Academy’s Drunk Fighter

The glossy, jet-black shine.

What I was holding felt more like a glove than a gauntlet.
It was like they’d stuffed some kind of shock absorber material inside or something.
“I figured as much, but… it really doesn’t suit you.”

“……”
And the way I looked wearing it? Like a fragile little girl putting on black leather gloves to look scary.
If anything, it just made me seem even more pathetic.

Still, no matter how I thought about it, throwing away a trait I already had would’ve been a stupid move.
I didn’t have any money now, but once I got some proper equipment, I could offset the curse’s mental stat penalties. Long-term, this path made more sense.
But still…

Click.
‘Damn it, I really can’t give up on this one either.’
Simple. Powerful. A firearm.

It was humanity’s age-old dream since the prehistoric era.
In the game, you could only own one weapon by default. But this wasn’t a game.
“Um… would it be okay if I took the gun too?”

“Huh? Well… I mean, it’s not forbidden, but… wouldn’t it be better to focus on just one?”
“The more offensive options I have, the better.”
Like someone who stacks two slices of pizza and eats them together—there was no reason to force myself to stick to the game’s “one weapon” logic.

That lingering sense of disconnect was still there, but this was reality.
To survive here, I couldn’t keep thinking like it was just a game.
“Well… all right.”
The professor seemed a bit caught off guard, but apparently it wasn’t a big deal. She nodded and let it go.

After checking the safety on the trigger and tucking the gun into my back pocket, I felt oddly more at ease.
“Mhm, now that’s what I call romance~”
Never thought I’d live to see the day where I could casually walk around with a pistol in my pocket. Guns really were romantic.

Sure, there were plenty of freaks in this world who could deflect bullets like nothing… but still, it was something.
“All right, if everyone’s finished choosing, follow me.”
Once everyone had picked their weapons, we moved to the next location: a massive sparring arena.

It was dozens of times larger than the one they’d used during the entrance ceremony.
“Whoa…”
“This is the secure dueling arena created by our magic department and your physical specialists. If there’s any risk of severe bodily harm, it will immediately be blocked.”

“And if it’s something that can’t be blocked—?”
“I can’t say that will never happen.”
Ugh. They always say crap like that right before something goes wrong.

Like a fortress that’s never once fallen in its thousand-year history.
Or a machine that’s been perfectly safe up to this point and will never go berserk.
You should never throw around words like “never” so lightly…

‘It’ll… be fine, right?’
Still, this wasn’t a game. It was real.
No way one of those cliché novel events would actually happen. I chose to think positive.

“Oh hey, Isaac. You’re here too?”
From a distance, I saw students from another class approaching.
Looked like they’d finished picking their weapons too… Wait, so our professor’s name was Isaac? Good to know.

“How’s your side doing?”
“Nothing out of the ordinary.”
“Yeah? This side’s got some truly exceptional students, you know.”

“Ha ha… is that so?”
The professor leading the other class seemed to be on friendly terms with Professor Isaac, but there was still some tension in their exchange.
Well, makes sense—his class had some flashy types in it.

[101]
Commonly known as First Year, Class 1.
The class where nearly every major character in the game showed up.

From a dozen heroines to helpful companions, to the ones who’d go on to cause chaos later…
‘Yoon… something? What was it again?’
Anyway, that one guy who placed first was in there.

I didn’t really care.
Just because I’d become a girl didn’t mean my mindset had changed too.
Sure, even from a guy’s perspective, he was ridiculously good-looking, but… meh. I had zero interest in finding out more about him.

Crunch.
As I munched on another chocolate, I could feel the mood heating up between the two professors.
“Oh yeah? Lucky you, huh?!”

“Oh, I’m absolutely thrilled. So thrilled I couldn’t even sleep last night!”
‘Childish.’
Watching these grown-ass adults act like this in front of their students… it was pathetic.

I couldn’t tell if this was because it was a game world, or if this reality just happened to be that stupid… or if the professors themselves were just immature.
“…This is starting to feel off.”
“Like we’re about to get roped into something…”

Anyway, while I waited for their stupid argument to end, it seemed like the two professors finished their “discussion” without actually asking any of us students for input, then came over.
“Originally, today’s sparring training was only for our class. However, we’ve now decided to do it as a joint session with the other class.”
“…What?”

“Wait, what do you mean—?”
I heard the other students around me reacting with confusion.
“But they’re…”

One male student glanced at the group across from us and trailed off.
That class was full of beautiful, model-looking people. Every single one of them.
With overwhelming talent, inherited strength passed down from generations, and massive family fortunes that let them show up already equipped with high-end weapons.

