Chapter 18

“Yikes!”

Crash!

The last girl from the group that had been trash-talking me tumbled to the ground.

She couldn’t break through my steel skin and defensive maneuvers and eventually crumbled.

Rolling on the floor, she passed out.

It was a complete rout, a series of thundering victories.

The four of them, utterly defeated by me, bit into their handkerchiefs in frustration.

However, as soon as our eyes met, they recoiled in horror.

Cold sweat beads formed on their foreheads.

Thanks to me, they all got a proper scare.

From now on, they wouldn’t dare trash-talk me openly.

“Not a bad feeling, actually.”

Refreshing.

Is this what they call a win?

Before I knew it, I was ranked 15th.

Most others were waiting for their match results to come in, but mine hadn’t concluded yet.

“Only four more to go.”

If I defeat four more, I’ll definitely rank higher.

“Whew, even I’m starting to feel tired.”

It’s undeniable that I’ve grown stronger during my stamina training.

But trying to push through from 46th to 15th all at once…

The physical strain was beginning to take its toll.

Moreover, now that I was climbing into the mid-tier ranks, the skill gap became more pronounced.

This wasn’t some elite academy for high achievers for nothing.

I was starting to hit limits just relying on my steel skin.

At least it was a simulation match, or else I wouldn’t have easily beaten students from the mid-tier as I did.

In a real fight, they would go all out, and it would undoubtedly be a much tougher battle.

“Even so, I wouldn’t stand a chance against the top ranks just with my steel skin.”

I prepared a few strategies for that purpose, but who knows how effective they’d be.

“How rank are you now?”

“15th now.”

“Are you serious? You might make it to the top ranks at this rate!”

Just then, I overheard some kids chatting among themselves.

In fact, hardly anyone in the history of these simulation matches had ever caused such radical shifts in ranking.

Typically, students only fluctuated by about three ranks at most.

“By the way, doesn’t this feel somewhat familiar?”

“Yeah, like back with Lucas…”

At that moment, the kids fell silent.

They realized they had slipped up and cast glances around nervously.

The one they were looking out for was Isabel.

She had been quietly observing my battles the whole time.

Isabel’s current rank was 5th.

Considering she was originally in 10th place, that was a significant leap.

That’s how much her skills had improved.

But Isabel had someone else in her sights.

Someone who had climbed from the lower ranks to the middle tier.

That would be me.

The only other person with such drastic rank fluctuation was Lucas, who used to linger in the lower ranks but awakened the unique trait called the “Flame of Determination.”

After awakening that trait, Lucas had tremendously improved thanks to the training he had always done.

As a result, he soared from the lower ranks to the upper ranks in the blink of an eye.

He truly embodied the characteristics of a protagonist.

Now here I was, the one who insulted dead Lucas, rising alongside him from the lower ranks.

The other kids inevitably conjured up thoughts of Lucas again and naturally turned their gaze toward Isabel.

Isabel remained quiet, biting her lip.

If anyone was thinking of Lucas right now, it was undoubtedly her.

Yet, she didn’t say a word.

She quietly stared at me, contemplating how to deal with me.

“Right, take your time thinking.”

Knowing that contemplation wouldn’t matter much in the end.

“15th rank, Hanon Irey, 14th rank, Ban.”

Just then, my name was called again.

“Here we go.”

For the first time, my confidence wavered.

In the distance, a lanky boy sauntered over.

His face was filled with boredom and annoyance.

He came off as someone who went with the flow, living life as it came.

And I sensed immediately that I was facing my toughest opponent of the day.

The lazy genius.

Ban.

Always indifferent about everything, this lazy genius.

He was definitely among the top five in skills, yet he often resigned to forfeit out of sheer laziness.

Instructors and professors didn’t really scold Ban.

Someone who lacks motivation won’t suddenly become motivated regardless of what you do.

His rank reflected his mindset.

If he had no desire to rise, he would consider it acceptable to stay in the mid-tier.

Ban scratched his back, looking at me with lazy eyes.

