End of Semester (3)

Fifteen years ago, in Japan, there was a family known as the Kawasaki clan.

The Kawasaki clan.

They were one of the five most powerful sorcery families in Japan, and the authority wielded by their power was so great that no one dared to covet it lightly.

However, despite their strength, the once-mighty Kawasaki clan was annihilated fifteen years ago.

Why was a clan, renowned for their sorcery and power, so thoroughly destroyed?

Was it due to a feud with another clan?

No.

Was it because most of the clan members were killed by maglignant spirits or possessed entities?

That wasn't the reason either.

Was it simply the passing of time taking its natural course?

Once again, no.

The true cause of the Kawasaki clan's destruction fifteen years ago was none other than the clan head himself.

Kawasaki Gou, the clan head and a genius of the clan, and his younger brother, kawasaki Ichi.

The two of them wiped out all the members of their clan, bringing about its demise by their own hands.

And in return, they obtained sorcery.

The sorcery of universal gravitation, as described in the clan's secret manual—a power granted only to those who slaughtered every member of the family.

In short, the clan's two brothers, who represented it, murdered all their kin to steal the power for themselves.

But that was not the end.

Having destroyed their own clan, they became infamous as the "Wangshok Brothers," fell into criminality, and killed countless sorcerers and others to master more secrets from the manual.

Currently, they were designated as first-class criminals by the association.

And so, when these very people were tasked with bringing in Kim Dojun this time, they thought it wouldn't be a difficult job.

Of course, even the Wangshok Brothers had heard Kim Dojun's name once or twice before.

Yet despite this, they hadn't considered the name Kim Dojun to pose any serious trouble for two reasons.

The first was that they knew Kim Dojun's sorcery was similar to Lightning Deification Technique.

Secondly, their own accumulated skill, combined with the fact that they possessed sorcery perfectly optimized for countering the Lightning Deification Technique.

... Up until they met Kim Dojun.

Bang!

Kim Dojun's figure suddenly disappeared.

"Repulsion (斥力)."

Simultaneously, the man clad in a red robe, kawasaki Gou, muttered a spell. Kim Dojun, who had leapt towards him once again, came to an abrupt stop right in front of Gou's eyes.

"Tsk."

A short tut.

Bang! Crackle! Crash!

With that tut, Kim Dojun was flung away, smashing a nearby walkway.

"Gravity (引力)."

Then, as a blue-robed Kawasaki Ichi, standing beside them, spoke, the debris of the shattered trees and rocks Kim Dojun had barreled through instantly converged.

And then—

"Repulsion (斥力)."

Kaboom! Ba-bang-!

As Gou chanted again, the massive heap of debris instantly descended upon the place where Kim Dojun had stood, causing a tremendous din.

Anyone could see that Kim Dojun was in a hopeless position.

"What a headache."

"Indeed."

Yet, both brothers who faced him frowned.

And for good reason.

"How strange."

Despite suffering a serious blow from their previous attack, Kim Dojun casually walked out of the pile of debris, completely unscathed.

It was unthinkable, impossible even, for the durability of an ordinary person.

"Even if you've mastered sorcery similar to Lightning Deification Technique, it's still fundamentally Lightning Deification."

"That means there should be a limit to physical durability."

"So how?"

The brothers knew this well.

Sorcery like Lightning Deification Technique inevitably burdens the body beyond its limits.

Because of that, every sorcerer who used techniques like that would inscribe a sorcery formation directly onto their bodies, hoping to survive the strain.

But even with such measures, lightning Deification Technique ultimately whittled away at your lifespan.

Its essence was to push the body's capabilities to extreme levels during battle. If you couldn't synchronize your control of body and sorcery to near-perfection, your body would surely break down.

Even the so-called genius Volkshin, it was rumored, hadn't actually disappeared but retired after the "Yagrat of Ambition" incident, due to body damage from excessive use of Lightning Deification Technique and his own unique sorcery.

In other words, with Kim Dojun's level of body enhancement, his body should have been shattered by now.

The attacks the brothers unleashed upon him were more than enough to claim the life of any sorcerer.

They had slammed him into rocks using repulsion.

Not only that, they gathered up all the nearby debris and shot it at him.

And not just once, but five times already.

Despite all that—

"... Well, it's not as if a sorcery like this couldn't exist."

Kim Dojun was walking out unharmed, getting ready for the next attack, leaving the brothers watching in disbelief.

"He really does live up to his reputation as Volkshin's disciple...."

"If that monstrous durability is his unique sorcery, then I suppose it makes sense."

"Stop mumbling to yourselves and speak up so I can actually hear you, you bastards."

Hearing their incomprehensible muttering, Kim Dojun retorted, yet remained calm as he pondered.

'These sorceries are definitely troublesome.'

The brothers, wielding gravity and repulsion.

With such sorcery, not a single one of Kim Dojun's attacks landed.

No matter how fast he charged,

Even if he circled to attack from the side.

Even with deception and feints.

Nothing got through to them; currently, none of Kim Dojun's attacks could touch them.

It was a perfect unfavorable matchup.

However, even in this situation, he didn't feel despair.

'I've already found a strategy.'

After roughly five rounds of fruitless beatings, Kim Dojun had found a way to target the brothers, and a confident smile crept on his face.

"This would've been far easier if we'd just gone with subduing Han Soyoun,"

"Definitely."

"... What the hell are you two prattling on about now?"

Kim Dojun blurted out reflexively at their exchange.

