Chapter 332: Academy Exchange Diary (3)
1k88Three against one.KxH2rk
GawNThe proverb of Gehenna.NhAU
y4daqxJ***c3v2
IeEBOOM!un4i91
EHJgThe shockwave from the clash of swords rippled outward.0FYX9eY
czGiGThe surroundings quivered as if a frigid wind had swept through.etqa
GtIi9CBeneath the feet of the knights clad in black and white, dust rose in concentric circles.w6W9Nf
nwvtBCrash! Bang! Crash!mwOeFk
fUOejyFIt was a simple clash. But the sound that echoed was not that of a mere crossing of blades.6KNS
msDMoy2Hadn’t it been announced that all events in this exchange competition would use only simplified weaponry? Unless I heard wrong, that’s what was stipulated.x2fnat
4r2ABut this force… it was comparable to an A-level combat or higher.tco
qyYPYZ“Kuugh…”fu9em3Z
yZyThe desperate struggle of the second-year Parsy student felt like it could burst out of the screen. She barely managed to block Chaerina’s attack.eXohC
ZxEzrh9Just that—block it.iSA
Xk1ZThe ground beneath her feet was caving in as her face twisted under the impact. The difference in power between the two was obvious. It seemed the Parsy girl was simply giving it everything she had.HF8w
5Y7UI hadn’t been interested before, but according to Abel, that student was also of royal blood.iO5d09M
ZuzEwShe looked nothing like Princess Victoria, so I never imagined it.CGdJ
mlMYZ‘Whether through the maternal or paternal line, she’s still royalty.’PYPxdY
dY6The Victoria royal house held immense power, even among the most influential noble families. Their strength came from inherited blessings.1RQlZ
5VOOnly the Nibelung family, to which Abel and the Swordmaster belonged, was considered superior in terms of blessing.0DOl7K
iZFNhsxEven the Saki and Changseong families fell short of the Victorias.8VzFAEy
OzNco‘Those clans were strong only because their members were individually powerful.’3X5
YzkGiIn terms of averages, the Victorias ranked just below the Nibelungs. No one questioned it.tWMsLAN
rcxxBThe Victoria royal family didn’t participate in the Second Great Human-Demon War.27pqmT
0WOWmQEven so, no one criticized them. It was proof of how unshakable their foundations were in this world.ibFh
qr6WA‘Criticizing royalty is nearly blasphemy.’rCoUND
KMZIqI agreed. Back to the present.4515V
gaV“Haa… damn…!”iKFVzgc
Wk4ykBA noble of that lineage was shouting while fighting.Hfn
R08She had surely already noticed the Joaquin crest on Chaerina’s chest.Cur
SFKiosOThe color signifying she was a special admission student.vvydZ
7YbHThey exchanged several more strikes. There was no defense—only offense. Blades swinging up, down, crossing.J1iG7HD
MrMZDIt looked like a silver shield of pure pressure was forming between the two knights. It was worthy of academy representatives. Neither backed down.M0cJDt
9tDYNTheir clash of swords was both fiery and cold. It was more a test of strength than a tactical match.4wUs9F
OjKwj4PA raw fight that would imprint itself in the viewers’ minds. Real fights stir the blood.N3karjV
U6izMy eyes stayed fixed on one person.SKDMY
boVOAEP‘Chaerina.’M4JYD2
TbCfmyjI felt a chill. Her dual sword style was exactly like mine.G298vv
PpxAfter discussing it with Yu Sein, I had decided to keep an eye on Chaerina for a while. Not to abandon her, but to observe.BfuV41
0LkvQNbThe two things aren’t the same. Abandoning is turning your back completely.q5Cap
HSILObserving is paying attention without stepping in.Tu2kc
WeZu74That’s why I wanted to use this opportunity to watch her without getting too involved.sIlsrT
P9PXJI0‘But it seems I won’t be able to.’gpe
THNwOur connection was deeper than I thought. We were surprisingly alike.C0b
1yz5aClang! Clang! Claaang!2Q0Tw
VMHWhile I thought about it, the fight reached its climax.MzvHNqK
XVALnDI forced myself to shake off the thoughts and turned my gaze back to the screen.gDu4nh
hhJhHParsy was beginning to fight back.SHG
md3***qsbPf
sMBbs7The black knight roared with fury.Uij
Y1bC0aA“…Damn lowborn bitch…!”QgWp
MALShe was being completely overwhelmed by someone she had always looked down on.7GpwAJg
