episode_0052

Lily caught her breath before the game started. It was unexpected to meet Gilbert, who had a bad relationship, in the round of 16, but I thought it was a good opportunity.

Gilbert’s status was further raised through this competitive match. Showing overwhelming manipulative skills, he immediately captured people’s hearts and was so overwhelmingly popular in competitive games that his notoriety was briefly overshadowed.

As such, the current situation was not very pleasing to Lily, who thought of him as an iron enemy. I honestly hated seeing him doing well, even though I hated him with all my heart.

In that sense, if we drop him in the round of 16, there would be no better picture than that. It means so much that he, who is considered one of the favorites to win, is eliminated early in the round of 16.

But can you do it? Against that guy?

Sweat soaked into my tight grip on the control stick. When you think about it calmly, the odds of Lily defeating Gilbert were extremely low.

Because Lily grew up watching her older sister who was an excellent knight, she was able to evaluate Gilbert’s skills calmly. Regardless of my dislike for him, there was something fundamentally different about the giant god soldiers he operated than others.

And Lily knew very well what that difference was.

A wall that criminals cannot overcome.

It was a talent.

I didn’t know why this guy with nothing to like had such talent, but I knew enough from what I had seen to know that he was born with a natural talent.

The abilities she showed at the beginning of the competitive match were far beyond Lily’s expectations, but she also knew that through her older sister.

Geniuses are usually like that. A people who can easily accomplish things that seem unreasonable or close to impossible.

Therefore, I knew that it was close to impossible to defeat such an opponent.

But giving up was impossible for Lily. Giving up because there was little chance of Gilbert winning was, in other words, giving in to him.

If she gives in to the man who traumatized her as a child, the Lily she has become until now will disappear. Even she could guarantee that one thing.

“Keep your head straight.”

He hit his face with both hands. Normally, this was something I would have been told to be careful about, but this one time brought me to my senses.

I was able to calm down as my cheeks turned bright red. Since she already knew that she was not an opponent to easily defeat, the stance she would take was set.

Let’s approach the round of 16 with the same mindset as dealing with her older sister.

That was the only strategy she made against the Great Gilbert Battle.

***

The fierce battle between Gilbert and Lily, who were considered candidates for the championship, showed a higher level of competition than the audience expected. The way they exchanged attacks and defenses as if they were dancing with the giant giant soldiers showed a higher level than any other match that took place this time.

The match between Angelina and Hans was so thrilling that you couldn’t take your eyes off it.

The audience cheered and applauded the two men generously. To them, winning was no longer important.

There is nothing but praise for the two who have already had a great game.

However, the actual circumstances of the two people competing were different.

Gilbert was wondering what to do with Lily, who was following him so persistently, and Lily was trying her best to somehow defeat Gilbert.

On the surface, it seemed like the two had met their match and were using all their skills to defeat the other, but the reality was completely different.

Lily, who first excitedly charged at Gilbert with her iron sword, was blocked by his unfurling winter sword. As if she was dealing with her older sister, she quickly gave up on close combat and widened the distance as her sword skills tightened her breathing.

This is because I felt that I should not get caught up in him, who specializes in sword wrestling. That was the reason why the Giant God Soldier type was chosen with heavy armor.

The light armored giant soldier had so low defense that she was at risk of being hit at once, and the heavy armored one was not only difficult for her to handle in the first place, but also too slow to keep up with Gilbert’s reaction speed.

However, she only did the best she could, but her chances of winning did not increase. He was a skilled person who could dispel armed magic with a single iron sword. It wasn’t a skill I’d seen before, but that doesn’t mean it was easy.

It was no exaggeration to call Gilbert a monster, as he possessed skills that only a high-level knight could demonstrate.

The magic weapons equipped on the giant soldier’s shoulder armor were poured out. It wasn’t an action that calculated each and every location, but it read the pattern to some extent and targeted the predicted location.

However, when I saw him avoid all of that with just controlled movements, as if he could already see it all, I automatically gritted my teeth. Even though he was controlling the giant god soldier, there seemed to be no delay as if he was moving using his actual body.

Is there such a difference…! I can’t lose. I really don’t want to lose to that guy.

He stopped checking his magic battery, which was gradually showing its depletion, and began to use the Giant God Soldier roughly, focusing only on attacks to defeat Gilbert. They deflected the thrown iron sword, approached at high speed, and fired a low-range bombardment.

She was confident that she would never be able to avoid it this time, but the opponent did not move as she intended. He deflected the bombardment with a back tumble without difficulty, and pushed away the giant soldier, whose weakness was revealed, with a shoulder slap.

Even though it was a light armored giant, she was hit by the heavy giant’s charge and struggled to control the extremely shaking giant. My head was banging around inside the cockpit.

In that brief moment, Lily was unable to determine the location of Gilbert’s giant soldier. And it quickly came back to being the main reason for the defeat.

