Chapter 638
Chapter Title: The Strongest in the Dark
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Shhk- Shhk-
A party of second-year students walked through the dark forest, their faces tense.
“Sigh~ It’s so dark in here.”
Just then, Shasha, standing at the center of the party, snapped her folding fan shut with a sharp click and let out a deep sigh.
The place where the second-year party was currently walking was as dark as night.
No, it was darker than night.
At night, there was at least moonlight and starlight.
But this dense and lush forest didn’t allow even a sliver of sunlight to pass through.
Currently, the party was relying on the mages’ Light magic.
Before entering the forest.
Some students had argued for clearing a path by cutting down trees to secure their line of sight.
But that suggestion was shot down by the students from the Summoning Department.
“If we do that, we might end up facing not Senior Chen Xia, but a Great Spirit of Darkness.”
The forest on Island No. 6.
This forest, known as the Forest of Darkness, was a sanctuary for the spirits of darkness.
And before the current second-years had enrolled.
The Abyssal Spirit, Ignit, had settled in Lumerne.
Ignit, who had been invited to Lumerne at the time to strengthen its defenses, settled in this very Forest of Darkness, which then became its territory.
Entering was fine.
But recklessly damaging this sanctuary of the dark spirits would undoubtedly incur Ignit's wrath.
In the end, the second-years had no choice but to explore the forest relying on magic.
“Aina. Any suspicious signs?”
“Not yet.”
At Aina’s dry response from the front of the group, Shasha unfolded her fan again and fanned herself gently.
The second-years were currently divided into four teams, and Aina and Shasha were on the same team.
Just then, El Jane, who had been out scouting, emerged from the darkness.
“How are the surroundings?”
“Nothing.”
“This is going to take quite a while, isn’t it?”
Shasha sighed softly.
El Jane, with her hands on her hips, let out a small sigh.
“Finding the princess is no easy task.”
“Yes, yes. I’m sick of hearing that.”
Shasha said coyly.
“Finding Senior Chen Xia will certainly be difficult. But she won’t just be avoiding us, will she?”
“That may be true, but.”
El Jane shook her head.
Watching her, Aina tilted her head for a moment.
It was then.
“Guys!”
Another student from the shadow class, having finished scouting, returned with a grave expression.
“There was a fight.”
“What?”
The second-years' eyes widened.
This forest was quiet.
But that didn't mean sound was completely blocked out.
No matter how dark it was, the sound of a distant fight should be audible.
Even more clearly, because it was so quiet.
But there was a battle?
Led to the scene of the battle, the second-year students could only fall silent.
In the glow of the Light magic, threads strung between the trees glinted.
Seeing it, a student from the Magic Department swallowed dryly.
“That’s definitely the ‘Thread Knife’ Senior Chen Xia used during last year’s first-semester midterms, right?”
A blade in the form of a thread.
Chen Xia had demonstrated how she used the Thread Knife to create her own territory and hunt her opponents.
Like a spider.
The image of Emio, one of the top students in the Magic Department's second year at the time, being hunted down so helplessly was strongly etched in the first-years' minds.
“Looks like they were wiped out.”
“Wow. How could there be no sound?”
The second-years trembled as they looked at the signs of battle.
“Mages, cast your search spells.”
Shasha quickly gave the command.
“El Jane, guard me, just in case.”
“Leave it to me!”
Even with Light magic, Chen Xia might be able to approach Shasha.
Since Shasha was the main damage dealer of this party, her protection was essential.
Besides, Shasha was the commander of this party.
Aina, on the other hand, was skilled at fighting alone but clumsy at leading people.
Without Shasha, the command structure would fall into chaos.
So, El Jane stood behind Shasha.
The second-years surveyed their surroundings warily.
The moment El Jane raised her hand from behind Shasha’s back.
Flash-!
A golden flash erupted.
A brilliant golden aura aimed for El Jane.
CRASH-!
“Eek?”
