“Let the games begin! Each of you should have received your wristbands! These are special devices designed for defense, but they will break if they take a certain amount of damage! Let’s all show our gratitude to our exceptional instructors, or rather, military officers!”
The physical education teacher, now transformed from a referee to an MC, shouted to the numerous spectators.
The squad leaders distributed wristbands to their respective team members.
The wristbands emitted a faint green glow. At first glance, they didn’t look much different from the cheap ones you often see during festivals.
The physical education teacher checked the appearance of the squad leaders and continued speaking.
“If your wristband breaks, you’re out! However, considering the objective difference in power, I’ll set a time limit of 5 minutes! If Class 10 of the 2nd grade, that is, 2nd Company, 10th Platoon, can hold on for just 5 minutes, they win!”
The 2nd-grade students unintentionally displayed expressions of displeasure.
No matter how strong the 3rd-grade students were, facing this disadvantage in front of so many people was quite humiliating. After all, it was just a one-year difference.
“Come here, you trash.”
Byun Kiyoung, who handed out wristbands to his squad members, personally called Park Jinsung. He filled Park Jinsung’s wrist with the band and firmly held the back of his neck with his left hand.
“Do you really have to hold my neck, Captain? I feel like I’ve turned into a puppy.”
“Shut up. Don’t act like a smartass with the shield theme.”
“Hmm, I guess I’m not an animal or an object after all.”
Park Jinsung discreetly set his wristwatch.
A 5-minute stopwatch.
He deliberately chose a cheap product worth 5,000 won, afraid that he might get it snatched away during the competition. He couldn’t believe that his frugal decision might actually be helpful in a situation like this.
Park Jinsung looked at the embarrassingly simple watch, waiting for the start of the duel.
“Both sides, salute!”
The physical education teacher demanded a salute from each squad leader.
Haeun High School, now transformed into a military academy, used the slogan “Victory is a Must.” It emphasized the necessity of winning, given the hierarchical nature of the society that relied on strength.
“Must! Win!”
“Sigh. Victory is a must.”
While Private Ahn Seong-ho saluted with enthusiasm, Byun Kiyoung raised his right hand with a heavy heart. He even kept his left hand firmly gripping Park Jinsung’s neck.
“The duel begins!”
With the teacher’s command, Park Jinsung was brandished as a shield.
“Huh? Wait, hold on. Uh, Captain?”
“I told you to shut up.”
Byun Kiyoung had no interest in following orders. Holding onto Park Jinsung, he disappeared among the squad members.
“Hey, Kiyoung. What should we do?”
“The seniors are closing in. Command us quickly!”
The 3rd-grade students didn’t give the 2nd-grade students any time to prepare. They immediately surrounded them, demonstrating what true unwavering determination looked like.
Even in individual combat capabilities, the 2nd-grade students were no match. It became a scene where one 2nd-grade student had to face off against two or three 3rd-grade students.
The somewhat dishonest Byun Kiyoung, the squad leader, shouted fiercely, “2nd Platoon, 10th Squad, stick with me in this state! We just need to hold on for 5 minutes to win!”
[Pulls out what was tucked in and swings it]
Rank: C⁻
Overall combat ability: ?
The edeya that Byun Kiyoung possessed was C-ranked but virtually useless in an open field like the gymnasium. It was currently a feeble presence compared to Park Jinsung, who was already at F rank.
Park Jinsung, who was inadequate even as a shield, whispered to his owner discreetly, “Captain, shouldn’t we at least pretend to fight back to hold on a bit longer?”
“Trash, what do you know! If I can stay alive longer, I can win!”
“Come on, any one of us can hold on for a while.”
“Ah! Just shut up!!”
Thud.
Byun Kiyoung struck Park Jinsung’s right rib. Thanks to that, Park Jinsung had to bend his body while maintaining a smiling face.
The pressure from the 3rd-grade students was beyond imagination.
“Ugh.”
“What do we do?”
With each step they took, the ground for the 2nd-grade students to retreat upon became narrower.
“Oooh, aaaaargh!!”
In the end, like cornered mice, the 2nd-grade students were the first to take out their edeyas. It was an act that clearly showed desperation.
The 3rd-grade students didn’t even bother taking out their edeyas. They simply maintained their positions as if they were assigned to specific spots, showing no reaction even when the 2nd-grade students charged at them.
“What about the 3rd-grade students! If we attack first… Oh, uh, huh?!”
The 3rd-grade student closest to the 2nd-grade students effortlessly subdued them. He kicked their knees and casually removed the wristbands.