As I met his gaze, I stepped onto the arena.

“Ban, if you’re going to forfeit again, you might as well say it early.”

The instructor said to Ban with a familiar tone.

Ban glanced at the instructor, then turned slowly toward me.

Then he took his hand away from his back.

“Nope.”

Despite the unmistakable boredom in his eyes,

there was a hint of interest rekindling for the first time in ages.

“I want to cut you.”

What a nutcase.

I don’t get why the top students, like Sharine, the Magic Arts Top Student, are all like that.

“Ban wants to cut you.”

“Is it finally over?”

“If Ban is interested, maybe the transfer student is actually strong.”

The kids began whispering again.

All the second-year students were well aware of Ban’s talent.

Plus, they all knew that until now, Ban hadn’t genuinely showcased his skills.

But the reason Ban chose to fight me wasn’t because he rated my abilities highly.

Ban had only shown his skills properly once in a simulation match.

“When I fought Lucas before.”

That was when he faced off against Lucas.

After an intense battle, Lucas, through sheer effort, managed to defeat Ban.

That was the moment that sparked Ban’s interest in swordsmanship again.

However, after Lucas died,

Ban once again lost his interest in swords, falling back into the role of the lazy genius.

“He’s quite the guy.”

Ban dropped his scabbard to the ground.

At the same time, an aura of intent emanated from his body.

“You’ve been talking nonsense.”

Ban seemed to hold Lucas in high regard.

And I had disrespected the very person who had inspired his motivation.

Isabel wasn’t the only one upset about my insult to Lucas.

All the members of the martial arts club, who had spent a year with Lucas, were equally dissatisfied with me.

That was the reason my confidence faded.

14th rank, the lazy genius, Ban.

He wouldn’t go down easily against someone like me.

And I’m sorry to say,

“I was just stating the facts.”

I wouldn’t go down easily either.

“Oh, alright.”

Ban replied casually.

Instead, his gaze locked onto me.

“You’re going down.”

“Battle start.”

As the instructor announced the start and stepped back,

Ban vanished from my sight.

Fast.

Just when I instinctively reacted a second too late after registering his movement,

Slash!

Blood splattered for the first time from my chest.

I stepped back, and my chest was cut.

Underneath was Ban, wielding his sword.

For the first time, my steel skin had been breached.

And I had fully anticipated this.

Ban’s sword shimmered with a bright blue aura.

Only a select few among the top students of Jerion Academy could master such a talent.

Swordsmanship.

The ultimate form of giving one’s inner vision to their blade.

With swordsmanship, even a dull sword can cut through stone, Slice through steel.

Ban was one of the rare few who wielded such a technique.

No matter how tough my steel skin is,

At my current level, I can’t deflect his swordsmanship directly.

That was also why I thought steel skin alone wouldn’t solve my issues in the top ranks.

Ban’s sword moved again.

Now, relying on my steel skin, the long game I used in the mid-tier was futile.

The shield strapped to my arm moved swiftly.

Ban looked at my shield with indifference.

“What’s the point of that?”

As his question paired with the clash of our weapons,

Slash!

The shield shattered into two pieces.

It was utterly useless against Ban’s swordsmanship.

The only way to counter swordsmanship is with swordsmanship of my own.

I truly felt the strength of his technique.

The instructor didn’t stop the match.

He understood Ban’s abilities.

Though it looked risky, he was certain that Ban wouldn’t kill his opponent.

So enough, Ban’s sword was honed to perfection.

The sword danced on the floor as it advanced.

My body narrowly avoided Ban’s attack.

Thanks to today’s practice, I learned something about Bickamon.

Bickamon has surprisingly good dynamic vision.

If it were the original me, I wouldn’t have even registered that attack.

But Bickamon’s body executed the ingrained steps instinctively, evading the strike.

Repeating defensive maneuvers in previous battles helped.

I was gaining experience within my body.

Yet, not everything could be solved with evasion.

My opponent was a swordmaster.

Because of Ban’s swordsmanship, I was being gradually pushed back.

