Breaking Up with the Heroine of the Female-Oriented Game - Chapter 95
Chapter 95
Baek Yoorin and the Ranking Battle (9)
***
“…….”
T h i s wa s c op ie d f r o m k in g m t l . o r g
In Baek Yoorin’s expressionless, ashen eyes, a faint desire was slowly rising.
It was as if everything up to this point had simply been a warm-up. Now, with a significant amount of magic power concentrated around her blade, she silently stared at me.
The bluish magic shimmered like a heatwave, scattering a dim light. It was extremely intimidating.
That was Sword Qi—*Sword Qi*.
I doubted if there were any other trainees in the academy who could use *Sword Qi*.
Even Lee Siwoon, who was known to be one of the best, could barely wield it if at all. But here was Baek Yoorin, using *Sword Qi* against someone like me.
Baek Yoorin, seriously? Isn’t *Sword Qi* a bit much for a spar between students?
T h is w a s c o pi e d f r o m k ingm t l . org
The murmuring from the spectators reached my ears.
It seemed they were quite startled that someone like Baek Yoorin, just a first-year academy student, could use *Sword Qi*.
T hi s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k i n g m t l . o r g
Even many swordsmen of intermediate rank or higher were unable to use it.
That was how difficult the technique was.
While *Sword Qi* and the *Sword Qi Wounder* required different proficiencies, so it was hard to say which was more difficult, generally speaking, *Sword Qi* was considered a step above.
As expected, she truly was a genius among geniuses, unlike someone like me.
Even if I trained using normal methods for the rest of my life, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to wield *Sword Qi*.
Of course, if I used some artifact or trick, I could probably manage it.
But purely in terms of skill, Baek Yoorin was undoubtedly the best. Even in the original game, she was considered the strongest among first-year academy students.
Well, from the second year onward, she gets clobbered by the main character’s group, but still…
“Baek Yoorin.”
“Hmm?”
I called out to Baek Yoorin as casually as I could.
She looked at me, slightly puzzled.
There was no other choice. Since Baek Yoorin had decided to use *Sword Qi*, I had to take a gamble and push for a one-shot duel.
“Let’s settle this with one hit, with our strongest techniques. What do you think?”
“……?”
The longer this dragged on, the worse it would be for me.
Even after a brief exchange, my left hand was already acting up.
Not only was it bruised, with a nasty blue mark, but I could feel a sharp, almost electric pain running through the bone and muscle as if they had been damaged.
Judging from my left arm’s condition, I needed to end this quickly.
‘According to the character setting, Baek Yoorin’s base physical abilities aren’t exceptionally high.’
Baek Yoorin was a typical agility-type character.
Her specialty was outmaneuvering her opponent with quick, precise movements.
That meant her base physical stats were higher than mine but not overwhelmingly so.
Of course, if she enhanced her body with magic, that was a different story.
“Not confident?”
“…….”
T h is w as c o pie d f r om kin gm t l .org
“Well, if you don’t want to, forget it.”
“…….”
I deliberately tried to poke at Baek Yoorin’s pride.
I had to make sure she accepted my proposal.
Anyone else might have thought, ‘What’s he scheming?’ and rejected it, but knowing Baek Yoorin’s personality, there was a high likelihood that she wouldn’t refuse.
After all, to Baek Yoorin, this wasn’t the kind of suggestion she could just turn down.
To refuse a challenge based on using your strongest techniques was practically the same as tucking your tail between your legs and running away.
With Baek Yoorin’s abnormal pride and confidence in her swordsmanship, there was no way she would refuse.
Of course, she was also quite wary of me.
Since she suspected I might be that man from her past.
But if you think about it, that’s exactly why she wouldn’t back down.
She had to show it, after all.
She had to prove how much she had changed since that humiliating defeat.
“…Confident, are we?”
Baek Yoorin muttered with interest, then slowly nodded.
“Alright… A one-hit duel… Sounds fun.”
