Ch.218Chapter 9. S-Class Reader (3)

I’ll help you win against Armored Taejo.

“I’m always grateful, Platinum Sun.”

“Why do you still call me Platinum Sun? You can call me casually since Yi-seon is here.”

Of course, I didn’t just call her out randomly. Ymir used spatial movement to transport Yi-seon and me to a quiet, secluded place.

“Goblin, where are we exactly?”

“A golf course at a military base in Gyeonggi Province.”

“Is it okay to train here in the middle of the night?”

“It’s a military facility, so it doesn’t matter. If we set up a barrier, there won’t be any problems.”

I pointed to the darkness surrounding us.

“Even if we’re discovered, this is a place where we can handle the situation appropriately.”

“But it’s a military base?”

“The important part is that it’s a golf course at a military base. We can resolve everything with abilities. Don’t worry.”

There are many methods—brainwashing, memory manipulation, or hitting them on the head with my goblin club.

“Yoon Yi-seon. When is your match with Armored Taejo?”

“May 28th.”

“One week left. Have you gotten used to your awakened form?”

“Yes.”

Yoon Yi-seon glanced at Ymir before releasing her magical power.

Whoosh.

Pink flames enveloped her, and soon Yi-seon emerged from the flames in her new form—the older Yi-seon.

“It took you 7 seconds to transform and get fully dressed. Much faster than last time.”

“I learned various things while consulting with Ymir.”

“Heheh.”

Ymir stood beside Yi-seon in her Geumbudo-sa costume.

They looked like two foreigners cosplaying in hanbok, which was a bit amusing, but I held back my laughter and pointed my goblin club forward.

“Ymir. Please take care of the barrier.”

“Leave it to me. But after this… you know, right?”

“Yes. I’ll make sure you can sleep well, so I’m counting on you.”

Yi-seon might think it’s unpleasant that I brought Ymir along like an attendant for our training session, but I’ve arranged to take care of Ymir too, so it’s fine.

“Now, imagine you’re facing Armored Taejo. My fighting style will be quite different from the actual Armored Taejo, but I’ll fight using the methods I’ve seen him use.”

Whoosh!

I first transformed the mana surrounding my body into a new form.

“Armored Taejo’s fighting style number one: rapid approach using the suit’s propulsion system.”

Thwoom.

I exploded magical power beneath my feet, instantly approaching Yi-seon.

“How will you respond?”

“Like this!”

Yi-seon—who had already noticed my approach since I told her—slightly extended one foot to the side and spun her body.

“Light evasion with a counterattack. Excellent.”

Whoosh!

Fox-fire rose around Yi-seon and spun in circles.

If I had continued straight ahead, I would have been hit directly by the spinning flames.

“But how will you handle this?”

Bang!

My field of vision suddenly moved toward Yi-seon.

While still facing forward, my body moved sideways toward the direction Yi-seon had dodged.

“Inertia…?!”

“I crushed inertia with magical power.”

I twisted sideways while running forward.

Naturally, there was some inertial load on my body, but I easily ignored that level of burden and suppressed it with magical power.

“This is Armored Taejo’s specialty.”

Crushing inertia with magical power.

I moved my body thinking that the law of magical power supersedes the law of physics, making it ‘possible’ to bend the direction of forward kinetic energy at a right angle.

“I’m experiencing slight overload now, but Taejo will do this easily. I changed the direction of mana propulsion, but he’ll have mechanical assistance.”

“So he moves like this because mana propulsion is stronger than rocket propulsion?”

“Yes. When fighting ability users, don’t try to analyze their abilities. Unless you absolutely need to understand them to fight.”

I threw a straight punch forward.

Not to attack, but to show how Armored Taejo would attack.

“After showing this movement, Armored Taejo typically uses his fists. But against you, he’ll use a different method. Like this.”

I pulled back my shoulder, then as if delivering a kick, I stepped into the air and threw a short punch.

“He’ll blow me away with a shockwave?”

“Yes. Why do you think he’ll use this method against you?”

“Because I’m weak?”

“Because you’re a woman. He’s a feminist.”

Even as I said it, I wondered if I should use such a word, but I was just using the dictionary definition.

“Against men, he uses a straight punch. Against women, a shockwave like this. Especially if he thinks his opponent is weaker than him.”

“…Then what should I do?”

“Try what you just thought of.”

The moment I threatened her, Yi-seon was about to respond but stopped.

Because her opponent was me.

“It’s okay. Go ahead.”

