[347] Divine Transcendence (4)
So far Rian had managed to hold his own on sheer physical ability, but as his competitors' levels rose, the gap was bound to open.
That was why the school, even knowing Rian's situation, couldn't easily make an exception.
"Start evaluations with Squad 1. Squads 2 and 3, warm up. The rest, rest."
The cadets in Squad 1 narrowed their eyes and headed for the training ground. Kuan sat with the score sheet and at his signal they let out monstrous shouts and launched into a brutal brawl.
When Kuan concentrated on judging, the cadets relaxed. As always, Tess came and sat beside Rian. It was nice to talk before evaluations—like being alone with a lover in the calm before battle.
But Tess's small enjoyment was ruined when Bawieo approached.
He strode over with his prominent jaw jutting up and looked down at Rian as he spoke.
"Hey, Rian. How about it? Think you can avoid being last this time?"
"Keep out of it. It's none of your business."
"Haha! Sure. I don't care about last place. But I had a fun idea just now. Might even involve you."
"What are you talking about?"
Rian turned, and Bawieo pointed to himself with his thumb.
"How about we go at it? Wrestling. You never know—beat the top dog and maybe the school'll finally give you credit. If you want to get out of last, you've got to try everything, right?"
Rian turned his gaze away as if uninterested.
"I don't need anyone's approval. If I have to fight, I'll fight anyone, but I'm not here for pointless shows of strength."
Bawieo laughed faintly. It was the kind of line a coward who wanted to keep face while avoiding a real fight would say.
This time, though, that pride would be his undoing.
"Hmm. You sure you can back up your words?"
He scanned the training ground as he spoke. Catching the moment near the end of Squad 2's match, he raised his hand.
"Instructor! I have a request."
"What is it?"
"I want to go up against Rian. Allow it. The two of us have already discussed it."
For a cadet to request a change in the evaluation format took nerve.
Still, even Kuan hesitated. If Rian was the opponent, it was interesting.
He was curious how far Rian's mental transcendence would hold against Bawieo, who had the cohort's greatest physical strength.
"I'll hear the squad's opinion and then decide."
Even if Rian and Bawieo had agreed, the other squad members might not.
Bawieo, however, was supremely confident.
He figured no one could beat him in wrestling, so he wouldn't refuse any chance to boost his score.
As expected, Bawieo's scheduled opponent accepted without resistance.
Even if the outcome didn't affect grades, facing someone overwhelmingly superior made it hard to showcase your own skills.
Rian's opponent had no reason to refuse. Without being a schema user, Rian could at best break even—and if he failed, the loss could be serious.
With each side's interests aligned, Kuan crossed out two names on the score sheet and swapped the squad members.
"Alright. Rian and Bawieo will enter Squad 17."
Bawieo sat beside Rian with a satisfied smile, and Tess felt a prick of unease.
Few of their peers could hope to outmatch Rian in real combat, but Bawieo in wrestling was genuinely dangerous.
No one knew why he'd suggested the match, but Tess just hoped it would remain strictly an evaluation.
Bawieo looked at Rian's stiff face and said, "So? You really going through with this? Don't regret it now, yeah? If you're scared, say so. I'll go easy on you."
Rian didn't answer. If he had nothing to say, he wasn't the sort to make something up.
The evaluation proceeded smoothly after that.
When Squad 8 entered the ring, Squad 10's Tess prepared to go out. Wrestling was heavy contact; without stretching beforehand the risk of injury was high.
"I'll be back," Tess said.
"Yeah. Do your best."
Bawieo added, "It's nothing. Show them top-tier skill."
Tess ignored him and headed for the ring. Bawieo wasn't bothered—there weren't many more cold stares he could give. Once he faced Rian, her eyes would burn hot.
It was Tess's turn. Her opponent was a straightforward swordsman named Godim. He still wore the half-shaved head from recruit days and flushed when he stood opposite Tess.
Teaching people to kill made gender distinctions foolish, but wrestling—so intimate—didn't have to be shared.
Still, when the match began, Godim's gaze sharpened as if facing a beast.
Tess charged first and collided with him. Godim lowered his center of gravity and reached to hook her thigh. For a moment her leg rose, but Tess cleverly spun and nullified the move.
Bawieo's satisfied smile widened.
"Impressive as always, Tess. Really something. Right?"
Rian acknowledged Tess's talent and skill. But Bawieo's comment stung—he knew exactly where Bawieo's eyes were aimed, and it wasn't her technique.
"Why do you want to fight me?" Tess asked.
"You know why, don't you?"
Bawieo sneered. Seeing the normally taciturn girl speak made him assume she feared losing Tess to him.
"If it's really for that reason, don't bring Tess into this again. If you want to fight me, come at me. I won't run or dodge."
