Chapter 33: The Academy Exchange Meet – Development (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 33: The Academy Exchange Meet – Development (1)
The wind blows.
Fuuuuuuu...
It was a gust originating from beyond the central island. As Chae Lina collided with the Parsi cadet, a roaring shockwave rippled across the area.
"So this is what it means to carry the bloodline of the Heavenly Sword, is it?"
Even Victoria, the mastermind behind the strategy, let out a dry chuckle.
Chae Lina had beaten the Parsi second-year to a pulp. The Black Knight was Victoria's half-sister—and a full sibling to Edward, a third-year at Parsi, born of the same mother. Though she wasn't the absolute elite by imperial standards, she was a talent more than worthy of representing Parsi's second-years.
'I selected Chae Lina as a Knight aiming for a battle of attrition.'
A battle of attrition? Chae Lina had overwhelmed the Black Knight completely. On top of that, she was fighting on equal footing with Parsi's Pawn, who was renowned for sheer combat power.
Considering it was right after her fight with a Parsi second-year, anyone could see that Chae Lina was practically winning by decision.
Fuuuuuuu!
The wind blew once again.
Victoria did not mind the wind. It was proof that the outcome on the field was drawing near.
Her eyelashes fluttered against the dusty breeze. Her deep crimson hair—the color of the imperial family—swirled softly in the air.
'Through this Academy Exchange Meet, I will...'
Victoria desired only one thing. The very thing she had longed for ever since "that day," ten years ago.
Thud, thud.
Heavy footsteps resounded, accompanied by the clatter of metal grinding against metal.
Victoria narrowed her eyes slightly. Her pupils, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, shimmered like twilight.
"You haven't changed one bit, Princess."
Edward spat a mouthful of bloody phlegm onto the ground. A chip of a broken tooth clattered against the stone.
Victoria squinted. Over Edward's heaving shoulders, she caught sight of Ji Chang-hyuk dragging himself across the ground.
Ji Chang-hyuk had measured his distance and fought well against Edward. But the gap in skill was far too stark. Ji Chang-hyuk was not the top cadet at Joaquin, whereas Edward was one of the brightest prospects even within the imperial family. That was all there was to it.
"That wretched mindset of using others without dirtying your own hands—that's precisely why you fail to win His Majesty's favor."
Edward said, rubbing his chin.
Slide.
Victoria raised her blade near her temple. Then she retorted coldly:
"...You have a sick taste yourself, Brother. You should have ended this match the moment you instantly killed our Queen."
"When you—the Princess—are still standing here fully intact?"
Edward was a Queen. The moment Ji Chang-hyuk, the White Queen, fell, the outcome of the match was practically decided.
Moreover, the battleground between the two men was the central island where the flagpole stood.
Yet Edward had put off his guaranteed victory. He had gone out of his way to come to the floating island where Victoria stood.
The battle between Chae Lina and the Parsi first-year echoed against his broad back. Sensing it, Edward shook his head repeatedly.
"I couldn't do that. Absolutely not."
Edward slammed his gauntlets together in front of his solar plexus.
"I will show the world. That the Princess had no real plan. That she merely put her subordinates forward because she didn't want to get hurt. I will expose that petty, despicable side of yours for all the world to see."
"Those bravado words only hold true if you actually beat me, Brother."
Both royals were nineteen years old, of the same age. Yet Victoria consistently used honorifics. In the royal family, hierarchy was determined not just by age, but by the status of one's maternal lineage.
"Bwahahaha!"
Edward's boisterous laughter cut off abruptly.
"You needn't worry about that, Princess. I, Edward, will etch into your very body that I am the one fit for the Victoria Imperial Family. I will gladly usurp that seat which is far too grand for you."
"...Brother Edward... You still have no idea what I truly desire."
"Is there anything else a Princess like you could want? You want to eliminate all the political enemies and siblings blocking your path, then smoothly inherit the throne."
"..."
Victoria did not reply.
'No.'
You are wrong, Brother.
Edward was correct that Victoria's goal was to ascend the throne. But that was merely a short-term objective.
What she truly desired was what came after.
Victoria raised her blade near her eyes. In her peripheral vision, she caught the black dot reflected on the steel. Down below, That Person was watching her.
'I will wield the imperial authority.'
And through it, abolish the class system in Europe.
And through it, set the world right under His banner.
'I will carry out what You are holding back.'
From the day I was saved by You.
It was a vow that had not swayed for even a single day.
