episode_0048

Since awakening her succubus characteristics, Kanzaki had unknowingly faced ostracization. It was because her characteristics seemed to possess an unusually strong otherworldly nature.

Of course, at her core, she was still just a human from Earth affected by her characteristics, but…

Including her appearance, the perception of such beings in myths and folklore across various cultures worldwide tends to be like that.

Beautiful demons who steal human essence.

Naturally, it was not easy for her to be accepted without prejudice. This was also due to the fact that among countless awakened individuals, there weren’t many who had awakened characteristics similar to a succubus.

In particular, there were virtually no awakened individuals who could wield the power of a succubus almost as if they were the original, like Kanzaki Rie.

That was also why she came to Cheongsong Academy as an exchange student. If she was going to be regarded as an unsettling presence wherever she went, she might as well go to an educational institution where there were many similar individuals.

That was her thinking. So, Kanzaki willingly grasped the hand extended by the Korean hero.

‘Nothing much has changed in the end, though.’

The problem was, yes. The fact that the attitudes of those around her didn’t really improve, even at an Awakener Academy?

While she wasn’t overtly regarded as a ‘disagreeable presence’ like in her high school life in Japan, the subtle feeling of being avoided was something she couldn’t erase.

‘What can I do? It’s my karma…’

Despite that, Kanzaki was in no position to complain.

Because, this time, she was also at fault.

At first, Kanzaki thought it was a natural posture for an exchange student to work as hard as possible.

So, whenever ranking matches were held, she always gave her best in the duels.

That is to say, by using her most powerful weapon, her ‘eyes,’ to charm male students, she managed to rank 5th.

As a result, at some point… she belatedly realized that she had become an outsider among her classmates and peers in the same grade.

She wasn’t receiving looks of contempt or disillusionment like in the early stages of her awakening a few years ago.

However, the fact that she had become an awkward subject could not be denied.

By the time she belatedly realized that fact, she had already been ranked as the ‘number one most undesirable opponent in ranking matches.’

How empty she felt at that time.

A child who needed the care of teachers and the active interest of her peers. A pitiful girl who had to go around asserting ‘I’m not dangerous!’ herself!

…Though it sounds grand, in the end, it just meant she had simply become an ordinary loner.

Kanzaki Rie.

Twenty years old.

Female.

No friends.

If she were to jot down her profile, it would probably feel something like this. Kanzaki, who had been seriously pondering such thoughts, suddenly snapped out of it with a gasp.

‘So why was I thinking these thoughts…?’

A slightly belated realization. How had she ended up in such a pathetic situation, recalling memories of the past?

The sequence of events quickly came to mind.

“…Ah.”

Kanzaki, letting out a short gasp while slightly covering her mouth, cautiously glanced around.

Around her, within an approximate 50-meter radius, a fierce battle was unfolding.

*CRASH!* Lightning struck down, and *CRACK!* an ice wall rose, blocking the surging golden flames as if to swallow them whole.

Just then, another flash of light erupted.

“EEK!”

Kanzaki, who had been sitting blankly, was startled and rolled her body away.

A conifer that had stood straight beside her was struck by lightning and turned to ash.

If she had moved even a little bit later, she would have probably been burned to a crisp and become ‘Grilled Kanzaki’ right there.

“Hic.”

A hiccup escaped her without her realizing. Kanzaki shivered like a frightened small animal and pitifully raised her head.

And she witnessed it.

A figure thrusting down spears of sharp, blue lightning from the sky, wearing an expression seemingly contradictory to her malicious look, yet with eyes intoxicated by the thrill of battle—.

The form of the Thunder God, descended into the present world.

The name of that god in the form of a girl was Cheon Soyul. Undisputedly the strongest female student of the 9th class.

Furthermore, as Kanzaki knew…

She was also the female student who had the most intense fresh ‘something going on’ with Lee Hyunjin, despite their seemingly bad relationship.

That is, with ‘that’ Lee Hyunjin, whom Kanzaki had just moments ago deliberately tried to devour.

“…”

*Hmm*. Kanzaki firmly pressed her lips into a straight line with a small sigh.

She slowly straightened herself, then modestly knelt down.

