I Became the Must-Have Character of the Academy City-Chapter 154: The Last Drop (3)

The red eyes of Juyeon clearly captured the process.

It was no coincidence. Everything was intentional.

Rohan used his sword like an executioner’s axe to witness the effect of the explosive bomb up close.

Juyeon’s transcendent senses read the situation.

A flash of light hinted at an explosion in the air. The judgment was made in an instant.

‘The power of the explosive bomb is definitely not weak.’

Mana was concentrated at the tips of his fingers. There was no intention of releasing it.

However, he also had no intention of taking the hit from that object unprotected.

Before he could even smell the acrid scent left by the bomb, Juyeon bent her back and spun her body.

She pushed off the ground with both hands, avoiding the sniper shot in mid-air.

“···.”

Rohan could only admire Juyeon’s movements and swift responses.

‘She’s dodging this perfectly at this distance? Even with supporting fire?’

Though he hadn’t expected much effect, the fact that she didn’t even mess up her suit was utterly surprising.

Rohan collected his emotions internally and took up his stance again.

“Impressive. Was this your trump card?”

Despite Rohan’s disappointment, Juyeon felt like applauding.

Rohan’s move had completely exceeded her expectations.

Juyeon had plenty of experience deflecting bullets in combat.

But she had never shot a gun herself or tried splitting bullets. She’d never considered using it as a weapon or seen such an example.

It was innovative. She had to give credit where it was due.

“There’s no such thing as a trump card.”

“Is that so...? I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ll show next.”

The bell at Juyeon’s waist jingled as it made a sound.

It was like the sound of a bell announcing the start, and Rohan moved again.

Whoosh!

Rohan swung his sword and launched a spinning kick with it.

Juyeon blocked the kick with her index finger and followed it up with a throw toward Rohan.

As Rohan was thrown into the air and about to crash to the ground, he gave up on rolling and swung his sword. Even a reckless attempt wasn’t bad.

“Ugh!”

His muscular body slammed with a loud thud as he crashed to the ground.

Immediately afterward, he sprang back up.

Despite falling dozens of times and slamming into the ground, he got back up and regained his stance.

‘Such boldness.’

That was Juyeon’s assessment.

It was clear he’d be in a lot of pain, but he showed no fear of falling.

Even knowing he’d be countered with Aikido in the future, there was no sign of hesitation or fear in his attack.

[Two Swords (二劍) – Dawn's Fall (黎明落日)]

The mana, guided by the sword’s path, turned into flames that soared.

Amid the waves of flames, Rohan’s sword surged forward.

Yet, as always, the sword was blocked by her fingers.

The muzzle of the “Brand” once again aimed at the gleaming blade, but Juyeon had already anticipated Rohan’s move.

So, Rohan angled his sword.

He struck the magic explosive bomb directly with the sword.

Boom!

The momentary force from the explosion pushed the blade back.

“!”

The brilliance caught on Juyeon’s index finger was freed.

Although her finger wasn’t cut, the sleeve of her suit was slightly torn.

Putting aside her joy, Rohan’s follow-up strike came.

She was swayed by Aikido, but the result was different.

Thud!

For the first time, Rohan successfully landed.

The balance wasn’t perfect, but it was a significant achievement.

‘Is he adapting to this?’

Seeing Rohan, who didn’t °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° fall and was attacking again, Juyeon let out a chuckle.

An utterly unpredictable student.

Juyeon couldn’t even imagine where Rohan’s sword and gun would reach in the future.

Phew!

Juyeon evaded the sniper’s shot that aimed for a gap.

The supporting fire, now identified, was no longer a threat.

‘The problem is one sniper being too good.’

The elf girl had anticipated Juyeon would dodge. Hence, even with her smoke rounds, their direction was limited, and she couldn’t shoot at Rohan’s position.

Clara fired three shots from the opposite side, as if shooting one shot.

She couldn’t keep up with the breath and movements of someone specialized in sniping.

‘Even one shot would open up a path for the elf girl and support her.’

They were always going to be that kind of combo.

With confidence, Juyeon reached out and spun Rohan once again.

“Hah!”

Having gained a bit of skill from the first success, Rohan landed more cleanly this time.

It was a visible growth in real-time. Juyeon’s smile grew deeper.

And then she noticed.

The girls watching from behind were paying attention.

‘This will be a good stimulus for Ichinose Yui and Noah Frozenheart too.’

Though the girls had grown up under strong figures who had made names for themselves in the world, seeing someone of the same age with such differences was a unique stimulus.

Rohan had good rapport and good intentions.

Juyeon believed they would influence each other positively.

