I Possessed a Broken Academy Instructor

Chapter 92

Bound in chains, she felt the same subtle dissonance she had sensed before.

Upon regaining consciousness, it was as if the quad gear had been completed just as she had awakened, along with a flood of memories that seemed to rise as if they had always been there.

‘It’s unfamiliar, yet I must grow accustomed to it.’

Though the contradictory memories, both hers and not hers, throbbed painfully in her head, they were not enough to hinder her in battle.

Rather, it infused her suddenly revitalized body with a fitting tension.

‘This is not a situation for prolonged contemplation.’

As soon as she emerged from the pit, she saw Ideale being attacked and threw herself forward without a moment’s hesitation.

It was not a matter of possibility or impossibility.

It was simply something that had to be done.

Thus, standing before Ideale, he had to hide the flicker of surprise that her words stirred within him, unable to gather his thoughts amidst the delicate emotions swirling around.

“Unless you can explain why you are here, know that it will not end with just a pay cut.”

“…….”

Many excuses rose to the surface, yet she chose not to voice them.

She understood well the bewilderment she must have felt.

After all, it was not the sort of character to simply brush off the fact that not only the cadets of the military academy but even the instructors on leave had been thrown into the chaos of a third-party neutral nation.

‘What can I say? This is the norm, after all.’

The headmaster worried for the instructors and cadets.

It was a perfectly reasonable ‘common sense,’ yet, unfortunately, it felt awkward due to the madmen she had encountered until now.

“I stopped by on leave, but I never expected it to come to this.”

Thus, that was the only excuse he could muster.

Who could have known?

What had begun as a simple plan to cool his head, perhaps even to acquire the fabled nectar, or at the very least, procure a useful stimulant, had twisted into something long and complicated.

But what mattered was not the circumstances.

Both Ideale and Jin Crow understood this, and as if they had made a pact, they began to speak of the situation.

“It won’t hold for long.”

“I know, instructor.”

Ideale bit her lip hard.

A dreadful dilemma.

If she were to unleash her full power against the creatures surging from behind, not a few of them would become frozen corpses, shattered to pieces.

It was no exaggeration.

Whether it was General Kim Cheol or Ideale, the Penta Gear units each had the capability to open a front line alone, having proven it in the last Third Galactic War.

In the Synthetic Nation, she was often called the ‘Hero of the Locha Colony,’ but the Imperial Army would remember her as the ‘Nightmare of the Western Front.’

The number of Imperial knights and troops she had slain alone would reach into the hundreds of thousands.

‘But the situation is dire.’

It was a thought she refrained from voicing, yet both she and Jin Crow were acutely aware of the truth.

Her abilities favored a thorough war of attrition.

In contrast, to sever the King’s regenerative powers, a breakthrough force like General Kim Cheol was needed.

‘If only I had the special equipment.’

Unfortunately, she was not the one in charge of the power supply.

Penta Gear officers were issued specialized equipment, not standard-issue weapons.

Of course.

Their output was merely mass-produced, crafted from Carbin alloy, far too inadequate to withstand the onslaught.

Yet, at this moment, she had no specialized equipment.

The reason was simple.

The Kukenhausen family wished to see her utterly subdued, and as part of their machinations, the provision of her dedicated gear had been indefinitely postponed.

In a time of war, even a major faction like Kukenhausen would have found it impossible, but alas, her specialized equipment had been lost during the final stages of the war, in the escape operation from the Rocha Colony, leaving her to rely on standard issue for years.

“There is a way.”

It was then.

She lifted her gaze at Jin Crow’s words, imbued with a certain conviction.

How to put it?

It was a kind of instinct.

If anyone could be wary of the creatures lurking about, it would be him; surely he must know a way to turn this situation around.

Chaang—.

The sharp sound of a blade echoed.

Without hesitation, Jin Crow discarded his dulled sword. It had just moments ago severed feathers, burning through its last breath.

Then, grasping a similar sword that had fallen nearby, he answered without even glancing back at her.

“I will be the hammer.”

“The hammer and the anvil.”

How could she not recognize that worn-out tactic?

When the enemy’s attention was diverted by tribute, striking at their rear to sweep them away—a classic yet effective strategy.

Thus, the operation was simple.

Ideale would draw the King’s gaze upon herself as a tribute, and in that moment of vulnerability, Jin Crow would become the hammer, cleaving the foe in one swift stroke.

