Growth (2)
Seong Hyun-jin, who had stepped out, stretched his body this way and that while gazing at the vast forest. His frame had grown larger and heavier than yesterday, but thanks to his skeleton and muscles surpassing their growth phase, his overall power had transformed, making his body feel much lighter.
"Feels good, huh?"
He was so satisfied with his grown form that he muttered in admiration to himself. Just swinging his arms around told him everything. The power behind each swing was on a whole different level now. With this, he could surely wield Karin's sword and all the swordsmanship he understood.
Of course, he'd need time to adapt to the changed body, and considering how much taller and more robust he was than an average man, he'd have to tweak his sword forms a bit. Karin hadn't anticipated him growing this much and had taught him based on a standard male build.
Even accounting for all that, though, it was definitely better than before. Seong Hyun-jin turned to Serena and Ciela, who had followed him out, as well as Jerman, and said,
"Man, the air up high really is nice!"
"...It is, indeed."
Jerman, being tall and burly himself, knew exactly what the joke meant and played along. Serena and Ciela glanced at him in surprise before turning back to Seong Hyun-jin and whispering among themselves.
"Serena, junior. If Hyun-jin junior goes back looking like that, there'll definitely be..."
"...Yeah, I know. We have to make sure no clingy types get near him."
Seong Hyun-jin had always been handsome, but his grown-up look went beyond mere good looks. With elven blood giving him refined features already, his bloom at the peak of youth exuded a strange allure separate from his beauty. How to put it? He gave off the vibe that being by his side would bring a woman both security and satisfaction.
Both of them felt it, which was why they expected female students to swarm him upon his return to the academy. He'd always kept in shape with consistent training, but now? It was incomparable. His growth had broadened his frame and made his muscles sharply defined.
Naturally, his old uniform no longer fit, so he'd borrowed Jerman's clothes temporarily... and the thin fabric clinging to Seong Hyun-jin's upper body revealed his chiseled muscles clearly. A thicker uniform back at the academy would cover it up, but summer was approaching fast. The academy uniforms would soon switch to lighter summer versions, highlighting his transformed physique even more—and synergizing with that striking face to draw even more girls.
It was a situation neither Serena nor Ciela wanted.
I'll never let that happen.
...Just try getting close to my man.
The two ignited their resolve inwardly.
Feigning ignorance of their thoughts, Seong Hyun-jin asked Jerman,
"Mr. Jerman, there's nothing beyond this forest on that side, right?"
"No one'll be there. At most, a few wild animals."
Confirming the area was empty, Seong Hyun-jin nodded. Having warmed up fully, he gripped his sword hilt and smoothly drew the blade. It was the sword Karin had gifted him, one he'd always used, but the weight in his hand felt different now—much lighter than usual.
A faint smile crossed his lips as he assumed his stance. Jerman's eyes widened.
It was identical to Hakodate Karin's sword stance.
"...The Sword Star. So, she is your master."
Jerman muttered to himself, watching Seong Hyun-jin intently. Something stirred within him—a forgotten feeling bubbling up at the sight of this pure swordsman who had appeared without warning. He kept his eyes glued, observing every breath, every subtle movement.
And then Jerman saw it.
"Spirit Severing Sword, Sixth Form."
⟨ Heavenly Ghost Kill ⟩
"...!"
The moment a swordsman who had inherited everything from the Sword Star was truly born.
Shwick──────!!
For such a vigorous swing, the sound was eerily quiet. But the spectacle before them was anything but.
Even Jerman, who hadn't taken his eyes off Seong Hyun-jin, and Serena and Ciela, who knew how exceptional his sword was, were stunned.
Rumble────!!
The trees in the direction Seong Hyun-jin had swung were all bisected and toppled. The range wasn't vast, just a straight line, but nothing remained—neither trees nor rocks in that path. It was impossible to gauge how far his strike had reached.
Now he understood why Seong Hyun-jin had asked if anything was over there before swinging.
"What was that just now...?"
"...A sword technique I've never seen."
The two stared at him, dumbfounded. He'd always been strong, but what he'd shown now felt utterly untouchable. It was like gazing upon the Sword Star herself.
"Young man."
Jerman stepped forward, calling out to him. Seong Hyun-jin, pleased at having smoothly executed the sixth form of the Spirit Severing Sword—which he'd never managed before—looked up.
"Yes, Mr. Jerman?"
"Show me once more. Any sword will do."
"...Pardon?"
"I ask you."
Caught off guard by Jerman's request, Seong Hyun-jin saw the sincerity in his eyes and realized it was genuine.
Did the old man get some inspiration?
The thought that his sword had sparked it made him feel good. He nodded slightly.
"Alright. There's this one sword I could never use due to my old body... Mind if I try it?"
"Go ahead."
Jerman stepped back a few paces, and Seong Hyun-jin took a deep breath. This time, he gripped the hilt with both hands, raising the sword into position.