“Phew.”
At least I had gotten her to agree to the conditions.
To land a blow on that monstrous Baek Yoorin, I needed to gamble everything on this single clash.
Since we had agreed to settle it with our strongest techniques, I could roughly predict what move Baek Yoorin would use.
In a situation like this, it made sense to use your most powerful skill.
And I already knew most of Baek Yoorin’s techniques.
Of course, I didn’t know all of them, but I was well-versed in the ones that could be considered her finishing moves.
Among those, which technique would she use?
The one she was most likely to use was *Baek Sword Style (Revised): White Fang*.
A high-speed thrust.
That’s because *White Fang* was a technique she had developed over a long time specifically to defeat that man from her past.
Moreover, this sword technique had never been revealed to the public.
Other techniques had been shown in matches, duels, and tournaments, so there were some ways to counter them, but *White Fang* was different.
It had never been used in an official setting.
It was a hidden trump card.
One of the techniques that would later become recognized as Baek Yoorin’s most powerful finishing move.
But I knew about *White Fang*, the technique Baek Yoorin had kept hidden so carefully.
Since it was one of her signature techniques, the character settings in the game had covered it in great detail.
I knew the unique preparatory movement, the principles, the method, and the flow of magic used in *White Fang*, at least in general.
Of course, I didn’t remember the finer details. And even if I did, I didn’t have the confidence to block it.
Just knowing about it in advance didn’t mean it was a technique I could block.
If I had the abilities and talent of someone like Lee Siwoon, I might have been able to counter it… but unfortunately, I wasn’t him.
Even if I had a basic understanding of *White Fang*, there was no way I could counter it.
In fact, I probably wouldn’t even be able to block or dodge it.
It was like predicting a meteorite would fall, but being powerless to stop it.
‘Well, no matter.’
I can’t block it, and I can’t dodge it?
Then, all I have to do is… get hit.
‘Yeah, getting hit will do.’
From the start, I hadn’t planned to block or dodge Baek Yoorin’s attack.
I was working under the assumption that her attack would hit me.
‘The important thing is… getting hit by the technique I want, in the place I want.’
I glanced down at my abdomen and swallowed nervously.
With my current physical abilities, it was practically impossible for me to withstand Baek Yoorin’s attack.
The moment she struck, my defeat would be certain.
I would likely collapse, vomiting blood.
However, there was one method.
There was one way I could take Baek Yoorin’s attack and survive.
I had practiced it quite a lot, but since this was my first time using it in real combat, I was incredibly nervous. But still, I had no other choice.
This was the only way.
“…Are you ready?”
I raised my shield with my left hand, protecting my abdomen, then lifted my sword with my right hand, taking a stance for a downward slash.
Baek Yoorin positioned her hand near the tip of her blade, ready to thrust while slightly bending her body.
I could sense the faint confusion in the audience seating among the watching heroes.
This stance wasn’t part of the standard *Baek Sword Style*.
But I recognized it.
That was the preparatory stance for the *White Fang*, a high-speed thrust technique that Baek Yoorin had developed by modifying the *Baek Sword Style*.
As expected, she was planning to use *White Fang*.
Of course, she had developed this technique specifically for situations like this.
“…Are you planning to counter? Do you think you can block it with that shield?”
“…….”
Bluish magic shrouded her blade, swirling violently.
With *Sword Qi* of that level, no matter how reinforced my shield or armor was, it would be pierced easily.
I knew that in duels like this, it was common to suffer injuries like getting impaled, breaking bones, or even ruptured organs.
That’s why there were plenty of recovery potions and healers on standby.
But still, it was terrifying.
There was a risk of getting hit in a vital spot, and no one in their right mind enjoyed pain.
Ah, come to think of it, wasn’t the ranking match being livestreamed for outsiders to watch?
I heard they used mosaics and cognition filters to lower the intensity, though.
“…Interesting. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Baek Yoorin’s previously bored expression shifted into a faint smile.
