Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: Conclusion of the Midterm Sparring Evaluation
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The match is over!! Sadly, the underdog's impressive run ends here! Student Sophia Litwell advances to the finals after knocking out Student Kang Hyun-sol with Voltage Impact!!
The referee's shout marked the end, and the arena erupted in an instant.
The silence from moments ago was gone... replaced by deafening cheers that could tear your eardrums.
"Waaaaah!!! I knew it!! England's genius mage!!"
"Sophia!! Sophia!!"
"That lightning magic was so beautiful it was a feast for the eyes!! Thanks for the awesome match!"
"Underdog Kang Hyun-sol fought well too!! Looking forward to more!!"
Sophia lightly waved to the crowd in response before approaching me as I sat exhausted on the ground.
She extended her hand with a bright smile.
"Good job, Hyun-sol. Thanks to you, it was really fun. As expected of the man... mage I had such high hopes for. Looking forward to more?"
"Uh... yeah. Looking forward to... working with you too?"
'She almost said "man I expected," didn't she...? Nah, must've been my imagination.'
I grabbed her hand, desperately hoping it was just lingering tinnitus from the electrocution.
After a quick post-match interview, Sophia and I returned to the waiting room. The first thing we saw was Amelia and Yoon Seo-rin, who had arrived at some point, holding hands while greeting each other.
Or more accurately, Yoon Seo-rin was desperately trying to pull her hand free, making no secret of her displeasure.
While Amelia ignored her and acted overly chummy.
"Hello! You're Yoon Seo-rin, right? The one Sophia mentioned? I watched your match with her—it was amazing! I'd love to spar with you sometime!"
"...Same here. I'd scouted you to some extent already, but..."
"Your trait use was even more unique than expected. I get why they call you the Cold-Blooded Saintess now."
"So, could you let go of my hand...?"
"Hmm...?"
Amelia covered her mouth with one hand, feigning mild surprise at Yoon Seo-rin's words.
"That title's pretty embarrassing, you know..."
"As expected of the Hunter Association Chairman's granddaughter? Even our French citizens barely know that name, and you do. Scary!"
She glanced back at Sophia and me watching from the entrance, then flashed the purest smile imaginable and shouted.
"Great match! Sophia! Hyun-sol! Way beyond my clumsy attempts at reverse-engineering magic!"
"Thanks to you, I realized again just how amazing real mages are!"
"Don't call me 'Sophia-yang,' you crazy saintess. Want another electric grilling?"
"How many times have you even seen me to slap '-kun' on my name too...? You're creeping me out."
Naturally, Sophia and I grimaced in unison.
"Ouch! That's harsh. I thought we were close enough!!"
But Amelia stepped closer, maintaining her innocent smile without a care.
Sophia scowled and took a step back.
"No plans to drop that ear-to-ear grin? You're really working that pretty face. It's starting to piss me off."
"Hehe, this is just my normal face, you know? Thanks for the compliment, Sophia-yang!"
"I said don't call me 'Sophia-yang,' you damn perverted saintess!!"
Sophia couldn't take it anymore. She tossed her staff aside and charged at Amelia.
'Sigh... The pervert here is you, Sophia... Why turn a perfectly normal girl into one...?'
"Hey, calm down! No fighting in here!!"
I watched for a moment, shook my head, and approached to separate the two girls.
But as I reached out... the conversation flowing between them stopped me cold.
"You damn saintess!! How good is your image management that Hyun-sol defends you without a second thought?!"
"I'll expose all your secrets! Wanna dance with my blade!?"
"Hmm! You can't do that, Sophia-yang! If you threaten me like that, I'll have to play my trump card!"
"...W-what? Trump card? What... what trump card? I don't have anything you could... hold over me!!"
Sophia stuttered, backing away like she'd been caught red-handed.
Amelia grinned mischievously and whispered.
"You think I wouldn't figure it out? Why you enrolled in this Korean academy?"
"We've spent enough time together for that..."
Amelia glanced at me, still awkwardly reaching out.
"Hyun-sol-kun's not bad either! Decent looks, overflowing talent!"
"Sure, he's got a few rough edges, but he's plenty good enough as husb... Mmph! Mmph!!"
"Sh... shut up!! How do you even know about... that?!"
Shocked that Amelia had pinpointed her reason for coming here,
Sophia lunged and clamped her mouth shut, hissing threateningly.
"It's not... that far yet. Me and Hyun-sol aren't like that, so don't do anything stupid or I'll really kill you. Got it?"
"Hehe, you're always so cute, Sophia-yang!"
"......"
'Uh... I didn't hear anything. Nope, nothing at all~'
Amelia spoke loudly enough to raise suspicions she wanted to be overheard,
And Sophia overreacted so much it made you wonder if she even wanted to deny it.
It'd be weird not to have heard, but
I worried getting involved might backfire on me too,
So I awkwardly smiled like I heard nothing and tried to put some distance between the girls.
"Haha... anyway, how about we chill now? Sophia, you've got Kim Do-yoon up soon..."
But then Yoon Seo-rin, who'd been watching with arms crossed, raised an eyebrow skeptically—whether oblivious or intentional—and spoke up.
