ALL NOVEL Chapter 172
“What… Why the blade…?”
“Is she giving up…?”
Baekgwang is a prestigious family known for their unique magic abilities. It wasn’t easy to guess the intention behind the heir Jin Yeseo, who is equipped with gear usually used by Circulation mages.
But amidst the murmuring like a wave, the blonde female student showed no signs of agitation at all.
– Both sides. Face each other… Greet.
Jin Yeseo and the Masked Male Student exchanged only a fleeting handshake. There was no customary greeting, let alone provocation.
Though they were supposed to be rivals, in reality, it was Jin Yeseo who was continuously losing something.
Their relationship was one where it wouldn’t be strange to harbor resentment close to murderous intent. The judging panel was composed of professors with exceptional skills, ready to suppress them if necessary.
– Both sides ready. One, two…
The host’s voice echoed through the amplifier. The Masked Male Student bent slightly, adopting a posture reminiscent of a predator preparing to pounce. Jin Yeseo also drew her blade, preparing herself.
She closed her eyes tightly as if to gather her resolve. And then, gracefully moving her fingers, she began to create a magical formula.
Those who speculated she had brought out the blade for show or as a hidden ace had no choice but to close their mouths. The audience held their breath, all eyes glued to Jin Yeseo’s movements.
And the next moment.
“Uh…?”
“Hey…!”
The atmosphere around Jin Yeseo began to ripple as if waves were emanating from her. Soon, particles of fresh green light, resembling her eye color, swirled like the wind.
“That’s… ‘color’!”
Professor Kwon Chanyul, adjusting his glasses, shouted.
Even the professors in the judging panel were jolted upright in shock. An uproar far greater than before erupted among the audience.
The colors and scents that arise from the chemical interactions of particles and bodily components. Not everyone classified under Category 1 has shown such capabilities, but those who have emitted color and scent have been judged as mages who have surpassed points of singularity.
Among the students in the current Cradle, only three were classified under this grade.
Paecheon, Jeokhwa, Heukryeon.
And at that moment, Baekgwang’s name was added.
“When did she switch her major to Circulation magic? Do the professors know about this?”
“She had something planned…!”
Unlike some, Jin Yeseo’s relationships were decent. In fact, she had enough charm and social skills to lead a group of first-year female students.
Voices of support began to fill the dueling grounds in an instant.
Of course, not everyone was pleased with the current flow.
“…”
Second-year Yeon Minha twisted her face in displeasure, keenly aware of the support sounds that boomed, as if something was sticking in her throat.
“That’s… That’s impossible…!”
And the one who had always lived in Jin Yeseo’s shadow, a female student trapped in the web of self-pity.
Moon Yeowool.
“How…!”
She exclaimed, astonished.
*
The chaos in the audience meant little to Jin Yeseo, who held the blade. There were only two people in this space.
Jin Yeseo. And that Masked Male Student postured as if about to pounce from afar.
“…Ugh.”
A sharp phantom pain tingled in her lower abdomen, and she let out a brief moan. This was a chronic symptom she experienced before every duel with him, a result of her body remembering.
Jin Yeseo concentrated again, quickly shaking off a sliver of fear. Strangely, she felt a peculiar sense of relief in response to the fierce presence the man exuded.
If he treated her with unnecessary sympathy, as if she were a beggar, it would have only made her feel worse.
Around her, green light particles flickered like falling leaves. This was also a huge blessing and gift she had received from being with the man.
‘Then… it’s only right to give it my all.’
Jin Yeseo drafted the spell she had composed herself, maximizing her body’s strength. Her expanded senses allowed her to feel even the boiling blood and quivering muscles. The particles around her, dyed with color, pulsed like the beating of her heart.
Crack…
“One… Two…!”
The host’s voice pierced her ears like a heavy sentence. Amidst the rising tension, she gripped the blade handle as if to bend it.
“…Three!”
Roaring applause!
Finally, the signal for the duel’s start. Along with it came the thunderous cheers from all directions.
Bang!