Q7ylMmHer lips trembled with sheer humiliation.GfvrZHw
UOC4Crack.sEAXXCF
bPxFpHer teeth ground together—and so did her sword. Sparks flew nonstop.oRu
BEAK2Between the crossed blades, their gazes met and clashed like fire. Compared to those eyes, the sparks were mere match flames.2Nu9c
wo39“Your Highness!”4hPqC
egzwzmA first-year student from Parsy, a pawn, was restless at the unexpected balance of the fight.mzC8X2
Ed0RThe plan had been to quickly conquer the black island, then proceed to a 2-on-2 battle.bAuE
NC6VYHmIf the queen or the knight fell, he would use a Bifröst charge to revive them.3mDP0aS
mgHz7yBut…UiZ
JygIGb5“How can a mere special admissions student be evenly matched with Her Highness…?”trETURe
ScWlPAiAnd calling it “even” was generous. Technically, the black knight was losing. Though visually it looked like a tie, their faces told the real story.P0vj
Lb5CbPXChaerina, in contrast to her opponent’s desperation, was calm. More than calm—impassive.51RwA
4A8DJrl‘How can she generate so much force with just two daggers?’2sk
FgKIoThe pawn looked at Edward, the black queen.bhV
IBJKCrack.SXcJ
XItGnEdward clenched his teeth. He too was surprised by what he was seeing.jfky
EORA“Your Highness, should I go help her?”oo9Psn
sZyLdo“…No.”U07zri
RZ0uAfter a brief hesitation, Edward shook his head. Then, with sharp eyes, he looked in another direction.x2XYvb
fYAz8Victoria was observing the battle, her hands resting on the inverted hilt of her sword. She didn’t respond, not even to Edward’s prolonged silence.8aE
yc6jHe clenched his fist tightly. His knuckles cracked audibly.jqbLUn
IbHQo‘You’re always like this…’l6c93cA
Qvro4IVictoria was provoking an all-out war.UeENcD
MgLQShe had no intention of winning just by placing a flag on the mast.w8r307T
mX9N2She wanted a full-on battle. A spectacle to mesmerize the world. It still wasn’t clear why she chose to be a pawn.Hsp
MeQ‘She just wants to get His Majesty’s attention.’9HZv0x
hAd3She wanted to leave a lasting impression—probably aiming for a dramatic twist to shock the audience.KK0r
a4ufm‘Stay calm. If you fall into her game, you’ll lose. If we stick to the plan, this is a game we can’t lose.’vspfW
bI3qDgVictoria had always been this way.zyM8y
7AuShe would do anything to gain the King’s favor. A hypocrite who prioritized her own goals above all else. The fact that she enrolled at Joaquin Academy instead of Parsy proved it.79gWTN
2zAEdward lowered his gaze. Another student with black hair caught his eye.HVsUrow
jAEJC3‘Heavenly Sword.’NnTV6
OOQGYWAt some point, Victoria had become obsessed with him.25IdFw
l6tm‘She thinks that if she finds the Heavenly Sword’s weakness and offers it to the King, she’ll win his favor.’TLjc
CjzSYqA pathetic delusion. Just another way to get attention.lAw
4uW4‘I’ll crush you here, arrogance and all.’UM3WX3
eJHUnimHe also intended to change the board of succession. To inflict total helplessness. To leave an unforgettable impression on the ignorant masses.lZG
zXHVictoria is incompetent. Edward is the rightful heir to the throne.g8MG
8B4DHis thoughts were settled.EltyhDf
Jk2v“The pawn’s Bifröst charge can only be used once. Using it to move would be a waste…”CLyzo63
agjcqEdward kept his eyes on the battlefield but couldn’t finish his sentence. The situation changed suddenly.wxNm
cJfqNkWhoosh.ovqL
Gj7dThe black knight rotated her wrists.3P9
pF7OhShe tried to deflect Chaerina’s downward pressing daggers.oby
GJ2Dl3It worked. Chaerina’s body staggered.5zL9l
sXf0Her torso dropped suddenly, off-balance.0GjX
vsMApplying too much force means needing even more to recover it.ys7Ps
HxFLThe black knight seized the moment.gs60
bJoRXkiShe knew how to use her opponent’s power against them.SHKBk
xBcJ“An opening!”ApULb
DD35jJkShe raised her sword with both hands. Ready to deliver a finishing blow, she let out a battle cry.9DQWJ
kxImqeThe blade descended, aiming to split Chaerina’s skull.33kDK40
F9TPI“Stop!”L5a
yMcmuEdward reached out—but it was already too late.VvNV
N6kAPHWhoosh!xSOvew
