Birth Festival (5)
Birth Festival (5)
Someone was already using the punch machine.
A man and a woman. From the size of the small crowd gathered behind them, they'd been at it for a while.
"Yap."
The woman gave her wrist a quick twist and extended her fist. Her arm was slender, and she didn't put her whole body into the punch. By all appearances, it didn't look like the kind of motion that would produce a respectable score.
—Bang!
Contrary to all ordinary expectations, a massive impact rang out. Even at a glance, it was clear that the punch packed far more than ordinary force.
The padded target suspended from the ceiling shuddered violently, and several onlookers flinched.
A moment later, the score was tallied.
[Set Value: 777.777]
[㉮Ⅰ: 787.671]
[㉯Ⅲ: 772.991]
"Ah, ack! If only I'd been ten points lower...!"
"Whoa! Nailed the first two digits perfectly. Absolute victory."
The holographic scoreboard bloomed above the punch machine.
The man checked the score with an anxious face, ground his teeth in frustration, while the woman shot him a look of pure satisfaction and raised her fist high.
"Haha! Who told you to run your mouth, you little punk? You didn't know your place. Hmm-hmm, where shall I make you treat me today~"
"Hey, hey, hold on, let's talk this out, yeah?"
"About what? Don't be pathetic. A promise is a promise, no? Come on, hurry up and follow me."
"Ugh, seriously, please, I barely have any money left because of my weapon materials..."
"That's not my problem. The problem is that brain of yours, which had to go and make a bet with that kind of skill."
'...They're really having fun.'
I watched the woman leave, still grinning, and the man slinking after her with a fawning, pitiful attitude, and my expression turned strange.
From the outside, they were strangers. Nothing particularly unusual about them.
But beyond the appearance obscured by perception obstruction, their inner selves were familiar.
Aiden and Attila. They'd said they were childhood friends, and it looked like they were meeting up to enjoy the Birth Festival together.
The reason they'd gone to the trouble of wearing perception-obstruction magic tools was probably similar to mine: to have fun without drawing unwanted attention.
'Everyone's gotten hold of a magic tool from somewhere and is using it.'
There were plenty of people around here whose outsides and insides didn't match. Unlike Baek A-rin, who was affected by a mask-like phenomenon, these were simply people who'd equipped perception-obstruction magic tools.
From Siyoram cadets to superhumans who'd come in from outside, anyone who didn't want to attract attention for whatever reason was hiding their true appearance.
"What score should we use? 777, like those people just now?"
Once the pair had left, Baek A-rin trotted up and began manipulating the punch machine. As she tapped expertly at the hologram, she glanced back at Yeon-hwa, who was loosening her fists behind them, and Yeon-hwa shrugged.
"How about exactly 500?"
"Alright, setting it to 500.000... Everyone else will go at least once too, right?"
[Yes, I'll try a round as well.]
"Then I'll join in too!"
Ellia immediately agreed, all excitement, and my teacher, who had been standing with her arms crossed, also nodded. So I gave Seo-yul's hand a little shake, feeling its warmth.
[Seo-yul, do you want to give it a try?]
"Me?"
Seo-yul, who had been quietly fiddling with my hand, blinked her eyes wide open. She clearly hadn't expected to be asked.
[Yes. It's made for superhumans, but that doesn't mean ordinary people can't use it. Besides, we're just messing around, so how about you give it a go?]
"...Yes! I'll try it!"
Seo-yul blinked, as if thinking it over, then gave a firm nod.
Her cute expression, like she was making some solemn resolution, drew a quiet laugh from me.
"So that makes six with Seo-yul."
—Ding
[Set Value: 500.000]
[Participants: 6]
[Attempts Per Person: 3]
—Whirrr...!
As soon as Baek A-rin finished the setup, numerous protective spells inscribed in the punch machine activated.
This particular machine was designed for superhumans, not ordinary people. The materials had been specially sourced for durability, and magic had been engraved into it during the design process.
Still, at the end of the day, it was a mass-produced piece of equipment. If a sufficiently powerful superhuman hit it at full strength, the magic and the hardware would both get smashed to bits in perfect harmony just the same.
