Chapter 28: The Edge That Cuts Both Ways

Even though he put on a bold front, Seong Ji-woo was inwardly just as shaken. He had never imagined Yoo Hee-ro’s abilities had grown this explosively. On top of that, everything had happened so quickly that he couldn’t even see it properly.

What on earth happened…?

The only thing he managed to catch was the moment Yoo Hee-ro touched down on the drive unit at the very end. The screen was already displaying a final score with an overwhelming gap.

There’s no way this is Hee-ro’s fault.

The situation didn’t make sense at all, but just as Kim Yoo-cheol had predicted, Ji-woo also firmly believed that Yoo Hee-ro would never cheat or pull some ridiculous stunt. In fact, that was why he welcomed Kim Yoo-cheol’s tackle just moments ago—because he also wanted to know what exactly had happened.

Yoo Hee-ro smelled faintly of soil. Ji-woo casually brushed off the specks of sand stuck in his hair.

“Why did you come back covered in this much dirt?”

Then he brushed the dust from his eyebrows and shoulders as well. Like a child receiving a parent’s gentle touch, Yoo Hee-ro quietly accepted it.

“Thank you.”

“What an act.”

Kim Yoo-cheol sneered, then clicked his tongue when he noticed Lee Soo-hyun standing beside him, also covered in dirt. Soo-hyun flinched. His clothes were a mess, and his knee was stained red with blood.

“You’re a joke in more ways than one.”

Ji-woo muttered with a knowing look. Yoo-cheol looked ready to explode, but the mentoring teacher called them over before he could lash out further. After confirming that all four were present, the teacher turned on the monitor. The footage of what had just happened began playing back in slow motion.

No one spoke until the video ended.

No—no one could speak.

Because in the footage, Yoo Hee-ro hadn’t moved a single fingertip—yet he erased everything in an instant. The surroundings were devastated in a heartbeat, yet he alone looked frozen in place. Only the black whips extending from beneath his feet moved, swirling majestically. They destroyed every target in every direction without a single wasted motion. It looked less like a battle technique and more like performance art.

Tap.

The teacher paused the video and delivered the verdict.

“Everything you saw is considered valid hits. No foul play. And since your team’s challenge failed, Kim Yoo-cheol, your team cannot issue any further challenges. Keep that in mind.”

The review was already over, but aside from Hee-ro, the remaining three rewound and watched the clip again and again. The truth was painfully visible, and yet they simply could not accept it. It looked like something straight out of a Hollywood movie stuffed with CGI. Yoo-cheol pointed at Ji-woo, brows furrowed.

“Ha! Before the match, did he buff that bastard or something? Does this make any sense? You said he couldn’t use his ability properly—said he was trash!”

“Are you living in the past?”

Ji-woo answered tiredly. He knew better than anyone how much grueling work Hee-ro had put in to go from a so-called “incompetent loser” to an S-rank Esper who carried his own weight. But for Kim Yoo-cheol, who only knew Hee-ro through rumors, it was like being struck by lightning.

“If you’ve got a head, try using it.”

“What? You—shit…!”

Besides, Ji-woo never had a chance to buff him in the first place—unless the ability-detection machine malfunctioned. And they all knew insisting that the machine was broken would be pathetic. Everyone present knew Yoo-cheol was grasping at straws.

Unable to watch anymore, Hee-ro finally spoke up.

“You must not know who my mentor is.”

“…What?”

“…What?”

Ji-woo and Yoo-cheol reacted at the same time.

What is he saying so suddenly…?

But Hee-ro continued confidently.

“My mentor is Senior Seong Ji-woo. And if I can’t even use my ability properly after being mentored by him, wouldn’t that make me the idiot?”

Ji-woo’s face burned red—it turned out Hee-ro was praising him.

What… why.

With an innocent expression, Hee-ro pressed on.

“I’m not an idiot. Right?”

Ji-woo had no choice but to answer.

“…Right. You’re not an idiot.”

“See? He said so. But if you didn’t know that, then… maybe you’re the idiot here.”

He didn’t even sound angry. It was such a childish, cheerful insult that it made the listener want to crawl into a hole. Ji-woo realized then that sometimes this kind of primitive mockery hit harder than actual profanity. Indeed, Yoo-cheol’s face turned red, then blue.

