I Became the Academy's Disabled Student-Chapter 265: The Revenge of a Gentleman (3)

Swoosh...

The sharp ringing of metal echoed, striking the bones. The sword, naturally drawn, gleamed as the light hit its blade. Ha-Yul extended the sword in a way that it didn’t touch the ground.

His posture appeared almost unguarded. His head and upper body were completely exposed. If one were to attack there, they would be able to strike first, perhaps by half a breath.

‘I don’t think so.’

He quickly dismissed such a simple assumption. On the opposite side, Yusei grasped his sword, feeling the weight of the blade and settling his gaze.

At first glance, Ha-Yul’s stance seemed filled with weaknesses. But his accumulated experience and his sharp instincts sharply denied that idea.

In fact, there was no need to rely solely on reasoning.

Just sensing the killing intent that seemed to carve through his entire body was enough to make those thoughts vanish.

‘It’s vicious.’

Around him, the air seemed filled with an invisible killing blow, as though everything within reach would be cleaved away. The very thought of stepping into that space sent a cold shiver through Yusei’s body.

Ha-Yul, holding his sword, now seemed like a completely different person.

It wasn’t just the change in atmosphere, but the harmless image had transformed into something akin to a monster that had roamed the battlefield for decades.

It was such a huge reversal. Could a person really be perceived so differently just by their aura? Yusei marveled inwardly, bracing himself.

[Second semester midterm evaluation, combat major, first match starting. Countdown. 10...]

[9... 8... 7...]

The voice rang out from above. Yusei focused, adjusting his grip on his sword as he observed the countdown.

‘Logically, the pressure alone can’t be that dangerous.’

Pressure is something that stems from the weight of one’s true nature. You can’t feel this kind of intent if it’s just a hollow display.

The last time Yusei had witnessed Ha-Yul’s skill was during the first semester tournament.

He had been shocked by his immense growth back then, but considering the incredible rumors that had followed since, he could only imagine how much Ha-Yul had grown since then.

‘I’ll respond with everything I have.’

Just based on the aura alone, Yusei could tell that Ha-Yul was not someone he could deal with lightly. He would need to engage with full strength to even find an opening.

[3... 2... 1...]

Yusei summoned mana throughout his body, activating his physical conditioning with the body enhancement technique. He steeled himself, prepared to respond instantly to any incoming attacks.

And then...

[Match begins]

Without any warning, a sword strike appeared right in front of his face.

“...!”

The cold pressure struck his eyes. His teeth clenched, and the breath was knocked out of him. Instinctively, Yusei raised his sword to block.

Bang!

A dull thud echoed, vibrating through his hands and rattling his head. His hand throbbed with pain. The force of the strike pushed his body back, and Yusei gritted his teeth, planting his legs firmly on the ground.

The distance between them had widened with that one blow. There was no follow-up attack. Ha-Yul, who had appeared like a ghost right in front of him, lowered his sword with a calm expression.

“Huff...!”

Only then did Yusei exhale the breath he had been holding. The tension in his nerves left him slightly dizzy.

‘That could’ve ended in one strike.’

If his response had been just a moment slower, the sword would have pierced his eye and torn through his brain.

‘...Did I react in time?’

He wasn’t entirely sure.

Yusei, pushing those doubts aside, sharpened his focus even further. Mana poured from his fingertips, coating the blade with an aura of power.

A calm silver aura wrapped around his blade like the smooth surface of a lake. With the same energy, Yusei wrapped his body in a thin layer of the aura before taking a step forward.

The steady flow of his movements stretched long. With a single step, the distance closed. He swung his sword, and the moonlight gleamed, leaving a long, cutting slash.

Creak!

As expected, his attack was blocked.

The aura of Ha-Yul’s sword, just like Yusei’s, pulsed with power. But it was white and pure, with an unmistakable difference in intensity.

Yusei had expected it to be blocked. Without hesitation, he immediately struck again.

Clang! Bang!

A loud noise erupted between them. Their swords clashed in the middle of their respective territories. Ha-Yul’s sword pushed into Yusei’s space, forcing his own blade aside.

Yusei’s sword focused on fluidity.

