I Entered an Academy in a Ruined Game

Chapter 243 : Caligo (8)

Swaaaak!

Ha Jin-su's swung sword ripped through the air as it flew in.

Kaang!

Though I deflected the attack by twisting my wrist, my hand felt like it would tear apart from the vibration.

'I can't use these gloves anymore.'

I could feel the leather becoming tattered from enduring the black flame and receiving Ha Jin-su's sword strikes.

'They're in the way.'

With bare hands, I might have been able to use the sword more delicately.

But now I didn't even have time to take off the gloves.

Moreover, his movements and sword strikes were so fast that it was impossible to capture and cut through the grain visible on his rusty sword.

'It's a technique difficult to use against someone who isn't inferior to you in the first place.'

Kagagak!

Our swords, which were entangling as we tried to ride up each other's blades, stopped in front of our chests.

"Kukuku, if I twist my wrist now, your wrist is finished, isn't it?"

"If you think so, just twist it. I don't know why you talk so much."

"You bastard!"

Just as Ha Jin-su tried to twist his wrist to take my sword.

'Chukji.'

Shashak!

I simply nullified his move by retreating ten meters backward.

'I need to take off these gloves.'

I removed the right-hand glove that had served its purpose well today and threw it away.

"Bastard, you're excellent at running away!"

'He's strangely strong.'

This too must be a snowball effect I created.

But for Ha Jin-su to be this strong at this time was also unprecedented.

'If I hadn't killed Ha Jin-young in advance, it would have been more troublesome.'

He was destined to have his power taken by his younger brother someday.

But escaping that fate, he was instead further fueling his own obsession and madness.

'It seems he has no intention of living long anyway.'

Even for a Ma-in, life force is ultimately finite.

Ha Jin-su was like a flame that would burn quickly and intensely before going out.

But if I left him like this, it was impossible to know how many lives he would devour in the meantime.

Tadadak!

I flew through the air stepping on Mana Shields and charged at Ha Jin-su.

Swaaaak!

The Flying Strike I learned from the Sword God long ago came flying with black ma energy, but not one touched even a hair on me.

Chaeeang!

Ha Jin-su easily blocked with one arm the attack I delivered from mid-air, riding the momentum of my charge.

"Not enough! This is too light!"

Shook!

Ha Jin-su's counterattack flew sharply toward the space between my eyebrows.

'Damn it.'

Ha Jin-su had suffered a large wound with his chest cut by Lee Cheong-myeong's sword, and one of his arms had been severed.

Despite this, I ultimately had no choice but to take a defensive stance and aim for counterattacks.

If Noh Hajun was difficult to deal with because of his cheat-like ability.

Ha Jin-su was difficult to deal with because of his physical abilities and sword mastery that surpassed mine even with Liberation.

Moreover.

'He's being cautious.'

Looking at Ha Jin-su's attitude during our exchanges, it was clear.

He was wary of that attack that had taken down the 'Spear Devil' Lim Se-jin in one blow.

'If I show signs of launching a big attack, he'll immediately dodge or stab at an opening.'

It was like the attitude of a boxer wary of a telephone punch with enough destructive power to knock someone down in one hit.

'At this rate, it will be difficult to launch a big attack using Chukji.'

The Spear Devil didn't know about this technique.

That's why he fell to it.

But Ha Jin-su already knew about the technique, and for someone as familiar with swords and fighting as him, he would never allow that opening.

'Rather, I should be suspicious of the moment he shows that opening.'

There's a high possibility it could be a trap to deliver a counter.

However.

'He's overconfident.'

The composure that appeared on Ha Jin-su's face was welcome to me.

'He thinks there's no problem if he just blocks that technique.'

But is that really the case?

It's the mark of an inferior to not use a technique just because the opponent knows about it.

"Hup!"

I deliberately made him react by pretending to launch an attack with a big motion.

'Chukji.'

I stepped on Chukji and appeared behind Ha Jin-su, swinging my sword with enough force to cut his waist in half.

Chaeeang!

"Kuk!"

Though Ha Jin-su blocked the sword with a sharp reaction, not too late.

'!?'

Ha Jin-su's eyebrows twitched at the sight of me holding the sword with my left hand, almost simultaneously as my right hand delivered a powerful straight.

