Episode 10. 1-on-1 Sparring

1 PM, the Class A freshmen were lined up in three rows in the sparring arena.

1-on-1 Sparring Match. In other words, close-combat training.

It’s a simple class where cadets are paired up to spar with each other.

“The match-ups are decided randomly on the spot. Individual matchups are not considered at all. You can’t always fight opponents you have an advantage against for your entire life. The chance to fight opponents you’re disadvantaged against safely is rare, so if you get one, you should actually be happy about it.”

“Yes!”

Perhaps because they’re freshmen, everyone is disciplined at times like this.

“However, for those who volunteer for the first sparring match, I will specially grant the right to challenge. You’ll get the right to pick whomever you want.”

Stepping up here to form relationships with the main characters isn’t a bad idea, but I still don’t know how well I’ll do in close-combat battles. Let’s just get through today’s class quietly.

“May I make a selection?!”

“Yes, go ahead and pick, Lucy.”

Lucy lightly stood next to the instructor and scanned the students with her eyes. The person she was looking for seemed not to be in sight, so as she frowned and turned her head, her eyes met mine.

“I choose Student Lee Hoyeon!”

Huh? Me?

“Lee Hoyeon? Why him all of a sudden?”

“But seeing this morning’s class, he wasn’t half bad, surprisingly?”

“He even got praised by Professor Im Sol earlier.”

“Isn’t she just confessing? Trying to punish him with a confession in front of everyone.”

“Wow, Lucy is surprisingly aggressive?”

Talking nonsense about a public confession.

“Both of you, come up to the sparring arena. Bring whatever weapons you choose.”

Anyway, Lucy and I are both mages. Bringing weapons we’ve never used would just make our bodies heavier.

So, I was about to go empty-handed, but since there was a dagger that looked light, I picked one up and went up to the sparring arena. Maybe it might be useful.

Directly opposite on the circular sparring stage, I felt a strong gaze.

When I looked up, Lucy was glaring at me with a smile.

Actually, the glaring itself is cute, but I saw a predator reflected in her eyes as she glared at me.

With a handsome man and a beautiful woman confronting each other, the clueless crowd below was in an uproar.

Everyone’s attention was fixed on us.

This was expected. With so many sparring classes at Victoria Academy, I thought a match with Lucy would happen someday.

I just didn’t know it would be this soon.

Lucy, too, is an incredible talent-hoarder as one of the heroines.

Her younger sister Lumi specializes in defensive magic, while her older sister Lucy specializes in offensive magic.

Her late-game combat ability is solely offensive, but on the battlefield, her appearance burning enemies with overwhelming firepower contrasts with her cute looks, making her a veritable beast.

Of course, at this point, she is still just a quite strong promising prospect, but I, with absolutely no combat experience, was not an opponent she could beat.

‘At first, I wanted to gain experience against an extra… Sigh.’

★ Heroine Status Window

[Lucy]

• [Affection: 20]

• [Lust: 5]

• [Gluttony: 40]

• [Fatigue: 20]

After I apologized yesterday, her affection went up from 2 to 20.

I don’t get it. She doesn’t seem angry, but why did she request a sparring match?

“Are you ready to apologize?”

Lucy spoke first from across the way.

“It seems like apologies made in the sparring arena are the trend these days.”

“Actually, I’m not that angry. I saw your condition then. And yesterday’s apology seemed sincere.”

“If you think that way, I’m grateful.”

Lucy’s lips curved slightly upwards.

“But you know, if you’re sorry, you have to pay the price. I’ll accept your apology after the sparring match.”

It seems she intends to accept my apology, but even given the circumstances, touching her chest made her angry, so she wants me to be punished?

In the sparring arena’s mana field, even if you take hits, no physical wounds remain.

However, for practical combat sense, the pain is felt fully. You can’t afford to be unable to perform well due to pain in a real situation.

If possible, I don’t want to get hit by magic… It really seems like it’s going to hurt.

“Now, is the mana field okay, and are you both ready?”

---

『Sub Quest Transmitted.』

[Conquer the Older Sister Too!]

Don’t let your guard down just because you got closer to Lumi!

