Chapter 95. One-on-One Duel
"Mmm..."
Maybe it's because I had a hearty K-home-cooked meal last night? I felt really refreshed.
Today is the day of the one-on-one duel finals, so I need to get ready quickly.
"You're leaving already...?"
Just as I finished washing up and putting on my student uniform, Liliana came out of the room, rubbing her eyes.
"Yeah. Today's the one-on-one duel finals. I need to head out early."
"Okay... take care."
"Yeah, hold down the fort."
After exchanging a brief goodbye with Liliana, I left the dorm.
"Hey, Mr. Popular~!"
"...?"
I turned around and saw Kim Younghan running up to me.
"Geez, you're so hard to catch these days."
"You ditched me yesterday."
"Sorry, but I was busy too."
Well, I've been busy lately too. He must've also been busy living his academy life.
"Did you see today's one-on-one match bracket?"
"No, not yet. Why?"
I didn't even know the bracket was out.
Seriously, the academy never does its job.
If the bracket is out, they should show it to the finalists first.
Instead, they make us look it up ourselves.
"I think we're going to meet in the semifinals."
"...Seriously?"
"Yup. Looking forward to it! Until it's over, we're rivals, okay? Catch you later!"
Kim Younghan dashed off just like that.
It was kind of jarring how suddenly he appeared and disappeared.
"Hmm, what was his ability again?"
I can't remember, so it must not have been anything special.
I remember him swinging a sword in the game, but nothing stood out.
Eh, whatever.
I headed to Class A to prepare for the duel.
Since I left earlier than usual, the path to the first-year building was pretty crowded.
"Hey, did you hear the first-year duel audience is insane today? All the VIPs are coming."
"Of course. Nam Daeun, Elise, Lee Hoyeon. Three top contenders in one go."
"Still, the winner will be Nam Daeun, right?"
"But Elise has been in crazy form lately. And Lee Hoyeon set a new record in the monster combat training. Can't count them out."
It was fascinating hearing people on the street talking about me.
When I arrived at Class A, the first-year finalists were already gathered.
Homeroom professor Kim Jinhyuk made eye contact with me and gave a nod.
"With Lee Hoyeon here, everyone's present. As you know, the bracket is officially revealed right before the match starts, so here it is now."
Kim Jinhyuk handed a sheet of paper to the eight participants.
Wait a sec. If they just revealed the bracket, how did Kim Younghan already know we'd meet?
Sure enough, when I checked, if both of us win all our matches, we'll face off in the semifinals.
I looked at Kim Younghan suspiciously, and he smiled and put a finger to his lips.
That smug little gesture telling me to keep it a secret annoyed me, so I flipped him off.
Acting all cute, huh.
"The reason I called you here first is to emphasize how important today's duels are. The turnout for spectators is overwhelming."
Even the students on the way were saying the same, so it must be a big deal.
"Yes, it's true many have come to see some exceptional students. I won't deny that. But it's also your chance to show your abilities. Give it your all. Don't give up. Every little bit of your attitude will be evaluated."
Kim Jinhyuk seemed genuinely to want us to succeed.
He made eye contact with each of us, speaking from the heart.
He's really a good person.
"Now head to the arena and get ready. Finalists each have their own waiting rooms, so take it easy there."
With that, Kim Jinhyuk left, and the students started leaving the classroom one by one.
"Lee Hoyeon!"
"Lucy. Did you see the bracket?"
Lucy, one of the finalists, came over to me.
"Of course! The only way we meet is in the finals."
"Yeah. That bracket looks tough. Let's meet in the finals."
"Yeah! Got it!"
I wonder if she'll be okay. Both Elise and Nam Daeun are in her path. To face me, she'd have to beat them both.
★ Heroine Status Window
[Lucy]
- [ Affection: 87 ]
- [ Lust: 40 ]
- [ Appetite: 30 ]
- [ Fatigue: 35 ]
Current Status: I practiced defensive magic... I wonder if I can use it well.
Seems like she's thinking things through.
"Let's go check out the waiting room. Looks like it might be nice."
"Yeah! Can I come hang out later?"
"Of course."
I headed to the arena with Lucy.
*
Each finalist got their own waiting room. It wasn't fancy, but it was a clean and comfortable space to rest.
There was a screen connected to the arena to watch other matches in real time, which was handy.
"Maybe I'll hit the bathroom."
I remembered there being one down the hall.
When I opened the waiting room door and stepped out, the hallway was empty—everyone must be mentally preparing.
The waiting rooms were all lined up in this long hallway, and each door had a name tag.
The room next to mine belonged to Elise.
'Nam Daeun will probably make it to the finals, huh?'
Looking at the bracket, I'd face Kim Younghan in the semifinals, while Elise and Nam Daeun would face off in theirs.
Lucy would meet Elise before that.
If things go as expected, Nam Daeun will beat Elise and face me in the final.
Click—
Just then, the door next to mine opened, and I saw a swish of golden hair.
Elise came out, turning her head and meeting my eyes.
"Oh... hey."
"Yeah. Good morning."
"...?"
I was just casually saying hi, but Elise replied with a much gentler tone than usual.
★ Heroine Status Window
[Elise]
- [ Affection: 62 ]
- [ Lust: 25 ]
- [ Appetite: 30 ]
- [ Fatigue: 20 ]
Current Status: It's Hoyeon. I hope we meet in the finals.
'Why is her affection so high?'
