NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 8: chapter 8
(Ritsuka Fujimaru's POV)
The forest canopy cast flickering shadows across the moss-covered ground as we moved deeper into the target zone. Twisted branches curled like skeletal fingers, and the occasional rustle of leaves signaled the movement of hidden creatures.
Beside me, Ainar Fenelin projected her smartwatch into the air, the holographic interface casting a cold blue light onto our faces. A line of text blinked into existence, sending an unpleasant chill down my spine.
[Blue Venom-Fanged Kasaka]
'…You have got to be kidding me.'
For a brief moment, I stared at the name, my thoughts flashing back to the real Blue Venom-Fanged Kasaka I had already taken down inside an instant dungeon.
'Was Fate Playing with me or what?'
But before I could dwell on it any further—
CRACK—BOOM!
"MOVE!" I shouted instinctively, my body reacting before my mind had fully caught up.
Everyone scattered, barely avoiding the monstrous form that came lunging out from the foliage, its sheer mass crashing through trees like they were mere twigs.
The ground trembled under the impact as a massive serpent coiled before us, its armored scales glistening under the dappled sunlight.
Its eyes burned with a venomous glow, forked tongue flickering like the crackling embers of a dying fire.
Shin Jonghak scoffed, gripping his spear tightly.
"How the hell did you know it was going to attack like that, trash?" His tone was laced with arrogance, his usual superiority complex rearing its ugly head.
I sighed, too tired to entertain his nonsense. "My senses are just sharp, that's all."
I couldn't exactly tell him the truth—that I had already faced and defeated the real thing before.
Shin clicked his tongue, smirking. "Hah. I guess trash isn't totally trash after all."
I ignored him.
But Artoria Lionheart?
Not a chance.
She puffed up her cheeks, placing her hands on her hips as she shot Shin an indignant glare.
"Of course, he's wonderful! Way better than a muscle-headed brute like you!"
Shin turned to her, eyes twitching in irritation.
"What did you say, woman?"
Before their bickering could escalate—
The Kasaka reared back, its venomous fangs flashing like two curved daggers.
Ainar moved first, raising her bow and nocking an arrow in one fluid motion.
"Focus on the target, Artoria."
Artoria blinked, her face turning slightly pink in embarrassment.
"H-Haa! O-Okay!"
She quickly tightened her grip on her sword, her expression shifting into one of serious determination.
I felt a small smile creep up on my lips.
She looks cute with her small height and determined expression.
That was another side of her—one I hadn't seen before.
The Kasaka struck first, its massive form lunging toward us with terrifying speed.
Artoria stepped aside, her sword gleaming as she channeled mana through its edge. With one powerful swing, she slashed at the beast's scales—
BOOM!
A burst of yellow energy exploded upon impact, shattering a portion of its armored hide.
The Kasaka screeched, its body recoiling in pain.
That was my cue.
With a burst of speed, I leaped into the air, appearing directly above its head before slamming my fist down with brutal force—
CRACK!
The impact reverberated through its body, further fracturing its defenses.
Honestly?
This thing was nothing compared to the real Blue Venom-Fanged Kasaka.
I could probably end this in an instant if I wanted to.
But I didn't.
Not because I was lazy.
Not because I was holding back for no reason.
But because—
If I crush it too easily, Shin's pride will take a hit.
And I wasn't stupid.
In every novel I've read, the protagonist makes the classic mistake of showing up some arrogant guy too early—only to end up dealing with endless drama because of it.
I mean A chain villain reaction happens when the main character defeats a side villain, but instead of backing down, this side villain, driven by pride or a petty grudge, keeps provoking the protagonist, only to get beaten down again. However, the villain refuses to give up and does everything possible to make the protagonist's life miserable. Eventually, the main character finishes them off, only for another, more powerful enemy to appear, usually a relative like their brother, father, father-in-law, or even grandmother. This cycle continues, with each new villain seeking revenge, until they're all defeated by the protagonist.
No way was I repeating that mistake.
