Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner-Chapter 321: Episode

Simon stood before the training course. He steadied his breath, emptying his mind and focusing on pure combat logic.

’Alright.’

He opened his eyes. Before starting, he took one last, careful look at the course.

A path ran between two rails. Along these rails, wooden dummies moved up and down, their torsos rotating to swing attached wooden arms at the challenger. To pass, one had to strike the arms, causing their joints to bend. A direct hit looked like it would be painful.

"Simon! You can do it!"

"W-Well, do your best or whatever!"

Kamibarez and Meirin had come over to cheer him on.

"Alright, on your marks—"

At her command, Simon slowly bent his knees.

"Go!"

He exploded off the ground. The murmuring of the students became a dull buzz in his ears.

First, a dummy approached from the right. Its torso began to spin, turning its wooden arms into a flurry of attacks.

Simon flicked out the edge of his hand, tapping an approaching arm.

The joint folded on impact, the arm snapping back against the torso with a crisp, satisfying click.

’That’s the feeling. I need to get used to it.’

Arms came from below as well. He raised his knee, striking one lightly, and again it folded with a click. He had passed the first dummy.

Just as he thought it might be manageable, the difficulty ramped up. This time, two dummies approached at once, one from each side.

’Don’t rush. Take it slow.’

His arms became a blur. He threw a straight punch to deflect one arm, then immediately angled his elbow to strike another below it. Walking backward, he raised his left hand to block a third.

He didn’t get caught up in the pattern. He wasn’t mesmerized by the rotation. He simply moved his limbs with stark efficiency, reacting to what he saw, to what came at him.

As Simon’s arms moved with blinding speed, striking down every wooden arm, gasps of admiration rippled through the crowd.

"He’s good!"

"...Damn, he looks cool."

The dummies kept coming, but Simon, having found his rhythm, was unstoppable. He bent backward to dodge an arm aimed at his head, then leaped lightly, spreading his legs to kick two arms at the same time.

"Simon! Watch out!"

A low rumble started as a large ball of bundled straw suddenly came rolling toward him. It was enchanted, giving it a heavy, menacing weight. But he had already timed its approach.

Simon threw the fist he had cocked back.

’Hongfeng Original - Chwita’

His Jet-Black-wreathed fist collided with the straw ball. A massive hole tore through it, breaking the enchantment. As straw remnants fluttered through the air, Simon strode through the parting cloud, the image he cut as dramatic as a scene from a masterpiece.

’Next!’

The dummies on the rails picked up speed, now sporting even more arms. Simon calmly parried the onslaught as he advanced.

He was moving so hard his mouth tasted of copper. Suddenly, a tremor ran up from the ground through his feet.

’Front!’

Three skeletons were charging him, pushing large shields. In the distance, he could see an assistant controlling them.

’The student before me was eliminated here.’

An unavoidable charge while he was already struggling to fend off the dummies. It was a setup designed to induce panic, but Simon remained calm, gathering Jet-Black in his left hand.

There was no rule that said he had to only move forward. He had plenty of space, so he began to retreat, parrying the wooden arms as he went. The skeletons advanced at the same pace.

Having calmly lured them into his range, Simon drove his fist into the central shield.

’Hongfeng Original - Cheonhyung’

When his fist met the shield, it wasn’t the shield that crumpled, but the skeleton holding it. The other two skeletons continued their charge, but Simon simply used the now-ownerless shield as a stepping stone to vault forward.

"He’s almost there!"

"Just a little more!"

But the course only grew more vicious. In addition to the rotating dummies, a series of low-strung ropes now blocked his path. He had to duck under the ropes while simultaneously fending off the dummies’ arms.

His own arms became a blur.

"Whoa!"

"How is he moving that fast?"

Simon’s eyes gleamed with focus. The final obstacle was a line of five straw scarecrows of varying heights, the smallest in front and the largest in back, like a slide. Every part of them except the neck was clad in metal armor.

’In that case...!’

Ducking so low he was almost kneeling, Simon slid under the last rope. Jet-Black coiled around his right hand, its tip honed into a razor-sharp dagger.

"Hup!"

Having calculated the angle and distance, he shot forward like a coiled spring, swinging his right hand in a diagonal arc.