Most of the students in the combat class dealt with close-range weapon-type edeyas.
Originally, there were various types, sizes, and even decorations, but they all boiled down to close-range weapons.
In such cases, the owner’s ability was often more crucial than the edeya’s inherent performance.
“Fight back! Fight back! Let’s attack together!”
Byun Kiyoung’s shout echoed fruitlessly through the air.
The 3rd-grade students were significantly ahead of the 2nd-grade students in overall combat abilities.
They easily toppled the 2nd-grade students, dislocated their joints, and precisely removed the wristbands.
There was no need to break the wristbands. Just removing them from the wrist would be enough.
The 2nd-grade students were feeble opponents who didn’t even need to take out their edeyas.
“There’s a reason why the entire 3rd-grade is ranked as sergeants. Maybe we should go for a hand-to-hand brawl now?”
Park Jinsung thought while still being held by Byun Kiyoung.
The disparity in power between fighting and subduing was quite despairing to consider.
Even the 3rd-grade female students seemed to move more skillfully than the 2nd-grade male students. It appeared that the female students were even better at displaying their combat abilities.
One of the most explosive female students quickly approached where Park Jinsung was.
“Block her! Trash! Block her!”
“How am I supposed to block her, Captain?”
“Ah, damn it! Just block her somehow, you idiot!!”
“Well, well, senior. Please go easy on me.”
As Park Jinsung finished speaking, an unwanted face naturally entered his field of view.
“Hahaha! I’ll take responsibility for the transfer!”
The appearance of the 10th Platoon Leader who was laughing.
Although his voice didn’t carry over, Park Jinsung could roughly guess what he was saying based on his lip movements.
“That guy…!”
By the time Park Jinsung felt infuriated, the senior’s hand was already in motion.
“Hello, 2nd-grade. And farewell.”
Just as the senior confidently attempted to grab Park Jinsung,
“That guy is really annoying, indeed.”
In an instant, Park Jinsung’s hand swiftly caught the senior’s wrist before she could react.
“Huh?!”
Caught off guard, the senior was momentarily stunned, her body freezing in surprise. It seemed to take her a bit of time to comprehend the unexpected turn of events.
“[Armor!]”
Startled, the senior was the first among the 3rd-grade students to summon her edeya.
Clink, clank.
[Armor that Never Loses Its Light]
Rank: B
Overall combat ability: B⁺
A medieval-style armor enveloped the senior’s entire body. It had smooth curves that left a strong impression, as if it was designed for women.
“Wow. The armor looks really cool. It’s like an embodiment of both style and function.”
“You… Who are you and what were you doing?”
“Oh, dear. What should I do? Our squad leader is running away.”
Pointing towards Byun Kiyoung, who was running away like a frightened rabbit, Park Jinsung spoke.
The senior with the impressive armor looked both formidable and impressive. However, she was perplexed as to how Park Jinsung managed to grab her wrist and interrupt her attempt at capturing him.
The battle had already entered a full-scale war mode. However, despite the term “full-scale war,” it was the 3rd-grade students who were ravaging the 2nd-grade students, with just a mere eighteen of them left standing against the might of the 3rd-grade.
“You can call me ‘noona’ if you want. Don’t worry, I won’t act all superior or anything.”
Park Jinsung sneakily checked his watch.
“Darnn it.”
There were still three minutes remaining. They had to find a way to buy some time with a casual conversation.
“….”
“Oh, sorry. Did I upset you? In that case, I’ll just call you ‘senior’ then.”
“If you’re trying to stall for time, it’s futile. Quickly summon your edeya.”
“Well, at least we should maintain some formalities between each other.”
“If you don’t summon your edeya, I’ll keep you under control just as you are.”
“Wait, wait! Just wait a moment!”
Clink.
The senior approached Park Jinsung slowly. Her dignified presence became even more imposing with each step she took.
“Hurry up and summon it. At least you look more valuable in this state.”
“Why are you so impatient?! People should use words. Having composure is always important, you know? Even my dad told mom that, ah! Alright, I got it! I got it!! I’ll show it to you then!”
“…….”
The senior’s footsteps came to a halt. It was the result of Park Jinsung’s focused observation.
“Heyo! So, let’s see, I’ll summon it?! One, two, [Dagger!]”
[Dagger]
Rank: F
*Just an ordinary dagger with no special abilities.
Overall combat ability: F
“Huh…?”
“Uh, miss? Are you asleep over there?”
“What do you want? Summon it quickly.”
