What? Colorful pervert? Colorful bastard?
I’m going crazy, for real.
I can’t believe I’m hearing such insane words in reality.
It’s like the world has gone mad, with even passersby reacting like they’re in a light novel.
Just because someone has a bit of a shady face doesn’t mean they’re a colorful bastard.
I rub my forehead.
My stomach churns, and I feel like throwing up.
It’s all Olivia’s fault.
Ugh, so embarrassing, seriously.
“Ugh… what the heck are these ridiculous rumors…!!”
Olivia’s face turns red.
She bites her lip and her hands tremble.
“This is your own doing.”
Who told such nonsense anyway?
Olivia shouts.
“Shut up!!”
What is this, who is saying this to whom?
Nothing makes sense.
I let out a sigh.
Indeed, tsundere types are only nice from a distance; up close, it’s a tragedy.
At that moment.
[Next. Shinozaki Rin, Mr. Kim Deok-Sung. Please enter the arena.]
I hear the announcement in my ear.
Finally, it’s my turn.
I get up from my seat.
“Hey, you.”
I hear Olivia’s voice behind me.
I turn around.
There she is, a platinum-haired beautiful girl with shaking blue eyes staring at me, her face flushed.
Her lips part.
“I’m going to win no matter what! If you lose, I swear I won’t forgive you! You won’t see a garbage guy like you in this universe again! So win!”
Olivia’s voice echoes through the audience.
Ugh, so embarrassing again. Damn.
I let out a sigh.
But at least she’s showing concern.
“Okay.”
I should at least respond.
Upon hearing my words, Olivia crosses her arms and turns her head away.
“Hmph. Do whatever you want.”
Seriously, I finally put in some effort to answer her.
She’s doing it again. Just great.
Shaking my head, I walk down to the silent audience.
I see the entrance to the arena ahead.
It’s finally time to go get my ass whooped.
What’s there to be embarrassed about?
Arena entrance.
In front of me, there’s another black-haired person, Kurosawa Yuji.
Kurosawa Yuji catches my eye.
Seeing me, he waves and smiles as if pleased to find me.
I sigh.
Though it’s necessary, I’m not particularly thrilled about meeting the protagonist.
I don’t like that he’s a weakly, angst-ridden male character.
Thinking about how the protagonist saw the wrong heroine naked, not Olivia, still makes my teeth grind.
“Hey, Kim!”
“What are you doing here instead of leaving?”
“Uh… I just missed you, I guess? Hahaha.”
The protagonist scratches the back of his head.
Ugh, gross.
Who misses someone like that?
The katsudon and the chewy rice cake that Olivia forcibly shoved into my mouth at the cafeteria are threatening to make a reappearance.
I should not have eaten that katsudon.
It’s so gloppy and unappetizing.
I take a deep breath to clear my head.
Still, I need to get along with the protagonist for now.
Even if I can’t become the crown prince later, I might be able to use him to find a way back to my original world.
“Just get to the point.”
“You’re as cold as ever, Kim.”
Cold?
How ridiculous.
My patience is starting to wear thin.
“Just get to the point.”
Please don’t test me.
“I’m sorry!”
The protagonist suddenly puts his hands together.
What the hell. Seriously.
I didn’t come here to witness this crazy scene.
The only solution is a quick escape.
Father, Mother. The ungrateful are crying.
“What are you sorry about?”
I barely swallow the curse that rises up my throat.
I’m really starting to feel unwell.
Will he take responsibility if I end up sick?
Ugh.
“It’s because of me you fought with Shinozaki. So, I’m really sorry!”
He says it quickly. Ugh.
What a frustrating protagonist.
Just watching him makes me feel stifled and my blood boil.
I need a soda.
I realize now how nice a refreshing drink would be.
“I get it. If you’re really that sorry, don’t put your hands together. It just pisses me off more.”
“Okay.”
Yuji uncrosses his hands.
I feel about 1% better.
“I defeated Ishihara.”
“No need to recap; I saw everything.”
Why even mention that?
“Hang in there, Kim. This time, I’m rooting for you, not Shinozaki.”
He lightly taps my shoulder and smiles.
I just got chills. Crazy.
“Don’t touch me. Seriously, I’ll kill you before you kill me.”
What do you think you’re doing, touching me?
It’s a death penalty, a death penalty.
“I’m sorry!”
“Don’t put your hands together either!”
“Okay, I’m sorry. Kim.”
Finally, the protagonist makes a normal apologetic gesture.
Phew.
I take a deep breath.
With the big match coming up, there’s no point in getting flustered.
Alright, let’s find my zen. Time for some mind control.
“I’m off.”
It was messy being together, and unless necessary, let’s avoid each other.
“Hang in there. You got this!”
As I enter the arena, I can’t tell if that’s encouragement or a curse from the protagonist.
Underneath the translucent magical barrier protecting the audience.
There’s Shinozaki Rin.
Her cold navy blue eyes are locked onto me.
