noveldrama
Chapter 185
Chapter 185
After numerous controversies, the Academy Festival proceeded.
The highlight of this festival was undeniably the sparring.
Sparring between the cadets, between the Awakened.
Of course, why wouldn’t it be? Who are the Awakened?
People with supernatural powers in modern society.
Superheroes who use psychic abilities without the need for CGI.
And now, the promising young cadets among them were facing off against each other.
Who wouldn’t want to see this?
…Well, if it were a real fight, that is.
[Korean Awakened Minor Gallery]
Title: Are the Cadets Still Being Fooled?
Cadets sparring? Dopamine festival?
(Screenshot from American Awakened "YouXBR" video)
The fact is, even Awakened who get paid tens of billions just to spar
end up just showing off their performance, pretending to fight.
Their worth is in the hundreds of billions, do you think they'd risk real physical harm?
They just agree behind the scenes to make it look like they’re fighting.
This time, too, they'll probably just pretend to hit each other.
- [Yeah, it’s just like WWE.]
- [Yeah, one side locks in a move, and the other side goes “Ahh!” dramatically and takes the hit.]
- [They’ll just release some mana for the audience, and the sparring will be over.]
- [“What, did they just say ‘f*ing’?”]**
- [“This is the reality of it” says another.]
In reality, the public didn’t have high expectations for the sparring.
It wasn’t surprising—there had been many attempts to get Awakened to fight each other before.
I mean, you can watch Superman vs. Batman in real life. Who could resist?
Many had tried to make these matches happen, throwing large sums of money at it.
But the results were always bad.
Why would Awakened fight each other?
They were already a rare breed, only a handful of humans in the world had such powers.
Even the C-rank, treated like pack mules, earn millions annually.
B-rank and above? Don’t even get me started.
Because of this, actual fights between Awakened were rare.
If they fought and left any aftermath, the losses would be immense.
In the end, very few Awakened were in a position where they needed money that badly.
So, how do these fights come to be?
It’s all about the massive capital of the capitalist system behind it!
They organize the sparring while making sure no one gets hurt, and it’s 100% safe.
Such sparrings were nothing but flashy on the outside, but ultimately dull—a so-called “no-fun” show.
[Korean Awakened Minor Gallery]
Title: Wasn’t This Just a Magic Show?
This is just an SFX circus.
And that’s plenty fun already. Why are they even calling it a sparring match?
- [For real lol]
- [It’s just chaos, don’t even bother watching.]
Despite knowing this, the public still tuned in to the live broadcast.
What could the cadets really do in a sparring match?
Even if they were faking it, at least they were pretending to fight in a flashy way.
This was the dominant view.
And then…
- Smile.
‘As expected, no one’s really expecting anything.’
This was exactly as Shia had planned.
***
After various events in the morning, the afternoon arrived.
Shia calmly took a deep breath.
In front of her, a magic circle shimmered.
It was the exact same magic circle she had seen during the entrance exam.
"Shia, are you nervous?"
"...?"
"Well, it's the first round, so there's no helping it~ But don’t worry! If we just follow the plan, everything will be fine!"
Standing next to her was Alice.
Her partner for the first sparring match of the Academy Festival.
The worry on Alice’s face as she fretted about their opponent showed her good-natured character.
Shia’s lips curled slightly.
"...Ah, yeah."
‘First round? You really think it's just coincidence that out of all the cadets, we’re the first match? So naive.’
The fact that they were the first match wasn’t a coincidence at all.
Shia had orchestrated it from behind the scenes to make sure they were the first.
Why? Because how often does an event like this draw such attention?
The number of viewers was already 2 million worldwide.
Well, it was that big during the opening ceremony, and now as the sparring started, the number was rapidly approaching 3 million.
This was huge, even for Shia, the heir of a conglomerate.
She hadn’t expected it to get this big, but still...
‘If I perform well here, the name of Cheonha will rise even higher!’
She couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity.
With this thought, Shia burned with determination.
She was going to defeat Alice and raise her own, and by extension, Cheonha’s fame.
- Glance.
‘…That "no-good" girl has piled up quite a lot of resentment. I might as well vent some of that too.’
Of course, there were personal grudges involved, but still.
Time passed, and the sparring match began.
The two stepped into the magic circle at the same time, entering the sparring arena.
[And now, the first sparring match kicks off!]
[First up, Yu-Shia Cadet! The youngest daughter of the Cheonha clan, a famous heiress, and even active in S-class gates…]
[And Alice Littonwood, also a cadet, with a calm expression, known for conquering an A-class gate with Seo Yujin...]