Shasha let out an involuntary scream as the sword strike grazed past her, almost touching her.
El Jane hastily dodged Aina’s attack and shouted.
“What do you think you’re doing, Aina!”
The other party members also gaped.
While everyone was still trying to figure out what was happening, Aina spoke curtly.
“It won’t work, Senior.”
“What are you talking about!”
El Jane snapped.
Watching El Jane, Shasha asked.
“Aina. Are you saying that Jane is Senior in disguise?”
“Yes.”
“What? No way!”
“To begin with, El Jane and Senior Chen Xia have different builds.”
“Yeah! That’s right! A disguise that good would be impossible without magic or summoning.”
“But I don’t sense any mana or spiritual power.”
El Jane had always admired Chen Xia and tried to emulate her.
From her hairstyle to the way she dressed.
As such, she was the perfect target for Chen Xia to impersonate.
However, El Jane was taller than Chen Xia.
Right now, El Jane looked exactly the same as usual.
But the second-years began to watch El Jane with clear suspicion.
Because Aina wasn't one to talk nonsense.
“What’s your proof?”
Shasha asked, her eyes still fixed on El Jane.
She looked no different than usual.
To that question, Aina replied.
“Her chest.”
“Huh?”
“Her chest size is different. It’s bigger than El Jane’s.”
“……”
“……”
At those words, the students' gazes turned to her chest.
“Oops. And I tried my best to bind them.”
El Jane. No, Chen Xia wore a troubled expression.
Then she smiled sweetly and spoke to the male students.
“Everyone, how long are you going to stare?”
Startled by her words, the male students' eyes scattered in all directions.
Seeing this, Shasha shrieked in horror.
“You idiots! Why are you looking away!”
Daggers shot from Chen Xia's hands like bullets.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-!
In an instant, with a series of explosions, daggers flew in all directions and embedded themselves everywhere.
A sound echoed that was impossible to believe came from deflecting daggers with a sword.
Vzzzt-!
The tip of her sword trembled minutely.
Aina clutched the wrist of her sword hand.
The daggers weren't just fast.
The destructive power packed into each one was also immense.
The male students who had momentarily looked away swallowed dryly.
If it hadn't been for Aina, they would have been judged combat-ineffective right then and there.
While the male students shuddered.
Flash-!
Aina closed the distance and mercilessly swung her sword at Chen Xia's neck.
“Hmm. As expected, Miss Aina shows no mercy.”
One would expect her to be a little intimidated by a senior, but Aina showed no such signs.
The moment she identifies someone as an enemy, she strikes without hesitation.
As a knight.
The greatest quality for a sword wielder.
And it was the reason Aina was the strongest among her peers.
Chen Xia smoothly moved her palm, deflecting Aina's sword.
But Aina's blade sharply changed direction and pursued Chen Xia.
The movement of the sword was like a snake.
‘The class representative is still Luke, isn't he? But…’
Since last year, Aina had never once stepped down from her position as the strongest second-year.
During the first semester's final exams, Luke, who had caught up to Aina with terrifying growth speed, managed to surpass his limits and take a step ahead of her in their duel.
But since then, Luke hadn't completely surpassed Aina.
Luke's power was one that allowed him to take a step forward when faced with his limits.
He could match Aina for a brief moment, but he couldn't completely overcome her.
Despite that, the reason Luke was the class representative was simple.
Aina had lost her fighting spirit.
‘To be precise, her venom disappeared.’
Under Luke's influence, during the second semester, Aina chose a path of looking after those around her rather than aiming to be the best in her year.
The ever-isolated successor to the Sword Saint thus naturally began to blend in with her peers.
And as a result.
‘She's definitely moved forward.’
The other second-years hadn't realized it.
But in Chen Xia's eyes, it was clear.
She's returned to how she was as a freshman.
Aina's skill was now a level above the other second-years.
Her face was expressionless, but a single will could be felt in her eyes.
