I Became a Swordsmanship Genius at the Academy

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Gooooooooo……

A chilling energy revealed itself in crimson hues, soaring high into the sky.

The unwavering intent to kill resonated clearly even to this place.

The Demon Master had now reached his limit. He intended to end the battle with that last attack.

‘This is my full power.’

The Demon Master poured all the strength he could muster, even in his broken state, into his fist.

It didn’t matter if he used up all his power and disappeared. As long as he could erase Kim Il-shin, who had brought him shame through lies and deception, from this world.

Kwahhhhhh!!

Everything the Demon Master had accumulated over the long years was contained in a single strike.

A sword aura, tangled without rules, traced thousands of trajectories high into the sky.

Starting from a line and expanding into a surface, it was similar to Kim Il-shin’s swift attack.

However, unlike Kim Il-shin, who colored his domain, the Demon Master painted a new form on the outside, and the color used was solely red.

Blood-dyed Grand Spring Shocking Divine Dragon.

Thus, the massive form of a dragon was born, carrying the heat of the sun upon its back.

Every movement caused scales made of sword aura to touch, unleashing a thunderous sound.

Each scale surrounding him was like a reverse turned blade.

He showed intent to tear apart his opponent regardless of what happened to his own body.

Kwadudududuk――!!

The shadow of the red dragon descended like a hawk above.

With eyes filled with hatred and sharp teeth dripping with bloodlust, it charged in at an unbelievable speed.

“Huww….”

Kim Il-shin faced that powerful yet terrifying aura head-on.

Just standing still made sweat pour down like rain and made his heart pound wildly.

His talent vanished. Everything that had made him strong until now had disappeared.

With [Mana Control (A)] and [Mana Affinity (A)] gone, he could no longer wield mana properly.

Trying to manage it as before only brought pain that felt like pebbles rolling through his veins.

With [Reaction Speed (A)] gone, he could no longer dream of fighting like before, and due to the absence of [Regeneration (A)], his internal injuries were serious.

But that didn’t mean nothing was left.

While he had received great help from his talents, he hadn’t achieved everything just because of that talent.

He had things he had gained through sheer training, even without talent.

Without [Perfect Mind (S)], he faced an overwhelming enemy without retreating an inch.

Though [Sword God (S)] was gone, he hadn’t forgotten how to hold and swing a sword.

Even without [Strength (A)], [Agility (A)], and [Stamina (A)], it was no problem to assume a stance with a sword in hand.

Even without [Mana Capacity (A)], an overwhelming amount of mana surged within him.

‘Understanding… This is a bit lethal.’

[Understanding (A)] had been the foundation for all the techniques he had acquired until now.

Now that it was gone, using techniques like Immortal Spirit and Moonlight Mirror felt as hazy as catching clouds.

But there was one thing that remained.

The very first technique he had acquired when the constraints were lifted and the talent was given to him.

The technique he had used and applied the most, and had trained with endlessly.

‘Il-shin’s Sky Cleaving Strike.’

The martial art he could acquire through the overlap of talent and coincidence.

But the countless repetitions and improvements had been solely due to Kim Il-shin’s will.

The talent had vanished, but the movements engraved into his body from countless repetitions remained.

He lowered his stance, his left foot slightly forward. He gripped the heavy sword strike even tighter.

He awakened the mana from his whole body, pulling it upward, and concentrated the lifted mana at the crown of his head.

Even though the mana didn’t move as he wished, he forced it to move.

It was a chaotic operation without any finesse. Naturally, side effects followed.

…Crack.

Each grain of mana brought intense pain.

It felt as if thorns were sprouting up wildly through all his veins and organs.

‘Good.’

Kim Il-shin welcomed that pain instead.

Now that he had lost his talent, it was a means to firmly grasp the movement of mana.

Kuwaaaaa!!

The charging red dragon was truly ferocious.

Its roar shook the heavens and the earth. The heat embedded in it seemed able to melt bone and flesh in an instant.

If he closed his eyes for just a moment and opened them again, everything might disappear.

Kim Il-shin felt that his heartbeat had become significantly slower and weaker.

He had drawn upon all the power in his body, including his innate energy, to make up for the lack of mana throughout his body.

As a result, his remaining lifespan was only a few minutes. Yet, Kim Il-shin burned even brighter.

Still not enough.

More, more he drew out.

As long as he could swing his sword at least once, his life did not matter.

“…Huh.”

As he exhaled the breath he had left.

“…!”

In an instant, the mana plunged downwards. The agony left in its wake awakened his muscles and nerves.

Kwadududuk!!