“…It’s worth a try.”

Most of the specialized officers were preoccupied with fending off the encroaching creatures. The Von and Knight, along with the Rook and Bishop, were all in a frenzy to join the fray.

Moreover, the Fourth Fleet had suffered significant losses in the last great war, and its slow disbandment had been decided.

Consequently, they were stationed near the borders of the Free Planet Alliance, treated as a rear guard, with little chance of major conflict or unrest. Even the specialized company Ideale had brought consisted entirely of Triple Gear officers and Dual Gear non-commissioned officers.

In other words, the only ones she could truly rely on were the instructors and the military police, and they too were holding the front line.

Thus, it meant that her only hope rested with Jin Crow.

Kwaduk!

After donning the open-fingered gloves of her specialized gear she had prepared in advance, Ideale nodded, and Jin Crow took a deep breath, his blood-stained boots stepping forward.

And soon, the name I spat out became yet another anvil he required.

“Baek Hwi-young!”

“Yes, Instructor.”

“I’m here too!”

Seeing Baek Hwi-young already outside with Dokgo-ran, the latter waved his hand with that characteristic cheerful smile and shouted back.

“I support the Headmaster!”

No answer came, but neither hesitated for a moment.

As if he had been waiting, Baek Hwi-young unleashed the last remaining spear, and Dokgo-ran followed, leaping over the debris.

Crackle-.

In an instant, the overcharged spear vibrated wildly, and without hesitation, he shot it toward the soaring King.

「Penetration Overlap: Acceleration」

A flash burst forth.

「Comet」

The power that had once torn apart hundreds, thousands of creatures was now manifested in his hands.

Following this, Dokgo-ran, who had leapt off Baek Hwi-young’s shoulder, roared, his bloodshot eyes gleaming as the muscles of his bronze skin rippled.

“Graaah!”

「Dokgo Style: Ran Technique」

「Explosive Thunder Fist」

The crazed strike of Ran landed squarely in the King’s abdomen, and just as Ideale had moments before, the King’s body traced a diagonal arc before crashing into the earth.

Kwaaang!

The silhouette of the once-mighty Mer Corporation headquarters had vanished, now more fittingly described as ruins, where dust swirled amidst the thunderous roar.

Meanwhile, a mercenary watching the scene in hushed awe muttered softly.

“…Did we, did we kill it?”

“You b*stard!”

“Gah!”

“Shut that damn mouth right now!”

Veteran mercenaries, aghast, drove their fists into the abdomen of the one who had spoken, knocking him unconscious, but as expected, from the ruins, the King rose once more.

As if to say that such a trivial wound could not kill him, he reformed, unscathed, his violet exoskeleton and wings shimmering.

—I do not die. Krrr.

It would be a lie to say that sight was not despairing.

The surroundings are no different from the hell of an apocalypse.

The only difference is that while calamities came one after another in the apocalypse, in the Free Planet Alliance, the payment was made all at once.

Yet, even as the creature ascended, there was no trace of despair on the faces of Baek Hwi-young and Dokgo Ran.

It was only natural.

Their role was, after all, that of a tribute to the tribute.

The true role of the ‘anvil’ had yet to even begin.

“……Hah.”

Unlike the other superhumans who leaped with the output of psionic energy grounded in the earth, Ideale rose slowly.

A different, intricate, and powerful psionic energy was being wielded, and she could feel the circuits of the open-finger gloves on her hands burning in real-time.

Until now, she had no choice but to control her strength. Otherwise, a mere standard model could never withstand the output of the Penta Gear.

However, if she was not the main force but rather a supporting role, the story would change.

‘The creature’s gaze is solely upon me.’

Then, there was only one answer.

After gathering the absolute zero scattered around her, Ideale took a short, deep breath, feeling the Penta Gear spinning fiercely within her.

「GULAG」

With the voice that escaped her lips, the body of the King that had taken flight was bound by chains of ice extending from all directions.

But that was not all.

The moment the absolute zero was gathered, as if it had made up its mind, a massive ice structure, like a cage, crashed down upon the creature, fundamentally blocking its ascent.

-Krrr! K!

Sometimes speaking in human tongue, yet only growing more excited, the King thrashed wildly, his body entwined by the ice chains and cage, destroying everything around him with frenzied gestures, while Ideale lunged at him with fierce determination.

Now, like the original meaning of that old, worn name that had become a singular title, she sought to turn him into a cold, unyielding prison from which he could not escape.

