Ch.54Midterm Exam (4)

# The Constellation is a Measure of Will, Not Strength

A constellation doesn’t necessarily make one strong, but it does provide an unyielding will and integrity that doesn’t break as easily as others.

Such people recover faster from mental shocks than ordinary people.

Because they always have a voice that believes in and supports them.

[— The ‘God of Purity and Resolve’ donates 2500 coins to you.]

[“Rusty, let’s try one more time.”]

Rustila had already lost to Zernya more than 50 times.

She clearly felt it. Her current self couldn’t win against Zernya in a direct confrontation.

She hit a wall and felt frustrated.

But deeper than that frustration was the wound carved by Zernya’s words after each fight ended.

‘Just give up.’

As humans, we tend to remember one criticism more vividly than ten compliments.

‘You think you can beat me with that level of skill? Listen well. I have absolutely no intention of pursuing a career as a swordsman. If you can’t even beat someone like me, you’d better give up on that dream.’

From Zernya’s perspective, it might be sincere advice. In reality, swordsmen with mediocre skills get pulverized when even slightly stronger monsters or incarnate bodies appear.

Even if they die like ants, the Federation doesn’t bat an eye. The population is overflowing, and people desperate for money and jobs are as numerous as grains of sand on a beach.

Rustila was different.

Long ago, when Laplace’s Forces invaded her planet.

The one who saved young Rustila from the battlefield’s bombardment wasn’t her parents but a swordsman.

She sacrificed her life to ensure Rustila and her family could escape to the end.

She felt a sense of tragic beauty in that receding figure.

She wanted to become like that person.

“You’re here to challenge me again? Don’t you ever get tired?”

Zernya frowned and issued an order to leave.

“If you win again, that’s good for you, right? You get more points. Isn’t that so?”

“Sorry, but I’ve earned plenty already. I don’t want to waste my precious time fighting someone who’s already lost the match.”

Rustila gritted her teeth.

Zernya said:

“Get lost.”

“No.”

“I said get lost.”

“If you’d just face me one more time.”

“You idiot. I knew from the moment you threw five cards at once. If you want to win, you’d better use that challenge card on someone else.”

Zernya resisted stubbornly.

She needed a different approach.

What did Zernya hate the most?

After pondering briefly, a spark of electricity flashed through Rustila’s mind.

It was a somewhat underhanded method, but using this would surely touch Zernya’s sore spot.

“What, are you scared?”

She threw those words at the back of Zernya’s head as she was gracefully leaving.

“…What?”

“I asked if you’re scared.”

Zernya turned to look at Rustila with a deeply furrowed brow. Fighting spirit ignited in her amethyst eyes.

It’s working. This is it.

“Structurally, if I beat you, you’ll lose a ton of points, right? Then you’ll fall behind Eidel and end up in second place again. Are you afraid of that, so you’re not accepting my challenge?”

“What nonsense…”

“Come to think of it, Eidel’s score is really high too. He even got first place in the written exam again. You might not be able to overtake him at this rate. Are you okay with that?”

“You bitch! Are you done talking?”

Thud. Two cards fell in front of Zernya.

Rustila spoke, infusing her words with as much insolence as possible.

“Bring it on, Second Place.”

On this day, Rustila heard the word “fucking bitch” for the first time in her life.

***

As soon as she put on her gear and immersed herself in the capsule, Zernya’s fierce attack began. She charged in without even waiting for the countdown, like a beast with rabies.

“Even spending time fighting you is a waste. Know your place!!”

Having touched her sore spot, Zernya was now in a half-crazed state.

In other words, she was emotional.

There might be a chance to win.

Rustila quickly completed the ionization of her blade and regulated her breathing.

“Hoo.”

Heart hot, head cold.

She felt reassured just by holding the sword. She felt as if she had become one with the blade.

Memories of her consistent training despite parental oppression flashed before her eyes like a kaleidoscope.

Whoosh-!

Rustila swung with a heavy strike.

It blocked Zernya’s blade that was trying to thrust upward diagonally. Crackle, the sound of discharge. Using the repulsive force of the charges, she pushed forward with the two blades still in contact. In pure strength, Rustila had the advantage over Zernya.

Zernya’s eyebrows curved upward.

“This is…”

Creating distance, Zernya changed her offensive pattern. Instead of thrusting into her body, she began to strike quickly and retreat, testing the waters.

It was a rational decision. Rustila’s sword was different from usual. There was no hesitation. She was emotionally unified.

In fact, winning or losing against Zernya wasn’t important anymore. Whether she beat Zernya here or not, she would continue to train with the sword. Dreams don’t shatter just because someone says something unpleasant.

Thinking this way made her feel more at ease. The anxiety disappeared. There were no constraints in wielding her sword.

Rustila deflected all of Zernya’s attacks. There was something strange about how she wielded her heavy sword as sharply as a light blade. How could such strength come from the arms of a fragile girl?

Zernya was surprised. It was a physically impossible technique. Moreover, it wasn’t a sword style taught in lessons.

She couldn’t respond with conventional methods.

Damn it. Zernya gritted her teeth.

Zernya’s form shot forward once more. She knew she was at a disadvantage in terms of power. Her cursed body had clear limitations in storing momentum.

So she covered it with tricks. While Rustila made one big swing, Zernya slipped through the gap and jumped. Whoosh, Zernya did a somersault over the horizontal slash and landed.

Got her. She instantly took position behind her. Zernya’s amethyst eyes flashed as she wrapped Aether around her blade.

This is the end.

Thinking this, she slashed horizontally, but Rustila’s head dropped downward. The blade that passed through a beat later only cut through empty air.

“Ugh…!”

