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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Chaos
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[Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!]
Max charged forward at an incredible speed.
Ed, with the same impassive expression as before, fired multiple plasma beams at him.
[Whoosh! Whoosh! Bang!]
But Max’s charge wasn’t stopped.
With minimal movement, he dodged two plasma beams and blocked the third with the magic power of Black Obsidian.
His physical abilities had been drastically enhanced by entering stage 2 of his berserk state.
[Hahahahahahaha!]
Max let out a demonic laugh, a typical symptom of those under the influence of the Berserk Potion.
Overwhelmed by the surge of power, they lost control of their emotions.
“H-Hey, isn’t Max… more violent than usual?”
“He’s creepy…”
“But isn’t it exciting? It finally feels like an even match…”
The observing students reacted differently.
Those who had become Ed’s fans after his performance at the beginning of the semester watched Max’s demonic form with bated breath, while those who simply enjoyed the spectacle of battle focused on the screen with uncontainable excitement.
“Yeah, he can’t just keep getting beaten by a commoner.”
“I want to see that bastard flustered just once. He’s so smug.”
And those who were jealous of or felt inferior to Ed smirked and hoped for his defeat.
Ed’s single sparring match had unleashed a torrent of various desires within the classroom.
[Die!!! ]
With everyone’s attention focused on the fight, Max closed the distance in an instant and swung Black Obsidian at Ed.
[Whoosh!]
Ed, after shooting a web onto the ceiling, quickly retracted the genetically modified web, pulling himself upwards.
With the added boost from the propulsion unit on his back, he soared into the air.
[I won’t let you escape! ]
But Max wasn’t about to give him an opening.
He immediately gathered mana at his feet and launched himself at Ed with an explosive jump.
[Thwip!]
But it was a trap.
The moment Max jumped, Ed fired his web shooter, and the black liquid stuck to Max’s face.
[Gah!?]
After being blinded once again, Max frantically swung Black Obsidian in a panic.
Spikes of black magic power shot out in all directions, but Ed was already gone.
[Thud!]
[Ugh!]
Max, still blinded, slammed headfirst into the ceiling and fell to the floor.
The students burst into laughter, commenting on Max’s comical misfortune.
“See, Max just can’t do it.”
“That’s what he gets for messing with Sir Fix.”
“He’s fighting so recklessly.”
[You son of a bitch!!! ]
But just when everyone thought it was over, Max tore the black liquid from his face with brute strength.
He peeled off the black liquid like tape, despite having been unable to remove it from his feet earlier.
[You coward! ]
He charged at Ed again with explosive speed.
But each time, Ed ascended into the air and waited for Max, who would then follow him, only to get another face full of black liquid.
[You sneaky bastard! ]
After falling for the same trick three times, Max changed his tactics.
When Ed retreated to the ceiling, Max didn’t follow.
Instead, he attacked Ed with the dark magic power of Black Obsidian.
[He finally learned after three tries.]
But it was easily avoided.
Since Max wasn’t jumping after him, Ed simply fired a web at a nearby point on the ceiling and increased the distance between them.
Max, his face red with rage, pursued Ed.
But each time, Ed used his three-dimensional maneuver gear to widen the gap, leading Max on a frustrating chase for over two minutes.
[I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you for sure! ]
Max’s rage escalated exponentially.
Adrenaline flooded his system and his heart raced.
His accelerated blood flow rapidly carried the Berserk Potion throughout his body, seeping into his mana vessels.
His bone density and muscle fibers strengthened, and his nerve tissues became hyperactive.
[Thud!]
Max, nearing the peak of stage 2 of his berserk state, jumped again.
His speed was on a completely different level than before.
‘……’
Gracia felt a chill run down his spine.
How was Max able to enhance his physical abilities to such an extent?
It was too early to jump to conclusions.
Each family might have hidden techniques or spells.
For now, he simply activated his ‘Clear Sight’ and kept a close watch on Max.
[Die! Die! Die!!! ]
Max, with his bloodshot eyes, swung Black Obsidian wildly.
Ed narrowly dodged each attack with his three-dimensional maneuver gear, but at this rate, he felt like he would eventually be caught by Max’s increasing speed.