Gilbert’s giant soldier, who moved while leaving an afterimage, twisted his waist sharply and performed a horizontal slash. A terrifying wind blew, and eerie golden magic split the air.

Coo!

The magic barrier blocked the attack, but that was the end. The magic barrier was at its lowest due to the defenseless attack, and the game ended just like that.

“Why on earth…!”

Lily, who lost in vain this time, slammed the control stick and couldn’t hold back her anger.

I knew I was going to lose. As much as he wanted to beat Gilbert more than anyone else, he analyzed it thoroughly, so he knew it better than anyone else.

Among the academy cadets currently enrolled, there were only a handful of people who could beat him.

Of course, Lily was also on the side that couldn’t win.

Nevertheless, the reason I tried so hard to overcome him was to escape from the trauma of the past. After reuniting with Gilbert, I occasionally dreamed of that day.

In the dream, she was as delicate and fragile as Lily that day. The dream was about being beaten by Gilbert without being able to say anything.

As I struggled to get away, I ended up waking up covered in cold sweat.

I was the victim, but I couldn’t understand why I was the one having to suffer even after ten years.

I was determined to beat Gilbert this time and break away from that spell, but I ultimately failed.

bang!

His tightly clenched fist hit the control stick once again. I couldn’t see any way to relieve my anger.

***

The freshmen’s final round of 16 match ended with the audience’s enthusiastic cheering. People waited for the quarterfinals, satisfied with the level of the game, which was higher than expected.

Of course, interest was not only focused on freshmen. The games of the second and third year cadets were of a higher level than those of the freshmen.

The reason why more attention is being paid to the freshman is probably due to the great influence of Gilbert, who is showing overwhelming performance. This was because it was rare for him to have this level of impact even though he was a freshman.

If I were to pick a cadet who was more powerful than her, the only one would be Princess Serafina, who defeated even the higher-ranked cadets and proudly achieved the overall victory. This year as well, they were steadily heading to the finals, crushing their opponents with overwhelming skills.

At this point, people’s expectations were focused on whether the match between Gilbert and Princess Serafina would be successful rather than who would be the winner of the grade-level competition.

The prerequisite was that both people had to win, but it was safe to say that the third-year winner had already been decided by Seraphina. Gilbert also had a very high chance of winning because he had advanced to the quarterfinals with his overwhelming skills so far.

People who like to share each other’s stories began to argue about who would win if two brothers who were taught by the same teacher, Brianna, competed.

Gilbert will win.

Or Serafina will win.

Each had its own logic and validity, so it was a problem that could not be easily concluded. In the end, people realized that the two had no choice but to actually compete to solve this problem, and began to sincerely cheer for the two to win.

As if they knew the people’s wishes, the two smoothly advanced to the semifinals, and eventually won even the semifinals and advanced to the finals. People were excited about the fact that it was just one step away from finally bringing this exciting game to fruition.

However, there was one person who was dissatisfied with these people: Ian, who, like Gilbert, advanced to the finals.

He easily defeated Hans, his opponent in the semifinals, and advanced to the finals, but was full of dissatisfaction.

There was only one reason. This was because Gilbert was hogging all the attention of the people he deserved.

As he started competing, he thought that it was finally time for the world’s leading man to appear in front of people. So, I refined the quotes he had prepared so far, but contrary to expectations, people were showing interest in Gilbert this time too.

why? Why is everyone only interested in Gilbert?

***

He was hurt by the sight of people not caring about him, the main character. Because he had been hiding himself until now, he understood that people’s attention was focused on his rival, Gilbert, but not anymore.

He decided to go out into the world as a main character, but the fact that things didn’t go as he wanted began to sharpen him. That was the reason why the game ended in a rougher manner than usual.

I am here.

There is a real protagonist here.

Even though he showed it off and made it to the finals, he still couldn’t turn his attention to Gilbert.

But I controlled my mind with the thought that it was the last time. In the end, everything would be resolved if he defeated Gilbert in the finals. Perhaps it was not unreasonable to become a student of Professor Brianna, who had seen a jade stone that had never been discovered before.

I belatedly realized that since he was so perfect, he was hiding himself so perfectly that even Professor Brianna of the world would not be able to notice him.

Phew… This is why it’s hard to be perfect.

Ian was finally able to smile with a calm mind. Without adversity and hardship, heroes were not born.

I guess I should write this down for a moment.

Ian, who was going to bed early to prepare for the finals the next day, jumped out of bed and opened his collection of sayings. If you don’t write down a good quote that suddenly comes to mind quickly, it is bound to be forgotten as another quote comes to mind in your bright and witty mind.

He lay down again, satisfied with the thought that he had once again recorded a wonderful quote.

It was clear that tomorrow would be recorded as a historic day at Demeia Academy.

The story is about none other than Ian Tigris Linebarrel straightening his crouched body and stretching out.

‘I guess I should write this down too!’

As he closed his eyes, he remembered another amazing saying and carefully wrote it down in his collection of sayings.

He had to repeat this action a few more times before he could finally fall asleep.