When June stood up finally, lazily, like he hadn't just slept through for more than 6 hours he dusted off his uniform with a calm that didn't match the tension in the air.
The training hall had gone quiet.
Even the instructors watching from above paused, eyes narrowing.
Everyone knew June didn't get up unless he wanted something or someone was about to be very, very embarrassed.
He stretched. Slowly. Like a cat. Or a beast. Or a cat beast that could solo raid bosses before breakfast.
And then, without looking directly at Kai, he let out a tired sigh.
"Forget about it," he said casually, brushing invisible dust off his sleeves.
Kai blinked.
"…Huh?"
"You're a little too weak for me," June said, like he was stating a fact. Like he was turning down a low-level quest that wasn't worth the XP.
Kai stared, confused.
Wait a second.
Wasn't he the one who had asked for the fight in the first place?
"I thought you were the one who challenged me," Kai said, narrowing his eyes... Number 2."
That did it.
A vein popped visibly on June's temple.
"What did you just call me?" he asked, his voice quiet—but sharp, like a knife being drawn across glass.
Kai smiled.
"Number. Two."
For a brief moment, you could feel the oxygen disappear from the room. Like reality was holding its breath.
Even the instructors on the upper balcony leaned forward.
"You thief," June said, stepping closer, eyes cold.
Kai shrugged. "Being a thief is better than losing."
June twitched.
This was not the response he expected.
And before he could say anything else
Clap. Clap.
A soft sound echoed above them.
A woman floated down gracefully from the upper level, her heels barely making a sound as she touched the floor.
Miss Eisen.
Her long brown hair shimmered under the hall lights, her tone as elegant as her dress robes.
"Now, now. Let's not make a scene. We're professionals here."
She looked at Kai. Then at June.
"It's already clear who would win anyway."
Kai turned slowly.
Wait. Was she talking about
"June could take on the other three classes by himself and win," she said matter-of-factly.
She smiled slightly. "Probably with one hand."
Kai blinked.
He knew that, of course. He wasn't delusional.
But it still hurt to hear it out loud.
June is close in power to the first-year instructors. That was a line in the novel.
But seeing it in person was different.
Kai took a breath. "...Wait. Just how strong are you, exactly?"
June didn't hesitate. "Mana Potency: 21,000. Power Level: 29,000."
Even the other Class A students, all powerful in their own right, exchanged looks.
Kai felt his soul leak out through his teeth.
Twenty-one THOUSAND? I'm not even at 5k! My entire power level looks like his warm-up stat!
And then—
WHAM.
A massive hand slammed onto Kai's shoulder.
"YOU ARE NOT DONE."
It was him.
The Combat Scholar.
Kai groaned as he was slammed back into the training ring.
Combat Scholar stood in front of him like a brick wall wearing a PhD.
"You have another 6 hours. You will swing. You will sweat. You will learn the War God Sword Form."
"Why six hours again ?"
"BECAUSE I SAID SIX HOURS."
Then he threw a wooden sword at Kai's face. Kai caught it—barely—and stumbled back into position.
i think this method will be more effective for younger people such as yourself his fingers shot up to kai's skull as a cartoonish feeling overtook Kai and a mini combat scholar formed on his shoulder
And then it began.
The Six-Hour Mad Sword Dance of Despair encore
Hour 1:
Kai was swinging. The Combat Scholar was barking orders. Every movement required full-body force. No grace. Just violence.
"SWORD IS EXTENSION OF FURY! STRIKE LIKE YOUR DEBTOR OWNS THE WORLD!"
Kai swung. Again. Again. Again. Sweat poured down. Every joint screamed.
Hour 2:
The Combat Scholar threw in movement drills.
"DANCE BOY! MOVE LIKE BATTLE IS YOUR BIRTHRIGHT!"
Kai spun, slipped, tripped over his own feet, got back up, and kept swinging.
His shirt was gone(he never got a new shirt after his old one ripped) He didn't know when. Probably burned off by shame and friction.
Hour 3:
He began seeing double.
The mini Combat Scholar was in two places at once. Or maybe he was hallucinating. One version was shouting encouragement The other was just flexing silently.
Kai swung anyway.
His swings were now faster. Sharper. Controlled. But still wild...and still stupid looking
Hour 4:
The rhythm set in.
Clack. Step. Slash. Breathe.
He didn't think anymore. The blade moved, and he moved with it. The Scholar circled him, slapping him with bamboo sticks every time his form wavered...but he still looked stupid
"AGAIN."
Clack. Step. Slash. Breathe.
"FASTER."
Kai screamed and spun, his blade whistling through the air.
