Yellow Red Yellow
Kang Minsung stood in the center of the training ground belonging to the Kang family, South Korea's foremost weapons clan. The patriarch of this vast and formidable household, the old man who had laid its foundations, honed it to perfection, and elevated it to the pinnacle.
"Hmm."
With his eyes closed, Kang Minsung slowly swung the sword in his hand. Or rather, it was less a swing and more a casual wave. No force behind it, no intent to cut. The kind of motion even someone who had never held a sword before would not find threatening.
Yet with each pass of his wind, the steel pillars scattered throughout the training ground were sliced clean through, as if they were nothing more than green onions.
Thud—
Once the final pillar had been halved, Kang Minsung exhaled and sheathed his blade. Lately, the turmoil in his heart seemed to settle whenever he did this. Swinging a sword truly was the best remedy for a headache.
His body had aged, but this foolish heart of his refused to grow old. Recalling Ma Hakjun's nagging, Kang Minsung wore a bitter smile.
'In less than a week, so much has happened.'
Trusted juniors who never made mistakes had suddenly perished. C-rank Lizard Men had threatened Academy students. And somehow the villains had obtained precise information to launch a surprise attack.
'And in the midst of it all, the Elder—Kwak Hyuk. That bastard was stopped by Examiner Baek Seojin.'
Kang Minsung let out an incredulous laugh. Every single report sounded absurd. The last one in particular made him wonder if he had misheard.
Kwak Hyuk had once been a junior he knew well. As fellow weapons users, they had met often and interacted frequently. Among spear wielders, he had been the best—not just in Korea, but on a global level.
Kang Minsung still remembered the night they drank until dawn after Kwak Hyuk defeated a Chinese ability user who had boasted of being the world's greatest spear artist. He knew exactly how strong Kwak Hyuk—Spear Ghost, the Elder—was.
Even Kang Minsung himself had to admit that, in his current state, he could not defeat Kwak Hyuk. Unlike himself, whose prime had been completely eroded by time, Kwak Hyuk was at his absolute peak. Though he had suffered the humiliation of losing to that crazy blonde woman, Irina, it was only because Irina existed outside the bounds of ordinary humans. It was not because Kwak Hyuk was weak or careless.
'Yet that examiner stopped him?'
According to Han Jiyun, it had not been a simple matter of stopping him. Baek Seojin had snapped the man's spear in two and inflicted serious wounds. The injuries had been severe enough that Kwak Hyuk had abandoned the fight and retreated.
It was astonishing. No—astonishing did not even begin to cover it. Kang Minsung knew better than anyone the power contained in that spear. Even an ability user of equal rank could lose their life with a single mistake. Yet Baek Seojin had not merely dodged it; he had dismantled it completely.
"Do you know what's even more surprising?"
"The technique Examiner Baek Seojin used in that moment… It was unmistakably the chairman's wind."
Recalling Han Jiyun's detailed account, Kang Minsung looked down at his own sword.
"…"
Could he, in his current condition, block Kwak Hyuk's spear with Saet-baram? It was not entirely impossible. But it would require staking his life. What if he were still in his prime? The odds would improve. Even then, he would likely lose an arm. No matter how he calculated it, the outcome remained his defeat. Even imagining his younger self, he would have suffered a fatal wound. And yet Baek Seojin had not only blocked it—he had perfectly deflected the damage, snapped the spear, and wounded Kwak Hyuk in return.
'He did it. And he survived.'
Of course, his body had been in terrible shape and he had been rushed to the hospital. Even after the support-type healers finished treating him, he had not regained consciousness. Still, he had not died. His limbs were intact. In the end, he had repelled an Elder without losing anything.
"…Heh."
A laugh escaped him. The more he thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed. Ma Hakjun had said Baek Seojin's official rank was C. A C-rank had landed a solid hit on an Elder? It would be more believable if a tiger had lost to a chihuahua. At least that could happen in the animal kingdom.
He would have to order a re-evaluation of that man's rank. It was simply unbelievable. A C-rank who had properly struck an Elder?
