Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Coincidence for the Transfer Student (3)
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An arrogant declaration bordering on bravado.
The reactions from those watching were varied.
Some burst into laughter, some backed away in fear, and others raised their cameras with admiring expressions.
And the most common reaction was... anticipation.
Not only the first-years, who made up the largest crowd there, but even the faculty members and outside instructors who had come to watch.
Everyone took turns staring at the transfer student holding his sword and the people who had been insulting him, as if by prior agreement.
Whoa, are they really gonna fight?
Nah, no way.
The ones getting wrecked are gonna get totally crushed.
Those who knew about the political rivalry between Nikolai Cherni, the board member, and the Admissions Director wore serious expressions, but the students simply watched with thrilled curiosity.
A superhuman versus a superhuman. And one of them was the star of those outlandish rumors, no less.
Hey! Grab your spots quick!
Tall guys, move to the back! I can't see!
Damn it, I forgot my phone.
The students began scrambling for the best views of the fight.
Pushing each other, climbing railings, crowding out to the runway beyond the airport terminal for a good while.
Even the airport security personnel who should have been stopping them were too engrossed in the fight, so a natural barrier formed between the transfer student and his hecklers.
A wall made of students.
The instigators, suddenly trapped inside this wall of humanity, froze with stiff expressions.
"What are you doing? Is there no one brave enough to step forward and test my skills?"
At that moment, the transfer student spoke to the hecklers.
But no answer came. The dozens of instigators who had been hurling insults just moments ago all shut their mouths at once.
Some furtively looked for a chance to slip away, while others clamped their lips shut and glared at the transfer student.
The vibe's weird.
What, they're not fighting?
Who are those guys anyway? Anyone know them?
Just as the students started to feel disappointed at the hecklers backing down.
Step.
The transfer student began to walk forward.
The sharper students narrowed their eyes at his steps.
Mana rippled with each footfall—clear evidence he had trained in some unusual martial art.
One step, another.
With every approach, the hecklers slinked backward. Some among them even appeared to be superhumans.
When the gap between the transfer student and the hecklers narrowed to about ten steps.
"Stop! We only raised legitimate doubts!"
One of the hecklers bellowed.
A few onlookers recognized him as a staffer from the board of directors—and from Cherni's faction, to boot.
"I can't believe my eyes! Not content with drawing a blade on innocent bystanders, now he's openly threatening us! How could someone like that be admitted to Lord Howe Academy!"
He shouted, conscious of all the eyes on him.
"Everyone! Can you see? This is exactly why the founder never instituted a transfer system! To prevent unvetted riffraff from tarnishing the school!"
"..."
Instead of replying, the transfer student halted and cocked his head mockingly, as if to say, "Go on, keep talking."
The heckler swallowed hard under the gaze of those settled golden eyes, then yelled even more fervently.
"Everyone! Look! This is the kind of person the Admissions Director dragged in, ignoring tradition with his absurd transfer exam!"
"...Hmm."
"Pulling a sword right away like some mercenary scum! Does he think he can be an Academy student?!"
As soon as he finished, the students' eyes turned to the transfer student.
Whatever feats he had accomplished in Manchuria or what the rumors said... it was true the Admissions Director had admitted him without proper procedures.
Of course, the students weren't pondering the politics that deeply—that was for the faculty to squabble over.
They were just curious what the transfer student would say in response.
And in the next moment, his reply exceeded all their expectations.
"Did you know? The Saintess can easily heal wounds like severed limbs."
"..."
What the hell...? The staffer, who had been raising his voice, tilted his head in confusion before realizing the implication and choking back a gasp.
'I'll cut off your limbs for you.'
As he fell silent, the transfer student pointed at the hecklers one by one with his sword.
"Opposed to transfers? One finger. Spat an insult? One arm. And the ringleaders stirring things up? One limb each."
Calm words, all the more chilling for it.
Not just the hecklers, but everyone around fell speechless.
In the eerie silence, the transfer student slowly advanced on them.
Whoa, shit... he's insane...
Shouldn't we stop this? They could die from shock if their limbs get cut off.
Why us?
The students murmured, the security guards rolled their eyes.
Some faculty rushed to call for backup, and the hecklers tried to push through the students to flee—right then.
Someone leaped from the crowd of students, landing in front of the transfer student.
A girl with straight black hair neatly combed back, her lapis lazuli-blue eyes sparkling.
Her cold expression and perfectly regulation uniform created an air of refined elegance.
If not for the hefty hammer in her hand, she would have seemed like the picture of a model student.
Anyway, the girl blocking the transfer student's path lowered her hammer and said,
"That's far enough, transfer student?"
"...Why should I?"
"If you want to prove your strength, you don't need these idiots, right?"
With that, the two clamped their mouths shut without another word and glared at each other.
