And a week had passed.

It was the day of the public sparring match between Lee Yoo-ri and Jin Yuha. The murmurs of the crowd filled the vast auditorium.

“Hey, do we really have to watch this match? We should’ve just taken a break.”
“Yeah, I know. The semi-finals aren’t even happening. It’s straight to the finals.”
“What…!? Why?”
“It’s just a show. Since the winner is already decided, what’s the point of trying hard here? They’ll just get beaten up by those girls and end up as entertainment. That’s why the other two teams forfeited.”
“I guess I’m only here because I’m curious about Cheonhwa and Fighting Dog. I’m not really interested in the outcome of the match, to be honest.”
As proof of this, despite it being a public sparring match, there were noticeable gaps in the audience.
Since attending the match was not mandatory, many students had chosen to take a break from the three weeks of basic training and relax with their friends instead.
However, a third of the remaining students were curious about the power of Cheonhwa and Fighting Dog, and they were also intrigued by the rumors about the male quota system.

Hoo—

Lee Yoo-ri took a deep breath to calm her pounding heart.

‘Jin Yuha will be coming out there soon.’

Since they had agreed to focus on their respective trainings and ate their meals separately, she hadn’t even seen his face in the past week.

She was well aware of the rumors circulating about Jin Yuha.
The current situation, where he, as the quota student, was being ignored, and all the attention was on the special admission students, did not sit well with her.

‘That’s why my role is important.’

The man she would be facing.
While it was crucial for her to prove herself to Jin Yuha, she also wanted to show something to the people.

How extraordinary he was.

‘I can’t afford to be overshadowed by Cheonhwa and Fighting Dog either.’

Of course, she knew their powers were restricted, but given their impressive performances in the past, cold sweat dripped from Lee Yoo-ri’s hands as she faced the daunting task of holding them back.

Just then,

“The public sparring match between Jin Yuha’s party and Lee Yoo-ri’s party will now begin!”

The signal for their match rang out.

.

.

.

As I stepped onto the sparring arena, I checked my skills. I had a total of four skills:

[One Strike], [Lampo], [Sword Dance], [New Moon]

Among them [One Strike] was convenient to use, but it wouldn’t work on Lee Yoo-ri.

[New Moon] was most effective under the cover of night, so it wasn’t suitable for the current situation.

In the end, the most powerful and fastest skill I had was

[Lampo]

It was the same skill that had taken down the Blood Goblin in one strike.

‘If I use Lampo, with some luck, I might be able to take out Lee Yoo-ri in one go.’

However, there was a restriction to the skill.
When using Lampo, the sword had to be sheathed again, leaving me vulnerable during that process.
It wasn’t a quick action, and without a tank in our party, even if I managed to take out Lee Yoo-ri with that skill, we would be left exposed to their damage dealer, the spear user.

‘And Lee Yoo-ri has two decently performing supporters and a healer focusing on her. Using this skill is a gamble. If it doesn’t work, it’s game over. Better to scrap that idea.’

As I sorted through my thoughts, our party and Lee Yoo-ri’s party ascended the sparring arena.
She maintained a serious expression, not cracking a smile as she glared at us.

It had been a while since I’d seen her face, and she looked a little thinner.

‘Tsk, did she just fill up on water again because we didn’t eat together?’

I made a mental note to treat Lee Yoo-ri to a full course meal at Velvet next time.

“Begin the match!”

At the referee’s signal,

Taah—

I charged straight at Lee Yoo-ri.

Out of all my skills, the one I chose for the first attack was

“Sword Dance.”

Hwi-rik—

The tip of my sword drew a smooth line in the air, as if my hand and the sword were one. The sword light melted into the air, enveloping Lee Yoo-ri like a gentle breeze.

She tried to block my sword with her shield.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

The clash of sword and shield created sharp noises. She seemed to be trying to deflect my sword with her shield, but I didn’t let that happen. Instead, I intensified my attacks, raining blows on her shield.

Sword Dance.

It wasn’t a single-use skill but a continuous one.
This skill could be maintained as long as my mana held out.

Clang!

Clang…!

Clang……!

As I continued to wield my sword against a suitable opponent that can receive my sword and had the skill to withstand the sword dance, the flow of my swinging sword gradually slowed down.
It felt like when I close my eyes and draw a straight line by myself, becoming more and more immersed in the sword.

Suddenly, an epiphany struck me within the elongated moment.

The mana that enveloped my sword, and the flow of mana that guided it.
I felt like I was beginning to understand what skills truly were.

‘Ah, skills aren’t just automatically used by expending mana.’

Skills, like Sword Art Specialization or Physical Strength, were something I had suddenly acquired.
This was similar in nature to those innate abilities.

When using a skill, my body followed the forced flow of mana, almost like a puppet on a string.
Could I really call this my own power?

‘…No, that’s wrong.’

If I continued like this, I would just be a puppet, dragged along by the sword.

‘I need to bring this technique under my own will.’

As I observed the flow and movement of mana, I gradually infused my will into my sword swings.

.

.

.

Lee Yoo-ri, who was blocking Jin Yuha’s sword with her shield, fell into a strange trance.

At first, his sword was just a flashy display, raining down on her.
But then, something began to change.
It became smooth, agile, flashy, and beautiful.
It was like watching a flower in bloom or a sad falling leaf.
Could a sword meant to shed blood be this beautiful?
Even though she knew that deadly poison lurked within that beauty.
His sword danced, and its movements were so captivating that she almost resented her own shield for blocking it.
She just wanted to keep watching his sword.
Her thoughts of boosting Jin Yuha, or blocking Cheonhwa and Fighting Dog, gradually faded,
and she felt like she was being enchanted by his sword.

