I Entered an Academy in a Ruined Game

Chapter 253 : Tragedy (4)

At the point when Lee Cheong-myeong negated Su-hyeon's one-shot reversal at the cost of breaking his own sword.

The fight seemed to be clearly solidifying into Lee Cheong-myeong's victory.

First, the damage suffered by both sides was completely different.

And while all of Su-hyeon's options had been rendered ineffective during the exchanges, Lee Cheong-myeong still had many powerful cards that he could use again and again.

As a result.

"Is this the end?"

"......."

"I see that amusing mouth of yours becomes tight-lipped at the moment of death."

To finish off Su-hyeon, who seemed to have almost completely lost his fighting spirit, Lee Cheong-myeong pulled out a suitable sword from among the pile of corpses.

"You're not going to say anything? Well, fine."

Woong.

An ominous colored sword energy rose from the sword that had changed owners.

Step, step.

"A death without last words, that's not bad either."

Lee Cheong-myeong, who had slowly approached, swung his sword to cut off Su-hyeon's neck.

Chang!

Somehow, Su-hyeon's sword was blocking that sword path.

'What's this?'

A strange sensation.

Su-hyeon, who showed neither the vitality of a living being, nor fierce fighting spirit, nor twitching motor ability like before.

Such a Su-hyeon had stopped his sword in a manner that was both extremely concise and extremely appropriate.

'...Has he changed tactics?'

In any case, it meant the fight wasn't over yet.

'Let's see how long you can hold out!'

The Ma-in's sword stabbed, cut, deceived, and looked for openings against Su-hyeon.

However.

'He's not collapsing?'

Su-hyeon was receiving all of Lee Cheong-myeong's attacks without a single wound, with gentle, never hurried nor sluggish movements that somehow seemed to flail about, yet with an elegant rhythm.

Chang!

Seeming as if he would collapse.

Kaang!

Yet not collapsing.

Swoosh!

And the seemingly nonchalant counterattacks came with such lethal timing and trajectory that they targeted Lee Cheong-myeong.

'What the hell is this bastard?'

He knew that Su-hyeon's defensive power and evasion skills were special.

He was well aware of that blessed body vision that seemed to see and respond to everything.

But this was a little different.

To Lee Cheong-myeong, it was unfamiliar yet somehow familiar.

It was somehow recognizable.

'Like Ho-seung's consciousness acceleration...'

More precisely.

The realm of Non-Self that Lee Ho-seung showed 'when he went deepest.'

It resembled the sensation of facing that realm.

"This bastard!"

Kwaang!

Lee Cheong-myeong, stepping into True Stance, aimed for Su-hyeon's heart with a thrust using all his strength.

Kagak.

However, Su-hyeon, without exerting effort, like a matador, entangled the swords and changed the trajectory, targeting Lee Cheong-myeong with a flexible yet springy front kick that flew up to head height.

Bak!

Lee Cheong-myeong, who raised his left hand to block the kick, stepped backward.

Perfect weight transfer coming from a state of relaxation, a kick that pierced one point without waste.

If it had hit directly, wouldn't his brain have been shaken?

Lee Cheong-myeong, who had become chilled, glared at Su-hyeon.

"Jeong Su-hyeon."

'How far does your talent go?'

It was astonishment.

'Why you?'

It was jealousy.

'I must stop him now. If I leave him like this...'

It was a dizzying fear.

"I'll certainly kill you!"

And thus, the terminal where all those emotions arrived was an extremely intense killing intent.

A deadly strike filled with the determination to certainly kill Su-hyeon was cast from Lee Cheong-myeong's hand.

Kakakang!

Lee Cheong-myeong's deadly strikes became increasingly fierce and sharp.

His body, strengthened through Ma-in transformation, and the attributes of violent magical energy were beginning to adapt to and utilize the techniques he had built up.

In other words, Lee Cheong-myeong's strength had already become stronger than when the fight began.

Nevertheless, all those attacks were being countered under Su-hyeon's dance-like movements and fluttering sword tip.

'Non-Self.'

At this moment, Su-hyeon's mind was only repeating that empty single word.

The opponent's gaze and feet, shoulders and wrists, the movement of the sword.

Even in front of all that visual information pouring in, he made no prediction or judgment.

He was just responding as his body led him.

'Judgment, prediction, expectation, concern.'

All of those were impurities.

Just trusting his senses, his body.

Responding as he sees.

Chachachachang!

Only by doing so could Su-hyeon finally keep up with Lee Cheong-myeong's exchanges.

Sarak!

Rather, he could even mix in sharp counterattacks during his exchanges.

'Clear as a Mirror.'

That was a skill Su-hyeon possessed.

And beyond the dimension of a skill, it was the mindset itself.

And so.

'A little closer.'

Su-hyeon, who had avoided the sword tip and sword energy that came close to cutting his eyelashes, waited a little longer before avoiding the next attack.

