than being annoyed, she felt indignant and slighted.
If he had at least been holding a sword, she wouldn’t have felt this way.
If his posture had been serious, it wouldn’t have felt like this.
She had never asked for this kind of “consideration.”
She was happy that he saw her as a woman, but even more than that, she had a strong desire to be a comrade who could support him.
“Fine. I don’t know how much you’re underestimating me, but let’s see, shall we? Let’s see how long you can keep up that relaxed attitude…”
“Child.”
“…Huh?”
The voice was incredibly calm and soft, yet the manner of speech felt strangely alien. The moment she slowly raised her head to look at him—
“I understand well enough what misunderstanding you’ve fallen into, but before I correct it, let us make one thing clear.”
Goosebumps erupted over her skin.
It wasn’t her superhuman senses, but a primal biological instinct that was screaming a fierce warning.
“This boy does not underestimate you. On the contrary, he cherishes you more than the previous two and intends to face you with everything he has. That is why he has brought out his strongest card.”
Those who have reached the heights of a superhuman often verify the options that naturally float through their minds like a simulation before a fight begins.
In that process, Kang Ha-ni felt a sense of awe that transcended mere shock.
What is this? He’s standing in such a slouching posture, yet how can there be absolutely no openings…?
“Now, here is a piece of advice. Becoming emotional before a fight is not particularly productive.”
Who exactly is standing in front of me right now?
“First, yes. You must look at your opponent properly. Not their outward appearance, nor the weapon they hold. You must grasp the opponent’s essence, gauge their capabilities, and then decide whether to strike or surrender.”
Yes, she didn’t know about anything else, but at least one thing was certain: she had been mistaken.
The idea that he had appeared like this because he looked down on her was a ridiculous delusion. Rather, the entity before her might be far more formidable than the simple violence he had displayed until now.
“Well then. Do you intend to keep guarding until I take the initiative?”
At those words, she lunged forward reflexively.
By habit, she used a quick-draw strike aimed at the neck.
However, the moment she tried to draw her blade, it got caught on something. When she checked, his staff was pressing down on the end of her sword’s hilt.
“…Ugh!?”
She immediately widened the distance as her first attack was neutralized, but for some reason, the gap between them didn’t increase in the slightest.
“It is true that a quick-draw is effective as an opening move, but if you insist on it even after the battle has already begun, that is the sort of result you will get.”
As the explanation ended, he withdrew the staff as if giving her permission to draw. What should she call the emotion she felt then?
Anger and absurdity had long since vanished.
If she had to put a name to it, it was probably joy.
Half of it was joy that he had used a more powerful means against her than against others, and the other half was likely due to the opportunity to learn from a master who overwhelmingly surpassed her perception.
There would be no more carelessness.
She gripped her drawn sword tightly and surged Mana throughout her body.
A chilling frost manifested through the blade. She reflexively executed the attacks surfacing in her mind, but her swinging sword was blocked all too easily.
“Yes, that’s it. Not bad.”
* * *
Is this what the eyes of a wolf running across a snowfield look like?
The look in Ha-ni’s eyes as she enjoyed meeting a powerful foe was quite alien to me.
In the past, the Sword Ghost rarely laughed. Even on the rare occasions she smiled after a spar, it was a faint smile with hazy eyes.
After my regression, I had intentionally avoided sparring with her, and even if we had sparred properly, it would have been difficult for me to show such overwhelming strength as I was doing now.
This might truly be the first time I was seeing her eyes sparkle like this, enjoying herself as she tested her sword.
She must be having fun. It couldn’t have been easy to find an opponent who could accept everything she threw at them.
“No, you should swing a bit lower from that position.”
And Sun Wukong, who was currently “synchronized” with my body, was an opponent who could accept everything from her—someone she wouldn’t easily encounter.
Following the advice, Ha-ni lowered her stance ever so slightly and swung her sword. A stronger impact than before traveled up my arm from the Ruyi as it collided with her blade.
“You are certainly gifted. To correct your movements immediately with just a single word of advice.”
“Wow, how did you really do that? No, how did you do that? Even my father couldn’t do something like this…!”
Of course, it wasn’t strange for Ha-ni to have such doubts.
Regardless of how strong Sun Wukong was, she wasn’t exactly in a position to be called an expert in swordsmanship.
However, based on the movements of someone in my head, she was skilled enough to at least give advice.
Advice based on the sword forms and links shown by a swordsman who had survived many more battles in the future.
With every exchange, her sword grew sharper, and a shadow of the past flickered within it.
Her sword, which was gradually coming to resemble her, was both ominous and nostalgic.
Fast, precise—if she couldn’t break through and was pushed back, she made minute adjustments and lunged at me again, a Ha-ni who was stronger than she had been a second ago.
As Ha-ni’s movements grew stronger, as if fine-tuning her aim, there was a moment where they perfectly matched the Sword Ghost of the past.
Sun Wukong, having parried the flash of her blade, took two steps back.
