Chapter 100. One-on-One Duel (6)
Nam Daeun finished the medical check with Baek A-Young and lay down on the waiting room sofa.
Then she reflected on her recent actions.
'Why did I do that...?'
It was the first time in her life she had shown someone her call with her younger sister.
It had been a sudden whim, and she still wasn't sure why she had done it.
Maybe she had wanted to lean on someone, even just a little.
"Haa..."
In the silence of the waiting room, Nam Daeun stared at the ceiling, trying to collect herself.
'He was a good person.'
At the supermarket, at the vending machine—he was definitely a good person.
But after this final match, when the results were out and the groups changed, their connection would likely end.
Nam Daeun felt a bit of regret.
"First place..."
Of course Lee Hoyeon wanted first place. He had made it to the finals, after all.
But no matter how nice a guy he was, she couldn't give up first place.
To Nam Daeun, her little sister was more precious than anything.
Knock knock knock.
"Yes. Come in."
"Excuse meee..."
Baek A-Young entered the room cautiously.
"Why are you coming in like that, so nervous, A-Young?"
"It's just... there's not much time left."
Less than 20 minutes remained before the final match.
Sure, we could squeeze it in if we rushed, but I wanted to be in peak condition for the finals.
"Just do the medical check for now. We don't have time for anything else."
"Okay, got it..."
Baek A-Young ran a light series of checks, glancing at me from time to time.
It was obvious she wanted something, so I decided to tease her a little.
"Hmm... I think something feels a little off with my body."
"Huh, where?!"
"Ah, false alarm. Just my imagination."
"Mmm..."
Looking a bit sulky, Baek A-Young resumed the check.
'Unbelievable.'
Just how badly does she want it?
I teased Baek A-Young a bit as she finished the check.
"Check's done. Good luck in the finals."
"Thanks."
Seeing Baek A-Young's sulky face as she cheered me on made me feel a little guilty.
★ Heroine Status Window
[Baek A-Young]
- [ Affection: 87 ] (+0.4)
- [ Lust: 73 ]
- [ Appetite: 30 ]
- [ Fatigue: 35 ]
Current Status: So in the end... he's not going to do it, huh...
"A-Young. You're going to volunteer this weekend, right?"
"Yeah, unless something comes up."
Perfect. We hadn't figured out when to meet, but we could see each other at the orphanage.
"Then I'll go too."
"R-Really? But don't try anything weird there."
"Okay. I won't do anything too weird."
"Mmm..."
Still, Baek A-Young brightened up at the mention of seeing each other on the weekend.
I guess she didn't care about the too weird part.
★ Heroine Status Window
[Baek A-Young]
- [ Affection: 87 ] (+0.4)
- [ Lust: 73 ]
- [ Appetite: 30 ]
- [ Fatigue: 35 ]
Current Status: Orphanage, awesome...! But I hope he doesn't take pictures...
She really hated photos, huh.
Should I really stop taking them now?
I guess I don't need blackmail material anymore.
She's practically showing up to get raped. Do I really need evidence?
[The first-year one-on-one duel finals will begin shortly. Spectators, please take your seats and maintain order.]
"I need to head to the players' waiting area now."
"Okay. I hope it goes well."
"Yeah. See you this weekend, A-Young."
After saying goodbye to Baek A-Young, I headed for the waiting area.
[Despite being a first-year match, this one-on-one duel has drawn exceptional attention! Two cadets at the center of the buzz are facing off! Nam Daeun, who has never lost first place in practical evaluations, versus the rising supernova, Lee Hoyeon!]
As I waited, listening to the commentator's cheesy description of me and Nam Daeun's career, a staff member approached.
"You can head up now."
"Alright."
Since it was the finals, the crowd's excitement on the way to the arena was intense.
I saw Nam Daeun walking up from the other side.
With the spectators' cheers and booming commentary in the background, I stepped into the arena.
Srrrk—
The mana barrier rose, blocking out the sound, and Nam Daeun, now standing in front of me, met my eyes.
"Good luck."
"Yeah. I'll definitely take first place."
Nam Daeun smiled as she responded to my encouragement.
[5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Start!]
Even after the starting signal, neither of us moved.
Until now, Nam Daeun had always initiated the attack, but it seemed like she wanted to take things slowly this time.
With no other choice, I drew up my mana first.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
My heart began to pound, and I could feel my blood circulating through my whole body.
As I entered my battle stance, Nam Daeun drew her sword.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Wait a second.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
As soon as Nam Daeun got into position, my body started heating up rapidly.
...This much?
It was faster than when I fought Felix and heavier than when I faced the ogre.
