The stronger the predator, the more prideful they were. They weren’t cautious when hunting small rabbits. Patience and strength were the basics. It was important to do their best when competing with the same beast.

Clink!

The second half of saint sword drawing. Kraugel was doing his best to stop Yura. He was very wary of her since she was also qualified to draw the saint sword.

‘There’s a slight difference in movement speed due to the difference in basic stats. I need to deal with her before entering the safety zone.’

Kraugel hadn’t achieved level 300 before entering the National Competition. His stats failed to reach the third awakening and were generally lacking. He needed to be tenacious to make up for this. Kraugel placed his hands on the sheath at his waist.

He aimed for Yura’s predicted path and drew White Fang. It was Space Sword, one of the ultimate skills of a Sword Saint.

Supaak!

“...!”

Kraugel’s silver-coloured sword cut the earth, rivers, trees, rocks, mountains, and sky. The landscape in his field of view was cut in two. All except for one thing. It was Yura. The moment Kraugel’s sword reached her, she used Hell Leap to make Kraugel’s technique useless.

-Wow...!

-How does she match the timing like that?

-I have goosebumps.

The crowd and viewers had already been impressed by Yura several times. From what they saw, there was only a difference in class between Kraugel and Yura. People thought that if the Demon Slayer class had the ability to fight the Sword Saint class, she wouldn’t be in the position of a fugitive.

But that was just their perspective. Kraugel dominated Yura in all ways, albeit subtly.

“You can’t run.”

“...!!!”

Yura was surprised when she emerged from a black hole. It was because Kraugel stood before her.

‘He read the path?’ Yura noticed. ‘It’s my mistake!’

The problem was that she chose the shortest route to reach the saint sword as soon as possible. Kraugel read her thoughts. The cause of her defeat was a failure to overcome her anxiety.

Sakak-!

A white flash projected towards Yura’s trembling eyes.

[You have suffered 5,900 damage.]

White Fang descended towards Yura again.

Sakak-!

Chukakakakak!

Kraugel didn’t lose momentum after hitting Yura once. He used tricky orbits to deal with Yura.

“Ugh...!”

Yura’s vision kept flashing red. She attempted to defend against Kraugel’s attacks but it didn’t work. Kraugel perfectly analyzed her behavior patterns and his super sensitivity supported his analysis. Yura had only one option left to counterattack.

Tang!

Tang tang!

As Yura was caught in a storm of swords and bled out, she aimed her magic gun at Kraugel. But Kraugel read her gaze and the direction the muzzle was pointing in, moving in advance to avoid the bullets. In the end, eight of the ten bullets shot by Yura were deflected. On the other hand, Yura allowed seven out eight hits by Kraugel. The difference in health between the two people greatly widened.

『 It seems to be over. 』

『 Ah, Player Yura is really miserable. After all this, she’s missing the medal. 』

Yura’s performance had been dazzling through saint sword drawing. She quickly met the requirements of the saint sword with a good strategy and overcome the difficulties experienced in the process with her strength and wits. The commentators and the crowd had no doubt that she would win a medal for her country. But now Kraugel from the United States was about to trample on Yura and South Korea’s dreams.

『 As you all know, the players in South Korea are very shallow. Apart from Grid, Yura, Peak Sword, and Toon, all participating players are unknown. 』

『 The experts guess that apart from Grid and Yura, the other players can only obtain silver medals at most. 』

『 It’s desperate news for South Korea that Yura is being eliminated without winning a single medal. 』

『 It’s a pity. The Korean people will feel a great deal of heartache. 』

The commentators were telling the truth. The rules were revised so that one player could only participate in two events. The elimination of Yura was a painful loss for South Korea. Even if Grid won two gold medals, South Korea would stay at the bottom of the rankings as expected. Then the Korean players wouldn’t receive any buffs.

“Meteor Sword.”

Kwa kwang!

Kwa kwa kwa kwang!

Kraugel’s sword fell like a meteor and continuously struck Yura’s injured body. Yura used her skills to resist, but her health was currently at the bottom while Kraugel’s was close to being full. Kraugel was several times stronger than last year after becoming a Sword Saint and was on a different level from Yura. At this point, people thought the winner of the one on one PvP was determined. They started speculating about the results of the events that hadn’t yet started.

Then Kraugel prepared to deal the final blow to Yura.

‘End it.’

Kraugel decided after checking Yura’s health gauge. He precisely calculated Yura’s health and defense figures during the course of the battle and used a charging skill. He prepared to deal a blow to Yura’s heart while simultaneously opening the distance, in order to avoid a counterattack from Yura in her immortal state.

"Jajinmori.”

Peeok!

A secret technique obtained from the East Continent. It was a kick that unfolded without any preliminary movements, striking the enemy and pushing him away. He kicked Yura’s abdomen. At the same time, Yura’s health was depleted, she entered the immortal state and fell far away from Kraugel. Kraugel naturally didn’t approach her. He judged that he could prevent her from accessing the safety zone during her five seconds of immortality.

"Huhut.”

In this desperate situation, Yura laughed. Kraugel’s actions were within the range that she anticipated. Since she was far away from Kraugel, she cast a spell that took some time to use.

“Hell Summoning.”

“...?!”

Kurururung!

