The sword slashed down, cleaving through Kang Seoksu's body from above.
"Ugh?!"
Kang Seoksu crumpled to his knees. His Energy Protect flared crimson.
Simultaneously, the ice sword hurtling toward me vanished. So much for the claim that it would disappear only if shattered or if I fell. It vanished because Kang Seoksu's concentration faltered. The ice sword was merely magic powered by Mana.
"We won! Senior, we won!"
I feigned wild excitement, searching for Han Harin. I had to pretend ignorance about Kang Seoksu's treasure, the "Resurrection" artifact.
If I didn't celebrate and instead remained wary of Kang Seoksu, he would undoubtedly suspect me.
"...Senior?"
Han Harin collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath. She had truly reached her limit.
This is bad. If Kang Seoksu is resurrected, I'll have to face him alone without Han Harin's help. Damn it. And now I can only use Momentary once more.
My expression hardened. It was a mistake, but it didn't seem to raise any suspicion. After all, it looked like I was just worried about my teammate, Han Harin.
I pushed myself too hard earlier, twisting the trajectory of my blade. The Energy Protect absorbed the strain, but... I can't pull off an attack like that again.
I knew instinctively that my Energy Protect was nearing its limit. It wasn't as if I'd been attacking Hunters without taking any damage myself. Among the Hunters I'd attacked, some had retaliated.
"Even a single hit from Kang Seoksu's fist is unacceptable. The Energy Protect will immediately turn red."
Momentary. One chance. I had to take him down without taking a single hit. A nauseating condition.
An Association staff member sprinted over from the right and immediately began replacing the Energy Protect on Kang Seoksu's shoulder.
Feigning confusion, I asked the staff member, "Wait, what are you doing? The situation is already over!"
"Hunter Kang Seoksu possesses the treasure 'Resurrection.' Even if his Energy Protect turns red, he won't be eliminated. He can simply replace it with a new one."
"...Is the replacement Energy Protect fully charged?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Damn it..."
Just as I was about to protest, Kang Seoksu asked me, "Wasn't your ability Lightning? The movements you showed earlier can't be explained by anything else."
"Why would I tell you?"
"It doesn't matter if you don't. Judging by how quiet the Association is... you probably achieved your Second Awakening."
"..."
My mind raced. I had no idea how to deal with this guy. Should I use Momentary and attack him right away?
But if he's using Sensory Amplification, it probably won't work...
I stared intently at Kang Seoksu. Now that I looked closer, he seemed much more exhausted than before.
It's clear he can't maintain Sensory Amplification for long. He probably used it during that chaotic moment earlier.
The Association staff member who had exchanged Energy Protects stepped between Kang Seoksu and me.
"I'll count down. Begin the battle the moment I say '1'. Prepare yourselves. 5. 4."
Kang Seoksu and I locked eyes.
We were close enough to strike with our swords.
"3. 2."
I tightened my grip on my sword hilt. My remaining Mana was enough for two or three uses of Manroe.
Should I create distance first? No. That would put me at a disadvantage.
I couldn't afford to give Kang Seoksu any breathing room. I needed to stay close and relentlessly press my attacks. I assumed my battle stance.
"1."
I lunged at Kang Seoksu. He extended his right hand, a Magic Circle etched into his palm. His hand wasn't aimed at me, but at Han Harin's position.
Yeongcheon Style Combat Technique: Lightning Flash.
Lightning crackled across his blade.
Kang Seoksu evaded my fastest strike with a twist of his body. He didn't completely dodge it; the blade merely grazed his shoulder.
The Spike Rock hurtled toward Han Harin.
"Senior Harin!" I shouted urgently.
Han Harin glared at the Spike Rock and conjured a Gravity Shield before her. The shield trembled visibly, even from where I stood, its instability clear.
The Spike Rock shattered Han Harin's gravity shield and struck her body. She tumbled across the floor several times, her shoulder-mounted Energy Protect flashing crimson.
An Association staff member quickly evacuated Han Harin from the area.
