"I'll kill you!!!"

If a carelessly thrown fishing hook caught your heart, would it cause such a seizure?

Ok Myeong-jin, holding his spear, leaped up with a horrifying scream.

'This isn't an act.'

If that expression and those movements were acting, it would be fair to just let yourself be fooled.

Rohan raised his longsword and caught the descending spear head-on.

Clang───!!!

The mana-infused weapons erupted with a metallic sound.

Hearing the thunderous noise, the Iron Turtles below let out rumbling growls.

"I thought you said you didn't want to kill me earlier?"

"Shut up!"

"Life has its ups and downs. Why are you getting so worked up?"

"Graaah!!! I'll pierce that mouth of yours!!!"

Taking Rohan's consolation as mockery, Ok Myeong-jin looked ready to emit steam from his face.

The mana in his spear grew increasingly violent, riding the waves of his emotions.

Bang!

The disrupted mana forcefully pushed them apart.

Ok Myeong-jin used an Iron Turtle on the ground as a foothold to land back in his original position.

Rohan quickly regained his balance and readjusted his sword.

"Rohan. Let me help."

Ichinose Yui took a step forward.

But Rohan had already made his decision. So he refused without hesitation.

"It's fine. Just wait there."

"Student Ok is from a renowned martial family. He probably has special skills too."

"I'm sure he does."

"...You know that subduing someone cleanly is harder than killing them, right? We should attack together here."

"Oh, you've already figured out what I'm trying to do?"

"It's because of the instructor's warning not to kill other students, right? I can sense your intention."

If Ichinose Yui stepped in, the balance of power would instantly tilt, and the situation would be resolved.

Nevertheless.

Rohan asked Ichinose not to intervene.

"Let me act on my own just this once."

"..."

Whether Ichinose had experienced it before or not, human relationships sometimes aren't much different from wild beasts.

There are moments when pure strength determines the hierarchy.

People who live by force cannot miss such moments.

'Even if I win, it'll likely be troublesome, but if I don't establish dominance from the start... this guy will be a real nuisance.'

He'd seen people like Ok Myeong-jin countless times before.

He understood them clearly. That's why he could roughly see the future.

Considering academy life after the practical exam.

And even if they were to meet again on the deserted island.

To gain the upper hand with someone like this, he needed to clearly establish who was above whom right now and keep a tight leash.

"I'll make it up to you somehow. How about it?"

"...No need for compensation. Just don't get hurt."

As Rohan raised the corner of his mouth and stared straight ahead.

On the opposite side, perhaps having heard Rohan and Ichinose's conversation, a contrasting atmosphere flowed.

"Hey. Interfere and I'll kill you."

"Uh... got it!"

Ok Myeong-jin also insisted on handling this alone without his partner's help.

He threw off his outer garment and gripped his spear as if ready to crush it.

"Haaah..."

He seemed to be trying to contain the explosive anger he was releasing.

Yet his eyes on Rohan remained unchanged. A fierce gaze that looked ready to chew him to the bone.

Rohan lightly jumped down to the Iron Turtles' habitat.

Ok Myeong-jin also landed with his spear resting on his shoulder.

─ Grrrrrk!

Both Rohan and Ok Myeong-jin stood on the shell of an Iron Turtle that was approaching with its head out, crawling slowly.

They moved closer to each other, stepping on the sharp shells like stepping stones.

Rohan was smiling to irritate Ok Myeong-jin.

But his eyes were fixed on the spear, and his mind was working non-stop.

'I can't let my guard down.'

Despite his temperament, he's from a wealthy family in Samhwaguk.

Just from that earlier strike, it's evident he's received professional combat training.

Whoosh! Whoom! Whoosh!

Ok Myeong-jin's spear rotated fiercely around his body.

As Ichinose said, rather than thrusting, he was using centrifugal force to strike.

'His first attack wasn't a thrust either, but a downward strike.'

If what Ok Myeong-jin had wasn't a standard-issue weapon but his own.

He might have been using something like a crescent blade or a naginata.

"Haaaah!!!"

The spear shaft swung with a battle cry.

Rohan swung his sword like a baseball bat on the undulating Iron Turtle.

───Clang! The blade deflected the spear.

Ok Myeong-jin accepted the pushing force and rotated his body.

He continued his fierce offensive against Rohan.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

A situation where they had to be mindful of the unpredictably moving foothold.

Rohan used the broad side of his blade to deflect the spear while carefully observing its trajectory and movements.

After about ten exchanges.

A clue appeared.

'The spear technique itself is systematic and excellent. The only problem is... the user is immature.'

