Chapter 51
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: I Won
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A faint blue status window popped up in front of him, but Tail ignored it.
All his focus was on that breathing right now.
And with his eyes closed, Tail was stepping forward, twisting his waist, and trying to thrust his sword, centering his breath.
Tail took a very cautious step.
One step.
One step.
It was incredibly slow.
So slow it felt like a turtle's pace.
It took about three minutes from planting that one foot to channeling power from his lower body through his waist into a sword strike.
The moment those final three minutes were up.
The momentum of Tail's swinging sword was on another level entirely.
Whoosh!
A massive sword wind erupted, and heat haze rippled out around him.
It was mana radiating outward.
Boom!
The illusory dummy in front of him shattered into pieces from the incoming sword wind.
Feeling this sensation for the first time, Tail slowly opened his eyes.
Tail stared blankly down at his sword.
What on earth was that feeling he'd just experienced?
Only then did the faint blue window catch his eye.
You have successfully utilized mana more efficiently.
The skill 'Use Mana!' has leveled up to LV. 2.
You have gained great enlightenment regarding the sword.
You have successfully infused mana into your sword.
You have acquired the skill 'Use Sword Qi!'.
"Wh-what is this?"
Tail's eyes filled with bewilderment.
He immediately opened his skill window.
"A real new skill?"
And Sword Qi, no less?
Sword Qi wasn't just pumping mana into a sword.
It involved infusing mana throughout the blade, boosting even its durability on a small scale.
On a grand scale, it could cut through anything.
Gemstones, iron ore—anything.
It wasn't merely coating the sword with mana; the sword itself embraced the mana.
'And the Use Mana! skill has hit level 2?'
Skills had levels?
Did that mean the Sword Qi skill could level up too?
As those thoughts crossed his mind, he glanced outside and saw it had already gotten dark.
'Time to head back.'
Yujin would worry if he stayed out too late.
Tail quickly packed up and returned to the dormitory.
The next day.
The day of the long-awaited duel had arrived.
In the meantime, the nobles' reactions were split down the middle.
"Ha. Why's Chromhel the noble rep anyway?"
"Yeah, he's not even the eldest son of a count—just a second son."
"If he loses, we're screwed."
Some noble students showed clear discomfort at Chromhel's solo act.
While others praised it.
"Whoa, that's badass."
"Hell yeah. Mana user versus a commoner who can't even use mana? No contest."
"Now we can openly trash the commoners."
But the commoners' reactions were unanimous.
"Sigh... I knew he'd stand out from the start."
"This sucks. Should I just drop out?"
"I can't. My dad sold the fields and the cow to send me here..."
Almost all of them were negative.
Very few students thought Tail could win.
In a duel where mana use was allowed, Tail—who was known not to be able to use it—had next to zero chance.
Before long, the duel time approached swiftly.
Titina had chosen the academy's largest arena.
It could easily hold a thousand people, and it was already packed before the event even started.
Not just classmates, but seniors and professors too.
A massive crowd from the academy had gathered, all eyes on this incident.
Chromhel peeked out from the waiting room toward the arena, a thick smile spreading across his lips.
Yes.
This was the scale it needed to feel right.
Back in the waiting room, Chromhel chuckled to himself.
Now he could finally get rid of that annoying commoner pest easily.
"Oh, right."
He almost forgot the elixir from that lord.
It boosted mana and muscles intensely for exactly ten minutes.
That lord had said it was incredibly precious and to take it right before the duel.
As he handed over the elixir, those words echoed.
"Don't kill him. And obviously, don't cripple him."
He remembered that chilling glare.
"If it looks like we're the ones bullying him, people will sympathize."
Those oddly cold yet strong, haughty eyes had frozen him solid.
"If you break those conditions, I'll punish you to quell their discontent, no matter what."
That lord was insanely glamorous.
Like a single rose.
"But if you subdue him with minimal injury, crushing the commoners' pride without issue, I'll put you to good use."
With those words, that lord had handed him the vial with a white, delicate hand.
'Yes. With this, it'll be fine.'
Then he'd win.
