153 – The Last Drop -3-

Juyeon’s crimson eyes registered the process with stark clarity.

It wasn’t chance. Everything was deliberate.

Rohan used his own sword as a guillotine, solely to witness the effects of the blast grenade at point-blank range.

Juyeon’s transcendent senses read the situation.

A flash of light, hinting at an explosion, bloomed in the air. Judgment was instantaneous.

‘The explosive power of that grenade is by no means weak.’

His mana remained focused at his fingertips. He had no intention of dispelling it.

But neither did he intend to take that thing head-on.

Before he could even register the acrid smell of the grenade’s blast, Juyeon arched his back, spinning his body.

He pushed off the ground with both hands, evading the barrage even mid-air.

“…”

Rohan could only marvel at Juyeon’s agility and swift response.

‘To perfectly evade that at this distance? And even return fire?’

He hadn’t expected a huge effect, but the fact that he hadn’t even ruffled the man’s suit was almost absurd.

Rohan internalized his emotions, readjusting his stance.

“Impressive. Was that your hidden card?”

Apart from Rohan’s disappointment, Juyeon felt like applauding.

This particular move of Rohan’s had completely escaped Juyeon’s expectations.

Juyeon had plenty of experience cutting down bullets in combat.

But he had never shot a gun and then bisected the bullet himself. He hadn’t even considered using it as a weapon, nor had he ever seen anything like it.

Ingenious. It deserved praise.

“I don’t have any hidden cards.”

“Is that so…? I look forward to seeing what else you’ll show me.”

The bell hanging from Juyeon’s waist chimed, a delicate, ringing sound.

Like a toll signaling the start, Rohan moved again.

*Hwoong!*

Rohan swung his sword, unleashing a spinning roundhouse kick accompanied by rotational force.

Juyeon, blocking the kick with a flick of his finger, transitioned into a throw.

Rohan, suspended in the air and plummeting towards the ground, abandoned his breakfall, lashing out with his sword. Reckless, perhaps, but not a bad attempt.

“Ugh!”

A muscular frame crashed down with a resounding thud!

Immediately, it was upright again.

Dozens of times it had fallen, buried itself in the dirt, and yet, it rose again, assuming its stance.

‘Such audacity.’

Juyeon’s assessment.

It must sting something fierce, yet there was no fear of falling.

Even knowing the fate of succumbing to ＜i＞Hapki＜/i＞, there wasn’t a hint of terror or hesitation in his attack.

[Twin Swords – Dawn’s Setting Sun]

Magic, led by the sword’s path, bloomed into soaring flames.

Amidst the waves of fire, Rohan’s sword mingled and surged.

And yet, as always, it was stopped by a finger.

The stigma’s muzzle once again aimed at the blade of radiance, but Juyeon already knew Rohan’s move.

Therefore, Rohan angled the blade’s face.

Impacted the magic-infused bullet directly onto the sword itself.

*Bang!*

The momentary force from the explosion forcibly pushed the blade away.

“!”

The radiance that had been caught on Juyeon’s fingertip was freed.

His finger remained unscathed, but the sleeve of his suit was grazed.

Setting aside his joy, Rohan’s slash continued.

He was swung away by ＜i＞Hapki＜/i＞. But the result was different.

*Thwack!*

For the first time, Rohan landed successfully.

The balance wasn’t perfect, but the meaning was significant.

‘He’s adapting to it?’

Seeing Rohan, who hadn’t fallen and was already attacking again, Juyeon chuckled dryly.

An unfathomable student, truly.

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

*Ping!*

Juyeon evaded the sniper’s shot that sought out every seam.

The supporting fire, now analyzed and understood, posed no threat despite its once-critical flaws.

‘The problem is, this sniper is simply too skilled.’

The elven girl anticipates even Juyeon’s dodges. Because of this, even deflections offer limited angles, and she cannot fire towards where Rohan is standing.

Clara, on the other hand, fires one shot for every three from the other side.

Unable to keep pace with the breathing and movements of someone who specializes in sniping.

‘Even a single shot opens a path for the elven girl, assisting her.’

They were likely always that kind of duo.

With certainty, Juyeon reached out and spun Rohan once more.

“Hah!”

Whether he’d grasped the knack from his initial success, he landed more gracefully than before.

Growth visible in real-time. Juyeon’s smile deepened.

And then he confirmed it.

The girls watching from behind were paying close attention.

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

Though the girls grew up under powerhouses known to the world, seeing someone their own age with such stark differences provided a different kind of spark.

Rohan had charisma, and possessed good intentions.

Juyeon believed that they would have a positive influence on one another.

··

··

The exchange continued for three minutes after that.