Though it felt new again, she recalled the start of the incident. That is, she reminisced about the moment she had tried to seduce Lee Hyunjin and absorb his essence.

Someone would surely ask her: “So, why specifically Lee Hyunjin?”

‘The rumors related to Miss Cheon Soyul… Of course, I had heard about them to some extent…’

Stealing someone who already belonged to another was a very bad offense. Should one call it ‘vixen behavior’? Anyway, it was a rather unseemly act.

However, Kanzaki also knew one more thing.

That was, Lee Hyunjin and Cheon Soyul were not officially dating.

It seemed to be at the stage of establishing a push-and-pull relationship dynamic…

In that case, wouldn’t it barely fall outside the category of ‘misconduct’ (?) to interfere?

At least, Kanzaki’s view on relationships was like that.

It was a judgment from a rather open-minded perspective, but it didn’t matter. More importantly, she only intended to absorb Lee Hyunjin’s essence just once.

In other words, it was a one-time plea. After all, she was just an ordinary girl who didn’t have a hobby of stealing other people’s men.

Kanzaki, clearing her throat with a “ahem, ahem” a couple of times, thus defended herself.

The fact that she had lost her reason and tried to pounce on Lee Hyunjin 10 minutes ago had long been erased from her memory.

Anyway, Kanzaki entertained the innocent but somewhat frivolous thought that perhaps it was okay to ‘share’ someone else’s man just once.

Up until now, she had gritted her teeth and refrained from absorbing essence from males.

For that reason, it was clear as day that swallowing a male’s essence, even just once, would greatly benefit her mana capacity.

That was why Kanzaki chose Lee Hyunjin as her target.

The primary reason was none other than that he was the one who first suggested absorbing the spirit medicine, and the second was her relationship with him.

Although it was a fact she hadn’t told anyone.

Kanzaki Rie didn’t actually dislike Lee Hyunjin that much.

No, if she *had* to say she disliked him, she could… but…

‘…Because he’s the only one who talks to a succubus like me without prejudice.’

Nevertheless, a sense of gratitude existed. Perhaps it was a somewhat illogical state, feeling several contradictory emotions towards one person at the same time?

It was infuriating that her charm didn’t work well, forcing her to make him touch her chest or subtly lift her skirt every time during ranking matches.

Still, he was one of the few ‘friends’ Kanzaki Rie had, someone who didn’t shun her at the Academy.

A strange person who overtly treated her succubus nature as unsettling, yet always said a few words to her whenever they met.

It wasn’t strange at all to choose him when she had to pick one male.

Moreover, wasn’t this what they called a ‘win-win,’ where neither of them lost anything?

He would enjoy climaxing by the touch of a pretty and pure girl like herself, and she would enjoy drinking his essence.

How rational was this transaction?

If the other party agreed, Kanzaki even considered entering into a long-term supply contract.

A relationship where they would call upon each other and grant each other’s desires whenever he wanted, or whenever she wanted.

At the thought that they might be able to progress into such a relationship, her heart thump-thumped to its critical limit, and her face flushed hot, likely with a slight blush.

Finally, having succeeded in seducing Lee Hyunjin, she was just about to proceed with the act.

“*COUGH!*”

Kim Yijun fell from the sky.

Flying with a *WHOOSH*, then *THUDDING* down.

He had been struck by lightning wielded like a bat by no other than Cheon Soyul and sent flying.

Kanzaki swallowed dryly in fear.

‘…How is it even possible to send someone flying like that?’

For her, who could do nothing but charm men, it was a swing of such power that she wouldn’t even dare to attempt it.

Even if you hit a baseball with a wooden bat, you couldn’t send it flying like that. And you couldn’t aim it in the first place…

And that wasn’t all? It wasn’t over yet. Though she realized it belatedly, Kanzaki could spot another male student lying unconscious in the distance.

It was Jinyong.

His ranking in the matches was around 20th, but he was the lazy heir to the Dragon King, whose true power was said to be among the top ranks of the 9th class.

In terms of primarily wielding power gained from beyond an otherworldly dungeon, he was perhaps somewhat similar to her.

