I Took the Female Lead’s First Time in a Romance Fantasy

Chapter Twenty-Four: Nothing is more irritating than a man with a mental breakdown

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A strange tension filled the Second Division's training ground.

All the officers watched the two men with intrigued expressions.

"Who do you think will win?"

"The War Demon, of course."

"But you can't underestimate Yohan Harsen either."

"Right, he took down a Special-Class Beast on his own."

"Still, it's a knight versus a mage. The knight clearly has the advantage."

Their excitement was understandable.

Cassis Lenokhohnen, who earned the title War Demon for his ruthless slaughter on the southern front against the barbarians.

And Yohan Harsen, who single-handedly defeated a Special-Class Beast on his first reconnaissance mission.

The clash between the two was bound to be thrilling.

"Before we begin," Cassis raised his hand, halting the atmosphere.

"No one is to interfere until one of us is exhausted or incapacitated."

The crowd murmured again.

"What's this? Does he have some grudge against Harsen?"

"I've never seen Lenokhohnen act like this before."

"What could he be thinking?"

Ignoring the commotion, Cassis turned to Fedelian on the central platform.

"Hm, interesting. The mood around here has been dragging a bit, so why not?"

Fedelian gave a sly smile and held out his hand, granting Cassis permission.

Yohan, observing them, clicked his tongue internally.

"Just perfect."

Watching the two men with their sights set on Francia and scheming against him was quite the spectacle.

'No matter. There's no way I'll lose to that guy as long as he's not using his Mana Blade.'

He began manipulating the mana around him, fortifying the strength of his magical threads.

"Shall we begin immediately?"

"Yes, I'll give you the first move."

"Well, how generous of you."

Though it sounded like a handicap, it was a clear insult. Letting a mage take the first move in a duel with a knight was a blatant show of disregard.

"Fine, let's get started."

Yohan smirked coldly, raising his finger toward Cassis.

"Ignite."

A crimson energy spread from his fingertip, tracing the air and forming a magic circle.

"Flare."

Intense heat surged forth, distorting the air. A fierce wind whirled around Yohan, forming a fiery pressure.

"Burn."

With the final chant, his mana erupted. Flames roared like waves, swirling into a vortex.

"La Entus, Fire."

At his command, the magic circle activated. A massive fireball shot forth like a meteor.

BOOM!

The unleashed torrent of flames surged forward, devouring everything in its path. The intense heat scorched the air, creating a suffocating wave that raced toward Cassis.

"…!"

Though it was a basic fire spell, its sheer power was anything but ordinary.

In an instant, Cassis drew on his mana, enhancing his body. His violet eyes glinted coldly.

"Hup!"

His wooden training sword slashed diagonally.

SLASH!

The fiery wave split cleanly, dissipating into harmless embers. The air stilled as the flames faded.

"…!"

Yohan's eyes widened in shock.

Even if Fire was a basic spell, it had been cast at full power, complete with a chant. For Cassis to slice through it in one strike—and with a wooden training sword, no less—was beyond belief.

"If you let your guard down, you'll leave yourself open."

Before Yohan could react, Cassis closed the distance.

Cassis sword arced upward in a powerful slash, the air whistling with its force.

SNAP!

The sound of mana threads snapping filled Yohan's ears.

'Damn it!'

He twisted his body just in time.

SWISH!

The wooden blade narrowly grazed him, missing by a hair's breadth. It was a dangerously close call.

The sword strikes did not end there. Cassis's arms and wrists moved fluidly, changing the trajectory of his attacks. A series of connected strikes followed.

Yohan infused mana into his heightened perception ability, Omniscient Perception, to boost his reflexes.

Swish!

Once again, Yohan narrowly avoided the attack, leaping back to create distance.

Cassis's brow furrowed slightly.

"Your physical abilities are impressive for a mage."

"I practice hand-to-hand combat as a hobby."

"...."

Watching Yohan skillfully evade his attacks, Cassis felt a pang of irritation but quickly suppressed the emotion.

"Here I come."

Cassis advanced in a flash, closing the gap and drawing a horizontal arc with his wooden sword.

Omniscient Perception perfectly tracked Cassis's movements.

