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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: The Badass Woman
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"I'm asking. What are you doing right now?"
Kang Dohui said in a stiff voice, still clutching Kim Okja's wrist.
Kim Okja, initially looking flustered, stared at her.
Then, her eyes darted around, and she snickered.
"Oh, is that the Pit Bull?"
"Don't call me by that dog-awful name. It's like a dog."
Kim Okja tried to subtly pull her hand free, but when it wouldn't budge, she spoke in a sly voice.
"Alright, alright. Oh, how scary. Anyway, would you mind letting go of my hand?"
With that, Kim Okja looked around.
Kang Dohui's sudden intervention had initially caught her off guard.
The best thing to do, in fact, was to avoid getting involved with her here.
However, it was already too late.
Once a quarrel started, she couldn't back down.
Before entering the academy, an older student had told her that the Valiant Hall had a very strict hierarchy.
Therefore, establishing dominance early on was crucial.
Of course, she didn't overestimate herself. A direct confrontation with Kang Dohui was a fool's errand.
Unlike Cheonhwa, the Pit Bull was a dealer who operated alone, the real deal.
'But that doesn't mean there's no way.'
Kim Okja used her "Enchanted Voice" skill.
It was a meager skill that merely amplified her voice with magic, making it sound clearer.
However, she knew exactly when to use this skill.
'No matter how much she operates alone, can she really ignore the voices of others?'
Were the people gathered here just ordinary women?
They were all promising individuals who would one day hold significant positions in the hunter industry.
Even if each individual couldn't match Kang Dohui, she would never choose to make all of them her enemies.
'And most importantly, there's no justification.'
Well, if she had accidentally touched Jin Yuha's body, it would be a different story, but she hadn't done anything yet.
If Kang Dohui resorted to violence in this situation, she would be the one looking strange.
And getting hit once or twice was nothing.
Kim Okja snickered and opened her mouth.
"Anyone would think I actually did something. My hand just slipped for a second. Why are you overreacting so much?"
Kim Okja raised her voice, as if she couldn't understand.
"What?"
Kang Dohui, dumbfounded, let go of Kim Okja's wrist and furrowed her brows.
Kim Okja then casually shook off her arm that had been held.
"No, it's just strange. I didn't do anything, so I really don't understand why I have to be cursed at by you."
Then she widened her eyes, pretending to be startled.
"Oh, wait…!? Could it be that Kang Dohui, the special admission student, is getting involved with a male quota student?"
Murmuring—
The onlookers around them began to murmur.
*
'Wow, there are so many ways to commit suicide.'
I watched the scene, staring at Kim Okja with a chillingly detached gaze.
'She probably loathes instigation like that in the first place.'
Having heard about Kang Dohui's past from Shin Sehee, I could roughly guess how she must be feeling right now.
Hadn't her role model, the Parandis Guild Master, been ruined by people's instigation?
A glance.
I looked towards Kang Dohui.
Sure enough.
Kang Dohui stood with her arms crossed, her mouth agape in utter disbelief.
Then, as if amused, she let out a loud burst of laughter.
"Hey, what's your name?"
Kim Okja flinched when her name was asked.
But as if completely unfazed, she raised her voice even higher.
"W-what do you want to know that for! A-are you going to make someone else…!?"
But Kang Dohui immediately shook her head.
"No way. Why would I do something so wasteful?"
"W-wasteful?"
"Yeah. I just asked because it was funny."
With a snap—!
Suddenly, Kang Dohui reached out her hand towards Kim Okja's head with a grim expression.
It was so fast that Kim Okja couldn't react at all, and a handful of her dark blonde hair was caught in Kang Dohui's grip.
"But it's not funny anymore, so you don't have to tell me."
"Aargh!!! L-let go of me!?"
Kim Okja, who hadn't expected Kang Dohui to come at her so directly, cried out in a flustered voice, her eyes rolled back.
But Kang Dohui didn't answer her.
CRACK—!!!
She slammed Kim Okja's head right into the floor.
Then, Kang Dohui squatted down in front of her, grabbed her hair, and lifted her head again.
Kim Okja, with a smile on her lips, spoke.
Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, as if she had bitten her tongue.
"Gahk! Y-you really hit me!? An ordinary cadet who didn't do anything? Is it okay for a special admission student to do this!?"
CRACK—!!!!
Again, Kim Okja's face was slammed into the floor.
Her skull rattled from the serious impact, and Kim Okja's face instantly turned ashen.
But she still maintained her bravado.
"Gah! Fine! Fine! Our Pit Bull seems very angry! As you wish, I'll grovel and beg—"
SMACK—!!!!
"You! If you touch me…! You'll get a disciplinary action from the academy—!"
Before she could finish her words, her face was slammed into the floor again.
The composure on Kim Okja's face slowly vanished.
"T-that!"
CRACK—!
"Enough?!!"
CRACK—!
"Gahk!"
CRACK—!
"Ugh!!"
Kang Dohui, with a blank expression, grabbed the other person's head, lifted it, and slammed it down again.
There was not a shred of mercy in her mechanical repetition.
CRACK—!!
"Gahk—!!!"
Her bloodied face was utterly dazed in disbelief.
The floor where she was slammed cracked and was deeply dented.