Hee-ro remembered perfectly what Yoo-cheol had said before the match:

“Doesn’t matter if it’s Seong Ji-woo—how’s he gonna win with dead weight? That idiot can’t even use his own ability.”

So he simply returned the favor: I’m not the idiot—you are.

Regardless of how much Yoo-cheol trembled with rage, Hee-ro grabbed Ji-woo and headed off to prepare for the next round.

They say not to swear in front of kids for a reason… I didn’t expect him to pick up the taunting instead. Is this going to get him into trouble later…?

Ji-woo renewed his resolve as a mentor. Whether Hee-ro understood how provocative he’d just been was anyone’s guess—his face looked as innocent as ever.

The second match judged speed and accuracy. Targets would appear for a split second in midair, and competitors had to strike them fast and precisely. The targets had no physical substance—more like holograms—and were often used in training. Most hunters avoided them because the drill demanded extreme focus and stamina.

The event was held indoors. As they prepared for Round 2, Yoo-cheol grumbled with a clenched jaw.

“Shit. After what just happened, you think he can do it? That shaky little bastard can’t do anything.”

The “shaky little bastard” was his own mentee, Lee Soo-hyun. Upon hearing it, Soo-hyun’s head dropped. His face crumpled as if he were about to cry. As much as he hated to admit it, Yoo-cheol was right: he and Yoo Hee-ro were on completely different levels.

Ji-woo clicked his tongue at the sight of the toxic mentor-mentee pair.

How the hell did trash like that become a mentor? The kid must be suffering so much…

He normally didn’t concern himself with others, but Yoo-cheol reminded him too much of certain people he hated. He could see clearly how badly Soo-hyun must have been treated.

And someone else didn’t like where Ji-woo’s attention was going. Hee-ro couldn’t understand why that jerk was getting attention when he was the one who had done well.

At times like this, I really hate how kind hyung is.

He swallowed his thoughts and asked,

“Is he bothering you that much?”

Ji-woo nodded as if saying I knew you felt the same.

“Yeah. It’s a shame. He wasn’t even low-rank. A B-rank long-range Esper.”

“…When did you see that?”

“It was on the board.”

Lee Soo-hyun’s ability was electricity. Ji-woo had asked the teacher before the match—know your enemy, win your battles. Soo-hyun could send current through objects or throw electric clumps at high speed. It was almost impossible to follow with the naked eye.

Only then did Ji-woo realize why Soo-hyun seemed inactive in the first match, yet didn’t get zero points. In a speed match like Round 2, Hee-ro might actually be at a disadvantage. Ji-woo thought for a moment, then shared his strategy.

“This time, long-range types might have the advantage. So attack immediately when it starts and seize control.”

It was a combo-based approach. Consecutive successful hits would yield bonus points. Whoever gained momentum first had to avoid losing the initiative.

“You just said you felt sorry for him…”

“Yeah? I did. But sympathy is one thing—we still have a job to do.”

He could always report Yoo-cheol’s behavior to the overseeing teacher later. A tiger never underestimates even a rabbit. There was no reason to let emotions interfere in an official match.

“Since his attacks aren’t visible, ignore them as much as possible. Just focus on your own strikes. Don’t get shaken. Results come after.”

In other words, unleash everything he had.

Hee-ro thought for a moment and said,

“Then… how about you buff me this time?”

“…Think it’ll be tough?”

It was indeed a tricky ability. With Hee-ro lacking real combat experience, he’d never fought someone like that.

If his buff could help, Ji-woo was willing. After all, he was officially there as Hee-ro’s support.

“Alright. I’ll tell the teacher. But if I use it now, I can’t use it in the last round. You know that, right?”

“Yes.”

Ji-woo raised his hand to get the teacher’s attention. Just then, Hee-ro grabbed his shoulder lightly.

“Ah… not the regular buff.”

“…Huh? Not the regular one?”

“Yes. You told me not to let him shake me.”

“I did…?”

“Then we should make him lose his cool.”

“…What?”

Hee-ro whispered his plan into Ji-woo’s ear. After hearing it, Ji-woo slowly nodded.

“Well… if that’s what you want, I’ll try.”