Hwung— Hwung— Seolhwa swung the wooden sword lightly. The real sword Seop Mugwang had given her as a gift was nice, but Seolhwa liked the weight and feel of this wooden sword.
"Since I promised to show you, shall we start lightly with the Three Talents Sword Technique?"
"Very well. Please, come. The Three Talents Sword Technique consists of three forms, so I shall yield three moves to you."
"You'll regret saying that."
"That's not possible."
Seolhwa shrugged and gripped her sword. As she slowly gathered her breath, her gaze changed in an instant.
‘Three Talents Sword Technique, First Form. Horizontal Slash.’
Hook— Shweek—!
Seolhwa’s sword slashed horizontally. The difference from when she faced the Red Dragon Unit Leader was that instead of swinging from a distance, she rushed toward Ryeong as she swung.
Thwack—!
"…!"
Ryeong unknowingly gasped.
‘Heavy!’
Namgung Seolhwa’s sword was far heavier than he had anticipated.
‘How can a second-rate warrior…!’
Even though he wasn't using his Inner Energy, it was difficult to even block Namgung Seolhwa’s sword. Seolhwa knocked Ryeong’s sword aside and raised her hand.
‘Three Talents Sword Technique, Second Form. Vertical Slash.’
Hwook—!
In that moment, Ryeong’s eyes wavered. He felt a pressure as if the very sky was collapsing on top of him. Ryeong reflexively dodged the descending sword and closed in on Seolhwa's body.
As he did, he swung his sword at her abdomen. It was an action born of instinct. As mentioned before, her sword was a sword for real combat.
Her body, judging that her life was momentarily threatened, had unconsciously unleashed a move honed through real battles, flowing like water.
‘Oh no!’
At the same moment he swung his sword to exploit the opening, Ryeong remembered his own words about yielding three moves.
‘I have to withdraw the attack…!’
However, it was not easy to stop a sword that had already been swung. Just as Ryeong’s sword was about to inevitably touch Seolhwa’s abdomen. Tak— Hwirik— "…?"
Seolhwa, having kicked off the ground and leaped into the air, spun around and immediately unfolded the third sword form.
‘Three Talents Sword Technique, Third Form. Thrust.’
Seolhwa’s sword descended precisely toward the spot between Ryeong's eyebrows.
‘I’m going to die.’
For the second time, Ryeong felt his life was in danger. At that moment, a blue energy began to shimmer from Ryeong’s body like a heat haze. The Red Dragon Squad members, who had been watching the sparring match with bated breath, cried out in unison.
"Sword energy…!"
"That’s sword energy!"
Sword energy, which only those who had reached the Supreme Realm could use. It was incredible enough that the emitted energy was visible to the eye, but to sheathe a sword in it was an immense feat.
Namgung Jipyeong, who was at the level of a seasoned first-rate warrior, could manifest sword energy for a very brief moment, so he knew better than anyone. Just how difficult a task it was. Shweek— Ryeong, with his sword cloaked in sword energy, struck away Seolhwa’s descending sword.
Taang—!
In that instant, energy clashed with energy, creating a faint shockwave. Seolhwa used the shock as a repulsive force to spin in the air once more and distance herself from Ryeong. Ryeong was astounded.
‘I definitely cloaked my sword in energy…?’
The moment he had used sword energy, he was certain. This would be the end. Since he had struck with a sword cloaked in energy, Seolhwa’s wooden sword should have shattered into pieces.
It shouldn't have just clashed and been deflected like this.
"…"
Ryeong lifted his gaze from his own sword, which he had been staring at blankly, and looked at Seolhwa. He saw the leisurely smile on her lips.
"You said you would yield three moves."
"Ah… my apologies."
Ryeong's cheeks flushed slightly.
"Well, it's fine. Shall we get serious now?"
At that moment, Ryeong doubted his own eyes. A red energy began to rise from Seolhwa’s body like a heat haze, and a red energy started to blossom from her sword as well.
"Sword energy…?"
She wasn't a second-rate warrior? But it was clear….
‘Ha! Don't tell me…!’
She was hiding her energy? Then, a supreme master…?
‘No. That's impossible. How can someone reach that level at the age of thirteen?’
The assumption was so unrealistic that he felt his mind grow dizzy. Ryeong gripped his sword tightly.
‘She told me to confirm it for myself.’
Right.
In that case, all he had to do was confirm it for himself.
‘From now on, I will face her with my full strength.’
Woong— Ryeong’s wooden sword hummed. A wooden sword is not well-suited for enduring energy. Therefore, if his focus wavered even slightly, the sword would turn to dust.