Baak!

Caught off guard, Ha Jin-su took the blow on his forehead.

Bwoong!

I retreated without hesitation, avoiding the subsequent counterattack.

'If I had been greedy one more time, it would have been over.'

But this was my strategy—to fight safely by gaining minimal advantages, hitting and retreating without engaging in a chaotic melee.

"This bastard, always with the tricks."

Ha Jin-su, whose forehead was split by my fist wrapped in a hardening shield, smiled fiercely.

"So that's how you want to play it?"

With this move, Ha Jin-su would have understood my strategy.

'Give a feint as if using a big technique, then strike at the opening.'

But this kind of binary choice was not easy to counter even if you knew about it.

'I know what you're wary of, so I'm just using that to my advantage.'

This was like the barley rice game.

You know that rice can be thrown at any time, but if you leave alone an opponent who keeps putting out barley and taunting you, wouldn't you get hit by the rice?

Even if you know it's a fake, the point is that you can't help but respond.

'You've actually shown me your weakness.'

Kagakang!

While crossing swords, I move my shoulder as if about to throw a punch with my left hand.

"Damn it!"

In the instant he flinched, I stepped on Ha Jin-su's foot and delivered a headbutt with my forehead wrapped in a hardening shield.

Baak!

The head, a much larger and harder mace than a fist, struck Ha Jin-su's forehead once more.

'Chukji.'

Su-hyeon immediately retreated backward, greatly raising Ha Jin-su's irritation.

"Kaaaak!"

"It works well."

This is what it means to fall for something even when you know about it.

'It's similar to planting a deep psychological seed, making them sit, and then destroying them in the middle.'

This is an age-old tactic, I'm saying.

Baak!

Moreover, compared to Ha Jin-su who had lost one arm, I had several clear attack options—the sword, my left hand, and both legs.

The difficulty of handling multiple hands with one hand also became a factor that could temporarily bridge the skill gap between me and Ha Jin-su.

But only that far.

"Ha, you bastard."

Kaang!

Ha Jin-su's attacks began to change as he adapted to my attacks.

'This is!'

Simple yet dazzling thrusts poured out, leaving no openings.

Even using Tachypsychia Mode, I felt a momentum that was difficult to receive all of, and had to use Chukji again to create distance.

"Good. Thanks to you, my blood has cooled down."

He appeared to have calmed down, with his excitement subsided.

'He realized he shouldn't act according to his temperament.'

No matter how injured he was, he wasn't the type to remain careless for long against an opponent who could exchange blows with him like this.

'He must know that my eyes are good.'

If so, he would likely launch preemptive attacks to prevent me from taking the offensive while also aiming for angles that are difficult to deal with.

But the spiritual sense I currently possessed wasn't to be taken lightly either.

Above all, if I couldn't comprehend the quality of the attack, I could simply step on Chukji and retreat.

'Has Lee Cheong-myeong already been transported to a safe rear area?'

Lee Yu-jin, who was supporting her blood-covered uncle, had retreated and was protecting him from Ma-in attacks.

'For now, I'll endure.'

Kkuuk.

I could feel my hand gripping the Moonless Sword trembling.

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

Chachachang!

As Su-hyeon had predicted, Ha Jin-su, who couldn't break through the solid defense, spat.

'Ah, this bastard is so annoying.'

Clearly, Su-hyeon was weaker than Lee Cheong-myeong.

Let alone having more experience than Lee Cheong-myeong.

But.

He accurately understood his own strength and their respective situations, using tactics accordingly, making him this difficult to deal with.

'Fuck, things have gotten complicated.'

Not only had he failed to kill Lee Cheong-myeong and Lee Yu-jin.

It didn't seem like there would be enough time to shake off Su-hyeon in front of him and go find Lee Cheong-myeong, who had been transported to the rear, to kill him.

'This is not good.'

Ma-in who had started to rampage with Hwang Won-jae's ability were momentarily pushing back the Execution Force members, but it was only a temporary struggle.

'Is he thinking of just extracting ourselves and escaping?'

"Hmm."

Hwang Won-jae, who was watching the battle situation while commanding the Ma-in with his mind control ability, made a decision.