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

A novel attack, utilizing explosive rounds, continued, but since the second attack, Juyeon hadn’t even permitted the slightest damage to his clothing.

“…”

Juyeon also sensed the end was near.

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

But he couldn’t.

Unlike the other instructors, he only had one. Giving it away just because he was satisfied was out of the question.

‘Still, he was excellent. He’ll receive plenty of extra credit.’

If the points were calculated meticulously, Rohan would receive more than anyone else.

All I can hope for is that he takes this regret and turns it into a driving force for growth, finding his own satisfaction.

“…”

Rohan’s gaze flicked to the pistol held in his left hand.

Click! Click! Only a pathetic sound as he pulled the trigger.

‘Out of bullets.’

He holstered the pistol and gripped Gwanghwi with both hands.

He readjusted his stance. Juyeon, too, straightened his right index finger, his left hand behind his back.

“I’ll go.”

“Hmm.”

With Juyeon simply estimating distances without using magic in his Aikido, a landing with a high probability of success was possible.

If he went in prepared to be hit, Rohan had the confidence to hold his ground.

Not only were the bullets gone, but his magic was also depleted.

This was truly his only chance.

─Thump! He kicked off the ground with all his might.

He plunged the sword forward, channeling his speed. At the same instant, a searing pain ripped through his chest, and his vision spun.

Now, Rohan knew the meaning of this inexplicable situation.

Juyeon had pierced his solar plexus in a flash and flipped him over.

‘Now…!’

He twisted his torso in mid-air, bracing his legs to meet the ground.

Unlike before, this was an act of deliberate anticipation, and the landing was impeccably clean.

He charged forward, slamming in with his shoulder.

Closing the distance rapidly, the world spun once more.

Juyeon’s red hair brushed past Rohan’s vision.

He unleashed the blade deep into the empty air.

He now had the confidence that he wouldn’t fall, even if he mixed in an attack.

The goal was simply to get close to Juyeon.

Crash! He stabbed the sword into the ground.

To Juyeon, it probably looked like the usual all-out attack, but this time, it was different.

Rohan retrieved the Burning Blade woven into the sword plunged into the earth. He might as well have looked completely depleted of magic to maintain it.

At the same time, he narrowly regained his balance and landed.

The blade, now devoid of its magical heat, was the final signal, long held in reserve.

The girls, positioned as Rohan’s partners, seized the opportunity.

*Bang!*

Clara, waiting for this precise moment, fired a decoy towards a location where Jooyeon could easily defend.

Sion, unleashing her suppressed power, recalled the plan Rohan had taught her.

“…”

Sion, prone on the building rooftop, carefully squeezed the trigger.

*KWAANG!*

A detonation of an entirely different magnitude shattered the air.

The silencer attached to the muzzle couldn’t withstand the magic; it splintered.

The bullet Sion fired carried a speed unseen until now.

But the target wasn’t Jooyeon.

It was the sword planted beside her.

*TING—!*

Sion’s ricochet sang a clear note as it struck the sword Rohan had driven into the ground.

The bullet, impacting the blade’s surface, altered its trajectory, leaping upwards.

And flew toward its true objective.

With no time to react, no way to prevent it.

The fine thread holding the crimson sphere *snapped!*

The entire sequence unfolded in an instant.

“…”

Jooyeon stared blankly at the sphere that had tumbled to the ground.

Ichinose and Noah gaped, mouths agape.

Rohan, grabbing the sphere as it lay on the ground, straightened up, ignoring his labored breathing.

“Haa… Instructor. I… Haa, I won…!”

He breathed raggedly, a genuine smile finally breaking across his face.

Before Jooyeon could offer her congratulations, Rohan blurted out the thought that surged through him.

“Hoo! Instructor. I learned something from this test.”

“Hm…? What is it?”

“That if I want to create a world where you can enjoy a drink in peace, I need to increase the intensity of our training.”

Juyeon blinked, uncertain of what she heard.

Then, she recalled.

The day Rohan was working at the Flower Muzurut Bookstore.

Juyeon had visited, buying him a meal and sharing a certain sentiment.

─ I will grow strong quickly so that Instructor can relax and enjoy a drink.

─ When that time comes, I will pour a drink for you, Instructor.

Back then, Juyeon had taken it as a light, atmosphere-driven jest.

But Rohan’s eyes blazed with a fervor that declared it was no joke.

“···So talkative.”

Unlike her usual self, Juyeon’s smile was transparently emotional as she chuckled.

[Achieved: Placed 1st in Practical Exam!]

[Achievement Reward: Growth rate increases when receiving practical lessons from Instructor Juyeon.]