The First Successor to the Throne of the Victoria Dynasty.
She was plotting the overthrow of the class system.
The reason she had entered Joaquin—despite most royals enrolling at Parsi—was also part of this grand design.
'Everything is for Your sake.'
Victoria's eyes widened sharply.
KABOOM!
An explosive crash.
As she launched herself forward like an arrow released from a bowstring, Edward charged to meet her. Neither was a fraction behind the other. The two royals sprinted with all their strength against the backdrop of the sunset painting a ridge of the Alps Mountains.
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| ♕(X) |
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Episode: The Academy Exchange Meet
"Man, this is getting way more intense than I thought," Weapon muttered, having strolled over to join us and taken a seat before anyone noticed.
It was just as he said.
Everyone, including myself, had secretly expected Joaquin to win. When Chae Lina was putting on her one-woman show, we thought it would be an easy victory for us.
But the tide turned with Edward's appearance. While the situation didn't flip completely upside down, the tide that had tipped like a seesaw in Joaquin's favor had now leveled out.
On top of that, despite being in a position where he could win right then and there, he used Bifröst once more to move to Victoria's base. That judgment, seemingly reckless at first glance, kept the tension flowing unbroken throughout the arena. Depending on victory or defeat, his reputation would be starkly divided.
If he won, it would be praised as the courage to be disliked.
If he lost, on the other hand, his image would take a massive hit.
"Since this isn't just a simple exchange meet, but an event broadcast all over the world, showing off that kind of showmanship will benefit him more in the long run than winning anti-climactically," Ryozo spoke.
"...I hate to say this, but Chae Lina's methods were so brutal that there's a high chance public opinion of Joaquin will turn bad after this event."
"I somehow feel responsible..."
"Leon, why would you feel responsible? It's probably just that everyone of the Sword Demon's bloodline is like that."
The guilt Leon was feeling shifted straight onto me.
'This is so unfair.'
Chae Lina and I were complete strangers.
'She's impersonating my cousin, for crying out loud!'
I had no choice but to swallow my frustration inwardly.
Even if I were a bystander, it would be hard to deny that there was some kind of connection between Chae Lina and me.
KABOOM! BANG!
Ghoooooo...
While I was lost in thought, the match between Chae Lina and the Black Pawn came to an end. Without any plot twist, the victor was Chae Lina. The Parsi first-year lay twitching at her feet.
"Haaah... haaah..."
Chae Lina wasn't in great shape either.
It was only natural.
She had fought back-to-back battles against the top cadets of Parsi. If anything, it was astonishing that Chae Lina, who hadn't even received proper instruction at Joaquin yet, had contributed this much.
'It's probably because Leon taught her well.'
And Chae Lina, an overwhelming rough diamond, had voraciously internalized Leon's teachings.
Inside the hologram window, Chae Lina gasped for breath before collapsing to the ground. It seemed her legs had given out. Spread-eagled, she slowly closed her eyes.
"Haaah... haaah..."
Chae Lina's chest heaved up and down. Fragments of blood lay scattered around her.
Yet because her beauty was so breathtaking, the scene looked like a cruel, fatal painting.
Ryozo said Chae Lina's brutal tactics would create anti-fans, but as a user of Miracle Blessing M and a true gentleman, my opinion was the opposite. There were far more people with twisted tastes in this world than one might imagine.
'If being ruthless generated anti-fans, I would've been canceled into the abyss long ago.'
Forming a bitter smile, I turned my head.
The bloody battle between the third-years was in full swing. Since both were royalty, they shared the same roots in combat style. Even though their armaments differed—sword versus gauntlets—and their academic tracks were different, the timing of their thrusts and retreats was identical. Their timing when activating blessings wasn't much different either.
"Is this like... mutual hatred between kind?"
At my words, Abel answered.
"Victoria and Edward have been sparring partners since childhood. That's how royalty is. A society of infinite competition. Even though the Princess is the First Successor to the throne, it can be taken from her at any moment."
"That's interesting. Usually, nobility follows primogeniture, doesn't it?"
"It's because of meritocracy that the imperial family's prestige remains firm. Only when backed by skill can anything last in the long run."
Indeed.
Had the Nibelung family failed to produce such stellar outputs as the Sword Emperor and the Sword Princess, it would have been impossible for them to wield immense influence in aristocratic society. Power ultimately stems from force. Humans overconfidently consider themselves the lords of creation, attempting to resolve everything through reason and logic.
