Chapter 16: There’s never a moment of calm (1)

As the thick dust that filled the training field gradually faded, the traces of the devastation that had just occurred were revealed clearly.

Bright red pools of blood had gathered in the cracks, and several wavy lines were drawn across the dirt floor.

I looked at my reflection in the blade of the sword and clicked my tongue. It always felt the same: cutting a person was an indescribably unpleasant sensation. This knife was made for filleting fish, and here I was, using it to cut people…

At least I could take some comfort in the fact that I’d never cut a real person. The Mao twins, and now Nox, who lay cold before me, were fights that happened in the isolated space. I never thought I’d appreciate the advantages of this virtual space so much.

Of course, if it had been in reality, I’d still have cut down any threat without hesitation, but I preferred to avoid indiscriminate slaughter.

If I let myself go and swung the sword mindlessly, I feared I’d end up becoming a human butcher without realizing it.

I shook off the blood-drenched sashimi knife and slid it back into its sheath. The blade felt a bit unsteady.

Well, considering I’d made cut after cut in such a short time, it was logical that the blade would dull, no matter how high-quality it was. I smiled wryly.

Twenty-six seconds. The fight had ended faster than I expected.

Nox was undoubtedly strong. As Chloe said, he had a lot of real combat experience, and his attacks were so precise it was chilling.

His combat instincts were extraordinary.

The students in the stands hadn’t noticed, but he had used the “Blessing of the Crow” right when he drew his sword, altering his strike paths to make them unpredictable.

He added astonishing speed, even greater than Chloe’s, making it difficult to counter his attacks.

Nox clearly had a natural talent for combat. But he lacked strategy.

Using invisibility to trace curved trajectories was a good tactic, but his sword exuded such a murderous aura that his next moves were easy to predict.

Of course, if he kept gaining experience and developed his potential, he’d become the best assassin.

‘He was strong, yes.’

I seemed to have grown accustomed to manifesting my blessing, as I managed to control my timing well during the fight.

Even with the “Blessing of Insensitivity to Pain,” the feeling of heaviness and stiffness around my eyes lingered.

But compared to the first time I manifested the “Blessing of the God of the Sword,” when everything was a complete disaster, this was manageable.

I ran my hand over my neck, relieving the tension. As I did so, the barrier of the isolated space dissipated, and the murmurs of the students filled my ears.

A whirlwind of mixed emotions. I sensed that my life at the academy was about to get more complicated. I sighed and muttered to myself:

“…There’s no other choice.”

This was the path I had chosen.

The only thing I could do was push through with pure stubbornness.

* * *

The aftermath of the fierce battle between Kang Geom-Ma and Nox sent shockwaves throughout the academy. From the Star Class to the Common Class, everyone was talking about what had happened.

Later, the rumor spread that Nox belonged to the Auditore family, a family dedicated to maintaining order, and most people acknowledged Nox’s strength.

As they say, “the needle always comes out of the pocket”; the name Auditore wasn’t unfamiliar to the children of nobility.

That’s why the identity of the student who faced Nox became the hottest topic. The word “faced” didn’t do it justice, as Kang Geom-Ma had sliced Nox Auditore as if he were a fish. It was a shocking spectacle.

On top of that, he was a low-ranking transfer student, with no verified information or rumors about him. That alone was enough for teenage students to talk endlessly, intrigued by the matter.

Inside the Star Class classroom.

Abel sat in thought, arms crossed, showing no emotion on her face. Her figure, illuminated by the late afternoon light streaming through the window, was still breathtakingly beautiful. But her eyes, which usually sparkled like jewels, were strangely calm today.

The face of a black-haired boy crossed her mind.

The last time she saw him, he’d had a gentler expression, but today his eyes seemed to hold an indescribable coldness.

When he swung his sword in a semicircle, Nox’s arm detached as if it had never been there, without a sound.

The following exchanges were so fast that even Abel couldn’t keep up with them. And that sword technique… just seeing it made her shudder.

And he had done all of it with two simple kitchen knives, nothing special.

In fact, they were the same type of knives that were in her dormitory kitchen. The thought made her uncomfortable, to the point of wanting to avoid using them.

As a descendant of the Nibelung family and granddaughter of the Sword Emperor, she considered herself someone who knew quite a bit about swords. But today, she felt that confidence shatter.

Abel shook her head slightly to clear her thoughts, and her long, dark green hair swayed.

“Kang Geom-Ma…”

Abel murmured the name of the boy who appeared on the training field screen. It was the same boy who had treated her so casually before. She hadn’t expected to learn his name like that…

Suddenly, as she searched her memory, she recalled something Kang Geom-Ma had said to her.

‘Why? Because you look weak. In my family, the rule is to be tough on the strong and kind to the weak.’

Siegfried, the Sword Emperor, had said something similar with a somber expression. And for some reason, the thought that this boy was the unknown student he’d spoken of felt uncomfortably accurate.

