episode_0048

A combat sense imprinted by instinct.

The robust physique of a 3-star persona.

My own growth, supplementing those stats even if just slightly.

Those three factors synergized, and though they might not have been enough to overwhelm Serena, I thought they’d at least let me hold my own against her…

…or so I’d believed.

“Huh? You’re holding up better than I expected.”

“…!”

Her movements were impossible to predict.

Everyone has patterns in their fighting style, but Serena’s movements were ever-changing, as if she were solving problems by deriving formulas in real time.

It was like watching the unpredictable flow of water.

—Swipe!

Serena’s dagger grazed my cheek.

If I hadn’t jerked my head back in time, the blade would’ve sunk straight into my jaw.

‘And she’s not even an active Purifier…!?’

Not only were her movements sharp, but her dagger skills were exceptional.

It was almost like facing my former hunter comrade, who’d fought with daggers his entire life.

She understood the weapon’s traits perfectly.

Short range, but she maximized its rapid attack speed.

A seasoned finesse in subtly targeting vital points without wasted motion.

She’s way more of a monster than I thought.

And the limits of the Fallen Monk persona were painfully clear against her.

The Fallen Monk excelled against large Corrupted or monsters, but against a small, agile opponent like Serena, it struggled to perform.

Of course, Serena was just that good.

‘I can’t land a hit, so I can’t trigger a shockwave.’

With her superior physical abilities, she maintained flawless distance control, dodging my punches by a hair’s breadth.

Just a single finger’s width of difference.

If I could close that gap, I might’ve been able to land a blow.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking so hard about—”

—Slick!

“But spacing out in front of a girl is dangerous, you know?”

Serena’s dagger lightly sliced across my chest.

Even in virtual reality, the pain felt electrifying.

That pain sharpened my focus, and I realized—if I kept playing defense, I’d get whittled down.

I had to take a gamble, even if it was risky.

The moment that thought solidified, I channeled the Fallen Monk’s strength and hurled myself at her, swinging my right fist with everything I had.

Of course, Serena saw it coming and leaped back.

Again, that single finger’s width of distance.

“Tch, too obvious~”

With a smirk, she drove her dagger into my forearm.

A searing pain shot through my arm.

But did she really think I hadn’t anticipated this?

No way.

Let’s see you call this obvious.

I dismissed the Fallen Monk persona.

And immediately—

—I borrowed the Artist persona, drew a carving knife from my belt with my left hand, and struck.

“…!”

Serena’s relaxed smile froze for an instant, but it was already too late.

She yanked her dagger free and tried to retreat, but my right hand wasn’t about to let her go.

Even though my forearm throbbed from the wound, I gritted my teeth and held on, pulling her closer as I drove the carving knife toward her throat—!

—Thud!

Then, something struck my hand with tremendous force.

The knife slipped from my grip, floating uselessly in the air.

What the—?

What just hit me…?

Wait.

Kicked?

From this distance?

And I saw her feet planted firmly on the ground just a second ago!

A flood of questions surged in my mind, but I had no time to voice them.

Serena, now free, hurled her dagger at me as I stumbled.

—Thunk!

The dagger embedded itself in my throat.

A sharp pain spread as my vision blurred, and then—

“…Ghk!”

I opened my eyes inside the capsule.

The system had ejected me from the virtual reality after a fatal injury.

For a moment, I lay there dazed before letting out a hollow laugh and sitting up.

I hadn’t expected to fail to land a single solid hit.

The realization that I still had a long way to go settled in, and I made a decision.

‘I have to take her with me to the end.’

I’ll whip myself into shape and make sure of it.

As I dismissed the persona lease, Serena slowly emerged from her capsule.

“Just how much have you trained with daggers?” I asked.

Stretching lazily, she replied,

“I don’t mean to brag, but I’ve never been formally taught. Never even practiced much on my own, either.”

“…?”

Wait.

You’re telling me you’re a beginner?

