Chapter 29
Boom!
I take a strong step forward.
It's to break the opponent's spirit.
Since I recently beat Jackson in the Inter-year Exchange Competition, these guys probably aren't too confident facing me.
No matter how much numerical advantage they have, their hearts can't help but waver.
Look.
"...!"
The eyes of the student who attacked me first tremble slightly.
In terms of the overall exchange, it's just a fleeting moment.
It's just an instant phenomenon where the heart's trembling is transmitted to the body, but.
That's enough.
"Hup!"
I extend my arm.
I reach for the wrist of the guy attacking me with a wooden sword in a semicircle.
Originally, there would have been no openings as he followed a practiced sword path.
The slight tension that just occurred created his weakness.
Pak!
"Kuk!"
I dodge the wooden sword diagonally and grab his wrist.
If this were a mock duel, I wouldn't have put in more force than necessary here.
Unfortunately, the current situation isn't WWE but UFC.
Without any need to hold back, I twisted his wrist right away.
"Aaaagh!"
He drops the wooden sword while screaming.
I kick the stomach of the guy who's screaming while holding his wrist.
Puk! His body is pushed back powerlessly as if shoving a scarecrow.
Because of this, the next attacker who was trying to rush at me from behind also lost momentum, getting caught up in it.
Thud... After driving two guys out of bounds, I catch my breath.
"Hoo."
An acrobatic-like action.
The fatigue throughout my body is intense as I can't allow any hits.
Their goal is for me to get injured even slightly before the duel.
To prevent that, I had to subdue them in one breath, so the recoil was strong.
"......"
Civil, who had been quietly observing the situation, gestures with his chin.
At that, the two remaining guys rush at me.
Whoosh!
The two wooden swords cross, creating air pressure.
The strike range of the wooden swords flying in diagonals covers all directions.
If I try to dodge, my posture will crumble, and I'll allow the next attack.
But defense isn't easy either.
Even with Indestructible Body, it's difficult not to take damage from opponents of this level.
Then, what's the most appropriate move?
Tat!
I slightly lift my foot.
The wooden swords approaching me, I clearly observe their tips with both eyes.
My sharpened senses break down the field of vision.
The range where the wooden swords will reach.
My body, having grasped that to the end─
"What...!"
─avoided the sword tips by a hair's breadth and widened the distance.
Whoosh─ The wooden swords that failed to enter the range descend as they are.
I grab the collar of one of the two guys who belatedly realized the situation and tried to retreat.
No long action is needed.
I just pull down the collar I'm gripping and raise my knee.
"Kek!"
Crunch. A sound that shouldn't come from a human body.
After crushing his face, I approach the other guy.
He had already regained his posture and was swinging his wooden sword at me again.
'Aura.'
A blue light flickers on his wooden sword.
Even if it's not a real sword, it's quite dangerous if it hits.
But it's not easy to dodge.
I'm already out of breath from the continuous actions I've taken so far.
...Then there's only one way.
I extend my arm. It passes by the wooden sword coming down towards me as if brushing it, aiming for his solar plexus.
Sizzle!
"Kuh...!"
The price of this tightrope walk is a laceration on the skin beyond the clothing.
Even though the hardness has increased due to Indestructible Body, aura is still aura.
Without relaxing the arm where blood is seeping, I struck the solar plexus hard.
"Gak!"
This is the end.
I've dealt with four of them.
"Hoo, hoo......"
My breath rises to my chin from the continuous intense exchanges.
I tried not to allow even a single hit, but.
In the end, the last blow did connect.
"......"
Blood seeps from my right forearm.
It's not a deep injury, but it's at a level where I need to stop by the infirmary.
However, I can't go there right now from this place.
Civil remains in front of me.
"Impressive."
Civil takes a step forward.
He who had been quietly watching the attacks of the other gang members finally stepped up.
"...It wasn't a coincidence that you beat Jackson. Your physique would compete for ranks even in the Knight Department."
"It's troublesome to suddenly praise me."
"And, what's that power? How can it be just a laceration when an aura brushed against your skin? That's difficult even for knights like us."
"Who knows."
The mana layer on my skin that Margaret mentioned.
The skin hardness increased by combining with Indestructible Body seems quite puzzling to him.
"...No, it doesn't matter. You definitely shouldn't leave here unscathed."
Aura settles on Civil's wooden sword.
