The Duel
The spectator stands, which had been quiet for a moment, soon regained their vitality. It was hard to keep one's voice down when watching the fierce duels of the academy students. Still, there were eyes constantly drawn to the seat where Baek Ho-san sat. To them, it was as if a figure from myth had appeared right before their eyes.
"But why did he come here? Isn't this his first time attending an event like this?"
"Didn't you know? One of the people dueling today is the successor of the Baek family. Baek Ha-yeon, the granddaughter of the Great Hero."
"Ah... so he came to see his granddaughter?"
"You have to assume so. Otherwise, he'd have no reason to be here."
Amidst the various gazes and chatter regarding the rare appearance of Baek Ho-san, Kim Ilshin's turn approached.
"Student Kim Ilshin, please prepare and head to Duel Arena 6!"
A staff member who opened the door to the waiting room announced his turn. Kim Ilshin followed his instructions and stepped out into the hallway. As he walked along the long corridor filled with bright light, he could see the arenas where battles were in full swing. When he walked to the assigned Arena 6, someone had already arrived. It was his opponent, Baek Ha-yeon. A sharp, cutting aura emanated from her as she drew a white sword similar to Baek Ho-san's.
Kim Ilshin stood on the opposite side of Baek Ha-yeon. The referee, confirming his arrival, began to explain the rules of the duel.
"The duel begins the moment I shout 'Start.' The duel ends when one side is in a state where they can no longer continue. If an injury occurs, a standby healer will be dispatched to treat you, and..."
As the referee explained the rules in a loud voice, preparing to start the match, the eyes of the people in the stands gathered there.
"Is that Baek Ha-yeon? The granddaughter of that Great Hero?"
"I heard she was the top student overall last year and the year before that, too."
Most were there to see the skills of the renowned Baek Ha-yeon, and naturally, they predicted her victory.
"Who's her opponent? I've never heard the name Kim Ilshin."
"I heard he's the absolute bottom-ranked student. Across all first and second years."
"Bottom-ranked? Ugh, I wonder if there's even anything to watch. Won't it be over in three seconds?"
There were almost no people who knew about the events that had taken place within the academy, let alone Kim Ilshin's track record of completed requests. Because of that, the gazes of the spectators directed at Kim Ilshin were not very favorable.
"He solved a task for the former hero Joo Chae-rin, and even succeeded in two intermediate-level or higher requests. ...Look at this. He's not just a bottom-ranker."
"He has connections with the Gangnam Police Station, and I heard he caught an ascetic while carrying out a request. I couldn't verify the truth of it, though."
"...Still, it'll be tough for him against Baek Ha-yeon, right?"
"Well, that's true. Whose bloodline is she, after all?"
The thoughts of those who had gathered information on Kim Ilshin through meticulous background work were not much different. The position of being the granddaughter of a Great Hero carried that much expectation.
"Now, go back and prepare," the referee said after finishing the rule explanation. Baek Ha-yeon, who had been watching Kim Ilshin as he tried to step back, opened her mouth.
"Kim Ilshin. Thank you for accepting the duel request."
"Hm? ...Sure."
"And, I'm sorry."
Kim Ilshin, who had responded vaguely, thinking it was just a formality, stopped. He wondered what she was going to say.
"I want to apologize for ignoring you. In the past, I thought you, Kim Ilshin, were a dull person who didn't know how to properly judge the current situation. But I was wrong."
Baek Ha-yeon, with a determined expression, continued. It was a voice filled with sincerity that could not be doubted as a lie.
'So that's why you thoroughly ignored me ever since I turned down your proposal.'
Kim Ilshin had experienced the person named Baek Ha-yeon several times while playing the game, and because of that, he had no choice but to know her well. That was why, just from those words, he could figure out what kind of thoughts she had held and how she had acted in the past.
'She didn't want to mix words with a guy who didn't know his own place, and she must have thought it was better for me to just give up and drop out early since I'd be expelled later anyway.'
Everything about her principles of action was now understood. An action that could be seen as arrogant, judging everything through her own perspective and following that judgment without doubt. Of course, he thought that was possible. Because the Kim Ilshin of that time was a fool with no talent.
However, Kim Ilshin's mood kept twitching. The reason was Baek Ha-yeon's tone.
"I can feel your strength, and I acknowledge your strength. I want you to show your full power in this duel. I will do my best as well."
Having finished her words, Baek Ha-yeon turned and headed to her spot. Kim Ilshin, who had been standing still, also moved his feet at the referee's command to return to his position.
"...Ha."
A powerless laugh burst from Kim Ilshin's lips as he stood in his spot. It was a hollow laugh. Acknowledgment. So, acknowledgment.
'You are arrogant, Baek Ha-yeon.'