Perhaps due to the reality that he couldn't overwhelm from the start, contrary to expectations.

As the exchanges continued, the anxiety in Ok Myeong-jin's spear tip and expression became increasingly evident.

Ting!

The spear shaft was blocked more cleanly than ever before. As if the movement had been anticipated and read.

Rohan and Ok Myeong-jin clearly felt the contrasting sensations.

"Did you skip dinner yesterday? Your spear seems quite weak."

"You're just barely blocking...! All talk and no action!"

A vein bulged on Ok Myeong-jin's forehead.

Rohan chuckled at the transparently displayed emotion.

'Honest bastard.'

Ok Myeong-jin kicked off the Iron Turtle, creating some distance, and descended to the ground.

A distance where he couldn't reach unless he threw the spear.

Yet Ok Myeong-jin was using mana. It was enveloping his entire body with a different movement than before.

'A skill?'

With a very high probability, it was.

Should he close the distance or observe? Either decision had its pros and cons.

Rohan tensed his thighs, ready to dash at any moment, and kept his eyes on his opponent.

"Uoooooh!!!"

An unusual battle cry.

Ok Myeong-jin's body began to grow larger, and he started to don an oriental-style armor that looked like it belonged in a historical drama.

Even the spear he was holding seemed to be affected by the skill, faintly outlining the shape of a crescent blade.

'So he's the grandson of some general.'

Seeing such a skill, his bloodline must be genuine.

Rohan decided to close the distance and kicked off the shell.

Ok Myeong-jin, who had transformed into a figure well over 2 meters tall, raised his spear high.

Seeing how he exposed his waist and lower body, he seemed confident in his durability.

"Hahaha!!! Die!!!"

"You madman. We're told not to kill fellow students."

The spear came down like a guillotine.

Rohan gripped his sword with both hands. The blade glowed red-hot like a branding iron.

The heat distorted the air as it was swung.

[One Sword - Flame Cut]

The moment Rohan's longsword met the spear.

Ok Myeong-jin's spear, which could easily crush a person, flew into the sky, spinning.

"!!!"

Through the helmet, his shocked expression was clear.

Rohan immediately closed in on the now unarmed Ok Myeong-jin and spread his mana.

'Weakness Imposition.'

[Imposing physical attribute as a weakness on the target.]

"Wh-what did you do?!"

Startled by the strange sensation, he used his armored body as a weapon.

His fists were as large as pot lids, but they weren't threatening, suggesting he was inept at anything other than spear techniques.

"You'll break your molars. Clench your teeth."

Rohan tilted his sword sideways and struck the helmet on his head.

Ding!

A vibration similar to a bell.

"Ugh!"

As if on the verge of losing consciousness, Ok Myeong-jin's eyes began to glaze over.

His legs were trembling.

[Applying debuff to the target.]

"!"

An unfamiliar notification. But the confusion and surprise were fleeting.

'That's it!'

A function that came with Transcendence.

It was certain. A good opportunity.

[When attacking a target with an imposed weakness, there's a low chance to apply a debuff. The debuff shares the level of Weakness Imposition.]

Various debuffs appeared like options in Rohan's mind.

He selected one that looked just right.

'Blindness.'

The effect was immediate.

"M-my eyes...!?"

As if shocked enough to snap out of his fading consciousness.

Ok Myeong-jin let out a voice drenched in fear as he fumbled with his face.

Rohan couldn't hold back his laughter at the definite effect.

"What are you doing in the middle of a fight?"

Rohan flipped his sword and jabbed Ok Myeong-jin's abdomen with the pommel.

The attack penetrated the solid armor and landed a perfect hit.

"Gahk─!"

The giant figure clutched his stomach and fell to his knees.

"..."

From here, if he swung his sword, he could cleanly sever the neck.

But he didn't.

Rohan unhesitatingly stabbed his sword into the ground, securing it.

He had no intention of upsetting Juyeon.

"Does it sting?"

He clenched his empty hand into a solid fist and cut through the air.

He delivered a clean blow to Ok Myeong-jin's chin.

"Guhk!"

Amidst the fading consciousness from the heavy impact.

Ok Myeong-jin felt his vision returning, freeing him from genuine terror.

And he looked ahead. He was forced to look.

As the giant figure collapsed, he caught sight of the beautiful girl standing above.

"I-Ichinose...!"

Ok Myeong-jin mustered his last strength in his fading consciousness to call out.

But Ichinose's gaze didn't shift even a bit.

Her eyes, rarely open for extended periods, were.

Filled with surprise, looking only at Rohan.