Not to mention, Shin hates owing favors and he hates my Friend Karma..
If I took this thing down myself, it'd only create more problems for me and my friends in the future.
I wasn't about to let my own friends suffer for something as dumb as ego clashes.
So instead
I took a step back, watching as Shin charged forward, his spear brimming with energy.
The snake lunged, its massive fangs glistening with venom as it coiled up, ready to strike again.
Shin Jonghak, ever the arrogant bastard, clicked his tongue and stepped forward, twirling his spear.
"Fuck it, step aside. I got this."
With a single sweeping motion, he sliced through the middle of the Kasaka, its body splitting apart in a gruesome display of severed flesh and scales.
He scoffed, flicking the blood from his spear with a dramatic spin before turning to us with that punchable grin on his face.
"See? Know your place, trash. Wasting my damn time."
I deadpanned. Yep. Classic side villain behavior.
But then—
"Cringe."
Artoria mumbled the word under her breath, her hands quickly flying up to cover her mouth, eyes wide in horror as she realized she had said it out loud.
I almost burst out laughing on the spot.
Shin twitched, his smug expression morphing into a glare.
Before he could snap back, Ainar's urgent voice cut through the air.
"LOOK OUT!"
I knew it.
I already saw this coming.
A fatal mistake.
Never just cut a snake in half—always go for the head.
Shin's eyes widened, but before he could react, the severed upper half of the Kasaka twisted midair and lunged straight for his throat.
For a moment, I saw the look of genuine fear flash across his face.
And then—
I moved.
Faster than thought, faster than reaction, faster than the damn Kasaka itself.
BOOM!
My fist crashed into the snake's skull, the sheer force of impact reducing it to nothing but a bloody explosion of shattered bone and brain matter.
The Kasaka twitched once—then went completely limp.
The battle was over.
I straightened up, feeling the warmth of the sunlight falling over me.
And behind me, my shadow stretched out—completely engulfing Shin Jonghak, who stood there, frozen.
His grip on his spear trembled slightly as he looked at me—
No.
Not me.
Something else entirely.
'In that brief moment, I could see it in his eyes—'
He wasn't looking at Ritsuka Fujimaru.
He was looking at… his dead grandfather.
'I blinked, slightly thrown off. What?'
'The hell was going on in his head?'
'Wait! Did chain villain reaction happened to me?'
Shin's lips parted as if he wanted to say something, his expression strangely emotional.
"Grandpa…?"
…
…Wait, what?
My brain short-circuited for a second. What the actual hell is he talking about?
I stared at him, utterly baffled.
"What."
Then, as if snapping out of some weird-ass hallucination, Shin's face immediately contorted back into his usual arrogant scowl.
He scoffed, spinning his spear before shoving it onto his back. "Tch."
Without another word, he turned on his heel and stormed off, disappearing into the forest.
We all just… stood there, watching him go.
Artoria tilted her head, blinking in confusion. "Why does he act like that? You just saved him, didn't you?"
I sighed, rubbing my forehead. "Who knows? Maybe he has a kink for being an ungrateful asshole."
Artoria blinked again, then giggled, covering her mouth with both hands.
"Ritsuka! That's a terrible thing to say!"
"I'm sorry, I won't say something like that again "
"Good"
Ainar let out a tired sigh, shaking her head. "Well, he was always kind of a dick… Sorry for using that word, but he is. Anyway, I really, really appreciate you both. I was seriously worried there for a second. I even prayed to the gods that things wouldn't go to hell."
Artoria smiled at her. "You don't need to pray when Ritsuka is here! He's always dependable, strong, and super amazing!"
I felt heat creeping up my neck.
I coughed, looking away. "Alright, stop joking. You are amazing too Artoria, you destroyed it's scales easily, let's just check our ranking."
Ainar nodded, pulling up her smartwatch again.
The holographic screen flickered to life, displaying our final ranking.
[Rank: 1st Place]
…
Wait.
WHAT?!