'There's no sign of turning the tide. All that's left is to retreat while minimizing losses.'

Anger and bewilderment that his plans had been perfectly countered.

The emptiness of knowing that even future plans had been greatly distorted.

And the temptation to hope for a reversal here somehow, wanting to at least break even.

Even Hwang Won-jae needed some time to detach from all of that.

His reason, which had abandoned lingering attachments, regained its coolness.

[We're retreating. All executives, open an escape route.]

"!"

A gleam appeared in the executives' eyes.

'How regrettable.'

Asura Seong Ji-cheol, who couldn't settle the fight, looked at Gong I-an, who still exuded a powerful presence.

For the price of slightly cutting his earlobe, his lapel, and his hair, he had to allow no small number of lacerations and penetrating wounds.

'He's frighteningly strong. To accumulate such power as a human. I thought my only match would be the 'Dragon Spear' now.'

It was his first time actually fighting him, but he acutely realized why that man was the Captain of the 1st Unit, said to be the strongest.

Unfortunately, or fortunately.

It seemed to mean that neither of them was meant to die yet.

'If this is fate, it can't be helped. I'll have to settle the score next time.'

However.

Escaping Gong I-an's attacks and creating an escape route was not as easy as it sounded.

[Ha-jun is dead. Akui is already too excited to listen well. Plus, we're too surrounded.]

'Akui' was in the process of collapsing, unable to withstand the skillful attacks from the Execution Force members led by Jo Sujin and Kim Taesung.

But.

Hwang Won-jae simply responded to Vampire Queen Song Yeonhui's telepathy.

[We can't retreat while saving everyone.]

[.......]

[Don't worry. Losses can be replenished later. Right now, we must only think about escaping.]

[Yes. I know.]

Song Yeonhui, who sighed, turned her gaze to Su-hyeon.

'Yes, Su-hyeon. You can still become stronger.'

Look at how well he fights even against Rusty Sword Ha Jin-su, who defeated the Sword Warrior.

'It's a shame Ha-jun died, but.'

To be honest, that regret was outweighed by the gladness she felt at the fact that Su-hyeon had become strong enough to kill Noh Hajun.

'Yes, it's regrettable that I can't kill you today with my own hands, you who once shone so brilliantly.'

She had long since lost interest in Son Ji-gwang.

"Kuk!"

Son Ji-gwang bit down hard on his molars as the blood he had shed himself turned into sharp knives and stabbed his stomach.

Baak!

Son Ji-gwang sent fighting spirit like a wind fist, making Song Yeonhui raise her noble right hand.

"That hurts."

"That's a shame. If I had crushed the mouth saying those words, you wouldn't have been able to say such things."

"Your power isn't enough. If you brought over that 'Divine Spear' over there, it might be possible."

Song Yeonhui, who snorted, said.

"Ah, growing old and declining is so lonely."

Whiooooo!

A whirlwind made of blood wrapped around her body and flew into the air.

"This is!"

Son Ji-gwang, who understood Song Yeonhui's intention, shouted loudly.

"They're trying to escape!"

Son Ji-gwang, who had risen high into the sky so that everyone's gaze could reach him, shot the fighting spirit he had raised toward the Ma-in.

"Block their retreat! They must not escape!"

At that cry, everyone's gaze momentarily turned to the sky.

'Now!'

Taking advantage of that gap, the Sword of Belphegor forces, which had quickly disengaged from the fight, gathered around Hwang Won-jae.

"Captain Gong!"

"Understood!"

Kwang!

When the 1st Unit Captain Gong I-an struck the ground with his spear, a wave of pure mana swept across the area.

"Listen! The outcome has already been decided!"

His shout, carried by mana, reached the ears of those fighting in the hotel and beyond.

"All that remains is whether we can stop the Sword of Belphegor, who are trying to retreat by abandoning their allies!"

At his declaration, joy and sorrow crossed in both camps.

"Ma-in! You have already been abandoned! If you don't want to die like dogs, kneel and raise your hands above your heads!"

At Gong I-an's stern command, about 10% of the Ma-in immediately lost their will to fight.

"Everyone, from now on, make sure that not even an ant can escape from this place!"

"Yes, sir!"