Rather than the raw power of a single strike or the speed that could take off a head in one blow, his sword technique was about taking control of the flow, deflecting the opponent’s attack, and guiding the battle’s rhythm.

He deflected the force of the powerful blow, allowing the high-speed attacks to flow around him. And with that, he seized the momentum, trapping his opponent and blocking their escape, ultimately striking the final blow.

With each swing of his sword, mana lingered, leaving behind a trail of silver light.

Bang!

A powerful explosion rang out. The flow was broken, and the arm holding the sword shook violently.

Even a massive storm starts with a small breeze. But his opponent didn’t give Yusei any mercy to catch hold of the flow.

Somehow, Ha-Yul had already cut off the beginning of the flow before it even began.

‘How?’

His eyes were closed. Occasionally, his eyes might open, but right now, they were shut. Because of that, he couldn’t sense his opponent’s intentions through the positioning of his pupils.

Normally, he lived by his sensory abilities. In a combat situation like this, could he detect everything that was happening so quickly with precision?

Amid the swirling chaos, questions began to bubble up.

Now he fully understood why students who had fought Ha-Yul before couldn’t hide their confusion.

With his eyes closed, Ha-Yul was perceiving far more than those with their eyes wide open.

And then, amidst the disrupted flow, Ha-Yul’s sword slipped through.

It was Ha-Yul’s sword. A decisive cut severed the flow, and the sword darted in to tear through it.

Clang!

Yusei’s territory was seized. Ha-Yul’s sword stabbed forward into that space.

It was difficult to recover the disrupted flow. Yusei took a step back.

‘This time, he won’t let me go.’

Yusei had planned to retreat and regain control, but unlike before, Ha-Yul pressed forward with no hesitation.

Should he attempt to counter with his sword again? Yusei briefly hesitated but quickly dismissed the idea.

He had confirmed just moments ago. When it came to swordsmanship, Yusei’s skill was a few steps behind Ha-Yul’s. Continuing to clash swords would not be a wise choice.

‘What about an aura battle?’

Clang!The swords clashed again.

Yusei dug his feet into the ground and pressed his weight into the blade, pushing it away.

The harsh ringing of metal echoed as sparks and energy swirled in the air.

Yet his opponent showed no signs of being pushed back. Ha-Yul remained completely unshaken, even with his eyes closed, holding his ground like an ancient tree.

The aura disrupted during the clash, and shards of it fluttered through the air.

The aura flitting out of his range was imbued with the somewhat murky energy of Yusei’s own aura.

‘This isn’t breaking through either.’

Yusei already knew that Ha-Yul’s mana was extraordinary. The aura he created far exceeded the normal power.

It was a rare experience for Yusei, who had been born with special mana, to be so utterly overpowered like this.

Clang!

With a violent shake of his arm, Yusei pushed himself back, creating distance between them. Ha-Yul immediately closed that distance.

Before that, Yusei gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and poured mana into it.

The aura wrapped around the sword grew and swelled, with dozens of long, branch-like tendrils of energy sprouting from its surface.

“Ugh!”

Stepping firmly into the ground, Yusei swung his sword with a powerful arc, and dozens of energy tendrils shot from the blade.

A technique that somewhat falls under the category of his extending capabilities. The energy that filled the air was honed sharply, resembling sickles under the moonlight.

‘No, given the imagery, it must be a crescent moon.’

Considering Yusei’s unique ability and its association with the moon, he wasn’t just imagining it but was consciously creating this crescent moon effect.

As dozens of crescent-shaped energy blades soared through the air, Ha-Yul didn’t hesitate to extend his right arm.

His hand was gripping the sword, but instead of swinging it, he twisted his hand sharply.

The speed wasn’t fast, but the crescent-shaped energy blades drew near.

Clang...!

Instead of cleaving through them, the circuit twisted. Pain shot through his nerves, an excruciating sensation as multiple circuits twisted at once.

He ignored it. If his hand tore apart or his circuits reversed and he became useless, he might end up crippled, but he had practiced this plenty.

Moreover, this was the Combat Hall, located underground in the training facility.

A place equipped with the best modern technology and magic, capable of withstanding even the toughest superhuman battles.

Also, since part of it was approved as the Tower of Growth, it could handle even potentially lethal injuries, making it a safe space for training.

