Chapter 37: Redheads don’t die! (3)

Meyna was one of Hyunwoo’s most prized assets.
After all, Meyna possessed a level of strength that ranked her among the top not only in the second year but also among the third years.
Yet, that same Meyna was defeated without being able to do a thing.
Where in the world did that monster come from?
I heard she’s a Servant, but a Servant?
Isn’t that a setting the author tried to use for summoned creatures but failed miserably?
Indeed, just as Hyunwoo said, the treatment of Servants and Summoners in the main scenario was not very good.
To put it nicely, their position was merely that of a power level measuring stick.
So when Hyunwoo heard Yushin’s Servant was coming out as the first opponent, he honestly thought it was a free win.
A Servant’s power is bound to be inferior to its master’s.
And in Hyunwoo’s mind, Yushin was just a commoner who had gotten lucky to get into S-Class.
A piece of trash who, in terms of pure skill, was even inferior to Meyna.
But for Meyna to lose to such a loser’s summoned creature?
It was impossible.
His plan was to secure one win first, then have Hopran fight and win the second round.
That way, it might not even be his turn to fight.
‘Ah, should I at least give them a chance for a last-minute comeback?’
However, Hyunwoo’s arrogance was shattered to pieces when Athena easily took down Meyna.
The power of the demigod Athena completely overwhelmed Meyna.
Thanks to this, Hyunwoo had ridiculously blown one of his three chances.
This time, he couldn’t even blame Meyna.
The opponent was just too strong.
“I’m sorry, Hyunwoo.”
“No, it’s okay. The opponent was just a bad match-up this time.”
‘Fck, everything is just so fcking annoying.’
Outwardly, Hyunwoo appeared to be encouraging Meyna, but inwardly, he couldn’t contain his rage.
Hyunwoo scowled.
What do I do now?
Should I change the order now?
But there was no guarantee that Hopran could beat Yushin.
Of course, Hopran wasn’t weak either, but more than anything, he wanted to crush Yushin with his own hands.
“Hopran, can you win this one?”
“The opponent is a first-year, leave it to me.”
“Alright, I’m counting on you.”
Yuri wasn’t an easy opponent, but even so, she couldn’t win against Hopran.
Like Meyna, Hopran was one of the two top fighters in the second year.
And as expected, in the second round, Hopran easily overwhelmed Yuri.
Yuri fought with all her might, but the difference in experience and skill was just too severe.
Thanks to that, Yuri truly felt a wall today.
The pride she had as the top student of the first year crashed against that wall and shattered into pieces.
“You’re back?”
“I’m sorry, Oppa. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t win.”
“It’s fine, as long as I win.”
From Yushin’s perspective, she had been defeated so overwhelmingly that he couldn’t even say anything.
It meant there was that much of a difference in fundamental skills.
It couldn’t be helped.
It was only because it was Yuri that a fight even happened.
If Hayoung had gone out, she would have just become a laughingstock.
Yushin nodded and said.
“Just watch from the back.”
Yushin wasn’t so narrow-minded as to get angry over something unavoidable.
Especially if it concerned one of his own people.
Besides, there was no problem anyway.
As long as I win, that’s all that matters, right?
The opponent was thinking the same thing.
As he high-fived Hopran who returned victorious, Hyunwoo thought.
I’ve won this time.
There was no way he would lose to someone like Yushin.
He had lost in the S-Class promotion test last time because he was too careless.
This time, he had absolutely no intention of being careless.
Especially since his sister was watching this time.
‘If I win, my sister’s heart will come back to me.’
Hyunwoo had already passed the stage of rational thought.
As proof, he had no idea why Seolyeon was worried about him.
Seolyeon, on the contrary, hoped that Hyunwoo would lose this duel.
Only then would his arrogance diminish, even if just a little.
By realizing there is always someone stronger.
He might realize his mistakes, albeit late, and reflect on them.
But Hyunwoo knew nothing of Seolyeon’s feelings.
No, to be more precise.
It could be said that he didn’t want to know.
His self-righteous arrogance had reached a point where even his family couldn’t break it.
If he couldn’t even see the reality right in front of him, how would family be any different?
Finally, the time came.
The arrogant man who thought of himself as the protagonist stood on the training ground.
He glared at his enemy, who was also ascending from the opposite side.
“The moment has finally come.”
The time to set everything right.

Hyunwoo’s blazing flames signaled the start of the duel.
