Chapter 48
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: A Flawless Comeback
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“Hoo... hoo...”
Lee Se-hun was drenched in sweat from head to toe, gasping for breath. Louise's eyes widened at the sight of him looking like he might collapse at any moment.
“You...”
What on earth had happened to leave him in such a state?
Louise trailed off, stunned by the exhausted Lee Se-hun she'd never seen before. He slowly scanned the room.
'Nothing else... huh.'
He must have decided any further tricks would be too risky. Confirming no other traps, Lee Se-hun let out a sigh and approached Louise.
Thud—
He plopped down on the floor and leaned against the wall, gazing at the slumped Louise.
“What're you doing?”
“Huh?”
“Planning to nap before the duel?”
“...Ugh!”
Realizing her state, Louise scrambled upright. Lee Se-hun chuckled at her quick reaction before asking,
“You heard some weird title or something earlier, right?”
“...How'd you know?”
“I heard it too. Seemed like something they prepped from over there—I just smashed it on my way back.”
Louise's eyes went wide at his explanation.
“It stimulated the mana eroding your body, forcing a mental curse on yourself. Touched on your trauma, too. Gave me a hell of a time.”
“Trauma...”
That explained why the bandages around her neck had suddenly bothered her—she must have been caught in the curse and had a breakdown from then on.
Realizing the truth, Louise gave a wry smile.
“So that's what it was...”
There had been outside interference. In the past, she'd have exploded in rage, but oddly, she wasn't that angry now.
The enemies had forced her to confront her trauma, but failing to overcome it and running away? That was all on her.
“...Pathetic, right?”
“What is?”
“At a moment like this... letting those bastards' tricks get to me like this.”
She was sprawled on the floor, hair a mess, bandages choking her neck messily, left hand scratched and bleeding from who-knows-where.
She'd thought this time would be different, but nothing had changed. Louise's face soured at her pitiful state.
“You know moping like this is exactly what they want, right? I get it, but... I just can't pull myself together.”
The terror of self-suggestion: once the tower you've built crumbles even slightly, the rubble crushes you, making it hard to stand again.
Louise sat hugging her knees, deflated like a punctured balloon. Watching her, Lee Se-hun pondered briefly before responding.
“Yeah, pretty pathetic.”
“...Right?”
“Freaking out and shaking before the fight even starts? That'd be weirder if it looked admirable.”
“Yeah...”
“Honestly, it's kinda lame. You swore up and down you wouldn't cry till revenge, all bold and stuff, and now you're sulking like a deflated balloon... Pretty shallow, no?”
“...”
“Eh, you're young, so it happens. But people gotta own their words. Especially for someone using speech magic—that integrity matters most. Starting off breaking it already... Sigh, forget it. You're struggling enough.”
Squeeze—
As his sharp critique continued, Louise's eyes twitched, her lower lip caught between her teeth.
Anyone else might've stopped there, but Lee Se-hun just looked at her pityingly and kept going.
“But don't get too down. Unless you're perfectly grown physically and mentally like me, it's normal to struggle. The curse of the half-baked genius, I guess.”
“...Stop.”
“You tried your best your way, so no need to feel bad. No one's cursing you for failing—chin up...”
“Shut up, you obnoxious prick!!!”
Smack!
Finally snapping under the endless jabs, Louise punched his arm and lunged at him.
“Who was it hyping me as a genius? Who said a week was plenty? You set expectations, egged me on, and now what? Pathetic? Shallow? Half-baked? You messing with me or something!!!”
She unleashed all the pent-up pressure and resentment she'd bottled up.
“Every time you called me a genius, it crushed me—know that? That brutal training too! If you'd told me about speech magic from the start, I'd have worked my ass off. Were you trying to embarrass me on purpose? Huh?!”
“...”
“You steamroll ahead without explaining jack, then stare all smug like you've never been wrong. Regardless of right or wrong, basic courtesy is explaining first, you dense asshole!!!”
Thud! Smack!
Straddling him, she pounded his chest and arms. Her fists made lots of noise but no impact—Lee Se-hun just took it silently.
By the time her punches slowed to weak pats, Louise grabbed his collar with trembling hands and exhaled raggedly.
“Haa... haa... Obnoxious prick... Fucking asshole...”
Even now, he just looked up like 'What's the problem?' That infuriating face made her blood boil.
Every time she saw it, she felt uglier, like it was all her fault.
'Why me alone...'
Why should only she feel this way? In her injustice, Louise blurted impulsively,
“If I lose... if it goes wrong... it's all your fault... All your damn fault!!”
