Chapter 20
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 20: Declaration of Victory
Swaaa-aek—!
Sound of air tearing fiercely. In front of eyes, dozens of arrows are rushing. Blazing flame, air flickering and breaking due to it. That fire demon rampages as if it would devour this side immediately.
“Get away...!”
Girl glaring as if to kill. Whether so or not, I pressed the watch button once again.
Click—.
Vision becomes dull, and all flows of the world delay. Through that, a colorful sword blade stretches out. The next moment.
“Hmm.”
Kwang, kwaaaang—!
Missed arrows cause explosions behind my back. Heat rushing hook. Even while doing so, the gaze didn't shake. Just advancing one step, and another step. That stride was neither urgent nor slow, but leisurely.
“I told you, didn't I? It’s useless.”
I provoked implicitly. That even her attacks that continued are now just tiresome. Is she swept away by such a reaction. Charienne’s tempo was gradually becoming disorganized. With breath becoming short, the girl chewed her lip.
“Shut up... I said shut up!”
“Oops.”
Piik—.
Parrying the attack flown by surprise. Similarly trajectory twisted, arrow stuck in the innocent floor. I wave the balloon sword hwi hwi.
“Missed again.”
“How dare, a Class E trash...!”
“Getting tired of the pattern slowly. Do you know nothing else besides that talk?”
“I don't know what kind of trick you are pulling but I will definitely make you regret!”
“That is also a line I already heard. Exactly 11 minutes 24 seconds ago.”
“You...!”
Different from the first time. The unique beautiful and deceptive smile was gone. Instead, only a frowning brow remained in that empty spot.
Click—.
Thick sweat drops flow down riding the pale cheeks. Whether stamina is showing the bottom, movements were not quick either.
‘Well... since she rampaged like that.’
After my first parry. Charienne poured out a fierce attack like a crazy person. Like a person denying reality, saying this cannot be.
‘Natural in a way.’
Magic polished for a lifetime. Imagine the field one dedicated one’s life to was broken by a mere balloon sword. Ridiculous. Pushed by that ridiculousness, losing even more ridiculously.
-Aren't you getting worried slowly? What kind of disgrace you will suffer.-Would you like to forfeit at least? If you crawl on all fours in front of the whole school, I might go easy on you a bit.
And to the opponent she ignored herself until just now. It would be rare to find a person who wouldn't be shaken in this situation. Moreover, the opponent is a kid.
Click—.
A time when mental growth hasn't been completed yet. Scratching pride bit by bit could be said to be an excellent strategy.
“Haa, haa...”
“You look short of breath though?”
“Ugh, noisy... Still plenty of room left!”
Sparring start. A point where 10 minutes passed since then. Flow was one-sided.
Click—.
Girl attacked, and I cast parry every time. If picking the side pushing the sparring, it was clearly Charienne’s side. Because I only repeated defense and didn't do any attack.
“Well.”
However.
“Even if you repeat it several times more, I think the result will be the same though.”
Atmosphere had already crossed over to my side. Pushing and leading are strictly different.
Click—.
Resetting the watch, striking away the shot attack again. Combination of bug and parry deflects arrows one by one. Not a scratch formed on the balloon sword.
‘Compatibility was good.’
I think shaking my hand. Parry, a technique requiring high concentration. Furthermore, it can only be applied one at a time. Especially tricky to cast against projectiles.
‘Although I am drawing out maximum efficiency with watch bug...’
As expected, it is inevitably somewhat disadvantageous in a battle pushing with quantity. In Charienne’s case, parrying was easy because she tended to be careful with each attack.
Click—.
If she didn't hold a bow, If she pushed with quantity not quality, If she deployed magic like ordinary pyromancers...
‘I would have lost. Since there is a limit to defending with parrying.’
Technique honed to the extreme. That rather caught Charienne’s ankle.
Click—.
“Deflecting well here and there!”
“Fufu, thank you.”
“Like a gnat! Just one hit... if just one hit lands, you will fall out immediately!”
“Try hitting then.”
“Ugh, iiik...!”
Piik! Kwaaaang—!
We continued offense and defense biting tails. As the trajectory on the sparring ground becomes flashier, the buzzing of spectator seats is transmitted to ears.
-What is going on? Class E Top Student is matching Charienne-nim...?