Acknowledgment received from someone he did not respect was this disgusting. Kim Ilshin was far from respecting Baek Ha-yeon; he didn't even have a shred of goodwill toward her. Those words only served to provoke Kim Ilshin's antipathy.
The emotions of the past, which he had buried deep on the day he gained his talent, were trying to break down the locked door and burst out.
"Hoo..."
Kim Ilshin calmed his heart with a deep breath. He maintained his composure with the help of [Flawless Spirit (S)]. However, since it couldn't extinguish even the smallest embers, Kim Ilshin drew his sword. In this duel, he wanted to achieve an overwhelming victory.
"Ready."
The referee's hand, slowly rising, brought about a taut tension.
"Start!"
And the moment that hand dropped.
BOOM!
A massive vibration occurred in the arena. The mana racing fiercely pushed against the ground and exploded. A black trajectory that scattered light stretched out long.
CLANG!
There was a snow-white sword blocking the Ilshin Heaven Shattering Art: Swift Sword Style head-on. It felt like striking a giant boulder. After flowing the surging repulsion with the Heavenly Flow Sword, he bound it. The Hyeonwol sword pushed away the clashing blade, advanced, and emitted a wave. Along with the strongly budding Moon's Wailing Scripture, he stepped forward with his right foot diagonally. There was sunlight shattering in the twisting and rising sword strike.
CRACK!
Beyond the shattering fragments, he could see Baek Ha-yeon's blue eyes. The emotion carried within them was bewilderment. However, soon, a cold energy surged from Baek Ha-yeon's firmly gripped hands. The materialized sword aura, riding up the broken blade, crushed the air and struck down.
'Is this Baek Ho-san's sword?'
The transcendental sword technique firmly rooted in Kim Ilshin's mind unfolded in a form that fell far short of the original. Dozens of slashes rushed in like waves. The logic of Snow Trace Steps was applied to the steps that dug into the center of it. Evasion and counterattack occurred simultaneously in the steps that continued as if melting. Along with the footwork that twisted the flow, the strike he unleashed pierced Baek Ha-yeon's opening.
CRUNCH!
With Baek Ha-yeon's sword flying into the air, the duel ended.
"Is it... over?"
"What is this..."
The entire testing ground was engulfed in silence at a result no one had expected. Everyone in the spectator stands stared blankly only at Arena 6. As if time had stopped, they remained still.
It was one-sided. So much so that no one could believe it had been a duel between the top student and the bottom-ranked one. Even the spectators who were laymen in combat could clearly feel that much.
In the eyes of former and current heroes, they saw something even greater. There was a natural martial talent there that was so good it made them envious.
'Was Baek Ha-yeon's condition not good? No, even if I assume that, the opponent is too...'
'That footwork. It's a technique I've never heard of. Does he have a separate master? Or... did that student create it himself?'
'I heard he was the bottom-ranked student, what is this?'
'Why has such talent not been known until now?'
'That swift sword. If I could, I'd even want to learn it.'
There were many thoughts popping up in each of their minds, but no one could act rashly. It was because Baek Ho-san, who had witnessed his granddaughter's defeat right before his eyes, was sitting in the front row of the spectator stands. Everyone held their breath and walked on eggshells around Baek Ho-san. Because there was no change in his expression at all, it was impossible to know his emotions. However, logically, there was no one who could feel good in a situation like this.
Everyone knew well that Baek Ho-san would not harm innocent people. He was a holy hero comparable to Yi Sun-sin. But even so, Baek Ho-san was close to a natural disaster in human form, so it was impossible to move thoughtlessly in front of him.
"..."
At that moment, Baek Ho-san quietly stood up from his seat. The energy he had been holding back spread out, evoking the illusion of a giant rising to his feet. Baek Ho-san, who walked to the front of the railing, jumped lightly and dropped down. His steps, landing like a feather, were headed toward Arena 6, where Kim Ilshin and Baek Ha-yeon were.
Even though it was an outsider's intrusion by regulation, there was no one who could stand in his way. Doubt and bewilderment filled the minds of those watching the scene, and it was the same for Kim Ilshin. In the game, there were many times when Baek Ha-yeon had been defeated in a duel. However, there had never been a time when Baek Ho-san had shown behavior like this. It meant there was another reason for Baek Ho-san to act like that.
While Kim Ilshin was racking his brain, Baek Ho-san passed by Baek Ha-yeon. He didn't even give her a glance, as if she were not even in his consideration. Beside him, Baek Ha-yeon's hollow expression could be seen. The place where Baek Ho-san, who had walked over like that, stopped was right in front of Kim Ilshin. In the suffocating tension, he opened his mouth.
"Good skill."
A Great Hero's praise for an academy student. At that unprecedented sight, the mouths of the spectators dropped open. And at his words that followed immediately, Kim Ilshin's thoughts stopped for a moment.
"Kim Ilshin. You must have been there last night."
We're in big trouble.