ushernet Chapter 186
Chapter 186
The highlight of the Academy Festival—the sparring matches between cadets—was about to begin. And kicking off this much-anticipated event were none other than Shia and Alice.
...Though things got a little intense.
"......."
‘You two aren’t actually fighting for real, are you? This is supposed to be just a spar, right?’
Just watching made my heart race. Shia was landing genuine kicks on Alice, who, in turn, was going so far as to self-detonate in an attempt to grab Shia. Even when fighting villains, they probably wouldn’t go this all out.
So when the match finally ended, I couldn’t help but tense up, itching to rush over to check on them. Were they injured? Had their relationship soured after such a heated exchange?
‘I was definitely planning to check on them, but....’
Bickering ensues.
"This little piece of–! I’ll tear it off!"
"Shia, seriously... Oh, nothing to grab, huh?"
"Do you want to die for real!?"
"......."
Despite everything, they seemed perfectly fine. There they were, teasingly pawing at each other’s chests and playfully arguing, as if fighting had only made their bond stronger. I guess the saying is true—sparring can bring people closer together.
Although... doing all this in front of an audience was a bit too much, even for them.
"...We’ll just edit that part out of the broadcast."
"I heard the director already cut it. He said there’s no way Yushia could live in Korea if this aired."
"Make sure the audience keeps quiet about it, too. Tell them to keep it confidential."
"Understood!"
With my authority as the Acting Chair of the association, I smoothed things over. Since the scene wouldn’t air, only those directly attending the Academy Festival—Awakened and other key stakeholders—were aware. And given Seol Hayeon’s clout, keeping them quiet was a simple matter of her word.
"...Someone posted about it online, though."
"Seriously? Have it taken down. No, make them take it down. Unless they want Shia to sue their pants off."
Of course, someone couldn’t resist spreading it online, but a little reminder that "you don’t mess with a second-generation chaebol" resolved the issue quickly enough.
Thus, their sparring match ended without further incident. Shia vs. Alice: a draw.
"Still, they were incredible. Both Shia and Alice."
"Cadets with that kind of combat sense? They looked like they’ve been at it for at least a decade."@@@@
For the two of them, it was the best possible outcome. The gathered stakeholders—senior professionals in the industry—had taken notice of them, stamping their mark as prodigiously talented freshmen.
What’s more, this match was broadcasted globally. Viewer numbers? Already surpassing three million. Fighting at such a high level in front of such a massive audience—it wasn’t an exaggeration to say they were now internationally renowned Awakened.
In just one match, they had effectively become world-class contenders. For Shia and Alice, striving to one day become S-Class Awakened, this was a monumental milestone.
A smile crept across my face.
"As expected of the Chair’s proclaimed future S-Class candidates!"
"Oh, seriously? I didn’t think the Chair would rate them so highly."
"......? Didn’t Seo Yujin himself say that? In that interview—about how they’ll become S-Class one day."
"......."
‘You’re not even tacking on "Acting" anymore?’
My smile vanished just as quickly as it appeared. Still, I pressed on and resumed the matches.
Not that there was much left to see.
The remaining cadets didn’t have the flair of my wives. They’d probably just put on half-hearted displays of sparring.
‘It’s bound to be boring, but for fairness’ sake, I should stay.’
CRACK!!!Gulp.Whispers.BOOM!!!
The average viewer didn’t care about combat technique. Like with UFC, they weren’t analyzing strategies—they just enjoyed the spectacle of punches and explosions.
And with the cadets now joining this dopamine-fueled frenzy, viewership continued to climb. The Academy Festival’s online broadcast eventually surpassed six million viewers.
"Six million? That many people are watching?!"
"That’s just the official broadcasts. If you count unofficial streams, it’s well over ten million."
"Eek."
Yujin’s face visibly paled. He let out a long sigh.
"Haa..."
‘Why does nothing ever go according to plan?’
Yujin’s original plan had been simple:
Let Shia and Alice’s match set the bar.Follow it with dull sparring matches to gradually lose audience interest.Finally, make his grand entrance, challenging S-Class Rank 1 Ninomiya Aika to a duel.
The plan was to captivate the audience with a battle on a completely different level, then triumph over his mentor. In the climactic moment, he’d confess his feelings to her in front of everyone.
But now, the cadets’ unexpectedly fierce matches had skyrocketed expectations.
‘With them performing like this, what will people expect from me, an S-Class?’
He wasn’t worried about losing—but could he deliver a fight spectacular enough to satisfy everyone?
Grin.
‘My student will call me up soon, right? I’ll put on a flashy show and let her win. Then she’ll confess to me... Kyaa~.’
If he knew what Aika was thinking, he wouldn’t have worried at all.
But of course, if he’d known, this entire festival wouldn’t have existed in the first place.
Eventually, Yujin’s turn arrived.
[Finally, the moment you’ve all been waiting for! It’s Seo Yujin’s match!!]
"......."
‘No choice. Time to make the most of this.’
Yujin rose silently, katana strapped to his back. Slowly, he made his way toward the arena.
[And his opponent will be—]
But then, Yujin veered toward the spectator seats instead.
[Wait, Seo Yujin? That’s not the arena—where are you going?]
Heading toward a hidden ally positioned nearby, Yujin’s lips curled into a smile.
"———So today, I declare my intention to become the world’s strongest. By defeating S-Class Rank 1, Ninomiya Aika."
".........!!!!!!!?"
The gears, long out of sync, finally began to click into place.
"D-Does he know? How?! No, wait, is this... is he trying to seduce me? Like wagging his tail at me to ask for a mate?!"
Well, except for one part that was slightly... misaligned.