episode_0025

Despite pretending to be relaxed, he wasn’t really at ease.

Of course, he knew how to deal with opponents.

After all, he had faced countless enemies in the game.

But… this was reality.

“Kikigigigik!”

“Suck!”

-Twquang!

Dodging each attack from those massive legs consumed a lot of stamina.

Moreover, his level was low. Comparable to the Twilight Queen in front of him or slightly lower.

At this rate, sustaining severe injuries and facing the possibility of death even after defeating her was a real threat.

A move known as ‘Love Shot.’

“Haaa…!”

He pulled all the magical power of his mana into his physical abilities in an instant.

His arms wielding the sword accelerated.

He immediately launched a series of sword strikes.

Inspired by Laura’s demonstration, he applied a multiple sword technique.

Mixing the Water Sword Technique and Thunder Sword Technique he had learned.

While maintaining the relatively long casting time of the Water Sword Technique for the initial strike, he followed up with relentless attacks using the Thunder Sword Technique.

This might no longer be limited to just the Water Sword Technique.

Diagonal left, diagonal right.

Sword strikes relentlessly targeted the Twilight Queen according to the situation.

-Shooshoooshoooshoooshook!

-Kagagagagagak!

“Kikigigigi! Kikigigigigigigi!”

Hey, feeling itchy?

Hedi, watching from afar, seemed surprised by the swordsmanship he was witnessing for the first time.

Naturally. It was his first attempt just now.

Being able to swing the sword as he pleased felt comfortable. It was like playing his own unique game.

…Even though this game in reality seemed like it would end once he died.

“Kikigik!”

Seemingly annoyed, the Twilight Queen dodged his sword strikes by stepping back.

Alright. I knew you wouldn’t be critically injured by this much.

It was just a momentary distraction.

‘To defeat the Twilight Queen, I need a decisive blow.’

He had to inflict internal damage since the Twilight Queen’s skin and muscles were very thick, and superficial wounds wouldn’t do much.

‘So, I need to aim for her soft insides.’

The creature in front of him had a huge body.

Moreover, due to its agility and the erratic pattern of spitting webs, there wasn’t enough time to gather a significant amount of mana.

…Did he need a collaborator?

He swiftly moved away from the Twilight Queen towards Hedi, who was entangled in spider silk, watching his battle.

-Chwaak!

“…!”

He cut off a part of the spider silk that bound Hedi’s legs and arms with his sword.

Hedi looked at him with a surprised expression.

“Cut the rest of the web and help me! I can’t handle this alone!”

After conveying his message, he immediately rushed towards the Twilight Queen, diverting her attention towards him.

Yes. This should work.

Smooth.

If Hedi recovered and stalled for time according to his instructions, he could finish off the Twilight Queen.

‘But…’

Everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Why did he keep feeling uneasy?

“Kikigigi!”

He narrowly avoided, blocked, countered, and struck back against the Twilight Queen’s attacks.

He gradually understood her attack patterns.

Even the mixed swordsmanship he was trying for the first time was becoming familiar.

But why?

“Ugh!”

-Twquang!

‘This situation should be entirely new to me.’

Somehow, the situation leading up to this moment felt very familiar to him.

It felt like something he had experienced before…

Was it just a mood?

Should he ignore this question for now?

Dealing with the Twilight Queen was his priority at the moment.

“Scoundrel Captain! When do we start?!”

Anxious, Hedi shouted from the sidelines.

…For now, let’s leave this question aside.

Right now, facing the Twilight Queen took precedence.

“Just give me 10 seconds! I’ll prepare for a single strike!”

“…Got it!”

As soon as she finished speaking, he touched her with the baton.

When she provoked the Twilight Queen with her sword, the Twilight Queen’s target shifted towards her.

Now, let’s focus.

“Hoo….”

She squeezed out all the remaining mana from the Danjeon.

She concentrated on her two arms and the sword.

As she stabilized her breathing, mana slowly began to gather towards her arms.

-Shuuuuu….

But then, it happened.

“Haap!”

“……!”

Looking towards Hedy, I couldn’t help but widen my eyes.

-Kagagagagagak!

“Kigigik?!”

Hedy’s sword strike rushed towards the Twilight Queen.

I knew she had excellent combat sense.

But that…

“Isn’t that the sword technique I just used…?!”

Left diagonal, right diagonal.

Her sword moved swiftly along the trajectory I had wielded.