Yohan twisted his body to evade.

Whoosh!

Once again, the wooden blade grazed past by a hair's breadth.

However, the relentless flurry of sword strikes showed no signs of stopping. All Yohan could do was retreat and dodge, barely avoiding each attack.

'If this keeps up, I'll just be on the defensive.'

Though it seemed as though Cassis was swinging purely with brute force, his mana threads were fraying and breaking. And this was without Cassis even using a Mana Blade.

'No choice, then.'

Amid the storm of attacks, Yohan made a decision. Mana surged through his body.

[Mana Enhancement: Mugol] (마력 강화: 무골)

This was a martial art Yohan had learned during knight training at the academy.

While it lacked sufficient power and finesse for real combat, his immense mana made up for it.

Swish!

The wooden sword came hurtling down. Yohan's eyes widened as he sharply raised his arm. The edge of his palm struck the sword's blade.

Clang!

"…!"

Cassis's wooden sword bounced back, and his eyes widened in disbelief.

'Is that… martial arts?'

How was a mage employing a knight's martial techniques?

Cassis had no time to contemplate further.

Yohan's fist came flying toward him in an instant. Cassis tilted his head just in time.

Whoosh!

Yohan's fist brushed past Cassis's cheek.

"Fire."

From a magic circle that had appeared unnoticed, a wave of flames erupted. Cassis quickly leaped back and swung his wooden sword vertically.

Slash!

The strike seemed to cut through the mana itself, slicing the flames apart. The fire dissipated into the air.

"They seem evenly matched."

"Yohan Harsen, the Special-Class Mage, can really hold his own."

"A mage who's trained in martial arts… that's something else."

The heated atmosphere in the training ground mirrored Yohan's fire magic.

It was an unexpected battle between a knight and a mage, yet neither side was overwhelming the other.

Cassius, on the other hand, felt his mood darken.

'Annoying.'

Cassis's expression darkened like a shadow. His violet eyes burned intensely, and his brows seemed ready to knit into a scowl.

The reason Cassis had targeted Yohan was simple.

He was annoyed at how Yohan was cozying up to Francia.

He didn't care if people called him underhanded or dishonorable.

What mattered to him was his own feelings.

He had never cared about others' opinions in the first place.

"They don't call him the slayer of a Special-Class Demon Beast for nothing."

Cassis murmured under his breath, and Yohan shrugged.

"I'm not exactly your average mage."

"No, you're certainly not…"

Their brief exchange ended, and silence fell, though it didn't last long.

Thud!

Cassis charged again. His wooden sword hurtled toward Yohan's neck.

Yohan smirked, deciding it was the perfect chance to strike back. He poured all his mana into his Eternal Flow Technique to its limit.

Thunk!

This time, the wooden sword stopped abruptly, as if caught by an invisible force. Unlike before, the reinforced Threads of mana held strong and did not break.

Cassis's eyes flickered with unease.

"La Entus, Chain."

Cassis tried to retreat, but glowing chains materialized and wrapped around his ankle, holding him in place.

Yohan twisted his body, launching a hook punch with all his weight behind it.

Crack!

Cassis's face contorted as the blow landed squarely, forcing him to take it head-on.

"Gahk…!"

Cassis flew through the air and tumbled across the ground before coming to a stop.

"Wooooah!"

"Holy crap, he got him good!"

"Harsen! Harsen!"

The training ground erupted into wild cheers at the unexpected turn of events.

Yohan smirked, his gaze cold and laced with disdain as he looked down at Cassis.

"Didn't you hear anything from the hyenas?"

"...."

"Or did you just assume you'd win and let your guard down?"

"You bastard…"

Cassis grit his teeth, using his sword as a crutch to stand up. His gaze burned with murderous intent.

Spit.

Cassis spat on the ground, blood seeping from his torn cheek.

And then—

Buzz!

The violet mana surrounding Cassis began to vibrate. His muscles tightened as his physical abilities reached their peak.

'Looks like he's planning to get serious.'

Yohan also rolled his shoulders calmly, gathering his mana.

Johan's entire body became imbued with [Mana Enhancement: Mugol], and his senses heightened by Omniscient Perception grew even sharper.

