Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Second Main Heroine
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"Rak Lynshu, victory!"
"Woooaaah!!"
Meanwhile, in Rak's class, the academy's promising stars were clashing in spars to test their skills.
Rak showcased the swordsmanship he'd learned from Moro—the Demonstration Style—proving that his changes went beyond just his looks.
"Incredible. When did you get so strong?!"
"His vibe's totally different now, too."
"So cute~~!"
"Hey, don't call him cute! Rak's a guy—you gotta say he's cool."
"He looks cute no matter how I see it……!! So adorable! Look at those cheeks. He's even cuter than my little sister!"
Bombarded by praise, Rak scratched his head, embarrassed.
Over the past week, Rak's reputation had skyrocketed.
Elysia, waiting her turn from a distance, watched with a warm smile.
'It's all thanks to Moro. He helped Rak find his smile again.'
Strength had brought Rak confidence and new friends.
Compared to his old self-conscious days, he smiled brightly far more often now.
Rak's blossoming beauty was so captivating it even made Elysia's heart flutter.
When they were alone in their room, he'd ask about her basic skincare products or spend ages admiring her feminine clothes, giggling at how cute they were...
It was like he knew how adorable he was and was reveling in maximizing his charm.
Elysia couldn't help but chuckle, wondering if he'd end up even more feminine than her someday.
"Next opponent... oh."
Karina Flameer.
They say enemies cross paths on a single log bridge.
The class hadn't forgotten the 'Pig Incident' yet. If she'd been in Moro's class, her antics as a blonde busty delinquent might've buried it, but in Rak's class, it was still a hot topic.
The pink-haired girl, Karina, glared at Rak with sharp eyes.
She tapped away at her phone impatiently.
Rak's next opponent was Karina.
"Mind sparring? I'll give it my all."
"Whatever... Doesn't matter if you do or not."
She seemed reluctant.
Even with her own opponent waiting, Elysia watched her warily.
She didn't trust what Karina might do to Rak.
"Karina, aren't you A-Rank #1 right now?"
"......Even for Rak, Karina might be too much..."
Amid worries and excitement, the spar began.
Rak gripped his wooden sword, lowered his stance, and took a quiet deep breath. While she fiddled with her phone, he waited patiently, assuming she wasn't ready.
"Why aren't you attacking? I'm good anytime."
The leisure of the strong?
Rak waited as long as he could, then changed his mind. This was an opponent he had to face at full power.
'Not sure if my sword will reach, but I'll do my best!'
Flash!
Rak's movements accelerated. Demonstration Style Form 2: "Butterfly", striking first.
Karina countered by conjuring fire magic in her hand and hurling it at him.
Rak claimed the first clash. The style emphasized aerial maneuvers, so his leap was already primed.
Karina reacted instantly, but Rak closed in swiftly and thrust his sword.
Thrust?
"......Ugh."
The moment Karina looked up, Rak panicked.
'Use the Demonstration Style's long glide for an aerial thrust. Punch a hole right through their face—simple but powerful.'
Moro's lesson flashed in his mind.
But he couldn't slam a wooden sword into a girl's face like that—
"?"
Karina whipped up a curtain of flames, shaking Rak off.
"Going easy on me~? Feeling cocky? This ain't the time."
"Kuh!"
Rak retreated hastily, catching his breath. Closing in was impossible.
Among the fire mages he'd faced today, hers burned the hottest. Breathing wrong up close felt like it'd scorch his lungs.
His skin was on the verge of burns—way too dangerous.
"Um, Karina. Tone down the mana. It's dangerous."
"Eh? Rak's got the Saintess anyway—even if he gets hurt~~♬"
Elysia had just suplexed her hulking male opponent, snapped his arm for a submission, then...
She glared at Karina.
'So because I'm here, it's okay to burn him? What a girl I can't like.'
"Eek."
Karina smirked, curling one lip. The heat intensified.
"Jealous, huh? With the Saintess backing you up~~ Gotta say, I'm really envious. So I can go all out too?"
"Bring it!!"
Rak readjusted his sword and charged again.
Karina won.
Rak couldn't break through her flame barrages and heavy spells, but everyone was impressed he'd lasted that long.
"Rak's movements are like a whole new person."
"Karina took hits to her arms and legs, right?"
"Yeah, I saw it clear."
"......"
Rak's sword had definitely touched Karina.
Though she landed clean hits on him, a real blade might've changed things.
"Karina Flameer wins!"
