Magic Tower City (4)

Moonlight illuminated Serena’s blade. Vivid red blood sparkled on it.

“Teacher, do you know this feeling?”

Usually, she’s a model student who even ties her ribbon neatly, but now her school uniform was soaked in blood.

“The moment someone’s life ends… that ultimate beauty.”

Serena’s hand unbuttoned her uniform. Her white, slender neckline was illuminated by the moonlight. She brought the sword to it and whispered.

I sighed. I raised a killer like this.

“Since when?”

“Hmm… since the first class? Or since I was born?”

“Are you crazy?”

“Yes, I am! I’m crazy!”

Serena laughed. Her usual neat smile was nowhere to be found, only pure madness remained.

“Now, then…”

Serena raised her sword. It was a gentle motion, as if embracing a lover.

The basic stance of swordsmanship I taught. A movement mixed with murderous intent and madness.

“Please, cut me down. With the most powerful violence in this world, with completed aesthetics.”

Her red lips twisted under the moonlight.

“Or…”

She looked at her sword. The moonlight coldly illuminated the blade.

“Will I get to see Teacher’s blood? Ah… that would be nice too.”

The sword cut through the air. All the techniques I taught poured out. Natural movements flowed in succession.

I stood still and watched her attack. A movement without the slightest hesitation.

‘She can’t possibly think she can beat me, so what is it?’

Serena knows my skills well.

Then, I read madness and ecstasy in her eyes.

The pleasure of cutting someone with a sword.

The joy of anticipating the moment of being cut at the same time.

A distorted desire to taste the thrill of the moment life ends.

‘So, she chose me.’

At the same time, she didn’t want to die at the hands of just anyone. So, she wanted to receive her end from me, the Hero.

Her sword aimed for my neck.

“Why… why aren’t you dodging?”

“Need to?”

I lightly blocked the sword’s blade with one finger.

“This is… impossible! Teacher, draw your sword!”

Serena’s movements became increasingly violent. Technique crumbled, and only madness remained.

“I wanted to see a more beautiful death… why… why!”

The sword meaninglessly cut through the air.

“You want to die with the swordsmanship you think is so beautiful? But you don’t deserve it.”

Her movements stopped at my words.

“Teacher…”

“I believed you loved the sword.”

“I did love it! I really did!”

“That’s why I’m even more disappointed.”

Her movements stopped at my words. The moonlight illuminated her tears.

“You only saw the sword as a tool of desire. As a toy for the pleasure of killing.”

I sighed.

Serena’s eyes wavered again. This time, it wasn’t madness, but despair. She seemed to realize that I wouldn’t kill her.

“Then… even like this!”

Serena rushed at me. All the swordsmanship I taught unfolded one by one.

But it was sloppy. Swordsmanship swayed by emotions shows gaps no matter how flashy it is.

She swung her sword like a last struggle.

Neither the technique I taught nor the madness of a killer remained, only a futile struggle.

I took a step closer.

“Sorry, but I hit girls too.”

Kwajik-!

My fist landed squarely on her cheek. With a calculated angle and force, a single blow sufficient to take away her consciousness.

“Eut…”

Serena’s body flew backward. She tumbled across the floor. The sword fell from her hand.

“It’s over.”

Serena’s breathing subsided. She seemed to have fainted.

A sigh escaped. I never thought I’d practice gender equality in this way.

“Haa…”

I looked at her sprawled out under the moonlight. I shook my head. Of all people, the student I taught is such a psychopath.

*

Serena, dragged to the training ground, still smiled.

Even while tying her to the pillar, that expression didn’t change.

“Teacher, you’re too rough.”

I tightened the rope once more. Serena groaned softly.

“Shut up.”

“Aheuk…”

Serena let out a small groan. But soon, a strange smile spread across her lips.

“Ah, it hurts. But… this isn’t so bad either.”

Her right cheek was swollen red. The mark from the hit earlier was clear. Perhaps because of her originally pale skin, the red bruise on her cheek stood out even more.

“Just a moment.”

I brought an ice pack and put it on her cheek.

“Hehe, how kind…”

I wiped away the dripping nosebleed with a towel.

“To take care of a killer like me like this… do you still see me as your student, Teacher?”

I ignored her and wiped away more of the nosebleed. The white towel was stained red.

“Then… could you show me a little more mercy?”

Serena whispered in a sweet voice.

“Just like this… please kill me. With Teacher’s hands…”

I sighed. This one’s really broken.

“It’s my wish to be cut down and killed by Teacher’s sword. How beautiful would that be? It would be the most perfect end…”

“Stop it.”

“Teacher, please untie the ropes first.”

She twisted her body while tied to the ropes. Her white thighs were revealed under the moonlight. Her neat skirt rode up dangerously.

“Teacher… if you untie me, I’ll do something nice for you. I’m still a virgin. You’ll be the first…”

“You know it doesn’t work on me.”