Could there be a more ungrateful thing to say to someone who'd helped her materially and morally? Self-loathing hit even as she yelled, twisting her face—
“Yeah. My fault.”
Lee Se-hun agreed instantly, like he'd been waiting.
“...What?”
“If you lose, it's all my fault.”
Meeting her calming blue eyes steadily, he spoke plainly.
“Teaching you speech magic, making your weapon, sending you into this duel—all me.”
“...”
“So the blame falls on me naturally. Why assume it's yours?”
Caught off-guard, Louise's lips quivered before she whispered,
“Because... it's my choice...”
“Wrong.”
Lee Se-hun cut her off firmly.
“I promised, you accepted. So you only have one responsibility.”
He clasped her collar-grabbing hand, meeting her upward gaze with his blue eyes.
“Trust me to the end and give it everything.”
“...”
“Everything else? That's on me.”
Their eyes locked as his words hung.
Her trembling blue eyes softened, as if seeing something, steadying. Her sealed lips parted.
“Don't bullshit me. You'd trash-talk if I lost to that guy.”
“...Nah.”
“Sure, talk's cheap.”
As Louise smirked at his shameless face, the speaker blared.
The duel between Cadet Gerwin Kruger and Cadet Louise Valente will begin in 5 minutes. Both cadets, please enter the arena and wait.
The announcement signaled the duel was imminent. Louise released his collar, slid off, and stood.
“Where you watching from?”
“Me? Thought spectator seats.”
“Don't go up.”
“Why?”
Brushing past, Louise opened the door calmly.
“It'll be over before then.”
Confidence brimmed—no trace of her earlier deflation. Seeing that familiar back, Lee Se-hun smiled unwittingly.
“Got it. I'll follow soon.”
“Heading out first.”
Louise left the waiting room straight for the arena.
The empty hallway felt oppressive once, but now only the light ahead mattered.
Thump—!
Her heart raced, body heating up, senses sharpening. Her throat felt tight under the bandages.
“...In the way.”
No more blood—why keep them on?
She ripped off the neck bandages in one go, wrapping them roughly around her wounded left hand.
Then, for the first time in ages, she touched her neck. The deep, indelible scar.
But it was smaller than imagined, painless.
'Just this much, huh.'
Ugly, sure, but that was it.
No more pain from the scar—she let go and strode into the arena.
Rooooar—!
Cheers poured, spotlights blinding. Over a thousand cadets watched clearly.
Enemies might lurk among them, striking anytime, any way.
'Whatever.'
Whatever the attack, she'd counter full-force. Ignoring gazes, she eyed the young man opposite.
“Long time no see.”
Brown-haired, smug Gerwin Kruger gripped his black staff, sighing.
“Thought I taught you a lesson half a year ago, yet here you come recklessly. Sad, as a former rival.”
“...”
Louise stared silently as he monologued.
Memory made him loom larger, more intimidating—but now, similar height, scrawny build, strength clearly bought with money.
“I felt bad about your injury back then, but...”
“Summon your undead already.”
“What?”
In short:
“Unless you wanna get embarrassed rolling out helpless.”
She didn't feel like losing at all.
“...”
Their exchange boomed across the arena via amplifiers.
Scattered snickers made Gerwin grip his black staff—hero-grade armament 'Repose of the Departed'—tightly.
Shhh—
Black mist spread in response.
It boosted mana, strengthened undead, enhanced control—a must-have for necromancer heroes.
“Fine. You want full power? Here.”
Beating a rehabbing foe with hero gear wouldn't earn praise, but screw that.
'Your funeral.'
Glaring murderously, Gerwin slammed Repose into the ground.
Kiiiii—
Eerie wails as black mana swamp-covered two-thirds of the arena. Subspace tore, revealing his undead.
Black skeletons, intact beast chimeras, even 3m zombie golems.
The arena buzzed at the endless horde.
“Thirty enhanced skeletons...?”
“One chimera's millions—fighting with cash...”
“Zombie golem from attribute monsters only? Can a mage handle that?”
His priceless undead—thousands to billions spent—formed ranks before him. Wall-like in capital and durability. Awe rippled; Gerwin smirked.
“Wasn't just slacking half a year.”
Last time, spells overwhelmed him—but now with element-resistant zombie golems via Repose, total crush.
As Gerwin brimmed with confidence, Louise silently pressed her subspace pocket button.
Pop—
Her personal weapon, 'Varg', appeared in hand.
Meager against the army, but gripping it banished lingering tension.
“Hoo.”
She held Varg proudly, pressing the black choker to her neck and locking it.
Click—
Sleek silver buckle, black body choker.
