The Victor's Surrender
After forcing Yeon Minha’s submission, Lee Hyun rose to his feet. He manipulated the particle arranger to dispel the magic formula of his Predictive Eye, then scanned his surroundings. The wall of flames had already descended to a little over half its original height. Soon, every student in the arena would be able to see them clearly.
“Hic… sob…”
Lee Hyun lowered his gaze once more. Yeon Minha was still huddled on the ground, crying softly. She had both arms wrapped around her stomach, curled into a tight ball that reminded him of a pill bug. He had not touched her face, yet her once-beautiful, neatly arranged hair was tangled and dusted with dirt, a complete mess. She must have been thrown around roughly across the dueling floor.
…
He had already achieved his objective. In any case, his role was to elevate Yeon Minha’s standing. The purpose of this duel had never been to humiliate her in public, only to break her spirit. If word spread that she had been utterly crushed by a freshman, her reputation would not rise—it would only invite mockery.
-Thump!
“Hic… hiccup…!”
Lee Hyun approached her again and knelt directly in front. At his movement, Yeon Minha hiccuped and trembled violently. Ignoring her reaction, he pulled out a small packet wrapped neatly in flame-resistant paper. When he shook it, a faded white pill and a small comb dropped into his palm.
“Open your mouth.”
“Sob… w-what…”
“I said open.”
“Hic… why… why…”
Lee Hyun held the pill out to her, but Yeon Minha only shook her head frantically, her face frozen in terror.
“…Haah.”
“Hic…!”
Irritation surged through him. Lee Hyun let out a heavy sigh, then seized her chin and forced her mouth open. He tossed the pill inside. The water-soluble medicine melted instantly, seeping into her mucous membranes. Yeon Minha felt the relentless pain that had wracked her body begin to fade noticeably.
“Hic… what… what is this…?”
“It’s Katanyl, a fast-acting painkiller used by the military.”
“Why… why give it to me…?”
…
Lee Hyun chose not to answer her last question. He stood and moved behind her. Taking up the comb, he began gently smoothing out her disheveled hair.
“…Hic… hic…”
Yeon Minha could not understand him at all. There was no consistency in his actions. The same person who had beaten her to the brink of death was now feeding her medicine and carefully combing her hair from behind. His movements were so practiced it was almost ridiculous—like he had done this dozens of times before. The masked freshman was clearly a deranged lunatic. She resented the principal for ever allowing such a madman to enroll.
Yet all she could do was sit there, shivering. She had not even fully registered that she was allowing a stranger to touch her for the first time in her life.
“…Hoo.”
Yeon Minha’s hair had been restored to the neat, elegant state it held before the duel began. Lee Hyun, who had endured the unpleasant sensation of her hair sliding between his fingers the entire time, finally withdrew his hand and exhaled.
“Stand up.”
“Sniff… hic… what…?”
“I told you to stand. Or should I force you?”
“Hic… hiccup…”
A chill shot down her spine. Yeon Minha staggered to her feet at once. Lee Hyun examined her appearance. Her hair was tidy, and no visible injuries marred her face. The bruises from when he had choked her were hidden beneath her long hair. Since she had minimized her makeup for the duel, there were no tear-streaked marks. While the armor over her torso was slightly dented in places, no one would suspect she had been the one rolling across the floor moments ago.
A surge of accomplishment and satisfaction filled him. Lee Hyun nodded to himself without realizing it.
“Congratulations. You are the official victor of today’s duel.”
“…What?”
“However, the declaration of defeat you made earlier remains valid. Never forget that.”
“What do you…”
Without answering, Lee Hyun placed his left hand on his right shoulder.
Just as unease began to bloom in Yeon Minha’s chest at the strange gesture—
-Crack!
“Hic…!”
With a grotesque popping sound, Lee Hyun’s right arm fell limply to his side. Seeing the horrifying sight, Yeon Minha shook like a leaf in the wind.
“Crazy bastard… you’re actually insane…”
The students held their breath, waiting for the flame curtain to lift. When the upper portion finally began to vanish, small murmurs broke out across the stands.
“Look…”
Sera turned her head to say something, but she faltered at the sight of Yena staring straight ahead without blinking.
“I can see…!”
The sudden wave of noise made Sera look back toward the arena. What appeared was Lee Hyun, his body covered in burns. His anti-particle suit lay in tatters, scattered across the dueling floor. His right arm hung uselessly, and his blade lay abandoned on the ground.
The students shifted their gaze to his opponent. Yeon Minha’s hair remained perfectly neat and undisturbed, drawing admiring gasps. Yet she was breathing hard and uneven. While she showed no obvious wounds, faint dents marked her anti-particle suit. It was the first time anyone had seen her look so exhausted after a duel.
