Why Is Everyone in This Dating Sim Trying to Kill Me?!

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Translator: Vine

Chapter Title: Exquisite Timing (2)

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I stared intently at the burly woman who looked down at me with a bewildered expression, her greatsword clashing against my blade.

Ryu Jinju was the director of the Hunter Management Bureau in Velvet School Life.

She was a short-sighted, hot-headed individual who constantly clashed with Velvet Academy on every single matter.

For that reason, she frequently appeared as a 'mid-boss' character.

Yes, not just once or twice, but 'frequently'.

Because of her frequent appearances, strategies to defeat her were, by necessity, much more thoroughly researched than those for other bosses.

I felt a renewed sense of realization.

'Originally, the standard practice for dealing with Ryu Jinju was skill parrying...'

Parrying.

A technique usually found in fighting games or first-person roguelikes.

It involved timing your attack to interrupt the opponent's, then dealing damage.

However, *Velvet School Life* wasn't a game where players could directly control their character's movements, nor was it a first-person game with guaranteed freedom of action.

The only allowed actions were pre-determined 'movement paths' and skill usage, aside from 'item usage'.

In other words, the extent of 'parrying' you could attempt in *Velvet School Life* was using a skill at the right moment to interrupt an enemy's attack, then finishing them off with a regular attack.

'I was planning to try a few times and if it didn't work, I'd go straight for skill parrying... But it broke with a regular attack again.'

I hadn't just blindly rushed into this challenge.

When parrying Ryu Jinju, it was crucial to attack during her specific motions.

So, I'd tried it because sometimes, if the timing was just right, a high-hit-count character's attack would automatically trigger a parry!

However, there was a difference between playing in third-person and experiencing it now in first-person.

At first, catching that fleeting parry point, that split second where I could interrupt an attack, was harder than I'd expected.

I used to be able to do it with my eyes closed back when I played *Velvet School Life*.

So, at first, I increased the hit count of my regular attacks, forcing them into the parry points I already knew, thereby increasing the 'probability' of a parry.

Then, I gradually reduced the number of attacks while refining my precision, narrowing the margin of error.

As a result of these attempts, I succeeded in bridging the gap between my game knowledge and the reality of the present.

'Good, I'm getting the hang of it now.'

"...How in the world..."

Ryu Jinju stared, still seemingly unable to grasp the reality of the situation, alternating her gaze between the greatsword she'd swung and the thin blade blocking it.

I adjusted my grip on Moonlight's hilt, a smirk playing on my lips.

"I think I could win even fighting casually now, so wouldn't it be better if you just gave up?"

"...Don't talk nonsense."

At my light provocation, Ryu Jinju snarled in a low voice, sounding like she was about to burst.

But unlike before, her voice was laced with a heavy dose of caution.

"Oh, no bad words allowed. This is for all ages, you know."

"You... you bastard─!!!!"

Suddenly, her face twisted savagely.

I watched her calmly, thinking to myself.

'Phase 2.'

---

Objectively, it was a fight where Jin Yuha was at an overwhelming disadvantage.

However, he had clearly and demonstrably overwhelmed Ryu Jinju in their confrontation.

What's more, he'd done it in a pure test of strength, without using any tricks or even relying on skills.

"What in the world is this..."

The woman in the fox mask blinked, as if questioning whether what she had just witnessed was real.

It was then.

Whoosh—

Whoosh—

Suddenly, Ryu Jinju's breathing grew ragged, and her muscles repeatedly swelled and contracted.

CRACKLE—!

A spine-chilling sound, like bones shattering, erupted,

and her already gorilla-like physique expanded even further.

Thump—

Thump—

Her heartbeat resonated like a drum, pounding against her massive frame.

Violent magical energy surged and billowed around her.

Ryu Jinju drooled, as if she had lost her mind.

A clearly abnormal sight.

Such a peculiarity was not present in the profile of Ryu Jinju that the fox mask had previously ascertained.

"C-Commander! That, our junior member is in danger...!"

The fox mask widened her eyes and sharply turned her head toward Baek Seolhee.

"KRAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"

Ryu Jinju let out a monstrous roar, as if pulled from deep within her, and charged at Jin Yuha.

As the Demon Slayer Squad members flinched at the sight,

"Don't make a fuss."

Baek Seolhee's cold voice stopped them.

Even in such a dangerous situation, Baek Seolhee maintained her calm demeanor.

For Jin Yuha's eyes, visible through the mask, were already lowered, as if he had anticipated this.

But even Baek Seolhee couldn't help but marvel, replaying the scene Jin Yuha had just demonstrated in her mind.

'...So he still had more to show.'

She had never for a moment thought Jin Yuha would lose this fight.

Having observed her disciple all this time, she had faith that once he stepped forward, he would find a way to settle the matter, no matter what.

However, she truly hadn't expected him to overcome the difficulty using this method.

'He aimed for the gap in the circulation.'

What Jin Yuha called parrying appeared slightly different to Baek Seolhee's eyes.

Magical energy is fundamentally an anomalous force.

It is not static but fluid, not moving in a straight line but circulating in a circle.

In other words, 'raising magical energy' means accelerating that circulation,

reducing the gap between emission and absorption, making it appear as if it's constantly being released.

Therefore, there inevitably exists a gap between one cycle and the next.

'Specifically, the moment when magical energy becomes 'zero' altogether.'

The interval Baek Seolhee had named the 'circulation gap'.

But this gap is so brief that it's imperceptible to anyone of ordinary skill.