The commentators’ voices echoed from afar.
But Shia didn’t pay much attention to them.
What mattered to her was something else.
- Thud.
‘...As expected. This hurts much less than during the entrance exam. Did he manipulate it?’
What mattered to Shia was confirming the environment of the sparring match.
In case something went wrong, this would be a disaster.
The Chairman and Yujin must have prepared everything, but there’s always a "what if."
She bit her lip and checked everything.
Pain: Less than 5% of usual.
Injuries: Despite biting her lip, no holes appeared.
In short, this was a far more relaxed condition than during the entrance exam.
Shia’s smile grew wider.
[Now, both cadets, please take your positions!]
[We’ll start the countdown. Three, two, one...]
[Begin...]
-Whoosh.
"…Huh?"
"First strike wins, you b*tch!!"
-Whoosh… BOOM!!
And then, she struck immediately.
The moment the sparring began, she used her ability to move through shadows at ultra-fast speed, crossing 30 meters in an instant and meeting Alice’s dazed face in less than a second.
"…Huh?"
"You’re going down, you b*tch!!"
-Whoosh… THUD!
A kick landed square in Alice’s side.
It was clear that this wasn’t a staged attack. It was real.
[Korean Awakened Minor Gallery]
Title: ??? What’s going on here?
I was watching them being cute together,
But suddenly Alice’s waist bent in half?
WWE, huh?
Title: What’s going on?
Title: Felt like there was real malice there, didn’t it?
Title: Is this really the Cheonha clan’s precious heir...?
The internet immediately began to heat up.
Shia moved through shadows, then launched a mana-infused kick.
Her emotions were clearly reflected in her attack, showing this wasn’t a friendly sparring match.
The official commentators were momentarily stunned into silence.
Of course, the fight itself was moving faster than the broadcast could keep up.
The commentators couldn’t catch up with their fight.
"…Gah!?"
‘What’s going on? Did Shia just kick me?!’
First, Alice.
Thanks to the fact that it hurt less than expected, she quickly realized what was happening.
Shia had kicked her.
She had been knocked back unprotected.
And last…
Alice knew full well that Shia wasn’t the type to settle for just one attack.
‘So, is this what she meant by really fighting!? She wants to go all out!?’
-Wham.
"Sorry. Though we’re both the same rank, you and I don’t really match well together."
As expected, Shia immediately gave chase, intent on following up with a barrage of attacks, using her speed.
Her shadow seemed to stretch endlessly beneath her, as her figure quickly faded and reappeared.
-Whoosh. BAM.
‘If you want to fight me, you better start at least 1km away.’
She reappeared beneath Alice.
In the shadow created by the explosion, Alice was now in Shia’s sights.
The audience couldn’t stop marvelling at how Shia used her shadows like a portal for teleportation.
[Yu-Shia Cadet attacks! Using shadows to move under Alice!!]
[We saw it in slow motion, but in reality, it took less than a second! Alice couldn’t react in time...]
-Woosh.
[She managed to respond! Alice Cadet, in just one second!!]
But Alice responded just in time, thanks to predicting that Shia would use her shadows.
The flame she created in her hand began to glow.
‘It hasn’t been long since we talked about alliance...!!’
-Boom!!
The spark Alice created erupted into a full explosion, pushing her body upwards from the sheer force.
Shia’s speed was comparable to an S-class, and Alice had S-class destructive power. This was the result of their combined abilities.
[Minor Gallery]
Title: Ping-Chang is going down fast lol.
Title: Their expressions are so scary, for real.
Title: Thought it was WWE, but it turned out to be UFC lol.
The audience, already pumped up, was now fully engaged in the action.
Both the awakened spectators in the arena and viewers watching the live broadcast at home couldn’t hold back their excitement.
There’s nothing more entertaining than watching people fight.
-Crunch.
‘What’s going on with us fighting like this!?’
For Alice, it wasn’t as enjoyable as it seemed.
Shia had ambushed her suddenly, and she was getting hit without any defense.
She had sent out a weak blow as a counter, but clearly, she was at a disadvantage.
She scanned the ground quickly, hoping to find a way to fight back.
‘Where did she go? There’s no more shadow anywhere...’
-Whoosh.
"———Checkmate."
"...!!!!?"
But just as Alice thought she had found a way out, she was shocked to hear a voice from above.
She had expected Shia to come from the shadows.
But instead, she appeared in mid-air with no shadows in sight.
It made no sense to Alice.
The slow-motion replay revealed how quickly it all happened.
[Yu-Shia Cadet, using the explosion caused by Alice’s attack against her!!]