But.
That is an idealist's dream.
'It is precisely because they are irrational that they are human.'
The more primitive, the more visceral something is, the more wildly humans go crazy for it. Case in point: the very situation the cadets had engineered right now.
Both Joaquin and Parsi had played gambits.
Joaquin had wasted its strongest asset by placing her as a Pawn. Parsi had willingly played along with Joaquin's checkmate trap.
Each side gave up certainty and staked everything on uncertainty. That was why we remained glued to the action.
SWOOOOOSH!
Victoria's strike and Edward's counter.
Whish!
Heart in throat, I watched the wind-cleaving sound shatter above Victoria's head.
A tightrope walk on thin ice, where one wrong step meant plunging down into the abyss. A fierce battle set against the western sky. The man and woman cast aside honor and pride. Noble royalty were frantically trying to push each other off the cliff.
"Has your blade gone dull just because it's a makeshift armament?!"
Edward shouted, thrusting his fist forward.
"No matter how much you struggle, you will never win His Majesty's favor! And even if you ascend the throne, not a single person will truly serve you—!"
"I don't care."
Victoria tilted her head. The stray fist grazed her cheek, drawing a line of red.
"I will still inherit the throne."
Having barely dodged, Victoria spun around and slashed her sword. The trajectory was different from before. Her once fluid sword path was now brimming purely with lethal intent. Her sharp strikes, aimed strictly at vital points, blasted against Edward.
THUD!
The sharp tip of her sword trembled.
Victoria's feet lifted off the ground. Edward drove his fist deep into her lower abdomen.
Victoria clenched her teeth. Even as streams of blood trickled from her mouth, she shifted her sword to a reverse grip. She intended to drive it straight into his trapezius.
CRUNCH!
Edward raised his knee and smashed it into her abdomen again. Her internal organs felt torn and crushed. The tip of her blade ended up stabbing near his shoulder blade below the trapezius—not deep, but shallow. It was effectively the moment victory was decided.
Pressed tight against her, Edward spat into her ear in a whisper:
"Holding a sword that doesn't even suit your hands is your defeat, Victoria."
"Ha, haha... cough! Hahaha!"
Victoria coughed up blood repeatedly. Yet she curled the corners of her lips into a smile.
"...What's so funny?"
"Taking... cough... this much of a beating... should be enough to erase the memory of our junior beating your sister to a pulp from people's minds..."
"...?"
Moments later, Edward's eyes widened in shock.
"Don't tell me...?!"
"Drunk on the euphoria of impending victory... you failed to notice cough the incongruity... Brother Edward, isn't it strange? I used to beat you so easily when we were kids, so why did I fall so helplessly today...?"
Victoria chuckled as she spoke. Blood dripped steadily onto his gauntlets.
"I don't care whether I lose to you one-on-one or not. What I—what That Person wants—is 'Joaquin's perfect victory.'"
A completely one-sided match content wouldn't satisfy the viewers. What mattered was the narrative.
Joaquin, predicted to hold the advantage, struggled far more than expected and came close to losing. Because of that, the remaining two matches became unpredictable as well.
"...or so everyone will think."
"Y-You bitch, don't tell me!"
Edward reflexively tried to pull away.
"A perfect... victory means 'Parsi's complete defeat'..."
Victoria moved her crimson, glistening lips.
"Edward, it's time to reveal your complacency to the world."
As Edward whipped around to flee, Victoria locked her arms tightly around his neck. Then she threw her head back.
"I, the Black Pawn, expend one charge of Bifröst to return the Black Queen to the front lines!"
The anomaly occurred instantly. Light green particles enveloped Ji Chang-hyuk's limp body.
"No—!"
Edward screamed. It was too late. Ji Chang-hyuk staggered back up to his feet, looking just as bewildered.
As he stared down at his own palms in bewilderment, Victoria shouted at him:
"Run!"
A sharp light returned to Ji Chang-hyuk's eyes.
Without even time to nod, he kicked off the ground.
"Fuuuuuuuuuck!"
Edward hurled a long string of expletives, reaching out with a desperate hand toward the distance. He had no leeway to care about dignity.
"Now!"
Ji Chang-hyuk raised the generated flag high into the air. The three Korean characters reading "Joaquin" fluttered in the wind.
"It's over!"
He slammed it down.
[The Flag War has ended.]
[Victory for Joaquin Academy.]
[All members have survived.]