Screen showed it neatly covering her scar; Louise smirked unwittingly.
'Unnecessarily delicate.'
Varg's touch felt oddly warm over discomfort. As she caressed it gently, opposite Gerwin looked baffled.
“That's your ace? Some dog collar...?”
Mana hummed, but compared to Repose, calling it a weapon was an insult.
Ignoring his blatant mockery, Louise stared before speaking slowly.
“Made a new friend recently.”
“...?”
“He kept saying you'd lose no matter what—sounded like bullshit at first.”
Speech magic power scaled with mental image clarity.
She'd heard it daily from Lee Se-hun but couldn't grasp it.
Logic-and-calculation magic her life—accepting emotional abstracts overnight? Tough.
“But now I get it.”
Woooong—
Mana churned around her.
Common for strong will, but this scale was unreal.
Rumble—!
The vast arena shook to one person's will.
Skin-felt mana vibrations, laced with Louise's ferocious hostility—Gerwin's eyes bulged.
“Wha... what...”
How could a cadet—hospital-bound half a year—resonate mana like this?
Perfectly 'assimilated' with mana. Grinding teeth, he glared.
“What trick is this...!”
“Past half year? Thought only of this moment.”
Nightmare breakdowns, rehab throat agony, urge to quit—she endured thinking one thing.
Rip those bastards' throats who scarred her neck, toyed with her life.
Recalling that sharpest-of-all image, she lightly pressed Varg's buckle.
Kiririk—
Thin metal plate rose from black choker, snapping over her mouth.
Clang!
Black fangs emerged. Arena murmured at the instant metal mask—her aura turned feral.
Woooong—!
Prior mere resonance—now all arena mana bared hostility at Gerwin.
“Th-this... impossible...”
Like inside a beast's maw. Indescribable dread shook his eyes faintly.
Something wrong. Realized too late—irrevocable.
-3
Both ready, countdown began. Louise stroked her black fangs, blue eyes glowing at Gerwin.
-2
“Counting on you.”
Pouring pure intent at Gerwin.
-1
“Hold out long.”
To inflict dozens-fold agony.
-Start!
“Kill her now!!!!!!”
Barrier dropped—Gerwin swung Repose hysterically.
Undead shattered ranks, charging madly weapons raised.
Louise unprepared magically; Gerwin full force summoned. Advantage obvious—but
【Set─】
Irrelevant to her.
Wooong—
Arena-shaking speech magic.
Pure mana-will, no voice mixed—dominated arena mana, manifesting image.
Ching!
Red magic circles like collars on vanguard skeleton, following chimera, heavy zombie golem necks.
“Wha...”
As Gerwin gaped—
【Death Bite】
Intangible fangs shredded all.
Clang—!
Steel-clashing ring—dozens of heads flew skyward, crashing down.
Boom! Kwang!
Undead horde collapsed mid-charge, sprawled grotesquely. Gerwin's eyes bulged at the rout.
'Impossible...'
One strike. No cast, no circle—just two words felled his undead.
Overwhelming. Gerwin stumbled back instinctively, then bit his lip.
'No, not yet!!'
Normal summons? Maybe. Undead? He could repair with mana.
Pumping mana via Repose—
Ching!
Red circle collared his neck first.
Clang—!
“Guh—!”
Neck-severing agony.
Gerwin collapsed, pale, staring at his neck.
“Hurk... hurk...”
Crack—
His gear's thick barriers—blocked top mage's full spell—half-shattered in one hit.
'Blocked and still this pain...'
Unprotected against that freak magic? Seeing headless undead, he shuddered.
'Wrong... something's off...'
Too strong. And she'd bragged weakening him—why so fine?
'Wait, maybe from the start... not helping, but cutting me off.'
Doubts swirled as Louise loomed.
“That barrier.”
“W-wait. Sur...”
【Set─】
Ching!
Dozens red circles blanketed him. Eyes pleading—
【Revenge Bite】
Mask-grinning, she unleashed.
Kwaduk kwaduk kwaduk!!!
Intangibles minced him endlessly—barriers and gear shattered, body mangled.
Not dismembered, but bones crushed, muscles and circuits pulverized under pressure.
“────!!!!!”
Normally duel-stopping damage—but 'accidental' control room glitch delayed response by a second.
Bang—!
Barrier finally blocked her spell.
“Cough... kehuk...”
Above, something barely alive sprawled wretchedly.
Louise Valente
Duel system declared victor—no initial cheers.
Unheard-of speech magic power and brutality silenced all.
In the hush, Louise eyed the cameras wordlessly.
“Anyone messing with me ends up like this.”
Her return flawless.