The atmosphere in the classroom, which had been mocking Max, grew heavy.
[Khahahaha! Are you scared? Are you afraid? You’re finished if I catch you!!!]
The Berserk Potion granted greater strength with each injury and surge of rage.
Max felt a euphoric thrill, like he had become the ultimate being.
He felt like he was on the verge of victory, imagining Ed, hacked to pieces, clinging to his pants leg and begging for mercy with tears streaming down his face.
[I’ve tested enough. ]
Ed muttered something unintelligible and used his maneuver gear to reach a corner of the training ground.
He then murmured a completely unrelated observation, “I should increase the thruster’s instantaneous acceleration,” as if Max’s powered-up state was of no concern to him.
[You little shit! ]
[Whoosh!]
Max shot towards Ed.
Now that Ed had cornered himself, if he couldn’t use that damn maneuver gear, Max could tear him apart with Black Obsidian’s dark magic power until he was dead.
[You can’t escape this time! ]
Max kept an eye on the ceiling. If Ed tried to use his web shooter, he would cut the web with his dark magic power.
[*Thwip! Thwip!* ]
But Ed had no intention of escaping.
He fired two shots of the adhesive liquid at Max, creating an opening, and then twisted his body and dodged Max’s attack.
Now, it was Max who was cornered.
[Try to break through.]
Having cornered Max, Ed activated his Plasma Mana Shield.
The superheated mana shield spread out in a 2-meter radius, pressing in on Max.
[Aaaaaaaaagh!!!!]
Max’s skin began to melt and blister, unable to withstand the extreme heat despite his mana reinforcement.
Ed, with his hands in his pockets, calmly watched Max’s agony.
Meeting Ed’s contemptuous gaze, Max roared in fury, his muscles bulging even further.
He swung Black Obsidian with all his might.
[You bastard! You fucking lowly commoner! Fucking shit! How dare you mock a noble—! ]
Max seemed to have completely lost his mind.
His furious attacks battered Ed’s plasma shield.
But even under this relentless assault, Ed simply stared at Max, standing firm as a mountain, not retreating a single step.
His gaze alone seemed capable of devouring Max whole.
‘Pulling that kind of crap already. I need to crush him completely.’
Ed was staring at Max like this because he knew that Max had consumed the ‘Berserk Potion.’
Each NPC had unique events.
For Max, the ‘Berserk Potion’ was one such event, originally scheduled to occur towards the end of the semester.
Max, obsessed with Enya, would challenge her to a one-on-one duel, betting something he knew she couldn’t refuse, and secretly consume the Berserk Potion.
If the player didn’t intervene, Enya would fall into a corruption route.
After being brutally defeated by Max, she would lose faith in her quickdraw style and follow Max’s path, seeking only power.
She would succumb to a demon’s temptation, which offered immense power in exchange for her soul.
The Empire’s rising star, with the potential to become a Grand Swordmaster, would become a demon’s minion.
[Graaagh! Y-you… bas— Graaagh!]
Therefore, Ed had no intention of forgiving Max.
Now that Max’s obsession had shifted from Enya to him, he needed to crush him completely, punishing him so severely that he would never dare to repeat his actions again.
[What’s wrong? I came down to your level for a fair fight, and you can’t even break through this? ]
Ed said and increased the output of his plasma shield.
Max screamed in agony, his eyes glowing red.
*Thump!*
At that moment, Max’s heart underwent a change, and his skin began to transform.
The Berserk Potion fully activated, turning his skin crimson, and a red aura emanated from his body.
He had entered stage 3.
[Groaaaaaaaaaaaaar!!!]
*Bang!*
Max roared like a monster and swung Black Obsidian with tremendous force.
The shockwave pushed Ed back, and Max escaped the corner.
[You fool! ]
Gracia, a former Legion Commander, immediately recognized stage 3 of the berserk state.
He darted towards Max with lightning speed, punching him in the chest and kicking his knee, dislocating his leg.
Max’s body crumpled and collapsed to the floor.
[I suspected… I suspected it, but you really used the Berserk Potion… Why would you do such a thing?! ]
Gracia roared at Max, who was writhing on the ground.