Perhaps only 0.001 seconds long.

And just as no two people have the same fingerprints, the cycle at which this gap appears varies from person to person.

In other words, at the moment that gap appears, the opponent is no more than an ordinary person, but to precisely strike it,

it means one must understand the opponent more thoroughly than they understand themselves.

Moreover, even if one comprehends it, to aim for and precisely strike that gap amidst a chaotic sword fight?

'...This would be difficult even for me.'

Her disciple, who revealed new facets like an onion, layer after layer.

With complex emotions bubbling within her, Baek Seolhee gently closed her eyes.

'...Haaah.'

A languid sigh escaped her lips.

Gulp.

She swallowed dryly.

Whoosh—!

Whoosh—!

Ryu Jinju's greatsword accelerated even further.

The massive greatsword wildly sliced through the air with exhilarating speed, almost too fast for the eye to follow.

CRASH! CRACKLE! SHATTER!

CRUMBLE!

The office furnishings scattered like they'd been thrown into a blender every time the sword touched them.

But Jin Yuha's eyes, behind the mask, were lowered.

He watched his opponent's sword until the very end.

And he moved his body.

As if he had already grasped every sword path.

He twisted his body a beat faster than Ryu Jinju's sword, narrowly dodging it.

A precarious feat, where a single misstep would clearly result in more than just a fatal injury.

And the one who absolutely could not accept the current situation was none other than,

Ryu Jinju herself.

'Don't make me laugh...'

More power flowed into her hands, and her magical energy boiled over.

Clearly, he wasn't that strong.

Neither the quality nor the quantity of his magical energy suggested it.

Now that she was using the skill *Berserker*, even her speed had become overwhelmingly superior.

"DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!!!!!!!!"

But her opponent remained elusive.

Her opponent, evading the tip of her sword like a butterfly dancing through the air.

'...What the hell is this guy...!!!!!! What is he, seriously!!!!!!!!!!'

Even through her clouded reason, Ryu Jinju gritted her teeth.

And as she gripped the hilt tightly with both hands and swung horizontally,

at that very moment.

Once again, Jin Yuha's blue sword moved.

CLANGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG─!!!!!!!!!!

As sword met sword,

a sharp, explosive sound echoed, and a fierce gust of wind erupted, pushing back the miserably shattered furnishings around them.

The man who had so effortlessly blocked the massive greatsword.

His black hair fluttered in the wind.

And so, once again, the enormous greatsword came to a halt before that thin blade.

Then, Jin Yuha's sword, still clashing with Ryu Jinju's, began to move nimbly.

Whoosh—

The blue sword thrust into the air.

Ryu Jinju saw the sword's movement, yet couldn't even think of moving her body.

SWISHHHHHHHHH—!!!

Moonlight drew a clean straight line as it dropped sharply downwards.

CRACK—!!!

Ryu Jinju, struck on the head by the sword.

"...Impossible."

With that last word, filled with utter despair,

her eyes spun—

THUD—!

THUMP.

The massive body toppled sideways, kicking up dust.

"...Well, no need to kill her."

He had struck her with the flat of his blade, knocking her out.

Jin Yuha twirled his sword and re-sheathed it.

The members of the Demon Slayer Squad watched, their mouths agape.

"..."

A brief silence fell.

"Whoa-a-a-a-a-h!!"

"W-What was that!!!"

"He's just a monster...!!!"

"Insane!!!!"

"He's lost his mind!!!!!!"

The Demon Slayer Squad members, forgetting they were supposed to be hidden, let out voices filled with excitement.

The Chuksal members lacked Baek Seolhee's discerning eye, so they couldn't perceive the true essence of the swordplay Jin Yuha had just displayed.

However, they could certainly grasp that the current situation was utterly absurd, and a fervent excitement surged among the members.

"Silence."

Baek Seolhee sharply rebuked them in a cold voice, quieting the Chuksal members.

However, the strong lingering impression of the previous scene remained, so the Chuksal members continued to grumble in low voices.

"...No, is that even possible? How in the world did he do that...?"

"This isn't just about the new recruit, are we going to be overshadowed by our junior member too?"

"Uhm... Maybe we should start calling him 'Young Master'?"

"I still don't get it. He won, yes, but how did he win in a direct confrontation? How did he block that? It feels like common sense is being shattered..."

While the Chuksal members were thus denying reality and making a fuss,

Baek Seolhee descended from the ceiling, entering the chaotic space.

Thud—

Jin Yuha turned his head.

"Instructor."

"Hmm."

Baek Seolhee nodded at her disciple's call.

"...Was I, too slow? I mean, I tried to do it as quickly as possible, but..."

Jin Yuha said hesitantly, gauging Baek Seolhee's reaction.

At his words, the Chuksal members wore dumbfounded expressions, wondering what insane thing their junior member was babbling about...

But Baek Seolhee knew that Jin Yuha was asking this sincerely.

A deep smile bloomed on Baek Seolhee's face, hidden by her mask.

Swoosh—

She reached out her hand towards Jin Yuha's head.

And ruffled his hair.

How proud and delighted she felt at this moment,

it was simply too difficult to express in words.

Jin Yuha flinched slightly, then.

Soon, he accepted her touch with a pleased expression.

Rustle.

Rustle.

.

.

.

"So that's how you get treated when you become a disciple..."

"But if it were me, I'd probably raise him over women like you lot."

At that remark, the Chuksal members looked at each other, then awkwardly nodded.