episode_0167

Episode 167 Exchange Meeting (6)

To make a long story short, I failed to catch Evan and Bale.

There were several reasons.

First, those beastmen kept attacking.

Even in the chaotic situation, they only targeted me. They were so persistent that I ended up just cutting them down without mercy in the end.

Even so, they laughed happily and threw themselves at me. They were a race truly crazy about fighting.

Second, I was busy eliminating students.

I had made a declaration, so I couldn’t just chase after Evan and Bale. If I had, the fear I had instilled could have faded.

Besides, if I left it at that, Evan would surely gather the students again and attack me. Even though he was being chased by me, Evan wasn’t stupid enough not to read the atmosphere. And calling him stupid is only by my standards.

So, I eliminated students while simultaneously chasing after Evan.

The third and final reason… they acted cunningly.

Feeling my killing intent, the two of them ran away with all their might, as if determined not to be caught.

Using the terrain was basic. They used every means they knew to hinder me. It was already difficult to keep up with them due to other factors, and their interference made it even harder to chase them.

Plus, they were fast. For every step I took, they moved 1.5 steps. Instead of improving their skills, they only improved their running skills. Of course, under normal circumstances, they would have been caught long ago.

Anyway, time was wasted for those reasons. Eventually, the two of them reached the central arena passage and used the key to pass through.

Of course, I didn’t stop. I could still fight even if I arrived at the central arena.

But then, a bell rang throughout the arena. It was the sound signaling the end of the key battle. And that meant the fighting had to stop. Fighting further would result in disqualification.

‘Who knew he was the main character.’

He’s really lucky. Who knew it would end at that timing?

I turned my head to the guy next to me and opened my mouth.

“Right, Evan? You’re lucky.”

“Heh, haha….”

Evan scratched his head, sweating profusely. Then, he stuck close to my side.

“Hehe, hyung, please don’t be like that, and calm down. We were just doing exchange activities….”

“……”

When I didn’t respond, Evan continued in an exaggerated tone.

“More than that, haven’t our skills improved a lot? Just look at Bale’s ability to penetrate… Wow~ I was impressed. As expected, it’s because we’re learning under you, hyung….”

“Flattery won’t work, give up. Prepare to die when we get back.”

“Hyung, I was wrong! I don’t know what you’re going to do, but please not that…!”

Evan grabbed my arm and shook it. He tried very hard to change my mind with a tearful face full of fear. But my mind doesn’t change.

“Hey, Bale! Where are you! You better apologize too!”

Realizing he couldn’t do it alone, Evan looked for Bale. But his brother was nowhere to be seen. He had hidden as soon as he arrived at the central arena because he didn’t want to get scolded by me.

Since he was going to get scolded anyway, there was no need to get scolded twice. Well, it was cheeky, but it was a good idea.

“Hmm….”

But then again, thinking about it, I wonder if I’ve been treating them too harshly. Seeing that Evan’s kind younger brother participated in his ridiculous plan.

Well, judging from the results of today’s match, they are steadily growing, so I think I can ease up for a while.

“Hyung, it’s my turn, so I’ll be going now.”

“Okay.”

“That, let’s talk about it later….”

“I’m not going to, so don’t expect anything and go.”

“Ugh!”

Evan tore at his hair and left. It was for the ranking match. The match opponents had already been determined through a lottery after the key battle, and Evan was the first.

I turned my head towards the arena, and soon Evan and the student he would be facing slowly walked in from both entrances.

The two students stood at a certain distance. Soon, the referee Hatan gave the signal. The ranking match began.

Clang!

Immediately, swords and claws collided. Small sparks flew in all directions. The two didn’t even blink.

“Waaaaa!!”

“Evan! You have to win!”

At the same time as the battle began, the atmosphere of the arena heated up. Not only the ranking match participants but also the eliminated students were watching this fight in the central arena.

Clang! Clang!

The sound of metal resounded in succession. Each time, the fighting spirit that the two of them emitted was transmitted to this place. Perhaps the students were even more excited by that power.

“Still, he fights well.”

Where did the playful and lighthearted appearance from earlier go? Evan’s face, which had entered the battle, was more serious than ever.

It was so commendable that I wanted to praise him if he were by my side.

“Haaap!”

At that moment, Evan’s opponent, a beastman student, shouted. Then, his body swelled and emitted tremendous heat. As a result, sweat evaporated and steam rose.

[Beastification]. He used a unique beastman technique.

However, the change was very shabby. Compared to the two beastmen I saw a few hours ago, Hagdass and Lyden, it was really nothing.

But that’s normal, and the average for students. [Beastification] can be used by all beastmen, but not all can use it well.

This is also strictly in the realm of skill, so talent has a big impact. Moreover, their skills as students are not much different from those who have just learned beastification.