Shaking his head, Kang Minsung glanced sideways.
"You're here, Suhyun."
He had known his granddaughter had returned to the Academy. But her mood had been so low these past few days that even speaking to her felt delicate.
"…I'm back."
"You went to visit him again today, I see."
"Yes."
"How is Examiner Baek Seojin?"
"…"
At his question, Kim Suhyun gave no answer. Only the crimson flames blazing in her eyes burned fiercely. Kang Minsung let out a quiet sigh at the sight.
"He still hasn't woken up, has he?"
Kim Suhyun nodded. After the battle with the Elder, Baek Seojin had been rushed to the hospital. All his external wounds had been cleanly healed. Yet the strain had been too great, and he remained unconscious. Kang Minsung sincerely hoped he would recover soon—not only because the man was his precious granddaughter's savior and future grandson-in-law, but for an even more important reason.
"Grandfather."
"Yes. I'll leave you to it."
Kang Minsung quietly withdrew from the training ground and ascended to his study, which overlooked the entire area.
'Here we go again.'
Whoom— Whoom—!
As expected, a chilling sound reached his ears. Its source was the training ground he had just vacated—now occupied by Kim Suhyun, who was swinging her sword with abandon.
Each swing of her blade traced a crimson trajectory, like a butterfly with blood-red wings darting through the air. To those unfamiliar with the sword, it might have looked like some dazzling, dynamic sword dance. But Kang Minsung knew exactly what his granddaughter was doing. He knew what lay at the end of every crimson line she drew, and why she swung so brilliantly.
'Every single one… every single one targets a vital point that can inflict a fatal wound.'
It was a vicious path. Even watching it made one shudder at its cruelty. He had taught her about vital points before, but never with such precision, such spine-chilling sharpness. He had never taught her to slash, stab, and gouge in that manner.
'She's forging her own path. A sword style meant only for her, only for herself.'
A sword followed the emotions of its wielder. A calm heart made it cold; passion made it burn hotter. And when filled with rage, it became crueler than anything else.
'Should I stop her?'
The thought crossed Kang Minsung's mind. No matter how excellent and refined the technique, it was unsettling to see his granddaughter—who until recently had shown no particular talent—now wielding a blade so sharp it chilled even him. The reason behind it was far from pleasant. It was a dangerous foundation. If mishandled, it could become a sword that cut its own master.
Whoom—!
'…No. There's no need.'
After watching a little longer, Kang Minsung shook his head. If Kim Suhyun had been swinging her sword because she could not control her anger—if she had been controlled by the blade rather than the other way around—he would have stormed out of his study, taken the sword from her, and scolded her. But even in the depths of her fury, his granddaughter maintained perfect control. She was not consumed by emotion, nor was she ruled by the sword. She controlled everything, enforcing only her own will.
What that will was, only Kim Suhyun herself knew. Yet it was clear that this very will had allowed her to improve so dramatically.
*
My chest keeps burning. I can't endure it. If I stay still like this, my body feels like it will burst into flames. So I picked up the sword. I grabbed it and swung it like a madwoman. I imagined that 'Elder' who had done that to the examiner standing right in front of me. The moment I thought that, the heat in my chest spread to my head. The world in front of me seemed to turn bright red.
My body keeps trembling. The image of the examiner being carried away covered in blood flashes through my mind. The Elders. I want to kill them. I want to tear them to pieces. But right now, I can't. I'm too weak—far too weak. If I die instead, the examiner will be sad. Yes. So I'll become strong enough to kill them. Strong enough that the examiner never gets hurt again. And so that I never get hurt either. That way, no one will be sad, and no one will be angry.
Once I thought that, both my body and mind finally felt clear. The world that had been turning red gradually returned to its original colors.
'Tomorrow… tomorrow he'll definitely wake up.'
I hoped the examiner would open his eyes and greet me by name. Every single day, without fail, I went to the hospital. Even though he hadn't woken up yet, tomorrow would be different. And if tomorrow was the same as today… then I would probably swing my sword again, just like now, to vent this anger.