That bastard...!
I knew Han Harin was unharmed, but witnessing my woman being struck with my own eyes ignited a surge of primal rage. If not for her Energy Protect, I might have abandoned all restraint broadcasts be damned and used every means at my disposal to kill Kang Seoksu.
Twitch.
Something stirred within my body.
The Mana within me pulsed, as if transforming into something else.
The sensation was familiar. I thought I knew what it was.
"...Demonic Heavenly Energy! Fuck. The Demonic Heavenly Art is reacting here?"
Since things had come to this, I'd planned to use the Demonic Heavenly Art to defeat Kang Seoksu, but the sensation of Demonic Heavenly Energy had vanished without a trace.
This is a problem. A real problem.
I pushed aside the issue with the Demonic Heavenly Art for later. Now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
Kang Seoksu skillfully dodged my blade and began moving toward the Rest Area.
That bastard... he's planning to hole up in the Rest Area.
He'd eliminated Han Harin early on to remove any potential variables that might interfere. I bit my lip.
"Kang Seoksu! Are you planning to run to the Rest Area?!"
If he escaped, he'd win. Kang Seoksu had a massive stockpile of Survival Points. If he could just hold out until 3 PM tomorrow, he'd secure victory.
"I'm more than confident I could beat you in a straight fight. But my condition isn't good right now. Let's settle this tonight."
If Kang Seoksu was telling the truth, I couldn't afford to miss this opportunity.
"Fight tonight? That's a joke even a dog wouldn't laugh at. Fight me now!"
I swung my sword. Unlike my previous perfect dodges, this time the blade grazed his left arm. It seemed his poor condition was genuine.
"I need to secure a guaranteed victory, even for the sake of my team."
Kang Seoksu suddenly stopped moving. Before I could react, his left foot slammed down on the ground. It was a remnant of the Magic Circle. The circle flared with light for a split second.
A powerful gust of wind slammed into me, shoving me backward. The distance between us widened to over 10 meters. This wasn't a focused blast; the wind was erupting in all directions, making it impossible to dodge even with Momentary.
Damn it. If this had been an offensive spell instead of a repelling one, I might have been eliminated.
Kang Seoksu was receding into the distance.
"...Ugh."
I grimaced in feigned pain, pressing my shoulder. I covered the microphone attached to my Energy Protect with my hand.
Then, keeping my head bowed to avoid the camera's gaze, I mouthed silently:
Yu Jeongmi's pussy tasted pretty good. Still tight for a used one. Did you know her bush is blonde? Well, you're her ex, so you probably do. Guess we're hole-brothers now?
Though my voice was soft, Kang Seoksu, with his Sensory Amplification active, would have undoubtedly heard me.
There was a chance he wouldn't react. If that happened, I'd simply concede the victory.
Fight at night? If his Energy Protect were fully functional, it might be possible, but in his current state, winning was impossible.
If all else fails, I'll just fuck Baek Ji-eun.
It would be a lie to say I wasn't disappointed. But even if I didn't win, there were no real consequences for me.
Kang Seoksu froze, glaring at me.
The atmosphere shifted. Now, he was radiating cold fury toward me.
It worked. So this bastard still has feelings for Yu Jeongmi, even after dumping her first?
Kang Seoksu would never reveal what I'd said, no matter who asked.
If my statement were made public, I'd be torn to shreds by public opinion. Yu Jeongmi would naturally become the subject of gossip as well. Kang Seoksu would remain silent to protect her.
I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly, rose to my feet, and met Kang Seoksu's gaze with unwavering resolve.
Whoa. He could kill a man with that glare alone.
There was no reason for me to back down.
My sexual encounter with Yu Jeongmi had been consensual. Forced? Given Yu Jeongmi's personality, she wouldn't have remained silent if she had been assaulted. Kang Seoksu knew this too, which explained his cold composure even in his rage.
Moreover, Kang Seoksu was currently nothing more than a friend to Yu Jeongmi.
"What? Finally ready to fight?"
