I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City-Chapter 153: The Last Drop (2)

Two distant buildings.

The positioning chosen to support each other’s blind spots.

Juyeon, having glanced in that direction, nodded and then spoke to Rohan with interest.

"You’ve made some very cute preparations."

Rohan, certain that Shion and Clara had been discovered, decided to wear a mask of indifference and carry on as if nothing was amiss.

"It’s not inside the academy, though."

"True... that’s not wrong. Meeting capable teammates and working together is also a part of one’s abilities and strength. Do as you wish."

Juyeon was thoroughly satisfied with Rohan’s approach.

While some might point fingers and be wary of such methods, in order to survive in combat, one must come up with various strategies.

From the very beginning, during the test instructions, the instructors had expected this kind of approach.

‘The explosives hidden beneath the ground must have been Rohan’s doing too.’

Juyeon went from suspicion to certainty.

The way the bomb had been planted, and the cleanup afterward, left no doubt—only Rohan could have pulled it off.

It perfectly matched the ideal cadet image that the instructors at Orion Academy were aiming for in this practical exam.

In fact, Juyeon even thought that Rohan might not have needed the exam in the first place.

"Haah!"

Rohan immediately continued with his preparations. The sword in his hand shone with the brilliance of the Scorching Blade.

He tossed his hair with one hand and rotated his shoulder and neck, signaling to Shion and Clara.

He took long strides, closing the distance to Juyeon.

[One Slash - Flame Severance]

A horizontal slash accompanied by intense heat.

Juyeon’s fingers blocked the trajectory of the blade with a clink, and the advance of the sword was effortlessly stopped.

Rohan immediately raised the Mark and fired a barrage of bullets at close range, but not even a strand of Juyeon’s red hair was grazed.

Pheeing! Tick!

The attacks fired by Clara and Shion pierced the floor diagonally, missing their target entirely.

Juyeon swiftly dodged to the side, her body twisting, evading the bullets coming from both directions with just a step.

Rohan couldn’t help but be struck dumb by the precise angle at which she avoided those shots with pure instinct.

Still, he kept moving forward. He had to keep pressing the attack.

A sweeping upward slash, powered by his legs and waist. His fingers easily pushed it aside.

Using the recoil, Rohan spun his body, kicking off the earth beneath him as he swung.

Juyeon, while dodging the sniper shots, blocked Rohan’s blade with just her fingers, without making any large movements. With her simple actions, she remained in control of the situation.

"Huff!"

The fiery sword traced a magnificent arc as it lunged toward Juyeon, but once again, it was overpowered.

Juyeon, without a scratch, extended her finger like a rapier and pointed it directly at Rohan.

Rohan felt psychological pressure as her fingertip seemed to consume his entire field of vision.

‘No words left... seriously...’

How could he describe the feeling of his blade being blocked by just her index finger?

It felt distant, hopeless.

Now he understood why other cadets had given up on Juyeon’s exam.

"Rohan. Did you lose your spirit because your attacks aren’t working?"

"Quite the opposite. I absolutely must defeat you today, Instructor."

"Heh."

Juyeon smiled as she looked into Rohan’s eyes. Unlike the other cadets, he wasn’t broken, his fiery determination still shining brightly. Impressive.

Ichinose Yui and Noah Frozenheart had shown similar enthusiasm.

‘Truly... shining brightly.’

Juyeon enjoyed watching her students grow. It made her smile just to observe them.

She couldn’t help but wonder what kind of people they would become in the future. No matter what kind of disaster might strike the world, they wouldn’t falter.

Click! Tick!

Rohan quickly separated the empty magazine and inserted a new one into his pistol.

He roughly planned his next moves.

‘Bombs or smoke screens are all out of the question. There’s only one opportunity...’

Here, he would secure the line of sight for Shion and Clara and continue the close combat as much as possible.

Their support fire was more reliable and effective than any awkward tricks.

Additionally, Juyeon’s magical power was definitely limited.

That’s why he focused not on her entire finger but just the tip. He concentrated his magical power into the small ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) segment of her finger.

This choice was to ensure that he could create a hardness that would be able to defend against her blows.

"Huff..."

Rohan’s new technique moved with a sudden burst of elasticity.

The speed was noticeably faster than before.

[Three Blades - Light Wing Spear]

A thrust filled with full power.

It was stopped by Juyeon’s finger. Exactly as he had predicted.

As Rohan retracted his sword and swung again, a flash of light appeared from the top of a building.

Pheeing─!

Among the shots, one special bullet drew a unique line.

