NoveLight ™
What’s with all the fuss? I just destroyed a wooden doll.
"So what? People always make a big deal at first, but in the end, you’ll be more famous as the Divine Sword." "Kuh. Is this what they call the composure of a victor?"
Seeing him wailing alone like that, playing his own drum and trumpet, makes him look stupid. And this guy has ten heroines? Is the author out of their mind? Ugh, it’s annoying.
Oh, by the way, I noticed that somehow Hunter-related companies have bombarded me with messages on CameoTalk. I blocked them all, but it’s still a nuisance.
Today, the weather is quite nice.
It’d be great to have a picnic on a day like this. If only it weren’t just a dream. Yoonha was naturally inclined to be a loner. Even after coming to the academy, that didn’t change, and she often relied on her brother’s fame to skip out of things.
But still.
"Blah blah blah." "Mumble mumble mumble."
Why are the Divine Sword’s successor and his main heroine, Reina, talking so much around me? It’s loud. I wish this dream would end soon.
The weather seems to be darkening again.
"Today, we’ll be doing sparring."
The ‘Fire Bat’ suddenly declared a sparring session. Yesterday was the ability test. And now sparring? They must want to gauge the cadets' overall level. Theory classes probably aren’t that important to the academy. Next, they’ll split us up by specialties—magic, swordsmanship, spearmanship, that kind of thing.
"Sparring?"
"Yes, we did an ability test yesterday, so today we’ll do some practice sparring. Yoonha, you go first. Kim Gitae, you’re her opponent."
The Fire Bat, Kim Ji-hye, keeps pushing me as if she sees me as some kind of promising talent. But there’s no way I’m going to reveal my abilities. If I tell them that using acceleration and parallel circuits once makes me a half-corpse, my evaluation will plummet. I need to maintain an average score for now.
Should I just lose on purpose? If it’s a clear limitation of my abilities, fine, but if I surrender or lose gracefully, I can still make it look like a well-fought battle. So, the sparring begins.
Standing before me was a boy with messy navy-blue hair, his eyes full of hostility. I think the Fire Bat is using Kim Gitae as a damage gauge for me.
"Kuh. How dare you act so relaxed in front of me, Kim Gitae? So what if you’re the Divine Sword’s sister? That video was obviously fake!"
"Hey, you might die if you keep acting like that."
I might die?
Using acceleration and parallel circuits against this guy would be overkill. But without them, I’d be weaker than Kim Gitae. There’s no reason to go all out. If I use them and collapse, that’d be painful too. My goal is just to become a Hunter, anyway. Maybe once I reach the ending, this dream will finally end. It’s better to live quietly without drawing too much attention. The protagonist can handle all that.
"Are you mocking me? Pick up your weapon now!" "I don’t need a weapon."
I tossed aside the sword hilt I was holding. Heavy things aren’t my style. A small knife suits me better. I’m obviously going to lose, so why bother? I’ll just pretend to get hit and fall down screaming.
"You dare mock me? Fine, go ahead, attack me first. A weakling like you couldn’t even hurt me with a weapon!"
"Really?"
Well, that changes things.
He seems stronger than I expected. He doesn’t have much importance in the story, but I didn’t know his strength. His overconfidence must be based on something. He’s probably using body reinforcement. Fine, I’ll take one hit and surrender.
"Really." "Alright, since you insist."
I enveloped my body in mana and picked up a blunt weapon from the practice weapons available. And then…
Smack!
I killed millions of Kim Gitae’s future offspring in one blow.
Kim Gitae collapsed backward, foaming at the mouth. Maybe I went a bit too far. But still, for someone who was so confident, this is kind of disappointing.
"Oof, guess I can’t use this after all." "Would you have used it even if it were intact?" "True."
Kim Gitae was dragged off to the infirmary by some other cadets. Well, I mean, he did say I could hit him, so it’s fine, right?
After the sparring session, evaluations were mixed again. Some of the guys started avoiding me, while some girls began praising me as a "girl crush." And finally, it was time for the protagonist, Choi Si-woo, to spar. His opponent was Han Soo-ji, a girl known for her spear skills. She’s also one of his heroines. To be precise, his second heroine.
Her orange ponytail looked impressive, like an eternal flame. She’d probably make a good lighter that never goes out.
"Choi Si-woo! I’ve wanted to face you!" "Hahaha, did I do something to make you hate me?" "Don’t act cocky just because you’re the Divine Sword! I’ll definitely take you and Yoonha down!"
Why am I being dragged into this?
Choi Si-woo had better beat her for me. I don’t want to fight her spear. I’m more of a knife-type person, and she’s got a spear. Weapon advantage much? And according to the character plans, she even has a second phase. When she goes berserk, she becomes the Flame Spearwoman, swinging her spear with flames at the tip.
"Damn. It’s one thing if it’s just me, but adding Yoonha too? Isn’t that unfair?" "Hmph! You two are just in my way! I’ll beat you and then make that white-haired girl kneel!"