Of course, I wasn’t holding my shield over my abdomen with the intention of blocking her attack.
I knew very well that a mere shield wouldn’t be able to stop it.
T his w a s c o pi e d fro m k i n gm t l . o rg
The shield was nothing more than a decoy.
“Alright, let’s give this a try….”
Th i s w a s c o pi ed fro m k i ng m t l . o r g
“!”
*Whoosh!*
Before I even finished speaking, Baek Yoorin rushed forward.
Like a bullet, she darted toward me, closing the gap in an instant.
At that moment, she exploded her magic and thrust her sword forward with tremendous force. I also swung my sword downward as fast as I could.
Of course, Baek Yoorin’s sword was much faster.
It was inevitable that her sword would pierce my body before mine could reach her.
That was an unchangeable future, a predetermined fate.
“I’m faster….”
*Baek Sword Style (Revised): White Fang.*
According to the game’s settings, it was a high-speed thrust that used successive bursts of magic to accelerate the sword even further, creating an off-beat rhythm.
Because the speed and timing of the attack were disguised, anyone seeing it for the first time would be caught off guard.
Well, in my case…
There was no point in being caught off guard or not.
After all, I couldn’t even see the sword in the first place.
“Your response is too slow. What a disappointment….”
“Ugh!”
*Thud!*
Baek Yoorin’s blade plunged deep into my abdomen, piercing through.
Since it was a high-speed thrust amplified by *Sword Qi*, it cut through both my shield and my armor like tofu.
Judging by where it hit, it looked like it had missed any vital spots, but with my abdomen pierced, it was clear I couldn’t continue fighting.
That is, if I *had* gotten pierced.
“…?”
Baek Yoorin blinked, confused.
Even though she had clearly stabbed me through the shield and into my stomach, for some reason, I seemed perfectly fine.
Not only was I not bleeding, but I also didn’t appear to care that I had just been stabbed as I continued my sword swing.
“…You?”
Baek Yoorin voiced her confusion.
Why was I okay?
That was simple.
It was because Baek Yoorin hadn’t actually stabbed me.
“…What is that?”
As I moved the skewered shield aside, Baek Yoorin could finally see it.
What had been hidden behind the shield.
The fissure in space.
Unfortunately for Baek Yoorin, her sword hadn’t pierced my body.
It had stabbed right into the crack of a subspace.
T hi s w a s c o p i e d f r o m k i n g mtl . o r g
‘Yep, *Space Ring* really is useful.’
The *Space Ring*, which could create a fissure within a 6-meter radius to store or retrieve items.
In the game, it had functioned like an inventory, but in reality, this feature could be exploited in many creative ways.
For example, dropping heavy objects from the air could turn them into makeshift projectiles, opening a fissure in the ground could create traps, or I could hide behind a fissure to block an enemy’s attack.
Of course, the fissure opened slowly, so it couldn’t be used in sudden situations.
If I wanted to use it, I had to open the fissure in advance.
‘I couldn’t use it too openly with all the cameras and people watching, but if I opened the fissure right behind the shield and hid it with my body, it should be fine, right? Probably.’
If it got discovered, I could always cover it up as some kind of ability.
“……!”
Suddenly, my sword was right in front of Baek Yoorin’s face.
She hurriedly tried to pull back, but it was too late.
I had already grabbed hold of her right wrist, the one she had used to thrust her sword, with my left hand.
I had strengthened my body with magic as much as possible and gripped Baek Yoorin’s wrist tightly so she couldn’t escape.
No matter how strong Baek Yoorin was, she wouldn’t be able to shake off my grip in an instant.
If she were someone like Sunari, who specialized in physical enhancement, it might be different, but Baek Yoorin didn’t have that kind of brute strength.
Of course, given enough time, she could easily break free from my grasp, but my sword was already right in front of her.
Even if she managed to push me away now, it would be too late.
