Chapter 75
Bred’s lips curled up.
“Putting on quite the show. Here I come!”
With a loud stomp on the dirt floor, Bred charged forward. Simon watched him, eyes wide open.
His movements were unusual. A man built like a gorilla twisting his body side to side as he approached, it was tremendously intimidating.
‘Right-hand straight.’
Just as Simon’s head began to move, Bred’s arm swooshed through the air and appeared right before his eyes with no warning.
Crack!
A tsunami-like shockwave crashed through the barrier and slammed into Simon’s face.
At the same time as he took the hit, Simon clenched his right fist and struck out, but Bred had already ducked and moved to Simon’s left.
Smack!
Then to the right again.
Bam!
Then back to the left.
“Urgh!”
Simon staggered back, reeling.
Had it not been for his protective suit, each blow could’ve knocked him out or even killed him.
“Hahaha! What are you doing?”
Simon wiped the corner of his mouth and somehow tried to follow Bred’s movements.
‘Is this bastard seriously trying to beat me?’
Bred, watching him, couldn’t believe it.
To be honest, even he thought this fight made no sense. No matter how you looked at it, this was a fifth-year Keyzen assistant instructor pummeling a first-year freshman.
Anyone hearing about it would a hundred percent blame him. They’d call it venting, or even bullying, and he wouldn’t have an excuse.
Even so—
‘If I don’t do this, I can’t calm down!’
Crack!
A solid blow buried itself into Simon’s abdomen. His body bent in half, and Bred’s elbow followed up, slamming into the back of Simon’s head, sending him crashing to the ground.
‘This bastard’s going to become Professor Hongpeng’s personal disciple. All the more reason to fix that attitude right now!’
Just as Bred lifted his leg to stomp on Simon’s head—
Thwack!
Simon grabbed Bred’s ankle and twisted it.
‘……What!’
Whip!
At the same time, Simon’s legs coiled around Bred’s like snakes, and with a twisting motion, he applied force. Bred staggered and ended up turning his back.
‘A joint lock?’
Then, from Simon’s subspace, a skeleton emerged and hurled a spear at Bred.
‘Well, look at this.’
Though in an unstable position, Bred quickly gathered Darkness in his palm and detonated it.
An adaptation of the magical combat technique, Wind Burst. The violent pressure sent the spear and skeleton flying.
Meanwhile, Simon uncoiled from Bred’s leg and slipped away in the opposite direction.
“Impressive. Were you a fighter before coming to Keyzen?”
At Bred’s question, Simon raised both fists.
“I just trained under my father, the lord.”
“You expect me to believe that?!”
Bred charged again. Simon summoned two skeletons and sent them to the left and right, lowering his stance.
‘No need to overthink this. If I land just one hit, I win.’
With Bred rushing in, Simon also kicked off the Darkness and charged forward.
The distance between them closed rapidly, almost to the point of collision. Simon reached out with his arm.
“......!”
Bred’s body suddenly dropped low. Simon’s arm sliced through empty air, and he felt a strong grip wrap around his waist.
‘Like I didn’t know what you were gonna try!’
Perfect German suplex form. Bred flipped his body and arched his back like a shrimp.
Simon’s head and neck slammed into the ground with a loud crash, kicking up a cloud of dirt.
Having pulled off the technique flawlessly, Bred released his grip and stood up.
Whoooom!
A leg shot out from the smoke, landing squarely against Bred’s arm with a sharp whap.
‘A kick while getting up? Doesn’t this bastard feel any pain?’
That kick was a fake. Bred quickly raised his other arm to shield his face.
Thud!
As expected, Simon’s opposite leg crashed in, creating a shockwave. Then Simon’s leg recoiled and unleashed a flurry of kicks.
A rapid combo of leg strikes.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Bred leaned back, dodging as he retreated.
His lips curled again.
‘Not bad. Seriously, where did this guy come from?’
It was embarrassing, but his blood was boiling, against a mere freshman.
He’d thought Simon was just another academic scholarship kid with no real substance, but now he was beginning to understand why Professor Hongpeng was so fixated on him.
‘This bastard’s got the physique and natural instincts. But his posture’s unstable, and his power doesn’t transfer properly. It’s because he hasn’t received systematic training from a professional.’
Same must’ve gone for Professor Hongpeng.
‘With a genius like this before her, it’d be impossible not to want to teach him…’
Crack!
Startled, Bred turned around. Two trees were falling in an X-shape toward him as he backed away.
Simon’s skeletons had chopped them down with axes.
‘When did he summon more skeletons……?!’
To think he had the composure to connect with his necrotic thoughts in the middle of combat.
While dodging Simon’s kicks, Bred wrapped both fists in Darkness.
Shing. Shing.
As he opened his hands, jagged saw-like Darkness shot out like blades and cleanly sliced the trees in two.
Another adaptation, this time of the magical combat technique Blade Bind. The halved trees hit the ground as Bred readjusted his stance.
“Hup!”
Simon kept charging in.
‘Time to end this.’
Just as Bred twisted his waist to unleash a powerful punch, Simon clenched his teeth and thrust his forehead forward. Bred’s eyes widened.
‘Is this bastard trying to die……?!’
“Bone Nail.”
Simon flicked his finger upward.
Squelch. Squish.
“......!!”
Bred’s shocked gaze snapped behind him.
Sharp skeletal joints had slashed his thigh. His skin split, and blood flowed freely.
‘What the—why is this hitting me from here……?!’
His eyes moved. Embedded in the fallen tree were the bones of a skeleton.
