What It Means to Be a Gatekeeper - 4
“….”
Kwak Hyuk stared blankly at the spear clutched in his hand. Or rather, at the ‘broken’ spear that had been split clean in two. Crimson blood poured from the wound in his chest, yet he paid it no attention. The only thing occupying his mind was that shattered weapon.
I couldn’t read it. Couldn’t even see it. Me. This me.
Whoosh—!
A chilling blade energy sliced through the air, flying straight at him. Kwak Hyuk reflexively moved to block it with the spear shaft, only to realize too late that his weapon was no longer intact. That left him only one option: retreat under his own power to create distance.
And it didn’t stop at once. Every time that blue-glowing sword blade came streaking in, Kwak Hyuk was forced to give ground. Once. Twice. Three times. Without pause, without rest.
After falling back like that for several moments, Kwak Hyuk ground his teeth together.
Me. This me… is being pushed back?
It was unbelievable. No, it was impossible. The opponent wasn’t a fellow Elder, nor even another S-rank ability user. Just a pathetic C-rank rookie. The kind of trash you’d kick aside if you tripped over him on the street. A nobody who shouldn’t have been able to scratch him even if the bastard came back from the dead.
Could a human bleed out and flee from an ant? Even if they came in a swarm, you’d simply shake your head. But from a single one? Impossible. If something like that happened, the person in question would no longer be human.
Yet it had happened. To him, no less—and in such a miserable fashion.
“You bastard!”
Rage erupted like a volcano, violent and explosive. There was only one person in the world who had ever humiliated him like this. Irina. That crazy yellow bitch. A monster even other S-ranks spoke of with their tongues in their cheeks. The only one who had ever handed him a shameful defeat. Against anyone else, he had never lost. He had never even been pushed back. The other Elders avoided all-out war with him for good reason.
And yet here he was, being driven back by the man before his eyes. The sight dragged up memories of his defeat at Irina’s hands. It forced him to relive that wretched, humiliating collapse.
Kwak Hyuk could not tolerate it. He refused to look at his past again.
Shuak—!
Broken or not, shortened or not, a spear was still a spear. Gripping the blade portion, Kwak Hyuk thrust it forward.
He had no idea what trick the opponent had pulled or what miracle had occurred. But it wouldn’t happen twice. The bastard’s balance was already on the verge of total collapse. One more strike to shatter his core and he would fall on his own.
Let’s see how far you can run.
With a terrifying glint in his eyes, Kwak Hyuk continued driving Baek Seojin back. Before long he found an opening and drove his spear inward.
Squish—!
The blade sank cleanly into Baek Seojin’s side. The sickening, brutal sound of metal slicing skin, tearing muscle, severing blood vessels rang clearly in Kwak Hyuk’s ears.
He shouldn’t be able to endure it. An injury like this should drop him instantly. Even if he stayed on his feet, he ought to be writhing like a worm.
Then why is this bastard…
Far from writhing, he wasn’t even slowing down. If anything, a faint smile played on his lips. It looked exactly like the smile of a hunter who had been waiting for this very moment.
Only then did Kwak Hyuk realize something was wrong with the sensation of the spear buried in the man’s side. That strike should have crushed his internal organs. He should have felt it. Instead, there was a tiny, almost imperceptible feeling of the blade catching on something.
…No way. Did he use “flesh for bone”?
The tactic of offering your own flesh to cut the enemy’s bone. In this situation, it meant he had offered even his own flesh and bones. In exchange, he would claim even more of his opponent’s.
The instant Kwak Hyuk’s spear came in, Baek Seojin had twisted his body. Using his own ribs as a shield, he had blocked the blade before it could reach his organs. It was only possible because he had read the attack perfectly, without a shred of hesitation.
The strike that should have ended everything had merely bought time, despite the grievous wound. What would happen next was painfully obvious.
Woooong—!
“Kuk!”
Gritting his teeth, Kwak Hyuk was forced to retreat once more. The sword that grazed his face, then the one that slashed past his throat again. This was not Kang Minsung’s sword. Nor was it Ma Hakjun’s. It was a sword path he had never seen before. Yet he could clearly feel how vicious and venomous it was.
It aimed only for vital points. Vital points, and more vital points. A blade carrying killing intent equal to his own. No—greater than his own.
It was an aura he had never sensed once while fighting Baek Seojin.
What the hell is this guy? First he uses Kang Minsung’s sword, then some other bizarre blade technique.
