Don't You Dare Talk Back (2)

The living quarters attached to the old dojo. Along the walls hung swords that stood as relics of the clan's former glory. This was the Namgung Main House, where I had lived since I was about ten years old.

"I'm sorry. I'd forgotten the exhibition duels happen around this time every year."

Hanran's shoulders drooped as she sat before the dinner table.

"It's fine. You've been busy with clan head duties — can't be helped. Let's just eat."

"Alright. It isn't much, but please eat plenty."

A bowl of rice, soybean paste soup, and grilled sardines. A modest spread for one of the Twelve Great Clans — but Hanran had made it with her own hands.

"So what exactly are these exhibition duels?"

I asked, plucking up a dried sardine with my chopsticks. I had a rough idea, but I wanted to confirm.

"They're normally just simple sparring matches between the Great Clans — a social occasion more than anything. But this year the principal says a new facility is finished, so she's holding them properly."

"I wonder what it could be," Hanran added under her breath.

Probably the jujutsu colosseum — Valhalla Field. In the grim original timeline of Jujutsu Gwi-hwan, it was the site of a death game. In this side story posing as a youthful academy battle series, it was Seonggwan Academy's playground.

"Who knows."

"The exhibition duels... do you want to participate, Beom?"

Hanran tilted her head to one side as she asked.

"Of course I have to. Right now Namgung's just you and me."

"I could go, you know. It wouldn't look good with the Seven Asterisms coming to observe, but I'll carefully control my power and beat that arrogant Yongso princess into a pulp. I've never liked her, I'll have you know."

Hanran smiled with a soft little chuckle. I knew her well. If she said she'd beat someone into a pulp, she would mean every word.

"Why so serious? More importantly — which of the Seven Asterisms?"

I asked, curiosity in my voice. The Seven Asterisms, each granted a star name from the Big Dipper, stood at the pinnacle of the jujutsu world. Every member wielded a grand jujutsu capable of influencing the world itself. In short, they were this world's strongest.

"The principal will of course be watching in person, and I hear Tanlangseong is dropping by for a visit."

Tanlangseong...? She's coming? There was only one reason she'd show up.

I spoke with a wry smile.

"I'll go. I'm the one who picked a fight with the princess."

"I won't stop you. But first — a promise."

Hanran let out a small sigh and held out her pinky. If you counted the years I'd actually lived, I was older than her — and she still treated me like a child. Honestly.

I shrugged and locked my pinky with hers.

"If it really looks like you'll get hurt, you have to surrender, alright? A swordsman's body is their fortune. Please treat yourself with care. I... I want to keep living here at Namgung with you, Beom. For a long time. Do you understand?"

"That almost sounded like a proposal," I said, biting a sardine in half at the waist.

She'd said it out of concern for my safety, of course.

"Th-that sort of thing is something a gentleman should say—"

"Hm?"

"Ahem. Never mind! I'll train you thoroughly over the weekend. Prepare yourself."

Hanran's face flushed slightly as she loaded rounds into her pistol and cleared her throat. Namgung Hanran, the last swordmaster and first gunner of the Namgung clan. Her Innate Cursed Technique was Manbyeongssangwang — Sword Shooter. A sorcerer with the peculiar mechanism of treating guns as swords.

"...I'm honored."

Hanran's training was brutally strict. I was going to get wrecked. All I could do was nod with a smile on my face. Until the conditions for a countermeasure against the Yongso princess were in place, I'd have to take whatever came with my own body.

The day of the exhibition duels.

"A tournament among people connected to the Great Clans! Time to grab the popcorn."

"They're calling this the generation of renowned sorcerers, after all. Greatest lineup yet."

"Not a bad way to kick off the fourth term."

A fair number of students had gathered in the colosseum. Seonggwan Academy's curriculum was fairly relaxed to begin with, and they'd come to see the new facility besides.

Then a luminous image of a little girl, projected by AI Hesed, appeared upon the stage.

"You lot are far too noisy, I say. You'll bring shame upon the honor of being disciples of Wenqu Star Botan."

The murmuring voices fell silent. It was a hologram of Miss Botan — the principal, and a member of the Seven Asterisms.

"I've built a new facility for the first time in a century. I do hope you'll enjoy it."

As was always the case with principals of magic schools in comics, despite an appearance that at a glance was that of a tiny little child, she was an old woman. Botan had even personally met the strongest sorcerer of ages past, after all.

"The rules of this Valhalla Field are simple, I say. In accordance with the northern myth of Valhalla, the heaven of warriors, the two combatants must fight within the barrier. Once a fight begins, no outside interference is possible until a victor is decided. A jujutsu is in place so that even if the warriors suffer mortal wounds during battle, they recover the instant the match is decided."

