*
Lee Da-eun's match was one of the duels I had been paying attention to.
She was one of the most recognized students when it came to destructive power.
Her quick attack speed, range, and power using electric shock abilities were all perfect, leaving nothing to be desired in a student.
However, that was only in terms of her offensive power, and she received poor evaluations in other areas.
Didn't she clearly show how weak she was against a student whose attacks didn't work on her in last year's match against Yoon Seo-ah?
She was considered to have lower stamina than other students, and her ability to respond to sudden variables was also not very good.
You could say she was a student who truly deserved the name "glass cannon."
But despite all that, there was one reason why Lee Da-eun was called the runner-up.
Her destructive power was definitely certain. Unless it was a unique student like Yoon Seo-ah, no one could block her attacks.
How many students could stand unharmed in front of the electric shock attacks that spread in all directions?
A student with clear strengths but also clear weaknesses. That was the evaluation that the scouts had of Lee Da-eun.
"I'm looking forward to seeing who wins this match."
"Well... wouldn't it be similar to last year's pattern?"
"Still, I think Yang Hye-mi, the opponent, might have an advantage if she uses the terrain."
In last year's friendly match, she was knocked out in one hit by Lee Da-eun's electric shock attack, ending it somewhat absurdly, but they judged that Yang Hye-mi was at an advantage this time because there were more covers than before.
If she maintained her distance and exploited the fact that Lee Da-eun's stamina drops, it would be difficult for Lee Da-eun to properly use her destructive power.
"By the way, did you see Park Hye-ji's match yesterday?"
"Yes. Honestly, I was surprised too. She was at a level where it wouldn't be strange for her to be an A-Rank Hunter."
"I heard there were a lot of monsters this year, but I didn't know there would be so many Hunters who were already close to being complete."
"The scarier thing is that they're still growing."
She's an all-rounder dealer with excellent ranged attack abilities and excellent close combat abilities.
Usually, Hunters of this type are considered to have weak attack power and can't do either well, but Park Hye-ji was excellent in both abilities.
You could say she's an attractive Hunter that every guild is eyeing. Her value will probably go up after this friendly match.
"Hmm... Lee Da-eun is wearing a battle suit?"
"I don't think she did that last year... Hmm... Hmm..."
The scouts kept turning their eyes to her prominent chest because of her tight clothes.
Even though they're grown adults, it's hard for men to take their eyes off such a large chest in front of them.
The audience cheered at Lee Da-eun's somewhat unconventional appearance.
"Hmm... Hmm... Well, clothing isn't important..."
"Y-Yes..."
That's how the match between Lee Da-eun and Yang Hye-mi began.
As expected, Yang Hye-mi, who accurately grasped Lee Da-eun's weaknesses, seemed to be planning to use a hit-and-run tactic by hiding her body.
It's not a bad tactic to target the opponent's weaknesses, but it was starting to feel a bit boring since they were just scouting in the wide terrain.
Generally, ranged combat has some flashy moments with each other attacking, but it was hard to see that in this match.
That probably means that it's too much of a burden to face Lee Da-eun head-on. No one here can deny her destructive power, so I can understand, but it wasn't the same for other people.
__ When are they going to fight?
__Yang Hye-mi? Why does she keep scouting?
It was a match that was enough to draw complaints from the spectators, but Yang Hye-mi, who had already been defeated by Lee Da-eun last year, didn't have the luxury to care about that.
She was just preparing attack magic while constantly watching the distance between her and Lee Da-eun. Lee Da-eun was also constantly moving to find Yang Hye-mi, but it seemed difficult to find Yang Hye-mi, who was determined to hide.
Since they were just playing hide-and-seek like this, the viewers couldn't help but complain.
"Hmm... It's a bit slow..."
"Well, it can't be helped since one side isn't actively fighting."
Yang Hye-mi occasionally aimed at Lee Da-eun and launched sniper attacks, but Lee Da-eun lightly defended and shot electric shocks in the direction the magic was flying from.
Yang Hye-mi shrank back even more after confirming its power, so it couldn't help but be frustrating to watch.
Of course, the scouting wasn't meaningless.
"Is she planning to keep chipping away at her stamina?"
"You could say it's one way to use the field. It's boring to watch, though."
Even if the attacks don't cause direct damage, constantly firing attack magic from blind spots forces the opponent to remain in a state of constant tension.
It seems like she's planning to exhaust Lee Da-eun by consuming her stamina in that way and then face her, but Lee Da-eun didn't tire easily.
"It seems like her stamina has improved since last year?"
Lee Da-eun was enduring with the increased stamina she gained from repeated training with Kim Si-woo. Plus, since Kim Si-woo uses so many unconventional attacks, Yang Mi-hye's attacks seemed rather easy to deal with.
