Second Ranking Match # 4
Second Ranking Match # 4
Right after I totally Mun-Minned Mun Min and climbed down from the ring like a conquering general.
I fell into despair.
"This... can't be!"
It was none other than my next opponent!
"My opponent is you, Leona!"
It was Leona!
How the hell did this happen! No matter that I won two in a row, I don't think I'm on the level to fight Leona!
"It turned out this way. Stop talking and come up."
"Gahak!"
I clutched my head in despair as I climbed onto the ring and screamed.
"This is a tragedy! This can't be! That I, of all people, have to fight Leona...!"
"I'm sorry too. Still, stop fucking around and draw your sword already, Kim Geun-cheol!"
"But! How can I, to you!"
I had no choice but to tear my hair out. Covering half my face with one hand, I pointed at Leona and declared.
"How can I raise a sword against you, Leona! I meant to dedicate my victory to you, Leona!"
"Agh! Your voice is too loud! Shut up a little! And dedicate what!"
"O goddess! Why do you refuse my offering!"
"Wha, what?! Goddess!"
Leona flinched, took a stance as if about to pounce, then cleared her throat with a "hmm-hmm" and slipped a hand behind her head, letting her hair cascade down.
"Then I shall accept it! Kim Geun-cheol's victory! I will receive it well!"
"Good!"
"Then let's begin the match."
"Let's."
No matter what, since my opponent is Leona, I have to fight as seriously as possible.
—Goooooh.
I drew up every last drop of mana in my body. I was weaker than Leona. If I fought, I'd lose. But what kind of mindset was that?
A loser's mindset.
A mindset of winning even if I died and came back. A mindset of defeating Leona no matter what. A mindset that, now that I'd stepped onto the ring, there was no such thing as backing down!
With all the momentum of a first-strike annihilation.
—Kwaang!
I launched myself like a cannonball at Leona, stamping the ground with a heaven-and-earth-shaking step!
"Kyaaaaaaaah!"
Along with my war cry, light erupted from both eyes. My vision was so bright it felt that way... no, I mean! The light wasn't erupting from my eyes; Leona's halo was just too bright!
"Fufufu! You're far too complacent! Even if you draw out your full power, if there's an absolute gap in skill, you're no match!"
—Flash!
Before I could do anything, Leona's sword was touching my headgear.
"I lost...!"
The strength drains from my legs. She countered my full-power Geun-cheol Dash head-on, and that lightly?
As expected, Leona is Leona.
Too strong.
But... she probably isn't so strong I can't reach her. I will catch up to Leona no matter what.
"It's my victory!"
Anyway, my winning streak was cut short by Leona's hand.
"Go practice more, Kim Geun-cheol!"
"Yep."
No, I mean, even so, to get fucked over in a single exchange. At this rate, isn't that just like being Mun Min? Savouring that bitter feeling, I answered obediently and then climbed down from the ring forlornly.
When I came down, Yu-ri was looking at me.
"Ugh, seriously, you hopeless bastard. How do you manage to lose in one second?"
"Well, that's..."
"And why are you dedicating your victory to Leona? Huh? Shouldn't you be dedicating it to me? You really wanna die?"
"Ack! Hey! Yu-ri! Wait! I'll dedicate it to you too, to you! I just can't beat Leona yet!"
"Hoh... you bastard. Did you just say 'yet'? You're actually trying to win?"
A man.
"If he's taken up the sword. He has to win."
"Crazy bastard! That's cringe as hell!"
"So, Yu-ri, you're gonna have to teach me a bit more."
I have no choice but to learn diligently.
When I said that with sincerity.
—Hwak.
Yu-ri turned her body and spoke as if chewing me out.
"Yeah, yeah. If I teach you hard, you'll just go dedicate the victory to Leona again. Fuck, this kills the mood to teach, I'm not doing it!"
"No! Hey! I said I'll dedicate it to you next time!"
She keeps telling me to dedicate it like she's some kind of Behelit!
"I'll dedicate it!"
I shouted with the heart of Griffith!
* * *
"Alright, then I will announce the rankings. This is the second time, and the changes are quite significant. I hope everyone takes something away from this."
Having said that, Instructor Lee So-ra used her equipment to project a hologram window in the air.
[1st Place Lee Si-hoo]
[2nd Place Woo Yu-ri]
[3rd Place Ryu Cheon-hwi]
[4th Place Leona]
Wow. Even just looking at the top ranks, it's changed a lot. For the rankings to change like this. More importantly, that bastard Si-hoo is 1st? Then he's gotta treat us to congratulatory snacks.
But my rank went up too. Seems I went from the middle of the class to the upper-middle. But it's still a level where I can't even touch the celestial realm. It really gives you a lot to think about.
"Kueh! It's frustrating! A drop in rank!"
Leona, who got 4th place, burst out in indignation beside me.
"How'd you end up falling?"
"There's the matter of my condition. And probably some bad judgments too. It's a shame. I didn't expect him to come in like that there."
Like this, even in the very top ranks, the results change every time they fight. It seems there's no one absolute powerhouse, for now.
"Lee Si-hoo...! Don't get cocky! I'll definitely defeat you next time!"
