The Support Ate it All
Chapter 750: A Senior Who Thinks of His Juniors
Maybe because my proposal was sudden, and maybe because it was unexpected, Han Gaeul’s group flinched and looked at one another.
Then they each spoke in turn.
“Wouldn’t two-on-four be too unfavorable for you?”
“You also said we could add whatever rules we wanted.”
But I answered as if it were no big deal.
“If we do one-on-one or one-on-two, someone ends up just watching. Then people might say something different later.”
“We have absolutely no intention of—”
“And honestly, you want to fight us directly, don’t you?”
“.......”
Han Gaeul’s group looked at one another again.
Since they were prospects in their own right, their competitive spirit had probably been stirred too.
They were probably curious as well.
About how far their skills would work against a senior.
On top of that, I added,
“Don’t worry about us. I’m not saying this because we intend to let you win.”
“......!”
“Just decide whether you want to or not.”
Han Gaeul thought for a moment, then answered,
“We’ll do two-on-four. If you’re really all right with it.”
“Of course I am. Let’s go right away.”
*****
Before long, we moved to the arena.
Then we entered both sides’ information into the terminal and set the detailed rules.
MAP:[Circular Arena]
RULE:[Deathmatch][Fixed Zone(C)]
[Basic Issued Equipment][2-on-4][Private]
The rank was set to C, the average for first-years.
To eliminate the equipment gap, we removed everything we had equipped and agreed to use only one weapon provided by the academic office.
Because of that, what I was holding right now was not [Crow Tree], but a crude wooden staff.
It was [Earth Staff], the same thing I had used when I first entered Dragonslayer Academy.
Dang Gyu-ri was holding the same staff, which was the result of my request.
As if trying to get used to the weight, they swung it through the air a few times and asked,
“But why do I have to use this too?”
“It’s like a couple look.”
“I like that, but I was wondering, why now?”
“You’re good with everything anyway, sis.”
“There are still differences in preference.”
Something long was better than something short like a dagger, and a blunt weapon was better than a blade.
Among those, they had eventually settled on a bat after looking for something that felt especially good in the hand.
“But staffs and rods aren’t bad either, right?”
“Decent enough? It’s surprisingly heavy for wood.”
“Let’s go with that this time.”
Partly so I could see how well they used it.
Meanwhile, Han Gaeul’s group seemed to have finished choosing their weapons too.
Naturally, Han Gaeul had a staff, Pang Suhan had a thick greatsaber, and Hwang Dalsu had a longbow.
The one who strayed somewhat from my expectations was Hwangbo Song. He held a longsword in one hand, while the opposite hand kept straightening out or clenching into a fist.
Apparently, he mixed sword arts with fist-and-palm arts.
After we finished that final check, Han Gaeul confirmed with us.
“Senior, are you ready?”
“Yeah, you can start.”
“Understood.”
Soon, the countdown began.
[3]
[2]
[1]
[Start!]
[Kim Ho 100%]
[Dang Gyu-ri 100%]
vs
[Han Gaeul 100%]
[Pang Suhan 100%]
[Hwangbo Song 100%]
[Hwang Dalsu 100%]
Han Gaeul and Hwang Dalsu immediately took positions in the rear and cast skills.
Pang Suhan and Hwangbo Song also approached with their respective weapons hanging low, yet ready to strike at any moment.
While stepping forward to meet them, I held an impromptu strategy meeting with Dang Gyu-ri.
“I’ll almost only provide support.”
“That makes sense. That’s the only way they’ll be convinced.”
The top priority of this duel was to prove Dang Gyu-ri’s skill.
More precisely, to prove that they did not need to belong to the prospects’ group or some other club, and that learning from me alone was enough.
If we poured out every skill we had from the start, the fight would end quickly, but then Dang Gyu-ri would have shown nothing.
That meant the problem would not be fully resolved.
In other words, I need to put as much spotlight on them as possible.
It would be somewhat troublesome, but considering the value of the skillbook, this much was nothing.
As I was firming up that spirit of service, Pang Suhan and Hwangbo Song had already approached within striking distance.
And they swung their greatsaber and longsword at us.
WHOOSH!
In response, I lightly extended my staff, and the moment the greatsaber stuck to it, I swung it to the side.
Pang Suhan’s posture collapsed and he staggered.
At the same time, his eyes widened in disbelief.
“...[Transplanting Flowers, Grafting Trees]!”
“You’ve got good eyes.”
I tried to reward him with a flick to the forehead along with the praise, but stepped back with [Featherstep].
THUD!
A thick mana arrow flew in and buried itself where I had just been standing.
Naturally, it was support fire from Hwang Dalsu.
Hwang Dambi used a ballista, and apparently, their tendencies were somewhat similar.
Sharp ice spikes followed right after.
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
Han Gaeul had begun supporting and checking us as well.
While I avoided them, Pang Suhan was able to steady his collapsed posture.
Hwangbo Song shouted at him,
“Switch!”
“...Let’s.”
Soon, the two martial artists seemed to step toward each other with footwork, then changed positions.
Pang Suhan would face Dang Gyu-ri, and Hwangbo Song would face me.
WHOOSH!
Looking at the longsword cutting diagonally toward me, I slowly nodded.
“Good call.”
Then, when I unfolded [Transplanting Flowers, Grafting Trees] again, the staff and longsword stuck together with a smack.
Hwangbo Song also lost his balance and staggered, but even then, he unfolded a fist-and-palm art with his other hand.
PAPAPAPAT!
