When Baek So-ah and I stepped outside, the cool air gave my head a slight chill. It seemed as though everything had finally settled down…
But, as always, it was merely an illusion.
A few minutes later, he appeared.
Tamsik.
His footsteps were heavy, and his gaze was full of irritation, as if he'd been holding it in all this time.
'Hey, you, Ha Jin…' his voice rang out sharply, cutting through the silence. 'Get away from So-ah. She's mine.'
I sighed.
'Oh yeah, yours?' I looked him straight in the eye. 'She's not an object to be owned.'
Beside me, So-ah frowned and took a step back.
'Tamsik, that's enough. I decide for myself who I'm with.'
But he wasn't listening to her. His gaze was fixed solely on me.
"You just don't understand…" His voice dropped, almost growling. "I've been by her side all this time. I've been protecting her. And you… you just turned up."
I took a step forward.
"Protecting her?" I smirked. "Or were you just trying to tie her to you?"
Silence. So heavy that even our breathing seemed louder.
'So…' Tamsik said slowly, clenching his fists. 'You think you're better than me?'
I looked him in the eye.
'I think you're behaving like an idiot.'
At that moment, the tension became almost palpable. It felt as though one more word and everything would come to a head.
'Then…' Tamsik began, but suddenly fell silent.
As if he'd sensed something. I noticed it too.
Someone's gaze. Cold. Calm.
To the side, leaning against the wall, stood a lad I hadn't seen before.
1
Chon Min-jae.
He didn't intervene. He didn't speak. He just watched. But that gaze made me feel uneasy.
'Emotions…' he murmured, as if talking to himself. 'If you carry on, this will end badly.'
Tamsik frowned.
'What are you getting involved for?'
Ming-jae didn't even look at him.
'I'm not getting involved. I'm just watching.'
At that moment, a rough, mocking voice rang out from above:
'Listen… fancy a fight?' Da-uk said, yawning, in Min-jae's direction. 'Bro!
'You're not ready yet, little brother,' Min-jae said mockingly.
Da-uk flew into a rage; with a shout, he drew his sword, on which the word 'Freedom' was engraved. Charging at him, he swung his sword, but couldn't even land a blow. Min Jae deftly dodged, chopped off Dae Uk's arm at the elbow and struck his knee, twisting his leg the wrong way round. Dae Uk yelped like a wounded puppy, growling through the pain:
'Go to hell!'
At that moment, Tamsik was ready to kill Ha Jin, but remembering the sword, he ceded the initiative to his opponent. Having killed some poor wretch, he began to panic — a mass brawl had broken out all around. The Academy had its fair share of thugs who only needed an excuse to kill someone.
Min Jae swung at Dae Wook, but at the last moment, his target vanished. Min Jae was knocked down by the shockwave of the lightning.
'Tamsik! Puppy!' he bellowed.
As Tamsik ran, he explained to Dae-wook:
'Your friend… is insanely strong! I'm a D-rank, and he's an A+.
'So what!' Dae-wook shouted. 'I'm an A, not that much higher! And he's not my friend… not anymore… not my friend.
"Don't interrupt!" Tamsik continued. "I've snagged a recovery potion; drink it somewhere safe. Your wounds will heal in 20 minutes. I'll release the monsters from the training arena. Are there people you trust?"
"No!"
"Alright, then I'll release monsters up to Level 2."
After a while, Ha Jin was really getting into it, cutting down the monsters one after another. Having recovered, Dae-wook looked for a new victim — So-ah and a couple of first-years. Deciding they would serve as a warm-up, he attacked without a word. Having killed a couple of people, Dae-wook was gaining momentum. Seeing that one of his opponents was afraid, he hurled a cobblestone he'd chiselled from the wall at him. The first-year student and the warriors standing nearby fell, even though the stone hadn't yet reached them.
Tamsik saw that Da-wook was about to kill So-ah and flew into a rage. He lured the strongest Level 2 monster there. But before he could even reveal the monster, his head was chopped off. It was the headmaster!
'What the hell!' shouted Tamsik.
Behind him stood the teachers:
Mr Kaito — thin, tall, with a small, pointed moustache, a huge sword slung over his shoulder;
Mrs Seo — a magic teacher, of a certain age, with a straight back and a wand for spells;
Mrs Ryo — her twin sister, a potions teacher, quiet but dangerous;
Mrs Aki — a young librarian, a tall blonde with a striking figure and slightly full lips. She wore a low-cut blouse, a red lace bra, a short skirt and stockings with a rose pattern. Her whip looked more like a pleasure tool than a weapon, but in Aki's hands it became a deadly weapon, controlling both the space and her allies at the same time.
In an instant, Ha Jin felt a mad rage and began to tear everyone to shreds. But he didn't want to do that — it was the SCAR that had taken control of him.
Exhausted, Tamsik sank to the ground with a disappointed sigh. Min Jae flew towards the headmaster, shouting:
— Die, old man!
But Mr Kaito stopped him without even drawing his sword.
Suddenly, Tamsik felt something pierce his chest. It was Ha Jin's sword.
'Die!' he shouted. 'So A is mine! And thanks for the lightning element! Hahaha!'
And it was at that very moment that it became clear that this was only the beginning…