"...Ahaha. I lost. Thanks for the match, Karina."
"Saintess incoming. Hurry and get her to heal ya~. Scars would ruin that newly useful face of yours♬"
Elysia approached swiftly, healing Rak's burns with one hand. And then...
"Karina. Impressive spar. Mind if I go next?"
'Soy sauce punch her.'
Moro's words echoed.
──Right now, there was a girl she really disliked. No hiding it.
Elysia ignited her fighting spirit, veiled her eyes behind bandages, and assumed a boxing stance.
Messing with my man?
"Ah, Elysia!"
"Step back, Rak. I wanna learn something too."
"Don't break anyone's arm again."
"D-Do I look like a violent Saintess to you?"
"Ahaha... You used to beat up the neighborhood bosses a lot when we were kids."
'......'
Elysia ignored it and set her stance.
"Hand-to-hand...? No holy arts, just straight-up fighting?"
Karina's eyes widened.
Even Elysia would struggle against a mage without her powers.
Mages held a natural edge over pure melee fighters like brawlers or swordsmen.
At the extremes it differed, but Karina was legit—tricky handicap even for Elysia.
"Yeah. Otherwise, you won't fight me, right?"
"...Heh, not sure you'd be worth it~? You'll regret it, Saintess."
Karina snickered.
Elysia wanted to wipe that irritating smirk off her face. A very un-Saintess thought.
Moro's influence?
'Dunno, but it feels great right now. Because...'
She'd called Rak 'Pig.' Insulted him.
No proper apology yet. Time to settle it.
"Fine....... Not sure if you're worth it, but I'll humor you~~~!"
Karina cranked her flames to max.
Saintess Elysia vs. Karina—spar.
──Elysia dominated utterly.
And the brutality was enough to erase the 'Pig Incident' from memory.
"Urghk!!"
From the start, Elysia closed in at otherworldly speed, slamming a picture-perfect liver blow into Karina's gut,
then calf-kicked her retreating form to cripple her legs───backhand straight punch.
Like a prodigy striker, she finished Karina in one go.
"Ah, hrrgh. As ex-pected, haah. Ah."
"Consider the 'Pig' talk erased. Karina."
"......Ugh."
Karina passed out, nose gushing blood from both nostrils.
"W-Woah! Teacher! She's out! Karina's unconscious!"
"Take her to the infirmary. Someone."
"......"
Everyone eyed the Saintess nervously.
Infirmary?
Before that, couldn't the Saintess just heal her...?
They stopped short, knowing the bad blood between Karina and Elysia.
No one dared suggest it.
It made sense.
Saintesses had no duty to heal sparring partners with mana-fueled arts.
"I'll head back now. Rak."
"......Y-Yeah. Elysia. She okay?"
"No lasting damage. Just bruises."
"Scary that you can control it like that... Looked painful."
"Gotta hurt to knock sense in. Seems like... she's hanging with bad crowds, like Moro's girls."
"......Yeah."
──Bad crowds.
Rak knew of the so-called 'delinquents.'
Was Karina one too?
Elysia stormed off, seeming angrier than him.
But.
'If someone insulted Elysia, I couldn't hold back either.'
Couldn't be helped.
──Most onlookers secretly thought, deep down, 'She had it coming.'
Lienhua's panties today: blue.
Blue striped panties—not bad.
As I walked the hall, checking her panty verification pic via DM, I bumped into someone.
A pink-haired girl staggering toward me.
'What's with her?'
Zombie?
No one helping? She'd walked here alone from the gym, it seemed.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Ugh.... In-fir-mary..."
"Infirmary?"
I took her there.
The nurse panicked. "What happened?!" and rushed emergency care.
"You do this?! To a girl?!"
"No, I just found her in the hall and brought her..."
"Oh, sparring class? Wounds aren't too bad... Dizzy? Head took a hard hit?"
'Just grilled me like it was huge, but now it's 'not bad'...'
"A little dizzy..."
"Rest here. Gotta step out for a meeting—back soon."
"...Okay."
I sneak a peek at the double-nosebleed pink-haired girl.
Slender arms, long legs.
Up close, she's seriously pretty. Kinda pitiful with the gauze and bandages.
No time to glare at me?
After lying there breathing for about three minutes, she finally turned my way.
"What a busybody. Got time to kill?"
"Me?"
Shouldn't thanks come first? This bitch...
"Why help trash like me."
"?"
Wait, she looks familiar... One of Seraph Academy's...
Main Heroine
Karina Flameer?