"Hahaha, well, I'd be grateful if you did."
Ryu was declaring war on Si-hoo, and Si-hoo was fending him off, laughing like he was in a bind.
And, well, Yu-ri is in the middle of being disappointed.
"Ah, shit. I wanted to get 1st place. Lee Si-hoo is fucking strong."
"Stronger than Yu-ri?"
"Hey, fuck, stop calling me that. It's fucking creepy."
"Yep."
Anyway, just as we were all checking the rankings and throwing in a comment.
—Ding.
My phone rang.
"I've just sent the sparring footage to each of your phones. Take some time to review it individually. You'll gain something from directly observing how you fight."
"Understood!"
So, I was about to watch the footage.
"Geun-cheol!"
"First, let's watch Kim Geun-cheol's."
Starting with Si-hoo, Leona and Yu-ri came up behind me and stared at my phone. I mean, what, are you here for the show?
"Here for the show? Hey. This is a trade secret, a secret. You trying to scope out my tactics?"
"You're seriously bullshitting like crazy. What tactics would you, Kim Geun-cheol, have? Hurry up. Before I confiscate your phone, hurry up and play the video."
"Can't be helped then."
I immediately played my sparring footage.
The footage of me fucking up Ken and Mun Min.
—Kwaang!
—Chaeng!
Kim Geun-cheol in the video was unilaterally 'Mun-Minning' Ken with a pose of absolute fucking badassery. Watching it, I was so moved my heart swelled.
This is... me?
I'm way too strong.
"Wow. Kim Geun-cheol? You did way better than I imagined? All the movements are very smooth."
"The way he uses his body, I taught him well. The guy is pretty good at applying it."
Leona and Yu-ri each say a word.
"Heuheuheu, you're making me blush. Hey. Si-hoo. Aren't you gonna praise me?"
"Geun-cheol. Seriously, your nose is getting so high up I think I need to bring it down a notch."
"No! Why are you saying such harsh things!"
"You keep getting cocky...! Ah, but Geun-cheol. I think it's really good that you're not obsessing only over swordsmanship like that."
"Ah, that's exactly it."
"Yeah. That too."
At Si-hoo's words, everyone nods their heads. Well, it's a correct statement, but is it okay for Yu-ri, a person from a swordsmanship dojo, to say that?
"No, Yu-ri. Even if the others do, is it okay for you to say something like that?"
"Hey. Superhuman martial arts are comprehensive by nature. The kind of quick decision to throw away your sword, like you just did, is also important."
"Geun-cheol. What's important is winning. Even if you use a strange trick, it's fine as long as you take down the enemy."
She's saying something that sounds like a villain.
"Yes. That's right, Kim Geun-cheol. Our enemies are monsters, monsterkin, and villains. There's no need to use some kind of proper method against them. You have to exercise creativity."
"Combat creativity."
Yu-ri picked up the thread.
"In that regard, Geun-cheol, your instincts seem really good. Looking at it, you seem really good at fighting, but..."
"Well, that's..."
"Ah."
At Si-hoo's words, Yu-ri and Leona freeze for a moment.
"Why?"
What?
"Ah, no! It's nothing! Anyway, since Kim Geun-cheol is working hard, his skills must be improving that fast! Well done! Woo Yu-ri is teaching him very well!"
"This bastard does make teaching worthwhile."
—Swish swish.
Yu-ri reached out and stroked my head.
"You're doing really well. Huh? I'll teach you everything, so just follow along."
"Alright!"
"K-Kim Geun-cheol...!"
And so, that was the end of today's ranking battle session.
* * *
"Geun-cheol. You get it, right? The strongest one means me."
"You're really fucking strutting, aren't you. Si-hoo. Let's discuss that later when I get stronger, huh?"
"Heuheu, think that'll work?"
Si-hoo laughed happily, munching down on the Don-gapnaegi he'd bought me because he'd won his bet.
But getting 1st place really is amazing.
When we were all gathered together earlier, I watched the video of Si-hoo fighting Yu-ri, and they both fought incredibly fiercely. In the end, Si-hoo won, but it was a really thrilling match.
"No, but how do you fight that well, Si-hoo? How much have you trained since you were little?"
"I did a lot. In the end, skill is an investment of time. The one who spends more time inevitably has better skill."
"What a blindingly obvious thing to say."
Still, I believe without a doubt that I can cover that kind of time gap with my talent.
"Geun-cheol. You're getting cocky inside again."
"How'd you know?"
"It's all over your face! Anyway, speaking of which, Geun-cheol. You fought at the department store with Leona the other day, right?"
"Yeah."
"If something like that happens again, don't think twice and call me first. I'll come right away."
Still, that guy Si-hoo really does look after his friends. Telling me to call him first if anything happens. It's so reliable it almost brings tears to my eyes.
"Heuheuheu, you'd come running right over, huh."
"Honestly, in that kind of situation, I think I would have to go. Got it?"
"Got it, got it. If that happens, I'll hit you up with a help call right away."
As if something like that would happen again.
Anyway, if something like that happens next time, I'll have to ask Si-hoo for help.