‘He set all this up from the start?!’
Momentarily absorbed in processing the situation, Bred sensed a chilling aura and looked up.
Vrooooooooom!
Simon’s twisting leg descended from the sky in a massive arc. Bred hastily raised his arms to shield his head.
Crack!
“Gah!”
Too fast, he couldn’t block it in time. Blood spurted from his nose as he stumbled back.
Simon landed and grinned.
“No more excuses, right? I win.”
Snap.
With that sound, Bred felt the last thread of patience holding his reason snap.
“......Hah. Haha. Hahahahahaha!”
Ruuuumble!
An immense wave of Darkness erupted from Bred’s entire body.
The Darkness surged upward and quickly wrapped around him like clothing.
The signature of a magical combat specialist, Dark Robe.
In no time, Bred was clad in jet-black armor.
“I admit it. I admit it.”
Bred said, gritting his teeth.
“I lost, and the deal stands. I’ll accept whatever decision you make. But before I leave Keyzen!”
He clenched his fists tightly.
"I feel like I'll regret it for the rest of my life if I don't crush you right here and now!"
"......."
Simon let out a long sigh.
"Isn't this going against our agreement? Just how low are you planning to go?"
"Say whatever you want, I don't care!"
"Alright, then do as you please."
As Simon let his arms hang limply, Bred’s brow twitched.
"What are you doing?! Get into stance, now!"
"My patience has reached its limit entertaining you. I’ll do as I please now too. If you’re going to act like this, just beat me down already."
"You little bastard......!"
As Bred radiated killing intent and grabbed Simon by the collar—
"BRED!!!"
Rrrrroar!
A thunderous shout, enough to rupture eardrums, shook the entire island.
Startled out of his wits, Bred turned his head, and his mouth dropped open.
“P-Professor Hongpeng......?”
Hongpeng was approaching with a murderous expression. Bred felt his blood run cold and hurriedly deactivated his Dark Robe.
“Assistant Instructor Bred.”
Hongpeng walked up and glared at him. It was a complete reversal from her usual gentle and kind demeanor.
"Explain what's going on here."
Bred, drenched in sweat, snapped to attention.
“I-I was giving Simon a sparring lesson......”
Smack!
Hongpeng slapped Bred’s cheek. That alone sent Bred flying dozens of meters, rolling across the dirt.
‘Ah......’
Lying on the ground, Bred clutched his cheek.
In five years of serving under Hongpeng, he’d never once been hit by her.
But with that single blow, he realized, this strength could only be Hongpeng’s.
“Get up.”
At her command, Bred stood stiffly and approached. His cheek was bright red and swollen.
“Turn around.”
Bred turned his back.
“From this moment, maintain the most painful position an assistant instructor can be in.”
“Y-yes? The most painful position......?”
“Do it.”
At her words, Bred immediately pressed his head to the ground, lifted his body, and began pushing himself up using only his fingertips. Then, maintaining his weight on a single finger, he used his Dark Robe to raise his robes skyward like banners.
It required both stamina and Darkness to maintain. Just from a glance, it looked insanely painful.
“Zimon!”
Hongpeng came over. Her expression was filled with deep relief.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No, I’m alright. I had my protective suit on……”
“Your face looks pretty swollen.”
Saying that, she grabbed Simon’s cheeks with both hands and began massaging them, twisting them around in circles.
“P-professor?”
“What about here? And here?”
With one hand, she groped Simon’s forearm and abdomen, while the other continued pulling his cheeks like taffy.
No matter how you looked at it, those hands were filled with personal interest.
Simon clenched his teeth and whispered under his breath.
“Erzebet……”
The truth was, this woman wasn’t Hongpeng.
It was Erzebet, disguised as Hongpeng.
She had originally come to collect the corpses of the Nuslucks on Simon’s orders, but upon discovering the fight between Simon and Bred, she transformed into Hongpeng and intervened.
Erzebet had memorized the voices of Keyzen’s professors and key personnel in preparation for the day she would escape the academy. Tilting her head, she whispered into Simon’s ear so only he could hear.
“How about now? Does this girl not seem useful to you anymore, Legion Commander?”
“......You saved me, and I’m thankful. But please, back off a bit.”
With a sly grin, she grabbed a button on Simon’s school uniform and spoke in Hongpeng’s voice.
“Zimon. I think I should check this wound here.”
“......There’s no wound there, Professor.”
Simon trembled as he spoke.
He had no choice but to play along—if Bred found out, it would be disastrous.
When Simon signaled that they should get going, Erzebet, with a look of regret, brushed her hair back and spoke.
“Assistant Instructor Bred.”
“Y-yes! Professor!”
Bred was now even striking himself with his Dark Robe. He was faithfully fulfilling the command to stay in the most painful state.
“I’m truly disappointed in you for what happened. Maintain that posture for 20 hours before returning.”
“Understood!”
Twenty hours?! Isn’t that a bit too much?
Simon looked at her with that thought in his eyes, but Erzebet placed a hand over her chest, as if to say, ‘Leave it to me.’
“From tomorrow, act naturally. And never speak of, or even think about, what happened here today—not to me, not to anyone. Just act like it never happened. Because if I even suspect you’re remembering it, I might tear you apart.”
“......Yes, understood.”
“And never lay a hand on Student Zimon again. If anything like this happens again,”
Her eyes flashed.
“There will be no second chance.”
“......Yes, understood.”
“Let’s go, Zimon.”
Erzebet took Simon’s hand and led him away.
Bred didn’t even dare to look back.
Superb.