I was so stunned I literally couldn't process it for a second.
Ainar's eyes went wide, her jaw dropping slightly.
Artoria, on the other hand—
"WE DID IT! YAY! YAY!!"
She clapped her hands excitedly, bouncing on her heels as she turned to me with bright, sparkling eyes.
"Ritsuka! We got Frist! I knew we would be at the top with you!! So cool! Wahhh!"
Her pure, innocent admiration hit me like a critical strike straight to the chest.
I had to look away, scratching my cheek awkwardly. "I-It wasn't just me, you know… You two did great, too."
Artoria beamed, her entire face lighting up like a damn sun.
Ainar, meanwhile, just shook her head in amusement. "Well, I guess that means I will treat Artoria to a feast, huh?"
Artoria's eyes sparkled even more. "FOOD?!"
I sighed.
"what about you? Will you join us?" Ainar asked
"Sorry, I can't. I made promise with my friends!"
Artoria felt sad but quickly became happy again.
---
(Yuji Itadori's POV)
I was pumped for the bet and ready to crush this exam—or at least, that was the plan.
But my luck?
Yeah, it sucked.
Because the moment I saw Yoo Yeonha's name on my team list, I knew I was screwed.
I heard rumours of her in chat groups.
I didn't know why exactly, but my gut feeling was screaming at me—the same kind of feeling I got when my English teacher would suddenly call my name while glaring like I owed her money.
And sure enough—
The moment my eyes met Yoo Yeonha's, her jewel-like gaze flashed with something… ugly. Deep contempt. Disdain. Like I was a cockroach that somehow found its way into her five-star meal.
But just as quickly as it came, it was gone.
I blinked once, and by the time my vision refocused, she was walking toward me with a perfect, polite smile—so perfect that it actually made me more suspicious.
Her long, elegant hair fluttered with each step, and the way she carried herself made her seem like she belonged to royalty or some CEO family. Which, now that I thought about it, she did.
She stopped in front of me, her lips parting as she spoke gracefully.
"It's nice to meet you."
…Oh. Maybe I was overthinking things.
I grinned, raising a hand. "Ah, um, hey! I'm Yuji Itadori, and I wanna be a hero! Hope we get along, haha—"
…
…Silence.
I blinked.
Yoo Yeonha's face twitched, her jaw tightening slightly before she forced her expression back to normal.
For some reason, I got the distinct impression that she wanted to punch me.
But before I could process that thought, she brushed past me and extended her hand—to someone behind me.
Wait.
Was she not talking to me?!
I had already reached out to shake her hand, and by the time I realized what was happening, my palm was just… hanging there in the air like an idiot.
I felt my soul leave my body.
I quickly turned around, pretending that totally didn't happen, and locked onto one of my teammates—a girl with short black hair and teary-looking eyes.
Japanese!
I could tell immediately.
"Hey! Are you from Japan like me?"
She looked up, her expression softening slightly at my words.
"Ah, y-yes… I-I'm Hazuki…" she said, her voice quiet but polite.
I grinned, jumping at the chance to escape the awkward situation from before. "No way! Where are you from? I'm from Sendai, y'know? Pretty cool place! Oh, do you know about the local tempura shop there? It's legendary! What about you?"
Her eyes brightened a little, the nervous energy around her fading as we talked.
"Oh! I-I'm from Shirakawa… it's a small village, but it's really beautiful in the spring…"
"Shirakawa?! Oh man, that place has that huge festival with the lanterns, right? I always wanted to go there!"
For a moment, it was like the exam didn't even exist—it just felt like we were two Japanese kids talking about home, excitedly swapping stories.
It was nice.
Then—
"Cough."
A deliberate cough.
I felt a chill run down my spine.
Turning my head slowly, I saw Yoo Yeonha standing there, arms crossed, staring at me like I had just committed a crime against humanity.
She did not look amused.
"I am the leader of this team," she announced, her tone smooth and authoritative—way too mature-sounding for a 17-year-old. But I was starting to get the impression that was exactly how she wanted it.