-Not a level of matching? It looks nothing but completely overwhelming.
-What he’s holding in hand... surely a balloon? Deflected magic with something like that?
-Fuck, first time seeing something like that in my life.
Chatter heard faintly. Charienne’s complexion worsens further. What leaked between tired lips was urgency she couldn't swallow.
“Kueuk...!”
Gazes swarming from surroundings. Concentration tilting tightened Charienne’s short breath a little more.
-Can't pop even a single balloon? Didn't they say she is a quite high-level pyromancer?
-No matter how unique the opponent is, is it something to struggle like this? A bit disappointing...
-She acted so high and mighty usually right?
-Can't catch one Class E Top Student while being Class C Top Student?
-Rather than that, isn't that Class E friend quite good? Did they say name is Viktor?
Voices bursting from everywhere. Question, disappointment, ridicule, admiration. Emotion soon becomes pressure and presses down on the exam venue. The one receiving pressure from it was, as expected, Charienne’s side.
-Surely... she won't lose like this right?
-No way. No matter what, Class C Top Student right?
-Looking at the aspect, feeling is neck and neck though...
-Should withdraw then. How to attend academy being embarrassed?
Every time a word is added, the girl’s steps become impatient. Arrow trajectory shakes, and mana splashes here and there.
“Seems you are getting impatient gradually?”
“Haa, haa... Shut up!”
“Indeed. Struggling against a mere Class E Top Student, would that do?”
“Shut up! You too, repeating only evasion!”
Nose that was soaring as if piercing the sky. Words kicking the girl’s origin, and situation.
‘Almost time.’
It was the limit. Charienne’s stamina would have been discharged long ago. Even so, she was pulling the bowstring grinding teeth. However, even that is slowly reaching the end. The girl prepared the last attack.
Hwarreuk—!
Air becoming hot in an instant. Hellfire caught on the thread is ferocious, and even the scene dyes red. Whether scraping up the limit, it was incomparably stronger than previous attacks. Charienne announces with a ringing shout.
“I will end it! To a dreg like you, the difference in level...!”
Arrow compressed with high temperature was black unlike previous ones. Piling flame in several layers, concentrating only in one direction. Charienne’s finger releases the taut bowstring.
Following that, a venomous storm is shot. Rushing leaving blazing haze behind. Powerful blow surprising even spectators.
Kwaaaaa—!
‘However.’
Trajectory is obvious. Disorganized reason awakens instinct, and instinct soon vomits linear action. And, I was predicting the reaction that would return reflexively from the start. In short,
‘Means it’s easy to dodge.’
Click—.
Scene slowing down without fail. I parry the approached arrow, brushing it narrowly.
Piik—.
“......!”
Kwaaaang—!
Bursting sound enough to deafen ears. I didn't stop, and dug in toward the opponent with revealed gap. Now when Charienne kicked the air greatly.
“Ugh...!?”
I narrow the distance quickly. Panicked sign. Girl grabs disorganized posture, and pulls the bowstring once again. However, hastily woven magic inevitably has crude texture. Flame still blazes, but its power drops relatively.
‘Pierce.’
Click—.Click—.Click—.
Pressing the watch several times, swung the balloon sword sharply. Weak flames subside without even being able to brush this side. Gap narrowed to one step before knowing.
“Caught you.”
Word whispered implicitly. Immediately lifting foot, push the girl’s abdomen strongly. Since I have no muscular strength, I had to put even body weight. Afterwards, belated hitting sound resonates throughout the training ground.
Peoeok—!
“Keueuk...!”
Girl flew away as is simultaneously with vomiting vain breath. Was it because of exhausted stamina. It seemed transmitted damage was stronger than original power. Charienne falls only after floating in the air for a few seconds.
Cheolpeodeok—. (Splat)
Body sprawling carelessly. Girl couldn't stand up again. Just gasping for rough breath.
“Haa, haa...”
“Oh my.”
I look down at the girl standing upright. Still not a scratch existed on me.
Sseuk—.
Gripping the colorful sword again. And, aiming toward the neutralized red hair. Texture of bouncy balloon is placed on the white neck.
“It’s the end, right?”
Declaration thrown grinning. There was no one to raise an objection.
Like that the duel ended. Simultaneously ringing, familiar mechanical sound.
Ting—!
Blue window floated in front of eyes.