The combat sense I thought I was used to surged through my body as if it still wasn't enough.
Time seemed to slow down as my senses sharpened drastically, and my whole body prepared itself for battle.
"...This isn't something you debate forfeiting."
Nam Daeun was the strongest opponent I'd ever faced.
'She's strong.'
Nam Daeun thought that as she saw Lee Hoyeon's eyes turn golden.
He was in a completely different league than the average cadet.
If she really wanted to win, she couldn't afford to hold back her strength.
With that decision made, Nam Daeun focused her mana into her sword.
A skill she had never revealed before.
[Spatial Domination]
A unique skill that fully manifested Nam Daeun's Authority, [Spatial Domination].
She spread her mana throughout the arena.
Within this space, distance no longer had meaning for Nam Daeun.
'Finishing it quickly is best.'
The space around Nam Daeun shimmered, and a violet energy gathered on her sword.
Seeing the prep for the technique 'Space Slash'—something he'd seen countless times in the original game—Lee Hoyeon's mouth dropped open.
'No way, she can use Space Slash already?'
Nam Daeun revealed the power she'd been hiding.
She intended to end the fight quickly after sensing my combat presence. She must've wanted to avoid the unexpected by dragging it out.
'Is this her way of acknowledging me?'
Not sure whether to feel happy about that.
I had no clue how much strength she'd been hiding until now.
Space Slash was a skill that appeared in the mid to late parts of the story.
It normally showed up around the end of first year or early second year, when she started taking the top spot in practicals from Nam Daeun.
Lee Hoyeon slowly crouched and regulated his breathing, preparing for the attack.
[Spatial Domination], as absurdly powerful as it was, also consumed a massive amount of mana.
The longer this dragged out, the more it favored me.
Meanwhile, Nam Daeun specialized in fighting mages. Her speed and destructive power were hard for them to deal with.
But Lee Hoyeon was on a different level from ordinary mages. He used a skill similar to his [Spatial Acceleration], showing agility uncharacteristic of a mage, and his shield magic was bizarrely sturdy.
Nam Daeun started moving slowly, looking for an opening in Lee Hoyeon's defense.
Lee Hoyeon took a defensive stance in response to Nam Daeun's movements.
Just as he fired a fireball to keep her in check—
Nam Daeun's sword came rushing toward Lee Hoyeon.
Boom!
Reacting to Nam Daeun's sudden charge, Lee Hoyeon deployed a cotton guard to block the sword and immediately countered with spells.
Pillars of flame erupted from the ground and explosions burst in mid-air, forcing Nam Daeun to retreat and reorganize.
Lee Hoyeon had expected his attacks to fail, so he calmly continued his assault without hesitation.
Numerous fireballs and fire lances flew toward Nam Daeun.
'She's still not planning to use Space Slash.'
Nam Daeun was trying to lead Lee Hoyeon's thoughts.
She planned to finish it with Space Slash the moment he was convinced she had no long-range options.
But Lee Hoyeon was already aware of Space Slash's existence.
So he reserved one slot in his double casting, ready to block at any time.
Nam Daeun was also flustered that Lee Hoyeon wasn't giving her any openings.
'He can double cast. So why is he only using one spell?'
Nam Daeun kept searching for a gap, but Lee Hoyeon gave her none.
He must have realized she was hiding a trump card.
And whenever she tried to close the distance, he'd retreat while firing spells. Forcing her way through was risky too—Lee Hoyeon had acceleration-type skills that made counterattacks dangerous.
'No choice. I have to break through.'
The longer she used [Spatial Domination], the fewer chances she'd have to use Space Slash.
Space Slash, when used properly, guaranteed a win.
So all she had to do was create an opening.
Launch an offensive so overwhelming that he'd have no choice but to double cast.
Nam Daeun sliced one of Lee Hoyeon's incoming fireballs in half and leapt through the gap.
As Lee Hoyeon blocked her lightning-fast strike, he smiled.
The fact that Nam Daeun, usually composed, was launching this kind of assault meant she was feeling the pressure.
Of course, Lee Hoyeon was running low on mana too, but Nam Daeun didn't know that.
The one in a tough spot was Nam Daeun. And if she forced her way in like that, Lee Hoyeon had a trump card ready.
'I need to try it... and it'll probably work.'
Throughout the battle, Nam Daeun had been wary of Lee Hoyeon's 'Acceleration' and 'Spiral.'
So unlike when fighting a normal mage, she didn't come in too deep, always preparing for a counter.
But if it was a skill he had never shown before, Nam Daeun wouldn't be able to react.
Lee Hoyeon curled his lips into a grin and continued his fierce exchange with Nam Daeun.