Their Fight - 3
"Make one thing crystal clear."
Irina spoke as she walked toward the training grounds with Kang Minsung. "Don't blame me if your granddaughter gets hurt."
"Aren't you the one who'll be hurting her?"
"No. Your granddaughter was the one who accepted the proposal in the first place. It'd be unfair if all the arrows point at me."
"Then you could always go easy on her. Or just let her win."
"...Are you actually serious?" When Irina shot him a glare, Kang Minsung let out a hearty laugh. He shook his head a couple of times before continuing.
"I'd simply prefer that you don't go too far."
"That's unexpected. I thought you'd try to stop the spar immediately."
In truth, he did want to. Stopping it was Kang Minsung's honest desire. It wasn't happening somewhere out of sight; his own granddaughter was about to suffer a miserable defeat right before his eyes. He even worried he might lose his temper without realizing it.
But lately, even Kang Minsung had come to understand his mistake. The way he had loved his granddaughter until now had ultimately been the wrong path. If he truly loved her, he sometimes needed to be cold.
'Suhyun can do it. She can succeed. Holding onto that belief, I can't keep worrying and cradling her forever. Suhyun can handle things now. Yes, that child will definitely do well.'
Perhaps his overprotection had only gnawed away at Kim Suhyun's self-esteem even more. His actions had come from worry, but to Kim Suhyun, they might have looked like a lack of trust.
"...Suhyun is no longer the child she once was. She'll do well."
"Oh. What is this? It's a bit different from the rumors I've heard."
"What exactly were the rumors about me?"
"Overprotective. Foolishly doting. A grandfather who never grew up."
"You little—"
When Kang Minsung raised a fist, Irina thrust her head toward him as if to say, 'Go ahead and hit me.' Only Irina could behave this way in front of that Kang Minsung.
"Haa..."
A sigh that clearly meant he was out of his mind.
"Old man. I have one question."
As they moved from the first floor toward the training grounds, Irina asked.
"Did you, by any chance, teach Seojin oppa your sword techniques?"
"Seojin oppa? What is your relationship with the examiner?"
Honestly, both the granddaughter and the grandfather. Why did they both zero in on that first?
Irina sighed and snapped that it wasn't the important part.
"Please, just answer the question. It's important."
"Do you have an interest in the examiner, by any chance?"
Kang Minsung stubbornly kept pressing that exact point. Thanks to him, Irina, now slightly irritated, shot back, "What if I do? What are you going to do about it?"
"Hmm."
Kang Minsung stroked his chin, lost in serious thought. He even muttered, "I should have a proper talk with him later."
"Ah, come on, old man."
"Why are you suddenly asking such a question?"
"Why do you think? Because I heard about it from Jiyun unnie."
"You're referring to how the examiner broke Kwak Hyuk's spear with Saet-baram and dealt a fatal wound with Soseul-baram?"
Irina glared at him as if to say, What else could it be? Since everything was already out in the open, she meant for him not to hide the truth with strange words or change the subject.
"What do you think, Irina?"
"No changing the subject, old man."
"I'm not changing it. I'm simply asking."
In the distance, Kim Suhyun could be seen waiting for Irina in the center of the training ground. The real sword in her hand suggested tremendous resolve for this match.
"...You're hardly an ordinary old man. Of course you wouldn't have properly taught him. He's not your grandson or granddaughter—just a complete stranger."
"He's not exactly a complete stranger. He could become my grandson-in-law, after all."
"Ah, yes. Yes. You can share your hopes and dreams later."
Irina's gaze asked if her words were correct. Kang Minsung kept walking as he answered.
"As you said. It was simply because he was Suhyun's benefactor. I only showed it to him once."
"It's impressive that you showed it so willingly. Everyone knows the famous story about how you wouldn't demonstrate it even once no matter how much money others offered."
"...Why are you suddenly asking that, Irina?"
With light steps, Irina reached the training ground. Before stepping forward to where Kim Suhyun waited, she shrugged at Kang Minsung as if it were obvious.
"That water ghost bastard may be a total fucking idiot, but he's no weakling. Against a guy like that, Seojin oppa landed a perfect counter with Saet-baram. Does that even make sense? That subtlety—not even half of it could be replicated by your disciples, let alone your own family, right?"
Irina knew. She had experienced it herself from Kang Minsung years ago. The subtlety that only Kang Minsung could truly unfold. Though it had been incomplete then, his sword had perfectly dismantled her attacks. It wasn't simply that the subtlety and the sword were incredible. It had been possible because Kang Minsung's understanding ran that deep.
