Extra simply wants to live in Novel

"To die for victory and to risk death for victory are two entirely different things."

—Satoru Gojo

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The situation was anything but favorable for Oreki.

Unfortunately for him, Yun Hyuk had awakened and immediately joined forces with Beatrice to face him.

He was giving his all just to stay alive for as long as possible. Yes, to survive. He had already accepted the reality that defeating his opponents in this situation was impossible.

Having underestimated the male Djinn for a moment, Oreki suffered a sneak attack from Yun Hyuk. Black claws formed from mana extended from Yun Hyuk's only remaining arm, slashing deeply into Oreki's back. Though the wounds were severe, they weren't critical—Oreki managed to stop the bleeding with his corporeality.

"How does it feel to be at a disadvantage now, you little bastard?" Yun Hyuk's voice carried a smug satisfaction, relishing in his payback, even if incomplete.

Oreki didn't dignify the taunt with a reaction. "Disadvantage? You waking up only evened the playing field."

It was a lie. He was completely outmatched by the two. Especially with Beatrice's monstrous strength and speed making everything even harder.

Aside from Yun Hyuk, who was still missing one arm and unable to regenerate due to Oreki's light element, his opponents were both in top condition.

Without wasting any more time, Beatrice dashed toward Oreki at blinding speed, swinging her axe in a deadly arc, aiming to cleave him in half.

"No chance." Oreki could have dodged that attack.

But in this moment, with the relentless mental strain of sustaining his techniques for nearly ten minutes, dodging was impossible. He didn't even have the time to draw in enough oxygen to strengthen his body under this pressure. All he could do was defend against the attack.

Clang! Cling!

The sound of Oreki's dagger clashing with Beatrice's axe reverberated through the corridor.

Beatrice wore a twisted, gleeful smile and prepared to strike again, but she suddenly felt the ground gripping her feet. She was stuck.

Without giving her time to react, Oreki swiftly raised his free hand, fingers mimicking the shape of a gun.

A radiant light quickly gathered at Oreki's fingertip.

"Reigan," he whispered, unleashing a point-blank beam of light aimed directly at Beatrice's face.

From her perspective, the light swelled until it consumed her vision entirely. "Damn it." The thought flashed through her mind.

"Don't let your guard down; she's still alive," Blood warned Oreki.

Following his mental companion's advice, Oreki summoned another dagger into his hand, the one that had fired the Reigan, and aimed for her heart.

Victory seemed certain, but he abandoned the strike, jumping back to evade Yun Hyuk's oncoming slash. Black claws, forged with mana, gleamed as they tore through the space where Oreki's head had been a moment earlier.

"Don't forget, I don't need hypnosis to fight," Yun Hyuk quipped, repositioning himself to launch another attack.

"Where the hell is that girl's backup?" Oreki's focus began to waver, and stray thoughts crept into his mind as he fought.

The situation was becoming increasingly desperate. He could feel his energy draining at an alarming rate, and the shallow breaths he managed only worsened his chances of survival with each passing second.

"You're finished, Oreki. How much longer do you think you can last against us?" Yun Hyuk lunged again, his claws glowing with dark mana as a dry laugh escaped his lips.

"As long as I need to," Oreki replied, though his thoughts faltered. This time, he decided to face Yun Hyuk head-on, knowing that the male Djinn was less skilled in close combat compared to Beatrice.

As Yun Hyuk came within range, Oreki manipulated the ground, raising a small pillar to strike Yun Hyuk's abdomen. The move worked, momentarily stunning the Djinn.

Seizing the opportunity, Oreki closed the distance, aiming to decapitate Yun Hyuk with his dagger, now nearly infused with light. The proximity and speed of the light-element infusion were enough to land the fatal blow.

But just as his dagger neared Yun Hyuk's neck, Beatrice, now recovered from Oreki's Reigan, appeared beside him. She kicked him squarely in the chest, sending him flying away from her comrade.

Crack—

"Damn it!" Oreki winced as the sharp pain of cracked ribs shot through him. But there was no time to dwell on the pain. If he continued flying uncontrollably, he'd crash into the wall and worsen his injuries.

Thinking quickly, he controlled the air to slow his momentum, twisting his body mid-air to 'land' gently on the wall with his feet. He avoided further damage but was still in dire straits.

Oreki's breathing grew heavier, and fresh waves of pain coursed through his battered body. "Five ribs cracked."

The exhaustion was mounting, and the side effects of overtaxing his brain were beginning to manifest.

In truth, Oreki could have killed Yun Hyuk when he had restrained him with Aether. But due to a promise to one of the twins, he had decided to spare him.

Because of that choice, his life was now hanging by a thread. Two powerful Djinns stood before him, while his own body was broken and barely holding together. His ability to withstand the pain and push on was now driven solely by sheer willpower. But if this continued for even a few more minutes, he would die.