You can’t raise Lucy’s affection just by talking a few words like you did with her sister. How about becoming a bad boy by overwhelmingly winning the sparring match?

• Reward: Lucy’s Affection increases slightly

---

I was relaxing for the sparring match about to start soon, when suddenly a quest window appeared before my eyes.

No, can you really become a bad boy just by overwhelmingly winning the sparring match? This doesn’t feel right.

“Lee Hoyeon! If you are ready, answer!”

“Ah, yes!”

The instructor’s shout snapped me back to reality. Well, it seems there’s no penalty even if I fail, so maybe I should try?

Just in case, I tried stretching here and there to warm up my body, but it doesn’t seem to help.

The dagger attached to my belt bumps against my thigh every time I walk.

It’s subtly uncomfortable. I don’t think I’ll even use it, but I brought it anyway.

“3, 2, 1. Start!”

Pung!

The barrier blocking us broke, and the sparring match began.

As soon as the starting signal was heard, I manifested mana.

Lucy uses fire-attribute mana. Since I also mainly use fire-attribute mana, the matchup is even.

Of course, I can use other attributes too. I tried it in the training center, and it was easy.

But showing multiple attributes right now is too conspicuous.

‘Too much attention is too early.’

Lucy manifested mana in the form of fire arrows. Later on, she can easily shoot hundreds, even thousands, of such arrows.

Swish swish swish!

About 10 fire arrows were shot towards me.

I blocked the arrows with a wall of fire I had manifested beforehand.

The arrows lost their power and vanished after hitting the barrier.

A light, probing exchange, like a skirmish.

“Not bad? Hearing you’re switching to be a mage, I thought you were aiming to be at least a guild official.”

“Thanks for the compliment.”

In the exchange just now, the casting speed was similar. The difference is, I went all out to block Lucy’s fire arrows.

However, Lucy still seemed to have plenty of energy left. For her, that exchange just now was truly a light probing exchange.

Certainly, she was calmer than me, who had no experience, and her magic was more skillful. If I had more experience, I would have efficiently shot down the fire arrows using mana spheres, but I still don’t have the ability to control more than 10 spells separately.

“Let’s finish quickly. There are many people waiting behind us.”

Whoosh-!

Dozens of fire arrows floated above Lucy’s head.

This cannot be blocked. Lucy, too, manifested the magic with all her might this time.

An overwhelming number of fire arrows. Their magnificent sight, and the pressure that they were about to fly towards me.

I thought for a moment, ‘Should I just take one hit and end it?’, but I can’t just take it.

If it were restored, I’d take it any number of times, but taking one hit and apologizing doesn’t seem helpful for improving our relationship.

Really, really, perhaps it’s better to be a bad boy as the system suggests.

Okay, let’s try something.

Doki doki!

As soon as I steeled my resolve, my heart started beating faster and faster. My body wouldn’t leave this world’s ‘protagonist’, ‘Lee Hoyeon’, alone.

Doki doki!

From deep within my chest, blood circulated rapidly, spreading vitality throughout my entire body.

Slowly rising, my divine power. [Combat Sense]

It’s my first time using it properly, but I adapted quickly.

The surging [Combat Sense] gave my body appropriate tension and sharpened my senses.

My mind became clear. [Clear Mind] erased the feeling of giving up and I began searching for a way to overcome this situation.

[Mana Attunement] tried to analyze and understand the fire arrows visible before my eyes as best as possible.

My entire body was enveloped in exhilaration. My condition seemed to have improved even more than before the sparring match started.

‘I can win. No, I must win.’

Lee Hoyeon’s talent, [Combat Sense]. In the game, this one power alone created unbelievable variables. Added to that were the bonus skills [Mana Attunement] and [Clear Mind].

The meeting of variables that normally wouldn’t have happened gave birth to another variable.

『Unique Skill Awakens.』

『Acquired Unique Skill: [Clairvoyance].』

———『 Clairvoyance 』—————————

▶ Unique Skill

▶ Concentrate mana into your eyes to raise your eyesight to its maximum level.

The ability to recognize and distinguish mana-imbued beings or forms is maximized.

---

“Clairvoyance…?”

“Did you give up? I thought you had spirit, but you’re boring.”