Kagagakang!

Wrists and ankles, abdomen and wings.

The ice chains binding him everywhere froze his skin, and soon the King poured all his malice and rage upon Ideale before him.

-Kraaah!

It was precisely that moment that Jin Crow had been waiting for, and he did not let the opportunity slip away.

Pat-pat.

With a brief sound of footsteps, he leaped across the ground.

At last, he approached from behind, where Ideale had intentionally left the creature open, scattering his aura, and pushed the spinning Quad Gear within him to its limits.

「National Army Swordsmanship No. 3…….」

At that moment, King let out a low growl, his grip tightening around Jin Crow’s throat as he severed the chains of his wings.

—Pathetic, isn’t it!

“Guh!”

Jin Crow immediately drew a dagger from his waist, slashing at the creature’s wrist, but King’s strength was beyond imagination.

“Jin!”

Ideale’s cry brushed against his ears, yet paradoxically, the chains she had scattered made it harder to approach.

No, even if he could get closer, what could he do in a situation where the creature had a hold on Jin Crow’s neck?

“Grr…”

He strained against the pressure on his neck, as if it might snap at any moment.

Veins throbbed on his forehead and nape, and the already wounded neck bore the brutal, purplish imprints of fingers, fading and reappearing in a cruel dance.

‘The strength…!’

The quad gear still whirred, but it faltered before the raw force of the creature.

Yet at that moment, something flickered in his mind.

—Krrr!

As if to end it all, King extended his freed wings toward every vital point of Jin Crow.

Naturally, countless eyes were upon this scene, and even Ideale, reaching out in desperation, had no doubt of his impending death.

But in that very instant.

“Hah.”

The face that had been marred by pain moments ago was now devoid of all trace, returning with a calm, cold, and indifferent expression. He discarded the dagger in his hand and gripped his sword with both hands.

Then, facing the sharp feathers that approached, he whispered softly.

「National Military Swordsmanship Variant」

Kagagagagakang!

At the tip of his sword, all the feathers shattered into pieces, and the wrist that had clutched his nape was sent flying.

In the blink of an eye, what transpired was beyond even King’s comprehension, and it was precisely this that foretold the creature’s demise.

「Jin Crow Style」

「Knight’s Slash」

With that distinctive, murky flash, Jin Crow drew the sword he held with all his might.

Just in time, Ideale’s ice chains lay thick around them, leaving no worry of touching the ground.

‘Horizontal slash.’

He severed the creature’s waist.

“Vertical Cut.”

Aiming for the side, he severed the wing.

“Thrust.”

He jabbed at the shoulder, twisting the blade.

“Diagonal Slash.”

At last, he split the mangled flesh apart.

His sword was not loud.

It simply sliced through, following the grain, again and again.

Chwaak—.

Jin Crow fell to the earth after his final strike, and all who witnessed it let out a mingled sigh of regret, thinking he had failed.

But in that very moment.

“Gg, Ggyaaak!”

The beast’s voice that had echoed since Stero Mer became king vanished, and soon its body crumbled to pieces, shattered.

“…Is that the instructor’s full power?”

“…Who said that? Just a bubble.”

Naturally, the cadets, instructors, and military police who beheld the scene could only stare in shock.

“Instructor!”

Yet only Baek Hwi-young knew the situation was far from over; he scanned the surroundings and shouted, lifting a nearby iron pipe before leaping forward.

“W-What is that?”

“It’s the Queen!”

Only then did they spot the tendrils flying from the side of the building where Jin Crow had fallen, and they cried out in urgency.

“Cough, it’s coming out fast.”

However, contrary to their fears, Jin Crow had been anticipating the Queen from the very beginning.

Without hesitation, he bit down on the black pill given by Viper, and as the awakening effect surged through him, his eyes gleamed as he gripped the tendrils.

Side effects were not a concern.

He would simply repay the debt.

Buuum!

The Queen propelled him skyward in an instant, and soon her gaze flickered as if to say something.

—Ah, uuu.

As if yearning for something, that excited cry made Jin Crow narrow his eyes in disgust, lowering his great sword as he murmured softly.

“Do not cry. If you cannot cry beautifully.”

Gathering every ounce of psionic energy from my flesh, I struck down with a force that transformed the very air around me.

KWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!

The form of a colossal greatsword plunged into the earth, a singular act of judgment.