Bak!

"Keuk!"

Simultaneously, his naturally extended left fist penetrated Lee Cheong-myeong's ribs and damaged his liver.

'Damn it!'

Nevertheless, the Ma-in's body made possible a sword strike that endured the pain.

Sarak!

'Avoid it a little more narrowly.'

Following the voice whispering to himself, Su-hyeon avoided the sword strike in a state of Non-Self.

'Ah.'

At this moment, Su-hyeon was feeling an almost dreamy mood, like someone intoxicated by the finest alcohol.

In a state where he was too exhausted and cornered to engage in a numerical battle or exert strength by overworking his body anymore.

Even amid damage and recoil that made one wonder if there was any uninjured part left.

Su-hyeon was freer than at any other time.

'So there's such a realm.'

It was a sensation that Kim Seong-yun, who had been building specs and skills beyond the monitor, could never know.

'Build up techniques and build them up again.'

And in the realm where one is not conscious of techniques.

'Let the body, the instinct move.'

Then the realm that has been built up, that experience will inform the next move on its own.

'Jeong Su-hyeon, you son of a bitch!'

Lee Cheong-myeong clenched his teeth tightly.

Even after pouring out all the best moves he could make now, he couldn't kill that one boy in front of him.

Not only that.

Swoosh!

The intermittent counterattacks.

The realm contained in those sword strikes was becoming increasingly higher.

'You! Do you want to go all the way!'

Lee Cheong-myeong, who had become impatient, tried to prepare an even bigger and stronger attack.

And in that moment when naturalness disappeared from Lee Cheong-myeong's movement.

'Now!'

Su-hyeon's sword, reading the grain, cut off Lee Cheong-myeong's sword tip once more.

"!?"

'It's working.'

Starlight rose in Su-hyeon's seemingly empty, unfocused gaze.

'Now I can cut anything.'

A feeling like he could grasp something truly important.

Something whose form couldn't be discerned, flickering in his grasp.

'Some realm.'

Su-hyeon swung his sword to firmly grasp that realm.

'Damn it, I...!?'

Just as the two characters for 'death' floated in Lee Cheong-myeong's mind.

Baak!

Suddenly, Su-hyeon was hit and sent flying by an attack from behind.

"Hack!"

Su-hyeon staggered, having taken major damage from a kick that came from outside his consciousness.

"...Ha Jin-su."

In the distance, the figure of Lee Ho-seung staggering and spitting blood was visible.

'He subdued Lee Ho-seung and came to save me.'

If he had been a little later, the fates of himself and Su-hyeon would have been reversed.

"Kehehe."

Ha Jin-su, who had been walking the same path as his senior and disciple, who had passed through being deadly enemies to become comrades once more, laughed as he retrieved the foot he had raised.

"Timeout."

Ha Jin-su's gaze turned to Su-hyeon.

"Did it feel like walking on clouds? Sorry, but that ends here too."

"Damn it."

Watching that scene, Lee Ho-seung barely managed to get up.

"Jeong Su-hyeon. Now die without making any noise."

Just as Ha Jin-su's killing intent was directed at Su-hyeon.

"That won't do."

Thump!

Lee Ho-seung forcibly burned mana as fuel in his body that had already reached death.

"Die!"

Ha Jin-su's sword flew, targeting the heart of Su-hyeon, who was still staggering and somehow trying to raise his sword.

Pook!

What that sword pierced was not Su-hyeon.

"...Huh?"

Su-hyeon muttered a single word stupidly.

Lee Ho-seung.

His swordsmanship master.

That man had a bloody sword protruding from his back.

"Lee Ho-seung! Are you going to die for this bastard!"

"Hehehe. I have to do this, hack! Don't I?"

Even while coughing up blood, Lee Ho-seung grabbed Ha Jin-su's blade with his bare hand.

"Aaaagh!"

With his other hand, he stabbed Ha Jin-su's eyes.

"You fucking bastard!"

"It's a shame I can't take your head before I go."

Lee Ho-seung laughed weakly.

"But it's enough if I can save the kids."

His gaze turned to Lee Yu-jin, who had barely defeated Ma-in Kang Ui-jin and was running toward them.

"Yu-jin! Take Su-hyeon and run away! Run away somehow!"

"That's impossible, Instructor!"

Lee Yu-jin, with tears filling her large eyes, shouted.

"How can I leave you behind!"

"Shut up! Run away quickly!"

Lee Ho-seung shouted.

"Are you going to make my death meaningless?"

"...!"

Tears flowed down Lee Yu-jin's cheeks as she bit her lip.

"...Sorry, I'm sorry."

"I'm the one who's sorry, kid."

"Stop bullshitting! All of you will die here!"

Poohwak!

Ha Jin-su, who had finally shaken off Lee Ho-seung's hand and pulled out his sword, shouted as if wailing in anger.

"Where do you think, keuk! you're going?"

