*
A stuffy feeling. I didn't even do anything wrong, so why do I have to feel like this?
For some reason, my body feels heavy, and I can't concentrate.
I tried to resolve the built-up feelings alone, but it felt clumsy somehow, and I just kept piling up stress.
These days, I can't sleep well, and my condition is just a mess.
"Hoo... Hoo..."
In the end, I sighed, looking at the targets that were more than half missed. At this rate, it seemed clear that I wouldn't be able to do my studies properly.
I sat down, thinking of taking a short break, but that guy's face kept flickering in my mind.
I should just be careful on my own, but he just approaches me indifferently.
A relationship between a man and a woman is normal when one woman and one man meet. For her, who takes monogamy for granted, she had no intention of getting between Yoon Seo-ah and Kim Si-woo.
Of course, unlike her mindset, it's inevitable that I keep getting concerned about him.
The time I've spent with him won't be easily erased, but if a little more time passes, I'll be able to be friends with him.
'Because we've just been friends all along.'
Wasn't I thinking of him as just a normal friend until I entered the rift world?
We haven't turned into a special relationship, and nothing has really changed. If I just get my emotions in order, I'll be able to live like I did in the past.
Just as I was about to start training again, the bell rang at the entrance of the Diamond Training Room.
"Da-eun-yang?"
"Hi, Hye-ji-ya?"
The person who came suddenly was none other than Lee Da-eun. I looked around, but I couldn't see anyone else besides Lee Da-eun.
I usually knew that Lee Da-eun often trained with Kim Si-woo's group, but I don't know what's going on, but I went inside with Lee Da-eun for now.
"You were doing target practice."
Lee Da-eun smiled meaningfully after seeing my score. Of all things, she had to see what could be called the worst score.
I didn't want to show this side of me as a rival, so Park Hye-ji hurriedly turned off the score window.
"Oh... I'm not in good condition today, but I'm usually more accurate..."
"I didn't say anything?"
"Uh... How long do you think you'll be in the vice-chief position? I'm telling you again, I'm going to go up to the top spot."
"Heu-eung. Right. That's what Hye-ji always says."
I'm saying this so seriously, but she's just laughing it off. How long can she afford to be so relaxed when there's only a difference of one number?
"You... until when..."
"I just came because I was worried about Hye-ji."
"Worried? Worrying about me?"
She's worried about me? What's with her all of a sudden?
"Um... you just seem to be having a hard time these days?"
"..."
Was it that obvious that other people could notice? I guess I'm still not good enough at controlling my emotions.
But that doesn't mean I can show a weak side to my rival.
"I don't know what you're talking about, but I don't have any problems. Thanks for worrying about me."
"You used to come to our class often. I haven't seen you lately."
"That's... I only went there because of my grandfather's matter. I'm just not going these days because I don't have any business there..."
I only went there because of my grandfather's matter. I definitely didn't go there for any other purpose.
Isn't it normal to live in your own class? It was definitely not because of Kim Si-woo.
"Is that so...?"
"Yes. So, is that all you came here for?"
"Your expression seems darker than before, and you don't seem to be able to concentrate well."
"That's just because of lack of sleep. There's nothing particularly wrong, so you don't have to worry. I have to train, so I'll be going..."
"If you don't want to tell me, should we have a sparring match after a long time?"
I couldn't help but stop at those words. Unless there's a sparring test, there's hardly any chance to fight with Lee Da-eun.
I've been thinking that I've made a lot of progress recently, so I wanted to fight her at least once.
'If it's now... wouldn't I win?'
A mountain that I have to climb someday to become the top student, so I wanted to check Lee Da-eun's skills.
Come to think of it, it's been a long time since we properly fought.
It's just a ranking created through various evaluations. I lost to Lee Da-eun in the past, but that's just the past.
If I'm more grown up than then, wouldn't I be able to beat Lee Da-eun?
"Are you confident?"
"Um... a little? Hehe."
"I might have lost then, but it'll be different now."
"Um... instead, if Hye-ji loses, tell me honestly. Um... if I lose, is there anything you want?"
"If Da-eun-yang loses, please promise that you won't interfere with my training in the future."
"Sorry... was I interfering because of me?"
"Well... maybe so. But it doesn't matter now. I really wanted to fight you again."
*
Park Hye-ji checked each of the swords on her waist.
Not sparring weapons, but the weapons I usually used were hanging there.
She may look easygoing and friendly on the outside, but Lee Da-eun was the vice-chief of the Great Academy.
She wasn't an opponent that I could easily take on and win. It's just that she seemed that way because it was a team-based evaluation, so it was a difficult environment for her to be active, but Lee Da-eun also had monstrous skills.
Even this friendly match was like that. If we exclude the problem of poor mobility, is it easy to plaster such elaborate trap magic on the field?