Thus, there would be no room to doubt the skill of the one who won this precarious sparring match. Hook— Ryeong rushed towards Seolhwa. Within his pupils, a blue energy flickered for an instant.
Pung—! Papung! Pung!
The sound of the wooden swords clashing was strange. It was not the sound of wood against wood, but of energy against energy. Ryeong's and Seolhwa’s swords clashed at high speed.
The eyes of the Red Dragon Squad members watching the match grew busy.
‘Fa-fast…!’
‘Incredible energy…’
‘So this is… a master of the Supreme Realm…!’
It was not easy to follow the two’s footwork with their eyes. It was impossible to even see it properly. The blood drained from Namgung Jipyeong’s clenched fists.
He gritted his teeth and strained his eyes. Just as he felt like giving up, unable to keep up.
"Watch properly! If you can't see, you can't gain anything!"
Seolhwa shouted.
At her cry, the five of them snapped to attention. For an Outer Hall Warrior, there were not many opportunities to witness a fight between masters of the Supreme Realm. They knew that masters of the Supreme Realm existed, but having never seen one, it was hard to picture that level in their minds.
Because it was hard to picture, it felt distant, and what felt distant was something they didn't dare to even attempt. To them, this sparring match was a golden opportunity.
‘Right! I’ll watch. I’ll see all of it…!’
If by watching, they could come to understand it!
‘I will make this match my own!’
Namgung Jipyeong and the four squad members desperately followed the movements of the two. Although the two were sparring, everyone in the training ground was fighting in their own way. Ryeong's expression hardened.
‘It’s not enough to focus on the match, she’s also paying attention to the spectators?’
Ryeong swung his sword with all his might. No, there was no holding back. She was an opponent he could not face without using his full strength.
And yet, for her to do this.
Hwoooong….
Ryeong’s energy grew more intense. Seolhwa’s composure had wounded his pride. Seolhwa also felt his energy thicken slightly.
But Seolhwa did not raise her energy any further.
Pung! Papung! Pung!
Seolhwa deflected the swords Ryeong swung as if pouring them out. Perhaps because Seolhwa’s energy was relatively weaker, she began to be pushed back step by step.
‘Young Lady…!’
Namgung Jipyeong and the Red Dragon Squad members grew tense. The Young Lady is being pushed back! Her opponent is formidable, but still…!
Our Young Lady!
Pung! Papung! Pung!
Amidst the shower of sword strikes, Seolhwa had been pushed to the very edge of the sparring stage. One more step back, and it would be Seolhwa’s defeat.
‘I’ll end it!’
Ryeong put his strength into one final swing. In that moment.
Kwajik!
‘Kwajik…?’
Ryeong looked back at his sword. And he saw it.
Kwa-jijik!
His own wooden sword, splitting with a long vertical crack. The sword, splitting and splitting, at some point.
Paang—! Completely exploded.
As the sword split in two, the force Ryeong had applied lost its axis and scattered. In the end, Ryeong could not deliver that one final swing. Staring blankly at his exploded wooden sword, she sighed and lowered her weapon.
"I have lost."
"It seems so."
Seolhwa also lowered her sword and stood straight. There was no hint of surprise, nor of relief.
"How did you do it?"
"It's simple. As I deflected the attacks, I infused a little of my energy into the cracks that formed on the sword, making them widen."
Seolhwa pointed at Ryeong's sword.
"A wooden sword has its limits in containing energy. Of course, it would be different for someone with excellent control over their energy, but normally, the wooden sword can't withstand it and breaks."
From the moment Ryeong had drawn out more power, his sword had already started to crack. Instead of just deflecting the attacks, Seolhwa had infused her energy into the cracks on the blade's surface, guiding them to widen. It sounded easy in words, but Ryeong knew how ridiculously difficult it was.
To check for cracks while deflecting attacks and then infuse energy into them? Had their roles been reversed, he probably would not have even thought of such a thing.
‘That must be the reason I lost.’
"May I ask just one thing?"
Seolhwa nodded.
"Why do you endure it?"
"…"
"Young Lady, you possess the skill to easily defeat the Red Dragon Unit Leader. So why do you endure it?"
Ryeong’s gaze was filled with fury. It was frustration directed at someone who possessed power yet turned a blind eye to injustice. It was exasperation, and it was a sense of unfairness.
"Young Lady, why do you not fight back?"
Seolhwa calmly met Ryeong's gaze. If Ryeong’s gaze was a blazing fire, Seolhwa’s was a tranquil sea. The sea was so calm that not a single gust of wind blew to fan the flames.
Just by meeting her gaze, Ryeong felt the fire burning inside him slowly begin to die down.
"I am fighting back."
Like a ripple on the surface of the water, the child’s voice was heard.
"I am fighting back enough. In my own way."