I scratched my head, laughing awkwardly. "R-Right, haha okay."
To my side, Jin Hoseung was already breaking into a cold sweat, like he was trying to figure out how to talk to her without offending a literal mafia boss.
Jin Hoseung knows about her very well than others in this group. Yoo Yeonha was complicated. On the surface, she was polite, charming, and elegant. But beneath all that? She was ruthless. Smart. Cunning. The kind of person who would tear you apart in a negotiation and make you think you got a good deal. She wasn't officially dating Shin Jonghak, but it was obvious she had a thing for him—even if he barely acknowledged it.
' from what I knew, she didn't let people get close to her easily.'
So me?
A guy she clearly didn't like?
Yeah, I had my work cut out for me.
I turned back to Hazuki and offered a fist bump. "Well, glad to have a fellow Japanese teammate! This is gonna be awesome!"
Hazuki blinked, then nodded shyly, bumping her fist against mine.
Then—
"You should keep your actions in control."
Yoo Yeonha's voice cut through the air like a blade.
I turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "Huh?"
Her expression didn't change. "This is an exam, not a friendship club. If you plan to slack off, I suggest you rethink your approach."
I blinked. Then, after a moment of processing, I grinned.
"Oh, don't worry about me! I'm super confident in my skills! I was the best in my town, you know? All the local kids supported me!"
…
…Yoo Yeonha looked like she was about to kill me.
Hazuki and Jin Hoseung visibly tensed, clearly picking up on the rising tension.
But me?
I just kept smiling.
Because at this point, it was obvious.
Yoo Yeonha hated my guts.
And honestly? I had no idea why.
But hey, I can't wait to wait the Grandma food in restaurant. Food is more important than girls.
The moment Kim Soohyuk's voice thundered across the field, any lingering conversation came to an abrupt halt.
"There's no time for chitchat. You should have gotten the coordinates and information of the monster you'll need to kill on your smartwatch. Get going!"
The announcement sent a wave of movement through the field as cadets scrambled to check their smartwatches. Around me, I could hear teams muttering amongst themselves, hurriedly coordinating their movements.
It seems my friends already left.
A total of 100 teams were spread out for this exam, including students from other classes. The goal?
Kill the designated monster at our assigned location.
The faster and safer we did it, the higher our rank.
With a smooth flick of her wrist, Yoo Yeonha projected her smartwatch into the air.
[Blackhump Octopus – 37° 31' 32" N]
The text floated above us, the neat, efficient font perfectly mirroring its owner.
Yoo Yeonha barely spared us a glance before speaking in her usual clipped, authoritative tone.
"Let's go. We can talk while we're moving."
The second we started running, I instinctively sped ahead.
I didn't think much of it—running had always been natural for me. It wasn't something I had to focus on; my legs just moved. The golden field around me blurred as I picked up the pace, and for a brief moment, I enjoyed the sensation of the wind cutting across my face.
Then—
"Oi, what the hell?!"
I heard Jin Hoseung's voice somewhere behind me.
When I turned back, I saw my teammates staring at me in shock.
Hazuki's mouth was slightly open, and Yoo Yeonha—who had been completely composed until now—had an unreadable look on her face.
"…What?" I blinked.
"Why are you running like that?!" Jin Hoseung wheezed. "Dude, did you make a promise to your girlfriend or something? You trying to break a world record?!"
I laughed, slowing down just a little. "Nah, man. No girlfriend. I just really wanna win this bet with my friends."
Jin Hoseung looked betrayed. "A freaking bet? That's your reason?!"
"A very important bet," I corrected, grinning. "Besides, running's easy for me. It's one of my best stats."
Jin Hoseung groaned, bending over to catch his breath. "Yeah, yeah, whatever… just warn a guy next time…"
I walked over, handing him a bottle of water. "Here, drink. No hard feelings?"
He took it with a grumble, gulping down the water before mumbling a half-hearted, "Yeah, yeah, thanks."