She’s so arrogant. I think her mentor was that S-class Hunter, Kim Jae-soo, right? He’s also a spearman, and this Flame Spearwoman has learned all his techniques. She later falls for the protagonist after he defeats her. And wasn’t she supposed to be a masochist? So after she gets beaten, she turns into a masochist.
If Reina is a tsundere, this one... I’d rather not even talk about it.
"Don’t call my friend a white-haired girl!"
Well, I do have white hair.
"Hmph, come at me if you can."
Choi Si-woo’s ash-colored hair turned silver, and the sword in his hand began to glow. Unlike when he faced the wooden doll yesterday, this time he summoned the Divine Sword, showcasing his full power for sparring. The Flame Spearwoman summoned her spear as well.
Why are they the only ones summoning weapons? I want to summon one too!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The spear and sword clashed furiously, intertwining like a mating dance.
"A battle between the Goddess’s Sword and the Incarnation’s Spear. Even though it’s sparring, this is quite a sight." "Indeed."
The instructors, impressed by the spectacle, praised the fight. Compared to these two, my match with Kim Gitae was nothing. Choi Si-woo entered the Flame Spearwoman’s blind spot and swiftly raised his sword.
"Kuh!"
The Flame Spearwoman took a step back, swinging her spear to deflect the Divine Sword. Is this okay? After several exchanges, Choi Si-woo, confident in his stamina, pressed his advantage. Yes! Crush her! Beat her so thoroughly that she can’t even think about coming after me!
Just as I started to feel a sliver of affection for the protagonist for the first time, he betrayed my expectations.
"I think that’s enough. I surrender." "What?"
After putting his sword to her neck, he declared that he’s surrendering. What’s with this chivalry? Acting all gallant now? And this isn’t even how it went in the original!
That’s how it was supposed to go. But now the protagonist surrendered. So what’s going to happen to the Flame Spearwoman now? How will she be redeemed? Is this because of me?
"It’s not just my fight to beat you. Yoonha deserves revenge too."
I’m fine, really.
"Instructor." "Hmm, alright. The winner of this match is Han Soo-ji. And as requested by Choi Si-woo, the next match will be between Yoonha and Han Soo-ji."
No, I don’t want to! Just because he’s the Divine Sword’s successor, they listen to his requests. Anger surged within me.
The sky seemed to darken again.
And now, Choi Si-woo is staring at me with sparkling eyes. He’s not the type to back down. And with him cheering for me like that, it’d feel wrong to just lose on purpose. In the end, I had no choice but to step into the sparring ring.
The stares from everyone around me are irritating. Should I use acceleration to poke their eyes out?
"Choi Si-woo may have lost to you, but I’m not going to lose!" "The sky is so clear today." "What?" "On a day like this, watching a crazy bitch jump around without knowing her place is really irritating."
Yup, that’s what a masochist would expect. Since the protagonist has set the stage for me, it’s time to show her just how twisted she is.
"Your mouth is going to get you stabbed." "They say a mad dog needs to be beaten."
I pulled out a thin, sharp knife from my clothes.
I used this to peel an apple before coming here.
"You think you can beat me with just a knife?"
My taunt seemed to have really gotten under her skin. She enchanted her spear with flames.
"Will you darken the sky I see, or will you brighten it?"
For some reason, when I’m not feeling well, the weather tends to worsen. I sighed at the dramatic line that didn’t quite suit me.
"Alright, stop talking and start the match!"
Beep!
At the sound of the whistle signaling the start, she charged at me with her spear. I activated <Acceleration> and <Parallel Circuits>.
She’s a masochist. I need to beat her thoroughly, just like a masochist deserves. Yeah, like delivering a womb punch. If a guy did that, he’d get hit with a lawsuit and socially buried, but right now, I’m a girl.
[Clench your teeth?]
Using acceleration, I dashed into her range. Not even Choi Si-woo’s Divine Sword could react to this speed. There’s no way the Flame Spearwoman could stop me with her spear.
It was like time had stopped. I quickly closed the distance and clenched my right fist, pouring mana into it, and struck her lower abdomen.
Whack!
"Ugh?"
"At this moment, I’m really glad that I’m Yoonha."
No, it’s not enough. Two more.
Whack!
"It’s better to watch a woman hitting a woman."
Not enough. Three more.
Whack!
"It’s more satisfying than a man hitting a woman, don’t you think?"
"Aargh!"
"Too slow."
She tried to resist by swinging her spear wildly, but in my accelerated state, she couldn’t touch me. As she lost her balance, the Flame Spearwoman toppled over.
[This is my chance.]
I grabbed the dazed Han Soo-ji and lifted her up. A few punches to the stomach, and she was already out of energy. Time for public humiliation. I think her butt will do nicely.
"What… what are you planning? Stop… I’m sorry…"
Smack!