Chapter 155 – Student Council Election (5)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The first match had been a sea of blood. Intestines spilled out, and limbs were torn into ragged pieces.

The second had at least been a somewhat better blood fountain. When Leon’s blade bent diagonally, his opponent’s neck was smoothly severed.

Of course, it was only better than the first. Until the subspace was lifted, they still had to watch a bright red fountain show spurting upward. Up to that point, Manager Seong had let it pass.

He was not a combat agent, but he had seen scenes overflowing with bloodshed often enough to be sick of them. By now, he was at the point where he could watch blood and still polish off a bowl of sundae-gukbap.

But now, with the third match having just ended, Manager Seong was utterly daunted.

If it had instead been a scene of complete pandemonium, he would not have been this shocked.

Of the three so far, the third had been the cleanest scene. Even so, Manager Seong swallowed back the rising urge to retch.

With blank eyes, Manager Seong stared ahead. The training platform, where the purple subspace curtain had not yet fully cleared. Every gaze was fixed on that one place.

The figure standing in the very middle of it, and another body crumpled messily on the ground. They were Kang Geom-ma and Shion.

Manager Seong’s shoulders trembled faintly. That black hair brought a bloody battle to mind.

Whatever trick she had used, Shion had attacked at a speed beyond sound. She had thrust her blade while aiming for the blind spot of perception.

And yet now, Shion was cooling down with a murky complexion, like a fish whose gills had been skewered.

Manager Seong shifted his gaze to Kang Geom-ma. The sight of him casually wiping the blood from Sashimi. Manager Seong thought.

Could that cadet truly be called a hero. Come to think of it, he certainly was the talent most fitting for Hoakin Academy’s motto.

He was numb to taking life, and his skill went without saying.

Still, trying to apply the word hero to him made Manager Seong feel his Adam’s apple bob.

Kang Geom-ma was far too mechanical. It had been the same when he instant-killed the ogre through cardiac arrest, and it was the same this time. His sword strikes severed nothing except the signs of life.

‘That is no longer within the realm of technique.’

Manager Seong looked down at the document folder in his hand. He had been estimating and jotting down the Hero Points of the candidates so far.

[Name: Den Range ▶ H.P.: Estimated 500.]

[Name: Leon van Reinhardt ▶ H.P.: Estimated 800.]

[Name: Kang Geom-ma ▶ H.P.: …….]

Tap. Tap. The pen tip dotted the paper at long intervals. His mind was busy, but the pen moved slowly.

When taking the Sword Emperor’s 1,669 points and the Spear Saint’s 1,653 points as the standard, Kang Geom-ma’s estimated score was.

‘At minimum, over 1,650. Or.’

Manager Seong felt his mind grow dizzy.

……

Meanwhile, Kang Geom-ma looked into Shion’s faded pupils. Ashen gray, drained of vitality. He briefly considered poking her head just in case, but decided against it.

In this spar, Kang Geom-ma had been prepared to humor Shion to a certain degree. If he swung his sword just once and Shion was split clean in half, then it would become impossible to determine whether she was a villain or not.

So the plan had been to scrape out everything down to the soles of her feet and make sure he saw her manifest even her last bit of strength…

But the instant the signal for the spar began, Shion rushed in with speed beyond expectations. Kang Geom-ma realized it immediately. That was her full power.

Yet he had not sensed even the slightest trace of mana. In that case, there was only one conclusion. Shion was not a villain. Then there was no need to hold back any further.

Kang Geom-ma swept his gaze over Shion’s figures, then immediately picked out the true body. Because one in particular was revealing killing intent.

In the end, she would confuse his vision here and there, then aim for the back of his head. It was a stale trick.

To Kang Geom-ma, who had fought countless villains all this time, it was nothing more than children’s play.

That said, to send her off gently when her eyes were gleaming with greed was irritating.

So he counterattacked at the exact timing of Shion’s surprise attack. An upward thrust. At that, Shion died instantly with her head skewered like a rice cake skewer.

Still, seeing Shion with gills formed around her neck made his stomach churn. Kang Geom-ma took his gaze off Shion.

His eyes, sweeping over the hall, suddenly stopped. Where his gaze landed sat the current president and vice president.