They both dashed forward simultaneously, without even a hint of who would move first. The point of collision was precisely the center of the dueling grounds, with a sound like a bomb exploding ringing loudly.
A fierce shockwave swept through, and where they met, sparks erupted.
Clang… Clang…!
Were it not for enhancing her particles, she would have shattered long ago from that impact. Jin Yeseo felt the numbing sensation in her palm as she watched him. And she knew. The man was locking eyes with her even behind that mask.
“…”
It was as if she stood on the edge of a cliff. Jin Yeseo had only one chance left. A single defeat would send her spiraling down to the abyss.
But what seeped into her skin was not desperation but joy. Her body felt light as if it could fly, and her mind could not be clearer.
“Ha!”
Bang!
Jin Yeseo had to hold back the smile that tried to blossom. Meanwhile, a question clung in her mind, refusing to let go.
Why, even in this situation, was she feeling such overwhelming joy?
Bang!
Clang!
The metallic sounds echoed loudly one after another. They had already exchanged dozens of duels. Jin Yeseo had remembered his habits not with her mind but with her body.
Bang!
After a downward slash aiming for the upper part, a knee strike would follow with high probability.
Clang! Bang!
His movements, aiming for her jaw, concealed a subsequent horizontal cut.
Bang!
During the briefest gaps, punches akin to greedy snakes sought her abdomen.
Jin Yeseo expertly dodged his attacks yet never forgot to aim her own blade at him.
Clang!
In that instant, her blade jabbed forward. The man leaned back with superhuman reflexes to narrowly evade it.
The sharp metallic sound resonated, scraping against the mask and blade. This fight was unprecedented compared to past duels. The audience roared like mountains falling apart.
‘Good…!’
She was getting through. Jin Yeseo thought so. The blade that had kept getting closer over the dozens of duels finally touched him.
“Haap!”
Clang! Bang!
With her momentum, Jin Yeseo aggressively pressed forward on the man. Every time her blade swung, a fierce green light flashed in the air.
Bang!
‘I’ve always wanted to fight you. This is perfect. Who knew this opportunity would finally come?’
Bang! Bang!
‘Surrender.’
‘Hah… No… No way…’
Clang! Clang!
‘Help…’
Bang! Clang!
With each exchange, memories of the past flickered. It was a part she found oddly fascinating.
He was the man she utterly loathed and detested. Not only did he openly oppose her senior Baek Seoyeon, but he also continuously interfered with her path.
Had it been mere interference, she wouldn’t have nurtured such intense hatred toward him. He had taken everything from her.
The glorious title of the top first-year, the attention of professors, and even the times he utterly defeated her in deplorable and humiliating ways.
Her magic stagnated, and even those she thought were friends left her. Jin Yeseo fell into despair. She wandered aimlessly in an unending darkness.
Yet who could have guessed?
The very person who had brought her down was the only one capable of pulling her from the mire.
“Ha!”
Bang!
The scattering green particles danced like butterflies. With them spread a sweet scent that made the audience gasp in awe.
Jin Yeseo thought. Those few weeks spent with him were the happiest moments of her life.
It was only natural. Not only had she longed to train in Circulation magic, but she had managed to emit color and scent herself.
Bang! Clang!
Her experiences with him were each moment a new discovery. Moreover, she realized that the villain she thought she’d never be able to use was, surprisingly, a decent person. He had a reliable and trustworthy side, albeit with a dangerous edge that unintentionally kept her on alert.
Before she knew it, she was facing him without any walls up.
No matter how much she tried to brace herself, raising her guard, it inevitably became pointless.
Bang!
Recently, Jin Yeseo had been tormented by a strange feeling she perceived as deep friendship.
He was someone who cared for her almost selflessly, attentive to her needs. The first friend of the opposite gender she had ever made.
It was only natural to feel angry and upset when such a person was mingling with others, leaving her behind.
She had thought so before.
‘…Ah.’
But at the end of that thought, Jin Yeseo shook her head.
‘…I see now.’
She finally realized the true nature of this feeling she had never experienced before, one that defied verbal description.
