5. The Flame Spear Maiden

* * *

During the ongoing sparring session, the Flame Spear Maiden was presenting her alluring rear to me.

“Didn’t your mother tell you not to bully friends at school?”

“Ah! You’re not my mom!”

“Talking back? Take this!”

SMACK! SMACK!

“Are you sorry? Will you stop?”

“I’m s-sorry! I won’t bully anyone! Waaah! Stop hitting me!”

SMACK! SMACK!

“Consider this tough love!”

“Hic!”

I must have spanked her dozens more times.

A full public humiliation in front of the cadets.

At least only Class A’s fourteen students witnessed the spectacle.

“Hng… Hng… Hng…”

Ah, she’s getting into it. Had enough fun-time to stop.

SMACK!

Her unseen rear must be glowing red with handprints by now.

This should suffice.

Shockingly, the Flame Spear Maiden’s power stems from awakened masochism. The only character in this academy story with strong sexual appeal.

Now Si-woo can take over. Win-win-I’ll just graduate and get a decent job.

“Alright, one free pass. Don’t act up again. Got it?”

“Y-yes…”

The Flame Spear Maiden tearfully retreated.

Shouldn’t have picked a fight with me.

Then Firebat approached with a nasty grin.

“Truly Jin-seok’s sister. Well done-she was arrogant with instructors yesterday too.”

“Why not discipline her sooner? With your Firebat skills…”

“Haha, too much work.”

Is that proper instructor talk?

Firebat patted my shoulder and arbitrarily ended training.

First day and already? Impressive. The Flame Spear Maiden’s rebellious phase was worse than I thought. Originally, she clashed terribly with other heroines early on.

If Reina’s a chivalrous noble, she’s a mannerless commoner.

After that humiliation, it’s over.

Now Si-woo’s turn.

But he ignored her tearful exit and came to me.

“Yoo Eun-ha. You’re incredible.”

What now?

“Seriously. That spear girl’s mentored by a famous hunter-everyone knows her arrogance. Yet you spanked her into submission.”

Who asked you?

“Wish I’d done it.”

“That’d be sexual harassment.”

“Joking. Just joking.”

Annoying. Wish they’d all vanish.

Why do they keep talking around me?

Just dream characters, yet so high-quality.

Look-only in dreams would midday skies darken like this.

Need a smoke.

How do cigarettes here brighten darkened skies?

“Maybe my eyes are faulty.”

Perhaps a side effect of Parallel Circuit + Acceleration.

Right. A dream. No need for friends or bonds here.

That settles it.

* * *

Theory class covered heroes, hunters, villains, and world history.

Heroes-selected from skilled hunters-are government-employed gate/villain specialists.

Regular hunters lack steady income without guild affiliation.

Villains misuse abilities to disrupt society, often in lawless regions.

“Shitty world, shitty class. Not that a dream job hunter should complain.”

Beyond villains exist greater threats.

The author’s original seven-the Deadly Sins:

Pride’s Lucifer, Greed’s Mammon, Envy’s Leviathan, Wrath’s Satan, Lust’s Asmodeus, Gluttony’s Beelzebub, Sloth’s Belphegor.

Typical anime tropes.

Previous arcs involved country-specific villains and gate destruction. This finale’s true bosses are these Sins.

The author once considered adding demons to the villain roster.

“Would’ve been fucked then.”

The Sins supposedly wield world-ending power but remain passive until Si-woo awakens his Divine Sword, prompting their attack.

Their goal: planetary annihilation.

Most story endings feature Earth’s destruction by them.

Rumors say they gained power during the Great Upheaval.

Opposing them: the Twelve Apostles-elite heroes.

Irrelevant to a dropout civilian like me.

“Do it yourself.”

I could rival Belphegor in sloth.

“Sleeping in my class?”

Caught by Firebat.

“I was meditating.”

“Oh? Then explain current mana theory and application.”

Firebat gestured to the blackboard’s diagrams.

Even non-mages need mana theory for combat enhancement.

“Tch. Divine Sword’s sister, my ass.”

“Just carried by abilities.”

Of course, snide remarks emerged.

Engaging would make me the dream’s fool.

I flawlessly transcribed Si-woo’s internal monologues about mana theory from the novel.

Odd how such memories stay sharp amidst mental chaos.

The scoffing cadets gaped. Firebat lowered her bat, impressed.

“You and your brother are something. No more ‘meditating.’ Understood?”

“Yes.”

I sat back down.

Firebat’s boring lectures are the real issue.

Just want this dream to end.

“Who knew the Divine Sword’s sister was such a delinquent.”

Post-class, Reina poked my nose.

“You know this stuff-why waste time? Sleep’s better. Where’s Si-woo?”

“What, chasing him now?”

“Fuck no. Stop looking at me like that.”

“He went to apologize to Han Su-ji.”

“Ah, Flame Spear Maiden?”

“Flame Spear Maiden?”

“Fire-enchanted spear swings-Flame Spear Maiden.”

What else to call her?

“Sounds weird.”

“Yoo Eun-ha! Han Su-ji wants to see you!”

The refreshed-looking protagonist shouted.

Me? Why?

* * *

The Flame Spear Maiden kept me waiting through two cigarettes.

Probably mocking me for the spanking.

Tomorrow, I’ll humiliate her at the academy gates.

Just then, a rustle-the bruised-looking maiden pointed at me.

“Hey! Why smoke at school?”

“None of your business. Not a restricted area.”

“Hmph! I lost earlier, but I won’t go down easy!”

What’s her point?

“Want a rematch? Later.”

“N-not that!”

I mimed spanking-she flinched back, glaring.

What does she want?

“Spit it out.”

“I won’t let you have Si-woo!”

“Wait-you think I like him?”

“What girl wouldn’t? Handsome, strong, righteous!”

All true, but I don’t like men.

Pregnancy and childbirth with a man? Nightmare fuel.

Just imagining male anatomy inside me-horrifying.

“So you see me as a rival for liking him?”

“Even if you deny it, you’re blushing!”

“Let me clarify-I hate men.”

More like biologically repulsed.

“What? So you like women?”

“Yes.”

Exactly.

“Girls liking girls? Lies! Just tricking me!”

“Sorry, but you’re my type.”

“Huh?”

“Like this.”

I gently cupped her cheek, leaning in slowly.

MWAH!

A white-haired beauty kissing a redhead on the rooftop-beautiful or disgusting? Doesn’t matter.

I refuse to be a heroine.

Must cement my lesbian identity to avoid that fate.

“Mmph?”

I taught her adult kissing-parting her lips, intertwining tongues in a yuri embrace.

This should erase any thoughts of me liking Si-woo.

“W-wait, I get it! Stop!”

“Nonsense. Your body heats up like your spear-perfect for turning girls gay.”

“Wha-mmph!”

Ten more minutes of passionate kissing melted her resistance-soon, her tongue tangled with mine willingly.