Dodging the flood-like wave of flames, Yushin looked for an opening, but he couldn’t even see a gap due to the wall of fire Hyunwoo had erected beforehand.
Yushin clicked his tongue.
When I first saw him, I thought he was some crazy guy, but now that I’m facing him directly, there are no openings.
This guy is pretty strong in his own right, huh?
It seemed the fact that he was a candidate for S-Class was not an empty boast.
Hyunwoo had earned Yushin’s acknowledgment in his own way.
But Hyunwoo didn’t stop.
What Hyunwoo was aiming for now was not acknowledgment, but victory.
He lost last time because he was careless, but this time, he was going all out with the intention of completely pulverizing him.
‘I’m not in a position to be picky. I’ll use all the items I have left.’
Items were precious assets that could only be obtained one by one by clearing specific quests.
Naturally, since they had abilities that could instantly turn the tide of a disadvantageous situation.
Hyunwoo had been saving his items as much as possible until now, but to the current him who had lost his reason, such facts were out of his mind.
Even if it meant using up all his items.
He would definitely beat that damn bstard.
That was Hyunwoo’s mindset.
However, Yushin, unaware of this fact, was calmly looking for an opportunity, searching for a gap.
‘It looks like he’s attacking and defending at the same time, but in reality, he’s more focused on defense.’
From experience, in such cases, one is usually aiming for something while defending.
And just as Yushin predicted, Hyunwoo was currently concentrating his power for his ‘Flowering’.
Because Hyunwoo’s ‘Flowering’ was still incomplete.
It took time to manifest it properly.
Thanks to that, he had to decide from the start if he wanted to use ‘Flowering’.
Trying to change his mind and use ‘Flowering’ in the middle of a fight would only create more openings.
That was why Hyunwoo lost to Hojun in the S-Class promotion test last time.
If he hadn’t panicked at the unexpected blow and had dealt with it properly.
He would not have lost to Hojun that day.
But that was all in the past.
Now, he would only focus on the present.
Hyunwoo, having decided to go all out, was a considerably tricky opponent for the current Yushin.
He had set up double and triple layers of fire walls, making it difficult to break through.
And it wasn’t as if he wasn’t attacking either.
He was constantly applying pressure by filling the surroundings with flames.
Thanks to that, just standing there took a considerable toll.
‘If I maintain this state, there’s no way out.’
He couldn’t use Gonik-begi.
Using Gonik-begi in this state was no different from throwing himself into a burning house.
‘I have no choice.’
Yushin first fell back, focusing only on dodging the flames.
Because he knew there was no solution in the current state.
Therefore, he decided to wait for an opportunity for now.
Surprisingly, an opportunity came quickly.
After some time had passed, Hyunwoo, having fully charged his power, finally completed his ‘Flowering’.
He took down the wall of fire and finally revealed himself.
Blazing flames were attached to his back like an angel’s wings, and a burning ring floated above his head.
Hyunwoo’s appearance was like that of a fire angel.
[Flowering]
[Phoenix]
It was incomplete, so it took time to activate, but to put it another way.
It meant that there was still potential for growth.
Hyunwoo laughed loudly and shouted.
“Finally! I can use my full power…!!”
However, at that moment, as he was shouting, intoxicated by the immense power filling his entire body.
That was precisely the moment that gave Yushin a perfect opening.
Towards Hyunwoo, who had dropped his guard and revealed himself, Yushin immediately charged.
A deathblow slash, almost like a suicide attack, with no regard for defense.
Seogeok!!
Yushin’s blade cut off one of Hyunwoo’s wings.
Yushin tilted his head.
What?
I’m sure I aimed for his neck.
Why was his wing cut off instead of his neck?
“Kgh! You bstard?!”
“Aha, I see what’s going on.”
It seemed he didn’t expect an immediate attack, as Hyunwoo staggered and glared at Yushin.
But even with his deep anger, he couldn’t hide his weakness.
“You called it Phoenix, right? It seems to allow you to evade fatal injuries.”
“….!!”
“And the number of times is probably tied to the wings on your back. Am I right?”
In fact, Yushin had attacked aiming for the neck with enough force to knock Hyunwoo out.
However, Hyunwoo was still standing perfectly fine.
Instead, one of his wings was severed.
On top of that, the firepower Hyunwoo was emitting now had also weakened considerably.
Having instantly grasped the weakness, Yushin smiled and aimed his sword.
It’s time to end this.