The source of that sweet yet bittersweet taste.
What she truly desired.
And why she wished this moment could last forever.
*
The shattered walls. The debris on the broken floor. The dueling grounds bore remnants of a fierce battle.
“Ha… Ha…”
In the now-silent dueling grounds, the sound of heavy breathing resonated.
Disheveled hair, a right arm that lay limp and unmoving, and a body trembling while completely spent.
The blonde female student dressed in torn and tattered gear leaned against the blade she had driven into the ground, barely holding herself up.
Thud, thud. From the dust cloud, a shadow appeared, followed by the emergence of a tall man wearing a smooth white mask.
“Ha…”
He was also somewhat injured but, unlike Jin Yeseo, didn’t seem to have sustained any major injuries. Just from the contrasting states of the two, one could easily guess the winner of the fight.
Even after manifesting color and scent, she ultimately couldn’t cross over. Disappointment and lamentation filled the faces of the watching audience.
Yet Jin Yeseo smiled faintly at the sight of the man for some reason.
“Ha… I lost again. Seriously, are you a monster?”
Jin Yeseo opened her trembling lips and managed to voice out. Her tone reflected more relief than disappointment.
“…”
He appeared thoughtful. Even with the mask, one could tell.
“…What are you doing? Hurry up and finish…”
– Hey! Just let us see it one more time!
– Yeah! Don’t you feel sorry for Yeseo? This is too cruel…!
– Enough! Excessive jeering can result in removal and penalties. Students in the audience, please be quiet…!
Instead of his response, the loud jeers from the audience watching the ranks and the voice of the professor struggling to subdue them filled the air.
“Don’t mind the jeers… hurry up…”
Jin Yeseo let all that noise wash over one ear. She urged the Masked Male Student again.
“Everyone is watching. It’s between you and me. It’s like we’re enemies…”
“…”
Jin Yeseo teased the unmoving man, throwing in a provocation.
“…You’re good at intimidating women through brute force. Getting carried away could be your thing. You’re not scared just because it’s in front of people, right? Huh?”
“But…”
Unlike the chuckling Jin Yeseo, the man’s voice was filled with hesitation.
He had taken the duel seriously as per her request, but it seemed he had reservations about finishing it.
“Do it as you usually do. Roughly… and with coercion. Otherwise, others might suspect what’s between us…”
“…”
After a brief silence, finally, the man’s feet started to move again. Now he was close enough that she could feel his breath.
“Hey.”
Jin Yeseo looked at him and finally smiled satisfyingly, lifting the corners of her mouth slightly.
“Thanks for everything. Those past few weeks were genuinely enjoyable.”
“…”
“It was far more than the sum of all my past lives…”
She had said all she needed to. Now only the winner’s final performance remained.
The man extended his arm and seized Jin Yeseo’s neck. His grip was quite soft, so she felt more of a tantalizing pleasure than pain.
“Hah… Huh…”
“…Sorry.”
The Masked Male Student, holding Jin Yeseo up with one hand, whispered softly enough for only her to hear.
“I’ll go easy on you.”
Fwoosh!
“…Hah.”
A sharp pain spread below her navel. In that moment, Jin Yeseo thought the sky had turned upside down.
“Huh… Fool…”
Soon after, she felt the cool sensation of the cracked stone floor against her cheek.
She realized he had thrown her onto the dueling ground floor. Considering that this was his kind gesture, she couldn’t help but smile a little.
“So gentle… you say…”
There was no room for more words in this perfect defeat. But for some reason, an odd anticipation loomed over her rather than fear of the future.
Her fading consciousness quickly faded to black. The host’s voice announcing the victor rang out, accompanied by the fierce jeers directed toward the Masked Male Student that filled the dueling grounds.
“…”
The Masked Male Student stood still for a moment, gazing at her. He then left the dueling grounds without even speaking of his victory.
The highly anticipated final rank match of the first quarter came to a close.
Days later, just before the new social period began, rumors spread among the students about a servant of the Baekgwang family arriving with a letter from their head to find Jin Yeseo.