Sword Star's Heir (1)
At Seong Hyun-jin's introduction, Agnar Balderte's eyes widened slightly. Swordsman. What a pure, magnificent ring it had. It was an introduction that cut straight to the essence without any extraneous flourishes.
Agnar loved the response. It reminded him of the pure passion of a swordsman that he himself had forgotten amid his daily life.
"A fine answer."
Pleased with Seong Hyun-jin's reply, Agnar took the first step forward. There was no rush, but he suddenly itched to cross blades with him right away. How many among those who walked the path of the sword could proudly call themselves a mere swordsman? Declaring oneself as nothing more than that, without embellishment, meant one's skill backed it up.
"Jerugasias Style, First Form."
Eager to test if that confidence was justified, Agnar lunged without hesitation.
"...Charging in without even a warm-up?"
Seong Hyun-jin twisted his lips into a smirk.
"You look down on me?"
Seong Hyun-jin raised the sword he held above his head. Dark energy coiled around the blade.
"Spirit Exorcism Sword, First Form."
Then he brought the sword down with all his might.
Ghost Kill
BOOOOOM────!!
The two swords clashed. The shockwave alone shook the trees, sending nearby soldiers tumbling or dropping their weapons. It was a collision that could have killed anyone caught in it, yet astonishingly, neither combatant bore a single scratch.
"Ho, that's heavy."
Agnar lifted the corner of his mouth in interest, and Seong Hyun-jin mirrored him. It had been ages since he'd felt such solid weight. The last time was sparring with his master, Hakodate Karin....
"Not bad."
Joy spread across Seong Hyun-jin's face. Agnar was slightly taken aback. He clearly held the advantage in experience and career, and Seong Hyun-jin knew it too....
"You can still smile? Looks like you've got some leeway left."
Clang!!
Agnar poured more power into his blade, shoving Seong Hyun-jin's sword back. Seong Hyun-jin's body hadn't fully matured yet, so he couldn't match the pure strength of Agnar, who was at his physical peak. Knowing this, Seong Hyun-jin didn't resist stubbornly but yielded just enough.
Instead, he sheathed his sword in the gap, preparing the next form.
"Soul Severing Sword, First Form."
The sheathed sword flashed out in an instant, becoming a ferocious, razor-sharp strike.
Red Sword
CRAAASH!!
Agnar countered with Red Sword once more. The ease with which he wielded the Jerugasias Style's first form showed just how profound his mastery was. Swinging it almost like a casual stroke, he kept pushing Seong Hyun-jin back. Still, no wounds on either side.
"Haha, no wonder Godin got beaten! A half-elf not even fully grown pulling off this level—your future's looking bright!"
Agnar openly admired Seong Hyun-jin, who parried his strikes repeatedly without a mark.
"A shame I have to end that talent with my own hands."
Cling! Claaang!!
Agnar pressed forward relentlessly, but Seong Hyun-jin wasn't just taking it—he deftly blocked while retreating minimally to maintain distance. Constant pressure aimed to exploit openings from parries, but Seong Hyun-jin gave none.
"...Hm?"
Suddenly sensing something off, Agnar glanced around. Before he knew it, he and Seong Hyun-jin had drifted far from the main force. In that time, Elcarus Levatein and Clarice Levatein had slipped from the fray and were reorganizing the disrupted soldier lines.
'Luring me away?'
Realizing Seong Hyun-jin had deliberately drawn him to an isolated battlefield, Agnar pondered. Return to the main fight, or finish this opponent? But letting Seong Hyun-jin go was too risky. Even he, the knight commander, couldn't end it quickly—what if this guy massacred the others? Elcarus and Clarice were unfortunate losses, but the Empire had more than just him.
The Iron Warriors' knights were holding strong.
"Follow me, heroes of the Empire!"
Especially the elite knights—they weren't yielding to the duchy’s senior knights and were even pushing back, boosting imperial morale. No need to hurry.
That thought lasted only a moment.
KABOOOOM──────!!
A blaze of intense flame streaked like lightning from somewhere, crashing into the battlefield—right atop the clustered imperial forces.