Ha Jin-su exploded in anger at Lee Cheong-myeong, who was grabbing his pant leg with his last strength.

"You die first, you bastard!"

Bok!

Even after kicking him with his foot, Lee Ho-seung wouldn't let go of his hand, so Ha Jin-su finally cut off his hand.

But during that time, Ha Jin-su exploded in anger at the sight of Lee Yu-jin running away with Su-hyeon over her shoulder.

"Fuck, senior! What the hell are you doing so stupidly?"

Lee Cheong-myeong, who had just recovered from the shock of nearly being defeated by Su-hyeon, once again developed killing intent in his eyes.

"Yes. You're right. I should kill them all here."

Even as his life was ending and his eyes were closing.

'...How did it come to this.'

What made him even more sorrowful than the fact that he was dying on the floor in a miserable state was something else.

'How did the three of us end up like this.'

They were once fellow disciples honing their swords under a respected master.

One ran away due to inferiority complex and poor character, becoming a Ma-in of his own volition.

One was ultimately defeated by that unworthy disciple's obsession, having his life as a hero destroyed and falling into the same abyss.

'...Su-hyeon. Yu-jin.'

Tears flowed from Lee Ho-seung's eyes.

'You must live. You don't have to take revenge. Just survive for now.'

With all his strength gone, his eyes could no longer see anything.

Thud.

Lee Ho-seung's body collapsed powerlessly.

❀⋆｡°✿☆❀✿°｡⋆❀

"...The instructor is dead."

Su-hyeon muttered while being carried on Lee Yu-jin's back.

"Su-hyeon...!"

He died saving none other than himself.

"This can't be happening."

At this moment, Su-hyeon was in a state of panic.

'You didn't have to do this.'

It wasn't even a long relationship.

A short time, not even a year.

Why did that man have to die in his place during the time they had built up in that short period?

"...I'll kill them."

The anger and agitation were too great to immerse himself in the realm of Non-Self again.

But Su-hyeon had one more, a trump card.

Or rather.

The realm of Non-Self was just an unexpected, sudden thing he hadn't anticipated, while this was what Su-hyeon had prepared from the beginning.

'I'll use Overclock.'

[Overclock].

It was a technique no different from a type of suicide move, where one rampage with all their might while destroying their body for certain.

The ultimate secret technique which could not prevent its aftereffects even with the cheat-like characteristic of Unlimited.

In a situation where all paths of survival were completely blocked.

As a last resort, with the mindset that there was nothing to lose even if one died now, that was [Overclock].

And if he used it with a body that had already taken this much damage.

He would die, or even if he was lucky enough not to die, there would probably be permanent disability.

But none of that mattered to Su-hyeon now.

"I will definitely kill them!"

By all means.

By any means necessary.

With all his might.

He would kill them.

Just as Su-hyeon, who had made his resolution, was about to use [Overclock] by squeezing out his last strength.

Bak!

Lee Yu-jin's fist struck Su-hyeon's temple, knocking him unconscious.

'We have to survive from here. That's what the instructor wanted.'

Even while shedding tears of blood, Lee Yu-jin ran with all her might.

"Where do you think you're going! Niece!"

Lee Cheong-myeong chased after her, laughing like an evil spirit.

"Do you think you can escape my feet while carrying that guy?"

Lee Cheong-myeong was right.

'At this rate, we'll be caught.'

"Haap!"

Lee Yu-jin used her last remaining strength to throw Su-hyeon backward.

"!?"

As Su-hyeon, thrown with superhuman strength and mana, flew away like a bullet.

Lee Yu-jin spread her arms wide to hold back Lee Cheong-myeong.

"Are you going to die instead?!"

That sight further fueled Lee Cheong-myeong's anger.

"How virtuous! Father and brother would be so pleased!"

"......."

"Fine! I'll kill you just like that! Of course, Jeong Su-hyeon too!"

'It's better for you to live than me.'

She believed this was a grand strategic decision.

Besides, wasn't this originally a problem that occurred in her family, her clan?

For that reason, she couldn't let Su-hyeon die.

Of course, there was no guarantee anywhere that Su-hyeon would survive by doing this.

Only hoping that this brief time, this brief distance she had earned might create some miracle.

'Su-hyeon.'

Lee Yu-jin, who had no choice but to grasp at this straw, simply repeated Su-hyeon's name with affection.

'Goodbye.'

Lee Yu-jin closed her eyes.

Kaaang!

And the sword aimed at her heart stopped in mid-air.

"!!"

"Damn it, I'm really sorry for being late!"

What blocked Lee Cheong-myeong's sword was 'Sky Knight' Ma Seunggeon's halberd.

"Lee Cheong-myeong! Ha Jin-su! This is as far as you go!"

'Fist King' Jin Seong-geun, who had jumped down from the Pegasus's back, shouted.

"...Shit."

Ha Jin-su cursed at the sight of their plans being ruined at the last moment.