Lucy watched my still form with a puzzled look, then shrugged and shot fire arrows at me.

The fire arrows flew towards me, and I activated [Clairvoyance].

As I concentrated mana into my eyes, I felt a slight pain.

“Kkuh.”

The pain in my eyes intensified. Unable to bear it, I closed and opened my eyes for a moment.

Ziiing-

At the same time, mana began to be visible to my eyes, and the moment I recognized the visualization of mana, my field of vision widened.

It was as if two more eyes had appeared on both sides of my face; my field of view itself became abnormally wide, and I could observe the mana dissolved in the air at my will.

Before I could be flustered by the sudden change in vision, I had to deal with the flying fire arrows.

The fire arrows flying towards me.

Ziiing-

As I properly gazed at that magic, a distortion occurred in my vision. I understood the principle of the magic flying towards me and its mana structure.

Where this magic was coming from, how far its firepower could inflict damage, and its destructive power were forcibly imprinted in my mind.

It was already too late to respond with magic. I had to evade.

Then, the moment I thought, ‘How should I evade?’, the optimal route naturally appeared in my vision.

The fire arrows flying towards me. I could see the path of that magic.

Shwoosh-.

About 30 red lines are visible. Of those red lines, about 15 are aimed at piercing me. The remaining 15 are blocking my escape route.

However, if you can see the path, evading is easy.

I dashed forward, towards the direction with the fewest red lines.

Most of the arrows missed me, and now only 3 red lines remained.

In my left and right hands, I quickly manifested mana spheres to counter one, and dodged another by turning my head left.

“You got lucky!”

Fire arrows were generated above Lucy’s head again.

Fire arrows flew one by one. Though fewer in number than before, the speed was faster due to the focus on control.

However, that wasn’t enough. My eyes could see the path.

Dodging the arrows by slightly bending my body to the left, I slowly concentrated mana at the tips of my feet.

‘I see an opening…!’

Another 20 fire arrows flew. Though fewer in number than the first volley, she narrowed the gaps between them. Her intention was to prevent me from escaping.

The incoming spells. There seemed to be no gap between them, but to my eyes, it was clearly visible. A gap slightly wider than my shoulder width. I had to dive through it.

With the propulsion gained from exploding mana at the tips of my feet all at once, I precisely dove into the gap between the red lines.

Whoosh-!

At that magical sight, Lucy too widened her eyes for a moment, then bit her lip and cast magic again.

However, the next spell, and the one after that, I approached Lucy while evading the spells with minimal movement and defense.

“Wh-what!”

As Lucy’s and my distance had almost closed, she manifested a barrier and tried to create distance.

However, before she could even chant that spell, I reached her.

Swooosh

I placed the dagger I had brought earlier against her neck.

I could have decided the match with magic up close, but I didn’t want to attack Lucy.

And, performance is also important for an overwhelming victory.

Thump-

Lucy collapsed as if her legs lost strength.

Looking outside the sparring arena, the students were staring at me in shock.

Even the spirited homeroom instructor had his eyes wide open.

“Instructor, please judge the winner.”

“Uh, yeah. Winner, Lee Hoyeon. Both of you, come down.”

I won the sparring match, but there’s no applause. These guys lack the proper attitude as spectators.

Lucy was still sitting down, dumbfounded.

『Quest Complete! Lucy’s Affection increases by 3.』

★ Heroine Status Window

[Lucy]

• [Affection: 28]

• [Lust: 5]

• [Gluttony: 40]

• [Fatigue: 20]

Affection increased by 3. But why is it 28? It was clearly 20 earlier, so it rose by 8.

No way, she didn’t really fall for the bad boy trope by overwhelmingly winning the sparring match, did she?

For now, I approached the dumbfounded Lucy and offered my hand.

“Lucy, are you okay?”

“Ha, I intended to get revenge, but instead I got crushed.”

“Even though I won, it’s awkward to say this, but it was really dangerous.”

Lucy took my hand, stood up, and dusted off her butt.

“Sigh. So, what about those cool eyes?”

My eyes? What’s wrong with my eyes?

Using my smartwatch’s mirror function, I checked my face.

My pupils were a soft gold color, shining clearly.