‘One of those two, is it.’

Should he cut the sprout off here and now. Kang Geom-ma pondered briefly, then soon began walking.

The purple curtain cleared, and even the thick scent of blood melted into the wind.

* * *

“…Assistant Manager Ha.”

Manager Seong grabbed the shoulder of Han Eun, who was about to rise from her seat. Perhaps because the shock had been severe. His eyes were full of worry.

Thinking back on it, he was effectively pushing a treasured subordinate employee out onto the front lines. On top of that, Assistant Manager Ha’s opponent was the current president. A cadet famous for having a few screws loose.

At the expression of her worry-filled superior, Assistant Manager Ha forced a bright smile.

“The person who was talking about bonuses to me just now is really making that kind of face? And Manager, I’m embarrassed to say this myself, but I’m a senior-rank hero.”

“I know that well… but Assistant Manager Ha, combat isn’t your specialty.”

“Come on, I can still handle the basics! It’s my first time doing subspace sparring, so I am a little nervous, but I’ll do my best! Cheer me on, Manager!”

Assistant Manager Ha gave a salute. At that, a faint smile bloomed at the corners of Manager Seong’s lips. He returned the salute.

“All right, Assistant Manager Ha. Tonight’s dinner is Korean beef again like last time. Go do your best.”

“Yes, sir!”

Assistant Manager Ha strode forward boldly. She stood on the training platform. Across from her, Kim Woo-jin stretched his stiff neck from side to side.

Despite his frail-looking build, Kim Woo-jin slipped a set of spiked knuckles over his interlaced fingers. He said.

“You’re the Association employee they called Assistant Manager Ha, right? I’m afraid I’m really lacking when it comes to this thing called sparring. I hope you’ll go easy on me.”

“…Ah?”

Contrary to the rampant rumors, his tone was extremely polite. Assistant Manager Ha nodded.

“I-I’m the one who should be asking for your favor.”

Just as those formal greetings passed between them. A crescent line appeared in Assistant Manager Ha’s vision. It was the slanted smile rising at the corner of Kim Woo-jin’s lips.

[We will now begin the competition between Candidate No. 1 Kim Woo-jin and Special Number Han Eun.]

…Thirty minutes later.

[The final competition has ended.]

[The winner is Candidate No. 1 Kim Woo-jin. Congratulations.]

* * *

The competition was over. The winners, in other words the selected candidates, would merely receive a few separate instructions. There was nothing additional beyond that.

“That concludes the explanation. You may each return to your classes or go back to the dormitory as you wish today. Good work, all of you. Get some proper rest.”

While the senior instructor wrapped up his words, I looked at Kim Woo-jin. With sleepy eyes, he yawned so wide it seemed his mouth might split. To anyone watching, he looked like someone who had just woken up from a nap.

At that carefree appearance, I furrowed my brow. That was because the contents of the last match from a little while ago rose in my mind.

The spar between Kim Woo-jin and Assistant Manager Ha had lasted thirty minutes. Since the previous three had averaged around five minutes each, the time taken had been exceptionally long.

But during those thirty minutes, it was clearly carved into my mind what kind of broken bastard Kim Woo-jin was.

He was not a cadet stronger than I had thought. His power and speed were only above average. His blessing and armament were not distinctive either.

And yet Kim Woo-jin had seized victory from Han Eun, a senior-rank hero.

Kim Woo-jin’s fighting style was what you’d call a dogfight. He kept charging in with his tongue hanging out until the other side’s stamina was exhausted.

And while doing that, he allowed every strike to land. Dislocations, collapses, all kinds of injuries, he received them with a smile.

To the point that most of the blood sprayed across the training platform at the time had belonged to Kim Woo-jin.

Assistant Manager Ha, who had led the spar advantageously at the start, eventually hit a lull. By the final ten minutes, she had been unable to avoid Kim Woo-jin’s beating.

‘That man is the type who enjoys fighting itself.’

Watching Kim Woo-jin, I thought. Why, every game had a character with that kind of trait, doesn’t it. Some lunatic who can’t keep himself away from battle.

For example, a battle maniac. That was exactly what Kim Woo-jin was. And he was also the current student council president.

