Chapter 22

A piercing sound rings in my ears.

The target is the flame jewel between the brows.

A black line is drawn in the red field of vision.

The talent of the Black Prince guides the sword path.

A red dot appears before my eyes.

The sword, imbued with black magic, is thrust accurately toward the red dot.

[Screech!!]

Ching!

The flame jewel between the brows shatters, and the salamander lets out a scream of pain.

Squeak.

The flames burning on the lizard's body are extinguished.

The lizard's massive body stiffens.

‘The stiffness won’t last long.’

I have to decide the battle in this fleeting moment.

Otherwise, it will drag on.

To sever the lizard's neck in one go, I have no choice but to use the ultimate technique.

Damn it. Really.

I pull Durandal out and step back.

I activate flight mode and hold Durandal in my hand.

I channel mana into the retreat path.

“Guh!”

Thump, thump.

My heart beats heavily.

The mana path in my chest heats up like a furnace.

It hurts. The familiar pain.

The retreat path in my chest greedily consumes the mana.

“Damn it...”

At the moment I curse.

[Synchronization]

Durandal engraves the new ultimate technique in my mind.

I raise the sword.

Hum.

Black light mana coalesces on the blade.

I use the Gift.

Squish.

All the shadows and darkness in the arena are overlaid onto the blade.

The moment Durandal's blade is dyed a completely black, unnatural color.

I strike the lizard's neck with the sword.

[Black Light Sword Technique]

[Ultimate Technique]

[Darkness Slash]

Kaboom!

A deafening roar echoes.

The coalesced darkness Gift and black mana cause a chain explosion, shaking the earth.

[Screech!!]

The lizard's terrifying scream.

But this is its last scream.

Boom.

The lizard's neck separates from its body and falls to the ground.

The illusion, having completed its role, disappears into light.

I deactivate flight mode and land on the ground.

“Shit.”

Why does it always hurt like this when I fight?

I can't help but curse.

Thump, thump.

My heart beats as if it will burst.

[Durandal Offline]

I deactivate battle mode.

The full-body armor and retreat path, which were consuming mana, instantly scatter into photons and merge into Durandal's blade.

I stick Durandal into the ground like a cane.

Otherwise, I might collapse right here.

“...”

The library has been open for a long time.

Snap.

I slap my cheek.

“Phew.”

I'm starting to come to my senses.

It's better than before.

Back then, I would immediately faint as soon as I finished using it.

Not now.

But I still feel dizzy, so I think I need to rest a bit.

[Mr. Kim. You did well! You can leave now!]

Mr. Mayuzumi's broadcast is heard faintly from a distance.

Buzz.

The closed entrance opens again.

This is the moment today's class ends.

*

After school.

Olivia's personal practice room.

The personal practice room provided by the academy for top students is as large and spacious as a decent gym.

The facilities are so good that it hurts to talk about.

Thanks to the top student who entered as the valedictorian, I can use it conveniently.

“Why did you push yourself so much today! You're the biggest fool in the world!”

It would be great if she didn't nag.

Olivia is fine, but the problem is that she starts complaining as soon as she opens her mouth.

I open the refrigerator in the practice room.

The refrigerator is filled with water and bright blue sports drinks.

“What, why are there only sports drinks? No cola?”

I'm disappointed.

I thought there would be at least one bottle of cola.

Olivia, who has attached herself to me, objects.

“Cola is bad for your body!”

“Things that taste good are usually bad for you.”

Who doesn't know that cola is bad?

I drink it because it tastes good.

“Do you have to always respond so annoyingly?”

Olivia puffs her cheeks.

If there's no cola, there's no choice.

I take out a water bottle and drink it greedily.

I feel better now that the cold water is in my stomach.

“Ah, refreshing.”

I'm lucky there's no other class today because it's a practical class.

If not, I would have skipped the theory class to rest, and then I would have had to review again.

Just thinking about it makes me feel sick.

If I had to pick the most terrifying thing in this crazy world, it would be the hellishly difficult theory studies along with the anime-like reactions and lines of the people around me.