What kind of bullshit—

I gave up trying to understand Serena.

“Oh, and could you get me a chicken herb wrap for lunch tomorrow?”

Somehow, the way she made the request with a coy smile was kind of cute.

—Ssshh…

The sound of running water echoed through the training facility’s shower room.

Warm streams cascaded over Serena’s body.

Since she rarely visited the training grounds, showering outside her home should’ve felt awkward.

And it did.

But the spar from earlier lingered in her mind, making trivial discomforts irrelevant.

She lathered her body with soap, but soon, her movements stilled as thoughts resurfaced.

‘He said he only started training this year.’

She couldn’t recall when, but Park Jeong-hyun had admitted he’d been training for less than a few months.

Yet, the skill he displayed today was unbelievable for someone so inexperienced.

His sharp situational analysis, his precise execution—none of it matched a rookie’s level.

And compared to before, his physical abilities had improved dramatically.

When his handsome face had turned into a handsome bald head, she’d laughed. But the speed and power he demonstrated afterward wiped that smile right off.

Even the final strike, where he sacrificed his forearm, sent a chill down her spine.

If she hadn’t reflexively kicked his hand away, she might’ve been the one waking up in the capsule first.

His physical stats still lagged behind hers, but he could hold his own against the top first-years.

His combat sense was at least on par with hers.

Other students would struggle just to face him.

‘He was so frail on enrollment day.’

Was it his ever-shifting personas that made him special?

Or did he harbor secrets even she didn’t know?

Probably both.

Whatever the case, one thing was certain—his potential surpassed hers.

“…A bit of a shame.”

Rinsing off the soap, Serena murmured softly.

If only she’d met him a little sooner.

Before the idealistic girl’s world had shattered.

They could’ve been good rivals.

“…Too late now.”

She stared at her hands and whispered.

A sinner who crushed her own dreams and wielded the blade didn’t deserve a rival.

Saturday.

A leisurely day with no reason to head to school.

Knowing that, I had no intention of leaving bed, opting to merge with it instead.

Only now, in this life, could I truly savor the luxury of weekends—something I’d never experienced before.

—”Vegan patty on whole wheat, special lettuce sauce…”

The alarm from my phone made me frown instinctively.

Huh?

Why’s it going off now…

“Ah!”

The club orientation.

I’d forgotten.

What time is it—?

[ 11:14 AM ]

Orientation starts at noon.

“Ah.”

I overslept.

I bolted upright, scrambled to the bathroom, hastily washed up, brushed my teeth, changed clothes, and sprinted to the orientation location.

Of course, I grabbed a mask—couldn’t risk being recognized.

“…Hah!”

With about 10 minutes to spare, I arrived at the designated clubroom.

Close call.

Peeking inside, I found it buzzing with students chatting noisily.

Didn’t seem like it had started yet.

Are the others here?

No sign of Xiaolin or Ume… Oh, there’s Rachel.

Sitting alone in a corner, staring at her phone.

I had a rough idea why no one sat near her.

As a key character in Infinite Abyss, Rachel was undeniably pretty.

No, not just pretty—gorgeous.

Naturally, plenty of students had approached her, drawn by her looks.

And the moment they tried to talk to her?

—”Kukuku… I graciously distanced myself to spare you mortals the burden, yet you dare approach? Bold.”

They’d get hit with a full chuunibyou combo and collapse on the spot.

I could picture it without seeing it.

Not that I had room to talk—I was heading her way precisely because I had no friends either.

Creeping up behind her, I peeked over her shoulder at her phone.

With wireless earbuds in, she didn’t notice me.

Come to think of it, she was playing this same game last time too.

I tapped her shoulder.

“That fun?”

“Eeek!!”

Rachel shuddered and let out a tiny scream.

Then—

“?”

“What was that?”

“What kind of sound just—?”

“That was adorable just now…!”

The entire clubroom’s attention snapped to us.