I turned toward Hazuki, who had recovered from her initial shock and was now laughing softly.
"You really are a little crazy, Yuji-kun," she said, shaking her head. "But in a good way."
I grinned, relieved she didn't think I was some kind of lunatic. "That's the nicest way anyone's ever called me crazy, thanks."
She laughed again, then hesitated for a moment before lowering her voice. "Also… don't let Yoo Yeonha's attitude bother you too much."
At this, I blinked.
"Oh. That?" I scratched the back of my head. "Nah, it's fine. I don't really care."
And I meant it.
Yoo Yeonha could be as cold as she wanted—that wasn't my problem. If she wanted to act like I was some annoying insect buzzing around her perfectly controlled world, then whatever.
But what surprised me was that she hadn't actually looked that irritated when I ran ahead.
If anything, she seemed… thoughtful.
(Yoo Yeonha's pov)
Yoo Yeonha wasn't easily impressed.
In fact, she made it a point not to be.
Most people exaggerated their skills, pretending to be more than what they were worth. Others flaunted their status and background like a badge of superiority.
It was all so predictable.
Which is why when Yuji Itadori took off running like a beast unleashed, she was forced to reassess.
His form was natural—effortless, even. There was no unnecessary movement, no strain. He didn't just run fast; he ran efficiently, like someone who had been doing it his whole life.
And his speed?
Frankly, it was absurd.
It wasn't a skill tied to his bow techniques. It was pure, raw physical ability.
For someone like Yoo Yeonha—who calculated the worth of everything and everyone—this was a noteworthy variable.
Most people with monstrous physical prowess were muscleheads—the type who relied entirely on brute strength with no strategy. But Yuji?
He didn't carry himself like a traditional combatant. He was too easygoing, too playful.
And yet, his movements told a different story.
It was an interesting contradiction.
Which meant she needed to keep an eye on him.
Not because she liked him.
(Absolutely not.)
But because if he was going to be on her team…
Then she needed to calculate his worth properly.
(Yuji Itadori's POV)
As we ran toward our designated coordinates, Yoo Yeonha suddenly turned to me with a sharp gaze.
"Do you even know what a Blackhump Octopus is?"
I blinked at her, caught off guard. "Uh… nope."
There was a brief moment of silence.
"... You don't know?"
Her voice was flat, but I could hear the underlying disappointment. Like she expected this.
I shrugged. "I mean, does it matter? I'll just one-shot my target."
Yoo Yeonha sighed, rubbing her temples. She didn't even bother arguing with me—probably because she figured it was a lost cause. Instead, she flicked her smartwatch, and a holographic screen appeared.
She opened her secret information file.
---
[Blackhump Octopus]
—Low-intermediate rank monster
—Special Features
The main body isn't strong, but numerous baby octopuses pop out from the hump on its head.
As dozens pop out at once, it isn't easy to deal with them.
Baby octopuses can suck human blood and turn them into mummies in just one second.
They are classified as low-rank monsters.
—Strategy
Eliminate all baby octopuses.
Alternatively, destroy the black hump where the main body's magic power is created.
—Weakness
Black hump
—Strength
Suction cups and baby octopuses
---
As she finished, she turned off the projection and looked at the others.
"I'll deal with the babies while you two take care of the main body."
Jin Hoseung and Hazuki nodded seriously, taking out their weapons.
Meanwhile, I just stood there, staring blankly at Yoo Yeonha.
She hadn't even acknowledged me.
Not even a glance.
"… Let's go now."
Yoo Yeonha took the lead, and we moved forward.
The moment we arrived at the designated spot, the beach came into view, and so did our target.
A gigantic octopus was thrashing wildly near the shore, sending waves crashing against the rocks. Its massive body was a grotesque mix of dark red and black, and right on top of its head, a bulging, pulsating black hump made it look like it had two heads.
"There."
Yoo Yeonha crouched low in the tall grass, her sharp eyes analyzing the situation. Jin Hoseung and Hazuki readied their weapons.