"LOUDER!"
"I'M NOT EVEN SAYING ANYTHING!"
Hour 5:
Kai squinted through the sweat dripping into his eyes.
Yes. There she was.
Kathlyn.
Hair flowing, eyes sparkling, standing at the edge of the training ring like a vision of divine encouragement.
"You're amazing, Kai," Dream-Kathlyn said softly, hands clasped. "Please don't stop swinging that sword. You're so cool."
He smiled.
A single tear mixed with the sweat on his cheek.
"I… I'll keep going… for you."
Then, for a split second, the vision flickered.
Reality crashed in.
Kathlyn was indeed standing at the edge of the training hall… but not to cheer.
She was laughing.
Hard.
Trying to hide it behind her hand, failing completely. Shoulders shaking. Smiling like she'd just seen a meme so cursed it rewired her sense of humor.
"Gods above," she muttered under her breath. "He looks like he's doing interpretive sword dancing."
Kai blinked mid-swing.
What.
He took a step, tripped slightly on a mana-slick floor tile, twirled, then flailed the wooden sword like he was trying to swat a giant invisible bee.
The mini Combat Scholar on his shoulder clapped proudly.
"PERFECT! YOUR STUPIDITY IS NOW A WEAPON! FEAR IS UNNECESSARY WHEN YOU'VE MASTERED ABSURDITY!"
Kai screamed internally.
Hour 6:
He no longer felt his arms. Or his legs. Or his pride.
He moved like a broken wind-up doll, powered by sheer spite and inherited anime instincts.
The rhythm was gone. Replaced by something primal. Wild. Unrefined.
He wasn't swinging a sword anymore.
He was flailing it with grace.
The Combat Scholar loomed, arms crossed.
The mini version on Kai's shoulder was now holding tiny scorecards.
"Spin: 6.7."
"Footwork: Chaotic Evil."
"Form: ...Eh, it works."
Kai roared as he twirled.
At this point, he looked like he was trapped between a sword kata, a seizure.
He spun again, threw the sword into the air, caught it behind his back, and launched forward with a move that could only be described as "accidentally graceful."
WHAM.
His foot caught on his own shadow and he slammed face-first into the floor.
Hard.
Silence.
Even Kathlyn winced.
"Okay," she whispered. "That was… impressive. In a falling-down-a-staircase kind of way."
The Combat Scholar walked over, his giant boots making the floor quake.
"Did I pass...?" Kai muttered, face still on the floor.
The man looked down.
Then nodded.
"YOU DID NOT DIE. THAT MEANS YOU HAVE SURVIVED. SURVIVAL IS THE FIRST STEP TO VICTORY."
Kai twitched.
"I think I saw my soul leave my body at Hour Four…"
Mini Combat Scholar chimed in. "GOOD. YOUR SOUL WAS HOLDING YOU BACK."
Kai rolled onto his back, completely drenched in sweat and something else he didn't want to identify. His limbs ached like he'd been hit by a truck, maybe this was punishment from avoiding the infamous Truck kun
He looked at Kathlyn, who had now stopped laughing barely and was pretending to check her nails. they were the only Students still in the class A training hall
"Don't… say anything," he croaked.
She smirked.
"I wasn't going to. I don't mock the hardworking."
Then she tilted her head slightly.
"…Just the perverted."
Kai groaned louder.
He stared up at the ceiling of the training hall, vision swimming, arm flopped dramatically over his chest like a dying romantic hero.
But beneath the suffering, beneath the humiliation, one thing was clear.
The spell was holding.
He'd pushed himself to the limit
He'd made it work.
Six hours of hell.
Six hours of madness.
And somehow… he had learned.
The Combat Scholar nodded once and grunted.
"We'll do this again tomorrow."
Kai's soul immediately tried to leave his body again.
"WAIT, WHAT?!"
"SHUT UP."
Mini Combat Scholar pulled out a tiny calendar and began marking the week.
Kathlyn walked over, crouched down beside his semi-conscious form.
She stared at him for a second, head tilted.
"…I'll admit. That was impressive."
Kai blinked up at her, dazed.
"You mean it?"
"I mean, you looked like an idiot the entire time. But you didn't stop."
She paused.
"…And you tried your very best
even in the novel Kathlyn is known for her admiration for those who strive to achieve something like she does
"That's love in your eyes," Kai mumbled deliriously.
She stood.
and gagged
She turned, tossing a towel over her shoulder. "Come find me tomorrow
Kai watched her walk away.
Mini Combat Scholar whispered, "She wants you."
"i knew you would understand sensei."
the sad part was in the morning did not know what was real and what was fake.