That's why most punch machines for superhumans are calibrated to measure not impact force, but one's ability to control strength.
In other words, it wasn't about punching as hard as possible; you had to adjust your power so the result came as close as possible to a pre-set number.
The number Baek A-rin had just set was 500.000.
"Then I shall lead the charge."
"Ahaha! Why so dramatic?"
"Tsk. How can one approach a sacred contest with a frivolous attitude?"
Ellia giggled at the remarkably solemn way Baek A-rin stepped forward, and Baek A-rin smiled back before rolling her shoulders and settling lightly into position in front of the machine.
The onlookers who'd been starting to disperse began to gather again as the next attraction got underway.
"Ahem. 500, huh..."
Baek A-rin raised her right arm, positioning it quite close to the dangling target. Then she extended her fist, as if flicking something away, and tapped the target.
—Bang!
Despite the light motion, the machine produced a heavy, weighty reverberation. Baek A-rin checked the displayed score.
[㉮Ⅰ: 532.855]
"...Well, the first try is just to feel things out."
After checking the number, Baek A-rin shrugged. She seemed to think the gap was fairly large.
Shaking her wrist loosely, she reset her stance and, just as before, extended her right hand from close range.
—Bang! Bang!
The target was struck twice in quick succession, with a slight pause between them.
[㉮Ⅱ: 503.112]
[㉮Ⅲ: 500.879]
At the scores that appeared on the hologram, exclamations rippled through the crowd.
A third attempt that landed squarely on 500. Even if she hadn't nailed the decimals, merely hitting 500 on the dot already demonstrated extraordinary control.
"Hmm..."
"Step aside. I'll crush you thoroughly."
But Baek A-rin furrowed her brow, as if not entirely satisfied. Then Yeon-hwa, who'd been waiting with arms crossed, strode forward, brimming with confidence.
The gleam in her eyes, promising a proper trampling, made Baek A-rin flinch and stumble backward.
"Whoa, whoa... Take it easy. That's a target you're hitting, not me. Got it?"
"Treating a person like a mindless— ahem."
"What, your filter re-engaged already...!?"
Yeon-hwa glared at Baek A-rin, who was retreating with a sly grin. Clearing her throat with a cough, she took her stance.
"Haaa..."
A slender breath slipped from her lips. Relaxing her body and focusing her strength into her fingertips, Yeon-hwa extended her fist lightly.
—Bang!
The target, struck with deceptive ease, shook violently. Yeon-hwa didn't spare a glance at the swaying target but immediately checked the hologram.
[㉯Ⅰ: 504.446]
"Hmph."
An odd, short hum escaped her, and her brow creased. A flicker of anxiety passed through her bearing, but I quietly kept my mouth shut.
A moment later, once the target had settled, Yeon-hwa threw two more punches without delay.
—Bang! Bang!
Like Baek A-rin, she delivered the two punches with a slight interval between them.
[㉯Ⅱ: 501.210]
[㉯Ⅲ: 500.871]
"871!"
Yeon-hwa's eyes sparkled the instant she saw the number. Grinning, she fiddled with the hologram to compare her score with Baek A-rin's.
[Set Value: 500.000]
[㉮Ⅲ: 500.879]
[㉯Ⅲ: 500.871]
"879 and 871! It's obvious who won. Haha!"
Bursting into laughter, Yeon-hwa turned a beaming smile toward Baek A-rin. Having completely shaken off her earlier anxiety, her triumphant preening was impossibly endearing.
"Ah, so it is. I lost."
"?"
But receiving that look, Baek A-rin merely shrugged, completely unruffled. At that, Yeon-hwa, who'd been so pleased, scowled again.
"Hey, I said you lost."
"Yeah, I lost by a difference of 0.008 points. So close~"
"No, I mean, you lost, so hand over the stakes."
"Huh? What stakes?"
Baek A-rin blinked as if she'd heard something utterly absurd, and Yeon-hwa's fist clenched.
"Are you trying to weasel out of this? You're the one who said to bet on it. And I won, you lost!"
"Yeah, yeah, that's true. But we never actually decided on what we were betting, did we?"
"Huh?"
Yeon-hwa's twisted expression went blank. Her face looked as if she'd been whacked on the head with a hammer. She blinked, as if reviewing her memories.