As I dodged, Ban’s sword positioned itself where I tried to escape.

Before I knew it, the space I had to evade was rapidly shrinking.

Ban handled countless styles of swordsmanship simultaneously.

His technique was certainly a blunt style that captured the opponent’s territory.

Accelerated by rapid attacks, he was cornering me.

Slash!

The realm of cuts expanded exponentially.

Flesh damaged from Ban’s sword added to my bleeding clothes.

My area was snatched away in the blink of an eye.

Ban’s eyes gleamed.

I could feel how long he had devoted himself to swordsmanship.

Before I realized it, I was cornered to a point where I couldn’t budge an inch.

My body was a mess, bruised and cut from dodging.

My breath became ragged.

Repeatedly walking a tightrope of evasion was taking its toll on my stamina.

“Ban, take him down!”

“Show that guy who’s boss!”

Perhaps because I had mercilessly defeated the kids earlier,

I had become a traitor in their eyes.

Honestly, I had to admit I had taken pleasure in bullying them.

After enduring through endless evasion and my steel skin being worn down, I had smashed them when they finally ran out of energy.

From their perspective, it couldn’t feel like a fair fight.

Someone even grumbled that if it wasn’t a simulation, it wouldn’t have taken this long.

But this is a simulation match.

I had to exploit every aspect of it.

Moreover, playing the role of the traitor was something I welcomed.

The more I seemed like a traitor, the more it could motivate Isabel to take me down.

Even amidst the kids’ cries, Ban’s eyes remained calm.

His genius shone through, and his concentration was awe-inspiring.

My territory was already under Ban’s control.

Understanding this, Ban’s sword lunged towards me for the finish.

Like a snake constricting its prey’s neck.

Ban’s sword soared towards me.

An unavoidable close-range attack.

I could see the blade approaching, but no options for evasion appeared before me.

And so.

“I’ve been waiting for this.”

Ban’s sword charged at me.

As it invaded my skin, piercing deep into my chest, the ground vibrated with a deep sound.

For the first time, Ban’s eyes opened wide.

Steel skin.

Here lies a secret others didn’t know.

Steel skin doesn’t just apply to skin.

It can be extended to weapons or clothing I hold as well.

And right now, let me clarify why I’m mentioning this.

It’s happening right before my eyes.

The blade that was supposed to cut me,

Ban’s sword remained lodged in my chest, frozen in place.

Ban’s sword was stuck firmly, refusing to budge.

That’s because his blade had now become firmly anchored to my steel skin.

Of course, the pain pulsing through my chest was overwhelming, but

that’s something I had long since braced myself for.

Ban’s eyes widened in shock.

His gaze reflected disbelief.

“You.”

He belatedly noticed the properties that had been conferred onto my body.

I wasn’t just some sturdy guy.

I was a being wrapped in the mystery that the Steel Empress originally possessed.

But it was still too early for Ban to panic.

The moment his sword swung, my hands were already moving.

Both my hands, fingers extended, aimed at the blade embedded in my chest.

Ban recognized my movement too late.

Crack!

My fingers punctured through Ban’s blade.

I had used the mystery of my steel skin to interfere with the blade itself, pushing it away.

“Hey, let me tell you something.”

Thanks to that, my fingers felt like they were being torn off, but

I paid it no mind as I revealed a malevolent grin.

In the sweat drenching my face, my crimson eyes glimmered.

Ban’s wide eyes stared back at me in awe.

As if confronted by a madman.

Living his life labeled as a genius, Ban must have only ever been surrounded by commoners.

So, I was determined to make a strong impression on him.

The lazy genius who should have been Lucas’s most reliable ally and friend.

Before him now,

I would show him someone he had never encountered before.

“Never wield a sword in front of me again.”

Then I clenched both hands tightly and pulled.

Crack! Crash!

The misaligned blade shattered and splintered everywhere.

Ban stared blankly at the scattered pieces of his sword.

Sword Breaker.

A secret technique that even Aisha found shocking.

It was my trump card to shatter the genius of swords.