"When we run at it, baby octopuses will pop out of its hump. When that happens, the two of you should fall back and be on standby until I kill them all. Warriors need to save their magic power as much as possible. Black Hump Octopuses have high regenerative power, so we need to remove its hump in a single blow—"
She continued explaining.
But not once did she address me.
I stood there, watching her plan everything without even considering my presence.
It wasn't like I didn't appreciate strategy, but right now, all I saw was a giant octopus that needed to die.
I sighed. "Screw this."
Without another word, I drew my bow.
BOOM!
The moment my arrow left the string, the air itself cracked.
A thundering explosion echoed across the shore, shaking the ground beneath us. A massive shockwave swept through the beach, sending sand and debris flying.
And then—
A gaping hole appeared in the center of the octopus's body.
A clean, perfectly circular wound, as if someone had taken a giant hole-puncher to it.
The creature twitched once—and then collapsed, dead on the spot.
Silence.
The crashing of the waves was the only sound left in the aftermath.
I turned back to my team, lowering my bow.
Yoo Yeonha, Jin Hoseung, and Hazuki were frozen.
Mouths open. Staring at the scene in disbelief.
I waved my hand. "Yo."
Nothing.
I snapped my fingers. "Helloooo? You guys still with me?"
Finally, Yoo Yeonha broke out of her daze.
"… What did you do."
It wasn't a question. It was a statement of pure disbelief.
I scratched the back of my head. "Uh, I killed it?"
"... Huh?"
She looked up at the sky, where the creature's massive body had once been.
Except—
It wasn't there anymore.
The entire thing had been erased, as if it had never existed.
The realization made Yoo Yeonha's expression turn from shock to something unreadable.
Then, she turned her gaze back to me, her arms crossed.
Her lips curved into a smile—but not the nice kind.
"Excuse me."
I blinked. "Uh, yeah?"
Her eyes were sharp, calculating. "You're the lowest rank among all of us. So explain something to me."
She stepped closer.
"How did you one-shot it?"
Jin Hoseung and Hazuki watched closely, also curious.
I sighed, scratching my cheek. "You mean my rank? Yeah, me and my friend purposely got low rankings so we wouldn't attract attention from the guilds."
Yoo Yeonha froze.
"... You purposely got a low rank?"
She looked like she had been hit with a ton of bricks.
I shrugged. "I mean, yeah. Me and my friend don't want guilds bothering us or disturbing our families, so we kinda… downplayed our scores."
She didn't answer right away.
Instead, she stared at me for a long moment, as if re-evaluating everything she knew.
Jin Hoseung suddenly broke the silence with a loud laugh.
"Dude, that was awesome! I saw it! You weren't lying about your skills!"
Hazuki nodded enthusiastically. "That was amazing, Yuji-kun!"
They clapped me on the back, grinning.
Meanwhile, Yoo Yeonha slowly stepped away, still staring at me like I had just flipped her entire worldview upside down.
---
(Yoo Yeonha's POV)
She had underestimated him.
That realization made her annoyed.
No, not just annoyed. Embarrassed.
She had dismissed Yuji Itadori. Ignored him. Didn't even factor him into the strategy.
And yet, in one move, he had effortlessly accomplished what should have been a difficult, drawn-out battle.
He had erased a Blackhump Octopus in a single shot.
That wasn't something a low-rank cadet could do.
And then, as if it was nothing, he casually revealed that he had purposely ranked himself lower just to avoid attention.
Yoo Yeonha's fists clenched.
"... Interesting."
For the first time, she truly looked at Yuji Itadori.
This wasn't just some idiot who didn't take things seriously.
This was a wild card.
A dangerous, unpredictable variable.
And Yoo Yeonha hated variables.
---
(Yoo Yeonha POV)
[Team 5 — 6/100]
6th place out of 100 teams.
Yoo Yeonha clenched her jaw. The number itself wasn't bad. In fact, it was within the top 10. But knowing that Chae Nayun's team ranked higher left an unbearable taste in her mouth.
