I Became the Academy’s Genius Shikigami Summoner – Chapter 15.2

“What’s going on?”

“It seems like the two of them are evenly matched with the same spell right now. . . . . . .”

“Is that even possible? One of them is a D-rank?”

The 1st years, who had been carefully watching the showdown in order to compete with the 2nd year seniors, began to buzz.

That was because no one had expected things to turn out this way.

It couldn’t be helped, considering the results so far.

The two people who had come in first and second place had each chosen an upper-middle-class A-rank student as their opponent and won overwhelmingly.

That was the difference between the upper and middle classes of A-rank.

So what about the difference with Han Kang-yoon, who was known for being just average, even among D-rank students?

Johan, who was a foreign exchange student in the 1st year A-class, gave the answer.

“Even if it’s the same spell, they should be overwhelmingly pushed back if there’s a huge difference in skill.”

“Not pushed back, but dominated.”

“Is that different. . . . . . ?”

Johan’s opinion was certainly correct. However, the fact that both of them had lost control of their spell techniques meant that the difference in their power wasn’t that great.

“In other words, they’re ahead in terms of completion?”

That was the only possibility.

「𝙉𝙤, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮’𝙨 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙣𝙞𝙦𝙪𝙚.」

Baek Eun-seo, who had been quietly standing next to Yoo Ha-on, rested her chin on her hand and thought blankly. The other students didn’t seem to notice, but since she was from one of the Three Great Houses, she knew a bit about the other person’s sorcery.

When Baek Eun-seo turned her head to look at Cheong Juhwa, Cheong Juhwa blinked for a moment before shaking her head.

「𝙄𝙩 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙧.」

Cheong Juhwa had been expelled from her family to begin with. There was no way she could have learned the family’s vision spell technique.

「𝙎𝙪𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨.」

Baek Eun-seo clicked her tongue softly and grumbled to Yoo Ha-on, who was looking at the showdown with a worried expression on her face.

“I told you not to hang out with that person.”

“. . .Huh? Why?”

“I don’t know. He’s just someone you can’t trust.”

While the students were each discussing their opinions, the teachers in charge of the exam were also focused on it.

“Can you see it?”

Choi Do-won, the teacher in charge of the Comprehensive Combat Practice, asked Julius, who had deployed the barrier around the training ground.

“The situation is so chaotic. . . . . . . It’s a bit blurry, but I can see it somehow.”

It had been completely unexpected that both of them would deploy intermediate-level barrier techniques from the beginning.

And it wasn’t just any intermediate-level barrier technique. From his perspective as a barrier technique teacher, both of them were promising talents.

Even he wouldn’t have been able to grasp the situation without the barrier that he had deployed before the match.

“Tell me right away if it becomes dangerous.”

“I understand. Oh, but. . . . . . .”

“Is something wrong?”

“No. There’s no problem.”

It was just that something was a bit strange.

「𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙢 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙠𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙞.」

He didn’t know much about Han Kang-yoon, but he had heard from Teacher Baek Ji-eun that he had recently changed his style to shikigami techniques. In other words, all of the shikigami that were currently being sensed within the barrier must belong to Han Kang-yoon.

In that case, could it be that.

「𝙃𝙚’𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚-𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙣𝙞𝙦𝙪𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙮, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙠𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙞 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙧𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙮 𝙝𝙞𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛?」

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

Cheong Haram definitely lived up to her name.

She had completely exorcised the two Phantom Nightmares, and had looked for a chance to turn the tables every now and then after that.

However,

「𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣.」

The distance between her and Han Kang-yoon, who had been one step ahead since the beginning of the match, didn’t decrease at all.

「𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣?」

Cheong Haram held her throbbing head and repeated in confusion.

「. . .𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩.」

Cheong Haram had a lot of experience in one-on-one battles. She had competed against people from her family since she was young in order to be reborn as a member of the prestigious family.

She was confident in her basic combat strategy, tactics, improvisation, and everything else.

That was why this was definitely not something that was happening because Cheong Haram lacked experience.

“Rending Wave!”

Paang!

“It’s useless.”

Just like before.

The basic attack spell technique, Rending Wave, that was activated by surprise while mixed with a feint.

It was a spell that boasted the fastest deployment speed among the spell techniques that Cheong Haram used.

At the very least, it wasn’t something that could be easily blocked in the middle of all this chaos.

However, it was perfectly blocked once again this time. As if he had predicted in advance that she would use that spell technique at that timing.

「. . . . . .」

Cheong Haram wasn’t an idiot. She could easily tell what was happening by looking at the current situation.