Immediately followed by Rustila’s back kick. Her leg didn’t rise very high, but it smashed right into the face of the short Zernya, leaving a bright red mark.

Once, twice, three times. She wiped her face that had been kicked while taking backsteps. It stung. Fortunately, this was virtual reality; in the real world, her nose would have bled.

“Damn it…!”

Zernya put maximum output into her blade.

“How dare, how dare you put your filthy foot on my face?!”

“Well, it’s virtual reality.”

Rustila shrugged.

“It still feels dirty. Well, you’ve done it now. You’re finished. I’ll cut off your head. Prepare to pass out in agony!”

Time had already passed the 2:30 mark.

They needed to settle this within the next 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

Around this time, students who had gathered like clouds to watch the rematch between Zernya and Rustila began to exchange comments.

“Fighting for a whole month, what a bad relationship.”

“I heard it’s because of some guy.”

“Really? Who?”

The rumors had become so distorted. But these stories wouldn’t reach the two who were focused entirely on their fight.

In a completely isolated space, Rustila swung her sword with ferocity. Facing her, Zernya was also precisely adjusting the angle of her light sword, timing the moment to pierce her head.

Rustila was calm.

Zernya was anxious.

Until now, Rustila and Zernya had never fought beyond 2 minutes, but this match was clearly heading into a prolonged battle.

This level of agility matched what Eidel had shown in their first fight. No, perhaps it was even more nimble.

What’s going on?

Thinking about it, it was strange. In Zernya’s mind, she was the strongest, followed by Rustila, and then Eidel.

Even after a month of sword training, Eidel had only grasped the basics and couldn’t execute high-level techniques in reality.

Zernya split her thoughts while parrying the sword. As a result, she was pushed into a defensive position and found herself backed up to the edge of the ring while her mind was elsewhere.

“Damn it.”

She cut off her thoughts and quickly twisted her body. The next moment, Rustila’s sword attack dangerously grazed the outside of the ring.

With that momentum, Rustila was about to follow her sword out of the ring.

It was an opportunity for Zernya.

A similar situation had occurred in her first fight with Eidel. At that time, she was in Rustila’s position, and Eidel was in her current position.

‘I don’t hit women, you know.’

How ridiculous.

Eidel couldn’t finish it because he lacked skill, but she was different. With this one opening, she could send Rustila out of the ring.

Given their positions, she couldn’t cut vertically. Above all, she had decided to cut off her head, so a horizontal slash was appropriate.

As Rustila’s center of gravity was about to shift outside the ring, Zernya decided to deliver the final blow.

But she couldn’t.

Whoosh-!

Rustila let go of the sword she was swinging. With a split-second decision, the released sword rotated freely, receiving the separated angular momentum.

Zernya’s expression momentarily turned stupid.

Rustila instinctively understood center of gravity and motion. The moment she released the sword, her center of gravity, which had been leaning forward, returned inside the ring. Simultaneously, the sword rotated outside the ring, drawing a smooth arc.

This wasn’t the end.

To avoid Zernya’s deep sword attack, Rustila split her legs to the sides. Hips, thighs, calves, ankles. All flat against the floor.

“You stupid girl!”

The characteristic of a light sword is the short delay between each strike. After a horizontal slash, one could transition to a thrust within 0.3 seconds.

She tried to deliver the final blow to Rustila, who had become defenseless after losing her sword.

But she failed.

“Kyaak!”

Rustila twisted her upper body and used her split legs to push away Zernya’s legs. Zernya was destined to fall as if she had tripped over a stone.

Zernya threw herself to avoid going outside the ring. In the process, she dropped her light sword. Rustila, who got up first, kicked Zernya’s sword toward the center of the ring.

The next moment.

Thud!

Rustila’s sword, which had rotated half a turn, stuck next to Zernya’s sword.

The principle of the match was to win by cutting with a sword. Rustila and Zernya pushed each other away and ran toward the center of the ring.

Rustila reached it first.

She picked up Zernya’s sword as well and took a stance. Zernya’s expression turned stupid.

“Surrender.”

“You crazy bitch…”

Surrender? Her pride wouldn’t allow it.

Rustila, though holding Zernya’s sword, was also slightly perplexed.

They should clash sword against sword and determine the winner. Only then would there be true meaning in the outcome. Pride could only be restored at that point.

After thinking briefly, Rustila threw the light sword in front of Zernya. Zernya, who had been wondering how to retrieve her sword, stared blankly at the floor.

[10 seconds remaining.]

“Hurry up and come at me.”

What was the intention behind returning the sword?

There was no time to think.

[5 seconds remaining.]

Everything had to end in one more exchange.

[4 seconds.]

They dashed.

[3 seconds.]

Both Zernya and Rustila.

Emptying all other thoughts, they focused on just one:

To win.

[2 seconds.]

Outside the virtual reality, students swallowed hard as they watched the monitor.

Among them were Eidel and Seti. Even teachers were present.

Homeroom teacher Kendra, who had arrived late, watched with sweaty palms, hoping for a conclusion.

[1 second.]

Rustila recalled Instructor Naiere’s words.

Individual sword techniques are more vulnerable to emotions than standardized techniques.

The advice that hesitation appears in the sword when various emotions swirl in an uncontrollable situation.

She had kept that advice in her heart until now.

And only now did she realize.

‘It’s good to anchor your emotions.’

From the moment Rustila first entered this fight, whether unconsciously or consciously, she had maintained one calm emotional breath:

Respect.

In Rustila’s eyes, Eidel’s image was reflected.

[0 seconds—]

Her backing star wasn’t just one person.

[EX-grade Conversion – Two-Star Sword Energy]

Two wills shot down like blades.