Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Facing the Instructors
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'Didn't he die?'
Really merciless.
Seeing his body crumpled up like a flip phone, it was enough to make you worry if he was even alive.
Fortunately, I'd been sitting in the back row, so I wasn't in immediate danger—but that wouldn't last long.
"Wooow!"
In stark contrast to my tension, Roze looked thrilled.
Color had returned to her cheeks, and faint heat was rising off her body—she was clearly ready for battle.
"How tough are the instructors?"
"They all look like red belts at least. That bald teacher in the back? He might even make black belt if he pushes it!"
"Black belt? For real?"
Roze-ryu uses standard martial arts belt rankings to gauge skill.
Usually differing by one rank per step.
Affiliating with the instructor squad meant you'd at least minimally mastered your school's ideals, putting you at black belt.
So the red belts Roze mentioned were straight from her own style.
The stage where training perfects the body, and inner and outer energy surges dramatically.
In other words, every one of those instructors was a monster who could shatter shells with their bare hands.
They weren't opponents for cadets.
A few might manage a fair fight, but factoring in the armor suits the assistants wore? We'd be hopelessly outmatched.
And there was the deputy leader too.
He'd said "myself and the assistants," so he'd definitely jump in depending on the situation.
'What do I do?'
By Roze-ryu standards, I was a yellow belt right now.
Yellow led straight to red, sure—but that one step was a wall so high most spent their lives grinding against it without crossing.
With my skills, even surviving against an instructor was impossible.
If I didn't want to end up battered and tossed into a corner like those cadets, we'd need a group attack.
'Can't take them all. Got to pin down at least one instructor somehow. The deputy... guess I have to hope Roze handles him.'
I stepped forward, nudging the cadets around me.
We'd gotten pretty close over time.
Plenty had teamed up with me in classes before.
"I'll take point. Back me up."
No need for long explanations.
A few quick ones fell in behind me right away.
The rest would follow my lead once I moved.
Sure, being up front was the riskiest spot—but for holding out? I could manage three exchanges.
'This might actually work?'
But facing the assistant head-on, tension flooded in.
The one I'd targeted had already turned a dozen cadets into pulp.
As I approached, he kicked aside a fallen cadet at his feet and assumed a stance.
"First proper team I've seen. A bit late, though, isn't it?"
The deputy leader's voice rang out.
He meant for us to hear it.
No time to care, though.
The assistant was already in attack mode. Couldn't take my eyes off him for a second.
'Lion Stance.'
The martial art I knew best.
One of the top ten my original body had mastered before learning Roze-ryu.
But with the assistant right there, his Lion Stance felt worlds apart from my amateur version—down to my bones.
'Here it comes!'
The instant I crossed a certain distance, he lunged like a beast.
Pure animal motion.
Reminded you of a lion sinking teeth into prey's throat.
Stunned by the sheer boldness and speed, the ability aimed his way missed wide.
'Tch!'
I burst forward on reflex.
Lion Stance excelled in offense above all.
Couldn't let him dictate the mark, even if it meant risking it all.
If I didn't break his rhythm, my current level wouldn't survive even two exchanges.
"Gah!!"
In a blink, my view flipped upside down.
I'd blocked the first hit, but paid for it by slamming into the floor.
My skull rattled, but the body honed through endless spars with Roze sprang up like a top before I could even think, stance reformed.
"Hoo."
The deputy leader's voice pierced my ears.
No spare attention for that.
Lion Stance attacks didn't end in one shot.
Its foundation: unleashing every ounce of energy in a relentless barrage.
And facing me was a master who'd perfected it.
'Left hand.'
He didn't hide his next move.
Just followed with attacks too fast and fierce to dodge.
Crash!
My blocking right arm snapped.
Ribs cracked too, maybe two.
The moment I hit the floor and bounced back up, my eyes caught his heel descending right over my head.
That would've killed me.
But my body moved faster than I'd thought.
I'd already stepped in close while rising, and my left fist—subbing for the shattered right—slammed his thigh.
"Urgh...!"
This time, I didn't fall.
I'd forced the assistant back a step, but at the cost of my left shoulder dislocating and a compound fracture.
Half a beat.
I'd moved exactly half a beat faster.
That hesitation in his "relentless barrage" let the waiting ability barrage shove him back—no follow-up.
"Lemon! You okay?"
"...Yeah, fine. Think I can take one more."
"Fine my ass! Get back now!"
Why the fuss?
Sparring with Roze, this was routine.
'Actually kinda manageable?'
Only my head and legs intact—so if I braced for death, twice was doable.
I was amazed at my own cool head, calculating even this.
"Reckless punk. Move."
"...Lunshin?"
Then, unexpectedly, someone stepped up front.