Her mood soured further when she saw the rankings of others.
1st Place: Shin Jonghak – As expected, but the look on his face was anything but triumphant. He looked like he had just swallowed something bitter.
2nd Place: Chae Nayun – This one stung. Nayun was strong, but Yeonha hadn't expected her to outdo both Kim Suho and Rachel.
3rd Place: Kim Suho – A formidable competitor as always.
4th Place: Rachel – The British princess was a perfectionist. Even finishing fourth must be frustrating for her.
Yoo Yeonha exhaled sharply. The rankings were based on footage recorded by drones, so there was no way to argue against them. The analysis would be automatically uploaded to their smartwatches, breaking down their performance, decision-making, and weaknesses.
Her brows furrowed as she turned her gaze toward a dull-looking man yawning lazily.
Yuji Itadori.
Her low-rank teammate who somehow one-shot their designated target.
It still didn't make sense.
Their team had been held back by her miscalculation—underestimating his stamina. If she had known, they could have gotten at least 5th place.
No. This was his fault for faking his rank in the first place.
"Ugh…" She resisted the urge to sigh in frustration.
But even if she wanted to blame him, she couldn't deny that without him, they wouldn't even be in the top 10.
That one ridiculous arrow had erased the entire fight before it even began.
She gritted her teeth.
Yoo Yeonha held back her impulse to blame someone. But that only increased the unreasonable sense of jealousy and envy she felt towards Chae Nayun. She faced forward and glared at Chae Nayun's head. If she wouldn't be found out, she wanted to smack the back of her head.
Yoo Yeonha's hands trembled, reaching towards Chae Nayun's head.
But instead of taking such extreme action, she lightly touched Chae Nayun's shoulder.
"…Nayun, how was it?"
"Hm? Ah, it's as you see. 2nd place. I finally beat Suho and Rachel, but Jonghak is still above me." Nayun pouted, rolling her shoulders. "What about you?"
"…6th."
"Oh?" Nayun's brows rose slightly. "Wow, 6th place. Not bad, I expected you to get top 10. Honestly, if that low-rank guy wasn't dead weight, you probably could've gotten 5th."
Yoo Yeonha hesitated. A part of her wanted to agree.
But the memory of what happened flashed in her mind.
The Black Hump Octopus—a monster that required a strategic approach, its deadly offspring capable of turning people into mummies within seconds.
And Yuji Itadori had erased it from existence in one shot.
"…Actually, we got the Black Hump Octopus as our target," Yoo Yeonha admitted. "But before we could even execute the plan, Yuji killed it in one hit."
"…What?"
Yoo Yeonha nodded, still unsure if she should feel impressed or annoyed.
"Yep."
"For real?"
"For real."
Nayun narrowed her eyes. "Wait, that Yuji? The same guy who's a so-called low-rank?"
"Yes."
Nayun clicked her tongue and crossed her arms. "That's weird… Hold on. Now that I think about it—the red-haired guy on my team, Karma, was also a low-rank. But when we fought, he was keeping up with me."
"Keeping up with you?" Yoo Yeonha repeated, suddenly intrigued.
Nayun nodded. "Yeah. He wasn't as strong as me, obviously," she huffed, flipping her hair. "But he sure as hell wasn't moving like a low-rank. His skills were way too refined. Wait aren't they both friends with each other."
Yoo Yeonha's thoughts clicked together like puzzle pieces.
So Yuji wasn't the only one. His friend was doing the same thing.
They weren't actual low-ranks.
They chose to rank low.
"…I see."
Her eyes narrowed as she looked back at Yuji.
If he really faked his rank, then what else was he hiding?
And more importantly—why?
(It's not Yuji is hiding something but Yoo Yeonha, our misunderstanding queen just overthinking herself and misunderstanding again )
---
Note: sorry for late upload. I'm busy with college and watched invincible show in my free time in past week. Next chapter will be released tomorrow. Bye