It was packed with famous names.
It honestly felt like the classes had been deliberately split this way.
Meanwhile, our class—me included—was full of ordinary folks.

Sure, there were a few with family connections or some backing, but compared to that side, we were pathetically outmatched both in number and in status.
From an extra’s point of view, the world was just that unfair.
Victory and defeat preordained.

Despair and collapse written before anything even started.
These kids probably came here with high expectations from their families, only to now come face-to-face with monsters and prodigies—and be completely erased from the records.
‘That’s just how the world works.’

Cruel to the core, the world turns around the strong.
And so, it was inevitable.
Professor Isaac knew that too.

“I know full well you’re at a disadvantage. But failure is what gives success its meaning, isn’t it?”
“Uh…”
He was quoting something like [You have to know failure to understand success]—straight out of some top 100 great-people quote collection. But his face looked like he’d just realized, too late, that he’d made a reckless bet and put himself at a disadvantage.

‘Not my problem, though.’
While I half-listened to the professor’s speech and chewed on another chocolate, the match pairings were already being drawn up—probably after he somehow managed to talk the students into it.
“Come on, this isn’t fair—these two are a horrible matchup…”

“You know that already—”
An intense debate bounced back and forth.
Our professor, Isaac, trying desperately to make something—anything—work, and Class 101’s professor, smirking like he’d already won.

Professor Isaac looked like he was thinking, “Why the hell did I agree to this?”
And the finalized matchups were so ridiculously lopsided, even I couldn’t believe my eyes.
“Wow~ unbelievable.”

[Aisha Redcloff] – [Kane Asos]
[Via] – [Harea Gine]
...
...
...
[Yoon Siwoo] – [Hernia Esha]

From the start, every single matchup was already outclassed in raw stats.
Sure, they tried to pair people off with similar levels of ability when they could—but any student going up against a main character? Total extra-level fodder.
In short, it was a “ditch the weaklings” strategy.

Only secure the fights we can win. Though even that “winnable” side only had like a 40% chance at best.
But how do the discarded feel about being tossed aside?
“……”

“Goddammit…”
Probably feels like absolute shit.
And yeah, I was one of the ones being tossed.

Maybe they paired me with the first-place guy just because I got in via recommendation, but… it was probably the opposite. More like, “Let’s just burn this one too.”
That’s the kind of wall first place is.
This was what our professor decided was the best choice.

Still, I didn’t feel particularly bad about it.
If the wall’s too high to climb, then don’t look up.
If there was even a tiny chance I could win, that’d be one thing—but I didn’t know a damn thing about that guy’s abilities, traits, or weapons.

The situation was the complete opposite of the duel during the entrance ceremony.
Which is why I came to a conclusion.
‘The second it starts, I’m forfeiting.’

Because I hate pain.
.
.
.
.
.
The duels ended in total defeat.

“Ghhk…!”
Even the ones we thought might scrape a win hit their limit and lost, and a few didn’t even get beaten—they got humiliated.
Some got sent flying. Others collapsed. One guy had his brand-new weapon shattered.

With loss after loss stacking up, Professor Isaac’s face grew darker and darker, while the defeated students just sat there, not even in despair—just numb.
“Waha~ Our student won again!”
The other professor’s smug grin was so annoying, even I wanted to punch him.

“God, I wanna hit that guy.”
Still, we lost.
And lost.

And kept losing.
“There’s one left.”
“Sh—…”

And when only I was left, the professor asked for a brief pause, then quietly pulled me aside.
“H-Hey… do you think you could win?”
I answered him.

“Of course not. What the hell are you expecting from me?”
I am not getting dragged into this professor pissing contest [N O V E L I G H T] and getting my ass kicked for it!
This isn’t some fun little kids’ fight, and I have no reason to go all-out for a professor I just met today!

Even if I went all-out, my chances of winning are laughably low!
“I-I see…”
“I’m forfeiting the moment it starts.”

He looked kind of deflated, but I ignored that and walked up onto the sparring platform.
The guy on the other side was the type girls would swoon over. Pretty boy face and all that.
He looked at me. I looked at him.

And the duel arena’s countdown began.
[3]
[2]

[1]
“Forf—!”
‘…’

Something was wrong.
“……!”
I was about to say “forfeit,” but—

My voice wouldn’t come out.
Wait. No way.
I turned to look at the professor.

He was giving me the “I’m so sorry” face. That bastard.
In that instant, I understood everything.
[Silent Magic – Silence]

“Uhh…”
And then, I saw it—the first-place guy’s attack rushing straight at me.