Me, who'd been quietly enjoying their two-person bickering, also sifted through my recollection.
—How about a bet, for old times' sake?
—That? Ha, what a pathetic attempt to change the subject, you seal-lady.
Baek A-rin's bet proposal and Yeon-hwa's snapping retort.
—Hmph, I'll let you off specially just this once. Be grateful.
—Follow me, you mo...ther.
After which, nettled by Baek A-rin's provocation, Yeon-hwa had accepted the bet.
But after that, they'd never actually named the wager.
Since this memory had been processed by the Authority of Knowledge, there was zero margin for error.
"........."
Yeon-hwa, who appeared to have also finished her mental replay, had frozen solid. Baek A-rin delicately covered her mouth with a hand as she looked at Yeon-hwa's agape expression.
"Pfft."
.
.
.
"Ah... What do I do... I must really be an idiot..."
While I was consoling the dejected Yeon-hwa, Ellia stepped up next.
"Umm."
Ellia got into position awkwardly. Unlike Yeon-hwa and Baek A-rin, who had plenty of experience, Ellia seemed to be using this kind of machine for the first time.
Tilting her head, she held her breath—inhaling—and drove her fist forward from a drawn-back position. Unlike the previous two, she put a fair amount of force into it.
—Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three punches landed, making the target and the faceplate shudder hard.
[㉰Ⅰ: 612.569]
[㉰Ⅱ: 571.497]
[㉰Ⅲ: 441.332]
"Aah... This is hard..."
At the numbers that popped up, Ellia's mouth fell open. She seemed surprised that her precision was so much worse compared to Yeon-hwa's and Baek A-rin's results.
She came over to my side and shook her head.
"It really hits home how different physical levels are. Even when those two just jab at it, they breeze past 500, while I have to put in quite a bit of effort..."
After all, I'd heard that a professionally trained soldier would score around 100 if they swung with all their might. Which meant the casual punch Ellia threw was at least five times stronger than that.
And that was without even using body reinforcement or aura. It really drove home how vast the gap between superhumans and ordinary people could be.
Even the slender, soft-looking Ellia would have no difficulty beating several people to death if she seriously intended to.
"Hm."
Next was my teacher. She stepped forward without the slightest sign of tension and casually backhanded the target.
—Whack! Whack! Whack!
[㉱Ⅰ: 500.083]
[㉱Ⅱ: 500.041]
[㉱Ⅲ: 500.030]
"Wow!"
Not only Ellia and Baek A-rin, who had finished their turns and switched to spectator mode, but the crowd, which had grown considerably by now, all opened their eyes wide.
Five hundred points, from the first attempt through the third. Everyone voiced their amazement at her incredible control.
"All three at 500...! Amazing!"
"Whoa... I already thought she was incredible when we got to audit that class before, but she really is something else."
[Heh heh]
"Heh, why are you looking so pleased, Ha-yul?"
At the reactions around us, my shoulders had practically risen to my ears. Seeing me enthusiastically clapping beside her, she let out a small giggle.
[Well, since praise for my teacher is praise for me too.]
"Ahaha, that's some extra-special devotion from a disciple."
"...Ahem. Who's going next?"
My teacher, who hadn't batted an eye at the crowd's admiration, blushed at my reaction and quickly moved away from the punch machine.
"Uh?"
Then her eyes met Yeon-hwa's, who was blinking vacantly. My teacher fell silent for a moment, then glanced back and forth between her own scores and Yeon-hwa's before letting out a soft scoff.
"...Your punches are clumsy."
"You little...!"
[Now, now! It's Seo-yul's turn!]
With a bright smile, I hurriedly lifted Seo-yul into my arms. The machine's target was mounted fairly high up, so her hands couldn't reach it otherwise.
"Eek... I'm going to grow taller soon!"
Seo-yul, who'd been quietly waiting her turn, clenched her little fist and pouted at my action. She seemed indignant about the fact that her lack of height meant she had to be hoisted into the air.
...I unwittingly sympathized deeply with that indignation. I know all too well the frustration that comes from being short.
'So Seo-yul, you have to grow a lot...'
