“Go, Kang Puppy! Bite her!”

Crack!

‘Damn Little Fool, who does he think he’s talking to?!’

Kang Do-hee’s veins popped at being treated like a dog, but her body honestly obeyed his command, throwing the punch.

BOOM!

Kang Do-hee successfully landed a punch on Hong Jinada’s stomach, an area completely undefended and unprepared for the attack.

‘I can’t believe this actually worked…’

-I’ll take on the Boar Instructor first. Before she uses a specific weapon, I’ll hide it in my spatial tattoo and buy us some time. And when she reaches for that weapon, that’s when you step in.

When he had first shared his strategy, she had found it absurd.

Honestly, she had thought it was an impossible plan.

Instructor Hong Jinada had a bizarre combat style—she laid out all her weapons on the ground and alternated between them, creating a chaotic battlefield.

The attack patterns changed randomly, making it difficult to anticipate and adapt, and the distance management was challenging.

And trying to exploit the gaps between weapon switches was futile; the transitions were too swift.

She was a nightmare opponent for Kang Do-hee, whose strength lay in close-quarters combat.

‘But to predict which weapon she’ll use and hide it in a spatial tattoo… This is ridiculous,’ she thought, a soft snort escaping her lips.

Unbeknownst to her, a smile had formed on her face.

‘This guy is crazy,’ she mused.

Having watched Jin Yuha’s movements from start to finish, she knew that every action was meticulously calculated.

Amid the chaotic clash of blades, he had identified that the instructor’s next weapon would be a greatsword and had cleverly positioned himself to block her line of sight, making her believe that the greatsword was still there. On top of that, he had casually stored the weapon in his spatial tattoo and continued the fight as if nothing had happened.

What was even more impressive was that all of this had been executed in the midst of the frenzied battle.

‘…This Little Fool is getting stronger by the day. His growth is visible,’ she thought, her eyes narrowing.

He had improved by leaps and bounds within a week, and the gap that had once seemed insurmountable had narrowed.

Yet, instead of feeling inferior or jealous, Kang Do-hee’s heart was filled with a competitive spirit.

[Now’s your chance! That Boar Instructor is rattled! She wasn’t prepared for that hit, so she’s still vulnerable!]

The voice in her ear, transmitted through the earphones, urged her on.

“Yeah, if this Little Fool can do this much, I can’t just sit back and watch. That’s not how a girl rolls.”

Kang Do-hee said, her lips twisting into a determined smirk.

Whoooooosh!

She dug her heels into the ground and pushed off, the force of her legs creating a fierce sonic boom.

Fwoooooosh!

Her entire body was engulfed in fiery red mana, her hair billowing as if caught in a gust of wind.

Berserk.

Kang Do-hee’s presence expanded, filling the arena with her aura.

Hong Jinada, still clutching her stomach from the solid punch she had received, looked up, her face contorted in pain. She was surprised to see the flames dancing around Kang Do-hee, a skill she hadn’t witnessed before.

‘…Fire?’

But despite her emotions, her hands moved instinctively to grab the next weapon.

However…

Her hand grasped at empty air as Jin Yuha appeared beside her, snatching the spear she had intended to grab and storing it in his spatial tattoo.

“It was here, but now it’s not!” Jin Yuha declared, spreading his arms wide, his voice laced with mischief.

“Damn it, not this again…” Hong Jinada gritted her teeth, reaching out to grab Jin Yuha.

But he was too quick, stepping back and taunting her.

“Do you have time to worry about me? Berserk is a state you can’t afford to underestimate, even if you’re an instructor,” Jin Yuha said, his tone challenging.

Shrieeeeeeek!

‘Damn rat!’

Hong Jinada’s eyes widened as she realized her mistake.

She twisted her body to the side, just barely avoiding the kick that Kang Do-hee launched at her.

Swoosh!

The kick grazed her cheek, leaving a red gash that oozed blood.

‘I… I allowed two attacks to land…?’ Hong Jinada thought, her eyes widening in disbelief.

BOOM!

She blocked the next attack from Kang Do-hee with her arm, grunting at the weight and force behind the blow.

“Ugh!”

The speed and destructive power far exceeded her expectations.

‘…The weapons!’

Hong Jinada’s hand waved through the air again, her expression one of disbelief.

‘How did this happen…?’ she thought, her understanding of the world seemingly shattering in real-time.