The firm will to reclaim her place soon.
Aina hadn't been going easy on Luke.
She had honed herself to the point where she could win with certainty.
Chen Xia's eyes followed the trajectory of the sword that chaotically disrupted her vision.
Terrifying speed.
‘But it's not just fast.’
Among the third-years, the representative students who use high-speed swordsmanship are Duran and Iliana.
And the characteristic of Duran and Iliana's swordsmanship is one thing.
Overwhelming power utilizing speed.
But Aina's sword was of a different nature.
It was fast, unpredictable, and complex.
The noble sword of the Sword Saint.
Swish-
Aina's sword lightly grazed Chen Xia's cheek.
Tap-
Chen Xia tapped her left cheek with her index finger and smiled.
“Woooah!”
“That’s Aina for you!”
“She's not losing even against Senior Chen Xia!”
Cheers erupted from all around.
But Aina bit her lip hard.
“No.”
“Eh?”
“Senior Chen Xia… hasn't even started.”
Aina tensed every muscle in her body.
This very moment was the only chance Aina had to defeat Chen Xia.
Crack- crackle-
The sound of joints cracking came from Chen Xia's body.
In time with the rhythmic sounds, Chen Xia's body slowly, slowly shrank.
As she lightly wiped her face with her palm, her face returned to its original form.
El Jane's uniform was now somewhat baggy.
Chen Xia kneaded her shoulders and sighed softly.
“This technique is great and all, but it makes my body so stiff.”
That wasn't all.
Because the skeletal structure changed, the flow of Aura was impeded, and the body couldn't exert its full strength.
“Hnngh-!”
Chen Xia stretched.
Crack-crack-crack-
After a satisfying series of cracks echoed.
She kicked her feet to shake off the ill-fitting shoes and then shucked off El Jane's uniform.
El Jane's uniform blouse and skirt fluttered through the air.
Horrified by the sight, the male students turned their heads away.
Seeing that, Shasha pounded on her chest.
“Agh! Seriously! How many times do I have to tell you! You damn fools! Don't look away! Are you idiots?! She's not stripping, so stop your lewd fantasies!”
Kyaa-! Shasha shouted, looking like she was about to breathe fire.
Shasha, who usually spoke formally and exuded elegance, became rough in personality and speech when angered.
“One, two, three, four.”
Chen Xia, now neatly dressed in her own uniform, was barefoot and doing warm-up exercises.
The second-years looked bewildered at her relaxed demeanor.
Time was on the second-years' side.
So they had expected Chen Xia to launch an immediate, overwhelming assault.
But that expectation was splendidly shattered.
Chen Xia was overflowing with composure.
She looked as if she were waiting for someone.
“Senior Chen Xia…!”
“Form a perimeter!”
As other parties arrived, Chen Xia soon found herself surrounded by the second-years.
Excluding the party that was first wiped out by Chen Xia, three-quarters of the entire second year had gathered.
“Senior Chen Xia. Aren't you being a little too relaxed?”
Just then, Shasha narrowed her eyes, covering her mouth with her fan.
To anyone watching, it was clear Chen Xia had waited for the second-years to gather.
‘What is she plotting?’
“There's no plot.”
Chen Xia smiled sweetly.
“I'm just confident.”
At those words, Harvidon's eyes twitched.
“Senior. I respect you. But no matter who you are, this is looking down on us too much.”
“If you're thinking of Chen Xia the Hero candidate, then I can see why you'd think that.”
“Pardon?”
Chen Xia nodded as if she understood.
“Everyone, did you know? In the dark…”
Chen Xia smiled sweetly.
In that moment.
The eyes of the Knight Department students surrounding Chen Xia widened in shock.
Whoosh-
Chen Xia's body was slowly disappearing.
“With the exception of one person.”
Chen Xia grinned.
“I'm the strongest third-year, you see?”
With those final words, Chen Xia vanished without a trace.