From the perspective of those who didn't know the circumstances, it seemed like her weaknesses had suddenly been fixed in the meantime.
"Indeed. The engagement is getting longer, but her concentration isn't dropping."
"Still, Lee Da-eun is at a disadvantage. Thanks to her detection ability, Yang Hye-mi is constantly attacking without revealing her position."
It seemed like she was unilaterally attacking by utilizing her ability to find her opponent without missing them even in the dense forest.
She was attacking without revealing her position by setting up magic circles with a time difference so that they would activate after a certain amount of time.
"As expected. Terrain can't be ignored. Even though her stamina has improved since last year, it seems like she still can't overcome her stamina limit."
"Still, the Minguk Academy has prepared quite a bit this year. I thought the Daehan Academy was overwhelmingly dominant in the upper ranks, but is that not the case?"
"It looks like the Daehan Academy won't make it this time!"
Most people predicted Lee Da-eun's defeat, but not everyone did.
"I don't know. It looks like Yang Hye-mi is being pushed back in my eyes."
"Isn't Lee Da-eun the one being unilaterally attacked?"
"Look closely. She's constantly setting up magic circles and narrowing the range. It's a common way for hunters to corner their prey."
"What's that... Ah..."
As the veteran scout said, a large number of magic circles were laid out in that wide field.
I thought only Yang Hye-mi was using magic circles, but that was a mistake.
"If you set up magic to that extent..."
"Well, that's probably why she's exhausted. But it looks like there's nowhere to run anymore."
__Pueong!!
"Ah! Yang Hye-mi has fallen into a trap magic!"
"There's no damage, but her position will be exposed if that happens."
"The power doesn't matter. It's a magic set up for detection."
As soon as the explosion was heard, Lee Da-eun's hair turned purple and electricity began to spark around her.
At the same time, Lee Da-eun's body floated into the air, and she flew towards that side without a moment's hesitation.
"Is it flight magic... or a hybrid magic using her unique ability?"
"Whatever it is, the speed is fast."
It was the moment when Lee Da-eun, who flew in at a rapid speed, and Yang Hye-mi finally met.
Yang Hye-mi, who was flustered, fired magic at Lee Da-eun, but a strong laser was fired from a huge purple sphere that formed around Lee Da-eun.
The laser destroyed all of Yang Hye-mi's magic and went straight forward.
__Kwaaaaaaaang!!!!!
A strong roar and a shockwave that pushed away the surroundings occurred, and the situation ended.
Lee Da-eun looked exhausted, probably because it was a somewhat reckless attack, and Yang Hye-mi was rolling her eyes without being able to do anything with just one attack.
Her hair was all burnt from Lee Da-eun's attack, making it frizzy, and she was lying down, charred black.
"Y-Yeah... It seems like the Daehan Academy is still dominant..."
"W-We need to raise the evaluation of Lee Da-eun-ssi too..."
*
Yang Hye-mi was completely destroyed by Da-eun's sure one-hit kill.
It certainly didn't seem easy to guarantee that I could withstand such an attack either.
The scary thing about Da-eun's attacks is that they're hard to defend against.
I can't cut it with a sword, so it's poison to close-range types like me, plus electricity flows through metal, doesn't it?
Even Min-ji's gauntlets can't block it, so Da-eun can't help but be highly rated.
__Lee Da-eun!! Lee Da-eun!! Lee Da-eun!!
When today's highlight, the last match, ended, everyone started calling Da-eun's name.
It was a match that tended to drag on a bit, but that last hit still had a hit that made people's hearts boil.
"That opponent. She's just bothering Da-eun for no reason."
Min-ji, who was annoyed by the opponent who was firing magic from afar and running away, smiled with a refreshing expression.
They've shared affection with each other, so it's natural for Min-ji to cheer for Da-eun.
"Does this mean we've won more?"
"There's nothing good about winning more, you know?"
Even if there's no reward, it's still good for the Academy you attend to win.
Moreover, friendly matches are open to the general public, so they also affect perception and views.
The image continues to build up in these areas, which is why it's called the best Academy in Korea.
"Tomorrow is finally Kim Si-woo and Seo-ah's turn?"
"Yeah... Si-woo is fighting first..."
"Are you confident?"
"Confident."
I'm not confident in losing, but he was the top student, so he wouldn't be an easy opponent.
Well, it was a bit absurd, but it was a good result from my point of view.
If I have to perform well in the friendly match, it would be great if I could fight the guy who was the top student.
"Da-eun-ah, good job!"
"Yeah~ Thanks~"
As Da-eun won, the situation for Minguk Academy gradually worsened, and the public opinion that it would be impossible to beat Daehan Academy this year also arose.
In this situation, how will Minguk Academy and Kim Tae-yeon come out?
The next day, the fateful showdown finally arrived.