“So, are you sure you'll teach me the White Flame Sword Technique today?”

“Your nonsense shows that I was foolish to worry unnecessarily! If you pay the price, then yes! Consider it an honor.”

Olivia, with her arms crossed, glances at me and says.

“What price?”

I ask, knowing it's obvious.

Olivia's eyes widen.

She avoids my gaze and says in a small voice.

“Cherry Blossom Festival...”

My guess was right.

It's no big deal.

“Cherry Blossom Festival? Where is it?”

“Inokashira Park. Just to clarify, I just want to go on a normal outing! I have no personal feelings for you!”

Olivia shouts, closing her eyes tightly.

Inokashira Park.

Cherry Blossom Festival.

Now I remember.

Mid to late volume 1.

The protagonist, Yoo Ji, and Olivia go to Inokashira Park for cherry blossom viewing.

But like all daily events in a battle series, they get caught up in a sudden gate incident.

The culprit behind the gate is Butcher from the New World League.

As befits a light novel, the protagonist and Olivia complete the gate and protect the people in Inokashira Park, but they fail to capture Butcher, the mastermind of the terror.

This is the historical scene where the gate creation device first appears, and it also serves as a catalyst for the protagonist and Olivia to get closer.

‘But do I have to do it?’

I can't.

Since it's come to this, I have to take everyone, starting with the protagonist, to the cherry blossom viewing and sever Butcher's head.

New World League.

Those crazy guys need to be eliminated when they can be.

I'm a selfish person and can't be a fool who lets enemies off mercifully.

The bear does the trick, and the man earns the money.

What a beautiful truth of the world.

Having finished my thoughts, I nod confidently.

“Sure, let's go.”

Is this PTSD?

Olivia's eyes widen in surprise.

“Really?”

She stammers.

“Yeah.”

“Are you really promising? If you take me to some ruin again... I'll really be angry!”

Olivia puffs her cheeks.

Doesn't she get tired of puffing her cheeks like that?

“I really will go.”

I have to.

New World League.

Those crazy guys who dream of the end of the world need to be dealt with in a timely manner.

Only then can I sleep soundly at night.

“It's all because of you! I can't... I can't trust you.”

Olivia mutters in a low voice.

“People really can't be trusted.”

“It's your own fault!”

Olivia shouts.

You still don't trust me after all this time? Should I make a mana oath?

Just as I was getting a bit annoyed.

“So...”

She approaches me with a determined look and extends her pinky finger.

“Hey, promise me!”

The moment I see ‘that gesture’.

My breath catches, and my hands and feet tremble.

I remember the hot memories with Senpai Kasumi in the club room.

Wow, really? You want me to do this again?

Am I going to die of a nervous breakdown before I return to my original world?

Is this PTSD?

“What, is this wrong? It's correct. Bella taught me that in Korea, people make promises by hooking their pinky fingers...”

“I'll do it. It's fine.”

Yeah.

I've already done it once.

I can do it again.

It's all for the White Flame Sword Technique.

I just have to endure a bit of embarrassment.

“O, okay...”

Olivia raises her pinky finger with a flushed face.

I take a deep breath and hook my pinky finger with hers.

“Promise, stamp, sign, copy. Done.”

We press our thumbs together and then our palms.

The more we touch, the redder Olivia's face becomes.

But, where did she learn about the stamp, sign, and copy?

Senpai Kasumi didn't go that far.

I'm going crazy. Really.

After the ritual, Olivia points at me with a flushed face.

“Since you promised me, you can't break it. Got it?”

“Yeah.”

The embarrassment is over.

It's better than I thought.

The first time was hard, but the second time wasn't that difficult.

Not difficult?

‘Does this mean I'm gradually adapting to this crazy world? I'm going crazy.’

Who is normal and who is abnormal?

In a world of one-eyed people, is a two-eyed person abnormal?

While I'm philosophizing, Olivia giggles.

“Huhuhu.”

“Since the promise is over, let's start the training.”

“You really have no sense of mood at all! You're the biggest dolt in the world!!”

Olivia shouts, closing her eyes.

Surprised.

Anyway, no