Chapter 10: Life is not always fair, but that's no excuse (2).
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The midday sun was looming on the horizon.
The biting cold began to fade like a mirage, as if it never existed.
What remained was the rising heat.
The gradually rising temperature reminded one of how easily the climate can change.
It was the best time to enjoy the sea and relax on the beach.
Clang! Clang! Sizzle!
The sound of clashing metals and flying sparks spoiled the breathtaking beauty of the scene.
"Attack her in pairs!"
A girl with no expression easily dodged a direct attack from a slightly slender boy.
She quickly retreated.
'His attack is limping and very slow.'
She had no problem defeating that reckless boy in that clash, but the problem was...
Swish! Sizzle!
In the place where she was, a cloud of dust could be seen rising across the area.
An attack that used pure strength only.
The previous attack was a trick to slow her movement.
If she had stood there to attack her enemy, her fate would have already been sealed.
After dodging the attack, the girl retreated a few meters from her enemies.
"No! Surround her! Don't let this rude girl escape!"
"Don't panic and maintain your formation!"
"Shut up! Don't give me orders!"
The voices of young men shouting at each other while attacking her in an uncoordinated manner could be heard across the beach.
These people didn't seem that strong, and they didn't have exceptional auras, but they were strangely powerful.
The girl frowned slightly; it had been a few minutes since she fought with them, but the balance of the battle hadn't changed.
The enemies were strong but lacked combat experience.
Reckless attacks, rising tensions, and clumsy coordination.
Sometimes they shouted at each other during the fight.
The gap in the enemy group was evident.
Due to her experience in dealing with fights against groups somewhat, the girl was able to hold on until now despite being exhausted.
But the bigger reason was something else.
"Split them up with sneak attacks! Don't attack them together! Oh my God! Are you stupid?! Huh?! The environment! Use the environment around you to distract them!"
There was an angry shout behind the girl.
While placing his hands behind his back, Leon watched the battle with relaxed eyes.
The chick fight in front of him was nothing more than boring.
Unlike the days of war and blood when he carved his way through a pile of corpses, the struggle of these chicks seemed like a game.
"What one thinks is harsh in the past softens when tasting what is harsher."
Leon sighed as he thought of that truth.
After watching experts and struggling with them on the battlefield, many fights no longer stirred emotions in him.
This academy wouldn't be much different; in the first place, he and his friends didn't come to learn.
They were already strong enough.
Their intentions lay in something else.
'Of course, fulfilling the only desire of those old men is one of the intentions.'
It doesn't matter.
"Don't rush! Focus the power in the lower part! The lower part! These rascals are using tools, that's why they are strong; as long as you cut off their energy flow, they won't be able to do anything!"
"... Cut the flow? Is that even possible?"
What does she mean? The girl's expression told this.
"Ugh! That idiot! The things in their bodies! Cut off the accessories and pieces they carry, and their power will weaken!"
'No... in the first place, I don't know what that is.'
She wanted to protest but remained silent, waiting for his next words.
"That bitch... she's standing with him again!"
The group in front of the boy and the girl gritted their teeth in anger.
It was fine when they fought at first; despite their inconsistency, the balance of the battle tilted towards them, the problem lay in something else.
When they were about to corner her, this silent girl fled towards the place where that rude bastard stood!
The first time that happened, one of the ten boys recklessly attacked the girl before the boy's eyes.
'Kikiki... I'll ambush her and run!'
The boy wanted to slap Leon's pride by making an attack, even if it was a failure, on the girl.
As if Leon noticed that, he sighed in disappointment.
The prey does not attack the predator.
And the weak do not oppose the strong.
Alas, he was truly pure-hearted and kind, but who can blame anyone but himself? It was his fault for being foolish and weak!
The boy, ignorant of that truth, attacked quickly.
The girl tried to avoid his attack as fast as she could, but her lack of experience in defense made her miss her enemy's attack.
'I got you.'
The boy was smiling at his initiative when a human shadow appeared before him.
Slap!
A loud sound rang through the girl's and the enemy group's ears.
A feeling of pain across the cheek.
A terrible pain, enough to break teeth, pierced the boy's being.
Without realizing what had happened, he flew in the opposite direction.
The boy who was running towards the girl returned at double speed.
'Eh???...'
A strange gust of wind passed through the group.
It was as if something fast was passing by them.
Something very fast.
Boom!
Faster than the speed of a bullet, a huge cloud of dust spread across the place.
Clack! Creeek!
The sound of collision and dragging through the sand pierced the ears.
A slap sound was heard, then a cloud of dust spread, and the place became foggy; everything happened in an instant.
"... Huh?"
They didn't understand what happened.
"Aa- ah..."
A moan carrying the world's misery and injustices came from behind them.
While his head was stuck in the sand and his legs dangling in the air, his pained voice came from under the sand.
The line of sand drawn by the boy from the shock was clearly visible.
His body trembled slightly before he stopped moving.
He probably lost consciousness.
It was unbelievable to see him fly this distance.
But the unbelievable happened before them.
Nevertheless, Leon stood in place with his hands behind his back as if nothing had happened.
He stared coldly at the unfolding situation.
'What? Did something happen?'
His expression was as if he was questioning what was happening.
A shiver ran down the spine of Fernando's group who witnessed the scene before their eyes.