A roar of ooooh swept through the crowd. Miss Botan seemed pleased by it; she nodded in satisfaction.

"I have high hopes. This year we've got some rather promising young ones, I must say. Though none a match for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my prized disciple, of course. Hahaha."

The principal snapped her fingers, and an image of a figure with her hands folded demurely appeared alongside her.

"You flatter me, Teacher."

A beauty of a girl whose eyes glittered like starlight spoke in a clear, ringing voice. She swept her hair back with a smile, and gasps of admiration burst out all around.

"It's Tanlangseong, Lady Hwi Eunha!!"

"No sorcerers in her family line, and she's the youngest Seven Asterism in history. She's so pretty~."

"...Ugh. That monster. Why'd she have to show up."

Look at her playing innocent. The Great Clan heirs who knew Eunha's true nature wore looks of utter exhaustion.

The principal began calling the names of the exhibition duel participants, the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠side story's protagonist among them. In the original, this was a scene that just flashed by in passing.

The principal, who had been rattling off names with complete confidence, paused. She furrowed her brow, eyes narrowing.

"The fourth duel is Yongso versus Namgung, I believe. Yongso Yulha and Kim Beom. Hmm... Kim Beom. This student is... perhaps we ought to reconsider?"

If even the principal knew, my being a non-sorcerer must have been a well-known story.

"Oh my, I'm so looking forward to this! They're both childhood friends of mine, you know. Do your best! ☆"

Tanlangseong clasped her hands together and snatched up the principal's trailing words.

That's right. Hwi Eunha, who ranked among the strongest in Jujutsu Gwi-hwan, was my childhood friend.

After the third exhibition duel ended, I stepped onto the stage with Namgung's great nodachi, the Changgun Sword, in hand. It wasn't an object forged through jujutsu, and it was undervalued compared to the Five Swords Under Heaven — but it was a famed blade that, depending on the swordsman's skill, could split the heavens.

It was a familiar sight, but the moment I entered, mockery and jeers poured down.

"Booo. Sword-swingers belong in a butcher shop, chopping meat."

"A non-sorcerer versus the Yongso princess? The outcome's obvious. Is he even a match?"

"Well, even if the sword-swinger weren't a non-sorcerer, he'd still have a hard time."

"Do your best! Show them what a Namgung swordsman is made of, won't you?"

Hanran's encouragement, tangled among the insults, reached me clear as day.

A moment later, Yongso Yulha, dressed in ceremonial robes, walked out from the other side. She covered her mouth with a flutter of crimson silk as she spoke.

"So you didn't tuck tail and run─. An earthworm's tail, but ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠still."

"Yeah. Came to land one on you."

"Land one on me, he says. I told you to stop with the bluffing."

The princess looked slightly surprised, then let out a loud "Ahaha!" Presently her amber eyes narrowed to slits.

"I don't need all nine. I'll take you on with four."

A summoning gate rose above Yulha's head, and she began to chant. Guryonggusangbeop was a jujutsu derived from the Buddhist legend of the Dragon's Nine Sons.

First, flames surged up from the stage, and a red dragon whose body sloughed like molten lava revealed itself.

GRAAAAAAH!

Sanye, eighth of the nine brothers, roared.

GRRRRRRR!

This time the earth split with a crack, and a yellow dragon shikigami crawled forth, spewing sand. The fourth brother — Pyehan.

KIIIIIIIING!

Blade-winds whipped into a frenzy as a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠winged dragon shikigami appeared, folding birdlike wings as it landed. This was Poroe, the third son — the one who'd snatched my prey! As if it were true that he liked me, he snorted a puff of breath in my direction.

PIIIIIIIING—

Water welled up from the floor, rode the waves, and took the form of a blue dragon. Bihui, eldest of the Dragon Brothers, had arrived as well.

Sanye. Pyehan. Poroe. Bihui. Summoned beasts of fire, earth, wind, and water, respectively.

Good thing she didn't go with lightning or darkness. Those would've been a problem.

They weren't the strongest forces Guryonggusangbeop had to offer, but all four possessed a majesty befitting their status as mythical beasts. The Yongso princess mounted Poroe — the only one among them that could fly — and threw out a taunt.

"You're not wetting yourself, are you? It's fine. Bihui will drench you thoroughly."

"You've got a real nasty personality."

"Just a jo~ke. Though it might not stay a joke. Yongso Yulha — fifty-fifth generation of the direct bloodline of the Red Dragon Grand Duke of Yongso."

The princess declared the opening of hostilities with a bright, glittering smile.

"I don't have some cringey title to rattle off. Just Kim Beom."

I shot back as I drew my sword. And in that same instant, attacks surged forth from all four dragon shikigami.