[Boss!!!]

If it hadn’t been for that voice that reached her ears at that moment, she might have continued dancing with him forever.

‘Oops!’

Lee Yoo-ri felt embarrassed that she had been so captivated by his sword that she had lost focus.

‘I need to use Taunt……!’

Otherwise, Cheonhwa and Fighting Dog might wipe out their entire party at any moment.

Lee Yoo-ri quickly drew a short dagger and began to tap her shield with it.

However,

Thud! Thunk!

Thud! Thunk!

Thud! Thunk!

With each tap of her dagger on her shield, matching the rhythm of his sword,
His sword dance accelerated, and his movements became even more dazzling.

As Lee Yoo-ri’s dagger tapped her shield, Jin Yuha’s sword struck her shield simultaneously.
The discordant mana waves were definitely interfering, making it harder to block his attacks.

“…Even so.”

Lee Yoo-ri bit her lip.

Thud! Thunk!

“It’s useless!!”

Lee Yoo-ri channeled more mana and cast Taunt again.

“Wow… What is that? Why is his sword so pretty?”
“Crazy, it’s fucking sexy.”
“Wow… It’s beautiful.”

The girls who had been waiting for Cheonhwa and Fighting Dog’s performance couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration as they watched Jin Yuha’s sword from the audience seats.
But those who had initially commented on Jin Yuha’s sword soon fell silent.
“… …”

Even their breaths were stifled, and a heavy silence filled the sparring arena. Everyone was captivated.
At first, his sword had been flashy, but it gradually began to change.
The transformation wasn’t dramatic, but it was heavy enough to steal the students’ attention.
Like the wind,
Like water.

It was so natural and smooth.
While everyone else was engaged in their own intense battles,
It felt like only that man’s time was flowing slowly.
There was a captivating beauty that stole their gazes and flushed their faces.
“Huh. Ha-!”
Finally, a female student who had been holding her breath broke the silence and exhaled.
Instantly, all eyes turned to her.
“Uh, uh!?”
She blushed, wondering what to say to break the mood,
And then, she realized something.
“Hey, wait a minute. Isn’t he the quota student?”
The words she spoke were like a pebble dropped into a calm lake, creating ripples of disbelief.
“Crazy, I totally forgot about that for a moment. Yeah, he’s the quota student.”
“……If he’s the quota student, what am I?”
“Well… I guess we can’t ignore him. I don’t know much about swords, but isn’t that something not everyone can do?”
“Ignore that? Cut the bullshit, please.”
“Can you block that?”
“Ah, no… I can’t. How can I block something like that? That tanker is out of the ordinary!”
“Why did he enter as a quota student in the first place?”
As Lee Yoo-ri had intended, Jin Yuha’s sword shocked those who were watching the sparring match.
Even those who didn’t know much about swords could sense that Jin Yuha’s sword was extraordinary.
Most of them had also gone through the rough life of a hunter.
At least among their party members, or during their time as hunters, they had seen swords being wielded once or twice.
They had never seen such a dazzling display, like scattering petals, filling the sparring arena with beauty.
Incredulous laughter broke out here and there.
“Just be careful of Kang Do-hee and Cheonhwa.”

“Who spread the rumor that he’s nothing special?”
“Damn, he’s crazy. Cheonhwa and Fighting Dog are completely overshadowed. I can’t take my eyes off him. He’s so handsome too.”
Those who didn’t use swords could only sense that his sword was extraordinary,
and when they realized that Jin Yuha was the quota student, they were shocked.
“… That’s impossible.”

However, those who were more skilled in swordplay,
and the instructors who didn’t know Jin Yuha yet, their reactions were beyond mere shock.
Disbelief.
Astonishment.
Impact.

It was a stark demonstration of the immense gap in skill level,
or the unfathomable depth of his potential.
No one here could match that man’s skill.

‘It’s not just a flashy sword… That’s…! He’s the quota student!? Who the hell is he!’

Just as a female student who used a sword was trembling as she caught a glimpse of his true potential,

“Hey! Look over there!”

Her friend tapped her arm.

“Huh? Where?”

As she turned her gaze,

Kang Do-hee came into view.

True to her reputation, she was demonstrating her extraordinary skills.
She was fighting the spear user with her eyes closed.

‘Huh? But why…?’

Contrary to expectations, perhaps the restrictions on the special admission students were significant.

Of course, it was impressive to see her fighting without relying on her sight, punching and kicking, but their battle was surprisingly even.

‘Isn’t Kang Do-hee being pushed back a little…? But what about Cheonhwa…?’

“Look over there!”

Her friend pointed with her finger.

While everyone was captivated by Jin Yuha’s sword,
Over there, Cheonhwa was taking down the supporters and healers with her fists.
“Huh? Why isn’t she using magic…? Why is she punching them!?

In that moment, Lee Yoo-ri realized that the skill targeting and helping her had been interrupted.

She turned around in surprise and saw Cheonhwa with a bright smile, finishing off the three supporters and healers.

“When did… Cheonhwa…!”

At that moment, Jin Yuha’s voice clearly reached Lee Yoo-ri’s ears.

“Mission accomplished.”