The Mana Threads of the Eternal Flow Technique absorbed his surging mana, becoming sturdier than ever.

"Don't blame me if I break a few bones."

Thud!

Cassis's figure vanished, leaving only a dark afterimage in his wake.

Yohan's heightened Perception sharpened to their limits, pinpointed Cassis's position.

'To the side!'

But by the time Yohan turned, the wooden sword was already hurtling toward him. Realizing he couldn't dodge, Yohan poured more mana into his threads without hesitation.

Swish!

The wooden sword tore through the air, only to be caught by the fortified threads of the Eternal Flow Technique.

Snap!

With brutal force, the sword cut through the Threads. Yohan was genuinely surprised. For Cassis to sever them with a mere wooden sword, not even a Mana Blade—it was astonishing.

Though Yohan's lack of mastery over Eternal Flow Technique played a part, the primary reason was Cassis's overwhelming physical strength.

Still, Yohan had complete faith in his fully powered Eternal Flow Technique.

Thunk!

The wooden sword, which had closed in on Yohan's vicinity, stopped in midair as if planned.

"…!"

Cassis's eyes trembled in shock. He hadn't expected his full-powered attack to be blocked.

"La Entus, Bolt."

Having anticipated Cassis's move, Yohan twisted his body. His fist crackled with energy as currents of electricity danced along it, sparking and buzzing in the air.

Lightning-infused energy formed an arc, leaving a trail of blue light in its wake.

"…!"

Cassis tried to retreat, but Yohan's lightning-charged punch was too swift.

The electrified fist struck with a weighty blow, releasing a burst of current upon impact.

Crackle!

A direct hit combining the force of a solid punch with the shock of an electric shock. In an instant, Cassis's body convulsed as the shock coursed through him, causing his muscles to spasm violently.

"Ugh!"

Cassis let out a feeble groan, spinning three times in midair before crashing pitifully to the ground, skidding along the surface.

"I think that's the end of it."

"Not… not yet…"

Even as Cassis staggered back to his feet, Yohan clicked his tongue in disbelief.

Even though his Bolt-charged punch, enhanced by mana reinforcement, had landed squarely on Cassius's chin, the man was still standing.

No matter how much mana was enhancing his body, this shouldn't have been possible.

'No wonder they call him the War Demon.'

At this rate, their duel would never end, no matter how long they fought.

"Commander?"

Yohan turned to look at Fedelian. Before the duel began, Fedelian had seemed eager and excited, but now his face was expressionless.

"Should we continue?"

"Hmm."

Fedelian, who had been resting his chin on his hand, waved dismissively.

"Let's call it a victory for Yohan Harsen, the special-class mage. Continuing further would be pointless."

"But interference is against the rules!"

"Rules or not, you know it yourself, don't you? Without using a Mana Blade, the result would've been the same."

"...."

It was an irrefutable fact. Even after pushing his physical enhancement to its limit, Cassis had been unable to break through Yohan's defense.

Hearing this, Yohan let out a sly smile.

"It's over. Oh, by the way, wasn't it Sir Lenokhohnen, the Special-Class Knight, who suggested I use all my magic?"

"...."

"Surely you're not about to complain about fairness now. If not, I'll take my leave."

It was an overwhelming victory for Yohan.

Of course, this didn't mean Yohan was necessarily stronger than Cassis.

Cassis had refrained from using most of his swordsmanship, relying only on physical enhancements.

But a loss was a loss.

Cassis ground his teeth but had no words to refute.

"Did he really win? A mage against a knight?"

"He's not just any ordinary mage, is he?"

"Wasn't that Eternal Flow Technique he used just now?"

"He managed to use that notoriously difficult magic?"

The knights and mages in the training ground, who had been holding their breath as they watched, couldn't hide their amazement.

Even if Cassis had restrained himself significantly, this was still a fight between a knight and a mage with no frontline support.

For Yohan to have won—it defied all logic.

"Hmm."

Fedelian, who had been watching with his chin resting on his hand, raised his arm.

"It seems the atmosphere is getting a bit overheated. Let's end the joint training here."

With that, the joint training came to an end.

And the story of Yohan's overwhelming victory over Cassis began to spread.