With gritted teeth, he pushed forward with his left foot.

The recoil that shattered the ground caused the concentrated mana to surge through his body and reach the tip of his sword.

Wuuuuuu!!!

Then the Crescent Moon Sword resonated and unleashed a fierce wave.

He infused his will into what could be the final sword strike.

Soon, a black glow emanated from the Crescent Moon Sword.

Compared to the sun before him, it was a feeble size, but its presence was undeniably clear.

And so, a sword unlike any other was prepared, perfect and complete.

Thud.

With the final heartbeat, Kim Il-shin swung down his sword.

‘…It’s done.’

The moment the sword touched, Kim Il-shin was certain.

He had blocked it. He had protected Hanarín and Hazuki.

Due to consuming all his power, his body would soon shatter, but he felt no worry.

Kim Il-shin diverted his gaze from the front slightly lower.

The amulet tied to his wrist. From its center, a purplish sunset glimmered.

That was the wish and determination of Hanarín, who was resolved to protect him.

“I told you I believe in you.”

Kim Il-shin smiled faintly and brought the sword forward.

Kuwaaaaaaaah――!!!

An unparalleled sword strike, unlike anything seen in the world, unleashed a tremendous force that reshaped the earth.

The pitiful red dragon couldn’t even dare block its path and was easily crushed away, and Kim Il-shin’s strike did not stop there, but went even further.

At its end.

“Wha, how could you…!”

He shattered the sky.

*

The Demon Master stared blankly at the sky.

With just that one thing, everything he had was denied.

He believed it was absolutely impossible for a human body.

Even Kim Il-shin, who had shaken him, was granted divine power.

But Kim Il-shin had done it.

In an instant, having lost all his talent and suffered great wounds, he traced a path so beautiful it was even miraculous.

The Demon Master was entranced, admiring Kim Il-shin’s sword strike.

Before ascending to godhood, the supreme realm he had pursued all his life was visible over there.

It felt like a dream. At the same time, it was utterly despairing.

He had not achieved that with his own hands, and now the opportunity to do so had vanished forever.

‘Rather…’

These two facts prompted the Demon Master to contemplate new choices.

‘To completely wipe them all out—’

Swoosh!

Dozens of slashes flew toward the Demon Master, glaring sharply before him.

It seemed to be aimed at the small opening made by Kim Il-shin, but to the Demon Master, they were too trivial.

An attack without divine power couldn’t possibly affect him.

It even seemed laughable. Why would Kim Il-shin sacrifice himself for them, not even to mention the others?

With his current body, he could take down millions of such humans in an instant.

“Fine. First, I’ll deal with you insects—”

Just as he raised his hand to swat them away without needing to avoid—

Fwoosh.

“Cough….”

A sharp blade pierced the heart of the Demon Master.

As he looked down, the Demon Master’s eyes widened.

There was no injury.

Hazuki’s sword had pierced his heart without any warning.

Not a concealment hidden in another space, but a sword created by newly painting over the laws of the world.

And because of that, even the Demon Master, who could pierce through space, failed to notice.

A realization that began with the understanding that he was one with the world, manifesting in the vision of the sword master.

The reason Hazuki had a similar vision stemmed from his faith towards Kim Il-shin.

The belief that all of nature and existence was equal under Kim Il-shin led to the manifestation of that vision.

Kwahhh……

However, the Demon Master had no intention of ending it here.

Unable to pull out the sword lodged in his heart, he tightened his grip and began to staunch the bleeding.

He exerted what little remaining strength he had to fill it with dark matter.

Now, he would not be pierced by such a sword.

While he took on the form of a human, he did not follow the principles of human anatomy completely.

Even with a sword embedded in his heart, he could still survive, and if he could gather divine power or vitality, recovery to his former state was possible.

‘Once those two are dead, the dimension will collapse, so if I can use the remaining life force in the Holy Grail to move to a nearby dimension…’

Thinking that, the Demon Master stepped forward with great effort.

Kwah!

Simultaneously, a chilling pain surged from his heart.

The startled Demon Master met the gaze of Hazuki, who stood firm from afar.

“Is there still something left….”

An explosion erupted from the Demon Master’s heart.

The shock scattered shards of blades in all directions, infused with the divine power Kim Il-shin had left behind.

The temporary dark matter surrounding the divine power was rendered useless.

Ultimately, the Demon Master’s heart was completely destroyed.

“Ha, hehehe….”

The Demon Master let out a chuckle, mixed with a sigh, before slowly crumbling away.

Bsssssss……

Soon, he completely vanished.