The urge to keep retreating and the urge to counterattack collided inside him. To do either, he first needed to retrieve his spear. It was still lodged in Baek Seojin’s side.
But he couldn’t simply let the man keep it for free. There had to be a price. As humiliating as it was, he had no choice.
Having made up his mind, Kwak Hyuk bit his lip and lunged forward.
Slash—!
A long line of blood bloomed across Kwak Hyuk’s left shoulder. His arm dangled as if it might fall off at any second. But thanks to that sacrifice, he finally reclaimed his spear.
“Cough!”
As the spear was violently yanked free, Baek Seojin staggered. After enduring for so long, had he finally reached his limit? Yes. That was how it should be. That was normal. How could anyone endure any longer against him? This was the only possible outcome. Everything until now had been impossible!
Once again he dragged up the killing intent that had lain submerged deep inside. That filthy, ugly emotion he had reserved for only one person. Now he turned it toward someone else.
His spear was broken, his left arm useless, a massive wound carved across his chest. None of it mattered. He was still a murderer, and he did not deny it. This next attack would surely claim the opponent’s life.
“Kyaaaa!!”
A beast-like roar tore from Kwak Hyuk’s throat. It was proof of how much he had staked on this single strike. If he failed to achieve his goal this time, there would be no path left.
“Gurgle.”
A gout of red blood surged from my mouth. So this is what vomiting blood feels like. Wow. Never thought the day would come when I’d actually do something like this. The fact that I could even think that probably meant I really had been driven to the brink of death.
The pain that had felt like it was ripping my body apart just moments ago had now faded, colorless. It felt empty. Numb. Everything was simply blurry.
Was it from losing too much blood? Exhaustion? Or had I subconsciously given up because there was no way out anymore? I couldn’t tell.
All I could see was Kwak Hyuk flying toward me.
At this rate I was really going to die. I felt like I should do something. But my body had reached its absolute limit. The fact that I’d fought this far was already a miracle. If only one more miracle would happen—just one more. At this point it felt like I’d used up every miracle I could ever have in a lifetime on credit.
Maybe I should just end it here.
The thought flickered through my mind unconsciously. After all, none of this was real. It was all just part of a novel. Who knows? If I died, maybe I could finally return to my original world. Yeah. Maybe that was possible. If I stopped here, then this was the end. I’d go back to where I belonged. Everything would return to normal. To a place with my real life, not as Baek Seojin….
“Let’s make one promise. We won’t die!”
“Everyone promise. We all have to survive, no matter what!”
Within my fading consciousness, something appeared with startling clarity. Children huddled together. Two small hands clasped tightly. Wearing identical clothes, standing in a space filled only with gray, they were saying those words.
What was that? Who were those kids? Why were they saying something like that? Was this a dream too? But it felt far too vivid for a dream.
Suddenly I had so many questions. Without realizing it, I clung to my fading mind.
“Kyaaaa!!”
Kwak Hyuk, who had been speaking in a low, controlled voice until now, was now roaring like some kind of beast. Yeah. Looks like the guy was pretty desperate too. He’d been cornered in his own way. The realization actually made me feel better. And then a surprisingly reasonable hope occurred to me: If I play this right, I might actually pull it off.
I can do this.
Yes. I could. It was enough. I’d already done it once—why couldn’t I do it twice? My body was a wreck and even moving was agony, but it was still worth a shot.
Even as the world turned red, I could see it clearly. That eerie, sticky, damp stench of death. It was disgusting. I wanted to wipe it away and breathe in fresh air again.
Just once more. Let’s try one more time. I’ve lived so hard until now. The thought of giving up here feels way too unfair. If I’m going to die, then dying is the right thing, but I can see a path to survival right here, can’t I?
All the sword trajectories Kang Minsung had shown me. The ones Lee Hyunwoo had demonstrated. And the ones Kim Suhyun had practically forced into my head not long ago.
The old master of the past had drawn the path that future aces would walk, using the wind itself. There were no complicated meanings or profound mysteries behind it.
This was simply one swing.
To survive? Well. That didn’t feel quite right. What exactly was I doing this for? To kill that bastard? That didn’t seem right either. What was it again?
…Ah. That’s right. That was it.
To stop you bastards from getting through.
Those kids will all be taking the entrance exam again someday. So don’t even think about touching them. They’re mine.
Since I cut from upper right to lower left last time, this time it would be the opposite. From upper left to lower right.
Toward Kwak Hyuk, who had closed right in on me, I swung my sword with everything I had.