The Demon Slayer class exerted great influence in hell and operated with a penalty on this middle world. It was too unreasonable to call it a legendary class when it couldn’t exert its abilities outside of hell. That’s why the skill set involved a hell summoning. It was a field magic that allowed a Demon Slayer to show 100% of their abilities by transferring over a certain random area of hell.

Shaaaaaah-

A dark curtain fell. A radius of 1km around Yura was flooded with demonic energy and turned black. It was the moment when the bright Bruton Island was contaminated.

『 Hup...! 』

The world was astonished. Hell Summoning was a unique magic used by Great Demon Belial! How could a player use it?!!

“Um...”

Kraugel was also surprised. He frowned as he was contaminated by the demonic energy.

[You have entered hell.]

[You are affected by a strong evil energy.]

[Your body is exhausted. Attack power, defense, and agility will decrease by 30%.]

[Health won’t recover naturally.]

[You have received a mental blow. Mana regeneration rate will slow by 50%.]

[You have resisted.]

‘The status resistance is meaningless.’

Yura was strong. Kraugel became vigilant and grasped White Fang.

Jjeejeeeong!

Yura leapt over the boiling hellfire river reached Kraugel in an instant and used three joint attacks. It was a much faster and stronger attack than before.

‘Kuk...! She managed to keep this trump card hidden so far?’

He understood her thoughts. It was uncomfortable for players to reveal their true power in the National Competition, where everyone in the world was watching. It was better to hide as much power as possible. But if she had to release it to the public, shouldn’t it be in a better situation? Kraugel felt negatively about Yura’s Hell Summoning.

’Revealing it in a situation where defeat is already determined... She isn’t that stupid.’

The summoning of hell was too late. Even if Yura was strong in hell, the gap between the two people’s health was too big to be reversed. The outcome of the battle couldn’t be changed. She should’ve summoned hell earlier or not summoned it at all.

Kraugel thought this as he avoided two bullets that flew from Yura in the darkness. He moved his sword while enduring the heat of the hellfire flowing near his feet. It was a counterattack aimed precisely for when Yura’s immortal duration ended.

But.

Sakak-!

Kraugel couldn’t cut Yura. He was a bit confused because he hadn’t yet been able to adapt to the sudden change in landscape. Yura used Hell Leap and left the battlefield. It was a retreat using her last remaining mana.

’I can’t miss her!’

The moment that Kraugel used White Light Steps and was about to pursue Yura.

Kiyaaaaoh!

“...?!”

Kurururung!

A hell bone dragon emerged in sky that contained thousands of hell eyes and blew a poisonous breath at Kraugel. The hell summoned by Yura was a habitat for the hell bone dragon. It was extremely good luck from Yura’s position.

“Kuk!”

The hell bone dragon was a powerful high level named monster that would make a player scream. Kraugel gave a rare scream as he was attacked by it. He suffered a critical injury as he flew back.

At this time.

Surururuk!

The hell vanished. The hell summoned by Yura only had a duration of a minute or so. In that short period of time, the situation of saint sword drawing dramatically reversed. Breaking everyone’s expectations, Yura was going to reach the safety zone first.

The only area where PvP was impossible. It was the central area where the saint sword was stuck.

『 Y...Yura....! 』

『 South Korea’s Yura will be the first master of the saint sword!! 』

Who would’ve imagined that someone other than Grid would win a confrontation with the sky above the sky? No, it was the opinion of most people in the world that even Grid couldn’t win against Kraugel. Yet Yura pulled it off...

Puk!

“...!”

『....!! 』

One step. One step was lacking. Just before Yura entered the safety zone, dozens of swords rushed at her. It was the long-ranged skill of a Sword Saint, which caused 10 swords to be released from his inventory to hit the target. It was one of the skills Kraugel wanted to hide until he met Grid.

“Ugh!”

A sword stabbed Yura’s ankle. Fortunately, she kept her life because she drank a potion. However, she fell down while entering the safety zone. Then...

Teook!

Kraugel jumped over her. He reached the saint sword first.

『 K-Kraugel wins! Kraugel has won the gold medal by drawing the sword first! 』

『 Ahh, Player Yura has ended up with the silver medal. It is really a waste. But she fought well. I admire her. 』

“Waaaaaaaah!”

Huge cheers shook the Tokyo Dome. The premiere of the 3rd National Competition was fierce and gorgeous.

***

The Korean team’s waiting room.

"Well fought. You fought really well.”

On the screen, the sight of Yura tearing up could be seen. It was the first time she had ever looked so frail. She became a legend before Kraugel and actually achieved a higher growth, but she eventually lost. Was it because her efforts were lacking?

No. In fact, Grid knew better than anyone. It was purely-

‘The difference in talent...’

Humans were relative. A person who was praised as the best would end up being humble in front of someone better than them. Grid had been through this painful reality many times. That’s why he could figure out what Yura was feeling right now. He was able to feel her desperation.

‘I’ll get revenge for you.’

Talent?

’I will overcome it with items.’

Grid’s blood boiled. After witnessing the victim of Kraugel’s talent, he wanted to win even more.

After that. Four more events took place and South Korea didn’t win a single medal. On the first day of the National Competition, South Korea’s medal status was only one silver medal. But this one silver medal was very valuable. South Korea, which originally should’ve been at the bottom of the rankings, ended up being near the top of the overall rankings.

At this time, no one knew what this small difference would lead to.