'Where is Serena?'
I can't see her location. Has she vanished?
With no danger of being sniped, we all rushed toward Sarika without hesitation.
"Sarika!"
Sarika pressed her bloodied abdomen with her hand and managed a faint smile.
I should have noticed sooner…
"Are you okay?"
"Can I sleep for a bit? I'm so tired…"
"Don't say things like that in this situation!"
It's terrifying when someone who's bleeding from their side says something like that!
"It's alright. I'm tough. I'll sleep for a bit and then get up."
"How could that possibly be okay? Wake up! Don't sleep!"
Even Saiyans die if they have a hole in their bodies!
"Senior Sang-hyuk! I got bandages and medicine from Donero!"
"Give them to me."
I used the rebel warrior's unique skill, "First Aid," to stop Sarika's bleeding.
"Thank you."
"Can you move?"
"Yes. I feel much better."
Meanwhile, the situation on the side that Hilaria was attending to had changed.
Although Henna singlehandedly sent nearly half of the Imperial Army's main force plummeting over a cliff, she found herself progressively cornered at the bridge's edge while confronting the undead legion raised by another rising star—a promising talent—Kibele. Hilla valiantly held her ground, much like a sailboat weathering a tide of bone, but she too was nearing her limit.
"Now! Those who can still move, follow me. Ignore the women and enter the temple!"
Seizing the opportunity, Deherit led a group of about ten people and infiltrated the temple's interior! That scoundrel!
'Someone needs to chase after Deherit.'
Henna began to assist Hilaria, who was on the defensive, by raising the undead as if repurposing the scattered bones strewn across the floor.
"Since I'm a witch, I can create benevolent undead. I'll stay behind and help!"
Wasn't it Henna who claimed she was indispensable?
She's truly courageous and beautiful!
"You're truly the best, Henna. You know that, right?"
"…Eheh…."
Sarika, despite her injuries, unsheathed her sword as well.
"I shall remain here too. I believe it's better than attempting to run with this body."
"Alright. Isolde stays behind. I'll take care of Deherit."
Isolde's eyes widened in surprise, shaking her head.
"It's too dangerous to go alone, Sang-hyuk."
"I can't leave the injured Sarika and the mage Henna by themselves. I'm perfectly fine."
Sarika is originally a member of Isolde's squad.
Naturally, Isolde should stay with her.
I firmly grasped Sol's hand, who was worried.
"Don't make that face. Trust in me, and tell me I'll do well."
"…"
Isolde tightly gripped my hand in return.
"I believe you'll bring back the crown for the True Queen! Sang-hyuk!"
I let out a soft chuckle.
"I accept your command."
– Hahaha, Sol was on the verge of being a rebellious fanatic, but look how things turned around
– What's up with this True Queen and D Sang-hyuk?
– Could it be that the real protagonist of this world is actually D Sang-hyuk?
"But Sol doesn't have a weapon, right?"
"Ah, that… You guys will take care of it, right?"
– Are we being taken advantage of?
– We've seen you flirting with your boyfriend!
– You said
"Ah~ Of course, Solie has eyes only for you all~! Why don't you understand my feelings?"
It seems like it's collection time. I guess I could help out a little.
As he says 'you're the only ones,' he kisses Solie, who is teasing.
Jjook.
Solie catches the perfect angle for the broadcast. She doesn't flinch or avoid,
and she lets everyone see as she engages in chu-chu, jjook, jjook, love-love kisses with me, murmuring with relaxed eyes.
"Um… Um-chu… Pink Sol… has nobody but… you guys… Never… did I give my whole heart… to Senior Sang-hyuk…?"
– This lewd little vixen is our Sol!
– Aaaaaaa!! Don't give our Solie love-love kissesㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
– Dammitㅠㅠㅠㅠ
– Stolen Streamer
"Chup… slurp… Solie knows how you feel, right?"
Puffup!
Oh. The donation exploded.
"Ah~~ Thank you for donating 350 coins, 「I want to be Solie's panties for just one day」~ As expected! I knew you would understand Solie's love?"
Clap!
Sol whips out her weapon and gives a high five.
"Be right back. Senior Sang-hyuk!"
I wasted no time in following Deherit into the temple.
*
The indoor training ground of the academy bustled with activity as the exchange match took place. Corporate representatives, guild officials, academy personnel, and medical teams had all gathered at the Ethol Academy's indoor training ground, making it busier than ever.
"There's an injured person over there! It's urgent, so bring a stretcher quickly!"
Under Seridwen's supervision, the first and second-year students' "exchange exhibition" saw an all-time high in participation. A higher number of injuries occurred than usual, but the academy's response remained swift. Injuries were common during exchange matches, even if the scale of this event was unprecedented.
Being injured or killed was an everyday risk for "Hunters." At the very least, the opportunity to showcase their skills in dungeons without encountering anomalies provided a relatively soft, tofu-like level of difficulty for master hunters like Seridwen. Dungeons were, by their very nature, places where "unreasonable rules" were enforced.
A certain amount of deviation from the norm was to be expected.
However, for the first and second-year students, there were many who had yet to awaken their talents or had only recently begun to develop their abilities.
There had always been a tendency to observe while safeguarding, but today was different; it was an authentic duel without any such safety measures.
The closer the environment mimicked real-life situations, the more dramatic and intense the scenarios became. Scouts were monitoring the exchange battle to witness the rare emergence of a rising star. Within the training grounds, a three-dimensional hologram displayed the fierce battle between the Imperial Army and the Rebels in the "Giant's Plate" region.