To onlookers, it looked like a tense moment of sizing each other up...
In truth, both were desperately holding back laughter.
Lips twitching, a brief silence passed, and Yeo Myeong finally spoke, barely suppressing her grin.
"...What's your name."
"Hong Seti. Third-ranked superhuman in the first-years. Am I a good enough opponent to test your skills?"
"We'll... see about that."
At those words, like a signal, they swung their weapons in unison.
***
Boom!
Sword clashed with hammer, mana exploding outward. The displaced air whipped up a gust.
Seti was pushed back in the contest of strength.
Partly because she was using a warhammer smaller than her usual one, but mostly because Yeo Myeong's mana was beyond imagination.
Even the watching faculty widened their eyes at the density of that mana.
It dwarfed what she had shown before parting ways.
Had she taken some elixir? What kind could make her this strong? Dragon heart, maybe?
Seti hoped so as she lashed out with her leg.
Flying Leg Art. Same spot, same angle as when she'd first clocked him on the head.
Whoosh!
Yeo Myeong dodged by a hair, thrusting his sword into the empty space. She could see him holding back from using Flying Leg Art in kind.
Seti smirked and swung her hammer using the centrifugal force.
Sword and hammer collided again.
Clang—!
Mana erupted once more, this time with an even greater shockwave.
In Seti's retreating view, classmates and faculty gaped in awe.
Exactly the reaction she wanted. Yeah, this was the debut stage she deserved at the Academy.
Seti met Yeo Myeong's eyes, channeling more mana. The emotion in his golden gaze was simple: faster, stronger.
If that's what you want, then let's go.
She unleashed her martial art in full. Mana churned like a storm, reinforcing her body everywhere.
Not just the arm and shoulder swinging the hammer, but her traps, lats, even her erector spinae.
The basics of heavy weaponry: squeeze every muscle in your body.
Following that simple principle, Seti smashed her hammer down at Yeo Myeong.
Kwaaaang—!!!
The runway screamed. A massive shockwave shook the surroundings, toppling nearby students in heaps.
Even Yeo Myeong, who barely evaded, could only struggle to keep his balance on the quaking ground—no chance for a follow-up stab.
Seti seized the opening. Suppressing the hammer's recoil, she unleashed Flying Leg Art.
Overwhelming power more than compensated for any lack of precision.
In the next instant, she hammered down at Yeo Myeong's head again.
Yeo Myeong belatedly steadied himself and swung his sword. A thrust in a split-second moment, born of split-second judgment.
Mana like crashing waves coated the blade—Wave Yang Art mana, which she knew well.
But the situation left no room to draw it out fully.
Seti debated pulling her power when she saw the light bursting from his sword and widened her eyes.
!!!
A deafening roar that numbed the ears—not mere clash of weapons.
The sound of refined mana canceling each other out.
Th-that! Sword aura! It's sword aura!!
Even as the shock rippled through, a steadfast student watching yelled, and Seti's body floated up.
Thud.
She barely landed without stumbling.
Spared the indignity of rolling on the ground in her uniform, but her hair was disheveled, and her hand trembled around the warhammer.
Anyone could see she had been utterly overpowered.
"...You're strong."
Even going all out, it'd be close now? Seti thought, brushing back her hair.
'Should I just cut loose completely...'
This was all theater, but she was a superhuman too. She couldn't help the competitive fire rising in her chest.
Unlike her, though, Yeo Myeong showed no such thrill.
The subtle concern in his eyes as he checked on her was proof.
'Can't push it further...'
Her original plan had been to drag out the fight until someone intervened...
But like this, Yeo Myeong would call it quits first, obviously.
"Want to keep going?"
As expected, he lowered his sword and asked.
So predictable. Seti swallowed a laugh and raised her hammer again.
"...I've still got my ultimate move left."
Just one more big one.
"..."
Yeo Myeong sighed instead of answering and began channeling Wave Yang Art mana into his sword.
As if determined to show proper sword aura this time, he poured in mana recklessly.
Seti likewise drew up her mana and infused it into the warhammer.
End it with the next strike.
The two stared at each other blatantly, enough for everyone present to see.
Of course, it looked like Seti was at a disadvantage to anyone watching... but when were fights ever that simple?
Nearby students held their breath, even the faculty rushing to intervene paused for a moment.
That instant, the two swung their weapons. Or... tried to.
"Seti?! Yeo Myeong!? No!"
Just before sword aura could burst forth. A frantic scream from the plane side halted them.
All eyes snapped to the plane entrance at the sudden cry.
There, a girl in pristine white priestess robes descended the airplane stairs.
No—more like tumbled down them.
“Yeo Myeong, you idiot! If you hurt Seti, I won’t let you off—urk!”
* * *