The concentration to set up the magic circle was also impressive, but the amount of Mana was also at a level that could never be ignored.
In addition, she was a cadet with enough power to smash Yang Hye-mi in one shot.
"Hye-ji-ya~ aren't you being too serious?"
"Why don't you look in the mirror before you talk."
"Um... I see. I guess I get nervous when the opponent is Hye-ji."
She's speaking in a soft voice as usual, but her eyes are as sharp as ever.
Judging from the fact that her momentum is unusual compared to when we fought in the past, it seemed that Lee Da-eun had also grown.
"Try to be serious. Because I will too!!!"
I'm called an all-rounder dealer who can attack from both long and short ranges.
I can respond flexibly depending on the opponent, but I still couldn't beat Lee Da-eun in terms of long-range combat ability.
'Unique Territory.'
When I released Mana around me, the synchronized Mana began to create water splashes around me.
A large amount of water began to spin around me, and at the same time, when I swung my sword, a huge wave crashed into Lee Da-eun.
'I see. It's not working.'
Lee Da-eun used her Unique Territory as if to counter when I used my Unique Territory.
Her hair, dyed purple by her Mana, was sticking up.
Lee Da-eun, who was emitting purple light, reached out her hand and the electricity that was created shattered my wave.
A quick response that could be said to be instantaneous. Lee Da-eun's scary thing was that her attack power was attack power, but her attack speed was also fast.
It's hard to see something faster than lightning.
'Now!'
When I stepped back, a purple lightning bolt fell where I was standing.
One shot, two shots, Lee Da-eun's electric attacks poured down like a storm, as if she had no intention of allowing me to approach.
The lightning that fell to the ground had the property of spreading in all directions, so even though I clearly succeeded in dodging, I felt a tingling sensation.
If I were hit directly there, I probably wouldn't be able to move my body and would allow the next attack.
__Kwang!! Kwang!! Kwang!! Kwaaaang!!!
Lightning bolts that were deafening began to strike down from the sky without a break.
I had to move my feet non-stop to avoid the lightning that was falling like rain.
'There's no chance of winning like this.'
Lee Da-eun's Mana resembled the properties of electricity. It's not exactly the same as the electricity that occurs in nature, but it had a similar form.
Every time I created a wave or created a sword aura with water, she countered every attack with a simple motion of reaching out her hand.
Every time an attack came, my body tingled with the electricity that was rising through the ground. Even if I tried to block it with Mana, it was not enough.
'If I keep this up, I'll lose the same way I did back then.'
Lee Da-eun's weakness is close combat, but in fact, if I'm fighting alone without a companion, I'm not that weak in close combat either.
Because if the opponent approaches, she can just release electricity in all directions.
But it was the same even if I responded like this from afar.
'I guess... I have no choice!'
Park Hye-ji bent down and charged towards Lee Da-eun.
Lee Da-eun, who read that I was going to charge, began to drop lightning bolts fiercely.
Deadly attacks that would be fatal if I got hit by just one were pouring down fiercely from all directions, but Park Hye-ji ran without stopping.
'It's the footwork I learned from my grandfather!'
The water splashes around her body began to spin rapidly, and the speed began to increase even more.
Use water that is free of impurities to increase electrical resistance and accelerate further using Mana.
The distance was narrowed in an instant due to the sudden increase in speed.
Park Hye-ji grabbed her sword to draw it.
"It's over!!!!"
A distance that could be said to be zero, Park Hye-ji used her swordsmanship.
"...!!!"
__Jijijijik!! Jijijijijik!!!!
I couldn't move my sword because some indescribable force was forcibly pushing it away.
Park Hye-ji's sword, which didn't move no matter how much force I gave it, was right before it touched Lee Da-eun's body.
"Sorry, Hye-ji-ya."
"Wh..what are you doing..."
"Sorry."
__Jijijijijijijik!!!!!!!!!!
The enormous amount of current released from around Lee Da-eun covered all directions. Park Hye-ji, who was nearby, hurriedly protected her body, but it was meaningless in the face of the enormous destructive power.
There was nowhere to escape because it was spreading in all directions.
I couldn't escape because it was coming in through the water splashes around me.
Lee Da-eun approached Park Hye-ji, who was lying down with a blank face.
"It didn't work on Si-woo."
Park Hye-ji's sword was spinning around Lee Da-eun, who was walking slowly.
A feat using electromagnetic force using Unique Territory. There were no weapons that excluded metal because of Mana conductivity.
But it didn't work on Kim Si-woo.
"Electromagnetic force... is it...."
"Yeah... it's a new skill I learned this time."
"Haa... Yes. I lost."
The reason why Park Hye-ji couldn't beat Lee Da-eun was simple.
Because the compatibility is bad.