[The teacher believes both of you know the duel rules well. Just in case, to reiterate: the one who declares surrender or is deemed unable to fight will be immediately transported to the waiting room and lose.]
In this world, hero candidates are crucial forces against the invasion of otra dimensions.
The investment for cultivating one candidate as a hero is more than the cost of a fighter jet.
Losing a life over a duel is considered a tremendous loss for human civilization.
Thus, duel classes are set to automatically transport anyone deemed unable to fight to prevent disasters.
‘Such a typical academy trope.’
This setup appears frequently in not only Japanese academy battle stories but also Korean ones.
[Before the duel, please activate combat mode on both sides.]
Mayuzumi-sensei’s voice echoes throughout the arena.
Swoosh.
Shinozaki Rin draws her Totsuka no Tsurugi.
The blue blade of the Japanese sword glimmers under the lights.
Flash.
A navy blue flash erupts from the edge of the Totsuka no Tsurugi.
Clank, clank.
The navy full-body gloves accentuate her curvy figure.
I inject magic into Durandal.
[Durandal Online]
Whoosh.
With a notification sound, steam hisses out.
A black flash explodes, enveloping my entire body in the full-body armor.
[Preparation complete. Then, battle start!]
The moment the duel’s starting signal drops.
“Freeze.”
With her single word, the world around me is engulfed in pure white frost.
It’s cold.
Like, unbearably cold.
The chill penetrating the magic barrier? Unbelievable.
‘Shit.’
Cursing escapes me.
The feeling is reminiscent of standing guard in the dead of winter with a useless deputy under freezing dawn on a military base.
I glance around.
My whole body is frozen solid.
“Ugh!”
I let out a groan, trying to move.
Nope, not happening.
Shinozaki Rin smiles smugly, watching me.
“Offering to do a Togeza, huh? Guess you weren’t as confident as I thought?”
While it keeps snowing no matter how much you shovel, Shinozaki Rin strolls across the frostbitten duel stage like it’s nothing.
The blade of Totsuka no Tsurugi, gripped at an angle, ignites with navy magic.
“How pathetic.”
True to her light novel heroine character, she plays it cool, finally drawing the sword but still tossing out taunts like she’s having a casual chat.
Shinozaki Rin is lounging around, whining like there’s no tomorrow.
You’re gonna regret this.
While secretly enduring Olivia’s tsundere antics, she operates the mana circulation method of the White Flame Sword Technique that she learned.
Whoa.
The Magic Core heats up and releases magical energy.
Mana rushes through her body following the path of the White Flame Sword Technique.
Whoosh.
Fire attribute mana ignites, melting her frozen body.
Not yet.
Come a little closer, Shinozaki Rin.
“This silly game is coming to an end.”
As Shinozaki Rin lifts Totsuka no Tsurugi.
She activates her ability.
[Indestructible]
The absolute unbreakable defensive power of the magic sword envelops her whole body.
Clang!
Shinozaki Rin’s katana clashes against my shoulder with a metallic sound.
“What the…?”
Shinozaki Rin’s face tenses up.
A flicker of agitation appears in her navy blue eyes.
Whoosh.
Black flames erupt, completely melting her frozen body.
Ah, now I can breathe a bit.
What would I have done if I hadn’t learned the White Flame Sword Technique?
“So, you had a trump card hidden away, huh?”
Shinozaki Rin commentates the situation like an e-sports caster.
Everything’s fine, but could you please shut that mouth of yours?
You could at least say, “Let the match begin!!”, right?
I’m getting annoyed.
“But it’s still the anticipated circumstance. The outcome of this match won’t change.”
Whoosh!
With a burst of sound, her navy blue magic-infused katana aims for my chest, flying toward me.
Clang!
I deflect her katana with Durandal.
The strong recoil travels through the blade and into my hand.
“Damn…”
It hurts.
It hurts like hell.
My hand feels like it’s going to rip apart.
I grit my teeth.
“Oh?”
A spark of interest gleams in Shinozaki Rin’s eyes.
Seems she finds it intriguing that I blocked her attack.
“You’re better than I expected.”
Whoosh!
The katana swings again.
Clang!
I block her attack again.
Maybe it’s because I’ve used Synchronization three times now?
Swinging Durandal feels more natural than before.
Without a Status Window, I can’t tell how much my Sword Mastery has improved.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
I barely fend off her successive katana strikes.
Black and navy blue magic intertwine, creating sparks, shaking the field.
But in pure swordsmanship, Shinozaki Rin definitely holds the upper hand.
I’m starting to struggle.
Taking her attacks is really taking a toll, and my hand is killing me.
[Synchronization]
I activate my second ability.
The Black Prince’s memories and experiences upload into my mind.
The headache lingers.
But the pain has weakened compared to before.
I can manage.
My vision glows red.
My heart races as new combat instincts awaken.
I can now see how inferior the sword I wielded until just now truly was.