"...I'll fight you on your terms."
If Kang Seoksu hadn't chosen to fight me, I might have been a little disappointed.
I charged toward him.
A magic circle materialized instantly before Kang Seoksu.
Kang Seoksu's Energy Protect flickered violently, straining under the pressure.
White electricity crackled from the magic circle. I recognized the spell it was undoubtedly Lightning Magic.
He intends to humiliate me by eliminating a Lightning Ability User with lightning.
Being a Lightning Ability User doesn't make one immune to lightning damage.
A sudden thought flashed through my mind a technique from the once-popular game 3kg.
This might work.
I leaped upward the moment the lightning surged from the magic circle. With my sword, I intercepted the menacing bolt mid-air. Simultaneously, I unleashed my Thunderbolt, seizing control of the lightning. It worked far more easily than I'd anticipated.
Lightning crackled at the tip of my blade.
Immediately, I swung the blade toward Kang Seoksu.
"Lightning Counter!"
A bolt of lightning shot toward Kang Seoksu.
He couldn't evade it, proving he could no longer use Sensory Amplification.
Kang Seoksu gritted his teeth against the pain and unleashed another spell.
"Nine Energy Bolts. No matter how fast you are, you can't dodge all nine energy bolts."
Nine energy bolts hurtled toward me. One hit would mean the end.
I have no choice but to use Momentary.
Activating Momentary slowed the world around me.
The nine energy bolts weren't flying simultaneously.
Should I safely dodge to the side? No, that would take too long. He's already preparing his next spell.
I chose to break through head-on. It was faster.
First, I tilted my head slightly to the left, then shifted my body diagonally. Immediately afterward, I glided across the floor, piercing straight through the Nine Energy Bolts.
I lunged at Kang Seoksu, who stood directly ahead. Without a trace of panic, he lifted his shirt to reveal a Magic Circle etched onto his taut abs with crimson monster blood.
Sorry, but I anticipated this.
Kang Seoksu had concealed a Magic Circle in his palm.
But was that the only place he'd hidden one?
It was natural for questions to arise. I suspected Kang Seoksu had hidden a Magic Circle somewhere unseen.
I've won.
I walked past Kang Seoksu.
He turned to look, not at me, but at the Manroe I had left behind. The Manroe remained suspended in mid-air, slowly rotating.
"This is..."
"Discharge!"
The Manroe exploded, sending lightning bolts streaking in all directions. Kang Seoksu, being the closest, was struck full force by the Thunderbolt.
"Ugh! Not yet... not yet!"
Kang Seoksu refused to fall, desperately trying to activate his Magic Circle.
Thwack!
The knife I threw struck Kang Seoksu's head. His body collapsed. The Energy Protect on his shoulder turned crimson.
Silence settled over the arena.
Kang Seoksu stared vacantly between his Energy Protect and me.
"...Is that all?"
Association staff surrounded us.
I shouted toward the dozens of cameras:
"We won! Chicken tonight!"
"Hunter Sung Yujin's blade has struck! Ah! Hunter Kang Seoksu's Energy Protect is turning crimson! But this isn't over yet! Hunter Kang Seoksu possesses the treasure, Resurrection!"
Jo Seok-hu spoke rapidly:
"What was that attack just now? It was so fast I couldn't even see it properly! Let's check the ultra-high-speed camera footage!"
The main screen's video slowed to a crawl.
"Ah! The blade's trajectory suddenly changed!"
As the slow-motion replay ended, Hong Su-won began his commentary.
"He forcibly altered the sword's trajectory using his strength. If you look closely, Hunter Sung Yujin's Energy Protect is shimmering. The Energy Protect absorbed the recoil from the forced change in trajectory. Without it, his arm would have been rendered immobile."
Baek Ji-eun chimed in, not one to be outdone.
"Notice the sudden burst of speed? That's Instant Acceleration, a technique used by skilled Acceleration Ability Users. In our country, only three people could use Instant Acceleration before. Ah, now there are four."