That Guy's a Total Madman?
We didn't hesitate for a second. Tana and I headed straight for the training hall. The place was packed with even more people than I'd seen before the semester started, and plenty of eyes snapped toward us the moment we walked in.
"That's this semester's top and second rank."
"Is that the guy who caused all the chaos?"
As expected, the rumors had already spread like wildfire among the upperclassmen. The freshmen probably didn't need any introduction either. Tana ignored the stares completely and walked over to the sparring arena tucked away in one corner of the hall. The rectangular space was surprisingly spacious, enclosed by a transparent mana barrier to keep any stray damage from reaching the spectators.
"You already said your main weapon is the sword."
Tana tossed me one of the practice blades prepped inside the arena. The moment my fingers closed around the hilt, a strangely familiar sensation wrapped around my hand. Was this the power of the Heavenly Martial Body? I gave the sword a couple of experimental swings to get a feel for it. Honestly, it was sloppy. No matter how natural the grip felt, there was no way I could execute proper sword forms without any real training. My eyes practically rejected what they were seeing—a side effect of having absurdly high standards paired with pathetic technique.
"Ready?"
Tana had already picked up her own sword and returned to position. I poured strength into the blade in my grip and nodded.
"You're the top student, after all. I'll take the first move."
The moment the words left her mouth, Tana kicked off the ground and charged. Her blunt practice blade streaked toward my head. I read the attack naturally and flicked it aside with a light parry.
"I figured you'd block that."
But her assault wasn't over. She seamlessly converted the recoil from my parry into her next strike, spinning into a returning blow. The clash rang out—clang. Even after seeing it coming, I couldn't simply parry this one. I twisted my sword at an angle to deflect the force and created some distance.
As expected of the Sword Dancer.
She hadn't revealed her full dance yet, but using an opponent's own deflected strike to draw out power beyond her limits was one of Tana's signature skills. The elegant tremble of her sword tip and the beautiful flow of her blade lines blended perfectly with her movements, evoking an actual dance. Her eyes stayed locked on her opponent, yet her fluttering hair and the black sword whipping through the air bewitched every spectator. It looked exactly like a dancer performing with her blade—hence her nickname, the Sword Dancer.
To defeat someone like her with pure swordsmanship, you'd need to bring at least Cheon Yu-ha, the granddaughter of the Sword Saint. Even she, who had received personal instruction from the world's greatest swordsman, could only match Tana evenly. That alone showed just how exceptional the Sword Dancer's technique truly was.
And that was exactly why I'd accepted her sparring request.
Swinging a sword would raise my proficiency, sure, but real combat experience like this granted the biggest gains. The stronger the opponent, the more experience piled up. At this stage, the Sword Dancer was the strongest possible sparring partner I could face. I'd been planning to suggest a match myself, but she'd come to me first. Talk about hitting the jackpot.
"Are you just going to keep blocking?"
Tana pulled her sword back, eyes disappointed. I'd done nothing but parry and study her movements, so her reaction made sense. She'd asked for this spar because she wanted to see my sword, yet here she was, only showing off her own techniques.
Can't be helped.
It was still embarrassing to call what I had proper swordsmanship, but I had a decent grasp of the fundamentals now. Seeing her withdraw, I slowly settled into a stance. In a real fight I wouldn't have given her time to prepare, but right now the priority was showing Tana what I could do.
I rapidly circulated the mana throughout my body, channeling every ounce of power into the sword. Eyes wide, gaze fixed on my target. Maintaining that exact state, that exact energy, that exact posture, I thrust forward in a perfectly straight line.
Clang—!
Tana caught the strike aimed at her throat with visibly trembling hands. She hadn't been able to execute her trademark parry-and-counter. It must have stung her pride, but she simply broke into a bright smile.
"So you're finally ready to get serious?"
"I needed a bit of preparation on my end."
"Does that mean your preparation is finished now?"
"Yeah."
Our eyes met. The hand gripping my sword trembled faintly. Mana melted into every fiber of my being began to boil. My body grew burning hot. Blood raced through my veins. Yet through it all, my mind remained impossibly calm.
I steadied my breathing and spoke.
"Here I come."
I'd spent the start of the match on the defensive, so it was only right that I took the initiative now. Tana seemed to have been expecting it; she settled into her own stance. I kicked off the ground and closed the distance in a single burst, tightening my grip on the practice sword. At the same time, I followed the sword path that had melted into my vision—the hidden route visible only to me, not reflected in the world around us.