Unlike the Pang guy, who revealed a large opening when his greatsaber was tied up, this one could manage at least the bare minimum of response.
On top of that, mana arrows and chunks of ice were still flying in continuously.
WHISH WHISH WHISH WHISH—!
I glanced at Han Gaeul and thought,
Let’s see how she reacts.
Then I pointed my staff between the front line and rear line.
[Ice Wall]
A thick wall of ice rose and blocked the mana arrow that had just been shot.
THUD!
However, perhaps because both were C-rank, it was already covered in cracks.
It looked like it would break through after two or three more hits.
But before that could happen, Han Gaeul pointed her staff this way.
CLANG!
The ice wall shattered to pieces in one blow.
And it did not stop there; countless fragments of ice came pouring down.
I defended by wrapping myself in [Sylphid Barrier] and thought,
As expected, she has [Shatter].
Shatter.
It was one branch of freezing-line builds, a tactic that summoned ice and broke it to deal damage.
Senior Han Gyeoul used it too.
Back during the second temporary storage facility infiltration, when she fought the Discipline Committee.
If so, there was a chance that Han Gaeul, her younger sister, had learned it as well, so I had deliberately put up an ice wall to test it.
The result was just as expected.
I should take it for now.
[Using ‘Copy-Skill.’]
[The target’s skill ‘Shatter(C)’ has been registered to a slot.]
▷Copy - Skills[4/4]
Besides, after fixing [Sky Vision(S)], I had one slot open anyway.
Meanwhile, Han Gaeul seemed to be starting a proper magic combo.
Our surroundings were filled with ice fragments, large and small.
That was because she had been steadily firing freezing magic since the battle began, and had just shattered the ice wall too.
Soon, when she aimed her staff this way and chanted an incantation—
CRACKLE—
The ice fragments gathered in several places and fused together, taking the shape of geometric structures.
Next, cold air spread through the area, and the ice structures grew rapidly.
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
They shattered all at once, scattering fragments.
Then they gathered in several places again and froze over.
CRACKLE—
Textbook.
A [Shatter] mage repeated freezing and breaking like that, adding support magic in between, then freezing and breaking again.
Until the enemy’s stamina ran out and they fell.
Though she still has a long way to go for that.
[Kim Ho 100%]
[Dang Gyu-ri 100%]
Neither of us had taken any real damage.
Against the martial artists, we were defending almost perfectly, and [Sylphid Barrier] was blocking the fragments as well.
But this has limits too.
Han Gaeul’s [Shatter] activated again, and the ice fragments struck the barrier harder than before.
Its power had increased because more ice had accumulated.
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
If things went on like this, it would eventually break through and deal damage.
So I tossed a remark to Dang Gyu-ri.
“Should we end the probing here?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a rough grasp.”
“Then let’s go in.”
The penalties I received under this duel’s rules were being fixed to C-rank and having my equipment removed.
In other words, ★Blink★, [Octopus Arms], [Amplification], [Dark Cloud Fluffy Bracelet], and the like were sealed.
Dang Gyu-ri had it even worse, because they had to hide most of their shadow-related build.
That meant they had to make do with general-use skills and thief-line skills.
It did feel somewhat lacking against prospect-level opponents.
So I have no choice but to add more buffs.
[Using ‘Grant.’]
[‘Vendetta’ has been granted to the target.]
[Duration 00:14:59]
[Cooldown 00:34:59]
I had already given them a hint beforehand about what I would hand over and what its effects were.
So Dang Gyu-ri cast the skill as soon as the notification message appeared.
[Dang Gyu-ri 100%]
[Dang Gyu-ri 60%]
When the prospects saw the scoreboard, every single one of them flinched.
“What?”
“...!?”
Their HP, which had not dropped even by one percent until now, had suddenly fallen sharply.
But it was too early to be surprised.
RUMBLE—!
An enormous force exploded out from Dang Gyu-ri’s entire body.
[Vendetta] is a kind of joker card.
It was powerful enough that the Witch of Starvation had used it near the end of the extermination battle, aiming for a one-shot reversal.
Its effect was to consume ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) 40% of current HP and add a bonus to the ranks of all skills and traits.
There was another effect too, but since the conditions were not met right now, I had to consider it nonexistent.
For now, the basic effect alone is plenty strong.
TAP!
Dang Gyu-ri kicked off the ground and shot forward.
They jumped between Pang Suhan and Hwangbo Song and swung their staff.
Considering they had been fighting evenly with just one of them until a little while ago, it looked like a rather reckless action.
But the result differed from everyone’s expectations.
THWACK THWACK!
“...Khh.”
“They’re this fast?”
Instead, the two martial artists staggered back.
Each had taken one flick to the head.
As if trying to cover them, Hwang Dalsu and Han Gaeul fired mana arrows and icicles.
THOOM—
CLANG CLANG!
But Dang Gyu-ri was nowhere to be seen.
Before anyone could even panic, they appeared right in front of Hwang Dalsu.
SHHH...
Apparently, they had used [Ghost Without Shadow], which they had been saving.
Only then did the freshmen seem to grasp Dang Gyu-ri’s aim.
“!!”
“...We were had.”
From the beginning, they had not intended to defeat the martial artists.
It was obvious they would be interrupted midway.
So they had only gone as far as briefly disabling the two and collapsing the front line, then used the moment everyone’s attention focused there to strike into the rear line.
“Otter first, then~”
Dang Gyu-ri’s eyes gleamed chillingly.
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