T2IXT6JChaerina, who was nearly crashing into the ground, spun low using her right leg as an axis. As she spun, she drew a wide arc with her left, like unfolding a fan.xuJ
4tHTap.P7JYNiy
Mm35PXThe tip of her foot brushed the black knight’s chin like a breeze.5MQXg9B
9wCThe upperclassman’s eyes dimmed, like a puppet whose strings were cut.Nmd
choThe trajectory of her descending blade suddenly veered off like lightning. She had lost her target.1EB
uT6Zb7rChaerina reset her stance instantly. The black knight forced the last of her awareness to regain her vision.99oN
KubG‘She’s gone.’jd8
dOJZGone. No sign of her. Where did she go? Where?CdiojB8
jrTDpAThen, a cold sweat traced down her neck. A lightning chill ran down her spine.bjB3
1aBuxWbTilting her eyes diagonally, she saw black hair and eyes.aaKmR
kL0mKA piercing sharpness stabbed at the backs of her thighs.nPDHbgt
DrnChaerina, who had somehow appeared behind her, swung both daggers at once.9eU4AP
F1lOelAThe blades slashed through flesh. A sharp, pained scream burst from her throat.tE6Nkr
tDmC“Aaaaaaagh!”Oh2u7SC
QnXmmByHer hamstrings severed, the black knight dropped to her knees.3fxa
tbGySWhoosh!BUCznOW
vGQoXZA shadow fell over her face. Chaerina, standing behind, yanked her hair back hard.MTSV0U
UqN8A“Words have power.”hlfXSDb
N2HChaerina spoke with dry, lifeless eyes. Her other hand, which had held a dagger, was now empty.5KWkZ
9yUAIU8“I don’t like people who say bad things. They make me feel like I’m a bad person.”uyk
vuVQM8“What… are you saying… you filthy lowborn bitch?”ehrF
XBu“I’ll give you a chance to apologize. If you take it back, I won’t have to be a bad person. I don’t want to be bad—not in front of the Sword God. Don’t make me become someone like that. If you apologize, I can stay good for the Sword God…”uurm
XQgThe black knight’s expression turned completely white—pure terror. In the end, she spat a curse without thinking.T2b
qJndvPO“Kill me! Just kill me already, you crazy bitch!”tMKnq
GlQHz“Bad words. Very bad.”XqGHig7
4m6Crack!Ggv3lK
Rd8azt“Guh!”pABB
dq9H60WA bloodied tooth flew against Chaerina’s cheek. She casually wiped it off with the back of her hand and asked again.dBrKg
lQvB“Why do you call me lowborn?”OSoQoMP
C3G“Ghh…”X1m
qqAs9Crack!iAYyZ
EZ1Yv“Answer.”QE8
KtiLCrack!wtW554
UJpX6“Answer.”nqPgLIl
Wu9Jk23Crack–!OxWTY9I
42pLl3“I said, answer.”3w69brU
qkydlCrack! Crack!bTeqP
mZa“Why do you want me dead?” Chaerina asked as she kept hitting.0TBdVN
WOjrkg6The flurry of punches disfigured the black knight’s face. Being stabbed by a sword might have been preferable, but that was forbidden by the rules.xam2uj
dMSvChaerina’s striking style was brutally merciless. Ji Changhyeok, who was using the Bifröst to move to the central island, paused.7DrLMm4
dyNBdoThe sound of the blows intensified, and fear spread through the arena like wildfire.Um6JD9r
YWIVp“P-please… save me…”vAD
idA“You…”hrkjVU
pCCA dull, wet thud.Cmy
ViL0zC“…You told me to die.”aqeGS
vnIJChaerina kept striking like she was playing a drum.rJJRQ
mM8xnh“Then why do you want to live?”AfpB
vTabOThe black knight’s head bobbed like a rubber ball on a string.5Ka
GtcHer face became an unrecognizable pulp.miqSt
rr0yEdward finally reached his limit.KzKfzJ
X6SAdUnable to watch any longer, he shouted urgently to the first-year student.Ybj4mnc
UMZAxA“Let’s finish this fast! Use the Bifröst with me to that island and take out that first-year. I’ll go to the black island and plant the flag. Got it?!”SocESV
2U28d“Y-Yes!”bgs
7p0ZxwThey activated the Bifröst immediately. Edward, sprinting like an arrow to the scene, gasped in horror.VQx1sA
JgBw6okThe scent of blood. The thick iron smell soaked into his lungs.VJfm
NnOS4lChaerina, slightly tilting her head, aimed at the black pawn knight, who raised his spear at her.yXt4
gvtAFEdward, straining his patience to the limit, tried to brush past her and clip her shoulder.FzJ
03qrl“I can’t win unless it’s three against one,” Chaerina said as she passed him.91U
G4mv“……”nRwGqO
