Ch.12Episode 3. Special Class Duel (Complete)

“By the way, Instructor.”

“Hmm?”

“That shoulder wound. Are you sure it’s okay without treatment?”

I belatedly remembered being cut by Yeon Mu-hee’s sword aura.

After briefly examining the wound, I completely loosened my tie and unbuttoned my shirt to take it off.

“Aaaah! Don’t suddenly take off your clothes!”

Jeong I-yeon shouted as she hurriedly turned away.

“I’m wearing a tank top underneath.”

I said while checking my wound.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a deep cut, as the wounded area had already begun to heal.

I felt around the wound area. After brushing off the dried blood that crumbled away, I put my shirt back on.

Considering that Yujin had both the Nullification skill that negates all abilities and Rapid Healing, it seemed he wasn’t the final boss for nothing.

“It’s not too bad.”

I buttoned up my shirt, leaving the top two buttons undone. Since I’d already taken off my tie, I stuffed it into my pocket.

“Is that so? Then! Shall we start right away?!”

Light burst from her empty hands, and in moments, a sword and shield materialized.

It was Jeong I-yeon’s unique skill, “Sacred Artifacts.”

Brilliant light emanated from the sword and shield.

“I’m going all out too!”

Her bright smile was characteristic of her, but since this was sparring, I wished she would take it more seriously.

Perhaps I should make her a bit more cautious.

*Crack!*

Without giving her time to blink, I swiftly approached and threw a punch. However—

With a loud *boom*, it was blocked by Jeong I-yeon’s sacred shield.

She stood firm as if she hadn’t felt any impact, then swung her sword.

I pulled back. The light emanating from the shield faded.

“That spark! How cool!”

“……”

She continued swinging her sword while approaching me.

As expected.

Though Jeong I-yeon’s physical reactions were slightly delayed, her eyes were tracking me perfectly.

She never allowed me any blind spots.

Her speed was clearly slower than Yeon Mu-hee’s. However, her dynamic vision was superior.

*Crash!*

She blocked my punch precisely with her shield. But this time, she couldn’t withstand it and was pushed back. She floated in the air momentarily before rolling helplessly toward the wall.

“Owww…”

The shield’s effect could nullify one physical or magical attack every 30 seconds.

When it absorbed an impact, the light from the shield disappeared.

After 30 seconds, the shield would glow again, and the effect could be used once more.

It was an ability anyone who fought her even once could quickly figure out.

“You’re really something else. Then I have no choice but to show you my secret technique!”

Secret technique? At this stage, if she’s talking about a secret technique…

“Here I come!”

It was a speed that couldn’t even be called instantaneous.

Even I would have trouble reacting without activating my senses.

But it wasn’t so fast that I couldn’t follow her movement.

Just before her sword reached my neck, I lightly touched her finger with my index finger and used “Nullification.”

As she passed by me and struck a pose several meters away, she soon began screaming.

“Huh? What?!”

She was shocked that the sword and shield in her hands had completely disappeared.

“Now then.”

“M-m-my ability isn’t working!!”

She desperately reached out toward me several times, trying to force it, but her ability ignored her will.

“Want to take a hit?”

“P-please spare me!!”

*Tap.*

I pretended to throw a punch but instead patted the cowering Jeong I-yeon’s head.

“Well done. You were incredibly fast. With a little more refinement, no villain would be able to react to you.”

The technique she used on me was probably “Flash Strike.”

A technique that delivers a single blow at the speed of light.

Not many at the Academy could withstand this technique. I believe this one skill alone could inflict fatal damage up to A-rank opponents.

“R-really? Do you really mean it?!”

“Yes. Even I had trouble reacting.”

At my words, Jeong I-yeon’s lips curved upward.

“Hehehe! I got praised by the instructor!”

“……”

I was puzzled as I watched her play with her white hair while grinning broadly. Was it really that much to be happy about?

“Oh, but why couldn’t I use my ability? Is it your skill, Instructor?!”

“Well, something like that.”

The Nullification skill isn’t invincible either.

It only prevents the use of abilities for one minute, and it can only be used once per day per target.

This is just because it hasn’t fully developed yet; I understand it can extend to five minutes after growth.

Of course, even now I think it’s quite overpowered.

In a battle between ability users, having your power sealed for one minute is like fighting without a guard for a full minute in martial arts.

“Ohhh…!”

“What?”

“Nothing. Just thinking I learned something new about Instructor Yujin today.”

About me…?

That was a meaningful statement.

The way she keeps smiling at me and subtly tries to get my attention—could she be… a member of Akcheon?

But would the protagonist have any connection to Akcheon at this point? Not that I can remember.

Besides, it wasn’t time for her to turn evil yet. The trigger for her corruption is when she loses her beloved family.

I’m probably worrying for nothing.

While Yujin becoming an Academy instructor doesn’t happen in the original story, at least Akcheon doesn’t make any moves at the beginning of the semester.

Even if Akcheon did reach into the Academy, I only needed to protect the five special class members.

The other characters don’t even qualify as extras.

“Still, it’s a bit disappointing! We barely got to spar! I think Senior Yeon Mu-hee held out much better than me!”

“It was just a bad matchup. When you can’t use your ability, your weapons disappear too.”