’Hongfeng Original - Chakgeom’

The black blade shot upward at an angle, cleanly severing the necks of all five scarecrows.

The heads rolled across the ground with a series of thuds. With a final clank, the course ground to a halt. Simon wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve.

Professor Hongfeng’s voice rang out, filled with satisfaction.

"Ztudent Zimon Polentia! That waz perfect. You pazz with a perfect zcore!"

The students erupted in cheers. Kamibarez and Meirin clapped enthusiastically, while Dick let out a celebratory whistle.

In contrast, Hector, who had watched from a distance with his arms crossed, clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Well, it wouldn’t be any fun if he couldn’t even manage that."

"Student Hector," an assistant said with a smile. "You know you missed one of the necks at the end, so you didn’t get a perfect score, right?"

Fire blazed in Hector’s eyes.

"I’ll attempt it again."

Meanwhile, Simon returned to the sidelines, sipping a drink an assistant had provided and toweling the sweat from his neck. As he did, Hongfeng approached him.

"Congratulationz, Zimon."

"Thank you! It’s all thanks to your guidance, Professor."

She smiled, wiggling her fingers.

"Can I zee you for a moment?"

---

Hongfeng led Simon to a quiet house a short distance from the training grounds. It had an exotic atmosphere, with a spacious yard and a small waterfall flowing beside it.

"Is this your house too, Professor?"

She shook her head.

"Thiz iz where a former Head Profesor of Kizen used to live. They were the Head Profesor of Sword Magic, I hear."

Simon’s eyes widened.

"This is the first I’ve heard of it! There used to be a subject called Sword Magic?"

"Of courze!"

In Kizen’s early days, she explained, they taught Sword Magic instead of Martial Arts. Over time, however, Martial Arts became more developed, and more importantly, necromancers simply didn’t favor swords. They were the type to eschew even staves as inconvenient; putting a sword in their hand would only hinder their use of other black magic.

"But it hazn’t dizappeared completely. All martial artz are ultimately one. It waz just integrated into the Martial Artz curriculum." Her eyes shone. "In the zecond year, you can choose to learn weaponz in Martial Artz, zo you can look forward to that."

"Yes, I will!"

"Now, that’z enough chit-chat. Zince you zhowed such amazing progrezz thiz week—" She placed a finger on her lips and said in perfect, unaccented speech, "I’ll have to give you a reward, won’t I?"

She raised one hand, turning the back of it toward Simon in a unique combat stance.

"I’ll give you the opportunity to spar with me."

"Wh-What?"

Simon was completely dumbfounded. This felt more like a punishment than a reward.

"...You and I are going to spar, Professor?"

"Yes! Won’t it be fun?"

Though bewildered, he calmed himself and realized that an opportunity like this was rare. He immediately adopted a fighting stance.

"Then I’m in your care."

"The conditions are the same as the evaluation. We fight using only martial arts. Think of this as the real test and come at me."

A real test. It seemed she was trying to give him a hint. Realizing her intent, Simon gratefully drew Jet-Black to his right foot.

"Then, without holding back, I’m coming in!"

He kicked off the ground, charging forward at a terrifying speed. His Jet-Black-wreathed fist instantly formed a ’Chwita’.

Hongfeng dodged with a simple, light lean to the side.

Slamming on the brakes, Simon spun and lashed out with a roundhouse kick.

She effortlessly raised an arm to block it. The wind from the blow stirred her hair. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Retracting his leg, Simon rushed in like a predator and unleashed a flurry of blows.

With just the effortless movement of one hand, she easily parried his attacks. Simon had the illusion that he had become one of the wooden dummies he had just faced. Simon stopped his punches and threw a spinning back kick, but she dodged even that by simply moving her head.

’Just as I thought.’

She wasn’t overpowering him with sheer physical ability. The power she used, the speed she generated—she was matching his level perfectly. The only difference between them now was experience and skill.

’In that case!’

Simon took a long step forward, lunging into her guard as if seeking an embrace. When she raised her arms defensively, Simon smirked and threw his right fist. Wrapped around it was ’Cheonhyung’, an attack designed to pierce any defense.

’Putting up a guard was a mistake, Professor!’

The moment Simon’s fist, wreathed in ’Cheonhyung’, shot forward, there was a soft ’whoosh’.

Her arms, still in their defensive stance, parted just enough to create an opening.