Just a few days ago, her affection was 35, and now it's up to 62.
"Uh, yeah. Good luck in your match."
"You too. Let's meet in the finals."
Elise gave me a gentle smile in response to my encouragement and walked down the hallway.
The bright smile Elise sent me felt so unnatural.
"...What the hell. This is weird."
What happened? Did her affection increase because of jealousy?
*
"I-I forfeit!"
[Match over! The winner is Cadet Lee Hoyeon from Class A!]
"Good work."
"I've learned a lot..."
My first match was against a guy who was ranked third in Class C.
He probably just got lucky in the preliminaries.
He didn't really seem strong enough to be in the main tournament.
Still, he was polite, so I gave him about a minute of my time.
For someone at his level, even a minute-long match with me should help him progress a lot.
"No, I've learned something too."
"I know you held back to give me time. I feel like my eyes have been opened."
"...Hmm. Good job."
Hearing that kind of thing is a bit embarrassing.
I left the arena guided by the staff.
As soon as I stepped out of the mana barrier, deafening cheers hit my ears.
"Waaaaaaaah--!"
"Lee Hoyeon! Lee Hoyeon!"
"So handsome--!"
When did they even see me to chant my name like that?
Glancing around, I saw thousands of people in the audience staring at me.
'This pressure is insane.'
Knowing they were all watching my duel gave me a strange thrill.
After the match, I returned to the waiting room.
[Next up is the fifth match of the round of 16! A duel between Cadet Lucy and Cadet Kwak Sangtae!]
"Guess I'll watch Lucy's match."
I grabbed some popcorn from the waiting room.
*
"She really has gotten a lot stronger..."
Lucy easily won her match.
She did fumble her shield magic slightly, but it didn't affect the outcome.
'But she's still not strong enough to beat Elise.'
There was still a big gap.
Lucy and Lumi were most effective when working together.
Their synergy was incredible—when they focused on attack and defense respectively, their effectiveness tripled or quadrupled.
Knock knock knock.
"Who is it?"
"It's me, Lucy. Can I come in?"
If she's already here right after the match, she must've come straight without even stopping by her waiting room.
Why is she in such a hurry?
"Of course. Come in."
Lucy cautiously entered and sat on the sofa.
Why is she curling up like that even though she won?
"Umm, Hoyeon... Did you watch my match?"
"Yeah. You did great."
She looked oddly unconfident.
"W-What did you think? Do you think I can beat Elise?"
"..."
So that's why. Her next opponent is Elise.
★ Heroine Status Window
[Lucy]
- [Affection: 87]
- [Lust: 40]
- [Appetite: 30]
- [Fatigue: 35]
Current Status: My defensive magic doesn't match well with my balance...
Yeah, I can guess what she's struggling with.
Since it's a 1-on-1 duel, Lucy, who excels at offensive magic, must've been trying to practice defensive spells and got stuck.
"Lucy. Want me to give you some advice?"
"Y-Yes. Please. You're good at magic."
"You know your defensive magic was a bit lacking in the match, right?"
"Yeah... No matter how much I practice, I can't get it right."
Of course not.
Lucy's talent lies in offensive magic.
That's an unchangeable setting from the original game.
She's approaching it the wrong way from the start.
It's not that her balance is off—she shouldn't even be trying to balance it.
"Lucy, it's better for you not to use defensive magic."
"Not use it...?"
My extreme suggestion made her a little confused.
"Don't misunderstand. You have a natural talent for offense. It's better to keep attacking and not give your opponent a chance."
"Really...?"
"Yeah. The phrase 'offense is the best defense' was made for you."
There's no need for defense. It suits Lucy better to attack relentlessly.
"Offense is the best defense..."
"Do your best, and the results will follow. You got this."
"...Thanks. I'll engrave that into my heart. Offense is the best defense."
Lucy brightened up a bit, looking like she regained her confidence.
I watched the rest of the matches with Lucy.
*
[Match over! The winner is Cadet Lee Hoyeon from Class A!]
"See? We can't just let a guy like that go, Sol."
"What exactly do you want to do with Hoyeon?"
From the audience seats, Im Sol and Min Yeji were chatting as Lee Hoyeon exited the arena after his match.
"Whatever it is, he's a goldmine. It'd be a loss for humanity to leave him be."
"I still remember you trying to make me wear a bikini. You're on a permanent ban."
"Hoyeon even asked what kind of business I was running~ So I should at least reply."
"Nope. Until I give the green light, zero contact."
Knowing Min Yeji's dirty tricks, Im Sol was doing her best to protect her student, Lee Hoyeon.
If he got swayed by her sweet words, we might actually see him in a bikini.
"He's an adult, you know. He can make his own choices."
"Once I finish my thesis, I'll allow it. That's more important. It's not about money. This research is world-changing."
"Is it really that amazing? Then can I invest too?"
"...Just shut up and watch the match."
Im Sol was on the verge of cursing from Min Yeji's teasing, which the perceptive woman picked up on immediately.
"Okay, okay. Don't be mad."
"Sigh."
Would Hoyeon even realize how hard she's working to protect him?
Im Sol sighed and looked at the arena.
"But Elise and Nam Daeun? Those girls are insane. With Lee Hoyeon, the three of them are on a whole different level."
"That's why."
"How can you just sit there after seeing talents like that? There's more to life than just magic."
"Please be quiet..."
Im Sol just wanted to watch Lee Hoyeon's match in peace.