Ryu Lunshin, the guy who'd picked fights with me nonstop in second semester first-year.
Didn't seem reformed, so what the hell?
"Can't just stand by when trash like you gets some glory. Zhonghua First Spear's heir's gotta step up. Watch and learn. Be honored."
Lunshin activated his mechanical spear and advanced.
Looked like he'd somehow recovered from that brutal beating by Merdi in the last practical.
'Guy hasn't changed a bit.'
Figured a thrashing like that would've mellowed him some. Nope.
I hadn't even hoped for an apology over healing him.
Just wished he'd quit the antagonism.
On a whim, I eyed Lunshin.
Heir to the Ryu house, after all.
Top-tier physical talent among us body-types.
Might actually hold his own.
Lunshin strode boldly before the assistant pulverizing incoming abilities.
Cadets eased their assaults, worried about the splash.
"I'll crush you in one go."
Lunshin flicked his spear and engaged.
Over in a flash.
Ten seconds: spear snapped, him hurled into a corner.
"Who's that poser? Wasting good talent."
The deputy leader's incredulous voice narrated over it.
Still, he'd held out longest yet.
Messy as it was, ten seconds beat any cadet so far.
"This the best? COH Academy cadets, my ass—buncha pushovers. Only three—no, four worth a damn."
Gut-wrenching.
"Not just skill. Your heads are rotten too. Hit the battlefield like this? Half of you'll be alien chow inside a year. Bet on it."
No energy to argue.
Of a hundred cadets, barely forty still standing.
And class'd barely started twenty minutes ago. Dire.
But no cadet could retort.
Pride?
When death's knocking, who gives a shit.
'Oh, casualties!'
My gaze flicked to the cornered, unconscious cadets.
Normally, even mid-class, we'd intervene for treatment.
Not now. Nothing.
I rushed over.
And found it.
"He's... dead."
No breath.
Beyond any revival measures.
Died instantly mid-clash with the assistant.
"What? He's actually dead?"
Horror rippled through the cadets.
Not the first time, sure.
"Real combat" classes had accidents—cadet deaths trickled in nonstop.
But not like this.
"My words a joke to you?"
The deputy leader's voice cut across again.
Yeah.
Should've taken him dead serious.
'Damn it!'
I triaged the criticals first.
Mercifully, aside from that one apparent instant death, no other lifethreats.
'If we'd responded right from the start, we could've handled the assistants. No deaths...'
Too panicked.
No coordination.
I'd formed a team first, others followed—but mismatched, total mess.
Things could've gone way better.
I eyed the assistant reappearing before me.
Abilities in every harmony couldn't singe a hair.
Not weak abilities.
Lecture hall looked bombed out.
Walls crumbled, ceiling punched through—stuff from upstairs raining down.
All from stray waves.
'He's not unscathed either.'
Outer energy burned out fast.
Even instructors couldn't shrug off cadet firepower unscathed.
'Doesn't mean we're fine.'
Glanced back.
Cadets exhausted too.
First time under real pressure—wasted abilities spamming instead of smart plays.
'No choice.'
Fight till I couldn't.
Then take my lumps and eat corner.
'Or...'
I turned.
Locked eyes with Roze, coiling to launch.
She winked, vanished—and a deafening boom stole every gaze atop the podium.
"Crazy..."
Deputy leader swore aloud for once.
Should've recorded that, I thought, turning to see Roze there, sure enough.
"Let's fight!"
He'd stood in a pit at least two meters deep.
Podium vaporized; building shook with some massive groan.
"This is..."
Deputy looked rattled.
Assistants froze, whipping around.
"Whoa, what's with that girl? Charging the deputy?"
"Clear the wounded. Don't get caught in it."
Even bantering casually.
I exhaled in relief.
Any later, and I'd be down too.
"Let's fight, I said!"
"You're a cadet?"
Roze's one-sided opener reignited the brawl.
Cadets and assistants alike gawked.
"Roze that strong now?"
"...Guess so."
Their duel was too fast, fierce—beyond my eyes.
Each clash: shockwaves erasing surroundings.
Backing off for our sake, but this wing? Rebuild it.
"Ha, crushing. Thought I'd improved, but nah."
"Sigh, turns out zilch."
"Monsters. Deputy's instructor squad, fine. But Roze? Lemon, how you hang with that?"
"Haha."
Just smiled at the cadet.
Tell 'em she's not even full throttle? Shock city.
No need here.
'She's grown.'
Roze had said solo outdoor training pre-outing.
Something clicked.
Watching now? Results showed.
Clear progress since last Darmosa spar.
'Top of the five now?'
Overwhelming deputy without full power.
Dragging it out to sync more, clearly.