「𝙃𝙚’𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙥𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙗𝙖𝙩? 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙃𝙖𝙣 𝙆𝙖𝙣𝙜-𝙮𝙤𝙤𝙣, 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙖 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙧?」

There was no other explanation.

Even if she put in a lot of effort to prepare a surefire move, or even if she set an invisible trap, Han Kang-yoon would dismantle it in a near-perfect manner.

It felt like she was fighting against an opponent who had memorized her attack strategy.

At least in today’s battle, Han Kang-yoon was standing at the top of Cheong Haram’s head.

「𝙄𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙣’𝙩 𝙗𝙚.」

She denied reality like that, but she couldn’t bring herself to say that it was false. Because the results she was seeing were like that.

Eventually, Cheong Haram fell to her knees on the cold floor, feeling as if her head had completely gone blank.

It was because she had reached her limit from the Phantom Nightmare’s continuous mental attacks.

Thud.

「Ah. . . . . . .」

She had fallen over, so the floor of the stadium was like a wall in front of her eyes.

Somehow, that image overlapped with Han Kang-yoon, who must have been right in front of her.

「. . .𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜.」

She had glimpsed the unreachable heights from the adults in her family several times.

However, this was the first time.

She had realized this kind of difference from someone of the same age, someone who didn’t even have a proper background.

Cheong Haram felt true resignation for the first time since she was born.

🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷

“Wahh! Waaaah!”

The match was over. Cheong Haram’s counterattack, which she had carried out while simultaneously deploying a defensive spell technique, was nothing that I couldn’t handle.

In the end, Cheong Haram, who couldn’t hold on any longer, collapsed on the spot and kept gagging.

Her pupils were blurry, and there was no trace of the overflowing pride that had been on her face.

“T-That’s enough. . . . . . .”

“What?”

“That’s. . .enough. . . . . . .”

“She’s still conscious.”

At my command, the third Phantom Nightmare spewed out fog once again.

“Kyaaaah!”

Cheong Haram rolled around on the ground, holding her head due to the pounding headache.

Her appearance, mixed with tears and dirt, was a miserable sight that couldn’t be seen from someone who was the direct descendant of a prestigious family.

“H-How come you’re okay. . . . . . .”

That question wasn’t wrong.

Even if I was out of range of the concentrated fire, it was normal for me to be affected as well.

However, if that seemed like it would be a problem, I wouldn’t have brought this strategy in the first place.

“This much is fine.”

Even if it was the same mental defense spell technique, I had much more diverse and high-level knowledge compared to Cheong Haram. So of course I would be deploying a spell technique that was perfectly suited to dealing with the Phantom Nightmare, right?

Another reason was the effect of my Shadow Assimilation trait.

「𝙈𝙮 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙤𝙬, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮.」

That was why those with the Shadow Assimilation trait had relatively strong resistance to mental and curse attacks.

Perhaps, judging from my considerably grown shadow, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that my mental ability score was close to A-rank in reality.

“. . . . . .I lost.”

Cheong Haram admitted defeat, biting her lip until it bled.

The situation couldn’t be reversed anymore. Her mind was already devastated by the Phantom Nightmare’s influence. The emotions that were probably dominating her right now must be fear and terror.

However, I didn’t accept that and moved the Phantom Nightmare again.

『Groooooowl. . . . . . .』

Rustle. Rustle.

“S-Stop! I said I lost!”

Cheong Haram threw away her pride and shouted urgently. It was natural since she wouldn’t want to suffer from that horrible nightmare where her mind seemed to be separating again.

However,

“I don’t feel any sincerity.”

“Sob! Wh, what. . . . . .are you talking about.”

I knew.

The fact that this innate personality wouldn’t change even if I won once here.

The fact that she would instead pointlessly stoke her desire for revenge and mess things up at an important moment.

“Ugh, hmph.”

I continuously attacked her mind until fear settled in Cheong Haram’s subconscious.

And when Cheong Haram fainted because she couldn’t hold on any longer, I summoned one more shikigami that I had prepared in advance.

『Grooooowl.』

It had a similar appearance to the Phantom Nightmare, but its body was much smaller and blurry.

When I gave the order, it turned into a black fog and seeped into Cheong Haram’s head.

“That’s the end of it.”

I had to take care of any variables in advance. I smiled broadly and called the remaining Phantom Nightmare back into my shadow.

Immediately after, the black fog stuck to it disappeared, and the barrier technique that had been forcibly maintained finally vanished, revealing the training ground before my eyes.

Along with the gazes of an indeterminable number of people who seemed to find it unbelievable.

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