No, everything indicated that it was him. The reason was clear… because Kang Geom-Ma was much stronger than she was, the academy’s second-ranked student. There was no way the sacred assessment of the isolated space would have overlooked him.

“…”

Abel let out a deep sigh, lowering her head. Her face flushed as she bit her lip, feeling embarrassed.

Then, she lightly tapped the desk with her fist.

‘What did Kang Geom-Ma think when he looked at me?’

The embarrassment she felt turned into a small burst of anger. She remembered Geom-Ma’s nonchalant attitude toward her.

He probably knew everything and still treated her that way. How could it be that the first person she had opened her heart to at the academy turned out to be the most likely candidate for the position she’d sworn to defeat?

The thought was frustrating. Very frustrating. Although she could understand that he had reasons to keep it hidden, she felt that she had been open and sincere while he hadn’t shared anything with her. She hadn’t even learned his name until the day before.

Filled with determination, Abel suddenly stood up. Then, a blonde girl with pigtails sitting next to her stretched and covered her mouth to stifle a yawn.

“Hm? What’s up?”

“Oh, no, nothing, Rachel.”

Abel, startled, was left speechless. Rachel observed her, narrowing her eyes with a mischievous expression.

Her heart-shaped eyes gleamed with a hint of playfulness.

“Hehe~, really?”

“Yes, it’s just that I haven’t exercised these days, and I feel a bit tense.”

Abel smiled at Rachel, trying to appear relaxed. Her delicate eyebrow raised slightly. Rachel, the niece of the Saint of the Spear and fourth-ranked student at the academy.

In truth, they weren’t very close. Abel usually avoided making friends due to the elitism ingrained in the Star Class.

But Rachel, with her friendly nature, had always tried to break down the barriers Abel put up.

“Abel, do you have a boyfriend?”

“No!”

Rachel’s playful voice tickled Abel’s ears.

Rachel extended her index finger and drew circles on Abel’s side, making her shudder and quickly pull away.

“Well, well, it seems our Miss Abel is still just a girl after all. I thought you’d given up on love.”

“I’m telling you, it’s not like that!”

Abel’s face flushed as Rachel propped her chin on her hand and chuckled softly.

“So, who is it? If he’s captured Abel’s heart, he can’t be just anyone. Let’s see…”

Rachel pretended to look around, then pointed at Leon with her chin.

“Is it Leon? Well, at least he’s handsome.”

“No.”

Abel replied with a serious expression and firmly shook her head. Rachel tilted her head slightly and commented:

“…It’s strange that you’re so hostile toward Leon. Then… the special student we saw yesterday at the training field?”

“!?”

Bingo. Abel’s face turned completely red. Rachel’s smirk widened, and she suddenly stood up, grabbing Abel’s wrist.

“What are you doing?!”

“Come on, Miss Abel.”

“Where?!”

“To the Wolf Class.”

And so, Abel was dragged along by Rachel, unable to resist her strong grip. Rachel was as strong as a true spear warrior.

***

Break between sixth and seventh period.

Click!

The door to the Wolf Class classroom opened.

Immediately, the noise died down. The sudden appearance of two beautiful girls made the students murmur among themselves.

Rachel walked in front, smiling, while Abel followed shyly behind her.

They were none other than Abel von Nibelung, the second-ranked student in the academy, and Rachel de Muira, ranked fourth. Two outstanding girls from the Star Class.

Abel’s beauty was undeniable, but Rachel had a lively allure as well.

When Rachel smiled flirtatiously, some boys placed their hands on their chests, clearly impressed. Abel, on the other hand, sighed quietly behind her.

Now on the platform, Rachel narrowed her eyes, searching for the black-haired boy. She had seen his face the previous day in the training field, so he had to be somewhere around. Black hair was rare, so he shouldn’t be hard to spot.

After a quick glance, her eyes sparkled with satisfaction.

Ah, there he was. His dark hair, with tips tinged gray, stood out clearly.

He was leaning against the third row by the window, sleeping on a thick history book. Next to him, a red-haired girl was watching him with a smile.

Was she his girlfriend? Rachel didn’t care. After all, the unattainable always seems more enticing. She had come to tease Abel, but personally, she found that special student rather interesting.

With a slight smile, Rachel undid two buttons of her shirt and walked toward Kang Geom-Ma. Her determined steps left Abel with no chance to stop her.

Her figure was provocative, perfect to disarm any man. All attention was on them.

Rachel blew softly in Kang Geom-Ma’s ear, which made Chloe, beside him, frown and look at her with a murderous expression.

Kang Geom-Ma woke up, shaking his head as if to clear away the drowsiness.

He had slept so deeply that his cheek was marked and red.

With a sleepy look, he raised his head and looked around.

And the first thing he saw was Rachel’s chest, framed by the open neckline of her shirt.

“…What’s going on?”

Rachel tucked her hair behind her ear, smiling, and whispered softly to him:

“Did you wake up?”

A mischievous smile played on Rachel’s lips.