A blue light more powerful and pure than the guy I just took down.
He slowly approached while firmly gripping the wooden sword.
"As long as you're a threat to Apollon, I'll just eliminate that."
"Don't you think about going against his orders?"
"It's better to give up justice than to dream of the impossible."
Civil takes his stance.
I know the stance he's taken.
'Twin Circle.'
A technique that attacks twice in semicircles.
The range and damage of each semicircle are excellent, but.
It's also an attack skill that's almost like a combo because the interval between attacks is extremely short.
'It's difficult to dodge.'
I might be able to avoid the first hit, but I won't be able to dodge the last strike.
But when he initiates an attack skill with such a large range of motion, his openings are also exposed.
It's a dangerous technique where Civil himself could get seriously injured if he messes up.
The fact that he used it despite that means...
"You, as expected, don't care about your own defense, do you?"
"It's enough if I can injure you even at the cost of my body breaking."
That was the end of his words.
"That's unfortunate."
Tat!
Civil rushes in.
First hit, he raises the wooden sword upward.
That's the start as it comes down drawing a half-moon.
My body is already quite exhausted.
It's not a matter of will. The fatigue of the flesh is the problem.
Trying to dodge or counter here is not a good judgment.
Therefore, my response is this.
BOOM!
"...!"
I activate Ground-Striking Art, a technique I hadn't used until now.
Since I didn't use it even once while taking down the other four, it must have been forgotten in their consciousness.
I aimed for that and didn't use it desperately, which worked.
Clang─ The wooden sword loses balance.
As the wooden sword coming down from above wavers, his opening is exposed.
I rush towards that side, putting strength into my fist.
"You think I'll let you...!"
But Civil's response is also swift.
As expected of the 4th rank in the 2nd year Knight Department, he quickly regains the flow and brings the wooden sword down.
If he draws a semicircle upwards from there, it will be the 2nd hit of 'Twin Circle'.
"......"
I've already entered the hit range.
It's impossible to avoid his wooden sword.
If I continue like this, there's a high possibility of getting injured in the waist.
But there's no meaning in retreating here.
Anyway, he'll try to chip away at my body regardless of his own injuries.
In the end, it's six of one, half a dozen of the other, so I made my choice.
'There's no choice.'
I give up on the premise of not getting injured before the duel.
Now I have to take him down even if it means getting injured.
Just as I was about to throw my fist, prepared for his wooden sword rushing towards my waist.
"Point Burst."
Mana flickered in the hand holding the wooden sword, and with an explosion sound, sparks flew.
Boom!
"Kek!"
The fierce explosion pierces even the mana I had wrapped around my body, and I let go of the wooden sword.
Civil's body with its posture broken.
I planted my fist in its center.
"......"
Thud. Finally, after taking down the last gang member, a feeling of exhaustion rises throughout my body.
"Hoo......"
I was prepared to get injured in the last exchange, but I was able to avoid it.
There's no need to ask why.
"...Are you okay?"
A woman approaching from beyond the corridor.
Berry had cast Point Burst to help me.
"Can you explain what's going on?"
After roughly throwing the sprawled gang members against the wall.
As I sat down exhausted, Berry asked me.
"They're guys who came to ruin me before my duel with Apollon. There's nothing more to add."
"What?"
Berry lights up at my words.
As if she herself had been wronged, she stomped her feet on the floor in anger.
"What kind of cowardly act is this? They deliberately tried to prevent you from standing in the dueling arena?"
"Yeah. It's a method that happens under the table originally. Recently, it's been forgotten since duels don't happen often."
"Wow... That's really dirty."
She grumbled while rummaging through her bosom.
Then she took out a potion, which she probably had as an alchemist.
"Here. This. Your arm seems hurt, use this."
"......"
If she's giving it, I won't refuse.
I pour the potion on my arm where blood is seeping from the aura contact, and the wound closes.
"Was it inflicted by the guy I used magic on just now?"
"Hm?"
I raise my head at the sudden question.
Berry's eyes are not good.
She's glaring at the fallen Civil, probably thinking he inflicted the wound on my arm.
"No. It wasn't him, it was another guy."
"...Phew. I see."
Berry grumbles as if relieved.
She apparently didn't want me to get hurt because of the guy she took down.
"Anyway, he's a bad guy. That move just now was really with the intention of breaking something. He's not in his right mind."
"Don't resent this guy too much. He has his own circumstances."