“I knew it… How could a freshman possibly beat her…?”
“Still, he’s impressive. Isn’t he the first person to stay on his feet after the flame curtain drops?”
“And he landed a few clean hits, didn’t he? Maybe that first-place ranking in the basin training wasn’t a fluke.”
The students chattered among themselves but never looked away. The flame curtain had vanished, yet the duel timer still had time remaining. Then, the masked student raised his uninjured left hand high above his head.
“I forfeit. My right arm is badly injured. I can no longer continue the duel.”
The moment he finished speaking, a bell rang out to signal the end of the match. Yena’s face crumpled instantly.
“Hyun-ah!!”
A voice calling my name came from the spectator seats. It sounded slightly wet with tears. Yena, who had sprinted over from afar, reached me in seconds. Her innocent eyes were brimming with tears.
“Yena. Are you crying?”
“Hiiing… what is this…? You said it was just a light duel…! You told me it was for practice…!”
Yena frowned at the wounds covering my body, clearly upset. She whipped her head toward Yeon Minha and glared at her, puffing her cheeks in an attempt to look fierce. The effort was somehow endearing.
“…Don’t be like that. It really was just practice. This is how you improve.”
“But this is too much… Wait, this isn’t the time. Hyun-ah, let’s get you to the infirmary—”
“I’m really fine. It doesn’t even hurt much.”
I left Yena and walked back onto the dueling floor.
“Wait here a moment. I need to greet my senior.”
“Just a second…!”
Yeon Minha was already standing at the center of the arena.
“Thank you for the lesson, Senior. It seems I was still no match for you.”
“…Ugh.”
“You should head to the infirmary right away. Katanyl works quickly, but its effects don’t last long. The pain will likely return in about ten minutes.”
“…Hic…”
“I tried to avoid inflicting any fatal injuries, but it would be wise to get a thorough examination just in case.”
Perhaps the memory of that vivid agony had resurfaced—Yeon Minha’s body was trembling faintly.
“I look forward to your guidance in the future, Senior.”
Those once-arrogant eyes now held nothing but fear. I had to consciously ignore the profound satisfaction blooming inside me.
Was I always like this?
I, too, headed straight to the infirmary after the duel ended. I had already popped my right arm back into its socket, but the minor burns still required basic treatment.
“Tsk tsk. For a freshman, you’ve got quite the nerve, don’t you? Of all things, you had to duel…”
A young woman in a white coat scolded me while dabbing my skin with disinfectant-soaked cotton. Thanks to the anti-particle suit, the injuries were not severe. The sense of accomplishment from taking my first solid step forward dulled the pain almost entirely.
After listening to her lecture about keeping the wounds dry for the next few days, I left the infirmary. Since I had somewhere else to go, I calmed the still-fretting Yena and headed off alone.
My destination was a tall building at the western edge of the main Yolam Academy complex. I climbed to the fourth floor, walked down the corridor, and stopped before the door at the very end. A plaque reading Principal’s Office hung there.
-Knock knock.
“Come in.”
A now-familiar woman’s voice answered. When I opened the door, I saw a graceful, elegant lady reviewing documents at her desk.
“What brings you… Oh my.”
Ha Wolhwa looked up, recognized me, and her eyes widened in surprise. Even with those round glasses, it was hard to believe she was older than the squad leader. She looked far too youthful.
“The talk of the academy has come to visit the principal’s office in person.”
“…Please don’t tease me. I have something to ask. Do you have a moment?”
“Of course I do. I was just about to take a short break myself. Come, sit over here.”
The principal rose with a bright smile and guided me to the sofa in the reception area. Just like last time, she skillfully brewed tea using telekinesis and soon placed a tray of refreshments before me.
After taking a sip, she opened her mouth with an elegant smile.
“So. What brings you all the way here?”
“It’s about what you said last time—that you would grant me any favor I asked for. Do you remember?”
“Indeed. I certainly said that.”
When I brought up the promise from the previous training session, the principal nodded.
“I’ve been wondering when you would finally mention it. Well then, Student Yu Jinhyun, what favor would you like to ask of me?”
She seemed genuinely curious; a faint spark of anticipation glimmered in her eyes.
“I’d like to change dormitories. Is that possible?”
“It’s certainly possible, but… you’re using a favor for something like that? Personal changes are usually difficult, but for you I could arrange it immediately…”
The principal tilted her head, puzzled.
“There’s a specific dormitory I want to move into, but it would be difficult through normal channels. That’s why I’m asking this way.”
“…Hmm? Which dormitory could possibly require a favor?”
“The second-year dormitory. Yeon Minha’s room.”
“Pfft…!”