Serena’s eyes sharpened.

“Then… how about this?”

She stuck out her pink tongue. The tip of her tongue was hanging precariously between her tightly closed teeth. She looked ready to bite her tongue off at any moment.

“If you don’t untie me…”

“Do it.”

Serena paused at my cold reply.

“Teacher…”

“You want to die? Fine, die. If that’s the death you want so much.”

Serena’s eyes wavered.

“But are you satisfied with dying so meaninglessly? Is that all the beautiful death you’ve been looking for is?”

Her lips trembled.

“Eureureung…”

She thrashed around, making animalistic noises. She struggled while tied to the ropes, but the knots I tied didn’t budge.

“Untie me! Now! Or…”

“Calm down.”

The ice pack fell to the floor. Cold water spread out.

“It’s not too late yet. The students aren’t dead or crippled, right? It can be undone.”

Serena’s breathing became rough.

“I’m… tired now.”

Her voice trembled. It seemed like she was being sincere for the first time.

“Every day… pretending to be a good student, pretending to be a model student… I’m sick of it.”

Madness bloomed in Serena’s eyes.

“Rather than living like this… I’d rather shine beautifully, even if it’s short.”

“Why are you like this? Is it academic stress?”

Serena chuckled at my words.

“Don’t be silly. I just did things like studying… for fun. Getting first place wasn’t because I wanted to, it just happened naturally.”

Her eyes deepened further.

I sighed. This is getting really annoying.

“For a model student like you to turn out like this.”

“I’m tired of hearing that too now.”

Serena smiled coldly.

“The perfect honor student has gone crazy… isn’t it fun, Teacher?”

I laughed in this situation.

The rope loosened for a moment. A small gap. But that was enough for Serena.

“Haat!”

She sprang out like lightning. She grabbed the sword on the floor and rushed at me.

“Now, for real…!”

The moment she swung the sword, my hand grabbed her wrist. With one smooth motion, I slammed her to the ground.

“Euk…”

Serena groaned. But her eyes still shone.

“More… more…”

She stood up again. She rushed at me with staggering steps.

“Hurt me more… not… not yet.”

I grabbed her neck with one hand and subdued her. Her feet left the ground.

“Haa… haa…”

Serena’s breathing became rough. She looked in pain, but she had a smile on her lips.

“I like this… I feel like I’m going to break…”

She had a smile on her lips. She was smiling even under the pressure that seemed to break her neck.

When I let go, she collapsed to the floor. But soon, she caught her breath and stood up again.

“Give up.”

But Serena shook her head. Her eyes flashed with madness.

“Never… no way…”

Fifth attempt. I kicked her knee. Her leg faltered.

“Like this…”

Sixth attempt. The sound of bones breaking was heard. Serena’s right arm was bent unnaturally.

“Not… not yet…”

Seventh attempt. Her arm hung limply.

“Haa… haa…”

Serena couldn’t even stand properly anymore.

She crawled on the floor with her arms and legs broken. There was no part of her body that was intact.

“Let’s stop now.”

At my words, she raised her head. She crawled over and bit my leg.

“I don’t want a boring ending… please… kill me…”

Serena’s voice trembled.

“I felt it since I was young. I was different from other kids. Studying, sports, magic… everything was easy. Too easy… it wasn’t fun.”

Her eyes glazed over. As if looking into the distance.

“Everyone said I was a genius, but I laughed every time. I was just… bored.”

She scratched the floor with her broken fingers. A sharp sound echoed.

“I wanted to feel something. So, I worked hard at everything. Hoping something would change…”

A wistful smile spread.

“But it was all in vain. Even if I got first place, even if I received awards… I couldn’t feel anything.”

Serena looked at the wound on her arm.

“By chance, out of curiosity… I cut my wrist with a knife. That was the first time… I felt something.”

Her eyes regained their vitality.

“That’s when I realized. The moment I saw blood, everything became clear. This is what I was looking for…”

A blissful smile spread.

“And a while later… when I killed someone for the first time.”

Tears flowed from her eyes. But the madness within them did not subside.

“Ah… that thrill at that time. I finally found it. The sensation I had been looking for so much.”

She grabbed my ankle. Her cold fingertips were trembling.

“I think I was like this since I was born. Pretending to be normal, pretending to be a model student… I was just living with a mask on.”

A wistful smile hung on Serena’s lips.

“Now… I can’t take it anymore. The urge to kill flows through my whole body. As naturally as breathing… it’s already… already irreversible.”

Her voice gradually lowered.

“If you let me live, I’ll definitely cut someone else again. So… please kill me. End my life, Teacher. Beautifully, perfectly…”

Serena’s words blurred. Her consciousness seemed to be fading.

A thought flashed through my mind at that moment.

‘Yeah, with this method… it’ll be a bit of a pain, but it can’t be helped…’