The explosion created by Alice made a flash of light beneath her, creating a shadow on the ceiling.
Though not exactly dark, it looked like a shadow because of the sudden contrast in light.
However, that was enough for Shia.
‘Although I had to burn half my mana to move, it’s worth it to win.’
-Whoosh.
Shia launched herself from the ceiling, flipping mid-air, and her foot aimed directly at Alice’s head.
-Crash.
"Die, you fat lump."
With the added speed and weight, it was a devastating attack filled with pure malice.
The audience couldn’t believe their eyes. It was truly a terrifying blow.
[Yu-Shia Cadet!! It’s an attack that feels like she’s meeting her mortal enemy...!!!]
‘Did they actually fight each other!? The emotion behind it...’
-Crunch.
‘That’s what happens when you mess with someone so clumsy!’
In reality, the attack was driven more by jealousy than malice.
Still, Yujin closed his eyes in frustration.
‘Sorry, Alice! I’ll make it up to you later.’
-Boom!!
"…!!!!?"
But just as that thought passed Yujin’s mind, he heard the sound of flames—Alice’s signature explosion.
The blast spread through the audience like wildfire.
"What’s going on!?"
"Alice Cadet just self-destructed in a last-ditch effort!!"
Everyone around Yujin, watching the fight intently, gasped.
In the final moments, Alice’s body had been surrounded by blue light, and then several fireballs appeared, exploding around her.
She didn’t even care about getting caught in the blast.
Yujin's eyes widened in shock.
"Alice!! Shia!!"
The audience, as well as Yujin, watched intently as the dust slowly settled.
The explosion’s aftermath left a thick cloud of smoke swirling around the arena.
And when it cleared...
"Cough, cough... this b*tch really...!"
The scene revealed something unexpected. Both Shia and Alice had been blasted away by the explosion.
They had both landed in nearly the same spot, tangled up in an awkward position, clutching whatever they could in the confusion.
"Shia, you...?"
"Wait, huh?!"
They had both been thrown by the explosion, ending up in a somewhat compromising position.
Shia, exhausted from moving and defending, and Alice, drained from her self-destructive magic, had little energy left to separate themselves.
"I—I’m sorry! I thought it was your ribs!"
"I’ll tear you apart, you fat lump!!"
"...!!!? Shia, get off me!!"
Shia, realizing the situation, struggled to get up, while Alice, just as confused and disoriented, started flailing.
Despite their earlier tactical battle, their physical exhaustion made them more concerned about getting out of this awkward situation than continuing the fight.
The spectators, watching the spectacle unfold, were unsure whether to laugh or feel uncomfortable.
[The commentators decided to cut the feed at this point.]
[This seems... unnecessary to broadcast further.]
[The sparring match between Yu-Shia and Alice... well, let’s call it a draw.]
The commentators, watching in slow motion, quickly decided to cut the live broadcast.
Broadcasting such a scene would have unfairly exposed the promising Awakened to controversy. Moreover, no one wanted to gain a grudge against the two involved.
[Korean Awakened Minor Gallery]
Title: What the hell just happened!?
Title: I want to see what you guys saw!!
Title: Broadcasting live with a time delay, seriously?
...
Title: From a C-grade worker, here's the truth:
Simultaneous Mana Exhaustion
Yujin mounts Alice after grabbing her chest.
Pinch! Yujin jokingly touches Alice’s chest, claiming it’s her rib.
Yujin then announces he’ll tear her apart.
Absolutely no lies.
The polar bears are all dead, haha!
[Comments]
"What the heck? Seriously?!"
"Isn't this just common sense? The Awakened gender ratio is 1 to 9. It's natural for women to fall for each other, right?"
"Honestly, do you really think this is something that happened naturally? Even if it were scripted like WWE, these poses wouldn’t have come up."
Yujin let out a sigh.
‘This damn game world is insane. It’s fun to see my wives like that, but still, is this really the right thing?’
Fortunately or not, it was a situation where no one would believe the truth anyway.
***
Following the live broadcast of the sparring match, the viewer count skyrocketed. Word spread like wildfire—what everyone thought was WWE turned out to be UFC. The excitement and shock quickly became the talk of the town.
[Korean Awakened Minor Gallery]
Title: What the hell happened as soon as Hypnosis Master entered the gallery????
Title: ???: I will stand in the sky.
Title: If it’s Yujin, upvote. I’ll give you a thumbs up.
Title: What the fk is that bitch doing?**
Title: ???????????????????????
The first Academy Festival at the Pentagon became a legendary event.