Of course, even if there is no big change in appearance, the power inside has increased quite a bit. About 1.2 times?

Evan wasn’t very flustered. He maintained a defensive posture with his sword and observed his opponent.

The confrontation continued for a while. Then, unable to bear the bloodlust due to beastification, the opponent rushed in first.

A quick dash that left afterimages in an instant. A huge wind blew. He reached Evan in an instant.

The beastman exuded a ferocious aura. Mana and his body, dancing as much as his momentum, formed a storm. It left traces on the floor and tried to pierce through everything.

Evan adjusted his posture and sword to match the attack. Well-organized mana flowed proudly around him, and a pure white sword firmly blocked the front.

Immediately after, the two collided.

Kwaaaaaack!!

This collision was much more intense than before. The attack, rotating at tremendous speed, gnawed at Evan’s sword. He didn’t pass the key battle by luck.

But that was only for a moment. The rotation gradually weakened, and the gray mass revealed its shape. This was because Evan deflected the attack and used the shock generated by the collision to control the rotation.

‘He saw it and used it in the meantime.’

He only saw it with his eyes, but he uses it well.

The opponent stopped in mid-air. Evan’s response was simple. He adjusted the direction of deflection downward and kicked the opponent’s head as it was.

Thwack!

An intense impact sound. The opponent’s head bent back severely. Still, because he was from a race with a strong body, he withstood Evan’s kick.

That didn’t mean there was no damage at all. It was enough power to create a momentary gap.

“Ku, keuek-!”

His whole body stiffened for a moment. The shock that was not fully absorbed affected his body.

The development after that was obvious. Evan beat up his opponent, and when the opponent fainted, the referee made a ruling.

“Evan Felix wins!”

It was Evan’s victory.

“Yacha! Hyung, I did well, right?”

Evan, who cheered for victory, gave me a V with a bright smile. Of course, I ignored him.

“Hyung, are you really going to do this?”

I ignored even that. I ignored him even when he returned to his seat. Evan became tearful at my neglect.

After that, several more battles took place.

It gradually decreased from 32 to 16, and from 16 to 8. Of course, Bale and Ariel were included in that.

But I never fought even once. That’s because of the number of students who arrived here.

Originally, 128 people were supposed to arrive, but only 33 arrived. It was far short.

The reason is that I reduced the number too much. As a result, the number of students participating in the ranking match was reduced to one-third.

In addition, time was wasted, and there were too many students who could not pass even with a key. So, Hatan and the professors complained that I shouldn’t have eliminated so many.

Anyway, for that reason, I was excluded from the match draw. They said that because I had shown what I could do, they would have me fight as an event concept at the end?

Well, I accepted the offer to recover my stamina, and I became a spectator like now.

The quarter-finals ended, and the semi-finals began. And the semi-finals ended really easily. That’s because Evan was the last remaining student.

To be honest, it was a bit disappointing. Evan, Bale, and Ariel. These three made it to the semi-finals, but Bale and Ariel happened to face each other.

Of course, their fight was worth watching.

Bale, called the once-in-a-lifetime genius of Arden, and Ariel, who was born with the talent of the sword and inherited the blood of the first emperor and possessed the ability called [Sense Transcendence].

How could you not be impressed by the fight between two geniuses?

But as much as that, both of them were not easy to deal with, so they used all their strength and ended in a draw. As a result, the final was a showdown between Evan and a student who didn’t know this.

Well, there was nothing much to worry about since I was left.

‘They’ll call me soon.’

I was preparing in advance because I knew they would call my name.

“The winner of this exchange activity is Evan Felix! Let’s all give him a round of applause!”

At that moment, Hatan’s shout was heard. I was still left, but he was talking nonsense.

“Hey, I’m still left, so what winner are you talking about.”

“Oh right, our Saint is left. Don’t be too like that. Because there’s a separate opponent for the Saint.”

“What the hell….”

It was then. One of the entrances to the arena field lit up brightly. Someone slowly walked out from there.

“Now, let me introduce you. The person the Saint will face is…!”

The opponent who appeared with Hatan’s shout.

“The pride of our Eustia Empire! Saintess Estella!”

It was none other than Estella.

“……”

I was speechless. But the students weren’t.

“Waaaaaaa!!”

“Saintess! I missed you!”

They were in an uproar at her appearance. They cheered much more than when it was said that Evan was the winner.

Estella, who came to the center of the arena, emitting divine power. She looked at me and said.

“I told you I’d see you in a bit, Saint?”

Then, she beckoned with her finger.

“Come down. We have to do exchange activities. We have to set an example for the students as a Saint and Saintess.”

Estella’s words weren’t the end of it. She continued with a playful expression.

“Or… are you scared? Saint Kyle?”

A clear provocation. At that moment, a vein popped out on my forehead.