Yoo Yeonha was taking too long. There could be many reasons for her delay—more enemies outside his perception, a trap he hadn't detected, or simply that she was lost.

Oreki felt his body teetering on the brink of collapse, his lungs burning and his vision swimming. Physically, he had reached his limit.

Then came a thought—a casual, almost detached self-assessment that pierced through the haze of his mind: "Why am I not going all out?"

Unwittingly, he relaxed. A calmness washed over him—a stark contrast to the chaos around him. For the first time in what felt like ages, he found clarity.

"Switch with me and focus on analysis," Blood urged, his voice tinged with excitement. His combat skills surpassed Oreki's, and he was eager to finally act after being a passive observer in this battle.

Oreki's eyes unfocused, almost as if he had passed out on his feet.

"If you don't move, we'll die." Blood noticed something strange about Oreki. Just as they could share memories and thoughts, they could also share emotions. But for that to happen, Oreki had to allow it. And for some reason, he did—perhaps unconsciously. "Kid?"

"Calm down, Blood," Oreki murmured.

Blood was feeling his emotions, and all of them were confusing. "If that's what you want, kid, we won't die without a fight." If he had his own body, his expression would be one of condescending acceptance.

Euphoria, joy, despair, and... calm.

Blood knew it was now impossible to convince Oreki to switch.

"Thanks." A smile began to form on Oreki's lips.

This exchange between the two lasted only three seconds, and their conversation could only be heard by them. To the two Djinns, it just seemed like Oreki was talking to himself.

"He's finally lost it," Beatrice said, wasting no time insulting Oreki, and Yun Hyuk nodded in agreement with a faint smile of approval.

"Shut it, you abortion remnant," Oreki retorted, his voice cold as steel. He spun both daggers in his hands with fluid movements, as if they were natural extensions of his arms. "Your voice is as irritating as a pig's squeal. So could you kindly die in silence?"

Beatriz clenched her fists, her expression twisting in pure rage. "What did you just—?!"

Before she could finish, she charged forward, her feet smashing into the ground with such force that chunks of earth and stone flew into the air.

The black axe in her hands began to glow with a dense mana aura, its blade pulsating with energy. She spun mid-charge, creating an arc with her axe, ready to end it all with a single strike.

"That idiot..." Yun Hyuk muttered, watching her with a mix of concern and disdain. He knew Beatriz was losing control, but he couldn't blame her. His own arm throbbed uselessly, unable to regenerate.

Oreki wasn't an ordinary opponent, and underestimating him had been a near-fatal mistake.

As Beatrice dashed toward Oreki, she coated her black axe with mana, forming a thick, powerful layer of energy. This time, she was almost giving it her all because she couldn't afford to kill him.

Until now, she had only been toying with him; it wasn't every day she encountered someone who could keep up with her.

Her eyes burned with fury, her face marked by light burns from Oreki's Reigan. "You're going to pay for this, brat!" she roared, close enough to swing her axe horizontally, aiming to cleave Oreki in two.

She stopped abruptly, planting her left foot into the ground to add more force to the swing. The motion was so natural to her, as if she'd done it countless times before, that it seemed she could split Oreki in half effortlessly.

"Huh?"

The ground beneath her foot suddenly sank, turning to mud that hardened like cement the next moment, trapping her leg. Beatrice lost her balance, stumbling forward with a look of shock.

"I manipulate earth, idiot," Oreki said, his voice now a deep, animalistic growl. He advanced, each step making the ground tremble slightly. The daggers in his hands glowed, one with a blazing aura of fire, the other crackling with electricity. Heat and sparks danced around the blades, casting sinister shadows over Oreki's face.

Beatrice struggled to break free, but she was stuck and vulnerable.

Without hesitation, Oreki raised a dagger in an arc, aiming directly at Beatriz's exposed chest. His gaze was relentless, devoid of any hesitation. "One." The word left his lips like a judge's verdict.

He would ignore the twins' request.

The atmosphere around him shifted. The ground creaked beneath his feet as his earth manipulation made the environment tremble. His gaze locked onto Yun Hyuk, and his eyes glowed a supernatural emerald green.

But it wasn't a green that evoked calm or balance. It was unnatural, a light that seemed to devour everything around it.

It was overwhelming.

"Time to revive," his voice deepened, becoming visceral and menacing, as if it didn't belong to him. Was it Blood speaking? No. It was Oreki. He felt the power coursing through his veins, fueled by his anger.

What emanated from Oreki wasn't just power—it was intent. A killing intent so oppressive it felt tangible, like a dense fog suffocating the air. Yun Hyuk staggered backward, his body frozen under the crushing wave of pressure that hit him.

Yun Hyuk felt like he was being stared down by something beyond human. It wasn't just fear. It was primal terror, the kind a deer feels in the presence of a starving lion. His legs trembled involuntarily, and his eyes began to tear up.