"...What."
Agnar muttered in dismay. In an instant, thirty imperial soldiers burned away. Including mid-tier knights. For spirit-wielding knights to incinerate in one hit meant the flames consumed even spirit power.
Agnar, who commanded a great spirit himself, knew it instantly: another great spirit's power.
"The fire great spirit...?"
Seong Hyun-jin grinned leisurely at the sight.
"Reinforcements have arrived."
Agnar's face soured at the words, while Clarice, fending off charging imperial knights, lit up with joy.
"Serena Eldark, you've come too!"
"Thanks to someone."
Serena Eldark's bombardment kicked it off.
Ciela Teraport and Yeonhui, having broken from the front, followed with their assaults.
"Damn it, where's this coming from!?"
"Over there!"
The imperials spotted Yeonhui and Ciela's positions, but it was futile.
"Freeze right there."
"Stasis"
Before Serena Eldark's Dragon Word, even knights froze momentarily.
"Th-this is...!"
"A dragonkin...!?"
Elite knights with strong wills shook it off quicker, but on the battlefield, a split-second gap meant death.
"Don't you dare touch our honored guests!!"
Slash!!
Gazel Bishadel, a senior knight of Levatein, seized the moment and beheaded the halted elite and mid-tier knights.
"Thank you for the aid!"
"Not over yet! Arrows incoming!"
"Understood!"
Gazel deflected the flying arrows with his sword.
BOOOM!!
Flames erupted from behind, incinerating the imperial archers. Gazel sighed inwardly in relief.
'No idea why the princess's guests returned, but this turns the tide.'
By Gazel's judgment—and reality—one each shattered the balance. Especially Serena Eldark, daughter of the Dragon Star: her Dragon Words and fire great spirit delivered devastating firepower projection, unmatched in mass warfare. It showed why people favored high-output spirits.
The Empire had spirits too, but not great spirits. Closing to melee was the only counter, but Dragon Words prevented that.
'A walking fortress.'
Indeed.
With the tide turning, Agnar couldn't afford leisure anymore.
"...I'd love to play more, but no time."
The silent mist great spirit, Boundary Ruler, raised its sword quietly.
"Let's end this here."
Seong Hyun-jin openly taunted him.
"Why so chatty? You fight with words?"
Agnar chuckled at the provocation. It screamed inexperience. Did he think such a cheap taunt would work?
But...
"...Fine, I'll humor you."
No reason not to now.
"Let's see."
Agnar Balderte's realm went beyond the Jerugasias Style's third form.
Rumble rumble crash!!
Mist power exploded, engulfing the area.
"If you can pay the price for that taunt."
Once called not just the Iron Warriors' commander, Agnar had made his name elsewhere. The Empire's knight academy rivaled academies elsewhere—graduating was brutal. Agnar dominated from enrollment to graduation as top student. They dubbed him back then:
"Jerugasias Style, Fourth Form."
The prodigy’s heir.
He'd awakened the fourth form before thirty, earning the title "Jerugasias Ellic's successor."
As Agnar swung, the mist great spirit followed, unleashing immense spirit power. Golden sword qi sliced through the air.
Seong Hyun-jin's eyes widened.
"This is...."
Nothing like blocking the third form. No normal block would work. Dodge or counter with equal swordsmanship.
Heaven Destroying Sword? Too much spirit drain—he'd collapse. Spirit Exorcism or Soul Severing lacked power.
Logically, dodge.
"...But rather than that."
Seong Hyun-jin was different. Disciple of the Sword Star. A genius even Jerugasias Ellic, the prodigy himself, would yield to. He'd mastered all her techniques before twenty.
"Wouldn't this be better?"
The true monster assumed a familiar stance. Agnar's eyes bulged—it matched his own form exactly.
"Jerugasias Style, Fourth Form."
"...!?"
A historic genius took decades past his twenties to reach it. Seong Hyun-jin grasped it in minutes. No—surpassed it.
CRRRRAAAAAACCCKKK────────────────────!!