“Haah… haah…!”
She had a questioning look on her face, as if she didn’t understand how she had done it herself, but that sensation would surely leave a deep impression on her.
“Now then, it seems the lesson has been sufficient. This time, try to endure the attack of an opponent stronger than yourself.”
The battle that followed could not be called pretty, no matter how kindly one put it.
Ha-ni’s good performance until now was only possible because Sun Wukong had remained on the defensive.
The moment she decided to switch to the offensive, the balance—which was already painful to call a balance—collapsed miserably, leaving only a swordsman exposed to one-sided violence.
Even in the midst of it, she swung her sword and tried to evade, searching for an escape route, but it was meaningless.
Having taken another hit, Ha-ni finally dropped to one knee.
“You did well in your own right. Honestly, I didn’t expect you to endure this much.”
“You’re really amazing. Truly amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone this strong.”
Whether it was because of the massive gap in skill or the realization that she was gradually becoming stronger, Ha-ni seemed to be in a good mood despite being beaten to a pulp.
And her fighting spirit had not yet been broken.
As if she didn’t want this time to end, she raised her sword with creaking movements. Toward her, Sun Wukong slowly prepared the final blow.
…Don’t overdo it.
“I know. Even if it’s converted to mental damage, I shouldn’t give her too much of a shock. I will do just enough for her to endure.”
In Sun Wukong’s hand, the Ruyi began to hum, turning crimson and emitting heat. Watching her, Ha-ni also smiled brightly and infused her sword with Mana.
Cold and heat.
They were opposing energies, but the difference in scale was so clear that no one predicted Ha-ni’s victory.
Even so.
She did not give up or despair; she focused on perfecting her stance.
Ha-ni took the initiative.
Driven to her limit, she finally fell into the Realm of Selflessness. She presented the most perfect strike she had swung all day—no, in her entire life.
“Well done.”
But the red line extending toward her shattered even that and pierced the swordsman.
“Cough…!”
As she collapsed in a complete mess, her smiling face looked strangely beautiful.
“Good work, Ha-ni.”
After catching her falling body, I looked at the dazed referee. He nodded in a fluster and declared my victory.
* * *
And there were a man and a woman watching that scene.
“Wow, look at that girl. Ha-ni is getting beaten without being able to do a thing.”
“…I see.”
It was Ha-ni’s father and mother, who had come to the Academy to see their daughter.
Their relationship with their daughter had improved slightly, and since he thought he should have a conversation with that brat at least once anyway, he had come up. But Kang Ho-in was feeling a bit flustered by the unexpected sight.
He knew the boy was hiding something, but he hadn’t expected him to be so overwhelming.
In fact, he was at a point where he felt proud of his daughter for fighting so hard against such an opponent.
Normally, a typical parent, or someone with normal sensibilities, would feel anger toward the guy who had beaten their daughter black and blue.
In fact, Kang Ho-in was indeed quite angry.
What parent wouldn’t be angry when their precious daughter was hit like that?
He only held it back because he saw how happy his daughter looked, and because he realized what kind of meaning the previous spar held.
However, now that he had decided to endure it, as he looked at the situation coolly, a certain emotion began to crawl up, surpassing his anger.
“…That guy really isn’t bad.”
His first impression of the brat had been the worst.
He had thought the boy was just someone soaked in madness who would hurt himself and everyone around him, but based on what he had looked into recently…
As much as he hated to admit it, he thought there couldn’t be a better candidate for a son-in-law.
Wealth? He was the youngest son of the Yuseong Group, so what more needed to be said?
Kindness? Whenever his daughter wrote in her letters about cooking together or things like that, he could practically see her joy.
Was he kind to children? When he saw photos of the boy volunteering at an orphanage, he had wondered what kind of guy he was.
But those things were just bonuses. What he liked most was the boy’s resourcefulness and strength.
How surprised he had been when he saw the news that the boy had pulverized Flash’s face.
Flash’s skill was around the lower ranks of S-rank, but he was still an S-rank superhuman. Moreover, he was a sinister man who would have retaliated tenfold for what he suffered.
Yet, far from suffering retaliation, the boy hadn’t experienced any trouble at all.
It was right to assume that the boy had used some means to make it impossible for Flash to move.
And the strength, which he liked even more than the resourcefulness…
“Perhaps.”
It reminded him of the sword-wielding monster who had left a permanent scar on his heart.
“He might be equal to him, or perhaps even greater.”
“Oh my, you really must like him.”
“…Like him? It’s just that since no one else measures up, he’s relatively okay.”
“How many people could possibly pass your standards? Ah, there’s one right there.”
“Oh my, look at him holding her in his arms.”
“…I still don’t like it. They’re far too close.”
He was incredibly anxious that if his still-innocent daughter stayed with that brat, something big would really happen soon.
…His face looks just like a girl’s, too. Who knows what he’ll pull while my naive daughter has her guard down?