Since there were no other students visible, it seemed Cheon Soyul’s teammates had been eliminated by either Kim Yijun or Jinyong—.

That’s why it was even more absurd. Did that mean she handled those two by herself?

Even managing to incapacitate both of them in return.

She was truly nothing short of a monster.

‘And what about Hyunjin, who’s fighting equally against that monster? Truly…’

Kanzaki let out a silent, hollow laugh. She realized there was nothing more she could do in this situation.

Feeling an inexplicable sense of emptiness, Kanzaki propped herself up with both hands on the ground and looked up at the sky.

The sky, which had been so clear and bright, was now tinged with constantly flowing white cold air and rising lightning sparks.

Kanzaki gazed at the sky for a moment, then suddenly realized something and averted her gaze.

‘…Now that I think about it.’

What she looked at was Kim Yijun’s fallen body (not really).

More precisely, the bracelet fastened on his wrist.

It was a magic tool distributed by the Academy, equipped with the latest technology to store points acquired from subjugating magic beasts.

Kanzaki’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Conveniently, Kim Yijun was unconscious. Taking off the bracelet might be simple.

‘Hmm…’

She reflexively glanced at Cheon Soyul, but the Thunder God paid no attention to her at all.

She was merely swinging her lightning spears ferociously, with the sole intention of beating up Lee Hyunjin.

“…”

*Hmm.*

*Mmm.*

Her deliberation was short, and her decision was quick. Kanzaki, who had let out a low groan with a complicated expression for a moment, soon began to crawl forward.

*****

*CRASH!!*

Cheon Soyul’s lightning, scattering brilliant blue electricity in all directions, was swung. It came with the momentum to split me clean in half.

I calmly stood my ground, frowning, and fortunately, the lightning was blocked by the ice pillar that rose up.

Of course, that wouldn’t end the situation. I immediately held the freezing cold air in one hand, and as soon as her attack was blocked, Cheon Soyul spun around and stretched her long leg towards me.

*WHAM!*

Although Cheon Soyul’s physical abilities are generally quite unremarkable… this lightning-clad roundhouse kick is quite threatening.

“Tsk.”

My expression slightly distorted, I exhaled a low breath. The white mist that naturally followed was nothing short of a precursor to ice magic.

“!”

Cheon Soyul’s eyes widened. She hurriedly pulled her body back, but this time, I acted one step faster.

I stretched out my palm, and the intensely condensed cold burst forth.

*A CRACKLING EXPLOSION!*

Spears of ice spread widely in a fan shape.

Cheon Soyul’s brow furrowed deeply.

Her response was extremely simple. The moment she swung her arm in a wide diagonal arc, dozens of lightning bolts rained down from the sky like a shower, neutralizing my attack.

*THUD!*

Seizing that opening, Cheon Soyul kicked off the ground and retreated far back.

A quiet silence and a brief standoff.

I lightly shrugged my shoulders.

“I’m really being wronged, you know.”

I tried to appeal my innocence somehow, but a highly sulking Miss Soyul merely took my words as distasteful.

“Shut up. Don’t make excuses.”

“It’s not an excuse, though…”

She growled in a low voice.

I muttered bitterly.

How could I be so wronged? But I suppose I can’t help it, given my past record.

Don’t police usually suspect those with criminal records first when a crime occurs?

This situation probably feels the same. Concluding that there was ultimately nothing I could do, I decided I had to quickly escape this place.

Wouldn’t it be better to retreat first, and then clear up the misunderstanding once Cheon Soyul calmed down?

Thinking so, I slowly began to inch backward, but…

“Trying to run away?”

Strangely, Cheon Soyul didn’t try to catch me. She just twisted her lips mockingly and gestured with her eyes towards something behind me.

“Do you think that’ll work? Idiot.”

Her lips twitched, and at that point, I also noticed something amiss.

My expression hardening completely, I hurriedly enveloped myself in cold air, but.

“Too late.”

Cheon Soyul pushing off the ground was faster, and even faster than that, a small lightning bolt hidden among the leaves on the dirt ground moved first.

“!”

A golden beam of light shot out with a *WHIZZ!* like a sniper’s shot, piercing through my body.