Even his grandson and granddaughter—the next-generation S-rankers Kang Dogyeong and Kang Jisu—couldn't dare replicate it.
"Yet Seojin oppa saw it only once and unfolded it so perfectly."
"..."
"What do you think of Seojin oppa, old man?"
To the sudden question, Kang Minsung offered no separate reply. It meant he wouldn't answer because she already knew what he would say.
"That's why I want Seojin oppa for myself."
Smiling, Irina walked toward the center of the training ground.
Kim Suhyun, who had been waiting, stepped forward to meet her.
"You're late."
"I came slowly on purpose. So you'd get a little nervous."
"What terrible taste."
"It's the privilege of the strong. So what? Are you upset, young lady?"
Even though Irina deliberately mocked her, Kim Suhyun showed no notable reaction. When her provocation failed to elicit a response, Irina grumbled that it wasn't any fun.
"As I already explained, the rules are simple. If you manage to leave even a single scratch on me by any means necessary, you win. If I subdue you, I win. There's no time limit, but the match ends the moment I determine it can no longer continue."
"I agree."
"Just so you know, I won't take responsibility for any injuries. So if you feel like you can't handle it, surrender immed—"
"Please continue until I collapse. I won't be surrendering either."
At Kim Suhyun's answer, Irina tilted her head. The look that said Did I hear that wrong? was an added bonus.
"Did you not understand me? I'm telling you to surrender if you don't want to get hurt. This isn't the time to worry about pride."
"I heard getting injured during sparring is a common occurrence."
"Don't compare this to children's games."
A voice tinged with faint anger. Traces of magic power flowed through it—enough to make any ability user flinch and tremble. Yet Kim Suhyun continued without the slightest shake.
"Please do so."
"...You're actually insane."
Irina never imagined those words would come from her own mouth. With a sigh and a shake of her head, she muttered.
"Fine. If the person herself wants it that way, I'll give it to her. Just don't blame me later."
Having said that, Irina slowly rolled one shoulder.
"Aren't you drawing your sword?"
"No need. I don't use a sword against a chick."
With those words, the spar between the two women began. Or rather, the one-sided assault.
BOOOOM—!
Yielding the first move because the opponent was weaker, or giving three free attacks—such considerations weren't even worth thinking about for Irina.
"You're not dead, are you?"
Irina giggled as she spoke. As the dust settled, Kim Suhyun's low voice emerged from within.
"...Of course not."
"Good. That's how it should be. I haven't even touched your body yet."
It sounded absurd, but unfortunately it was true. Irina hadn't struck Kim Suhyun directly. She had simply materialized her magic power to deliver the impact. If she had wrapped her fist with that power, it wouldn't have ended at this level.
"Hup!"
Even after being turned into a mess by a single strike, Kim Suhyun showed no hesitation. She kicked off the ground, closed the distance in an instant, and gained the upper position. It was incredible speed. Nothing a mere student should be capable of. A downward strike from there could easily slice a person in two.
But the problem was that her opponent was none other than that Irina.
"Too slow."
Yawning, Irina swung her hand like she was shooing away an annoying fly.
CRACK—!
With that single swing, Kim Suhyun spun through the air before slamming into the training ground floor. A speed and overwhelming power beyond anything Kim Suhyun could imagine. On top of that, the momentum she herself had generated was turned against her. The impact must have been enormous.
Normally, that would be enough to take her out.
No matter how sturdy an ability user's body was, it was still human. Too much impact brought pain. Even more brought injury. Irina's plan had been to end things before it reached that point, letting her collapse on her own.
"Kgh!"
Gritting her teeth, Kim Suhyun forced herself back to her feet.
"I warned you not to overdo it."
"I told you I won't surrender. Subdue me properly."
"Wow. This is seriously driving me crazy."
Irina shook her head, then vanished in an instant. A moment where even Kang Minsung lost sight of her.
"Then let's start by marking down your first loss for today."
THUD—!
Kim Suhyun collapsed on the spot after taking the blow.
Thump. The unconscious Kim Suhyun. And Irina looking down at her.
Yet for some reason, Irina's expression was slightly strange.
Look at this kid.
The instant her attack had struck Kim Suhyun's torso, the girl had tried to aim her sword at the inside of Irina's armpit. A vital point connected directly to the lungs. She had done it almost on instinct. Although she hadn't succeeded, it meant that in the final moment she had read Irina's movement. Even if only a faint, tiny part, she had seen through it.
This might... even if it's not up to Seojin oppa's level, it could still be decent entertainment?
It had been a spar she proposed simply because she wanted to beat the girl up a little. Irina felt like she had unintentionally hooked a big fish.