But Max, having entered stage 3, spewed hatred and insults even at his professor.
“The Berserk Potion…? Isn’t that forbidden?”
“He used that in a sparring match?”
“Crazy…”
The classroom buzzed with shock and disbelief.
While the students stared in horror, the high-ranking officials from Central prepared to report to the Imperial Palace.
The use of a forbidden potion warranted a full investigation of the Sigmund family.
“He’s impressive, that Edgar Fix kid. I’ve never seen that kind of fighting style before.”
Meanwhile, Legion Commander Alerina and several other high-ranking officials from other legions were observing Ed with keen interest.
Graduating students from the academy were immediately appointed to important positions within the Empire, so they were taking the opportunity to scout talented students for their own organizations.
[Graaagh!!! Oooooh! Graaagh!! Graaagh!!!]
Max’s reputation, on the other hand, plummeted.
No one would accept someone who not only used a forbidden potion but also lacked the self-control to properly utilize the power it granted.
[Max Sigmund. You are expelled, effective immediately. I will report to the Head Professor and the Chairman about your expulsion. ]
Professor Gracia declared Max’s expulsion and approached him, intending to knock him unconscious and calm him down.
[-Stab! ]
But at that moment, Max plunged Black Obsidian into his own abdomen, inflicting a grievous wound upon himself to gain even greater power.
[He’s insane! ]
*Fwoosh!*
A red haze spread outwards.
As Max pulled Black Obsidian from his abdomen, the gaping wound closed instantly, replaced by grotesque, mutated tissue.
Max, with glowing red eyes and drool dripping from his mouth, twisted his lips into a gruesome smile.
[…Edgar Fix, stand back. I will subdue him. ]
Gracia groaned and picked up his 17cm map pointer.
Now that Max had entered stage 4, the ‘Madman’ stage, he had to be subdued, even if it meant inflicting lethal damage.
“…Huh. Is he crazy? He’s deliberately turning himself into a Madman?”
Alerina was equally shocked by Max’s insane act.
She had expected him to be subdued by Gracia at stage 3, but he had deliberately pushed himself to stage 4.
Even if a Madman survived, they would suffer lifelong aftereffects.
What was he thinking?
“Legion Commander. What should we do? Isn’t this dangerous?”
The adjutant spoke with a grave expression.
Stage 4 Madmen possessed explosive power far surpassing that of stage 3.
“…Don’t worry. It’s Gracia-chan. Even with that pathetic excuse for a weapon, Gracia will be fine.”
But Alerina leaned back in her chair with an indifferent expression.
Surely, one of the Empire’s four Swordmasters could handle a single rage-filled brat.
[Woooong! Woooong! Woooong!]
But the next moment, Black Obsidian vibrated violently, absorbing the red aura emanating from Max’s body.
As it absorbed the red aura, Black Obsidian’s magic power surged exponentially, the dark aura growing larger and larger.
“…Wait a minute.”
Alerina sensed that something was wrong.
The real threat wasn’t the rage-consumed brat, but the Sigmund family’s magic sword he wielded.
“This is bad. I’m going in.”
Alerina jumped up and started walking towards the teleportation magic sphere.
But at that moment, the black magic power, swirling in the air like a dark cloud, shot out spikes in all directions, destroying the teleportation magic sphere connected to the training ground.
There was no longer a way to intervene in the match.
“We’re fucked.”
The entire classroom erupted in chaos.
The adjutant quickly stood up and asked where the training ground was actually located.
The problem was, none of the students knew the information about that.
[Kyihihihihi! I’ll kill you both!]
Max, drooling and wearing a grotesque expression, swung his sword, sending a blast of dark magic power.
Gracia countered it with a slash from his 17cm pointer and neutralized the attack.
But the problem was that Black Obsidian’s dark magic power was growing stronger with each passing moment.
[Professor. ]
At that moment, Ed, who had been standing back, stepped beside Gracia.
He uttered words that were hard to believe.
[I’ll help you. If you distract him, I’ll destroy Black Obsidian. ]
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This makes Alerina look like a fucking moron.