And Kim Okja, who had clashed with that floor, had broken teeth, and her dark blonde hair fell out in clumps, leaving her in a truly gruesome state.
"...Keugh..."
A ragged groan escaped her lips.
CRACK—!!!!!
Trembling—
She lay face down on the floor, her body trembling.
Kang Dohui, staring at the back of her head, slowly straightened her knees and stood up, looking around.
The other girls all lowered their heads, avoiding her gaze.
Kang Dohui let out a dry, mirthless laugh.
"Hey, you fucking bitches."
She looked at each of their faces, as if memorizing them.
A flinch—
"From now on, if you're going to mess with Jin Yuha, come to me first."
"..."
"Disciplinary action? I don't give a damn about that. Try it if you can."
Everyone clamped their mouths shut, and a chilling atmosphere settled over them.
Tsk.
Kang Dohui clicked her tongue, as if displeased.
"Answer."
"Y-yes, yes, yes!!!!"
The girls surrounding them hurriedly nodded their heads.
Just then.
A twitch—
Kim Okja's body, lying on the floor, twitched.
Her trembling arm moved behind her, gripping the handle of the hand axe at her waist.
Leapt up—!
Seizing the opportunity, she pushed herself up.
"You, you dog…!"
Her eyes blazing, she charged.
But the direction she charged was not Kang Dohui, but me.
'...I was a fool to think for even a second that she was a real character.'
Having already sensed her move, I looked at her with a chilling gaze.
Just as she was about to pounce on me.
With a spin—
I gripped the sword hilt and turned my body.
SWISH—!!
SMACK—!!!!
I swung Moonlight, scabbard and all, hitting her squarely on the head.
"Gahk—!"
Thud.
Hit on the head by the scabbard, Kim Okja's eyes rolled back, and she collapsed on the spot.
Everyone's blank expressions followed me and Kang Dohui.
"Hey, Kang Dohui. Let's go."
"Yeah."
I jerked my chin at her, and Kang Dohui nodded.
After turning one student into a bloody mess,
Kang Dohui and Jin Yuha calmly left the spot.
***
As I walked with Kang Dohui, the scene from a moment ago suddenly came to mind, and I burst into laughter.
"Pfft!"
Kang Dohui furrowed her brows and looked my way.
"Ah, sorry. It was funny."
"What was?"
I straightened my face.
"'Hey, you fucking bitches.'"
A flinch—
Kang Dohui's body tensed.
"'From now on, if you're going to mess with Jin Yuha, come to me first.'"
"'Disciplinary action? I don't give a damn about that. Try it if you can.'"
As I mimicked her tone with my chin raised, Kang Dohui's face twisted into a strange grimace.
"Kugh! Ah, seriously, aren't you just the ultimate badass, Ms. Kang Dohui?"
I burst out laughing and patted her shoulder.
"'Answer.'"
Kang Dohui gritted her teeth, trying hard to act nonchalant as she stared straight ahead.
However, her face, starting to flush a deep red that almost matched her dark blonde hair, couldn't be hidden.
"S-stop it…"
"S-stop it…"
"D-don't mimic me…"
"D-don't mimic me…"
She spoke through gritted teeth, and when I mimicked her, Kang Dohui snapped her head around and glared at me.
"Thank you."
I wiped the smile from my face and spoke seriously.
Kang Dohui, who had been about to say something, clamped her mouth shut like a clam.
She turned her head and said in a small voice.
"...I know you could have handled it yourself too."
"No. Living here from now on would have been quite annoying, but thanks to you stepping in, I'm saved."
In my position, it really would have been a bit problematic.
If I continued to live in the dorms, I felt like other girls, besides that strange one just now, would cling to me.
Judging by the expressions on their faces when they looked at me earlier,
it was clear they wouldn't directly step forward like that golden-haired girl, but they would definitely watch my every move.
'Those creepy ones might even stalk me or sneak into my room if it got bad.'
Of course, I could have dealt with them each time, but since our genders were different, it would have been awkward to initiate physical contact unless they dug their own grave like that girl just now.
But Kang Dohui had established the hierarchy, and that problem was neatly resolved.
"Thank you, Kang Dohui."
Honestly, I hadn't expected her to go this far for me.
Unlike Shin Sehee or Lee Yuri, Kang Dohui and I still had an incredibly straightforward relationship.
She had come to me later, saying she wanted to join my party, but
we hadn't really talked much since then.
Even the process of recruiting her into the party had been unemotional.
—Will you be my party member?
—Yes.
Then a handshake and that was it.
But for *that* Kang Dohui to step in when I got caught up with a strange girl,
to stop it and warn the other female cadets on my behalf.
This was a definite improvement in our relationship.
"A-ahem!!!!"
Kang Dohui cleared her throat repeatedly, turning her head as if awkward.
"Since I'm grateful, I'll give you a reward."
I said to her with a smile.
Kang Dohui scratched her cheek in embarrassment.
"...I wasn't really expecting anything like that."
"I know. I'm just doing it because I'm grateful, so accept it. It's not even expensive."
I pulled Kang Dohui's hand,
the corners of my mouth curled up with rising anticipation.
'Finally, I can try that combo on her.'