“Then…”

As I extended my fist to create a shockwave, Yi-seon reached out from her wide hanbok sleeve and formed a triangle with both hands.

“Fire!”

Whoosh!

Pink flames burst from the triangle formed by her thumbs touching and index fingers touching.

Facing flames aimed at my upper body, I would normally dodge sideways, but I acted according to Armored Taejo’s combat habits.

“Huh?!”

“Taejo would do this.”

I tilted my head back without completely avoiding the attack.

“He’s weak to counter-attacks when he’s about to attack. Especially at the moment he’s attempting to strike.”

Whoosh!

The flames erupting from the triangle formed by her fingers clung to my shoulder.

“I-I’m sorry!”

“No. It’s Armored Taejo’s fault. He would dodge like this. You didn’t do anything wrong. I got hit on purpose. Don’t let your guard down.”

I couldn’t make a fuss like Armored Taejo would.

“No matter how he reacts, his next attack will be this.”

“Cast OFF.”

At the voice coming from the belt, Yi-seon’s eyes widened, and I dispersed the magical gauntlets I was wearing, just like Armored Taejo would.

“Eek?!”

“He’s still immersed in the world of Kamen Riders. And he’ll attack using Rider transformation gimmicks. Like this.”

I pressed down on my slightly shaken mask.

Yi-seon almost fell on her backside from the armor explosion, but before falling, she supported herself with one hand on the ground, jumped back, and landed gracefully.

“…One question.”

“What is it?”

“Your skirt reaches your ankles. Is there any reason to wear white stockings underneath?”

“You don’t know anything!”

Yi-seon lifted her skirt to her knees and raised her head.

“White stockings are essential!”

“I saw your underwear.”

“……”

“Seems you didn’t think that far.”

Yoon Yi-seon, down.

Sometimes ability users are defeated not by physical defeat but by a moment of embarrassment.

“I should show a good example. Ymir.”

“Yes?”

“Excuse me for a moment.”

I extended my goblin club toward Ymir’s skirt and lifted it up.

“Kyaah?!”

The scream came not from Ymir but from Yi-seon.

“E-even if you’re patriotic together! Uh, um…?”

“Hmph. Ta-da.”

“There’s something called the absolute territory.”

Ymir’s lower body was covered in what looked like black mist, making nothing visible.

You’d expect to see at least a silhouette, but it was completely shrouded in black mist.

“Since your opponent is Armored Taejo, it probably doesn’t matter much, but some villains are perverts who sexually harass. You need to manage the inside well for such situations.”

“I covered this part with magical power, like wearing black spats. How is it?”

“I-indeed. But… how long are you going to keep lifting it?”

“Hmm.”

I withdrew my goblin club.

“Yi-seon. If white stockings are your preference—”

“Goblin, do you prefer white stockings or black stockings?”

“I like both. If worn by pretty people.”

“……”

Yi-seon opened her mouth with a somewhat dazed expression at my answer.

“Teacher. She’s interpreting what you just said as a comment about her stocking color—”

“Not teacher! Goblin!”

“……”

“Goblin! Don’t call me teacher!”

Yi-seon shouted as Ymir casually offered the red pill out of nowhere.

“…Hmm, right. Then… trainer? Should I call you trainer?”

“That would be better. Right now, I’m Yi-seon’s trainer. So, Yi-seon. The battle with Armored Taejo is just the ‘prologue.’ His variations are extremely diverse. Moreover, he’s someone who doesn’t hesitate to use others’ techniques.”

“Like how you exploded your armor?”

“Yes.”

Why?

Because it looks cool.

Armored Taejo is the type to copy techniques that look cool rather than practical ones.

“We’ll continue training, and I’ll teach you the ‘ultimate victory method’ against him.”

“Ultimate…? We’re not killing him, right?”

“It’s a victory method that can defeat the S-rank 7th and push him down to S-rank 8th. It’s also the easiest way for you to win.”

“……”

Yi-seon licked her lips.

My offer must sound as sweet as a devil’s temptation.

After all, while others still call her a fake winner or A-rank, here’s a definite way to secure the S-rank 7th position.

“This isn’t… bad, is it?”

“Not at all. In fact, if Armored Taejo is defeated by this technique, he’ll gracefully acknowledge his defeat.”

The ultimate technique that might make Armored Taejo lose his will to fight.

The technique that suits Yi-seon best right now.

“For now, let’s temporarily name it ‘Corona Blaster.'”