...

The battle lasted for three minutes.

Rohan’s mana was running dry. Sweat poured from his body like rain.

Though the creative use of the explosive bombs continued, Juyeon didn’t even allow the edges of her clothes to be damaged after the second attack.

“···.”

Juyeon could feel the end approaching.

‘If it were up to me, I’d want to give her the bell.’

However, that was not possible.

Unlike the other instructors, it was the only bell she had. It would be wrong to just give it away after she was satisfied.

‘Still, it was impressive. I’ll give him enough extra points.’

When calculating the scores in detail, Rohan’s score would definitely be higher than anyone else’s.

She could only hope that the disappointment would fuel his growth, and that he would be satisfied with it.

“···.”

Rohan rolled his eyes and looked at the pistol in his hand.

Even when he pulled the trigger, there was nothing but the pitiful click sound.

‘The bullets are out.’

He holstered the pistol and grabbed the brilliance with both hands.

He reset his stance. Juyeon also placed her left hand behind her and raised her right index finger sharply.

“···I’ll go now.”

“Mm.”

Since Juyeon wasn’t using mana for Aikido and was just focusing on hand techniques, landing a clean hit was highly probable.

If Rohan had decided to take the blow, he was confident in his ability to hold his stance.

The bullets were gone, and his mana was depleted as well.

The opportunity was now really just one last chance.

─Boom! He slammed the ground with all his might.

He added speed and thrust his sword forward. At the same time, a sharp pain struck his chest and his vision spun.

Now, Rohan understood the mysterious situation.

In that split second, Juyeon had struck his solar plexus and flipped him over.

‘Now...!’

He used his waist strength in mid-air, pushing off with his legs to stabilize himself on the ground.

Unlike before, where he had intended to take the hit, this time his landing was as clean as it could be.

He pressed forward with his shoulder.

As he closed the distance rapidly, the world spun once again.

Rohan saw Juyeon’s red hair brush past his vision.

He extended his sword deeply in the air.

Now, he was confident that even if he mixed in attacks, he wouldn’t fall.

The target was simply near Juyeon.

Crack! He drove his sword into the ground.

To Juyeon, it appeared like another well-executed attack, but this time it was different.

Rohan retracted the searing blade embedded in the ground, as it seemed he had exhausted the mana to sustain it.

At the same time, he barely managed to land, maintaining his balance just in time.

The blade, now devoid of the heat created by mana, was his last signal.

Rohan’s partners didn’t miss the opportunity.

Bang!

At the moment they had been waiting for, Clara fired a bait shot aimed at Juyeon’s easily defendable position.

Meanwhile, Shion, having released her full power, remembered the plan Rohan had told her.

“···.”

Shion, lying on a building rooftop, carefully pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The sharp sound of a different kind of gunshot tore through the air.

The silencer attached to the muzzle couldn’t withstand the mana and cracked.

The bullet Shion fired carried an unprecedented speed.

However, the target wasn’t Juyeon.

The target was the sword lodged next to Juyeon.

Ting─!

The bullet, fired by Shion, made a clear sound as it hit the sword Rohan had stuck in the ground.

The bullet, hitting the sword’s surface, ricocheted off at an angle and flew upward.

And then, it flew toward its true target.

Without any time to react, the fine thread holding the red bell was severed with a snap.

The entire sequence of events happened in the blink of an eye.

“···.”

Juyeon blankly stared at the bell that fell to the ground.

Ichinose and Noah also gaped in shock.

Rohan, who had grabbed the bell lying on the ground, ignored his labored breathing and stood upright.

“Hah... Instructor. I... Hah, I won...”

He smiled freely, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Before Juyeon could offer her congratulations, Rohan immediately spoke up.

“Hoo! Instructor. I’ve realized something through this exam.”

“Mm...? What is it?”

“To create a world where you can drink comfortably, the training intensity needs to be increased.”

Juyeon blinked in confusion, not quite understanding his words.

And then, she remembered.

The day Rohan worked part-time at the flower shop.

She had visited him and treated him to a meal, and they had talked about that.

─I’ll get stronger quickly, so I can make sure you can enjoy your drink, Instructor.

─When that time comes, I’ll pour you a drink, Instructor.

Back then, Juyeon had thought it was just a lighthearted joke.

But now, Rohan’s eyes were burning with the intensity of someone who was serious, not joking at all.

“···You talk too much.”

Unlike usual, Juyeon smiled widely, a transparent expression on her face as she chuckled.

[1st place in practical exam! - Achievement unlocked]

[As a reward for the achievement, the growth rate during practical lessons with Instructor Juyeon increases.]