At that moment, I could feel my body stiffen and become paralyzed. Very distinctly.

Cheon Soyul, who approached me, skillfully tripped me—

*THUD!*

“…Ugh.”

As a result, I had to engage in a bland close-quarters combat, rolling around with Cheon Soyul.

Moreover, even with a difference in physical ability, the effects of paralysis were bound to be significant.

“Gotcha.”

“Ah, damn it.”

Cheon Soyul wrapped her arm around my weakening neck, completing a stable headlock.

Not only was I suffocating, but her refreshing scent wafted over me, inflicting yet another status effect.

“Lee Hyunjin, are you going to keep disappointing me?”

I tried somehow to push away the slender arm tightening around my neck, and Cheon Soyul, who chuckled as if finding my resistance amusing, began to press me with a cheerful voice.

“Seriously, do I really have to watch you playing around with another girl even during an exam? Is this for real? You know what I always say. Let’s try to pick the right time and place, okay?”

*SQUEEZE!*

With each word she uttered, my breath was cut off more intensely.

Cheon Soyul was clearly inflicting pain on me with emotion.

“If you’re in heat, just come to me instead. I’ll take care of it for you. But you couldn’t even wait that short time and seduced Kanzaki? And right where I could see you? Do you really want to die?”

“…No, that’s…”

“What, are you praying with a bowl of water for me to get jealous?”

Most of all, her voice was terrifying. It was a voice not often heard, seemingly laced with laughter yet subtly cold, as if containing a spoonful each of jealousy and obsession.

In truth, there were still a few ways to escape or means to counterattack at that moment…

But Cheon Soyul’s pressure was so formidable that I couldn’t bring myself to execute them.

I ultimately had to declare unconditional surrender.

“…Alright, I was wrong.”

I reached out a trembling hand and weakly tapped her, and at that point, Cheon Soyul, scoffing with an “Hmph!”, obediently let me go.

Despite that, the paralysis hadn’t fully worn off yet.

“Oh, damn it.”

I weakly shivered, leaning the back of my head against Cheon Soyul’s knee. Opening my eyes and raising my head, I saw Cheon Soyul, arms crossed, displaying ‘I’m sulking’ with her expression.

Soon, she glanced down at me, puffed out her cheeks in utmost dissatisfaction.

“Hey.”

Then, calling me brusquely, she added just a few more words.

“You know we’re out of condoms, right?”

“…”

“Buy some and restock them, then wait in your room tonight. Got it?”

Truly, it was a directive whose intention was as clear as day.

My complexion turned dark.

…Again, after the weekend?

Are you serious, my wife?

I looked at her with nervously trembling eyes, trying to gauge her true intentions, but there wasn’t a hint of wavering in Cheon Soyul’s expression.

Instead, she coolly crossed her arms, as if saying, ‘Is there a problem?’

Her attitude was as if she were specially doing me a favor, for my ‘heat.’

Her cheeks were slightly flushed, which suggested she was genuinely trying to be considerate of me, even if it was a big decision for her.

‘Am I supposed to dry up and die…?’

Still, I felt that was too much.

Just as I was about to express my refusal.

*WHOOOOOOSH!*

A siren blared loudly, echoing across the entire Gyeryong Mountain, assaulting our ears.

And a mechanical voice was heard along with it.

[Team 37, Lee Hyunjin, Kanzaki Rie. First to reach target score. The 2nd-year 1st-semester mid-term evaluation will now conclude. That is all.]

“…”

Somehow, the content was a little, no, quite strange.

It was definitely Teacher Kim Kyunghun’s voice, though?

At that very moment, from a short distance away, a rustling sound was heard, and the presence of a third party, not me or Cheon Soyul, was felt.

We immediately turned our heads in that direction to confirm the owner of the presence.

“Ah, ahahaha…”

There stood Kanzaki, scratching her cheek with an awkward laugh.

And with no less than three bracelets on each hand.

She glanced back and forth between me and Cheon Soyul, who was using my lap as a pillow, then asked in a somewhat cautious voice.

“H-Hey, can I join in too?”

“?”

“How about an orgy…?”