Villainous Me: Help! The heroines are yanderes!
Chapter 55: Devoid of emotion[GTG]

Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Devoid of emotion[GTG]

Ryan, a blur of motion, lunged forward with a powerful thrust. The unexpected speed startled even him, a testament to Luke’s words about his high agility. He was undeniably fast... but stamina? Not so much.

Panic clawed at his throat. "Crap!" he muttered. This fight needed to end quickly. Otherwise, he’d be facing a double whammy - complete mana depletion and utter physical exhaustion. Either way, he was toast.

[Ability detected]

[Absolute clarity activated]

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"Damn!" Leon cussed under his breath and awaited the approaching Ryan.

Unfortunately, Ryan’s thrust sailed harmlessly past Leon, who sidestepped with practiced ease. A vicious knee strike followed, aimed squarely at Ryan’s face. The blow connected, sending him reeling back, his footing unsteady.

"Don’t underestimate me, scum!" Leon roared, his voice laced with a dangerous edge. He charged forward, unleashing a flurry of reckless slashes.

Ryan scrambled to defend himself, a desperate ballet of parries, blocks, and stinging cuts. He narrowly dodged a potentially lethal attack, a hair’s breadth away from a gruesome end. It was chillingly clear now - Leon meant to kill him.

Across the vast chamber stood a woman with cascading curly blonde hair. Her gaze was fixed on the fight, her nails digging into her palms, drawing blood unnoticed. Having just emerged victorious from her own duel moments ago, victory felt hollow. Her eyes welled with a dark fury as she witnessed the brutal assault on Ryan.

With a desperate lunge, Ryan attempted a scissor sweep, but it was a feint. As Leon leaped back to avoid it, Ryan transitioned seamlessly into a roundhouse kick that landed with a solid thud on Leon’s abdomen. He retreated swiftly, putting some much-needed distance between them.

Despite his annoyance at Leon’s arrogance, Ryan couldn’t ignore the reality. Leon was a prince, given the finest combat training money could buy. Carelessness could be fatal.

Suddenly, a notification flashed on Ryan’s vision: [Ability detected: Absolute Clarity]. It was followed by a jarring [rejected].

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"AhhHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" A frustrated roar erupted from Leon. He couldn’t comprehend it. The very skills that had propelled him to the top, the techniques that instilled fear in his opponents, were proving utterly useless against a lowly ranked nobody! The injustice of it all fueled his rage.

The notifications repeated in a maddening loop: Ability detected]

[Absolute clarity activated]

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No matter how many times he tried, the infuriating smugness remained plastered on Ryan’s face. Leon burned with a murderous desire, a vow forming on his lips. He’d kill this bastard, one way or another.

This academy, a military institution at its core, valued raw ability above all else. Unofficial duels were forbidden, but once a challenge was issued, anything went, even near-death situations. After all, they had a dedicated team of healers on standby for a reason. The strong survived, the weak perished.

The clang of their swords resonated through the chamber once more. This time, Leon aimed a vicious blow at Ryan’s face. Ryan dodged with practiced grace, retaliating with a punch of his own. But before his fist could connect, Ryan chocked out a web of spit, as a running knee slammed into Ryan’s gut, doubling him over.

Refusing to surrender, Ryan used the momentum to slide down, pushing Leon forward. He capitalized on the opening, delivering a swift and agonizing kick to Leon’s groin.

"Aaaaargh!" Leon screamed, crumpling to the ground.

Fueled by sheer desperation, Ryan lunged with his katana, aiming for Leon’s shoulder. Despite his precarious kneeling position, Leon managed to raise his sword in a desperate block. The impact sent a jarring shock through his arm.

[Ability detected]

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"How the hell are you doing this?!" Leon roared, his frustration reaching a boiling point. His superior strength pushed Ryan back several steps, granting him a moment to recover.

But Ryan had anticipated this. It was all part of the plan. Leon had unwittingly dug his own grave the moment he proposed the duel’s terms. All Ryan had to do was deliver the final push.

[Ability detected]

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"Just die already!" roared Leon.

"You wish," Ryan responded.

With a final surge of his remaining mana, Ryan unleashed a flurry of dark slashes at Leon. The prince, fueled by a twisted sense of determination, charged through them. He dodged some, parried others, but before he could react to the final strike, a dark figure blurred past him. The blunt end of a katana connected with his head, sending him crashing into unconsciousness.

It was Ryan, of course. His strategy had been masterful. He’d chipped away at Leon’s defenses, conserving his mana for the final blow. While his initial burst of speed wasn’t sustainable, he’d feigned weakness to lull Leon into a false sense of victory. When Leon charged in recklessly, all it took was a well-timed strike to finish the job.

A satisfied smirk played on Ryan’s lips. He was congratulating himself on his strategic brilliance when a chime from his watch startled him. A popup materialized in front of him:

[Challenge Decided

Winner: Ryan Evans

Reward: 1000 Points Awarded]

Beside it gleamed his system interface, displaying a triumphant:

[Quest Complete]

His self-satisfied musings were cut short as a hand clamped down on his wrist. He whipped around to find Helen staring at him with an expression devoid of any warmth or emotion at all. Clearly, she was far from pleased.