urznjMqEdward paused for a moment, then pushed off the ground and slid forward.krBT4TJ
5YTUIf the plan got disrupted again, it would be the end.Yli
tTDJFv“I’ll forgive you this round.”jKKlICt
Ssfo5R•••IJ6wCo
vOFKbAs they passed each other, Edward gave a warning.ftRwP
xS68e“In the next battles… I’ll kill you.”e7vv1
qrvW“…”KBp
SpJIn truth, Edward had no intention of planting the flag.gVbcL
rYC4XHe planned to crush the enemy Queen on the central island, pulverize Victoria, and then finish this arrogant girl with a flourish.vubq4
KVQBoom!9DDk9P
HqLjHe leapt over Chaerina and landed forcefully. For a moment, he wanted to stomp on her head with full weight, but—cJuso
SU1H‘If I do, I’ll drag Adriana into it.’Eaq
rcX79pThe second-year black knight was his younger sister. Even though the subspace prevented real injuries, he couldn’t treat her like just another enemy.UMz
dQiHe ran toward the central island. Ji Changhyeok, regaining his senses, also charged at the flag.qR0
jqoPThe battle between the two Queens was about to begin.wOlO
cBuBIAThe black pawn aimed his long spear directly at Chaerina.KFKN
ZOWDrbFThe tip, once a distant dot, now filled his entire vision.3o6
1jMFGKsSwoooosh!O4GoOD
OEQ5Only the participants knew what happened next.LFX
WgLFUThe ground exploded into countless pieces, scattering debris. Amid the wreckage, a silver flash briefly appeared—then vanished.fMun
TgKOver the fallen black knight’s body, a burst of light sliced through the air, leaving the imprint of battle suspended above.atL3Rt
z9eMeanwhile, Princess Victoria remained exactly where she had been at the start.JeCb
xnVNOgQThe moment she had patiently awaited was approaching.y2jfTWD
Q1ZaVqWith a calm gaze, she mentally called out to “him,” who surely watched from below.RjW
pOzZw9z“…Please, watch me.”kZ6Q5r
fywpleiThen, she assumed the battle stance she had been taught.NY1i
6Uad***lEB2Jo
ZvhA1At the same time.6V7
AAdCE1XGahk.Wxazk
dHLWPW6A crow perched on a branch flapped its wings and flew away.GJqOL3o
bwENz7rIn the spot it left behind, only a few black feathers floated gently. Beyond that, the crystals shimmered.G7z
wWvBUoOBehind them, everything was blood.vF3w
1IxDTMThe blood slowly dripping onto the floor had turned into a bright red mirror.IByn
ywl86AQThe room, which had just recently held the living, was now filled with corpses.EHYhEf
tJLSsSplash, splash.7TwyC1
setHEach time the two figures—man and woman—stepped forward, ripples spread across the pools of blood, reflecting the images of the dead in overlapping layers.WW4xfx8
s9XF“Looks like we’re almost done.”mOg0zT
3ema9Knox Auditore removed his mask as he spoke.RpXhr
Wcdu“…”UmBxJ
m6X“What’s wrong, Chloe? Something bothering you?”gvHUq
7sDcS0“I don’t know.”4pN8FG
sSLgQChloe replied while staring only at the floor.IlX9gJ
91QT“I feel nauseous.”mZP7M
Xea5L“Maybe because it’s been a while since your last mission?”KmKs7
g4Lj9“No… that’s not it.”M9W
miZwShe didn’t know what caused it. Her whole body simply felt like retching.DYqJ6o
GftRAnd whenever she felt that way, without fail, the parasites clung to Kang Geom-Ma.razCf
LmrIn moments like this, her own position always faltered—and missing such moments pushed her further away from him.0Tv
4E61k‘I used to be the one at the front.’6Sn
VJiqo0Now she was becoming someone who arrived late, merely approaching him.JM4eg
KhGbDs“Oppa.”gSmo6
33JmShe lifted her head and parted her lips.dbPbtR
s2G4vg“I have to go.”X7bJ
N75h“So suddenly? Weren’t you the one who planned this operation?”9ht0
lN5Hr“Sorry. I’ll leave the rest to you.”pJR
o83VUChloe passed the blade behind her knee and pulled it.M2y3
IqEUBuRBlood stained the inside of her elbow, but the blade remained clean.5IHyrx
zFJMCaw, caw, caw.1rshXe
LqlDWJLThe translucent blade reflected the silhouette of a crow disappearing into the mountain, bathed in the hues of the setting sun.VolV8Uk
What did you think of this chapter?
Report comment
Please select the reason for reporting this comment. False reports may result in account suspension.
0 Comments
There are no comments yet. Be the first!