But the brothers, ignoring him, once again raised their hands in preparation.

"There's no need for you to be curious."

"Either way, you won't know, and you'll forget all about it."

With that, they answered.

Kim Dojun just laughed drily at their response.

"Guess I'll just have to beat the answers out of you two, won't I?"

With those words, he vanished.

"Repulsion (斥力)."

No sooner had Kim Dojun disappeared than Gou immediately started casting.

"Try as many times as you like, but your attacks won't touch us."

At the same time, ichi offered a warning to the vanished Kim Dojun.

"

"?"

"

Yet, as the crucial moment passed and no attack came, the brothers felt a sense of unease.

"Let's really—"

Kim Dojun appeared.

From the sky.

"...!"

And he was holding what looked like an enormous boulder.

"—see if your defense still works!"

Without hesitation, he hurled the massive boulder down at the brothers.

Shiiiiiik—!

Gou hastily cast Repulsion to affect the spot the boulder would fall.

But—

"Try blocking this, too."

Crrrrack!

In the next moment, Kim Dojun landed, and immediately began indiscriminately throwing the surrounding trees at them.

KA-BOOM!

Gou, moving quickly, repelled another boulder away, using Repulsion.

Likewise, ichi attempted to gather every tree missile crashing around their vicinity with Gravity.

"Tsk...!"

But there were simply too many projectiles. The brothers frowned.

Even so, as Gou and Ichi were desperately blocking the barrage of debris Kim Dojun kept flinging—

Gou realized something.

The moment he used Repulsion to block a descending rock from above—

"Gotcha!"

Kim Dojun's fist was already right in front of his eyes.

SLAM! BAM!

Gou's body was sent flying, crashing into the ground.

"What the—!?"

Ichi, who had been blocking incoming trees, hastily turned his eyes.

Crunch!

"Aaaargh!"

Kim Dojun smashed his arm upwards, shattering it instantly.

"Now then, talk."

Having obliterated the infamous first-class criminals, the Wangshok Brothers, Kim Dojun demanded:"Tell me—which idiot dared to outbid me for my candidate boss, Han Soyoun?"

####

Han Soyoun's innate talent for Divine Descent was far from ordinary.

Talent, generally, is something that requires effort to grow.

But Han Soyoun's talent required no such effort.

It was simply inherent.

If she desired something, it would be granted—an endowment so natural, one could hardly call it a mere talent—it was more akin to a natural disaster.

That was Han Soyoun's genius. And because of this, once she mastered Divine Descent, she became formidable.

Though contracts were required, her sheer talent allowed her to achieve all she wished for, effortlessly strengthening her—without needing to strive for it.

So, when the Sorcery Association suddenly tried to subdue her during her routine report, she felt no real concern.

The god she'd contracted with could neutralize dozens of sorcery formations meant to trap her.

It also had the power to block all ambushes and charging sorcerers in advance.

Still, she sensed something strange.

The people working in the association's Shadows division all wore vacant, dazed expressions.

Yet even as she noticed the oddity, it didn't really affect her.

Because she had her contracted god with her.

And indeed, not a single person trying to capture her so much as laid a finger on her—instead, they all fell to her.

... Until he appeared.

"Well now, you're contracted with quite the fellow... 'Iter' of all things...."

Right after subduing the association's assailants, Han Soyoun came face to face with a man with eyes so black, their depths seemed endless. In that instant, Han Soyoun's powers vanished.

Without warning—her power simply disappeared.

Her god was gone.

And so, when Han Soyoun's eyes widened in shock—

"...!!"

Her throat was seized.

"Ggh...!?"

A pain she hadn't felt in a long time—yet so familiar she couldn't help but whimper.

"Hey, president, is this the one?"

Regardless of Han Soyoun's suffering, the man turned his head and spoke.

From the shadows, Ji Seung-gon, head of the Sorcery Association, emerged.

"That's right, she's the key to this ceremony."

"She must have real talent, contracting with 'Iter' and all."

The man—no, the Sorcery Killer—said this and glanced into Han Soyoun's eyes, inadvertently breaking into a smile.

"... And some guts, too."

Because, in her eyes, he saw none of the expected emotion.

Ordinarily, sorcerers who lose their power and are overpowered feel panic and terror.

The Sorcery Killer knew this all too well.

He'd seen it countless times before—the reaction never changed, whether they were a nobody or an egomaniac.

But Han Soyoun was different.

Her eyes, though surprised, showed not a single trace of fear.

All he saw was an utterly emotionless gaze.

"Interesting."

Staring into those eyes, the Sorcery Killer felt a sadistic urge rise within him.

Squeeze—

"Ghh..."

As he tightened his grip, making it nearly impossible for her to breathe, Han Soyoun still betrayed no emotion. The man turned to speak to the Association President.

"Mind if I have a little fun with her first?"

"Suddenly?"

"I want to see despair and fear in her eyes."

In those jet-black eyes, a flash of lust gleamed.

"Making someone like that wear such an expression—that's my pleasure."

At his gaze, the Association President glanced at Han Soyoun and replied indifferently,

"Well, we haven't even brought the bait in yet. We have time."

"Great. In that case, shall I play for a bit?"

The man grinned as he reached out with his other hand towards Han Soyoun.

KWAANG! Bang! Bang!

The elevator door exploded outward, slamming into the floor.

And then—

"Which bastard did it?"

He had arrived.

"Who the hell outbid me for Han Soyoun."

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