Not even Baek Yoorin could dodge this.
“…Not bad!”
Baek Yoorin quickly drew her secondary sword with her free left hand.
It was an incredibly fast draw technique.
Despite being much slower in drawing her sword than me, she managed to intercept my strike midway.
*Clang!*
Our swords collided.
Sparks flew everywhere from the impact.
T h i s w as c o p i e d f r o m k i n g m t l. o rg
It was quite a powerful strike.
It seemed she hadn’t had the time to use *Sword Qi*.
It resembled the way lightsabers clashed in a movie.
As expected of her.
Even though her weight was shifted forward due to using *White Fang*, which should’ve made her stance unstable, she managed to block my attack perfectly with a quick draw.
They didn’t call her a monster for nothing, Baek Yoorin.
But…
“Hah!”
I had been waiting for the moment our swords collided.
With a shout, I quickly activated the *Tears of the Moon*, the artifact.
Just like during my midterm fight with Lee Siwoon, it absorbed Baek Yoorin’s magic from her sword.
“…Huh?”
For a brief moment, Baek Yoorin’s *Sword Qi* faltered as her magic was absorbed.
It was only for a short time, but she was left completely defenseless.
Using all the magic I had absorbed from Baek Yoorin, combined with my own, I swung my sword with full force and shattered her training sword in half.
As her training sword broke in two, Baek Yoorin’s face showed a hint of surprise.
Without hesitation, I swung my sword again.
I didn’t stop—it was a relentless strike.
Finally, my blade reached Baek Yoorin’s shoulder.
Even though she was wearing protective gear, my sword still managed to cut through her flesh.
*Slash!*
A spray of crimson blood splattered into the air.
Baek Yoorin bit her lower lip as she kicked me and leaped backward. Ugh! You little…!
“Hah, damn. You still dodged?”
“…….”
Baek Yoorin glanced at the wound on her shoulder.
She had twisted her body at the last second to avoid a severe injury, so the wound wasn’t too serious. Damn, she even managed to dodge that?
“…It’s been a while since I’ve bled.”
Baek Yoorin muttered quietly as she ran her hand over her shoulder.
She stared at the blood trickling from the wound.
“…There aren’t many people my age who can make me bleed.”
Baek Yoorin clenched her fist tightly.
Then, she tossed the broken remains of her secondary sword to the ground.
Th i s w a s co p i ed f r o m k i n g mt l . o rg
“You… You absorbed my magic just now, didn’t you? …And what’s with that fissure thing?”
“Hah… Hah… Phew.”
I didn’t have the energy to answer.
I had used up nearly all my magic.
“Is that your ability? Interesting….”
Baek Yoorin’s lips curled up a little more.
She was smiling—enjoying herself.
This Baek Yoorin.
“You’ve got more hidden, don’t you? Show me more…”
“Surrender.”
“Huh?”
T h is wa s c o p i e d f r o m k i n g m t l . o r g
“I surrender. I lost.”
If my surprise attacks using the *Space Ring* and the *Tears of the Moon* didn’t work, then I had no other options.
A genius like Baek Yoorin wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice.
The reason it worked was because she didn’t know about it. Now that she knew, there was no way it would succeed again.
‘…With my current abilities, even with all the information I had and using two artifacts, the best I could do was leave a scratch on her shoulder? Tsk. Well, whatever. I guess I’ll take comfort in the fact that I managed to injure the great Baek Yoorin.’
Honestly, it wasn’t the result I’d hoped for, but this was good enough. This was good enough.
After all, this was just a spar.
It wasn’t a life-or-death battle, so I figured doing this much was enough.
“…Surrender? Just like that, out of nowhere?”
“Yeah.”
For a moment.
“Are you playing with me?”
End of Chapter.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Young Master
Nooooooo I caught up !!!!!! I needed 1 more ch to know how did it really ended… But ig I shouldn’t be so greedy, thanks for realeasing 15 ch all together !!