‘During the last class, when I observed the sparring, it wasn’t like this…!’

Even before Kang Do-hee’s enrollment, she had been known by the nickname “Fighting Dog,” and her reputation preceded her. As for Jin Yuha, he had made quite the entrance with his controversial behavior, so she had expected him to possess considerable skill.

When she had witnessed their spar, she had nodded in acknowledgment of their abilities.

But how many other students had entered Velvet Academy with impressive reputations? Even if they had made a name for themselves outside or displayed exceptional abilities among their peers, they were still students.

First-year students, at that.

It was normal for them to be overwhelmed by her “Weapon Evolution” and back down. But these two…

They seemed to have no regard for the gap in their levels. Like two halves of a whole, they complemented each other, covering each other’s weaknesses and launching coordinated attacks.

It felt like they were treating her like a monster, exploiting her weaknesses and countering her every move.

“What the hell are these two?!” Hong Jinada exclaimed, her face losing its composure as she let out a string of profanities, followed by a stream of praise.

.

.

–

Fwoooooosh!

Kang Do-hee’s Berserk state burned brightly, and she unleashed a rapid-fire series of punches and kicks.

BOOM!

Swoooooosh!

Their fists and feet collided, the impact reverberating through the arena.

BOOM!

As the battle raged on, Kang Do-hee’s speed increased, her body becoming a whirlwind of fiery fury.

And as I repeatedly stole Hong Jinada’s weapons, she eventually gave up on using them, choosing to face Kang Do-hee in hand-to-hand combat.

‘Berserk is something even an instructor can’t underestimate. It’s one of Velvet’s recognized ultimate techniques, after all,’ I thought.

With Kang Do-hee’s dazzling display of attacks, Hong Jinada’s attention naturally shifted to her.

‘But it’s still unlikely for Kang Do-hee to win,’ I mused.

There was a fundamental difference in their physical abilities, and the gap in their stats would become evident once Berserk ended. Hong Jinada’s counterattack would begin, and Kang Do-hee would struggle to keep up—that was the expected sequence of events.

Of course, we didn’t need to defeat Hong Jinada here and now.

But…

‘If we give up just because it’s difficult, Instructor Baek won’t let us off the hook. And we need the experience of defeating stronger opponents,’ I thought, recalling Instructor Baek Seol-hee’s words.

-When facing an opponent you’re unlikely to beat, sheathe your sword.

I focused, drawing upon the teachings of Instructor Baek.

In a life-or-death situation, there should be no hesitation.

I erased my presence, becoming still and quiet, as if the two of them were the only ones fighting in this space.

I waited, free of any distracting thoughts, for that one moment when an opening would present itself, infusing my fingertips with precision.

Swoosh.

I sheathed Moonlight.

.

.

.

The scabbard slid smoothly over the sword, sheathing it with a graceful motion.

Tap.

I placed my hand lightly on the hilt.

BOOM!!!

Kang Do-hee unleashed her mana, throwing a punch with all her might.

In response, Hong Jinada threw her own punch, refusing to back down.

The impact of their fists colliding created ripples in the air.

And in that moment, my eyes caught a subtle movement from Hong Jinada’s other hand, which had been hidden from view. A hidden blade reflected the light, its gleam piercing my eyes.

That was her hidden move.

‘The moment when the enemy is most likely to let his guard down is when the opponent reveals his trump card…’

Silent mana permeated the sword without a sound.

Swish

The sword, which had been sheathed moments ago, was slowly pulled out at a very slow speed.

Drawing the sword.

In an instant, the slow speed accelerated, and the moonlight was shot at lightning speed.

.

.

.

The tip of the sword silently cut through the air horizontally.

“!”

And belatedly, Hong Jinada opened her mouth with a look of horror.

Whoooooooosh!

Whoooooooosh!

Kang Do-hee and Hong Jinada.

Their figures blurred, and they were summoned outside the sparring arena.

Kang Do-hee had been pierced by Hong Jinada’s hidden dagger, and Hong Jinada had been slashed by Jin Yuha’s sword.

Both of them wore bewildered expressions, but they weren’t the only ones.

Everyone in the sparring arena turned their eyes to the same spot.

In the middle of the arena, which looked like a soldier’s grave with all sorts of weapons stuck in the ground, stood a man holding a blue sword.

“…”

A heavy silence fell over the sparring arena.

For the first time since the founding of Velvet Academy, an instructor had been defeated by first-year students.