"Haha! You're cocky. But will you get another chance after this?"
Bawieo got to the point. With Tess absent, now was the best time to expose his intentions.
"Ozent Rian. I've heard the rumors. They call your training 'evil-demon practice.' Betting your life on a match, that sort of thing. Fine. How about this: the loser of this match steps away from Tess?"
Rian snorted as if the idea were absurd.
"You think beating me will make Tess pick you?"
"That's not the point. You leaving and Tess choosing me are separate. I'm asking about your resolve."
Rian delayed his reply and looked at Tess. Her wrestling differed from Godim's—she disrupted an opponent's rhythm with flexibility and balance rather than brute force.
Tess's talent was undeniably real. In contrast, Rian had neither talent nor a clear future. Worrying about what she meant to him would be indulgent.
"I won't gamble with someone's heart."
"Hmph. Backing out because you're at a disadvantage?"
"But let me say this."
Rian's eyes flashed as he glared at Bawieo. "Even if you kill me in this match, I will never hold it against you."
His resolve was sincere. Bawieo, bred tough and with a soldier's temperament, felt aggression flare before fear.
"Haha! Big words. Think I can't do it?"
A thud echoed from the training ground. Rian and Bawieo turned at once. Tess had pinned Godim down, gripping his arm.
Godim stared at the ceiling in confusion for a moment, then blushed and sat up.
"I lost. Good match."
"Phew. You did well. The last bit was a gamble, though."
Tess had used her opponent's forward force against him in an overturn. If she'd misjudged it, she would have been the one flipped, but as a sensory-type schema user, Tess wouldn't miss an opponent's shift in balance. Godim understood the courtesy and accepted defeat.
Tess returned to Rian and made a V sign with both hands.
"Hehe. I'm done. Vacation time."
But the mood had shifted. Rian's expression had grown colder, and a murderous light burned in Bawieo's eyes. Something had happened while Tess was away.
"Rian, what's with that face? Bawieo, what did you do?"
Bawieo shrugged and feigned innocence. "Why ask me? I did nothing."
Tess eyed him suspiciously but sat down. She knew it was a lie, but Rian wouldn't answer even if she pressed him.
When Squad 15's match began, Rian from Squad 17 entered the ring to warm up. Bawieo, pretending to follow, turned to Tess.
"Tess. Soon you'll see. How pathetic Rian really is, and how great a man I am."
"What nonsense. No matter what you do, you'll never look handsome to me."
"That's harsh. But we're friends, right? Guess what—just now I made a bet with Rian."
"A bet? What bet?"
"The loser of this match agreed to give you up. Figured you should know."
Tess snorted and shook her head. "Bawieo, Rian would never stake someone else on a bet. That's the difference between you and him."
Bawieo didn't like Tess's blind trust but kept it hidden. That ability to hide was the source of his many flirtations in society.
"Is that so? We'll see. Just wait."
In any case the match was set. If Rian were humiliated in front of everyone, Tess would be embarrassed too. From that perspective, wrestling was ideal. It let you torment an opponent slowly.
When Squad 17's turn came, Rian and Bawieo faced each other in the arena. Stripped down for comparison, the size difference was nearly one and a half times. Even though Rian wasn't small for his age, Bawieo's bulk made it look like an adult versus a child.
The cadets fixed their gazes on the pair, as if expecting a brutal spectacle from the wild.
Rian looked destined to be swallowed. His inability to use a schema was deadly in every respect.
Rian was acknowledged only because he kept up through sheer physicality; by skill, he was nowhere near the top.
Bawieo cracked his thick neck. "Ready to start? You've got your nerve, right?"
"As much as you want. Since it's come to this, let's have a good match."
They took wrestling stances and Kuan folded up his pen to watch.
At the start signal, they collided.
Once bodies touch, anything goes. Bawieo drove his head forward and slammed the impact from the very beginning.
A sharp crack rang out—the kind of sound that made you fear a skull had been dented.
Kuan didn't call it a foul. Collisions meant to secure a grip were common.
Rian hadn't been entirely unprepared, but the moment their heads struck, sparks flashed in his vision and his upper body snapped back.
In collisions like that, mass decided everything. That was why Bawieo had desperately bulked up.
Rian staggered and Bawieo seized the back of his neck. Rian quickly recovered and mirrored the move. It was like two bulls butting horns. Holding their breath, their faces reddened. Gradually, Rian's legs dragged on the ground as he was pushed back. Once again, weight made the difference.
"Uuuuuuu…."
Bawieo breathed through clenched teeth. Rumors had been one thing, but facing him was a shock. Rian couldn't employ his schema. In fact, under normal circumstances he should have been driven out by that first collision.