He, a Djinn who had been saved by Lilith, who had sworn absolute loyalty to her and carried out her orders with 100% success, was now afraid of a random cadet.

The person standing before his eyes seemed to have completely changed. It wasn't the same person he had seen seconds ago. He looked like a madman, but without the impulsiveness or aggression.

"Wait..." Yun Hyuk tried to whisper, his voice muffled by the pressure in the air. His mind screamed, desperately searching for a way out. "I'm sorry... I won't do this again... I swear!"

But his words seemed insignificant before the figure in front of him. Oreki didn't appear to hear him.

Without replying, Oreki walked toward him slowly, his eyes looking empty. Lifeless. As if what stood before him wasn't worth anything. Just an obstacle.

He didn't seem human. He was like...

A harbinger of calamity.

"Please, Lady Lilith, destroy this monster before it's too late." Yun Hyuk could almost feel his prayers taking form, desperately pleading for Lilith to complete her mission as soon as possible.

"Sweet dreams, incompetent."

The last thing Yun Hyuk saw was electricity sparking from Oreki's shoe and a powerful gust of wind exploding from his steps.

In one brutal movement, Oreki spun his body, driving his heel directly into Yun Hyuk's head.

The next moment, Yun Hyuk saw only darkness, accompanied by an unbearable pain in his head that vanished as quickly as it had come.

Thud—

The impact was devastating. Yun Hyuk's head collided with the wall so hard that blood splattered in all directions, staining Oreki's leg. His body fell lifeless to the ground, and the wall behind him was marked with fresh blood and fragments of bone.

"Nice finish," Blood genuinely praised Oreki, who acknowledged it with a nod.

"Thanks," Oreki replied with a nod, glancing at his blood-soaked clothes.

"Let's just confirm the death." He sheathed one of his daggers and snapped the fingers of his free hand. Sparks erupted from Yun Hyuk's body, consuming it slowly. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as Oreki watched with a cold, merciless gaze. "Next."

Even though Oreki couldn't directly create elements from nothing, he could still manipulate them in certain ways.

He thought he could finally rest after ten minutes of fighting for his life, pushing his body to its limits to avoid death.

But his relief was short-lived.

When he turned to deal with Beatriz's body, he noticed something that made his heart race: her body was gone.

The exhaustion was quickly replaced by tension. His muscles, which had just begun to relax, tensed again, and his senses sharpened. A whirlwind of thoughts flooded his mind: Who took her? When did it happen? How could someone do this without me noticing? How strong is this person? How long can I survive in this state?

Oreki activated his Sharp Insight and Sonar, scanning the surroundings. Nothing. No mana traces, no physical presence. Only emptiness, as if the space had been disturbed and then mended immediately after.

"There's no one here," Blood said, his voice more serious than usual. "Whoever took the body left... but they left something behind. Look."

On the ground, near where Beatriz had fallen, lay her axe, now inert, with a piece of paper tied to it by a string.

Oreki didn't approach it. He was too exhausted to take risks. Instead, he used his Aether to pull the paper toward him.

He analyzed the piece of paper. It was a note, with nothing on the back. Just a message written in an elegant, cold handwriting:

— "What a beautiful duel, knower of secrets."

Oreki's hand clenched the paper tightly as an unwanted memory surfaced. "That stupid Wolf." The image of the wolf Djinn he had faced in the museum flashed in his mind, bringing a mix of anger and helplessness.

He read the rest of the message:

— "I'm glad my servant handled what you call an extra Djinn well. My pup has informed me about you, and I must say, I'm... intrigued. Survive to the end. That's all."

Blood laughed bitterly. "This smells like trouble. Big trouble."

"I know." Oreki burned the paper with a spark of mana, leaving no trace behind. "How I hate people who know the future."

Tap, tap—

Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor. The uneven steps seemed deliberate, knowing exactly where they were going. Then a familiar voice rang out:

"He was here!"

It was Yoo Yeonha.

Oreki sighed, exasperated, his mind spinning with disbelief. "Cursed luck. Bringing reinforcements now?" He slumped to the ground, unable to stand any longer.

His bones were broken. His brain barely functioned after being pushed to the brink of overheating. His lungs burned, his muscles throbbed, and every cell in his body cried out for rest.

Still, he felt a strange sense of relief. For a moment, he allowed himself to feel proud. He had survived. And, above all, he had grown stronger.

He looked at Yun Hyuk's burning body, now a heap of charred flesh, and muttered in a low, hoarse voice, "If you somehow survive, I'll personally vaporize every cell of your body... and steal your soul to destroy it."

"Oreki!"

A worried female voice echoed through the corridor, but he couldn't identify its owner. To him, it didn't matter. As long as they helped him, it was fine.

With a final sigh, he let exhaustion take over. "I'll rest a bit."

And then, his eyes closed, and darkness consumed him.