It collided with a sculpture on the Orion Academy grounds, bent, and then flew toward Juyeon.

If it had retained its original force, it would have been a bullet that could easily hit and stay still, but now it forced a complicated movement.

‘Clara is excellent, but that elf girl’s sniping skills are extraordinary.’

Because it was supposed to bounce, the bullet had clear limitations in power.

Since the goal was just to get the bell, it was the perfect situation to use that skill.

However, Juyeon knew that most attacks could be neutralized depending on the direction she moved.

She dodged and deflected the incoming attacks from three directions without losing her composure.

"I’m sure you’ve heard that even the instructor can defend."

Juyeon reached out and poked Rohan in the chest with her finger.

Rohan’s eyes widened in response to the pain hitting his entire body.

"!"

The sensation of being pierced by a needle. His breath was cut off.

What was strange was that it wasn’t actually a piercing or broken bone.

He only thought that Juyeon’s touch was surprisingly gentle.

‘I can still move.’

If it had been another cadet, they might have been stopped, but this normal pain wasn’t enough to halt Rohan.

Without hesitating, he moved immediately and fired his pistol. Juyeon tilted her head and dodged the shot, letting out a wry smile.

"You’re a tough one... Well done."

The exchanges continued, dozens of strikes.

With Rohan choosing a direct approach, the bullets meant to support him rained down on Juyeon like a storm.

At one point, seeing an opportunity, Rohan managed to hook his finger around his pistol’s trigger while grabbing Juyeon’s arm.

But Juyeon didn’t make it easy for him, easily denying any contact.

Even when he succeeded in grabbing something, before he could act, his vision spun, and he crashed into the ground.

Rohan quickly rose, unable to hide his dazed expression, and Juyeon smirked, informing him.

"Rarely do I see you with such an amazed look. It’s called Aikido."

"...I know the name. I just haven’t seen it at such a high level before."

Though Rohan knew the name and technique of Aikido, it was hard to comprehend how his own grip was easily thrown aside without any resistance.

It wasn’t even Juyeon who grabbed him. His own hand had been manipulated so easily that it felt absurd.

He tried opening his status screen, but there was no sign of an illusion.

‘It’s not like she’s using something like judo to throw me...’

Before he could even try to gather magical power, the moment Juyeon moved her body slightly, Rohan was sent flying to the ground.

His face stung as it hit the earth.

"If you’re interested, you might want to try learning it. It teaches you how to control and break your opponent’s center of balance."

"I’ll consider it."

At this age, how much pressure and effort must Juyeon have put into mastering not only the sword but also martial arts at such a level?

Rohan’s respect for her grew immensely.

Now, Rohan felt that this was the right moment.

‘Should I try it now?’

His body was perfectly warmed up.

Rohan decided to try what he had been practicing in the field.

Click!

He swapped out the last remaining magazine.

This was the last magazine Rohan had kept for this very moment.

‘If I land a shot with the bullet that applies the Weakness Infliction, I might find an opening...’

But with his current strength, that was almost impossible. Even that wasn’t allowed by Juyeon.

If he wanted to create a chance with his head, a completely new approach would be necessary.

...

By now, Ichinose Yui and Noah Frozenheart were watching from behind.

However, Rohan didn’t move his head.

After replacing the magazine, Rohan focused intently on Juyeon.

Juyeon extended her right hand and pointed her index finger forward.

‘...The atmosphere has changed. What will he show?’

Rohan’s concentration was as sharp as the tip of a sword.

Even so, Juyeon’s approach remained the same.

‘Rohan’s bullets are being carefully avoided.’

Juyeon could sense it.

Beyond her past experience when she weakened Omega on the deserted island, Rohan’s bullets occasionally carried magic that she instinctively knew she should never let touch her.

It was a troubling memory, as she had directly felt it during previous lessons. Her wariness had increased.

Step. Step.

Rohan took two steps forward, closing the distance, and kicked as he swung his blade.

Clink! The sword was caught by her fingertip.

It was just like the usual pattern.

Rohan shifted the direction of his pistol.

As always, the muzzle did not point at Juyeon. The barrel of the Mark was aimed at the blade of Radiance.

The bullet, which had only been cutting through the air, was now aimed at a clear target.

He fired the magic-explosive bullet at the blade.

Taang─! ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

The gunshot rang out, and Juyeon’s eyes widened in response to the method Rohan had demonstrated.

"!"

The bullet, aimed directly at the sharp blade, shattered just like the axe strike from Instructor Ed.

It flew toward Juyeon and exploded upon impact.