Where else could he have practiced like this?

...Ha-Yul briefly remembered Ariel’s warning, but since the injuries would be healed here without aftereffects, he felt it would be fine.

Making excuses to himself, Ha-Yul twisted his circuits again.

Click!

The circuits in his arm reshaped artificially, and mana flowed through them without stopping.

Normally, this mana would just flow, but...

‘Mana Strike.’

The altered circuits were briefly structured to resemble a spell, so whenever mana flowed through them, magic manifested.

Whirr!

The twisted arm released a barrage of strikes, the overwhelming speed and volume of the magic unfathomable to the eye.

He tried to adjust it as much as possible.

Changing the magic’s course from inside his arm to the outside, he redirected the strikes toward the front.

The strikes, like a torrential rain, swallowed the dozens of crescent moons.

The crescent moons, which had resisted at first, were soon buried under the overwhelming barrage of strikes.

But the strikes did not continue advancing. They scattered and dissipated in the air.

Swoosh...

“Haah...”

Yusei, who had witnessed the scene up close, shrugged his shoulders.

The sensation of being struck in the neck. As he glanced downward, he saw Ha-Yul standing right next to him, the sword’s blade pressed against his neck.

“What was that just now? Was that magic?”

Yusei, looking at the ceiling and floor that had been torn up by the strikes, asked.

[Yes.] [It was a bit of a shortcut, but it was magic.]

“Mana Strike... I knew it was supposed to be a low-level technique, but it’s unsettling to see a low-level magic interrupted by an expansion ability.”

[Hmm... Maybe it’s not my fault?]

“I see.”

Yusei, letting out a small laugh, put down his sword and raised both hands over his head.

“I lost.”

[Match over.] [Winner, Ippunban Ha-Yul.]

The announcement echoed from above. Ha-Yul nodded and stepped back.

Immediately, the aggressive aura dissipated, and the harmless appearance returned, just like before.

That harmless expression seemed impossible to reconcile with the person who had just ruthlessly torn apart his flow.

Yusei shook his head in disbelief at the change he had just witnessed.

[Good job.]

“Thanks. If I hadn’t countered, the first strike would’ve ended the match without a chance to even react.”

[Hmm... Did you notice?]

“At first, I wasn’t sure, but after the swords clashed, I was certain. Given how far outclassed I was, there was no way I could have avoided a strike if I hadn’t reacted in time.”

Shaking his head, Yusei extended his hand.

“I’ve wanted to build a friendship for a while, but I haven’t had the chance. Perhaps we could talk about techniques, especially since your swordsmanship seems very similar to ours.”

[I'm honored.]

Ha-Yul, smiling brightly, extended his hand in return. He also reflected on Yusei’s words.

‘There’s a lot of similarity in swordsmanship... Oh, since I’ve copied a lot from the second playthrough, that makes sense.’

He tilted his head slightly but quickly found the answer.

In the second playthrough, he had trained at a dojo in the Japanese region and refined his unique ability.

If the second playthrough had followed the same path, it made sense that the techniques he had copied would be similar to Yusei’s.

‘Maybe I should visit Japan and try some dojo challenges?’

He had imitated a lot from the second playthrough, but he was still a step behind the original techniques.

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

The last time he sparred with the second playthrough, he hadn’t landed many effective hits.

Though things might be different now...

Anyway, once he had the time, he might visit Japan under a different identity and try some dojo challenges.

“Why is there a wound on your hand?”

[Ah, it’s from a slight mistake while adjusting the magic.]

“Hmm? It’s not mana overflow, but how can you get a wound like that? It’s deep enough to leave a mark...?”

[...It’s a little unusual on my end.]

“That sounds like a dangerous technique that could’ve torn your hand off.”

[If used properly, it won’t.]

Ha-Yul, shaking the blood off his hand, avoided Yusei’s gaze.

“Not again, huh?”

His second opponent was Aiden. Entering from the opposite door, he had an expression full of grievance as he drew his sword.

[3... 2... 1...] [Match begins]

“This fucking bullshit... Who rigged the match?”

[Please don’t swear.]

Bang!

The clash of swords struck Aiden’s head.