"What? Why are you shielding him?"
"Because he'd find his way back well if it weren't for Apollon."
Berry pouts her lips, not understanding my words.
But I defended him because I know Civil's settings from the original work.
'This one could be nurtured a bit.'
If we get connected later, I'll teach him a few things.
That would also help Isolet as a senior.
Anyway, since the situation seems to be sorted out roughly, I decided to ask what I'm curious about.
"By the way."
"Yes?"
"Why are you here? How did you know?"
"W-What?"
"Not many students or instructors come to the main building. There's no way you could appear at such a perfect timing."
"......"
Berry subtly averts her gaze.
She hesitates for a moment, then finally clears her throat and holds out something to me.
"I came to give you this. This."
In her hand was a lump of meat.
Looking at the meatball-like thing, I could guess what it was.
"【Werewolf's Lung】, you finished processing it."
"Yeah. I just wanted to hand this over to you. So I stayed behind to find you, and then I heard the commotion and came. Yeah."
'So that's why she said she'd see me later earlier.'
It seems she was already planning to meet me again from that point.
...But I still have doubts.
"But couldn't you have given it to me separately later? There's no need to do it here. Isn't this too urgent?"
"Huh?! No, it's not like that! It's not like I wanted to see you or anything! I mean, I could give it later too? I could give it whenever I have time? It's not particularly because I wanted to see you?"
"......"
Why is her tongue so long?
Berry, who was sweating profusely while reciting circumstances I hadn't even asked about, finally calmed down and caught her breath.
"...Anyway, I'm glad I could help. It looked quite dangerous."
"It actually was dangerous. If you hadn't helped, the duel might not have been easy."
"...Really?"
Then Berry slightly glances at me.
Her black pupils beyond her round glasses trembled slightly.
"Was I... helpful?"
"Yeah."
What meaning was contained in that question?
I didn't know well, but I nodded appropriately.
"That's a relief."
Berry's face, smiling with relief at my affirmation.
It was quite pleasant to see.
*
Rumors are circulating in Olympia Academy.
Rumors that Apollon, the figure of the upcoming duel, carried out insidious behind-the-scenes operations.
And the conclusion that Herak completely defeated Apollon's gang that moved for that purpose.
Moreover, when he came out of the main building, he had no injuries except for some torn clothes, so the students started whispering.
─Is Apollon crazy? What kind of underhanded trick is this before a duel.
─And he sent his gang to do it insidiously? For the son of a marquis family, his honor has fallen to the ground.
─But I heard he lost? Herak is really amazing. How did he win without injuries?
─Anyway, it serves him right. This duel, I was already rooting for Herak, but now I hope Apollon loses even more.
The students' gossip started from the Magic Department and reached the Knight Department.
Even the Knight Department students who were already disappointed with Apollon's unpopular actions joined in criticizing him.
─It's embarrassing, so embarrassing. He sent his lackeys and they were defeated?
─It's really a disgrace to the Knight Department. Wow, shit, I don't have the confidence to go watch the duel. It's too shameful.
─Can't Apollon just lose? It seems more problematic if a bastard like that wins...
And Apollon couldn't not know about this.
Bang!
Apollon's fist striking the armrest trembles.
His ears have conveyed numerous gossips throughout the day.
Moreover, that wasn't the end, as in his other hand was a newspaper.
────────────────
[The Ugly True Face of the 2nd Year Knight Department Top Student?!]
[Apollon Sends Classmates to Interfere with His Opponent Herak!]
[This reporter obtained shockingly surprising information last night. The protagonist of the upcoming duel, Apollon, plotted a conspiracy...
...The students involved in the incident were given a one-month suspension, and there's a behind-the-scenes story that the treatment of Apollon was covered up due to the influence of guidance instructor Robert...]
────────────────
The person who wrote the article was some damned girl named Ruby or something.
In fact, it wasn't important to Apollon at all.
"Useless things."
I told them to injure him even if they died, yet they even failed at that?
How utterly useless they were to be beaten so badly that rumors spread everywhere.
"Damn it..."
But there's also a gain for Apollon.
Although they're currently suspended and patients in the infirmary, they must have found out some information.
Then he just needs to go and ask.
What Herak's secret is.
"I will definitely crush him."
Apollon declared so, grinding his teeth.
In a corner of the crumpled newspaper, Apollon's photo was uglily wrinkled.