I Became the Academy’s Kibitz Villain

Chapter 222: S-Class Scanner (7)

National power was rooted in the quantity and quality of S-Classes.

In an era where traditional arms races had lost their significance, the maintenance and increase of supernatural abilities represented the correct path to bolstering national strength.

Thus, it was in everyone’s interest to welcome the growth in the number of recognized S-Classes.

The diminishing scarcity of S-Classes, coupled with the presence of many powerful beings, enhances a country’s prestige.

This was the day everyone had been eagerly anticipating.

May 28th.

Would it mark the emergence of a new S-Class, or serve as a testament to the efficacy of the S-Class scanner?

[Yoon Iseon! Yoon Iseon! Yoon Iseon!]

[Defeat Taejo! The pride of Busan! Unleash the might of an S-Class!]

On the day of the showdown, Busan’s Sajik Stadium was packed with countless spectators, igniting the stands with excitement even before the event started.

-Welcome to Sajik Stadium, everyone. Ah! Just as I say this, Armored Taejo’s vehicle has made its entrance onto the battlefield!!

Despite being a baseball stadium, a limousine drove directly onto the field.

Unconcerned about the tire marks marring the grass, the limousine completed a large circle and halted at the center of the baseball field.

Click.

The door of the limousine swung open automatically, and a young man in a white suit, sporting blonde hair, stepped out and raised his hand high.

“”“Wowwwwwww───!!”““

Despite the controversies surrounding Armored Taejo, his status as an S-Class had garnered him a solid fan base.

The crowd was overjoyed and roared in support of Taejo, fervently hoping for his victory.

“Kyaaaa!”

“Taejo! Please look here!!”

“I want Taejo’s genes!”

Given his status as an S-Class and his striking looks, he attracted a massive female following.

There had been rumors of a scandal involving the granddaughter of a major American corporation recently, but gossip always seemed to shadow Taejo.

“I’ll ask Armored Taejo! Please share your thoughts on today’s match!”

A female reporter approached with a microphone and handed it to Armored Taejo, who shrugged his shoulders and bowed his head.

“What do you think, sis? Who will win?”

“Screaaaam!!”

The use of “sis” towards the reporter once again caused the women to scream.

It seemed as if a being with dinosaur-like abilities had appeared at Sajik Stadium, and most men in the ‘away team cheering section’ showed signs of discomfort.

“Looks like a gigolo, tsk.”

“Such a young kid already acting spoiled… Ah, tsk tsk.”

“Please, Tae-jo three.”

“Tae-jo three? More like Twenty-minus-three.”

“……Ah, spit. The world is so unfair.”

The men were just annoyed at the sight of Armored Taejo.

After all, he was literally “the man who had everything.”

Except for his parents.

“Oh, I’m a reporter…hehe…!”

“If I win, would you like to have tea with me later?”

“Really?”

Boooooooo───!!

Despite the booing from the entire audience, Armored Taejo nonchalantly kissed the back of the reporter’s hand and winked.

“Let’s meet after the game, sis.”

“Ah, uh, yes…! Of course, I’ll win! Asking for a date is even easier! This statement shows the resolve of Armored Taejo!”

Fortunately, the reporter regained her composure and ended the conversation.

“The pride of S-Class! Armored Taejo! Who will challenge him?”

Upon the reporter’s announcement, another limousine entered.

As if to counterbalance Taejo, the limousine circled around before stopping opposite him, and from it, a small-framed girl stepped out.

“Finally, the challenger makes her entrance!!”

“”“Wowwwwwww───!!”““

If the earlier cheers were like the cries of dinosaurs, now they could be called the roars of beasts.

“”“Yoon Iseon! Yoon Iseon! Yoon Iseon!”““

Men in the away team’s cheering section started chanting Yoon Iseon’s name, even beginning to do the wave.

Clothes and cheer sticks sparkling in pink, and fluttering banners all cheered for Yoon Iseon’s arrival.

“”“Fight, Yoon Iseon!!”““

“Yes, let’s have a talk with Miss Yoon Iseon.”

This time, another male reporter approached Yoon Iseon with a microphone.

Due to a height difference of over 30cm, it seemed as though he was handing the microphone to a child, but the camera focused solely on Yoon Iseon, cutting out the reporter’s face.

“Do you feel confident about this match?”

“Confidence? I have plenty of it.”

Yoon Iseon stood tall, her smile broad.

“Wow….”

The immense confidence that the camera couldn’t capture amazed the men, as if they had witnessed a holy spirit, while the women sitting in the home team’s cheering section simply hardened their expressions, remaining silent.

“Understood! Let’s cut to the chase and start right now! The challenger, the student council president of Sejong Academy! The A-class final winner of the big sports festival! The strongest student of the Academy!! Yoon───Iseon───!!”

“If you want to rise to S-class, you’ll have to get past me first! The pride of S-class! Many have challenged me, but almost none have surpassed me! Iron Dragon, take off, Armored, Taejo───!!”

““The match, begins!!””

“The catchphrases are really tacky.”