"I'm quite curious what weakness even the Cold-Blooded Saintess considers a trump card against Sophia Litwell. Mind sharing?"
"Sure! I'll tell you all about Sophia-yang's shady motives if we become friends!"
"......"
"......"
The final match of the day is up next! The midterm evaluation finals begin soon! Students Kim Do-yoon and Sophia Litwell, please finish preparing and enter the arena promptly!
Sophia, who'd been silent for a while, let out a deep sigh and muttered.
"You guys wait here. I'll crush Kim Do-yoon quick and deal with all of you after."
"......"
I hadn't done anything wrong, but Sophia's chilling killing intent froze me solid.
Amelia waved cheerfully, utterly unafraid.
"Sounds good! I'll cheer for you, Sophia-yang. Have an awesome match!"
Sophia kicked open the waiting room door without looking back and headed to the arena.
Here it is, the moment everyone's been waiting for! Clash of the academy's top powerhouses! Entrance exam rank 2, Kim Do-yoon vs. rank 4, Sophia Litwell—in the finals!!
The two students on the arena floor faced each other as the referee announced the finals.
Kim Do-yoon sensed something off in the air and flashed his signature smile.
"Sophia, if you don't mind, can I ask one thing?"
"...What?"
"It's nothing big, but... you seem pissed? Like something bad happened?"
Sophia, who'd been staring into space thoughtfully, slotted red, gold, and blue magic stones into her staff's tip and replied.
"Nothing much... Just gotta end this spar quick and kill three... no, two friends after."
"Hmm, got it. No clue what's up, but hope it resolves smoothly."
Kim Do-yoon drew the sword at his waist.
The moment his blade cleared the sheath, Sophia felt the air around her freeze, if only for an instant.
She didn't dwell on it and calmly aimed her staff at him.
The red stone spat flames, the gold lightning, the blue waves.
The referee confirmed their readiness and swung his hand down.
The instant it dropped, Sophia struck first.
"Flame Spear!"
Five fiery spears erupted explosively, plummeting toward Kim Do-yoon.
But he'd anticipated it. He angled his sword upward and cleaved them all in one slash.
"Nice. Warm-up's over."
"Same here."
Sophia cast lightning spells again, firing them off rapidly.
"Chain Lightning! Thunder Blade!"
Lightning chains and blades wove like threads in the air, splitting into three prongs to engulf Kim Do-yoon.
"Mana Sword Style 1: Spirit Guide."
But Kim Do-yoon didn't dodge. Instead, he wrapped his blade in aura with evident interest,
Stepped forward, and clashed with Sophia's spells.
The lightning chains were devoured into his mana sword upon contact, as if absorbing the mana.
"Impressive? Absorbing my magic?"
Sophia marveled genuinely at his feat and swiftly began another cast.
Kim Do-yoon raised his sword leisurely.
"Your mana is incredibly pure, as expected. Here, have it back."
With those words, an enormous surge of mana exploded from his sword.
It rampaged as lightning from the tip, rebounding toward Sophia.
"Reverse Surge!"
"......"
Sophia swung her arm urgently at the massive chain.
"Water Wall!"
Dozens of layers of water barriers formed instantly, enveloping the current.
Electricity and water collided, filling the arena with explosions and steam.
Kwaaaang—!!!
Steam billowed, blinding both instantly... but
Sophia spotted blue aura flashing through the haze.
"...That's?"
Kim Do-yoon had anticipated the steam and plunged into it.
Reading the mana flows around him, he unleashed a slash toward Sophia's position.
Kwang—!
His strike shattered her Water Wall, sending shards flying.
She barely regained balance from the blast,
But the slash grazed her cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.
"...Hmph, that's the power of a perfect mana swordsman, huh? As expected of rank 2."
"Thanks. But you're not serious yet, right?"
Sophia smirked faintly and gripped her staff anew.
The golden stone at her fingertips glowed, lightning surging once more.
"Voltage Impact."
As her spell activated, the mana circuits she'd laid under the arena floor during the fight lit up.
Lightning mana raced along the ground, tracing a massive circular magic circle.
Kim Do-yoon stood at its center.
He marveled at the formation.
"Whoa... Isn't this the one you used on Hyun-sol earlier?"
"Twice as strong this time."
The circle completed, and lightning poured from the sky like a waterfall.
Kim Do-yoon leveled his sword, concentrating aura, and swung slowly.
"Mana Sword Style 2: Return Flow."
His blade's path split the lightning, unleashing a massive shockwave.
Kwaang—!!
The stands fell silent—no cheers, no shouts.
Only explosions and mana vibrations filled the arena.
As the smoke cleared, Sophia knelt, breathing raggedly,
While Kim Do-yoon stood unscathed, sword still raised.
Though his blade tip trembled faintly if you looked closely.
Both at their limits.
Kim Do-yoon steadied himself, eyeing the unyielding Sophia.
"Hoo... Still got more in you...?"
"Stop. I lost."
But Sophia chuckled and conceded.
With her smile, the flames at her staff's tip flickered out, the stones dimming.
Finals over!! The winner is... Student Kim Do-yoon!!!