Even the stance was maintained as if I had upheld the Su-Geombeop.

…Clearly amateurish, yet she was mimicking my Brain Swordsmanship mixed with Su-Geombeop and Step Entanglement.

“Is this how it’s done…?!”

“……!”

Surely, in terms of the game’s story, she’s an extra.

How does she possess such skill?

Was I being conceited?

Was I widely known from the start?

No… It seemed like most students who witnessed Laura’s Applied Swordsmanship demonstration didn’t quite grasp it.

Assuming I possess adult intelligence from a past life and understand most of the basics due to gaming knowledge, even then…

Such skill is not easily attainable at her age.

Who exactly is this Hedy…?

*

The continuous strikes from the gang leader were impressive.

Hedy tried to imitate to buy time for herself, but somehow, her strikes felt much less effective than those of the gang leader.

During the fight, Hedy glanced at the gang leader gathering aura.

‘…What is he?’

From the start, when observing his actions, it was clear he wasn’t just the leader of a gang of delinquents.

Yet, this raised more questions.

A skilled individual unseen even at the Academy…

If she hadn’t believed his explanation in the backyard and continued fighting, she would have lost.

‘Why did he spare me…? Why?’

He could easily overpower Hedy with his overwhelming strength.

Why did he spare her?

‘…Come to think of it, his face looks unfamiliar.’

There was no memory of such a tester in class.

If someone with such skills and appearance existed, rumors would have spread.

‘Is he a mid-term transfer student?’

Mid-term transfers must possess considerable skill and talent.

That’s because Ariel Academy enforces strict rules.

Even if the upper nobility were to pull strings, it would be impossible.

“Kigigigi!”

“Krukk!”

Gradually, Hedy’s stamina started to dwindle.

There was no time left to think.

It was the limit.

“G-Gang Leader! Are you still holding up?!”

Desperately, Hedy shouted to him.

***

“G-Gang Leader! Are you still holding up?!”

‘Ah.’

I momentarily lost focus on Hedy’s swordsmanship.

Regaining my senses, I saw the sword I had absorbed all the mana I needed and was emitting a fierce aura.

This should be enough.

“Enough! You can come out now!”

“Got it!!”

In an instant, Hedy turned her back to the Twilight Queen and fled.

And just as I was about to make my move with the baton touch…

“Kyaaaah!”

“……?!”

With a painful groan, Hedy collapsed near the Twilight Queen.

Blood flowed profusely from her torso.

She had been pierced in the side by the Twilight Queen while hastily fleeing.

‘Now this happens?!’

As the Twilight Queen seemed to conclude the situation, she approached the fallen Hedy, exhaling heavily.

This can’t go on.

I leaped towards the Twilight Queen urgently.

And raised my sword.

“Let’s end this gracefully, you bastard-!”

“Kigigik?!”

As I brought down the sword, the aura veered off its trajectory.

The whip of the enlarged Ora moved with the sword.

The dark surroundings momentarily brightened.

Time seemed to slow down for a moment. Because of that, the surroundings came into view.

A blue hue.

The surrounding cave was dyed in blue.

At first glance, it might have seemed like a beautiful aquarium-like scene.

But the current situation was far from that.

-Kwagwagwagwagwagwa!

As the Ora’s sword made contact with Twilight Queen’s upper body, time began to flow rapidly again.

Twilight Queen spewed her entrails. There was no time to even groan before she fell.

…An attack that could never have been made without Hedy buying time.

The goblins and big spiders that had been swarming in the vicinity also felt the immense pressure dissipate as the queen died, and they busily began to flee.

And now, as the Ora’s sword descended.

“….!”

I suddenly realized.

It was when I saw Hedy gasping for breath with injuries that the memories flooded back.

Slightly different, but I knew as if it were future knowledge that Hedy would be injured.

I gradually learned where the sense of unease originated from.

In the deep labyrinth of this underground abyss, there were goblins, mythical creatures that should not exist in reality.

Big spiders moving alongside the goblins, drawn by the Twilight Queen’s pheromones for some unknown purpose.

…And there was even an artificially created corpse warehouse for the survival breeding of the Twilight Queen.

Everything connected in a single thread passed through my mind.

It was information that I had neglected due to lack of interest.

I felt a sense of crisis.

…Because it got entangled with what I had avoided so much.

What is it?

There is only one thing that I had no interest in and avoided.

These moments right now,

were the birth of a heroine’s narrative.