Academy students who had escaped using the ringlight—an item designed for dungeon evasion—found themselves in the academy infirmary, while the students still engaged in combat amidst heightened tension were given a golden opportunity to increase their worth in the eyes of all, garnering attention from observers.
"Wow!"
"Who's that student?"
"The twin sisters seem to be struggling quite a bit."
"Wasn't Kannika Sanbika an 'A' rank? Their talent must have been quite valuable. It's astonishing."
For instance,
The D-class, whom no one had expected much from, displayed an unexpectedly impressive performance!
'… As I suspected. They've grown as if they've become a different person entirely.'
Seridwen observed with a contented smile.
My future spouse is doing exceptionally well♡
"Is Ethol Academy truly distinct from Class D?"
"There are instances where individuals suddenly awaken their talents and experience rapid growth, but such cases are quite rare."
Everyone is abuzz with excitement over the emergence of a prodigy who was never even considered a contender.
Even if they had not yet awakened their talents, there must have been innumerable opportunities to rise above Class D.
Why had such a skilled individual remained hidden? The question perplexed everyone.
At that moment,
the silver-haired student council president, boasting an overwhelming presence in the indoor training ground with her ample bosom, strode in confidently.
In an instant, all eyes were fixed upon her.
Evangeline, the student council vice president, swiftly followed by her side.
"Madam President, you've arrived?"
"Evangeline, what's the situation with the injured?"
"We have 15 injured, ah, just now it's become 16. Three are seriously hurt, while the rest have minor injuries. Here's the list."
"…Isn't this more challenging than the third year?"
"You know that Ms. Seridwen is a Spartan, after all."
Isabella skimmed through the list of the injured.
Evangeline grinned as she watched her.
"As for the handsome Kim Sang-hyuk, he's still going strong."
"What do you mean? I merely checked the injuries of the academy students."
"I thought you were looking to see if anyone familiar was there."
"Be quiet."
"Yes~."
'…Kim Sang-hyuk. I can't believe you're participating in the exchange battle.'
The realization that she cared about Kim Sang-hyuk came as a small surprise to Isabella.
Had it been that obvious to Evangeline?
'People really have changed…'
Gradually, she found herself paying attention to Kim Sang-hyuk's actions.
The fact that a male student, who was merely a D-class, had survived this long without running away and was persistently holding on…
Honestly, it was something the student council president found quite appealing.
"Isabella, have you arrived?"
"Yes, sir. I'm on my way back after dealing with the villains."
"Were they from the restricted zone?"
"Yes."
"It must have been tough."
An implicit conversation between those who were well-acquainted with the situation unfolded.
Isabella silently observed the screen and spoke.
"It's a senior's duty, after all."
"Now is a good time. Would you like to watch together?"
"Yes."
Temporarily forgetting the blood on her hands from the morning's events,
Isabelle gazed at Sang-hyuk. In that instant, the situation had shifted dramatically, with Deherit emerging from the sidelines and the fates of the rebellious faction's primary force—Kim Sang-hyuk—intertwining between triumph and despair as he was seized by the ankle in the center of the field.
"Ah!"
Exclamations erupted from all around.
"The female students are truly devoted, aren't they?"
"To think they would go to such lengths just to create an isolated opportunity!"
"There must be something special about that D-class guy."
The academy's bulletin board was ablaze with excitement as spectators watched the live stream of the exchange exhibition from both sides. While it could be conceivable that Kim Sang-hyuk displayed unexpected prowess,
The women surrounding him were accomplished students, ranging from C+ to B+ at the very least, even if they weren't considered top-tier prospects.
These exceptional students bravely faced the even more distinguished Kannika Sanvika sisters,
Despite ranking last in grade evaluations, academic standings, and the academy hierarchy each day,
they selflessly threw themselves into the fray and generously wielded magic to set up a one-on-one chance for D-class Kim Sang-hyuk.
In a world where people were strictly divided by a grading system, the sight of someone looking down on those of lower rank was, in fact, quite rare.
'The female students I work with must know,' Isabella thought. 'The potential of Onahole Man, Kim Sang-hyuk.'
Could it be the result of a discussion where they concluded, 'Supporting Kim Sang-hyuk is the most reasonable course of action'? If the freshmen and sophomores engaged in such discourse and acted upon it, that would be truly remarkable. In Isabella's view, they were merely moving according to their instincts.
There was a certain logic to it, like how one would focus all their energy on caring for a comrade who seemed possessed by a divine force on the battlefield.
The one-on-one showdown between Kannika and Kim Sang-hyuk was intense! Kim Sang-hyuk even resorted to using a pistol, spraying bullets in every direction. However, he couldn't stop Nika's breakthrough ability, her talent of "Elasticity," which allowed her to stretch and extend her limbs.
What was truly astonishing was what happened next…
"Uh, what's that?"
"That is…"
Some perceptive S-Class scouts immediately noticed. Kim Sang-hyuk's movements, as he counteracted Kannika's attack, reminded them of someone else.
Isabella's eyes widened in surprise.
'The martial art of the White Devil…'
It was an original fighting technique, the "Mask of Evil," devised to become a fearsome malevolence that would make even villains tremble in fear. Isabelle experienced an emotion beyond words.
'Did he pay such close attention to my stance, my movements?'
Unconsciously, she clenched her fists and rooted for Kim Sang-hyuk.
"Personality Expulsion Uterine Punch!!"
It took less than three seconds for that profound emotion to shatter.
'…'
The circumstances of the battle were being monitored. His astonishing cry, for various reasons, amplified the murmurs among the academy officials. Wilhelm, the chairman, also muttered with a troubled expression.
"He doesn't even try to hide it…"
Indeed, he didn't.
*
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