Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: Finals
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Finally, the finals had begun.
Waaaaah-!!
Kyaaaaah-!!
Woooow-!!
I watched the match unfold with a pretty tense expression on my face. Strangely enough, I wasn't all that nervous about fighting myself. But my teammates' matches? They had me on edge.
And sure enough, that's how it played out.
The fourth-dimensional streamer Harin stepped up with a face brimming with confidence.
I was up last this time around. Harin, who was the most confident of us, had volunteered to lead as the vanguard.
"Hiyah!"
She let out a spirited shout full of confidence. She even unleashed a thrust that screamed self-assurance.
And then she lost.
"S-Sorry..."
But it was still okay.
We just needed to win once. That would let me take the stage.
But then Seing, our second fighter, lost too.
"Hiiing... S-Sorry..."
She put up a fierce fight, but a bad call at the end cost her the win.
And that's when my expression hardened.
We were already down 2-0.
That meant we had to win the next one. Otherwise, I wouldn't get my shot.
I watched Jajang Jajang step up to the plate with a stiff face. There wasn't a hint of her usual ease.
She'd always said she thrived on big stages. She had plenty of experience dancing in front of huge crowds, after all.
But was this level of pressure a first for her?
She kept getting pushed back by her opponent.
"Ha, haat!"
"Urgh!"
Clang!
Clang!
I watched it all with intense tension written on my face.
If Jajang Jajang lost, that was it. Our team would suffer a humiliating 3-0 defeat.
On top of that, Kim Kang-rok was hot on our heels. Viewer count was only a few thousand apart now.
A loss here, and we'd get overtaken in an instant.
'Dokgo Hwayeon would be devastated.'
People would start trash-talking her. Plenty would mock and belittle her.
And I'd have to sit there powerless to stop it. No way I could let that happen.
'Isn't there something I can do?'
Even now, Jajang Jajang was getting relentlessly driven back. Things were looking grim.
'Spears really are broken, huh.'
You've probably heard the saying that the sword is the king of weapons.
But I didn't buy it.
Especially in low-skill scraps like this—spears were straight-up busted. That reach advantage was overwhelming.
That's when Dokgo Hwayeon, who'd been quietly watching, finally spoke up.
"Rush in close!"
She didn't say much. Just a precise instruction at the key moment, like a sports coach.
But to the rest of us on the team, Dokgo Hwayeon was scarier than any ghost.
Maybe we'd reached the point where our bodies moved on instinct at her voice?
And Jajang Jajang was no exception.
She dodged the incoming spear without thinking—or rather, as she ducked in to close the distance, it sailed harmlessly over her head.
And she didn't waste the opening. She surged forward and slashed diagonally with her sword.
Flaaash-!
It was the Iron Pole One Flash she'd been diligently practicing.
Her blade shot toward her opponent's throat at blinding speed. And he couldn't block it.
"H-Huh?!"
Thud!
In the end, he tried to evade and ended up flat on his ass—which basically meant defeat in a match like this.
Sure enough, Jajang Jajang's sword was at his throat before he hit the ground. Victory for Jajang Jajang.
"W-We won!!"
I let out a huge sigh of relief. That had been way too close.
"Phew..."
A glance to the side showed Dokgo Hwayeon exhaling in relief just like me. She'd been pretty tense too, it seemed.
I gave her a quick look, then got ready to head up to the stage. Weirdly, seeing her gave me a boost.
'Just win two more.'
I didn't need a blowout. Beat Kim Shin-hyeok, then win the ace decider, and we were champions.
I mind-controlled myself up onto the stage.
And there was Kim Shin-hyeok, climbing up at the same time.
He didn't look nervous at all. Probably because he still had one more chance even if he lost this.
We took our positions in the center. The referee approached.
[You've waited so long! The showdown everyone's been dying for is finally here!]
Waaaaah-!!
The referee hyped the crowd with a booming shout. He knew full well how big this match was.
He introduced us with over-the-top flair. It was embarrassing even for me, just listening.
[Looks, streams, martial arts—he's got it all! The one and only Park Jae-ho!]