Judging by his mental state, he was exactly the sort to be a villain, so I truly had no idea how he had secured that position.

‘I can’t get a read on what the hell he was.’

In the main story, by the time Leon ran for student council president in his second year, Kim Woo-jin had already graduated, so he was only occasionally mentioned as the former president.

‘This is bothering me.’

It was irritating. This feeling like a fishbone caught in my throat. A warning sent by a keenly honed intuition. It was an ominous sign.

In truth, I did not have any obligation to go out of my way to catch villains. That was why the Association had set up camp at the academy.

For me to step up of my own accord was laughable even from my own point of view. Since when had I ever been so full of justice. I’m the kind of person who won’t hesitate to jaywalk if there were no cars. The Association employees at least get paid. I was doing this for free.

Even so, I could not simply turn away from the situation. What I feared was not villains in themselves. It was what lay beyond them.

Those who licked their lips in the demonic realm Gehenna while aiming to invade the human realm. Fourth Legion Commander Permash, Third Legion Commander Vesna, Second Legion Commander Quarn.

Since the death of Fifth Legion Commander Agor, they had been suspiciously quiet.

To just let things slide by like this? There was no way.

Even if demons did not have sticky bonds of camaraderie, they were a race that never forgot revenge.

They were beings who had harbored the humiliation of the First Human-Demon Great War for over seven hundred years, so would they really gloss over the death of one of their own. Of course not.

By now, they were surely continuing to attempt descents into the human realm in order to exact revenge.

That was why the roots of villains, sprouting up like weeds, had to be pulled out. Because it was the villains’ role to aid the descent of the legion commanders.

I turned my head and looked at Leon. Then I recalled the time when I had been playing the game.

Thinking back, villains only appeared briefly by quarter, while Leon’s true enemies had not been villains but demonic beasts and demons.

Even then, Auditore or some other helper had always appeared at just the right time and resolved matters. Leon hardly ever cut down villains. No, it would not be an exaggeration to say he never did.

And yet every scheme and act of secret plotting during the first semester midterms, the deserted island survival training, and the finals had all been carried out by villains.

“…Ha.”

Suddenly, a dry laugh escaped through my teeth. I felt as though I was beginning to vaguely understand why some unknowable someone had dropped me into this world.

‘God damn it.’

I left the competition grounds. Dark clouds filled the sky densely.

The damp smell of rain wrapped around my nose. The bleak aura made my skin sting. It was weather for a storm of thunder and lightning.

Staring up at the dark-colored sky, I quietly closed my eyes. Then I unfolded the domain of my mind as widely as possible.

This was a kind of whim. When it came to sorting out a mass of distracting thoughts, nothing was better than meditation.

Ssssss.

Maybe because my eyes were closed, or maybe because it was the reflection of dark reality, even the sky within the domain of my mind was dark.

‘Still, I’ve gotten quite used to the domain of the mind.’

I focused my would. I carved away physical interference. One by one, I erased the stimuli touching my skin.

Then, the outline of a single Sashimi blade being formed inside me. It freely roamed the domain of my mind by my would alone.

‘This is a first too.’

Against a pitch-black background, while the blade dripped pure white light, I poured a little more would into the Sashimi stirring through the air. I made the image concrete.

Before long, the sword strike that had been flying through the air like a butterfly aimed at the pitch-black sky. In step with it, I grabbed the sword hilt in my inner world and brought it down.

Slice.

The sound of something being cut drifted faintly into my ears. The dim air cleared, and gentle warmth lingered around me.

I opened my closed eyes. At the same time, my pupils contracted into round circles.

The sky split left and right. The sun forced its way through the gap. Still not fully understanding the situation, I simply received the sunlight pouring down on me.

A gentle breeze brushed the back of my neck. A scrap of fallen leaf landed on the tip of my nose. My gaze gathered toward the center, and my focus sharpened.

I was startled once again. Every fallen leaf spread across the ground had been artificially cut.

“……”

A realm that only appeared in martial arts novels. A sword art said to be wielded only by unmatched masters who had reached the extreme of swordsmanship. And in the truest sense, the Sword of the Heart.

“Controlling the Sword with Qi.”