The senior didn’t notice the dagger held in Park Jinsung’s right hand.
“Ta-da! I summoned it here. Can’t you see this beautiful dagger right here?”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
The senior’s attitude was so filled with resignation that it could be seen even through her helmet.
“Huh? Miss senior? Why suddenly show such a feeble gesture?”
“Sigh. Are you the infamous F rank?”
“Yes, yes. I am the proud owner of the infamous F rank. Still, I boast that this dagger is at least S rank among daggers.”
Clink.
The senior’s shoulders slumped, and she walked towards the other 2nd-grade students.
“Miss senior? I’m sorry, but where are you going?”
“Sigh. When I caught you, I thought you were a formidable opponent…”
The disappointment uttered by the senior seeped through the gaps in her helmet.
“Wait! Don’t go! Are you going to leave with such disappointment?! If you keep going, I’ll sneak up and strike you from behind?! Or maybe I’ll just openly strike you?! Like this! Haat!!”
The combat ability possessed by the senior was dangerous. To keep her even a little bit restrained, Park Jinsung swung the dagger.
Clang, ting, ting-ting-ting.
The clear sounds of the dagger colliding with the armor echoed.
It sounded as if someone was striking a triangle instrument with precision.
“Huh?”
Park Jinsung’s showy struggle had little effect.
“Enough now. Stop.”
As the senior shook her helmet, she turned her attention to the next 2nd-grade student. She didn’t bother dealing with Park Jinsung, as she knew he could be taken care of anytime and anywhere by the other 3rd-grade students.
“Hey, look over here!”
“Hahaha, it’s indeed an F rank.”
The students who had been observing burst into loud laughter. Some even clapped enthusiastically.
“Phew. At least I managed to buy some time, right?”
Park Jinsung simply enjoyed the cheers and didn’t bother pursuing the armor-wearing senior any further. However, after looking around, he couldn’t help but regret not chasing after her.
The remaining time for the 2nd-grade to hold on was almost nonexistent.
The 2nd Platoon, 10th Squad, including Park Jinsung and Byun Kiyoung, had only four members left. In contrast, the 3rd-grade students still had some who hadn’t even fought yet.
Despite the extinguished patches of ground, the battle was intense, but unfortunately, it was all one-sided against the 2nd-grade.
Finally, Park Jinsung and Byun Kiyoung faced the senior girl.
“You trash-like bunch! You couldn’t even last for 5 minutes?!”
“Is that something the one who kept running away should be saying?”
The senior’s intimidating presence made Byun Kiyoung take a few steps back.
“Hehehe. Miss senior, wouldn’t it be better for you to keep pretending not to know anything?”
“…Really? Then, come on, show me your worth. To surpass Ahn Sung-ho, you’ll need much more evidence.”
Byun Kiyoung, who had been retreating all this time, stood firm. Standing in front of the crater-like pit with a sly grin, he said:
“Ugh! Finally, one comes out. Waiting was worth it, right? And it’s perfectly suitable for your limitations.”
Inside the pit was a large rock. Its rough and uneven appearance suggested that it had been dug up from the construction site earlier.
“So, when are you going to show me your worth?”
“Now? Should I show you right now?”
Without any hesitation, Byun Kiyoung jumped into the pit. It was an act bordering on self-destruction, but his face was beaming with a blooming smile.
“Phew, a bit risky, isn’t it?”
Park Jinsung, who was observing the situation, secretly clicked his tongue. His concerned gaze was not directed at his own squad leader.
Byun Kiyoung held the rock and spoke in a low voice, “Pull it out.”
“What? Are you telling me you were the most valuable one here?”
Swish.
With a faint flash, the rock buried in the ground moved.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The squad leader, who had been fleeing all along, finally exerted force in his grip. The rock, which seemed like it would be rooted forever, transformed into a dreadful weapon in Byun Kiyoung’s hands.
The senior girl bent her knees and took a defensive stance.
“You’ve been waiting for an environment to use your edeya, huh?”
“Marvelous, absolutely marvelous, 3rd-grade senior. Who would let their guard down? Worth means nothing.”
Byun Kiyoung’s smirk drew a mocking line.
The other 3rd-grade students and the audience didn’t notice the fact that the rock had moved. Byun Kiyoung had only slightly lifted the rock from the ground.
“Dangerous! Be careful, Gah… Squad Leader!!”
Park Jinsung couldn’t hold back and shouted in panic.
Unfortunately, he was the only one aware of the danger posed by that rock.
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