Chapter 394: Chapter 394

Clang, Clang, Clang—!!

Grunting and mumbling in pain, I fell to my knees, panting. My breath was shallow and ragged, and my heart felt like it was about to burst.

Taking out a bottle of cold water from the dimensional storage of my smart bracelet, I pushed down its content in big gulps and let out a long, satisfied sigh.

As the burning sensation in my lungs slightly cooled down and the pain subsided a little, I got up and cast an angry gaze at the person responsible for rendering me in this state.

Of course, that person was none other than my own master – Yato.

"You want to kill me, don't you!" I cried out.

Around us, long blades of grass swayed along the wind. After our clash, some of the grass blades in the area were cut short, creating several clearings.

The sun was directly above us, yet it wasn't scorching us with its heat. I would say it was warm – as if on a winter's morning.

With a clear blue sky in the backdrop, the silver white-haired man in front of me smirked.

He wore a red and black Kendo Keikogi, with his midium hair untied, swaying with the grass along the wind.

Scrutinizing me with his matching calm blue eyes for a second, Yato quickly disappeared from my sight the next moment.

Before I could register what had happened, Yato was already right in front of me, his blade poised over his head.

Yato brought his sword down, and I barely managed to react in time, raising my own sword to block the strike.

The force of the blow sent a sharp vibration through my arms, and I grit my teeth as I struggled to hold my ground.

"You're too slow," Yato said calmly, his expression unchanging. "Your reactions are sluggish, and your stance is weak."

"Easy for you to say!" I shot back, pushing his sword away and jumping back to create some distance. My muscles screamed in protest from the exertion, but I couldn't afford to let my guard down.

Yato didn't give me any time to recover. He moved with blinding speed, closing the gap between us almost instantly. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲·𝗻𝗲𝘁

Another strike came down, and I barely managed to dodge, stumbling to the side as the force of his swing cut through the air where I had just been standing.

I cursed under my breath, my legs shaking from the effort of staying on my feet. There was no doubt about it—Yato wasn't holding back.

"Focus!" Yato's voice snapped through the air, sharp and clear. "You need to anticipate, not just react."

I gritted my teeth, trying to push past the fatigue clouding my mind. Anticipate, huh? Easier said than done when you're being relentlessly attacked by someone with years of experience and reflexes faster than anything I had ever faced.

But this wasn't just any fight—it was training. And as much as I wanted to complain, I knew Yato was doing this for my own good.

If I wanted to get stronger, I had to endure.

Summoning every ounce of willpower left in me, I steadied my stance and focused on his movements. The faint shifts in his posture, the slight flicker in his eyes—it was all there if I paid close enough attention.

Yato lunged again, his sword flashing in a wide arc.

This time, instead of panicking, I took a deep breath and met his blade with my own, deflecting it to the side. The force of the impact still rattled me, but I was able to stay on my feet.

"Better," Yato remarked, his smirk widening. "But we're far from done."

Before I could respond, he vanished once more, Yato figure blurred in a burst of speed as he sidestepped to avoid my spear. From the side, he swung his sword and hit the back of my neck with his glowing red blade.

As soon as his blade met the back of my neck, it cut through my flesh and bone like a hot knife to butter.

In the blink of an eye, my head was severed from my body as a bright crimson light flashed through the area.

As my head rolled through the air, with my widened eyes, I saw the world upside-down before it finally hit the ground.

Soon after, darkness shrouded my vision, and everything turned black.

Clutching my neck, I sat up straight. My whole body was drenched in a cold sweat as I looked around with terror-filled widened eyes.

My chest heaved in and out as I struggled to gasp for breath. Panic settled in, but along with it came clarity.

Gently rubbing my neck and turning my head side to side – so slowly that I was scared it would fall – I had to make sure it was in place.

After confirming that I was definitely alive, I clutched my chest and tried to calm down my violently beating heart by taking long, deep breaths.

"It was not real! It was not real!" I repeatedly told myself.

It was indeed not real. We were in Virtual Reality.

In the Virtual Reality training simulation, Yato always pushed me to my limits, and today's session was no different. The simulation was meant to mimic real battle conditions, making even death feel painfully realistic.

Wiping the sweat from my brow, I let out a shaky breath and glanced at Yato, who was calmly observing me from the side. He crossed his arms, his usual smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Not bad for someone who just died," he remarked, his tone casual as if slicing off someone's head was an everyday occurrence. For him, it probably was.

I let out a frustrated sigh. "You could warn me next time before you decapitate me, you know."

Yato chuckled, his blue eyes gleaming with amusement. "Where's the fun in that? Besides, you need to learn to handle unexpected situations better."

I groaned, rubbing the back of my neck, the phantom pain of that last blow still lingering. "Yeah, well, I'd appreciate it if my head stayed attached during training."

"You'll get used to it," Yato replied, walking toward me. "The point is for you to improve, not to feel comfortable. Remember, the world you'll be fighting in doesn't give second chances. This simulation is the closest thing to that reality."

I couldn't argue with him. As brutal as the training was, it was necessary. If I wanted to survive out there, I had to get stronger.

As I was lost in my silent rant, a thoughtful look appeared on Yato face.

"It's weird…" he muttered to himself.

"Hmm? What?" I asked, still pouting.

"You know, it doesn't feel like you're learning anything new. It feels like you're just remembering what you've already learned." Yato remarked, touching his chin.

"What nonsense are you on about now, master?" I looked at him with a blank expression.

"Nothing, maybe I'm just overthinking," Yato waved his hand. "Anyway, isn't it time for you to go?"

Casting a confused look, I gazed at the smart bracelet on my wrist to know the time.

It was [7:35 AM] right now.

The selection event would start in thirty minutes.

"Arghh! Yeah, I should go!"

Quickly rushing for the door, I waved at master and thanked him for the training, even though he killed me!

"Haaa!" I couldn't help but let out a sigh as I rushed home to freshen up and get ready.

The day was finally here– The day of the multi Academy selection.