Park Jae-ho! Park Jae-ho! Park Jae-ho!
[Handsome in that manly way! Spear skills like no other! Hanyang Sect's top disciple! But with a heart warmer than anyone—Kim Shin-hyeok!]
Kim Shin-hyeok! Kim Shin-hyeok! Kim Shin-hyeok!
A quick peek showed even Kim Shin-hyeok looking embarrassed, his face a bit flushed.
The viewers and audience ate it up, of course.
Anyway, everything was set.
We leveled our weapons at each other.
[Then, let the ultimate showdown begin!!]
The referee's voice boomed out.
I charged at my opponent the instant he finished.
Couldn't give him space. That's why I'd rushed in.
But Kim Shin-hyeok wasn't some average fighter. He had real talent. He read my plan from a mile away.
He didn't thrust. Instead, he swept his spear diagonally.
Whoosh-!
It felt like a massive silver diagonal wall blocking my path.
No way to push forward like this. I'd take a nasty hit if I tried.
Of course, that was for our teammates.
Not me.
'Iron Wall Step!'
Too frantic against Ma-sam to use it before. But now? Plenty of room.
I shortened my stride in a flash. Then I danced my feet, sliding my body to Kim Shin-hyeok's left side.
Almost like a boxer's footwork. Especially pulling the upper body back while circling wide.
'Surprised?'
None of our team had shown Iron Wall Step. Or rather, none could. This was my debut.
'Learn swordplay and footwork in two weeks.'
Only I could pull it off. I'd even heard Kim Shin-hyeok hadn't mastered footwork yet.
And I was exploiting that.
I circled him rapidly, hunting for an opening. Like watching an outboxer. Iron Wall Step made it possible.
'Too fast to handle, huh?'
I kept moving, waiting for a slip. No need to rush—precision was key.
Kim Shin-hyeok twisted to track my Iron Wall Step. But that's all he could do. He couldn't easily thrust back. Feared my counter.
[Oh! Park Jae-ho's showing some slick footwork! Meanwhile, Kim Shin-hyeok looks a bit rattled!]
Sure enough, a flicker of fluster crossed Kim Shin-hyeok's face. My footwork was way beyond what he'd expected.
'It's opening up.'
I circled, eyes on his gaps. And there it was—the back of his left thigh. A stab there, and he'd be done.
My sword moved the second I spotted it. Body reacting on autopilot.
In truth, my blade dove straight for his thigh.
Whish-!
Lightning quick. Would've pierced clean through at this rate.
But then—
Boom-!
Kim Shin-hyeok's body rocketed forward. A straight-line burst that let him evade my strike.
[Whoa! What's this?! New footwork! But from what I know, that's not from Master Go Woo-san's teachings...?]
Team 2's mood soured fast. No surprise—it was Hanyang Sect footwork, not Go Woo-san's.
Kim Shin-hyeok had panicked and pulled out his Hanyang Sect moves.
Not against the rules, of course. This wasn't a "only taught techniques" tournament.
Still, it felt kinda cheap. Especially to the viewers.
Bet they were ripping into Kim Shin-hyeok right now.
"Ha..."
From afar, I saw him sigh, face screaming "oops."
But the guy had thick skin. No sign of forfeiting for using outside arts.
Instead, he whipped out full Hanyang Sect spearwork. Everything he'd drilled for a year.
And he came at me hard.
"No choice but to win now!"
Justifying it to himself with some dirty(?）rationalization, he pressed the attack.
'Damn...'
Hanyang Sect spear and footwork hit like a truck. The tables had turned.
Boom-!
Clang-!
Clang-!
I could barely move. Just raised my sword for defense. Meanwhile, Kim Shin-hyeok swam through water like a fish, hammering me.
'Danger!'
His spear had just whistled past my throat. Barely tilted my head to dodge.
I thrust at his chest the instant I evaded. Counter right after the slip.
But Kim Shin-hyeok dodged that too.
Boom-!
He shot backward in a blink. That same footwork from before.
'Tsk...'