In a penthouse of a hotel in Busan, I felt a chill listening to the catchphrases blaring from the 80-inch TV.

“Not even wrestling introduces like that.”

“If you have complaints, take it up with the writer. The reporters are just reading the script written for them, right?”

“I like it, though.”

The two who entered the penthouse with me, Gunggi and Doul, sat next to me, each holding their preferred drinks, focused on the TV broadcast.

“Bored, should we make a bet? I vote Yoon Iseon will win.”

“Me too, a vote for Iseon.”

“…I’ll bet a billion on Yoon Iseon.”

The bet didn’t take.

Both Gunggi and Doul, like me, bet on Yoon Iseon’s victory, and it couldn’t have been otherwise.

Because Yoon Iseon was the favorite.

“How about the others?”

“Yoon Iseon at 14%. Armored Taejo at 86%. That’s the public opinion, but the opinion among existing S-classes is… different.”

Doul brought up some data on a tablet.

“2:4. Two for Yoon Iseon, four for Armored Taejo.”

“…Tsk.”

“Oh, why?”

“It would be problematic if the two strongest S+ class think Yoon Iseon will win.”

Among the S-class experts’ winner predictions, it just so happened that the strongest two guessed Yoon Iseon’s victory.

-Gwang Ik Gong thinks Yoon Iseon will win?

-Snow White also seems to think Yoon Iseon will win?

-What’s this? What’s happening? Is there something special only visible to S+ classes???

-You should buy IseonCoin now LOL.

“Ugh, should I not have tipped them off?”

“You’re not worried about the betting odds dropping, are you?”

“It’s not that I’m worried. After that was released, the odds really did start to drop.”

If all the existing S-Class predictions had leaned towards Armored Taejo, maybe the betting odds would have been higher.

It seemed my subtle hint to boost Baek Seol-hee’s ‘face’ backfired.

When Yoon Iseon wins later, the statement meant to proudly claim ‘Baek Seol-hee was right’ unfortunately dropped Armored Taejo’s odds by 10%.

“How did Gwang Ik Gong know, though?”

“Maybe he heard about the Goblin taking care of Yoon Iseon in Ulleungdo and chose her based on that?”

“Just from that?”

“Or not.”

“…….”

The predictions were set.

The closure of Hero Toto’s betting meant no more entries or changes were possible.

Why?

Because the real battle was starting.

Rumble rumble.

Something began descending from the sky.

Following Armored Taejo’s raised hand, something shimmering black descended and attached to his body.

“Thought it’d be a Rider…but it’s not?”

“Exactly. I was sure he’d show up as a Rider again.”

“…Oh.”

Was it to regain his foundation?

Armored Taejo donned the external armor, similar to the steel suits made by that fictional billionaire, the same look he had when I first saw him.

Whoosh.

In response, Yoon Iseon unfurled three tails behind her.

“Doesn’t this render the sparring given to him pointless if Armored Taejo changes his approach like that?”

“Not at all. The sparring served its purpose. We expected Armored Taejo to revert to his origins.”

And Yoon Iseon handled it with ease.

“Are you referring to the ‘Gumiho’ state?”

“Yes.”

“And her current ‘Samiho’ state? Is she intentionally suppressing her magical power to an A+ level now?”

“Yes.”

“So, does Armored Taejo have the upper hand now?”

“Yes.”

It had to be this way.

It created a more compelling narrative.

“Yoon Iseon is the underdog. Despite her true strength, she seems weaker on the surface.”

“What are you scheming?”

“Just a very cool twist that everyone is hoping for.”

My advice wasn’t solely about ‘winning the match’.

“People crave an overwhelming victory. Yet, they also adore a victory born from a miraculous comeback amidst adversity.”

“You don’t mean?”

“Yoon Iseon herself was content and agreed. To fight in that manner. Just like this.”

Whoosh!

Yoon Iseon conjured foxfires around her and hurled them at Armored Taejo.

The flames surged towards Armored Taejo but were soon to be neutralized by his counter.

Boom!

As Armored Taejo extended his hand, a laser burst forth, cutting through the flames and aiming directly at Yoon Iseon.

Not merely intercepting, but piercing through the flames and targeting Yoon Iseon.

Bang!

Yoon Iseon quickly dodged to the side, narrowly escaping the attack.

The crowd was on the edge of their seats, and the stadium roared.

“I’ve heard someone say this.”

It didn’t exist in this world.

“By orchestrating one’s own crisis, one can mount a clean counterattack and deliver catharsis to the audience.”

But I instilled in Yoon Iseon that spirit, that fiery determination.

“This is the duel of S-Class, pure entertainment.”

Indeed.

“The winning strategy I proposed to Yoon Iseon is.”

A dramatic comeback in a challenging situation symbolized the triumph of an underdog.

“At the moment Armored Taejo delivers the deciding blow, she plans to awaken.”

As if.

“Awakening to true S-Class in the fight against Armored Taejo, and then delivering a counter ultimate move to win in one blow.”

“Isn’t that cheating?”

“It’s not cheating.”

That was.

“The ‘Royal Road’. The path of kings.”