Hearing about someone's strength and seeing it with your own eyes is not the same thing.
They had only come after being told about Professor Deus's reward.
Not many people came to witness Leon's fall in the first place.
Their knowledge was limited to what others had told them.
But none of them believed it completely.
'Humans are creatures prone to exaggeration.'
That was human nature, and one of their traits was also not to believe words that speak of someone else's strength or greatness.
It is always easier to believe in the curse than in the blessing.
Yet, here was what they could not believe unfolding before their eyes.
What? Why? Where?
Questions loomed, but there was no time for rest.
The girl did not waste the opportunity and initiated the attack.
Due to their shock, they barely repelled her, and one of them was injured.
How did it suddenly turn into a serious struggle?
Every time she was put in an unfavorable position, she would flee to Leon's place and catch her breath.
The worst was Leon's guidance to her.
The accessories worn by three of them had already been cut when that boy spoke; it was only a matter of time before they lost their advantage.
This was truly frustrating!
The battle of attrition continued between the lone girl and Fernando's group.
"You need to finish them off quickly; I would have let you take your time, but we no longer have that."
Leon said in a deep voice.
A terrifying aura emanated from his body.
His eyes pierced the group before him with a blood-red color.
The predator's eyes looked at the rabbits with amusement.
"... You."
He slowly pointed his finger downwards.
The instinct of fear rang the alarm.
"Your heads are really high."
He smiled as if he saw a group of rabble.
Creatures that do not know their worth.
No one felt the desire to look in any direction.
As if gravity commanded them to submit, their bodies lost strength before they fell to the sand.
The body trembled without restraint.
Look down.
Do not dare to stare anywhere.
Do not overstep your bounds; do not even breathe loudly.
Never raise your head.
This way, you will not die.
Even the girl next to the boy did not dare to breathe freely.
She was struggling to muster any strength in her knees to stay standing.
The instinct for survival overwhelmed emotions.
Whether she was an ally to him or not, in front of the predator, one would forget any desire to stay close to him.
The fear of death is not something that can be easily shaken off.
"Hmm."
A murmuring sound came out quietly.
His voice was very calm, but everyone could hear it clearly.
Drip.
For some reason, cold sweat dripped from the foreheads of the group.
They were definitely more in number, but what was the point?
No matter how much the rabbits rushed towards the tiger, all they could do was wait for slaughter with sorrow.
"You, the one with the blonde hair."
He pointed his hand at one of the group members.
They did not dare to raise their heads even after his words, but they naturally knew who he meant.
There was only one person with that description besides Fernando in the group.
A boy with blonde hair and green eyes.
The blonde boy felt his heart stop for a moment.
'... Why me among everyone?'
He stared at his group seeking help, but like him, no one dared to move or speak.
'Those cowardly traitors!'
He did not dare to translate his thoughts into words, no matter how much he felt wronged.
His being screamed at him not to make any mistakes.
He stood with difficulty, but his head was not raised.
Time passed in silence.
"Aren't you coming?"
An icy voice that freezes the seas came from Leon's mouth.
His voice carried a terrifying pressure.
"... I- I'm coming."
The boy felt his legs weaken, but he moved forward reluctantly.
When he got close enough, Leon gestured for him to stop.
"Little one, fight him without using your aura."
As if it were an illusion, his harsh expression suddenly disappeared, and with it, the terrifying pressure vanished.
He wore a simple smile, and his aura matured with stoicism.
The fear had not yet left the hearts of the people.
Situations change and events unfold quickly in life, but emotions fade slowly.
But the girl regained her composure and stepped forward.
Even if it was with a slightly trembling body.
After breathing for a moment, her expression became cold.
There was no use in letting emotions control her; sharpening her sword was what mattered now.
Not to mention confirming whether defense was something she desperately needed or not.
Attack.
The girl attacked without giving her enemy a chance to prepare.
The boy who was attacked unexpectedly tried to awkwardly dodge the girl's attack.
But he could do nothing in front of the sudden ambush.
"Aah!"
When he did not understand what happened, he felt a sharp pain in his stomach.
A desperate scream instinctively escaped his mouth.
Saliva and air came out of his mouth as if he wanted to expel the internal organs of his body.
The girl who ambushed the boy with her sword suddenly left him when she punched him hard in the stomach.
Of course, he did not understand what happened.
In his eyes, all he saw was the flash of the sword as the girl suddenly approached him when he felt a burning sensation of pain in his stomach.
Unfortunately, it did not stop there.
Before she finished the boy in front of her, the young girl's body twisted to the right before delivering a roundhouse kick.
A direct hit to the face.
'This will hurt his jaw if his teeth don't fall out.'
Leon let out a sound of surprise as if he was enjoying a children's fight for the first time.
Due to the impact of the sudden blow, the boy lost his breath and consciousness for a moment, so he did not catch the incoming kick to the side of his face.
His mouth could not let out a moan from the intensity of the pain.
His body flew a short distance before falling and losing consciousness.
Leon's previous display of strength was unclear and not grasped by human awareness, so no one could evaluate it.
But the girl's attack could be said to be truly beautiful.
Her body was agile, and her movements were fluid.
If she were not the enemy, Fernando's group would have wanted to applaud her graceful and impressive movement.
Unfortunately, it was more of a curse than a blessing.
One enemy fell.