It was far more manageable than I'd expected.
Tana's gaze traced the strangely curved sword in confusion. It didn't fly straight—it targeted blind spots with eerie precision. Performing a sword style like this wasn't particularly difficult. She herself could manage something this disorienting if she wanted. The real issue was the wielder's proficiency.
If it had simply been aiming for blind spots, she could have analyzed the pattern, blocked accordingly, and looked for a counter. But Sungjin's sword wasn't that straightforward. Sometimes honest and direct. Sometimes chaotic and unpredictable. In simple terms, he excelled at controlling the tempo. He knew exactly when to use fundamentals and when to deploy technical flair.
His strength seems below average.
That was her assessment after receiving his strikes. He wasn't quite at the level of being called frail, but his stamina was clearly inferior to others. Yet he'd taken down an iron-horned bull in under two minutes with power like this? He had to be hiding something. The suspicion was strong enough to make her wonder.
His swordsmanship and overall ability were certainly outstanding, but he didn't seem talented enough to display overwhelmingly superior strength.
"Where did the person who nagged me about only blocking go?"
Sungjin's words snapped Tana out of her thoughts. She'd fallen into a daze without realizing it. She'd just scolded her sparring partner for losing focus, only to do the exact same thing herself. The embarrassment was overwhelming.
Her eyes met Sungjin's once more. The look she'd read earlier had been full of anticipation for the spar itself. This new gaze seemed to expect something else from her entirely. And Tana immediately understood what he wanted.
You have something hidden too, don't you?
Just as she harbored suspicions about him, he clearly harbored suspicions about her. He didn't have records like hers, of course, but he'd still taken second place. She knew results like that couldn't come from this level of ability. So show me.
It might have seemed like a rude request on the surface. There could be any number of reasons she kept her secrets. Asking her to reveal hidden techniques so casually wasn't exactly polite—especially not in a public sparring arena where everyone's attention was focused on them. In fact, several people in the training hall were already watching their match. The top and second-ranked freshmen's spar? More and more students kept pouring through the entrance, unwilling to miss the show.
Logically, I shouldn't bring it out.
There was no real need to. Maintaining this level would easily secure her a high rank. If she faced someone out of sight, she could always respond with her secret techniques then.
But.
"I'm curious!"
The hidden card the top student had used to defeat an iron-horned bull. She was dying to know what it was. Of course, she'd learn the truth eventually, just like her own secrets would eventually come to light. But people naturally wanted to satisfy their curiosity. Resisting that temptation wasn't easy.
So.
Shing.
Tana stepped forward, deflecting Sungjin's blade with the flat of her sword. Her eyes turned toward her sole audience. She chose what to reveal. And then she began to move.
What she displayed was a single dance executed through the sword. Graceful footsteps that seemed to float across the ground. Hand movements that fluttered like petals in the wind. And sword strikes fierce enough to feel completely at odds with that elegance.
"Sword Dance..."
Someone watching the spar murmured the words. The way she naturally parried Sungjin's attacks while continuing her dance. The perfect unity of offense and defense that flowed as if it were the most natural thing in the world. This was no ordinary swordsmanship. It was a sight you wouldn't see just anywhere.
Knowing that, the students' eyes locked onto Tana.
Yet Tana's own gaze remained fixed on Sungjin from beginning to end. Just as any dance carried meaning, her sword dance held its own intent.
Show me what you're hiding.
I showed you mine. Now show me yours.
At that blatant challenge, Sungjin smirked and slowly took his stance. The posture he settled into was extremely aggressive, leaning so far forward it looked like it might topple over. Like a pistol with a round already chambered.
Seeing it, Tana's eyes widened. Even an ultra-fast sword strike wouldn't break her dance. As long as she could parry or deflect it, the rhythm would continue uninterrupted. That's what she believed.
Until sparks of electricity crackled across Sungjin's body and flames ignited in the air.
One Flash (Ilseom)
Before Tana could finish her sentence, Sungjin's sword shot forward like a bolt of light.
Kaang!
The strike flew in a perfectly straight line, as if drawn with a ruler. It sliced clean through Tana's practice sword and continued all the way to the edge of the arena.
"What... is this?"
Tana stared at Sungjin with trembling eyes. What she saw was him grumbling to himself.
As expected, Lightning One Flash looks way cooler, doesn't it?
"That guy's a real madman, isn't he?"