As her guardian, I don't want this child to experience the same kind of bitterness I've felt. I nodded firmly and cheered Seo-yul on.
[That's right, Seo-yul. You're going to shoot up later. So you'll have to sleep well and eat a balanced diet from now on, okay?]
"...Yes!"
[So, maybe some chickens and eggs rich in nutrients are in our futu—]
"Bweeeeeeak...!"
[Ack, sorry, I'm sorry, we won't make you eat it, don't grab my head...]
There was a small commotion. With cheeks puffed round, Seo-yul suddenly threw a punch.
Her tiny fist sliced through the air and struck the target.
—Pow!
The sound that burst out was alarmingly heavy.
[㉲Ⅰ: 314.002]
Three hundred fourteen points. A number that clearly exceeded what an ordinary person could produce.
The onlookers who'd been watching Seo-yul with gentle smiles—since, even under perception obstruction magic, she still looked like a young child—had their mouths fall open in a daze.
—Thwack! Thwack!
[㉲Ⅱ: 332.883]
[㉲Ⅲ: 355.091]
"Hoo."
Seo-yul, after whaling on the target two more times in succession, let out a refreshing smile—poof.
Objectively speaking, Seo-yul was an inhuman fairy, and a fairy knight at that, born for combat to protect the ruler entity. There was no way a child who'd already grown some would be entirely weak.
Besides, I constantly observe Seo-yul's physical condition anyway, so results like this were expected.
"...I wouldn't lose an arm-wrestling match against Seo-yul, would I?"
But knowing that didn't make it any less disconcerting. Because on the outside, Seo-yul is just an adorable child.
That's also why I couldn't come up with a reply to Ellia, who—unusually flustered—was tossing out a joke from behind us.
[Alright, then I'll be quick and have a go.]
Anyway, with that, my turn had come.
I set Seo-yul down next to Yeon-hwa and stood in front of the punch machine.
The eyes of not only our group but also the fairly sizable gathered crowd all focused on me. After six of us had been taking turns whacking the thing, it had apparently drawn a good deal of attention.
There were plenty of superhumans among the onlookers too.
Cadets munching on street food, superhumans from outside forces who'd come for the sights...
...
...And that person was watching, too.
I'd been trying my best to ignore it, but there were two presences observing from some distance away.
An expressionless woman standing next to Lee Ji-yeon. I fought down the urge to flinch at the alien presence I sensed within her.
"Haaa..."
I exhaled deeply and settled into my stance, extending my right arm forward and readying myself to tap gently.
Normally, the first punch is a feeler. You use it as a reference to calibrate your remaining two attempts to the desired number.
I don't particularly need to do that.
I'd already had five people go before me and gathered a huge amount of data from them.
I'd also read the machine's internal functions and understood exactly how it generated scores.
And I'd long since achieved a perfect grasp of my own physical abilities.
So, guided by the data gathered through the Observation Authority, I exerted the functions of All-Rounder to their fullest, controlling my body down to the smallest possible increment of motion.
In live combat, where hundreds of movements fly in an instant, this kind of technique is wasteful.
But in tasks where precision matters in each individual motion, it becomes essential.
—Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
I extended my fist three times in a row. A fairly solid noise followed, and the target swayed. I breathed out and checked the output.
[㉳Ⅰ: 500.000]
[㉳Ⅱ: 500.001]
[㉳Ⅲ: 500.002]
'Hm.'
The scores came out exactly as intended. I nodded, allowing a strange sense of pride to trickle out.
* * *
[㉳Ⅰ: 500.000]
[㉳Ⅱ: 500.001]
[㉳Ⅲ: 500.002]
000, 001, and 002.
For such a sequence to come about by chance, the numbers were far too precise, climbing in a perfectly measured progression.
Staring at that absurd result with her mouth hanging open, Hong Yeon-hwa eventually shifted her gaze—and there she saw Atra, equally slack-jawed.
"........."
For a moment, recalling her earlier humiliation, Hong Yeon-hwa poked Atra's side with her elbow.
"See that? That's how you throw a punch."
"...I don't understand why you're the one acting smug about it."
Atra's expression crumpled into a weird mixture of pride and wounded dignity.