“Ah… that’s true. Senior Yeon Mu-hee had those beautiful swords. Maybe I should make some too? For situations like this.”

I don’t know about beautiful, but they’re certainly perfect for slicing someone’s flesh.

“A small dagger wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

“Great!”

With that final exchange, Jeong I-yeon and I walked to the bench. Yeon Mu-hee, having finished her medical examination, was sitting quietly on the bench.

“You got taken down so easily!”

Gu Yeon-hwa, who had been watching from behind, stood up and said with her arms crossed. Jeong I-yeon scratched her head awkwardly and smiled uncomfortably.

“Yeah. Instructor Yujin was just too strong.”

“Gu Yeon-hwa, from the way you’re talking, you seem confident?”

“No! I’m wearing my restraint outfit so I can’t properly use my power! In other words! There’s no point in sparring now since I can’t go all out!”

Oh, so that’s how you’re playing it.

“Wasn’t the restraint just your school uniform?”

“No! It has to be clothes I made myself!”

She really makes up rules as she goes.

Oh, since these are delusions in her own world, I guess it makes sense she decides them herself?

I found myself accepting it without realizing.

“However! If you let me wear those clothes right now, I might specially agree to spar with you! I could reduce you to ashes before my full-power flames!”

She’s even trying to save face?

Her cunning in unnecessary things was truly remarkable.

“Forget it, just keep wearing it until your demerits are cleared. If you wear it again, that’s 15 more demerits.”

“Hehehe, you must want to suppress my power that badly. It’s good to see even you, Instructor, acknowledging and fearing the power of this catastrophic human weapon! When the day comes that my power is unleashed—”

“Yu A-ri, what about you?”

“Listen to me until the end!”

“No thanks, man.”

“I…”

Yu A-ri fidgeted with her fingers hesitantly before shaking her head.

I knew from the start she would answer like this.

Unless it was a special situation, she tended to avoid using her ability. More precisely, she was reluctant to use it.

The trauma from what she had done in the past still remained, and until she overcame it, she wouldn’t want to use it in front of others.

“Alright. Then… let’s do it later. When we’re ‘alone.'”

“!”

She slightly raised her head to look at me. Her face showed a bit of surprise.

I gave her a small smile before turning to Bin Yoon-i, who was yawning.

“Bin Yoon-i.”

“Yes?”

“Do you want to spar too?”

Even though Bin Yoon-i’s specialty was “Drug Researcher,” her potential ability rank was still A-class.

In other words, thinking she was weak just because she was obsessed with drugs would be a big mistake.

While she might be weaker compared to A-rank heroes with offensive specialties, she would be quite challenging for B-rank opponents.

“I’d rather do drug research. Can I go do that right now?”

“No.”

“Tch…”

Bin Yoon-i clicked her tongue and swung her feet while sitting.

“Then we’ll end the sparring here. Take a break for the morning. Make sure to attend the afternoon class. Yeon Mu-hee, you don’t have to attend, but you can if you want. If you do, I’ll reduce your demerits.”

“…Yes.”

“The next sparring session won’t be like this; it will be instructional. As long as I’m your instructor, I won’t hold back advice to improve your abilities. I hope you’ll follow along well. Dismissed.”

I clapped my hands to signal the end of the sparring session.

The medical staff who had been watching from behind approached.

“Instructor Yujin, is your shoulder wound okay? May we check its condition?”

“I’m fine. It’s already healed.”

I tried to dissuade the doctor who couldn’t take his eyes off my shoulder.

They fidgeted anxiously and continued to worry about me until the end, but once I put on my jacket over the bloodstained shirt, they finally gave up and turned away.

* * *

“…Why are you still here?”

After finishing the closing ceremony and about to lock the door, an unexpected person was standing in the hallway in front of the classroom.

“Ah, well…”

Yeon Mu-hee fidgeted, nervously picking at her bag strap with her fingernails.

“Where are you headed?”

“Huh? Oh… back to the… sparring hall…”

I couldn’t help but smile at the strange sight of her being so awkward without changing her expression.

“I’ll walk you there. Let’s go together.”

“…Okay.”

Yeon Mu-hee and I walked side by side down the corridor. Only the rhythmic sounds of dress shoes and flats echoed through the hallway.

“Have you accepted it?”

“Ah… yes.”

She seemed to think for a moment about what I meant, then remembered what she had said and nodded.

“That’s good.”

The conversation broke off again.

“Instructor Yujin.”

“Yes?”

She stopped walking and grabbed my sleeve. When I turned around, she quickly let go.

“My father… no, that person… what do you really think of him? Do you… r-respect him? Honestly?”

“…At the very least, I think his outward appearance is worthy of respect.”

Immediately understanding the intention behind her question, I gave her a meaningful answer.

Would she understand what I meant?

“…So you did know?”

She understands perfectly.

“Who knows. What would I know?”

“But…!”

“There’s only one thing I can tell you right now.”

I smiled and showed her my index finger.

“You’re more important to me than that person. Though you probably won’t believe it.”

I smiled, lightly tapped her arm, and continued walking.

“Let’s go.”

“…Okay.”

I couldn’t see what expression she was making as she stood half a step behind me.

But the nuance in her delayed response was much softer than when we first met.