Cheonma Laser
No sound reached my ears. No—that wasn't quite right. There had been sound, but the explosion had been so deafening that my ears had gone numb. My vision, bleached white as if struck by a flashbang, slowly began to recover. The recoil from the blast had sent my body flying, leaving me sprawled on the ground. Naturally, the Defensive Coat's protective effect had completely vanished.
As my head cleared, I vaguely recalled Jung Ayeon trying to intercept the attack in my place. Only then did I snap back to reality and search for her. Fortunately, she was right behind me—collapsed as if dead after taking the full brunt of the assault. Her entire body was scorched, smoke still rising from her form. Though the Dueling Arena's systems would restore her once the match ended, the sheer power of that attack was unmistakable.
Meanwhile, Caersi shouted triumphantly. Even she looked like she was at her limit, but she still had one sphere left to throw.
"You're persistent, nya!!! But this will finish it, nya!!!"
Caersi hurled her final sphere at me. It transformed into a fleshy orb and flew toward me at a steady speed—neither as fast nor as slow as before. I gently stroked Jung Ayeon's head as she lay there and spoke.
"I'll keep my promise. Just wait for me."
Then I charged straight at the oncoming orb. My sprint could be described in countless ways: reckless, pathetic, insignificant, wretched, pitiful, absurd, ugly, foolish, weak, clumsy, the desperate thrashing of a mere insect, a moth flying into the flame, a futile struggle, a miserable sight that made one wish I'd just give up. Yet none of those words fully captured it. Because there was one expression that fit perfectly.
It was simply the image of a human.
A human who refused to retreat even an inch before overwhelming trials. A human who stepped forward in search of new possibilities. A human who sought hope instead of surrendering to despair. A human who rose again and again without breaking. And because reality could never be undone, a human who lived fiercely in every single moment.
I didn't avert my gaze from the disaster before me. I simply poured strength into each step so my feet wouldn't falter. At the same time, I gathered every last drop of my remaining mana and began condensing it. Unlike before, I focused it into the bracelet first. I hadn't used it earlier for fear of complications, but this was no time for caution. I had to seize even the faintest possibility.
[Win this.]
'Of course.'
The bracelet began to vibrate in sync with the condensing mana. Faint characters tried to surface on its surface, but I ignored them and concentrated harder. Everything from here on was critical. While channeling mana into the bracelet, I simultaneously condensed it in the center of my palm—not across the entire hand, but at a single point. A translucent, tiny bead slowly formed there. Unlike before, not even a wisp of heat rose from it. It looked utterly insignificant compared to the massive orb hurtling toward me. Yet strangely, I felt no anxiety. I could do this. It was worth trying. Something would be different. More than anything, I felt like I could win.
I planted my feet firmly to keep from collapsing. My trembling right arm was steadied by my left hand. My eyes locked onto the approaching orb. My body was in ruins, but it was enough. I steadied my resolve. I would not stop. I would not retreat. I would not fall. I would not give up. I would not run. I would not break. And I would win. I declared it aloud—because simply thinking it wasn't enough. By giving it voice, I carved it into existence. This was an oath. Words once spoken could not be taken back. It was a vow to see it through, and a promise to myself.
"I'm going to win."
"Give up already, nya!!!"
Caersi stood frozen in place, trembling violently. From the look of her, this attack was her last. Which meant overcoming it would secure our victory. The orb was now right in front of me. Up close, primal fear began to creep in. Instinct begged me to flee. My intuition sharply warned that this was reckless. Even I, who had steeled my heart moments ago, felt momentarily overwhelmed by the terrifying sight. But none of it could stop me. Instead, Jung Ayeon's final moments flashed through my mind. How had she endured? How painful had it been? How had she stepped forward so boldly before this catastrophe? How terrified had she been?
Looking at the approaching orb, I smiled faintly. Caersi shouted in disbelief at my expression.
"Why are you struggling so hard, nya!!!"
Objectively speaking, just reaching the finals should have been enough. My value to other guilds would have risen plenty. Visiting the Beastman Kingdom as Caersi wanted could be done without issue. The wish ticket I'd receive from her upon winning? Honestly, it didn't mean much. From her perspective, my desperate struggle probably made no sense. Rationally, there was no need to go this far. But—
"Because I made a promise."
Jung Ayeon had suppressed every negative emotion and sacrificed herself for me. That was why I refused to flee from this overwhelming disaster. To answer her trust and her will. To prove here and now that her sacrifice hadn't been in vain.
I kept condensing mana into the tiny bead in my palm. Then, at some point, the bracelet suddenly stopped vibrating. At the same moment, the small bead began to glow. It was starlight. Not from the night sky, but a dirty starlight blooming on the ground. Even when stared at, it was a faint, insignificant speck that barely seemed to exist. Yet that starlight gathered and became a star. Because it was formed from humble starlight, it was a small, dim star. At a glance, one might have mistaken it for nothing more than a glowing pebble. That was all it was. But to me, it shone brighter than anything else. It was a magnificent star in its own right.
I thrust the tiny star born in my hand forward. It soon became a meteor, trailing a long tail across the sky. The meteor made no sound. It simply wove beauty into the heavens. Therefore, the meteor born from my palm was completely silent. But just because it made no sound didn't mean it couldn't be seen. The meteor asserted its presence as it surged ahead, tearing through everything without a single noise—as if no obstacles had ever existed. As if telling the vast sky not to block its path. Thus the meteor carved its trail and advanced beautifully, flaunting its splendor before vanishing in an instant, just like a true meteor should.
Having seen all her attacks rendered meaningless, Caersi could only stare at me in a daze. She sank to the ground and asked,
"What was that technique just now, nya?"
"Oh, that?"
I pondered a name for the new skill. Starlight and meteor. A straight-flying beam of light. I came up with the perfect name and answered with a smile.
"It's called the Cheonma Laser."
"I-is that so, nya?"
At that moment, Piece erupted in fury.
[You crazy bastard!!! Why is there a laser when there's a star and a meteor!!!]
'Isn't Cheonma Laser better than Cheonma Shooting Star? Three letters, clean and simple.'
[Just call it Cheonma Death Beam or something!!!]
'Copyright issues make that difficult.'
Right then, a wave of exhaustion hit me and I collapsed on the spot. The Dueling Arena's systems had ended, healing our wounds, but fatigue was another matter. Then I remembered Jung Ayeon and forced myself up, heading toward her. She was just regaining consciousness as the system shut down. Seeing me approach, she asked worriedly,
"Young master? What happened?"
"We won, obviously."
I held out my fist to her.
"I promised, didn't I?"
"Heh."
Jung Ayeon bumped her fist against mine. Her face bore a radiant smile unlike her usual expression.
"I knew you'd keep it, young master."
At that moment, the professor's announcement echoed through the arena. Though he sounded incredulous, he declared our victory.
【The winners!!!!! Team !!!!!】
The students' cheers swept through the Dueling Arena. Even if their excitement was more about self-promotion than genuine celebration, it didn't matter. We had won. Jung Ayeon and I had proudly claimed victory in the tournament finals. It was time to wrap things up.