At that moment, the Yggdrasil Watchers arrived, drawn by the commotion from the falling trees. Their captain, Cadernan, spotted the group outside and called out,
"What in the world happened, Mr. Jerman? Why did the trees suddenly—"
But Jerman didn't respond. His gaze was fixed solely on Seong Hyun-jin. Wondering what was going on, Cadernan glanced over. He saw Seong Hyun-jin poised to swing—toward an empty area, which he knew, so he didn't interfere, but it was puzzling all the same. The trees must've been felled by that young student... no, something was different. The boyish half-elf was gone; in his place stood a fully matured one.
As Cadernan blinked in confusion at the overnight change—
"Soul Killing Sword, First Form."
⟨ Lost Soul Beheading ⟩
Seong Hyun-jin unveiled a sword form he'd never shown anyone before.
The Soul Killing Sword. A superior art to the Spirit Severing Sword, yet below the Heaven Destroying Sword. One he'd only understood intellectually, never able to execute due to his body—until now, attempting it for the first time here.
Most couldn't succeed on their first try with a new technique, but this man was different. A genius Karin herself acknowledged as surpassing her. In swordsmanship, he could mimic anything after one glance, grasp its flaws, and refine it. That was Seong Hyun-jin.
The sword he raised crashed down like lightning.
KABOOOOOM────────────!!
The impact produced an unimaginable roar for a mere sword strike, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. And for good reason.
The Soul Killing Sword was a lethal form crafted among Karin's arts to kill enemies. It concentrated power most exquisitely, hence the thunderous result.
"...!"
As the dust settled, everyone—including Cadernan—saw it. A massive crater where Seong Hyun-jin's sword had struck. Not dug out, but born purely from the downward slash.
Cadernan, Serena, and Ciela couldn't hide their shock at the sheer power. But Jerman alone wasn't surprised by that.
"......"
He turned silently and headed straight for the forge.
To enshrine the inspiration gifted by the swordsman who had inherited the Sword Star's all—and complete his masterpiece.
Seong Hyun-jin watched Jerman's departing back, then chuckled softly.
"Feels good to have helped out."
With the issue of Seong Hyun-jin's body perfectly resolved, it was time to return to the academy. But they couldn't even bid Jerman farewell. He was holed up in the forge, endlessly hammering and quenching.
Serena wanted to thank him properly, but Seong Hyun-jin said not to disturb, so she left a short note expressing their gratitude instead.
Seong Hyun-jin had quite enjoyed his experiences in the elven forest and felt a pang of regret at leaving so soon.
"We're heading back already? It's not even been a week."
"We can rest after getting back early."
Ciela tilted her head at Serena's response.
"Wouldn't going back early mean fewer makeup classes?"
"Nah."
"Huh?"
"When junior insisted on coming to the elven forest right away, Master said she'd count it all as a week's makeup classes for everyone. So going back early changes nothing."
"...That's how it is?"
Serena seemed to hear it for the first time. Still, sharing makeup classes with Seong Hyun-jin didn't feel so bad.
As she thought that—
"Um, Seong Hyun-jin."
"Yeah?"
"You've been... way too close since earlier..."
Seong Hyun-jin was practically glued to Serena.
"What's wrong? Can't I stick close to my girlfriend?"
"...It's not that, but..."
Serena glanced at his hand. She'd felt it groping slyly several times, but endured since it was her boyfriend... but now outside, with it persisting, her patience had limits.
"You keep... touching my butt."
"......Huh?"
Seong Hyun-jin looked at her like she'd said something absurd, then at his own hand. And there it was—already slipped under her skirt, groping her butt.
"......Oops?"
He yanked it away in shock and yelled, even more startled than her.
"Wh-what!?"
Serena, flustered too, asked,
"...You didn't do it on purpose?"
"Am I crazy? I've never meant to—"
"...You've never meant to?"
"Groping your junior's butt in broad daylight?"
As Ciela eyed him dubiously, Seong Hyun-jin protested his innocence.
"No, really, I didn't plan this..."
Even as he spoke, his gaze drifted oddly—straight to Ciela's chest.
Impossible to miss, Ciela jumped and snapped,
"J-junior! While talking to me, where are you looking!?"
"S-sorry...!"
"...You just checked out Ciela senior's chest right in front of me?"
"No, it just happened..."
Seong Hyun-jin was thoroughly flustered, as if clueless about his own behavior.
Serena and Ciela noticed too. Even as they scolded, they calmed a bit, worried by how unlike him it was.
"Is it some side effect from the sudden growth?"
Serena muttered, tilting her head. Hearing that, Ciela suddenly had a hypothesis.
Seong Hyun-jin unconsciously fixating on sex, acting on it... and his body having skipped normal puberty in one leap.
Observing both closely, Ciela ventured a guess.
"...Did skipping growth all at once mean he's going through all those changes at once now?"