Chromhel uncorked the elixir and gulped it down.
And at that moment.
In the other waiting room, Yujin, Riki, Alice, and Ethan approached Tail, who was waiting for the duel to begin.
"Tail, do your best and come back. Even if you lose, we're on your side."
"Yeah, it's okay to lose."
Alice and Ethan nodded vigorously at Yujin and Riki's words.
Tail was dumbfounded at the sight.
Wait, are you guys really here to cheer me on?
"Hey, if you're here, cheer for me to win."
Silence fell at Tail's words.
Tail let out a wry chuckle.
The kids had already figured it out.
From the moment mana use was revealed, that Tail would lose.
All four pairs of eyes brimmed with worry.
Tail stood up, looking at them.
At the same time, Yujin's eyes wavered.
"Tail..."
Yujin's voice was fragile, like a candle flame in a frosty field.
Yujin's fingertips lightly grasped Tail's collar.
"Don't get hurt."
Tail smiled at Yujin.
"I won't."
He ruffled Yujin's hair as he said it.
"So watch closely from now on."
At the same time, Titina's voice rang out from outside.
"Tail and Chromhel, please come out of the waiting rooms and head to the arena~"
Feeling their worried gazes, Tail left the waiting room right away.
Hundreds of eyes poured down on him.
They roared loudly at Tail's entrance.
"Boo!"
"Damn commoner!"
"Lose!!!"
Tail stood in position with a wooden sword, expressionless and composed.
And then, Chromhel emerged from the opposite waiting room.
But.
'Something's off.'
Was that guy's aura always this intense?
Mana swirled around him with every step.
An unprecedented presence emanated from his body.
Tail wasn't the only one who noticed; the crowd erupted in cheers.
"Whoa, what'd he do in a week to get this strong?"
"Insane. He's got this in the bag."
"I'm closing my eyes. Obvious ending."
"Uwaaaah! Chromhel, crush that commoner!"
The reaction was explosive.
A confident smile filled Chromhel's face.
"Okay, okay, focus up. Get ready~"
At Titina's words, Tail raised his sword diagonally.
No choice now.
'I'll win perfectly.'
He sensed there'd be backlash if he dragged it out or won ambiguously.
'One clash.'
That'd end it.
Tail's eyes sharpened.
Chromhel took his stance at the same time.
Intangible energy wrapped around his sword.
"Ooooh! He's coated his sword in mana!"
"Chromhel's no joke."
At that moment, Titina shouted.
"Begin!"
Chromhel kicked off the ground and shot forward.
Boom!
The earth cratered as he surged ahead at blinding speed.
Too fast to follow with the eyes.
Chromhel smirked inwardly at Tail glaring at him.
In one second, that guy's sword would be flying away.
'Can't injure him, like I was told.'
Otherwise, he'd have beaten the crap out of the pathetic fool.
So Chromhel swung his sword low to high.
The moment Tail's sword and Chromhel's were about to clash.
Vwooom!
An enormous sword wind swirled from Tail's blade.
Colorless haze danced over the sword.
Chromhel instinctively sensed danger and tried to pull back.
But Tail's sword moved first.
Just before he could retreat, Tail's sword slashed across Chromhel's.
Sliced right through it.
A clean line appeared on Chromhel's wooden sword.
Slice!
It snapped clean off and hit the ground.
Chromhel's face went pale.
...
The arena fell silent.
He'd severed another wooden sword with his own.
And that overwhelming pressure of mana from moments ago.
The control to wield it.
The judgment to deploy it at the perfect time.
Everything was flawless.
Nothing more to say.
Pure monster.
In the hushed crowd, one commoner started clapping.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Then others joined.
Thunderous applause poured out.
They had no choice but to acknowledge Tail's perfect swordsmanship.
"Whoa, he wrecked him."
"Did you see that? Sword Qi. Actual Sword Qi. Even fourth-years struggle with it."
"Crazy freshman."
The crowd buzzed.
Among them, Yujin and Riki, Ethan and Alice beamed brightly.
Only then did it sink in.
'I won.'
A smile crept across Tail's lips.