It happened in an instant, too fast to react. Simon’s fist was drawn into the gap as if by a vacuum, and she immediately clamped her arms back together, catching his wrist. Having lost its target, the ’Cheonhyung’ dissipated uselessly into the air.

"Ugh!"

The pressure was immense. His right arm throbbed with a paralyzing, tingling pain that made his mouth fall open.

’My wrist is about to snap!’

Hongfeng knew exactly what technique Simon would use, which was the only reason she could counter it. He hammered her guard with his left fist, but she wouldn’t yield; he couldn’t generate enough power. Realizing his punches were useless, Simon lifted his right leg to kick her.

She released her grip, then reversed the motion, closing the distance in an instant to seize his shoulders. With one leg still in the air, Simon’s balance shattered, and he toppled backward, hitting the ground hard.

"Hmm..."

She leaned over him, her face close as she met his gaze. He could feel the warmth of her breath, and a strand of her hair brushed against his cheek.

"Did you just die, Zimon?" she asked, a sweet smile playing on her lips as she pulled back.

Simon gritted his teeth, pushed off the floor, and launched a kick as he sprang to his feet.

’Thwack!’

She blocked it with a single arm.

"Such fire! I like that very much!"

’Jet-Black Internal Ignition!’

Simon immediately retracted his foot and spun. ’The professor matched her physical specs to mine! In that case...!’

Fueled by the overwhelming, temporary boost to his abilities, he unleashed a furious barrage of roundhouse kicks, driving her backward until he finally pinned her against a tree.

"Hmm..."

With her back pressed against the trunk, she glanced behind her.

’She knows every single one of my techniques.’ That meant he had to use a feint. ’Make her think it’s another roundhouse!’

He let the jet-black energy flicker around his leg and spun his body once more. ’The real attack is this!’

His right arm, which had served as his pivot, shot forward while the leg he’d used for the feint dropped.

’Hongfeng Original - Chakgeom’

A blade of pure black energy sliced the tree in two. But Hongfeng, as if predicting even that, had already leaped into the air to evade. The attack had left him wide open, with no way to defend himself as her legs slammed into his chest.

Simon was blasted backward, his feet carving a long trench in the dirt. ’Ugh, the ignition is still active! Stay calm!’

Hongfeng landed and charged again. Just as Simon settled into a fighting stance, her advancing arm moved in a way that defied anatomy.

It curved in an arc impossible for a human limb, lashing out like a whip.

’Hongfeng Original - Whip-Staff’

The impact exploded against his face. As she retracted her fist, Simon’s body swayed, pitching forward.

His center of balance was gone. He saw her other fist cocked at her waist. The moment he brought his arms together to guard... her fist vanished into thin air.

’Hongfeng Original - Lifting Swing’

Pain erupted simultaneously in his head and leg. ’How can she strike such distant points at the same time?’

Staggering, Simon gritted his teeth and threw a desperate punch.

’Hongfeng Original - Snake Strike’

Somehow, she was already on top of him. Her legs coiled around his neck and face like a serpent, dragging him down.

A sharp, grinding pain shot through his neck. Cold sweat beaded on his brow. If this had been a real fight, his neck would have snapped. He would be dead.

She disengaged. The moment Simon turned...

A fist the size of a mountain blotted out the sky. Simon’s thoughts and senses locked up, freezing him in place. It stopped just inches from his face, but the sheer force of its momentum kicked up a storm of dust and sent the surrounding trees groaning and swaying.

"I lo..." Simon’s lips trembled. "I lost."

He had died three times over. Face pale, he gasped for breath.

"You did well," she said, lowering her fist.

Simon was still panting, his entire body slick with a sweat so heavy it felt like he’d been caught in a downpour.

"Now, what did you learn from our spar?"

Though his head was still spinning, Simon chose his words carefully. It would be easy to offer empty flattery like, ’You’re incredible,’ or, ’The gap between us is as wide as the heavens.’ But he knew Hongfeng wasn’t looking for that. She wasn’t the type to show off her strength, and she certainly didn’t need praise after defeating a student. From start to finish, she had fought him on equal footing. There was only one thing to be gained from such a one-sided defeat.

"Newness," the word escaped his lips. "I have nothing new."

A crescent moon of a smile graced her lips.